hello everyone! i really don't have that much knowledge when i comes to ecu's anyway, my car is a '00 si, with b18c5 motor, si tranny, itr clutch, itr flywheel, headers, exhaust, short ram intake and a pct ecu.. pretty much stock.. and i am planning to get a p28 ecu.. just want to know what to look for before i buy an ecu (manual vs auto, vtec, or sohc vs dohc).. so please help me.. will my car run better if i have a p28 ecu vs the pct ecu that im using right now? please advice.. thank you! your help is greatly appreciated!

 

Your car will run much worse if you switch to the P28 unless you run some kind of piggy back system that will allow you to have the car tuned which is really pointless on a stock motor. Why are you trying to swap out your ECU?

My advise: don't waste your time/money on swapping out your ECU just yet. Maybe later on down the line once you start boosting or making some serious HP numbers, but for now, your best bet is to just leave it stock...

 

Many people get confused about ecus because there is a lot of misinformation out there regarding them. First off, like the previous poster said, you just can't throw in the P28 and run it, esp. with your setup. It would run, as long as you had the proper OBD2B to OBD1 jumper harness, but your performance would be greatly hindered. The only point to change to a P28 (which is OBD1) is that you can socket and chip the P28 thereby allowing you to tune your car more easily. The P28 itself is not some magic ecu that adapts to whatever car it is put in, but it does allow easier and cheaper tuning to be done (for the most part).

 

thanks guys! i want to get a p28 ecu to tune my car because i runs rich right now.. and i know that p28 is tunable compared to what i have right now.. thats why.. thanks for the posts! i just need to know what to look for in buying a p28 ecu..

 

oh dear...

OK, the P28 cannot be tuned unless you modify it.

Questions:

Why do you think you're running rich?
Why is your motor running rich? (chances are you just have a loose vacuum fitting somewhere or something more serious)
Why do you want to tune your car? Are you boosting, high compression, custom cams?

 

im not really sure... so your telling me just to keep my pct ecu?

 

well, that all depends. Please answer my questions so I can answer yours:

Questions:

Why do you think you're running rich?
Why is your motor running rich? (chances are you just have a loose vacuum fitting somewhere or something more serious)
Why do you want to tune your car? Are you boosting, high compression, custom cams?

 

Just respond numerically, so like this:

1. I think I'm running rich because .........

etc.
etc.

 

i think it runs rich because:

1. when i start the engine it smells gas
2. my friend saw me when my vtec kicked in, he said that there's a smoke that came out and he smelled my car

and also i dont feel that much power when my vtec kicks in maybe because the settings of my vtec controller isn't right...

 

wait did you just throw that VTEC controller in or what? If so, disconnect it and let the ECU run your car.

 

Redbone, your sig is gospel my brother...

pacey, smelling gas does not necissarily mean that you are running rich. The only way to TRULY tell if you are running ric would be to hook up a wideband sensor. A narrowband gauge is just a switch that doesn't ACTUALLY tell you anything.

What color is your smoke when VTEC kicks in?

A VTEC controller is a delicate tuning device which can either help your car's motor reach its maximum performance potential, or it can cause you much grief by ruining it. Unless you are proficient in tuning or know someone who can tune your car for you, I would do as Redbone suggested and remove that device from your vehicle. Your stock ECU is probably better at tuning than you are; hence, you will notice an increase in power once you remove it.

 

ic.. i got it with the vtec controller already... the only thing is, i really dont know anyone around that knows how to tune my vtec controller.. and the ecu that i have is for a CTR and not for ITR.. thats why i want to replace it. and maybe it would make my car run better.. and btw, i think it was a black smoke..

 

OK, that explains a LOT!

Black smoke is usually an indication of burning fuel, which most likely means detonation, which would explain your poor performance.

Detonation may be occuring due to the difference in timing/cam profile of the CTR vs. ITR. Not only that, God only knows what else the VTEC controller is doing to mess things up even more.

First thing you need to do is remove the VTEC controller ASAP!

If you keep running your motor with the wrong ECU, eventually, it is going to cause severe engine damage on top of what is already damaged.

My recommendation to you is to either drive straight to a proffessional tuner, or park the car until you get the correct ECU installed.

 

ic.. so would you now recommend me to get a p28 ecu and get it tuned asap??

 

No, because you would have to do an OBD2 - OBD1 conversion. That is time and money that you don't need to spend. Just buy the ITR ECU, and leave it alone. You won't benefit from tuning a stock motor much.

Using the P28 will cost you:

About $150 for the ECU depending on where you buy it.
Between $150 - $1000 for the management hardware.
At least $120 to have somebody do a bare minimum tune just to get you running again.
Plus all the other parts, time, and labor for the OBD2 - OBD1 conversion.

Save your money, and buy the ITR ECU, and pray that you didn't ruin your motor.

You can find them all day for around $200.

Once you do this, be sure to come back and post your resuts so others can read and learn...

Good luck

 

alright thanks man! i read one thread here in ht that says that PCT ecu is for ITR/CTR.. so maybe, im thinking it is the stock ecu... i might just go to a performance shop this weekend then maybe have them set my vtec controller to the right setting..

 

If you can find one, that would be the most cost-effective option.

Be sure to come back and let us know how everything went.

 

In case you are having a hard time deciding which ECU to get:

http://www.hondata.com/techecuid.html

 

ok thanks man! i really appreciate it!

 

You're welcome

 

btw, i do have another question.. 1. my car sometimes dies when i start it in the morning when its cold.. and i have to step on the gas or hold it for like 5 sec so it won't die.. 2. im not really sure because this car is my first car that has vtec.. when i hit vtec i dont feel like a sudden power that adds up to it.. is that normal? do you have any idea why this happens? sorry too many questions...

 

1. You have probably damaged your motor from a poor ECU/ VTEC controller tuning.
2. Stop hitting VTEC until you get it fixed. You are not feeling VTEC either because something is broke in your motor, or because your A/F ratio, and timing is so far off that it cannot make any increase in power, or it is in limp mode, or something is not hooked up correctly.

This is all happening because of your ECU setup. Just get it taken care of, then have a compression and leakdown test done to make sure you didn't fry your piston rings or bend any valves or blow any gaskets...

 

ok.. do you know anyone that is good in those kind of stuff? im in LA county as well..

 

OH, I see that you're in riverside. I'll probably be out there this weekend. I think the closest one that I know of is bisimoto, but I don't know if he tunes VAFCs. Either way, he is tough to get a hold of and a little pricey in my opinion. I personally go to Church out in Long Beach...

 

oh really!! i go to church in long beach sometimes too.. im in whittier/ la mirada area now.. im thinking prostreet.. or maybe you can recommend someone that you know and tried already.. so at least you've tried it.. u know..