I would like to comment on MY EXPERIENCE with the UTEC: Having gone through the evolution of available engine managements for the vq35 since F/I was a new endevor, I have used the emanage blue, emanage ultimate, UTEC, and the fcon.

I am running over 600rwhp and 650 rwtq with a UTEC...I tuned it myself, it was not that bad, sure the interface is not nearly as user friendly as a FCON or even an Emanage Ultimate, for that matter...but the UTEC works great when tuned properly. The A/F is consistant, and the tune does not "adapt" or change with other true piggyback systems..the UTEC is the closest thing to a standalone without, technically being a standalone; direct control over fuel and timing, along with a handful of other features.

I run 18-20psi, silky smooth, full throttle and partial throttle...

To the author of this thread...I'm sorry man, but you either have something else going on, or your UTEC needs to be tuned a bot more under partial throttle.

The FCON is not an option for some, I was running one a few months back, but the fact that I am not a HKS dealer, and therefor cannot tune it myself, I got rid of it! It was driving me crazy, not being able to tap into my setup and fine tune as necessary.

-TODD

 

Mines the same, running 15psi, silky smooth, no shuddering at all, its all down to the tuner in my opinion.

 

like todd and baptist, they both have the U-TEC and runing smooth.

allso i know guys in this forums runing U-TEC without any problems.

im sure 100000000000000000000000% ur U-TEC needs to be tuned.

 

it might jsut be runnning fine, and liek i said maybe he hasn't been Fi before cause he might jsut be confused with full boost or something, but anyways as i out it... runnign the fcon... is like running sleeves on a stillen stage 2... super overkill...... i dont think anybody here said the fcon is bad, but its overkill msot of the time, dont expect to gain an more power form it(other than difference per each dyno pulls) expect to pay more and only have it a selective places. But yah its better, yah definatly...but not necesary unless you are in the 620+whp range.

IN any case, consider reflashing your stock ECU before running the utec

 

Don't let your pride in your UTEC deter the subject at hand. Nobody or myself ever said that anyone who is running a UTEC is at high risk of something going wrong. The post was simply intended to share some personal experiences with the UTEC system. I've had forced induction for years now and have tried the EU, UTEC & now VPRO. Don't take things so personal, I'm happy that you are satisfied with your system.

 

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Is the tuning scene big in England?

 

I would hardly consider $2000 more WAY MORE. Maybe for an n/a people, but considering that most FI guys are spending $15k for a complete set up (TT or ST, gauges, exahaust, test pipes, etc.) on stock blocks after install an extra $2000 is just a drop in the bucket.


The amount of horse power that you are putting down has nothing to do with what type of engine management you should go with. If you can afford the FCON you should go with that system. I bent a rod with the emanage blue, and fried 3 pistons on a built block with the emanage ultimate. I am now on my 3 motor (2nd built) with the FCON and have zero problems. I can't drive the car any harder. Even though I beat the hell out of it it purrs like a kitten. When I move on to my next car and start modding it my first mod will be a full standalone.....THE BEST I CAN BUY! The other mods will follow my EMS. Don't be cheap with your EMS! I never will again!

 

I say an extra $2000, because it's not just the UTEC for $1000 you need. Add in the turner pro and map sensor. You are looking at $1600 total for a UTEC package. An FCON is $3500. Besides the FCON price of $3500 includes a wideband. The FCON package really comes out to about $1400 more when you subtract the $500 you would have to spend on buying a wideband if you went with the UTEC.

 

you won't spend $3500 on a FCON because you say it's overkill until you go over 600whp, but you will spend $2K on a clutch that is intended for 500-600whp application when you are only putting down 400whp? That's seems like overkill to me.

 

werd

 

trefling, thanks for sharing your personal experience and info. Unfortunately another thread started with good intentions and gone to sh$t fast. Perhaps there is good reason why he was experiencing those issues, perhaps not. Let the readers ask constructive questions and experienced tuners can explain and you have a meaningful dialogue. Not a useless thread of my sh$t is better than yours or your an a$$ for spending that much money.

 

It's all good man, there is just allot of young people around who talk out their as* with out having any first hand experience what so ever

 

I have a UTEC and I am very happy with it. I am NA and can easily tune it myself.

One of the issues most peeps have with the FCON is that there are only 3 trustworthy shops in the US that can tune it. Shariff-Atl., Sam-Cali. and SGP-Texas. I would have to send my car at least 500 miles just to get a tune.. I would love to get the FCON but traveling 500+ miles just for a tune is very inconvenient. Now once I get a built motor from Todd, TT from ?? and either Shaiff or Sam do my install I WILL go FCON. I believe having 600+ whp is plenty for me and really wont have to tune much after that..

For me it was about convenience. You cant even put the EU in the same category as UTEC let alone FCON..

As I have said in previous posts, do your homework and research as much as you can. Do whatever it takes to make you happy with your decision. If you made the wrong choice you can always sell it used and go with something diferent, its not the end of the world...

 

btw i have spend over 20k on my set up so i feel and understand what you are saying... i mean on spending the money on a twin plate clutch isntead of an fcon if you are running in the 500-600 whp range is nto a bad idea. I never meant you should get a tripple carbon clutch if you are running 400 whp.....
OF COURSE it does not matter waht hp you have to tell you what ECU you shoudl be running, and i am not haning my pride on the utec, thats why i keep mentioning other systems as well.

 

btw i have seen both systems and i am no tenager either. Not talking out of my *** at all... you made your point about the fcon being better and noone said you were wrong... its jsut all aobut you started to bring stuff up like if for the utec thre was somethign wrong and now ..the standard is that unles you have an FCON you are unsafe....

 

that is exactly what it is becoming and my point. I have necer said if you got an UTEC you are an "aS$" for spending that much money, but some have said that this sheat is better than yours and somethign is not running right if you got this other EMS, and my whole point was that its unfair to compare the FCON to this other systems...Since they dont even work the same way.

 

I would use a megasquirt over a utec or fcon, once the variable cam control is figured out.

 

 

Go ahead and laugh mr ricer, apparently you think you have to buy a 4000$ box to control your car, when a 400$ megasquirt2 will do the same thing because its open source. It will also drive coil on plug ingnition with no problem. There is work going on to make it work with nissans vairable cams. Make changes on the fly, autotune, correct a/f ratios from a wideband, not narrowband. Not bad for 400$.....