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I run a ViPEC and like it very much. I've also heard good things about Nistune, but I have not used it and therefore have no hands-on knowledge.
Features I value highly in the ViPEC:
- Real time closed loop fuel trimming over a wide range of loads and rpms
- Individual cylinder knock control (requires external knock amp on V44)
- Fuel trim based on EGT. # channels limited by analog inputs on V44, do all 6 on the V88
- Powerful tuning strategies. (Requires more knowledgable tuner than simpler units like PFC)
- Control of whatever matters based on whatever you can measure.
Fan control based on temperature.
Meth/water injection
Soft limiter (alternating power stroke ignition cut) based on rpm or anything else you want. Oil pressure, low coolant temp, ....
Hard limiter for greater authority
Features that are cool, but I find I don't use
- Launch control.
- Flat shifting
I've had one for 2 years and a whopping 1300km but thus far
I like it, the price is good for a serious ecu. If i part out, my next
Project car (none Japanese) is goin V88 though I say +1 if you have the extra budget and have a tuner close by but in reality, nistune, PFC and so on as cheap, provenfor
Years, easyto install and almost anyone can tune. Vipec is much better but it's takes more to get
Done. Last I tuned my bill was over $600. I believe Link and vipec are
Very similar. Theyre not Motec but they are
Good!!
No build thread.
1991 nissan
El terror
"Built not bought" sooner or later = "broken not running"
Vipec is a good system, but it depends on what you are doing with the car. the bottom line is the stock ecu is capable of handling well over 1000hp. Nistune allows you to reprogram the factory ecu. Aftermarket stand alone systems have alot more features and programmable inputs and outputs, but i find 95% of the times that the cost of an aftermarket system is not worth it for the customer as they just drive the car and enjoy it and take it to occasional track days.
in that situation the stock ecu reprogrammed cannot be beat. But if you are doing very demanding things eg, 100% track usage then i would consider Vipec/Haltech.
I run a ViPEC and like it very much. I've also heard good things about Nistune, but I have not used it and therefore have no hands-on knowledge.
Features I value highly in the ViPEC:
- Real time closed loop fuel trimming over a wide range of loads and rpms
- Individual cylinder knock control (requires external knock amp on V44)
- Fuel trim based on EGT. # channels limited by analog inputs on V44, do all 6 on the V88
- Powerful tuning strategies. (Requires more knowledgable tuner than simpler units like PFC)
- Control of whatever matters based on whatever you can measure.
Fan control based on temperature.
Meth/water injection
Soft limiter (alternating power stroke ignition cut) based on rpm or anything else you want. Oil pressure, low coolant temp, ....
Hard limiter for greater authority
Features that are cool, but I find I don't use
- Launch control.
- Flat shifting
Hope this helps.
Dan
Do you drag race at all? IIRC you are an avid autocrosser. What features do you like to use in autocross?
Do you drag race at all? IIRC you are an avid autocrosser. What features do you like to use in autocross?
I've never drag raced in my life, but never say never...
I've enjoyed autocross and this was my first 'track' experience, but for the last couple of years I've done more full circuit track lapping than anything else. ViPEC features I value in that context are:
- bulletproof tune. There's a ton of flexibility that enables a wide range of tuning strategies, (mine is based on TP vs RPM with fuel and ignition trim based boost, but you can create tunes with up to 5 dimensions),
- real time individual cylinder knock control. This let's you tune closer to the edge without worrying about the consequence of the occasional tank of bad gas etc. I like to know when this happens so I have the check engine light flash when knock control is activated. Logging also works, but then you have to look at the logs!
- real time individual cylinder fuel trimming based on EGT. If #6 starts leaning out and EGT rises, I dump more fuel in.
- programmable safeguards. You can program the ignition cut soft limiter to protect you from any fault condition you can measure. Make a list... oil pressure, fuel pressure, boost, knock, oil temperature, AFR, EGT...
The thing I like best about the ViPEC is that is just works. I spend zero time fiddling with my tune or my ECU.
I'm also running a Vipec. Been installed for over 2 years now. I purchased it as a supporting mod, in preparation for the day when the RB20 gets retired for something with a little more grunt.
Like most, it was installed my Cam at Lightspeed. Nothing but good things to say about my experience with the tuning. I asked for a safe street tune that won't blow up my 190K+ engine, and its still running, despite all kinds of ancillary component failures (like timing belt tensioner, lol). Tuning is a tough job, people expect eleventy billion HP and blame all problems on the tuner (I was just doing a rev-limitter burnout on a bone cold engine, its obviously a bad tune that blew up my engine!). Cam has managed to keep a very good rep over many years and who knows how many engines, so I respect his skills.
As for features, I'm not using many of them right now. I still run the old ignition-cut launch control, which makes some wicked fun fireballs for impressing the kiddies. I also have a shift light programmed on my catalytic light on the dash.
Like all ECUs, unless you can do it yourself, you need a tuner. Problem with the vipec is the only distributors are in AB and QC, which might be a problem for folks in other parts of the country. Any good tuner could work with it, its remarkably easy to use. However, you don't want your tuner learning a new system on your engine. Find a tuner first, then decide on a management system.
Is it better than nistune? Hell yeah. Better than PowerFC? Yes. Do you need it? Probably not, but its your money, you decide.
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