Laptop+soft instead of ECU

[TrackCat]

Originally Posted by freednighthawk

Not to meantion that laptops hate high G's and rattling/shaking. So you'd pretty much be screwed if you're racing.

If Paul walker can do it his friend can do it. Remember to replace the floor with metal mats

[TrackCat]

Originally Posted by Blackcoog

Ahhh blue screen of death noooo!

I wouldn't recommend running Windows in that case. Linux might be the better option.

I'm curious.... why is it that our overseas members are so interested in tuning? You do understand that you won't gain anything from tuning unless you significantly change you current setup (different engine or forced induction)? On a stock or even slightly modified car it isn't going to be a major or even a noticable increase in power.

Thats correct you have to change the VE of the engine (Value metric efficiency)

[Blackcoog]

Originally Posted by BigBalledOX

I disagree. On my LS, for example, a tune on an otherwise stock engine gains about 17 HP and 17 ft-lbs of torque. The stock engine can definitely be tweaked for better performance.

Meaning you went from 87 octane to 92 (additional timing) or was the air fuel was that far out from factory? This car was stock?

[Teebs]

Originally Posted by freednighthawk

Not to meantion that laptops hate high G's and rattling/shaking. So you'd pretty much be screwed if you're racing.

Originally Posted by bensenvill

not to mention heat and cold [esp for russia]. your laptop is going to bake in the summer and run the risk of shattering the hard drive platters on startup in the cold.

are you sure it was INSTEAD of an ECU rather than in addition to an ECU?

I've had my carputer running fine in both the summer heat, and as low as -30F in the winter... Consistantly booting without problems for a year while I had it in there.... Now it sits on my desk as I mold the screen into the dash...

[Professor Nimnul]

Mmmmm.. I'd say that I was simply IMPRESSED - exactly as BigBalledOX wrote about millions vs. one car WITHOUT ECU (with a computer instead of it).

Actually I don't want to do it by myself or even make "standart" chip tuning - I'd rather concentrate on mechanical tuning

Blackcoog - haha - I also tried to imagine a blue screen of death or smth like "Access violation... addres 0x000000000" when I stomp a gas pedal

By the way - these fiends of mine are quite serious people - it's their project racing Focus ST - but I still can't get more info... I hope it's not their stupid joke...

[Gorman]

..maybe the laptop is not 'instead of' but like a constantly variable piggy back chip...G.

[shoult]

Originally Posted by Professor Nimnul

Well - it's just interesting - I have info from my friend about Ford Focus ST. He said that he had seen a configuration that used Laptop & special software INSTEAD of stock ECU.

I was surprised - 'cause it looks like POSSIBLE thing.

I do not mean CHIP or stock ECU tuning or smth else - but only a proper connector with high speed connection to the laptop + special software emulationg ECU.

Has anybody seen smth like this for a Cougar?

He's probably running an aftermarket standalone ECU like the MegaSquirt or MegaSquirtNSpark (* *MegaSquirt - Electronic Fuel Injection Computer by Bowling & Grippo * *), Haltech (Haltech Engine Management Systems) or others. They completely replace the factory ECU and are programmed using a PC. The standalone ECU's OS is completely invisible because the interface is provided by your PC. Most times the PC software is written for Windows, some also have ported it over for Linux.

I believe this is what you're referring to. Not replacing the OEM ECU itself with a laptop. Even a car with street tires could generate enough G's to kill a hard drive, mil-spec or not. Or at least to the point where the drive parks and is not recording the very points in time you want to record. Same problem exists with tape (MiniDV, VHS, etc, ).

[RuiNaToR_QC]

Originally Posted by shoult

Not replacing the OEM ECU itself with a laptop. Even a car with street tires could generate enough G's to kill a hard drive, mil-spec or not

Again, here's something that would work in a race car:
Link to Solid State Drive
No moving parts...
A solid state drive (SSD) is a data storage device that uses solid-state memory to store persistent data. An SSD emulates a hard disk drive, thus easily replacing it in any application. An SSD using SRAM or DRAM (instead of flash memory) is often called RAM-drive.

[ov3n]

FYI - Capaldi and Mumm's race cougars ran reflashed stock ECUs..

NO REASON TO RUN YOUR CAR WITH A LAPTOP!!!!

[Professor Nimnul]

Originally Posted by ov3n

NO REASON TO RUN YOUR CAR WITH A LAPTOP!!!!

I do agree, I do - it's just a question of possibility...