Digital Tuning Chip tuning in 2025, what are my options?
- Thread starter AnthonyA1234
- Start date
Now I might be 'old fashioned ' taking into account my time in the automotive world let me give you my opinion, true, E85 is great, in theory, real world it can be as big a pain as an electric car.
Yes big (so to speak) gains can be achieved, it has a place, not on a 'street driven N/A pushrod engine, not widely available, does not store well.
Not worth it IMHO.
I didn't mention fuel mileage because......well truth is we don't have hotrods for the gas mileage
Not a Fox, but I have converted my 04 GTO to be flex fuel. As the ethanol changes, the computer automatically adjusts several other parameters, including timing. I do have a supercharger on it, so the cooling benefits alone are worth it. Also have direct water/meth injection if I feel like going crazy.
I agree that setting the tune for straight up E85 is not the best as the ethanol percentage can vary between gas stations and seasons. Only way I would tune a car for that is if I bought 55 gallon barrels and tested the stuff myself in order to input the ethanol percentage correctly in the tune.
Because of the variance, it makes more sense to me do this to an engine with knock sensors (at least on the street). Fox Windsor... Not so much.
Couldn't agree more. Thanks for pointing that out. My friend had a test kit that was easy enough to use, but I can't imagine pulling it out at every pump. Me personally? Tune for 93 Octane and drive on.
Dontknowchit
Active Member
- Jul 31, 2017
- 282
- 89
- 48
I think that with the holley you can add a ethonol % sensor that will measure the content and feed that into your tune. I ordered a QH kit but while awaiting shipment, I'm having second thoughts. I'm only saving a couple hundered over a MS2 and BE does not look as user friendly as tuner studio. I thought I heard that you lose your stock guages if you use the Holley, that true? Man I just do not want to make a $1000 mistake here.
How could you possibly? Isn't the QH $250?
I don't think you necessarily have to lose any stock gauges, but folks with a holley often want to spend on a digital dash that can give you a lot more data without the need for extra gauge pods. I like both ways of thinking. Nothing wrong with stock gauges, but I do have Fuel pressure gauge, AFR gauge, and boost gauge (in the turbo car).
To the crowd, are any of the stock gauges reliant on the EEC? I don't think so, but not 100%.
I don't think you necessarily have to lose any stock gauges, but folks with a holley often want to spend on a digital dash that can give you a lot more data without the need for extra gauge pods. I like both ways of thinking. Nothing wrong with stock gauges, but I do have Fuel pressure gauge, AFR gauge, and boost gauge (in the turbo car).
To the crowd, are any of the stock gauges reliant on the EEC? I don't think so, but not 100%.
Yeah, no, 93 and older computers only control fuel and spark,
Pretty archaic by todays standards.
Pretty archaic by todays standards.
@Dontknowchit I only had a minute to start a search for a 1992 Mustang wiring diagram.
I think on your Ford, the gauges are wired independently from the ecm wiring. Oil pressure, ECT. I'm not sure about the tachometer. My '97 tach feed is from the pcm. I have added a real oil pressure gauge and a standalone AEM AFR gauge attached to an added wideband o2 sensor.
Her is a link to an Ebay page with wiring diagrams. Maybe someone in the crowd could suggest the best one as it relates to you 1992 Mustang.
Headed out here. I'll mull over some things while I'm disconnected.
I think on your Ford, the gauges are wired independently from the ecm wiring. Oil pressure, ECT. I'm not sure about the tachometer. My '97 tach feed is from the pcm. I have added a real oil pressure gauge and a standalone AEM AFR gauge attached to an added wideband o2 sensor.
Her is a link to an Ebay page with wiring diagrams. Maybe someone in the crowd could suggest the best one as it relates to you 1992 Mustang.
Headed out here. I'll mull over some things while I'm disconnected.
The ECU harness connects to the dash harness and that is how some of the gauges get the signal from the sensor. Pretty easy to figure out if you ask me.
Yes but it is handy to have a wiring diagram for the particular vehicle that you are working on. That's why the car companies made them in the first place.
Her is the link that I overlooked adding this morning.
1992 Mustang wiring diagrams E-bay search results.
If your 92 is a late production car then the diagrams for a 1993 would be the same. I have a full set of Ford diagrams for my 93 so if you want them PM me your email address and I can send them to you.
Last edited:
Dontknowchit
Active Member
- Jul 31, 2017
- 282
- 89
- 48
I am returning my setup, just not the right way to go for my goals and I did not do enough research before pulling the trigger. Yes the QH is 250, +tunechip, +burnchip, +selector switch (optional), plus Binary Editor Dongle, +ecc analyzer (optional) ~$700. Then if I wanted to scale my MAF for the larger injectors to enable e85 I'm either doing some tuneing gymnastics with the ECC or buying a 400 slot MAF. Its possible, its just likley more user friendly and wallet friendly to go with the MS2. I may also hold on, save up, and do the Holley. It's expensive, but it seems to be the only thing any speeds shops around me want to touch. At least that way I know I have local backup if I mess it all up doing it myself. I learned something about myself also. Tuneing feels too much like work, and not as much fun as wrenching.
That's fair, and it sounds like you were doing it the right way, as opposed to just using the QH, itself. I was lucky enough to get everything you bought for $250 used and working right on Facebook. Plus, I have tuned and I was curious to get back to tuning a stock computer on a car with a simple combo.
Tuning, especially the learning curve, definitely is work, but just like most work, it's very rewarding in its own way. Hey, I have 2 stand alone computers in two of my cars. So, I've already made the same decision you're making, and I don't regret it. So, if ya have the money, go for it, and you're right about speed shops wanting to tune on Holleys. It definitely seems to have the most professional support out there.
Haven't looked into tuning on E85, but I'd have guessed just adding the same percentage of fuel across the board would get you where you needed to be, which could be accomplished just by changing the injector hi & low slopes. But... There are RPM and other limitations with the stock EEC. There's no wideband closed loop feedback, and there certainly isn't any ethanol sensor that blends tunes and allows for flex fuel. One of my boxes has slew rate control with a driveshaft speed sensor, and I get turbo back pressure and other gauges I'd never have with the stocker.
Anyways, sounds like you've made the right choice for you. Now, when you get things set up and you start tuning, we'd love to join you on your journey. I haven't tuned in a Holley, but as with everything else so far, I'm curious and interested to learn.
Chris
Tuning, especially the learning curve, definitely is work, but just like most work, it's very rewarding in its own way. Hey, I have 2 stand alone computers in two of my cars. So, I've already made the same decision you're making, and I don't regret it. So, if ya have the money, go for it, and you're right about speed shops wanting to tune on Holleys. It definitely seems to have the most professional support out there.
Haven't looked into tuning on E85, but I'd have guessed just adding the same percentage of fuel across the board would get you where you needed to be, which could be accomplished just by changing the injector hi & low slopes. But... There are RPM and other limitations with the stock EEC. There's no wideband closed loop feedback, and there certainly isn't any ethanol sensor that blends tunes and allows for flex fuel. One of my boxes has slew rate control with a driveshaft speed sensor, and I get turbo back pressure and other gauges I'd never have with the stocker.
Anyways, sounds like you've made the right choice for you. Now, when you get things set up and you start tuning, we'd love to join you on your journey. I haven't tuned in a Holley, but as with everything else so far, I'm curious and interested to learn.
Chris
You need to check out @Mustang5L5's installation on the MS3 PnP for our cars. I have bought the system but have not had time to install it.
Part 1:
View: https://youtu.be/S_023FSdCHI?si=k-NP11rEblOEONlM
Part 2:
View: https://youtu.be/B4fQWcIftqY?si=BT0xEkMicwTuc2FB
Part 1:
View: https://youtu.be/S_023FSdCHI?si=k-NP11rEblOEONlM
Part 2:
View: https://youtu.be/B4fQWcIftqY?si=BT0xEkMicwTuc2FB
Similar threads
