Tuning for performance is as tough as tuning for sound quality. Well, maybe that's overstating it a little. After all, with the right tools, the former can be done pretty definitively. Even with the right tools in sound performance there are still some major grey areas since you have to try to take into account the subjectivity involved in how the music might be perceived. Over the years, tuning, be it sound or performance, has evolved into a mix of art, science and a little black magic thrown in for good measure. Whatever it takes, ultimately every car enthusiast wants to have the best of both.
Once you have been bitten by the performance bug and gone through the typical intake, header and exhaust upgrades it just starts to get deeper. Unless your pockets are just as deep you'll probably run out of money before ideas. And just when you think you're done you'll come to the crossroads where you discover your "hot air intake" is making more horse farts than horsepower. So another change needs to be made. Turbo, supercharge, or high compression and even nitrous oxide are at the crossroads where you must determine how you wish to achieve extra performance gains; but meanwhile tuning, where your performance gains will be delivered, is overlooked. With your choice of power upgrade there are even more decisions to be made as to how you are going to control the motor.
The selection made at this point in the tuning timeline will dictate the number of engine operating parameters you have control over, and further, the amount of control you have over said parameters. The dilemma comes down to piggyback or stand-alone. Do you run the stock ECU and add peripheral computers to tweak engine performance or trash the ECU and run a programmable aftermarket ECU? A big factor is the expected power levels. But if you're stepping up to boost, engine control is even more critical.
In general, piggyback computers are more cost-effective, easier to pull off and simpler to tune. On the flip side, some piggyback computers only add fuel or control timing, not both, and they offer a limited number of tuning points. Sometimes more than one piggyback unit is necessary, which can nullify the cost advantage of this method.
Historically, stand-alones are seen as expensive, hard to understand and tune. Most of all stand-alones have the reputation of being a nightmare to wire, often requiring custom harnesses and additional sensors. Their capacities and complexity usually make them best suited for race cars. However, the leading-edge technology and high specific output of many of today's import street cars need this level of control to keep the power flowing reliably.
Advanced Engine Management's founder and technical engineer, John Consialdi has long been considered one of the masters of the trade. His knowledge of math and science and passion for what he does makes for his formula for success. His company's solution to this performance dilemma consists of its plug-and-play Engine Management System (EMS), which will forever change the way serious enthusiasts look at stand-alone engine management. AEM's EMS is a direct replacement for the factory ECU and doesn't require an additional wiring harness for operation. The application-specific system literally installs in minutes. Just unplug the harness going into the factory ECU and then plug the harness directly into the EMS unit and you're done.
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