http://www.megasquirt.info/ Main page

http://megasquirt.sourceforge.net/extra/index.html Open-source software

Anybody have any experience with this? Anybody even heard of it? Basically it's a DIY standalone ECU. It needs a custom wiring harness and runs off a laptop with open-source software. You buy the circuit board and kits and stuff and put it all together yourself. It has a lot of features--full fuel and spark control, datalogging, integrated wideband, Speed Density/MAP conversion for us MAF folks, nitrous control, etc.

Now a project like this is way beyond my abilities, but just recently a plug 'n' play megasquirt system has come out for my car, 1988 Rx-7. Supposedly it comes with a wiring harness adapter, the box itself, and the software. All I've got to do is reroute the line from my stock pressure sensor to the unit. The best part is, they're offering it for $450 at the moment. This is for a limited production run that I may not be able to get in on, but they'll have another run in a couple months hopefully for like $550ish. A Microtech standalone is way over a grand.

I'm very seriously considering this. 2nd gen rx-7s run off a highly restrictive flapper-type airflow meter. The stock fuel maps aren't the best either... I've really reached the limit of what the stock ECU can do with my setup, which is about 175rwhp (dyno'd 172 with a couple little problems). With standalone I should be able to get maybe 200, which is of course pathetic for all you v8 guys but very impressive for an N/A rotary. My car puts down 120rwhp stock, and an Rx-8 does in the 170's.

So what do you think? Here's a thread about it on rx7club http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=484871

Anybody have

[Edited on May 1, 2006 at 1:43 AM. Reason : .]

5/1/2006 1:40:48 AM

Buddy of mine got the 3rd version Megasquirt along with wideband O2 for his '73 240ZX with 280ZXT engine. I helped him put the ECM together, and he got a complete wiring harness for it also...he's working on getting that installed.

It's a really cool concept, but so far, all injectors are still batch-fired. It hasn't evolved enough for individual sequential injection. You can also get distributorless ignition to go with it.

Great idea, and I can't wait to build one myself, but it's gonna be at least a couple of months minimum before we get there.

5/1/2006 1:45:55 AM

^ interestingly enough, on a rotary engine the software has built-in control for the staging of the primary and secondary injectors, plus the ability to split timing between the leading and trailing plugs.

The DIY guys also half to hack up the crank angle sensor somehow... I'm not sure how this PnP system gets around all these little details. Apparently you can use the stock ignition coils and everything.

5/1/2006 1:56:35 AM

a friend of mine is working on squirting his miata. the hardware is all built and he plans to install it in a few weeks

5/1/2006 8:39:05 AM

^ are you talking about ryan? he's gonna blow that car up

5/1/2006 9:18:13 AM

yep. hah probably

5/1/2006 9:49:02 AM

hondata
chrome
neptune

there are plenty of things like this out there.....those are some of the ones i have read about

5/1/2006 9:52:51 AM

^ also

DTA
034efi (geared towards vw/audi)
SDS
fire-n-fuel (a guy in canada that offers pre-built megasquirt with, what people say is, incredible customer support)
haltec


the one thing i dont like about megasquirt is the DIY nature.. sure it saves you some money, but if you have a problem or question, you can't just call a number and get an answer.. of the other hand, since it is pretty widely used, there is a wealth of information available on forums...

[Edited on May 1, 2006 at 11:01 AM. Reason : ,]

5/1/2006 10:56:35 AM

hondata, crome, and neptune aren't full standalone systems...megasquirt is more comparable to AEM EMS, Haltech, etc

megasquirt is a rather old concept, i suppose it continues to advance...like zxappeal said, i see it a lot in the Zcar hybrid setups

5/1/2006 1:00:15 PM

pm jdchmiel

5/1/2006 3:44:04 PM

^

Quote :

"Biography : I had to quit tww. "

5/1/2006 4:01:56 PM

then IM him. i wouldn't give his IM name out, but it's in his profile.

5/1/2006 4:06:02 PM

^ I may. This guy is taking his sweet time as far as telling me whether I'm getting a first-run unit or not.

5/1/2006 8:29:38 PM

http://fireandfuel.ca/

there's a source for pre-assembled megasquirt (that i referred to in my earlier post).. i hear he's very helpful and responds quickly to both internet and telephone questions.

[Edited on May 1, 2006 at 9:37 PM. Reason : i think he'll even put base maps on there.]

5/1/2006 9:36:34 PM

is the R-Tek unit only for turbos or do they make an NA version?

5/3/2006 11:59:12 AM

they're working on an Rtek for the s4 N/A. The problem is that despite all its features, the Rtek requires you to keep the stock airflow meter. That shit has gotta go. It's really restrictive...

5/4/2006 12:47:53 AM

Looks like I will be getting a first-run plug & play unit. Now I've gotta put together a new intake that eliminates the MAF, find me an old laptop to use, hookup the wideband I just ordered...

and i gotta hope that I can figure out how to use this thing enough that I don't have to pay hundreds to get someone else to tune it

6/15/2006 7:16:39 PM

http://www.openecu.org

6/15/2006 7:46:42 PM

^ interesting stuff, but practically useless for a car that has an extremely crude EFI system by today's standards. I don't even have a check engine light...

6/15/2006 8:09:15 PM

^ indeed
only useful on the few supported cars for now

6/18/2006 11:51:59 PM

after a bunch of bullshit electrical gremlins (electrical noise interfering with tach signal), it just fired up 30 minutes ago with the Megasquirt. Time to shoot off some fireworks in celebration.

7/4/2006 8:28:52 PM

I believe the autotap already does all this shit and its only $200

http://www.autotap.com

7/4/2006 10:16:15 PM

88 Rx-7's don't even have check engine lights, much less OBDII... it's very crude EFI by today's standards

7/5/2006 8:35:31 PM