EMS Stinger computer just fitted to 323i

[astondg]

I just got my car, 1985 E30 323i with M20 2.3L, back from the mechanic this afternoon (Friday here). It has been there all week getting an EMS Stinger 4424 computer fitted and then dyno tuned, he also had to fix my sump that I broke (another thread "Wrecked my sump"). Well it is fitted and he also took out the AFM (that is short for Air Flow Meter?) but kept the factory air box bit, he was going to go with a pod filter but he said that on the dyno he took out the factory air box and made less power.

I decided to get the computer on because I want more performance but I don't know exactly what I will do with the car yet. I might get a different engine or maybe a turbo, so the computer will let me do both of those. It is a fully programable computer that is supposed to be the level down from a MOTEC. Here is the website, except mine is supposed to be the new version 4 http://www.enginemanagementsystem.com/prod02.htm .

When I spoke to him before I picked up the car he was saying that it has a lot more low down torque and it runs really well, starts straight away and a lot of other stuff. He said it made about 160hp at the flywheel (worked out aprox. from the wheel hp on the dyno) which is only 10hp more than the factory rating, and I have a full 2.5" exhaust with headers too (also a 4.1 LSD to help acceleration - see later). But he reckoned it gained a lot more down low and now has a really nice flat torque curve.

Anyway I got in it and tried to start it and it still had to wind over a bit before it started. Then I reveresed onto the street and when I tried to drive away it balked/stumbled then at about 3/4 throttle it slowly started to move and then it jerked and took off at proper speed . Not a great start. So driving home I tried out the acceleration on the flat and up a few hills and it feels no faster then before except that it has lost the slight pull I used to feel after 4000rpm. Also when I take off from a standstill or re-accelerate at lower revs it stumbles and if I use anything more than 1/2 throttle it goes slowly for a second before it starts to move. Something is obviously not right at low rpm but it seems to run ok otherwise. I'll take it back on Monday and see what happens.

Also I thought those plug in chips are supposed to give 15hp? I only get 10hp with an exhaust and fully programable computer? I think this car is just slow, Are all 323s like this? The machanics (more than 1 and some who are supposed to know E30's) say that my car goes well for a 323, even that it goes like a 325, it feels to me like a bit of a snail, even with the 4.1 LSD and before the computer .

So that is the story, so far I would not recommend a fully programable computer to anyone with a close to standard car, it hasn't even helped my car run better (I had issues with bad idle and other things but now it is worse). Hopefully I can go forward from here and the computer will let me get into some more serious modifications.

Aston

[e30_Turbo]

Sorry to hear it aint working yet, these things can take a few runs on the dyno to sort out, just ask Sal (m5pilot) or Dale (Dale325i). Both have or have had the MBE system and both have had later remaps and for some reason have gained lots of power from nowhere.

Dale swapped rolling roads and companies and that realeased 30lb torque and 20 odd bhp!

The 15bhp increase from the aftermarket chips are bollox, no way, I've had 3 diff types now and even the best is only worth maybe 5 or 10 at the top end and better torque down low. The one I have now (ZONE1 CHIP! ) is custom mapped and the best overall by far I've had. But I've felt what a MBE can do to 2.5 and WOW!! But lots of Ԛ£Ã”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£

You've gone the right way with the remappable ECU, like you say when you add more bits you just remap for best results!

Take it back, explain, remap and try again!

These things never work out right first time, but when it does it'll fly!

Good luck!

[Karan]

sounds like you need a remap

the management will pay dividend for future mods

[Andy335Touring]

These things never work out right first time

My Emerald ECU did,4-5 hours mapping time and it was fine.I've since changed my exhaust,a big K+N cone filter and it's still on the first map running sweetly.

Sound's like a decent spec' ECU,i guess the map just needs a little work.

These systems are only worth doing if you got big mods planed like TB's or a turbo,if not stick with a chip.

[Karan]

andy that reminds me i forgot to have a chat with u about ure progress with those tb's!!

how they coming along?

Karan

[Andy335Touring]

andy that reminds me i forgot to have a chat with u about ure progress with those tb's!!

how they coming along?

Karan

I am waiting to copy BIGE's hartge adapter plate,but i dion't think he's got it yet

[astondg]

Thanks for the replys. Hopefully when I take it back on Monday he can just change the map a bit and fix it up then. I have an Autocross this weekend so I hope it doesn't have too much trouble there.

It did seem strange that he told us how good it was running and now I am driving it seems worse than before? One thing he specifically said was that it started straight away now instead of winding over a bit like it used too and we hadn't told him about that either. But now I have it at home it still winds over a few times before starting just like before . I was thinking that maybe the petrol wasn't so great now, the mechanic said he had to put in $20, but I guess he would know what was bed for the car. He actually told us to use BP Ultimate now and not Shell Optimax because he tried that and the car ran badly. Anyway I'll probably go through a tank of petrol before Monday if I go out and drive it around now so I can fill up again and see what that does.

I let you all know how it goes after Monday.

ALSO: The mechanic did say that the power was at 5800rpm and it ran out by 6200rpm (he said he would be changing about 6000 to 62000rpm) because it couldn't get enough air. But taking off the air box lost power so maybe a throttle body is the next modification for me too.

Aston

[astondg]

I just took some pictures.

http://members.westnet.com.au/astondg/EMS_Stinger.jpg
http://members.westnet.com.au/astondg/EMS_EngineBay.jpg - New parts circled (well not really a circle) in red. Also all the black ribbed plastic tubing is new and contains the new wiring. I circled2 hoses that were taped to another hose and plugged up, I think they must have been from the AFM?
http://members.westnet.com.au/astondg/EngineBay.jpg

Also this cost AUD$2400 (about GBP1009) including removing, welding and refitting the sump, checking the diff, and new oil for the engine and diff.

Aston

[Boots_Walker]

Aston,

i've recently fitted a megasquirt programmable ecu to my 323i and so far the results have been very good - car feels stronger and smoother particularly down in the lower revs

i'm really keen to upgrade the throttle body, i measured mine to be about 55mm (same as eta?) whereas the 325i got something like 64mm. one of the chaps on here fitted a 325i throttle to his 320i and was claiming 148bhp after a remap - he did a write up on it too, still hasnt appeared in the tech articles yet though. if it made that much difference on a 320i it would surely have to give the same or better on the 323i

i would definitely take the car back to the mechanic and get him to sort out the problems

[astondg]

Yeah I'll definately get it checked on Monday. Hopefully it is ok for my Autocross tomorrow though.

So you noticed a difference low down, I think mine feels a little better, a little bit more torque maybe. I did notice that the throttle response, besides when it is baulking, is a bit better. Small movements of my foot have noticable effects on the engine now.

How does your car feel power wise? My car to me feels slow. At full throttle through the whole rev range I get the very faintest feeling of a pull on my body (the start of that feeling of being shoved back in the seat like I get in my fathers Lancer Evolution VI) above 4000rpm but it seems to accelerate slowly. The speedo needle doesn't move that quickly and mine is in km/h too. On the race track (bitumen) it is even worse, I just sit there and wait forever to get to the next corner. The only cars I have driven that I can compare mine to are my fathers current car, which is obvioulsy way faster than mine could ever dream of being, and his old car, a Galant VR-4. The Galant did about a 15 - 15.5 1/4 mile compared to the factory rating of 16.2 for my car, hopefully high 15s now. The Galant was definately much faster though, I could actually feel it pushing me into the seat which is much different to mine, and it just felt like I was accelerating considerably faster.

Aston

[Boots_Walker]

How does your car feel power wise?

still feels slow , i'm planning a 2.7 conversion so hopefully that will sort things out

[astondg]

Ok, I just got my car back from the mechanic. He said he had to change the cold start/warmup settings, he said that when he was tunning the computer the coldest morning was 27C so he wasn't able to set it properly. Because of that it was very hard to start when cold (on first start I could be at full throttle just to hold it at 500rpm ) and then it didn't warmup for a long time, so that day I first got it back it still wasn't running properly even after a 1/2hour drive.

Anyway, I haven't been able to check how it starts and runs yet because it is the middle of the day but hopefully it is better.

I went to Autocross on the weekend and my car still doesn't feel any faster (and it's hard to tell by lap times because the dirt track is very changable) but I was able to use 3rd gear through one part where I used to be bouncing off the limiter in 2nd because 3rd was too high. So it might have a bit more torque.

I got my old parts back too, the old ECU, the AFM, and a couple of other parts (I don't know what they are, but he did say he replaced the igniter). I don't know if I can do anything with them but I might keep them incase I want to sell the car and keep the new computer, although I imagine it would be expensive to put them back on.

Aston