New ECU

[Kongsodoken]

http://www.roguetuning.com/rogue_tuning_ecu

I'm sure everyone has seen this by now what we think?

I know Barks has a great product and is more feature rich and proven but I like the fact that this is a factory replacement and will use the factory chips .....No mods still uses the AFM etc

 

[Lowtimer]

I'm sure it's a decent enough product within the constraints of what it tries to do. But I can't really see the point of it, tbh, unless your existing ECU is irredeemably bust and you can't find a working one off a scrapper.

Whereas the whole point of the Barks product is that it enables worthwhile upgrades in performance and efficiency, including facilitating getting rif of the barn door AFM with all the limitations it imposes.

 

[George Elliott]

But I can't really see the point of it, tbh, unless your existing ECU is irredeemably bust and you can't find a working one off a scrapper.

Whereas the whole point of the Barks product is that it enables worthwhile upgrades in performance and efficiency, including facilitating getting rif of the barn door AFM with all the limitations it imposes.

^^^ could not agree more based on Augment Automotive experience here but not on my car unfortunately.

George
944t

 

[944 man]

I cant see a price. Am I missing the obvious or is it a new product that they haven't made available yet?

George, does your car have an AA ECU?

 

[Kongsodoken]

ORIGINAL: Lowtimer

I'm sure it's a decent enough product within the constraints of what it tries to do. But I can't really see the point of it, tbh, unless your existing ECU is irredeemably bust and you can't find a working one off a scrapper.

Whereas the whole point of the Barks product is that it enables worthwhile upgrades in performance and efficiency, including facilitating getting rif of the barn door AFM with all the limitations it imposes.

thats what I like about it ...a new ECU with modern day reliability No changes to the harness and still uses the AFM
for a standard car it seems perfect
I accept for a modified car Barks ECU has advantages

No price yet[]

 

[944 man]

Surely Toms can emulate an original DME, airflow meter and all? More original too in that it uses a Motronic chassis so it looks original as well as being plug compatible.

 

[T3rra]

Big back orders on the m and a tune stuff I believe. Keep it British. Your have the room to expand if required

 

[Indi9xx]

I think the RogueECU option is ideal for anyone wanting to remain completely stock or just have a chip, but still have a barn door and a completely standard engine bay.

There was a time when everyone with a 944 Turbo wanted it modified, but these days we see an equal amount of 944 Turbos in the workshop where the owners want them returning to stock condition as we do people who want modifications.

For the distant future, I see it being hard to buy a used DME and if it fails the options would be limited, I know I worry about that future scenario and the Rogue ECU offers that option of something which can be totally stock.

I am sure that Barks product could be reconfigured to do the same job, and if he has any business head on him, it needs to be something he thinks about and impliments as well as markets.

Just my 2p worth.

 

[George Elliott]

George, does your car have an AA ECU?

No, not yet

you are right, it can emulate the ECU / AFM (probably operating at 20% processing capacity) and the rest is upside potential with the correct hardware I believe.

George
944t

 

[Kongsodoken]

http://www.roguetuning.com/rogue_tuning_ecu

price is out $600 about £360 .......of to the US in a few months might pick one up just to see[]

 

[944 man]

Half the price of Tom's...

 

[George Elliott]

Great to see this and I hope it works reliably, - very different model to the Augment Automotive model though Simon. I would say they are approx. the same cost apples / apples.

If Rogue were to arrange workshop time to install the ECU, calibrate the voltages, advise & add any associated sensors (MAP / EGT / W-B), fit the wires, advise how it all works. (if they understand the electronic engineering aspect in great depth - we will all form a view of this critical point when we read the bumf ), then I would imagine they would quote a bit higher. Rogue also cannibalise a Motronic, which is a bit of a pain cost-wise as they can be repaired and have a significant value.

Its also nice to speak to a supplier in one's own time zone as opposed to waiting 'til they surface at lunchtime, and then start whining atcha []

As a direct replacement "Box" which can be shipped, configured with a few switches, and plugged in to do a job, - if it works reliably it will be a reasonable value product. The recent generation pcb manufacturing updates are good but the old flow solder technology got 'em to the Moon, so......

I like the fastener but would hesitate at a steel Pin thru my ECU pcb into the steel Casing...just seems a tad crude when 2 chamfers on diagonal corners would have allowed 2 fasteners outside the vital pcb area. On the other hand the 944 / 951 switch is great for mass production efficiency and cost reduction.

Look forward to comments from European Customers and it really is good to see tricky parts like this being manufactured for our Cars.

Finally, I really hope that in future, the suppliers of any such parts focus on quality, reliability, Service Level, tech advancement, and then cost. From experience, Tom at Augment Automotive has done that - brilliant electronics, super Customer focus, Local, long may it last.

George
944t

 

[Kongsodoken]

I agree George very different products but for a stock car the choice is a used 20 year old unit or the rogue unit
no wiring harness changes, no extra sensors, this one is true plug and play using the factory chip,
Modified car then Toms is a more sensible route.

 

[TTM]

I would have imagined that upgrading the ECU box with modern & more powerful hardware components made sense when upgrading the tuning software, but since that new ECU is supposed to work exactly the same as a standard Bosch DME, what is the point?

With that said, for $600 I can't really argue when a new Bosch DME costs half a kidney, and having a used unit rebuilt costs perhaps already more than half this amount...

There would be a point if this new ECU gave the room to RT's tuning software (included with his M-tune MAF kit, if I understand correctly) to perform better than the standard Bosch software (faster processing, user-friendly interface, etc), but I see no mention of this anywhere.

As far using the standard AFM is concerned, sorry, but this is a heavy & obsolete piece of junk that does not deserve to nest anymore in a 944 engine, particulary a turbo.

A speed density (MAP) ECU will always be superior than a MAF ECU on a turbo car, I think.

 

[robdimond]

I personally don't see the point, except to replace a broken ECU when original ones have dried up. Yes, electronics manufacturing techniques have changed in the last 30 years (and not always for the better... lead free solder as one example!), but if your current ECU is working then why change it?

Some electronic components do degrade/drift from ideal values over time, but in a good design this won't degrade the performance of the device.

What will us 16v owners do when our ECU's give up the ghost and second hand ones have dried up?

 

[944 man]

8v loom and AA ECU.

 

[robdimond]

Ah... I thought you needed an 8v flywheel and bellhousing as well. I suppose you then need to run separate wires for the hall sensor for camshaft position?

Why brings me to another topic... how can I be sure that my camshaft position sensor is actually working? I hear they break and the car still runs...

 

[TTM]

If the car doesn't feel slower on full chat with the sensor disconnected then it's probably acting up.