Haltech ECUs offer some of the latest motorsport features, such as CAN communication, variable cam timing, boost control, dual maps, two-step rev limiter, volumetric efficiency calculation for ease of mapping and trending engine output, o2 sensor feedback, intercooler water spray, knock control, air conditioning control, anti-lag and more. Considering the price, the features are incredible.
However, one of the best aspects of Haltech’s ECUs is the software used to program them. ECU Manager is an incredibly intuitive and well organized program. The layout can be modified by the end user to display exactly what you want to see, and you can even have different pages to display different channels. For example, I have one page for tuning boost control, another for fuel, and another for cam timing. The faster I can see what the engine is doing, and make the changes I want to make, the less time it will take to get the thing to run perfectly. That counts for a lot.
So perhaps this article taught you a little bit about ECUs. Chances are if you’re considering a standalone you already knew the basics. But, hopefully those who have yet to cross this ECU tuning road now have a little bit of understanding about engine control and won’t make the same mistake many do with poor tuning products that often result in catastrophic engine failure just to save a few bucks.