Mugen ECU vs Hondata

[Princess]

Why don't more people use the Mugen ECU (or the AEM ECU)? Everyone seems to love Hondata.

[4angrybadgers]

The AEM ECU is much more expensive than Kpro, and Hondata's products have a huge following (therefore more support available). I haven't found any info on the Mugen ECU, but considering that it's Mugen I expect it to be overpriced as well.

People love Hondata's products for a reason...

[Chazwick05]

the mugen ecu is considerably more expensive than kpro, and it's basically just a reflash. add to the fact that the ecu is intended solely for the k20a (or possibly also k20a2) and people would have to at least have a 2.0 liter swap, as any kind of k24 variant or frank swap would be unable to use the mugen ecu.

[Princess]

So if you have a k20a swap then a Mugen ecu will work fine. What if you decide to install a turbo setup on your k20a. Can you still use the Mugen ECU? Can you adjust your settings with your own computer with the Mugen ECU like people do with Hondata?

Thanks for the answers everyone.

[Chazwick05]

So if you have a k20a swap then a Mugen ecu will work fine. What if you decide to install a turbo setup on your k20a. Can you still use the Mugen ECU? Can you adjust your settings with your own computer with the Mugen ECU like people do with Hondata?

Thanks for the answers everyone.

the mugen ecu is like a high end version of the old hondata reflashes, like the #4 reflash for the dc5-s, for example. it's set for a simple i/h/e or i/rh/e setup, just mild boltons and remapped tables. it's not adjustable, so if you boost or frank, or even add things like ITBs you'd have to change your ecu. it's not programmable like kpro is.

think of the mugen ecu like the mugen ss suspension: it has a set drop, set spring rates and set damping. it does a hell of a job for a dd or mild weekend warrior, but if tried to be used for anything "wild" it just fails.

[Princess]

Thanks for the explanation. That explains why the Mugen ECU isn't very popular compared to Hondata. I love that ephatch has so many 'nerds' who know everything about the ep3. This Website is an awesome resource for ep3 owners.

Now I only see Hondata as a good option for my car's future. AEM's system might be good, but nobody uses it or talks about it, so better to stick with the company everyone knows and is familiar with. The Mugen ECU sounds like the perfect thing to get if you have a k20a with I/H/E and never want to do more than that. Plus you can brag about it, because it''s Mugen. Otherwise Hondata sounds like the way to go.

[lldiesel386ll]

who says you can't brag about kpro?:mangel:

[Civic5lug]

AEM EMS is the holly god of ECU tuning world, or so i'm told by a couple race teams at events. I never looked at it before tho

[Kleinengines]

The aem is a very good product but hondata is alot more user friendly.

[MugenReplica]

The Mugen ECU is unfortunately not a conservatively tuned ECU for your everyday DD. The Mugen ECU was purposely made for the One Make Integras which all ran it in the racing series. First this is that fuel economy is going to make your wallet empty if you plan on using it on the street. Some would ask why however.......well it's simple. The Mugen ECU was designed for circuit racing where you are not putzing around in closed loop most of the time. Also it technically is not specifically designed for a true race header. It is/was designed using the stock 4-2 upper manifold seen on a K20a engine, then bolted together with a Mugen N1 70mm exhaust which includes a 2-1 setup similar to the lower manifold of the K20a, but with exhaust included("technically" it's a RH, but not quite). It also does not meet the One Make Integra rules of a 9600rpm rev limit. It revs the engine to 8600rpms in all actuality. I know King Motorsports used to say it revved to 9100rpms, but everything I have read online and including some translated literature from Japan said the limit of the Mugen ECU was 8600rpms. This would also agree with the rules of the One Make cars have. The K20a engines in the series are essentially stock. The only internal change would be the addition of a Mugen head gasket, which ups the compression to 11.7:1(although as talonxracer has proven the quench area with the Mugen headgasket isn't sufficent to provide adequate gains). This also may be very well another reason people stateside who have ran the Mugen ECU (read the 2002 King Motorsports Ep3 rated at 200whp with Mugen ECU and headgasket), will not see very good gains on a stock car because our ignition timing is set for the 11.7:1 compression and not the stock 11:1 we have here.

For what is was designed for (Mugen HOA ECU), it's best as it is the only thing that can be used in the series. Kpro to me is most definitely a better choice as much as I flog the Ep3. As iwth most people, I still use my Ep3 as my daily driver even if it does look like a race car and is gutted to hell.


Little vid for you One Make Integra Series fans like myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqFYHRkHUHY

[talonXracer]

The Mugen ECU will also not pass any OBDII tests. It is simply a reflashed PRC ecu for a specific set-up(as John had noted) that usually most K20A2's already have surpassed.


The AEM standalone ECU works fine as long as you can find someone who can get it to work with a Kseries properly, but I find it very limiting and a step backwards(it wont pass OBDII testing like Kpro can)

[weltall]

AEM EMS, 60% of the time it works everytime

even supra guys talk about how they wish there was something as user friendly as kpro out for the supras (local supra guy with a 1500whp supra) look 4 uask4it1 or 2 on youtube