I recently heard about these products and I am just very curious on how they work and if they can be effective. I have read alot of threads on 8thcivic and on the web regarding both the E-Manage blue and E-manage ultimate but being a novice I still cannot understand all of the automotive terminology.

I guess my questions are
1) Anyone know or have experience with this?
2) Reccomendations on using it for the TSX?
3) Is it safe enough to use on a leased car?

Greddy E-Manage Blue
http://www.aj-racing.com/shop/produc...cat=397&page=1

Greddy E-Manage Ultimate
http://www.aj-racing.com/shop/produc...cat=397&page=2

Thanks. If this thread helps me out enough, I am very very willing to be a Guinea Pig and buy this product.

 

I've heard of some people just buying this product to improve fuel efficiency. On the other hand I read about a stock S2000 that gained 20whp just because he had a great tuner.

Part of me wants to avoid all of this ECU tuning stuff cause i am still very ignorant, but I've been learning so much about cars since I started modding that I feel that stepping into this territory will really teach me so much about cars and how they function.

 

What piggyback ECU's do is connect inbetween the factory wiring harness and the factory ECU. The signals from the sensors come into the piggyback, the piggyback modifies those signals, and sends those signals into the factory ECU. This tricks the ECU and the ECU will automatically adjust to the modified signals. Heres a pictoral:

Stock Config: ----[ECU]------[Wiring Harness]------[Sensors]------[Engine]

Piggyback: ----[ECU]---[Piggyback]---[Wiring Harness]------[Sensors]------[Engine]

I've messed around with tuning crotchrocket engines in school, it was alot of trial and error. Unless you have access to a dyno, have a really accurate and calibrated butt dyno, I would say steer clear. You can run the engine too lean (too much air, not enough fuel) and that can do some pretty good damage.

 

After doing more research, im comin to the realization that something like this would probably not be worth it for our car.....comments anyone?

 

When we didn't have options for an ECU reflash from Hondata or a custom tune like the AEM Plug & Pray, the e-manage and VTEC controllers and all that were all there was. The more complicated the stock ECM's become, the more likely they are to recognize that you're altering the signal it is commanding and some will adjust accordingly to re-calibrate what they are programmed to do.

It all depends on your expectations. If you're modifying the car way beyond what the stock ECM can accomodate (50lb injectors & the ECM can't adjust the pulse width (time open) narrow enough to run properly), then IMHO, maybe that's an example for a piggyback.

Then, as you mentioned, you have to trust the individual who calibrates it to know what they're doing and not just apply a "boiler plate tune" (one set of parameters based exclusively on the make/model and not a particular car with X mods) and charge you X $.

For example, one could pick up a *little* power by slightly leaning out the air/fuel ratio, that's dangerous and in a given circumstance (high load, low octane, etc) can be catastrophic.

I wouldn't be interested in one of these when at some point there will be a Hondata reflash available for s/c, n/a or custom tune capability.

$.02

 

dont waste your money. The New honda/acura ecu are freaken smart. They will detune it self.