JDMeg95

hey guys im wanting to start self tuning my own car and i have a couple questions...ive seen my buddy tune his talon with dsmlink and i wanna do the same thing with my hatch....i know alot of you guys self tune your stuff so what is a good semi cheap setup? which programs? how do they work? plug into ecu? which laptop to run? willing to spend under 1000 im hopeing but give me suggestions.......also how hard is it? thanx sorry for the newbness

Everyones Hero

I was running Crome as the tuning program & was using ECU control for data logging on my boosted D16. You can get ECU Control & Crome for free.

$15 for the chipset to chip my P28.
$80 for the chip burner.
$35 for the data logger.

I got all of my hardware from moates.net.

Also picked up a $15 soldering iron & mechanical solder sucker from Radio Shack to chip the ECU myself.

JDMeg95

wow that sound great where do you get crome?

Everyones Hero

I got my copy from PGMFI.org.

I don't know if you can still get Crome though. Last I heard the people that had created it were pissed they weren't making money off of it so they started taking all of the coding & started applying it to a new program that you have to pay for.

0mtber

iTrader: (2)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Everyones Hero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I got my copy from PGMFI.org.

I don't know if you can still get Crome though. Last I heard the people that had created it were pissed they weren't making money off of it so they started taking all of the coding & started applying it to a new program that you have to pay for.</TD></TR></TABLE>


By the time you add up all the hardware & licensing pricing for crome you are better off using neptune rtp or hondata s300 which both have better features & have features that actually work the way they are intended to.

JDMeg95

ok thanks guys if i bought hondata s300 does it have instructions on how to use it? and what lap top should i use or does it even matter?

JaredKaragen

http://forum.pgmfi.org/index.php

learn to play with the free stuff, then consider upgrading. if you do DIY or hondata, you still need to socket your ecu so you might as well try the free stuff first.

0mtber

iTrader: (2)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDMeg95 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ok thanks guys if i bought hondata s300 does it have instructions on how to use it? and what lap top should i use or does it even matter?</TD></TR></TABLE>

S300 comes with a help guide. Hondata.com also has information on the system.
Windows 2000/xp/vista laptops can be used.

0xenocron

The original creator is still selling Crome, and I can sell licenses as well for those that wanted to know...

Crome PRO Setup - $668 (Software, ECU, Emulator, Data Cable & Wideband)
http://www.xenocron.com/catalo....html

Neptune RTP Setup - $718 (ECU, Neptune RTP/Software Unit & Wideband)
http://www.xenocron.com/catalo...18}57

Crome is much more DIY intense but the products you would be purchasing with it are much more versatile.

Neptune is much more stable and feature laden...and simpler to setup and get running.

0mtber

iTrader: (2)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by xenocron &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Crome is much more DIY intense but the products you would be purchasing with it are much more versatile.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Very well said

Everyones Hero

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mtber &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


By the time you add up all the hardware & licensing pricing for crome you are better off using neptune rtp or hondata s300 which both have better features & have features that actually work the way they are intended to.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't understand the reasoning behind getting Crome Pro.

You can use ECU Control to datalog & basic Crome to change the files.

The basic version of Crome had everything I needed for a street car. Fuel tables & ignition control. Even has a built-in 2-step that I didn't really need but was nice when I went to the track.

OP: I found out I still have the Crome 1.2 file & the ones to go along with it in my tuning tools folder. If you need it let me know.

0xenocron

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Everyones Hero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I don't understand the reasoning behind getting Crome Pro.

You can use ECU Control to datalog & basic Crome to change the files.

The basic version of Crome had everything I needed for a street car. Fuel tables & ignition control. Even has a built-in 2-step that I didn't really need but was nice when I went to the track.

OP: I found out I still have the Crome 1.2 file & the ones to go along with it in my tuning tools folder. If you need it let me know.</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is true although Freelog really hasnt been developed in a while...and datalogging right in the program you are making the changes in makes things much simpler and more efficient.

Everyones Hero

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by xenocron &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

This is true although Freelog really hasnt been developed in a while...and datalogging right in the program you are making the changes in makes things much simpler and more efficient.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm sure it's much easier, but paying 3x more just to get data logging in the same program seems stupid to me.

I got all of my hardware for right around $200. Paying $600 for the hardware plus a license so I can tune & data log from the same program? Nah. People promoting that are the same people selling the products that are just trying to make a buck.

0xenocron

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Everyones Hero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'm sure it's much easier, but paying 3x more just to get data logging in the same program seems stupid to me.

I got all of my hardware for right around $200. Paying $600 for the hardware plus a license so I can tune & data log from the same program? Nah. People promoting that are the same people selling the products that are just trying to make a buck.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Not everyone my friend...I've been promoting this stuff from the beginning and yeah I run a business to make a profit, but I've been much happier seeing how much DIY proliferation has helped to bring tuning to the masses. Without these products and software...you'd still only be left with one option.

Look at K-Series

Everyones Hero

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by xenocron &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Not everyone my friend...I've been promoting this stuff from the beginning and yeah I run a business to make a profit, but I've been much happier seeing how much DIY proliferation has helped to bring tuning to the masses. Without these products and software...you'd still only be left with one option.

Look at K-Series </TD></TR></TABLE>

K-Pro still the only option for them?

What worries me about eCTune is that I'm afraid the creators/programmers are going to do what's pretty much happened with Crome- They'll get pissed off for one reason or another & stop updating the program. Granted, I don't know how many more advancements & options they can come up with that can be supported by a 15+ year old platform.

Another thing I don't like about eCTune is that it's linked to an Ostrich. The only way to tune multiple cars is to buy several licenses because I don't qualify as a tuner/shop (don't want or need to either.) I need a program that gives me the option to tune 4 cars- My EG, my one friend's Accord, & his brother's Accord & Civic. I don't tune for money, I tune because I enjoy it & to help my friends do something they don't trust themselves to do.

Joseph Davis

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Everyones Hero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What worries me about eCTune is that I'm afraid the creators/programmers are going to do what's pretty much happened with Crome- They'll get pissed off for one reason or another & stop updating the program. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Crome is a software from end that johncui wrote to interface with code snippets others wrote for free. johncui got paid for selling Crome Pro licenses to his front end, the guys doing the ECU code didn't find that very rewarding and started doing other stuff. Frankly, the whole Crome affair is salvagable but it's an odd affair when most of the people doing the code were/are hobbyists and getting paid makes it another job, among abou a thousand other aspects. Calvin @ eCtune does everything from GUI to ECU code, and eCtune is a modestly priced for-profit solution. Calvin is a hard worker, knows what he wants and what he wants to do, and he likes getting paid.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Everyones Hero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Granted, I don't know how many more advancements & options they can come up with that can be supported by a 15+ year old platform.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't mean to come off as a smartass, but I can't resist... you don't have a very vivid imagination, do you?

I have three innovative irons in the fire that I'd like to see in the next year, one of which is waiting for me to stop screwing around and find an affordable sensor so the feature can be marketed. I'm sure there are several dozen other ideas out there others have that I am and will be unaware of until they *poof* magically appear... the OBD1 ECU backbone is robust and feature rich, there are several usable inputs/outputs that can be manipulated however is needed. There is a lot that can be done yet.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Everyones Hero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Another thing I don't like about eCTune is that it's linked to an Ostrich. The only way to tune multiple cars is to buy several licenses because I don't qualify as a tuner/shop (don't want or need to either.) I need a program that gives me the option to tune 4 cars- My EG, my one friend's Accord, & his brother's Accord & Civic. I don't tune for money, I tune because I enjoy it & to help my friends do something they don't trust themselves to do.</TD></TR></TABLE>

There are a bunch of different solutions out there, eCtune is only one of them. Where I am at right now it's a pretty sweet combination of features and performance for what I do and what I need done. However, I started out no different than you are now, and understand completely where you're coming from.

Everyones Hero

I know about you. And I know you're a smart guy that has no reason to BS.

You don't think Calvin will punk out with eCTune?

I just can't think of any more things that can really be added to a program until you're just adding bells & whistles.

What I plan on doing is having my friends pitch in to get an ostrich. That'll make tuning so much easier than having to constantly stop & turn off the car, look over the information, make the changes in the program, save it, load it, erase the chip, program the chip, put the chip back into the ECU, & repeat.

The thing that really irritates me about eCTune is that I'm forced to buy several licenses & get the several ostriches that come with them just to tune 4 cars. I'm not a big tuner so I don't need a dealer license, but only having the option to tune one car & having the program stuck on the ostrich so I don't have a back up or an option to share MY tune with other people irritates me.

maddog20

You should talk to Calvin first maybe he can work something out for you?

Everyones Hero

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by maddog20 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You should talk to Calvin first maybe he can work something out for you?

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I might have to do that.

It's just hard to pay for nearly $800 worth of ostriches & then also the individual licenses for the program.