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Japanese upgraded stock ECUs - an analysis

Quite often we are asked if after market ECUs/Rom upgrades to the stock ECU are worth it, or indeed what would they actually do. We decided to take a well known one for the GTi-R and compare the data with a stock ECU then highlight what has been changed, this is a farily typical example of what you would get from an 'off the shelf remap', i.e. not a customer tailored one for your car.

Firstly there are many settings which the OEM Nissan ECU stores. It's not the intention of this article to explain all of what they do or indeed how the ECU works, its simply to demonstrate what is altered from a stock ECU, on a typical after market ROM upgrade.

Stock ECU V's Mines ROM upgrade.

Altered Values

Specifics

Fuel Map

Timing Map

Knock Map

Injector and load limits

Cold secondary Enrich

Rev Limit 2

Speed Limit

See detailed examination below

See detailed examination below

No change

Increased

Reduced

Increased to 8000 rpm from 7500 rpm

Increased to 320 Kph from 20 Kph

Now since even the Mines ECU is restricted to what is standard on the car, that is injectors and airflow meter all that can really be altered to have any real effect are the fuel and ignition maps, so lets now compare these.

 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 -2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 -2 -2 -2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 -2 -2 -2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -2 -2 -2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -2 -2 -2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 -1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

 Above shows the altered fuel map values (Stock - Mines)
Negative values are fuel removed, Positive values are fuel added
X axis is engine load high load to the right  Y axis is RPM highest RPM at the top

 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 3 3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 2 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 4 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 3 4 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 4 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 3 4 4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 4

Above shows the altered ignition map values  (Stock - Mines)
Positive values are degrees if ignition advance, negative degrees minus
X axis is engine load high load to the right Y axis is RPM highest RPM at the top

 

Its known in our experience that typically the GTi-R will run too rich when boost is increased on a stock setup, but interestingly the mines unit adds even more, and removes little around the peak area of torque.

The ignition map however is even more interesting. Since the kind of owners who use these ECUs would be those who have increased boost its interesting to note that the Mines ECU adds upto 5 degrees of advance. This is the reason you will see more power. We find that the stock ignition map is in reality very conservative - even with UK fuels, so there is potential for some realistic gains here, even if in reality it may be far from optimised for your particular car.

Quick conclusion

As you can see there really is very little difference between stock ECU and mines - something to consider with the possible expense and limited gains such a unit (or any other) can have. This is why you cannot beat one of our own remapped ECUs. Its tailored to your own car, and we can advise on a per customer basis what we feel would benefit you most. Not only that we can pick up other potential issues alone the way ensuring that you really do get the very best from your car.

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