As I'm typing this I'm still so hesitant to ask; I mean, I see how we (noobs) get roasted for asking the most basic questions - sometimes understandably so. However, I think that lurking around here for two years and reading up thread after thread, after thread of comparisons, how to's, polls, etc., has prepared me (somewhat) to finally pull the trigger and begin my build.

But... I need help.

My goal is not to extract the last ounce of horsepower sauce or tune the car to within a micron of a catastrophic failure. I understand that you have to pay to play and have come to terms with that. But at the same time I'm not looking to overspend on unnecessary features that I would NEVER reap the benefits of.

Having said that, what do you consider that would be the best compromise when we talk about ECUs for a build? I have narrow it down to these two MS'

MS Labs
MSLabs Megasquirt MS3 Basic do I need >>> MSLabs CAN Wideband Module ?

and
diyautotune

Miata 0105 MS3Pro PnP Plug

Would you recommend something else? What would it be and why. Please recommend the absolutely necessary considering that:
Car is a 2002 SE - stock and engine (internally) will remain stock
Will upgrade to Flow Force 640cc EV14 Injectors
Have AEM wideband
I have a 2.5 exhaust that I purchased when was not thinking about boost and will not upgrade it to 3"
GT2871 Chinese equivalent
I do not race/drift or compete in any way
I do not drive this car in winter, and some times not even when its raining
I am not looking for maximum performance, instead something reliable

I'll be awaiting your response with a fire extinguisher.
Thanks

 

Both those ECUs will be fine for your goal: so choose whatever you prefer.
Now focus on your turbo choice, a GT2871 Churbo sounds like an extremely poor match for a stock motor.

 

Thank you for your response. I'm absolutely revising my Churbo choice

 

One of them offers free phone support, the other does not.

 

I'm running that turbo on a rods only engine. I'm happy with it, but if I was planning to stay in stock bottom end territory I would be looking for something else.

 

hmmm i gotta check that. Thanks for the info

yeah i think I'm going with it for now, then will do something different...

 

I like the CAN module for eliminating O2 ground offset.

Both are good.

I had a Chinese 2871 copy and didn't hate it. I killed it with bad tuning, though.

 

If you have an AEM X-series and 1.5.1 firmware you can connect through CAN without a module.

 

I don't know about MSLABS, but the MSPNP pro all have tunerstudio & megalog viewer licenses. I'm a bit biased biased, but I love my mspnp pro. I suggest you read some threads on support issues and make your own conclusions.

 

From a support perspective, if you have any issues with your ECU's hardware, you'll have to ship it back overseas with an MSLabs ECU.

 

This is exactly the bits and pieces of information scattered over hundreds of threads and thousands of post that I needed to gather to make an intelligent decision...

Thank you!

 

This is exactly the bits and pieces of information scattered over hundreds of threads and thousands of post that I needed to gather to make an intelligent decision...

Thank you!

 

mine was built by rev and it was not required to be shipped anywhere to operate properly but I'm not mad at DIY auto-tune either

 

We've never had one faulty V3.1+ MS3 that needed to be shipped back to us, not one. That speaks volumes.

 

 

Sorry to call you out Dimitris, but what version exactly is the MS3 Enhanced that I just shipped back to you?

Long story short, my MS3 Enhanced arrived a few months ago DOA with a faulty MAP sensor. Rev did offer to buy me an external MAP sensor, but I wanted what I initially thought I bought: a fully functional, non defective MS3 Enhanced (or a refund, which specific replies to that request have yet to be answered).

A number of emails / PMs to Rev and the reseller I purchased it from (Rev would either reply to him or me, not both), Rev finally agreed to accept return of my squirt in exchange for a (hopefully functional - need to find time off work to go to the post office and pick it up) replacement.

I do not doubt Rev has the ability build solid products and support them, but my personal experience with his hardware and customer service has taught me otherwise.

TLDR: If I knew then what I know now, I would have purchased an MS3 Pro PNP.

 

Yes, on the Basic MS3 which is what we are discussing here in this thread.

 

It's an Enhanced MS3, not a Basic MS3.

The MS3 pro pnp is equivalent to the Basic MS3, not the Enhanced MS3.

 

Are there issues with the Enhanced version that we should be aware of?

 

The Enhanced is not for everyone, that's what my honest experience tells me. If you have a sufficient background in tuning ECUs, you will appreciate the additional features of the Enhanced over the Basic. Otherwise, the Basic will probably cover over 80% of Miata owners.

Jtt's issue was indeed a faulty MAP sensor, which happens in less than 0.2% of customers, and is most likely the result of the ECU being thrown around during shipping.

The V1.2 Enhanced has been around for almost 4 years now, and I use it on my own daily driven turbo Miata, if that means anything, with zero issues.

Having said that, there is only a small userbase of the Enhanced, probably due to cost.

I welcome any owner of the Enhanced that has purchased one in the last 3-4 years to post here with his experience.