Stand Alone Engine Managment

[rmn 0]

Is anyone running stand alone managment?

I have narrowed it down to DTA or Emerald.

Anyone got any recomendations?

Or just inputs?

[W3RKD 0]

why do you need to run s/a what are you planning to run ?

[beavis 0]

Emerald is quality kit, we have one of our own cars running on it. A very adaptable comprehensive system and is ideal for cars which are going to be played with lots and need to be run differrent maps for different situations or for development as it has its own datalogging which is useful to see what effects the modifacation you are making to the maps have upon the Air fuel etc. Dave Walker from emerald is a very helpful chap and will give you full support upon his product.

Having saying that you need to consider whether you will make use of the extra functions the set up offers you.

Your original Digifant system is a very adaptable system and can be mapped to suit your needs, modifactions, injectors etc and should not be dismissed as you have a very good base system there.

The deciding factor is this. If you can see yourself actually using standalone system yourself to manipulate the maps and can see yourself playing with it on regular occurence then invest in standalone. If you are just going to fit the system, take it to somone to be mapped once and not utilise the benifits of standalone, save your cash. Somone who knows how to map correctly will get the results you want with the digifant. You will gain no more power or drivablity on standalone over digifant if mapped correctly. The key to any system is the map regardless of whether it be standalone or stock.

DTA I personnaly don't have any experience or dealing with so am unable to comment on how it compares to the other products.

Emerald is good kit, you just need to decide wheter you will utelise it. It is like buying a set of coilovers, unless you are going to taylor the ride height regularly then you may aswell just buy the setup with the height/damping of a fixed height kit that will suit your needs.

[rmn 0]

Thanks guys, i was over with Dave Walker before and one of my mates is running emerald in a g60 turbo.

I see the advantages like launch control, traction control etc

the disadvantage is the cost, and as i want to maximise what i am going to get out of my motor(not going to be an everyday car) i rekon that the standalone might be a good plan!

We have done jobs on my mates g60 turbo and its great the on the move adjustments you can make.

Dta seems to have a slightly higher spec and the fact that emerald cant take e knock sensor makes me think it might be an option.

I am just wondering if anybody on here has dta now??

Just looking for impressions of how it works for you

[beavis 0]

Don't be put off by the lack of knock sensor, the knock sensor is basically a 'Idiots' device for everyday cars. A properly mapped car will not need a knock sensor as the parameters that cause pinking will not alter. Pinking will occur if you do not have enough compensatory correction fueling for higher inlet tempretures, mapped properly this will not occur. Lower than normal fuel pressure or poor flowing injector will cause it to pink, buy a AFR gauge and FP gauge and this will help you keep a eye on matters. Wrong spark plugs, use a cooler plug more suited to higher boost applicarions. To much ignition advance, again a mapped properly this is not a issue.

Basically, if you are know what is going on you will not need a knock senser to retard things as you will pick up on them via gauges.

We have a very effective diagnositcs device that actually indicates 'pinking' via a LED which illuminates when pinking occurs, a good safty device.

You can buy emerald and the secondary diagnostics knock sensor for less than the DTA.... and the other gauges too if you wanted for that matter.

[rmn 0]

Hmm, might be taking a trip back to Mr Walker soon enough!

Thanks Steve!

Do you have much problems putting power down in that G40?

Have you any sort of traction control?

I hear that emerald are going to introduce a traction control system soon enough

[beavis 0]

LOL.. Our elusive, manic, G40 is a bit of a beast, yes, traction (or lack of) is quite a issue even with LSD. No traction contol as yet, but yes, you have pre emptied the question :lol: . Should be putting an apperence in at some shows this year.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Don't be put off by the lack of knock sensor, the knock sensor is basically a 'Idiots' device for everyday cars. A properly mapped car will not need a knock sensor as the parameters that cause pinking will not alter. Pinking will occur if you do not have enough compensatory correction fueling for higher inlet tempretures, mapped properly this will not occur.

 

Spot on, but I can no longer be bothered with hooking up the laptop everytime I change octane rating etc etc so am thankful for the twin microphones on my VR :-)

They're a good failsafe too if you should forget to change the map after a change in engine configuration.

 

We have a very effective diagnositcs device that actually indicates 'pinking' via a LED which illuminates when pinking occurs, a good safty device.

 

I'd be interested in one of those because it's not the pinking you CAN hear that does the most damage, but rather the pinking you CAN'T hear when bombing down the motorway.

 

Is it similar to a "Knock-link" from Dawes devices?

 

K

[beavis 0]

Yep, knock link style set up, you can adjust the sensertiverty of the unit to amplify even the smallest pinking that the sensor detects. You can install the unit permanatly to indicate when pink is occuring and it is displayed via a led on the dash board flashing. May seem a little simplistic, but that illumination of that 3p diode could potentially save you ££ on rebuilding a engine.

I'll hunt the details out of the kit for you mate.

[aposegil 0]

Sorry beavis but i do not agree with some of your comments especial about the knock sensors etc

 

Ive run my DTA for nearly two years and I regularly speak to people running Emerald and they both the same thing, The only prob is that the are both very primitive when it comes to the world of Standalone fuel systems

 

Ive personally found a standalone which is as good as Motech (nearly identical designs) but at the price of the DTA or Emerald.

 

In the end of the day if your going to go with either of these two ull have to keep playing with the maps all the time as ive its mapped in cold weather the car will not run 100% in hot weather and vice versa and trust me ive learnt a lot since having the DTA so i know from experience.

 

In the end of the day what u need to find is a highly spec-ed standalone that can do everything

 

Measure temps (outside and inlet temps)

Has auto self learning (again very similar to running a g60 bosch system) using knock sensors etc

Also true lambda adjustment

etc

 

All these things makes the car a little better to drive daily ive never not know anyone that has a standalone that can deal with everyday traffic etc especially here in london.

 

In the end of the day research it as much as possible and the best is through google as that’s where I have found most of the systems out there etc.

 

just my 2p's worth

[beavis 0]

Indeed, the idea of the forums is for everyone to discuss their view though experinces with different systems, hence why I have not commented about DTA.

If you read what I said, I said do not discount emerald just as it does not have a knock sensor and basically you can fit devices that relay the same information so you do not cause undue damage to the engine if pinking occurs. Basically the same situation as on yours, if pink occurs and is displayed though any media, be it a combined part of the ECU or secondary device, you can alter the map accoringly to prevent it reocuring.

Yes the bosch system retards the ignition when pinking occurs and feeds ingintion advance back on until the car is running safly again. The idea of having standalone is so you can adjust the car to run at is optimum in all conditions by altering the maps.

The other reason I reccomended the Emerald is because of the 'Drop of a hat' technical support Dave walker offers, that counts for a lot when purchasing a product.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I'll hunt the details out of the kit for you mate.

 

Cheers, that would be good :lol:

[rmn 0]

Alex, what sort of money was the DTA?

Do you know what you are going to use on the new project?

[aposegil 0]

WEll where i got the DTA it was £1000 witht he profesional loom which ive now sold on

 

I do know where im getting the new system but im keeping that one a secret but can be easily found on a google search

[rmn 0]

Has your new system got much over the dta?

I like the idea of dta's launch control, but the price compared to emerald may be a bit too much

[Amy 0]

I have DTA and other than no idle stabliser i have no problems at all, I work in Leeds and have to drive in slow traffic and get there via the motorway and under both conditions car behaves like a dream, I certainly dont mess about changing maps to suit the weather etc.

 

My 2p's :roll:

[PhatVR6 0]

Everyone I've spoken to who've had standalone management on their cars says it's a pig to live with for a daily driver.

good for power, but not for smooth driving and good mpg.

[Amy 0]

Everyone I've spoken to who've had standalone management on their cars says it's a pig to live with for a daily driver.

good for power, but not for smooth driving and good mpg.

 

wierd :roll: cos i get 34 mpg which is far better than the VR was

[PhatVR6 0]

he must have had a lead foot then?

 

he said it was impossible to drive at part throttle too, it just kept boosting up and surging all the time.

 

he hated it so much he sold the car and bought a vr6!

[Amy 0]

he must have had a lead foot then?

 

he said it was impossible to drive at part throttle too, it just kept boosting up and surging all the time.

 

he hated it so much he sold the car and bought a vr6!

 

:roll: youll have to come for a run in it at he next rr day u do :)

[PhatVR6 0]

aye, planning one shortly actually!

[rmn 0]

@20vee_t

was there much setting up to get your system right?

[Amy 0]

@20vee_t

was there much setting up to get your system right?

 

not really, i left it at stealth for a fortnight :D

 

had to trailer it there tho :(

[MADDUB 0]

i use Emerald m3d at the mo with no probs but will be going up to motek m4 pro latter this year