can you control the vtec from the emanage or do i still need to get the apex vafc2??? is it the best piggy back system to use on our cars? what harnesses will i need to buy? and if i put a new ignition system in like one from cran cams( just an example) will i see any power gains or is that more for when u have a s/c or turbo? thanks for your infinitw wisdom

e-Manage can not directly adjust ignition timing but it can adjust fuel delivery. Few have tried the VAFC and experienced minimal gains. This is not to say either of these two options aren't possible. The UniChip has the ability to control fuel and ignition timing. With either option the real expense comes from PnP harnesses and tuning. PnP harnesses are available for the UniChip and for the e-Manage through Hope Systems, Inc. (aka Scalbert). I do not know what UniChip would charge for a system outside of the groupbuy. Most likely in the $700-800 range. The e-Manage with PnP harness, etc will cost the same. Expect 3 hours worth of tuning minimal at close to $300 on top of the price of the ECU system.

Oh and adjusting the VTEC engagement point on stock cams will not make a noticable difference. It is pretty much exactly where it needs to be right from the factory.

I will try and answer the questions as asked:

Yes, the E-Manage has the ability to control the VTEC change over point. However, I did have some problem with this which I never fully looked into it. I didn't see any point as the VTEC change over point is ideal from the factory. The is no benefit in changing it.

IMO, at this point there are no good user configurable/programmable piggy back computers for the NA J32A2. Multiple tests of both the VAFC and E-Manage have shown there is little to no gains to be found with the units. The only benefit of the E-Manage for the J32A2 is when applied to a turbo or supercharged vehicle where the timing control and additional injection function can be utilized. That may not always be the case though as I have a new idea on how I might be able to get more out of a normally aspirated J32A2 using the E-Manage which I will be testing soon.

If you were to get it the harnesses depend on what you are trying to do. If you want to use it just like a VAFC then the base unit harness is all you will need. If my tests prove successful and if you want to replicate the system you will need all of the harnesses.

As for different iginition system, there is no real point on this car. The coil-on-plug design we have is about as good as you can get.

Hope this helps...

Not exactly, it can retard timing just fine.

But obviously this is of no benefit on an NA car. However, if my theory proves correct the E-Manage may be able to advance timing in a roundabout way.

By adjusting fuel values?

Not exactly. The factory ECU determines the iginition timing to run based on the determined load. The higher the load the less advance run and vice versa. By making the ECU calculate a lower load value it should run more advance. This would be done by limiting the MAP signal.

But that would also make it run lean. That is where the E-Manage can help where others cannot. You can directly extend the factory pulse width to get the A/F ratio back to the desired level.

Nice to know

thanx alot steve and scal for all of your help. these are def good things to know. i have had the questions for some time but untill now no one has been able to give me the right advice.. scal please keep me updated on your performace test on a na ja32a with the emanage.. as for the unichip i have heard both good and bad stories so im kinda of this. thanx again for all of your help guys.

Just a side note .. when I got my dyno done, the tuner who did it pretty much assured me that he could get more gains out of my car if he tuned a VAFC for me. I've heard from MANY that this guy really knows his stuff and most people use him. He tuned the first evoVIII to get in the 10s, then later tuned it to be the first in the 9s .. never heard bad things about his work. But based on the fact that you'd have to hack up the stock harness just to install the VAFC, I dont think I would be interested.

Regardless of his past success he is ignorant to make a statement like that without having any knowledge of the J32 or the CL-S completely for that matter.

Tuning a turbo car with a ECU controller is much easier because they run extremely rich from the factory. Like the A/F is in the 9s and 10s. Leaning out that mixture to around 11s or 122 will produce much greater gains, like 20+ whp. People have tried the VAFC in the past with little result to show from it.