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Link G4 vs standard ecu remap??

11K views 41 replies 14 participants last post by  evonut270 
#1 ·
what's the pros and cons of the link over the standard ecu? Are there gains to be made by the link bhp wise that can't be made by the standard ecu??
When aiming for 450bhpish will the link stand a better chance of achieving better figures?
 
#4 · (Edited)
#11 ·
What other features are you using via the link?? Anti lag?? Launch control?
How is the boost changed from high to low, isnthere a controller of via the water spray

UOTE=Rampant;5777485]Yes this is an issue - the stock ECU is calibrated against a standard engine. Change *anything* and the knock control may start picking up random noise as knock. Whether it be tappets, cams, a stiff lower engine mount, etc, etc, and definitely if you change the characteristics of the rotating/reciprocating masses - all the "different" noise can induce the stock ECU to retard the timing even if you don't have knock.

I am very, very pleased with the Link G4+ and is one of the best mods I've fitted, even though it doesn't release any more "Power" from my standard-ish engine. It runs it noticeably smoother and the MAF is removed as well and mapped on boost sensor without the need for complex/time consuming VE mapping on the standard ECU.

I'm pretty sure a competent mapper could map in the knock control if required, it needs proper windowing (crank angle sensor window for each cylinder) and background noise settings mapped in, and if mapped properly will detect knock and retard the ignition timing on a single cylinder as opposed to the standard ECU retarding on all 4 cylinders for any single cylinder knock detection. It has to said, though, that a decent mapper wouldn't be mapping a dangerous map that required knock control on the understanding that you always use decent fuel, etc. Twin maps is useful as well for a valet map, low octane fuel map, or just pops,n,bangs....

Yours Aye

Mark H[/QUOTE]
 
#12 ·
What other features are you using via the link?? Anti lag?? Launch control?
How is the boost changed from high to low, isnthere a controller of via the water spray
Extra features?

MAF removed - load mapped via boost.
Closed loop boost works perfectly fine for me.
I have true sequential ignition on my Coil-on-Plug setup.
And pops'n'bangs via a second map via the ICS Auto switch. Second map is basically the same boost and timing as the main map except for the low load for mortar and machine gun fire :mhihi:
My Mrs calls me a child. I agree. It's hilarious.

That is all I need. Perhaps Open Loop boost control would be a very slight enhancement and knock control could be mapped, but for my road car I don't deem it as a necessity since I always use Nitro+ or Momentum fuel.

Yours Aye

Mark H
 
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#13 · (Edited)
The G4 is an excellent ecu. I run an old school power fc d- jetro which I've converted to the pro version by changing the eprom. I've been running this for the last 11 years. In the future I will change to the G4. So going from an ecu that has no knock control whatsoever to one that has knock control per cylinder along with all the rest of the features like individual fueling, sequential firing order instead of the wasted spark one,offering a much newer software yet simple enough and a much faster cpu than the stock ecu and power fc offers, will be awesome for me as I do my own mapping.



An excellent ecu is not the one that offers the most extra features of the type of anti-lag, launch control, but the one that offers the most features in the best version of them for someone to fine tune a setup in the best way possible.









Marios
 
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#16 ·
Talking about boost control I've had a mare of late with the link. I believe there is a problem with closed loop boost control and link are in about bringing out a patch?

All I know is my boost was all over the show and my mappers been pulling his hair out. He's now changed it and wrote a full boost table from scratch which is now at last working faultlessly. I'm not technically minded like him but he explained it as being active boost control before and the ecu was trying to hit a boost level so threw a load of duty on and my car came i that quick it was like ****, less duty so it ended up overboosting and being very hit and miss.
Said it's now passive so just looks for the duty on the table at whatever revs and sticks that in. Time consuming for sure.

Love the G4 though, My car came with a power fc and wouldn't run quick enough. Since changing to the link I've seen improvements in every area.
 
#17 ·
The thing about the Link boost control is you can't just ask it for an open loop (active feedback loop) without setting up the closed loop properly first.

You need to map the boost on closed loop (simple duty cycle mapping) *accurately" for 3 different boost levels.

If you want a boost control of, say, 1.8bar there needs to be an accurate table for duty cycle requirements for 1.7; 1.8 & 1.9 bar.

The Open loop system for 1.8 bar then uses this table as an initial target duty, and then also uses the table as a bracketing system to calculate the correction values to achieve a feedback controlled 1.8 bar so that it doesn't overshoot or undershoot when adding extra random or uncalculated duty to ramp up, for instance, from 1.75 to 1.8...

Hope that makes sense. It is a good system, but just needs the understanding of how it works.
 
#18 ·
The thing about the Link boost control is you can't just ask it for an open loop (active feedback loop) without setting up the closed loop properly first.

You need to map the boost on closed loop (simple duty cycle mapping) *accurately" for 3 different boost levels.

If you want a boost control of, say, 1.8bar there needs to be an accurate table for duty cycle requirements for 1.7; 1.8 & 1.9 bar.

The Open loop system for 1.8 bar then uses this table as an initial target duty, and then also uses the table as a bracketing system to calculate the correction values to achieve a feedback controlled 1.8 bar so that it doesn't overshoot or undershoot when adding extra random or uncalculated duty to ramp up, for instance, from 1.75 to 1.8...

Hope that makes sense. It is a good system, but just needs the understanding of how it works.
Yeah I know what you're saying.. Its so much better now as it is, I think I'll leave it on closed loop passive..

I have 100% faith in the tuner, sure he would of done what you're saying, he's done loads of link (amongst others) over many years and my car is the first to suffer like this.

I have 3 different switchable boost levels/maps on the car in case it's wet etc 1,1.5 and 2.2 so sure he set it up on 3 levels.
 
#22 ·
Need to make a decision.

Need to make a decision as car is going in in a couple of weeks. Do I get my standard ecu remapped or go with the link that Norris is highly recommending.
Does it justify the extra £1650 over getting the standard ecu done??
Help!!!

I mean is it set up in such a way that if there is even the slightest thing going wrong the engine will go into limp mode so no damage is done! Will it make more power with the link then it would with the standard one??
 
#23 ·
Need to make a decision as car is going in in a couple of weeks. Do I get my standard ecu remapped or go with the link that Norris is highly recommending.
Does it justify the extra £1650 over getting the standard ecu done??
Help!!!

I mean is it set up in such a way that if there is even the slightest thing going wrong the engine will go into limp mode so no damage is done! Will it make more power with the link then it would with the standard one??
If Norris is highly recommending it can't you ask him why? If he's asking you to spend an extra £1650 then I'd assume he also has some reasoning to back that up.
 
#38 ·
I've physically seen with my own eyes, a difference of 30bhp on a standard E9 turbo, from one run, to another, 5 mins later. One run the standard ECU detecting knock, then the next run, not. No actual det appparent at all, listening with headphones.
 
#33 ·
If it were me choosing *again* on whether to stay on standard ECU or go for the G4+... I'd go G4+. Again.

I'd also have just an inlet temp sensor fitted.
 
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#35 ·
Sold the car now.

Was running around 380bhp on standard turbo and rod job engine.
Had it for around a year at that spec before selling
 
#36 ·
While I have no doubt that a standard ECU can successfully run a 450bhp Evo - many examples exist - the standard ECU will never be as consistent and definitely never as smooth as a decent aftermarket ECU.

phantom knock is a very real possibility with the standard ECU on a modified engine, which will then retard the ignition timing from the mapped value. This situation is not exactly optimum. It is tolerable, but not ideal.

For me it is a no brainer and I would sacrifice other modifications to be able to afford a G4+ prior to other performance enhancing goodies if I had to.

Yours Aye

Mark H
 
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