best engine managment computer

[philord]

hey i got a 96 integra GSR and ive got some basic mods in the mail, (intake, exaust, headers) however i realize that u can have great parts and without proper tuning its worthless.. the car is going to be a race car..
i want to be able to control my air/feul, along with VTEC... im not a computer wiz.. so its gotta be functional, and semi-easy to use...
new ECU???
piggyback controller????
computer chips????
computer programs (for laptops, connect to ur car)
i have no idea where to sart... and im willing to spend the money, but im not willing to burn a gaping hole into my wallet..
help me please!

[civickiller]

i would run either a hondata 4b or a aem ems. i hear those aems are easy to control and program. also the hondata is pretty easy too. i know the hondata 4b comes with a 2 step and full throttle shifting, idk about the aem though

[philord]

where would i find out more about the hondata system? can u give me just a basic rundown of what it will control?
thanks...
also are they plug and play, or am i gonna be doing some cutting and crimping?

[SmoovSol]

there all gonna be and do the same thing, i have seen hondata 4b, 3b aem ems, and people come in with wolf ems's... To be honest u pay for the name like sneakers.... go with one that match's ur car lol.... good luck in choosing

[SmoovSol]

controles EVERYTHING, fuel map, ignition, vacuum, reads all sensors, basically everything u can think of it will do and more...

[ric]

Originally posted by philord
where would i find out more about the hondata system? can u give me just a basic rundown of what it will control?
thanks...
also are they plug and play, or am i gonna be doing some cutting and crimping?

personally unless you plan on getting hardcore dont even bother with an EMS. between the money you pay for it and to get it tuned and the legality of them in most states and the complexity in which is involved its not worth it for bolt ons. im not saying it wont make more power then a vafc because it will, its just the hassle.

as for all EMS's being the same i highly disagree. the functions, controlability and design vary greatly, for example hondata a stage 2 does basic things, a stage 3 adds rev limiters for launch and full throttle shift and stage for adds prom burning and datalogging. electromotive comes with its own crank trigger ignition system etc....... its also been shown the ems's vs. other ems's on the same car will make 10+hp more then the previous using the same maps like a haltech vs. a speedpro on most honda's

www.hondata.com if you really want the low down on it. and yes you will need to do a little cutting and soldering. we just put a 3b in a month ago and its not very hard at all.

other ones to check out if you decide that route is for you.. electromotive, haltech, accel dfi, speedpro, motec, pms, apexi power fc, aem ems.

special note on the aem and hondata. as for the aem,sure its great that the harness plugs right in but many of the people i know that bought them have sold them because they just werent making the power and the support just wasnt there for them.
and for the hondata you need to do and obd2-1 conversion which would tack on another 2-300$ to the price of the system plus having it modified to accept the hondata box.

[philord]

ok.. thanks that was very helpfull....

obd2
obd1

what is the difference? one computer better than anohter computer?
i know i had a freind who was gonna do a GSR swap into his 98 EX.. and he said something about how he needed an engine with an OBD-2 setup

i was just curious with about that.....


so the hondata system is gonna cost an extra 2-300 bucks to install becuase of my electronics.....
what do u know about the apexi VAFC?

[Tominos]

obd2 and obd 1 is just the computer's emission control systems. it stands for on board diagnostic system. diff. between obd1 and 2 is that obd2 has more sensors because of stricter emissions in newer cars. the reason you need obd1 or obd2 is because you have to have your year or newer year motor to be legal, because the motor has to pass your car's year of emissions. for example, 96 and up car would need obd2. the vafc is basically a piggyback fuel controller with vtec control. what a piggyback is is it controls the fuel together with the factory ecu. it tricks it into doing what it can't do by itself. the vafc controls fuel, shows some engine info, and controls the rpms at which vtec kicks in so when you shift, you can stay in vtec, so you don't drop out of vtec. a little faster.