Been looking around for a while now and trying to decide which way to eventually go on my classic.

I can get an Apexi for £400 second hand, BUT then mapping is £250-300 ontop so really around £700.
I can get Simtek, for around £900 brand new and fully mapped.
BUT I can get the ESL daughterboard for £550.

Is the Simtek worth the extra money compared to Apexi etc, also is the Simtek that much better than the ESL??
Any opinions, and views/reviews will be greatly appreciated.

 

With the Apexi with hand controller you can watch knock and other perameters

 

I have the Apexi with Controller very good bit of kit

 

Im thinking Simtek due to the Maf-less feature, also the anti-lag is always worth a laugh!! lol

 

Whats in my mind is that the Apexi is second hand at best, and is a fair age now.
Also that the technology will have moved on.

PLUS I`d fiddle, and I`d rather something I can switch from a low boost map to a high boost map, rather than fiddle with things and have the possibility to go bang.

Where as with the other two, once mapped I can`t fiddle so I can`t alter the map at all.

I really dunno lol. Would love antilag, but waht I really want is to make the most of the Forged engine I have with a bigger turbo, injectors, fmic, and for it to be mapped for reliability, not max power. Also the added point of mafless is great.

 

Jimbob, what year is your car??

 

Pretty sure ESL do a mafless version (may be wrong though).
I've a Simtek and when running normally it's perfectly fine but so many people have had a problem (including me) with poor cold start,dodgy idling https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...imtek-ecu.html
promised updates that ,as far as i know, haven't arrived (active knock control is one).

It is however a mapper issue it seems not an ecu issue.

 

If you would be tempted to fiddle i'd say don't get the apexi as its got loads of bits and 4 button's it is old but its still good,

 

I'm almost certain i read that a updated ESL board is due out that will be mafless and able to have Anti-lag and launch control added.

I'm going to wait on more details of this...

 

*Double post*

 

new update on esl is mafless and i have heard same about poss antilag and launch control

i have had esl for few years now (maf based)and its been faultless but you do get all the factory safety features which is never a bad thing

yes more can be done with the other ecu's (anti lag,launch control,flat shifting,data logging, etc etc)but on a road car including track days do you need all the extra's granted if your going to be doing some kind of motor sport then all options you can get will be best

 

1995.

 

if your interested i've got an apexi power fc with controller £350

 

Maf-less aint so importaint on this year, but always a good idea

Very good price, is it for the correct year?

 

yes its for 92-96

 

The Simtek is light years ahead of the Apexi so if you can afford that go for it and properly mapped you will not look back. It will also retain value quite well.
The Apexi does a job as does the ESL but unless the Apexi is less than £300 the ESL is probably the cheapest option.
Like I said, if you can afford the Simtek, go for it. Here in Darlington the cost new and mapped by Bob Rawle would be £900 + VAT.

 

sorry for the highjack, i have a my96 with 3"cat back version 6 tmic and a panel filter, also a walbro coming from harvey this week, if i get a simtek for nearly £1200 what benefits will i get....

 

As harvey says the simtek is in a different league to both the esl and apexi,i have one on my car sti v5 and its a godsend to be rid of that chocolate maf,i went through 3 mafs in 10 months on my last car my99 uk turbo.The early cars have stronger maf`s but given the choice simtek is the way forward for sure,apexi is old hat now and the commander is the only real attraction.Unfortunatley mine was mapped by a complete and utter muppet before i got the car and had idle and coldstart issues,but i got simon(JGM)to map it properly and now its a different car alltogther,more power and perfect idle and coldstart.

 

Tbh I have written on Apexi unless I can get it cheap as I have to get it mapped ontop.

So looks like its saving up for Simtek then.

 

Save harder and get a better ECU IMO;

http://www.syvecs.co.uk/s6pnp.php

 

if you had the same car, mods etc and mapper/rr

would you notice any diference between these 3?

would you get...

more bhp/lbft
smoother drive
better mpg
safer
etc etc...

what are the + and - of them

I am using a version 6 sti maf, and have replaced it 2 times in over 4 years, and have been running it at around its max for the last 6 months or so with out any problems, i must be lucky??

 

If you fit a Simtek you have far more control over the engine functions and far greater granularity of ECU, more load cells etc and proper boost control, unlike the Apexi.
So if the right person installs your Simtek and maps it you will get benefits in all the areas you list above.

The Apexi was a good ECU to have several years ago and still serves a function but as time goes on more advanced products come along and the Simtek has taken over the affordable slot that was once the domain of the Apexi.

 

Thats what I was thinking.

I had an Omex 710 on my old car, and that was superb. And just wanted to get opinions on whether a second hand Apexi is REALLY worth the money, when you gotta pay more then to get it mapped, plus reliability of older second hand kit.

Hmmmmm Simtek sounds much better.