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I've seen quite a few people get kicked off of tracks. Tracks/locations/events have safety rules for cars and drivers that can obtain certain times. An example is a requirement for a full roll cage on anything under 12 seconds or a helmet under 13, a drive shaft safety loop under 11 blah blah. If the techs were scrambling, and the car really looked stock, it may have been a case of non disclosure. Running mid 10's is not a fluke, the original inspection may not have been for such a time.

That specific car engine combo would require more then nitrous to get a time like that, or at the end of that run, the engine would be a glob of molten metal. Using a rough estimate HP calculator, it would take ~630 HP to get a 3700lb car and driver down the 1/4 mile in the mid 10's. Considering the 2002 GTP has 260HP stock, nitrous would have to make up that difference, although an effective "power adder" when used responsibly, it can not do miracles!

Search the mailing list archives at dsm.org. I seem to remember some people talking about this, specifically, someone had found a small box that plug in via USB if I remember right, and it had like 24 analog inputs and 8 digital. I think there were even linux drivers for it.

Additionally, if you're car is OBDII compliant, you could order a cable and use FreeDiag to pull the information. All of those sensors feed back to your car's computer anyway, why try to duplicate the data collection functionality when it's already there. Plus, you won't have to worry about skewing the signals received by your ECU when you start tapping wires into things. You won't have to worry about finding the specs on each sensor either (like 0-1 volts == 0-1200 degrees)

I was considering doing a similar thing to you awhile back, and freediag seems like the best way to collect this data. If you manage to get something working, you should start a sourceforge project for it. I'd definitely be willing to contribute.

Also, a couple of years ago, some company came out with an 8" TFT touchscreen that plugged in via USB. They had released a driver for linux that allowed you to run an X-server on it. It was $300 or so. Does anyone remember the name of this thing? It would make an excellent display to mount in the dash.

It's a pretty simple fix though. Pull the ECU, remove the dead caps, clean board really well, $2 worth of good quality caps from Digikey and back in business. You can find detailed instructions on how to fix it here

I too have a Eclipse ('98 GSX). If you have ventured (I think I recognize your name from the Talon Digest, but just in case) over to Club DSM and looked at Todd Day's stuff from Technomotive, you can probably buy a completely tuneable ECU. Todd makes a model for 95 and older ECU's that allows you to change many things. You can also get a complete DataLogger.

We should also point out that in addition to OBD II, there are "manufacturer extensions" to the protocol that either reveal more information, or reveal information at a higher sampling rate. OBD II can tell you a lot, but the sampling frequency is pretty low. In acceleration, I miss most of my RPM range when logging with my OBD II software.

Unfortunately, since my car is a '98, Mitsu changed over to Flash memory instead of EPROMs in the ECU. Todd would have to reprogram a 95 ECU and drop it in my car. I just got my car back from a complete rebuild due to the dreaded crankwalk, so I'm not terribly excited to do anything more to it. If you haven't measured the end play in your crank, do it now! It could mean a new short block or long block. Also, check the health of your ECU capacitors (also on TMO's site). If they leak, it means a new ECU for you.

TTFN

Good god...how many of these things could be lurking about in automotive airbags, ABS systems, or in any sort of medical device?

(Slightly OT)

While not quite as bad, this is becoming a problem in older automotive ECUs (engine control units). The problem is especially rampant in DSM cars (Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eagle Talon, Plymouth Laser) manufactured between 1989 and 1994. I know because it happened to me. All the big electrolytic capacitors leaked all over the place, pretty much destroying the board. One of the symptoms is a 'rotten seafood smell' coming from behind the console. :)

Mitsubishi wanted around $750 for a replacement. Luckily since this is such a problem, refurbished ECUs are available for cheap.

There's a company called Technomotive that does ECU upgrades for the Talon/Eclipse/Laser trio of cars. What makes them different is that their upgrade "Stages" include an ECU lockout that prevents starting the car until a certain pedal combination is pressed, using the factory boost gauge for O2 sensor read-outs/injector duty cycle/spark advance among other things, removal of ECU imposed limits. The coolest mod of all, a "stutterbox" that lets you floor the car at the drag strip line and limit your revs to your optimal launch point. When you pop out the clutch the stutterbox is disengaged, your revs are unleashed and you launch like a bat out of hell. The guy(s) behind the company started it as a total hobby, dumping ECU instructions, etc, and ended up building a laptop-based data logger that can capture/control all of the engine's inputs and outputs. The website for the Talon/Eclipse/Lasers is at DSM.org and is one of the first that I know of that used MySQL and modperl.

I've been into cars as long as I can remember, and have been getting more and more serious about the performance side of things. Genetically, I've been somewhat cursed as being both a geek and a jock, so naturally I've gravitated into cars and other things that go fast. (I just bought my first motorcycle, a Honda CBR600F4i)

I started off in a Camaro Z28, and quickly became dissapointed with their build quality and reliability. I then moved into imports, and have never looked back. I now drive an Eagle Talon, which falls into a group of cars known as DSM's. These cars are pretty amazing considering the oldest ones are 13 years old. They are highly detuned from the factory, and have essentially the same engine as the Lancer Evolution, a high performance 4-door car which has had a lot of success on the WRC circuit. There are lots and lots of fast ones, most of which are daily drivers. The big dogs in DSM drag racing are pushing close to 800 HP and 30+ PSI through a measly 2.0 litre 4 banger.

The industry support for these cars, though not up to the levels of the Honda Civic or any of the domestic sports cars, is amazing. For instance, I use my Palm Pilot with the DSM Pocketlogger to aid in tuning-- I can get everything from coolant temperature, to knock counts all from my Palm. I can also do things such as turn injectors on and off from the Palm to test them. As far as some more hacking goes, I have an HKS VPC which essentially lets me use a less restrictive way to monitor my airflow, as well as trick the ECU (the car's computer) into thinking that conditions are always optimal. Piggybacked on that, I have an Apex-I Super AFC which essentially lets me tell the ECU how much fuel I need, and at what RPM's. I also have an Greddy Profec B Electronic Boost Controller which lets me adjust the amount of boost my turbo runs.

My primary attraction to these cars initially were that they were AWD (I live in Colorado). Once I learned more about them and their potential, I was hooked. I think the thing I like about them the most is that they are the underdog, since they don't have anything near the displacement of Joe 6-pack's muscle car, and that they use brains instead of brawn to get their power. To me the most impressive car which was imported into the US was the Toyota Supra, but that's a whole other topic.

Anyhow, if you're interested in getting a car that you can 'hack', you could probably pick up one of these cars for around $3K. Warning-- it's a very expensive and addictive hobby. My motorcycle is just over a week old, and I've pretty much got all of the parts picked out I'll be buying once my refund check finally gets here... since its fuel injected (still somewhat rare in the 2 wheeled world), it will require some electronic hacking for a new exhaust and intake.

On a side note, in the local chapter of Club DSM, I'd say at least 75% of us are techies to some degree (EE's, SysAdmins (both NT and Unix guys), programmers, etc.). Collectively we can generate some very interesting conversations, though I've heard that the discussions of the Audi elite make us look pretty dumb. :) Even the dsm.org site is Linux powered.

You can check out my car here, and more about DSM's here.

I've been into cars as long as I can remember, and have been getting more and more serious about the performance side of things. Genetically, I've been somewhat cursed as being both a geek and a jock, so naturally I've gravitated into cars and other things that go fast. (I just bought my first motorcycle, a Honda CBR600F4i)

I started off in a Camaro Z28, and quickly became dissapointed with their build quality and reliability. I then moved into imports, and have never looked back. I now drive an Eagle Talon, which falls into a group of cars known as DSM's. These cars are pretty amazing considering the oldest ones are 13 years old. They are highly detuned from the factory, and have essentially the same engine as the Lancer Evolution, a high performance 4-door car which has had a lot of success on the WRC circuit. There are lots and lots of fast ones, most of which are daily drivers. The big dogs in DSM drag racing are pushing close to 800 HP and 30+ PSI through a measly 2.0 litre 4 banger.

The industry support for these cars, though not up to the levels of the Honda Civic or any of the domestic sports cars, is amazing. For instance, I use my Palm Pilot with the DSM Pocketlogger to aid in tuning-- I can get everything from coolant temperature, to knock counts all from my Palm. I can also do things such as turn injectors on and off from the Palm to test them. As far as some more hacking goes, I have an HKS VPC which essentially lets me use a less restrictive way to monitor my airflow, as well as trick the ECU (the car's computer) into thinking that conditions are always optimal. Piggybacked on that, I have an Apex-I Super AFC which essentially lets me tell the ECU how much fuel I need, and at what RPM's. I also have an Greddy Profec B Electronic Boost Controller which lets me adjust the amount of boost my turbo runs.

My primary attraction to these cars initially were that they were AWD (I live in Colorado). Once I learned more about them and their potential, I was hooked. I think the thing I like about them the most is that they are the underdog, since they don't have anything near the displacement of Joe 6-pack's muscle car, and that they use brains instead of brawn to get their power. To me the most impressive car which was imported into the US was the Toyota Supra, but that's a whole other topic.

Anyhow, if you're interested in getting a car that you can 'hack', you could probably pick up one of these cars for around $3K. Warning-- it's a very expensive and addictive hobby. My motorcycle is just over a week old, and I've pretty much got all of the parts picked out I'll be buying once my refund check finally gets here... since its fuel injected (still somewhat rare in the 2 wheeled world), it will require some electronic hacking for a new exhaust and intake.

On a side note, in the local chapter of Club DSM, I'd say at least 75% of us are techies to some degree (EE's, SysAdmins (both NT and Unix guys), programmers, etc.). Collectively we can generate some very interesting conversations, though I've heard that the discussions of the Audi elite make us look pretty dumb. :) Even the dsm.org site is Linux powered.

You can check out my car here, and more about DSM's here.

I've been into cars as long as I can remember, and have been getting more and more serious about the performance side of things. Genetically, I've been somewhat cursed as being both a geek and a jock, so naturally I've gravitated into cars and other things that go fast. (I just bought my first motorcycle, a Honda CBR600F4i)

I started off in a Camaro Z28, and quickly became dissapointed with their build quality and reliability. I then moved into imports, and have never looked back. I now drive an Eagle Talon, which falls into a group of cars known as DSM's. These cars are pretty amazing considering the oldest ones are 13 years old. They are highly detuned from the factory, and have essentially the same engine as the Lancer Evolution, a high performance 4-door car which has had a lot of success on the WRC circuit. There are lots and lots of fast ones, most of which are daily drivers. The big dogs in DSM drag racing are pushing close to 800 HP and 30+ PSI through a measly 2.0 litre 4 banger.

The industry support for these cars, though not up to the levels of the Honda Civic or any of the domestic sports cars, is amazing. For instance, I use my Palm Pilot with the DSM Pocketlogger to aid in tuning-- I can get everything from coolant temperature, to knock counts all from my Palm. I can also do things such as turn injectors on and off from the Palm to test them. As far as some more hacking goes, I have an HKS VPC which essentially lets me use a less restrictive way to monitor my airflow, as well as trick the ECU (the car's computer) into thinking that conditions are always optimal. Piggybacked on that, I have an Apex-I Super AFC which essentially lets me tell the ECU how much fuel I need, and at what RPM's. I also have an Greddy Profec B Electronic Boost Controller which lets me adjust the amount of boost my turbo runs.

My primary attraction to these cars initially were that they were AWD (I live in Colorado). Once I learned more about them and their potential, I was hooked. I think the thing I like about them the most is that they are the underdog, since they don't have anything near the displacement of Joe 6-pack's muscle car, and that they use brains instead of brawn to get their power. To me the most impressive car which was imported into the US was the Toyota Supra, but that's a whole other topic.

Anyhow, if you're interested in getting a car that you can 'hack', you could probably pick up one of these cars for around $3K. Warning-- it's a very expensive and addictive hobby. My motorcycle is just over a week old, and I've pretty much got all of the parts picked out I'll be buying once my refund check finally gets here... since its fuel injected (still somewhat rare in the 2 wheeled world), it will require some electronic hacking for a new exhaust and intake.

On a side note, in the local chapter of Club DSM, I'd say at least 75% of us are techies to some degree (EE's, SysAdmins (both NT and Unix guys), programmers, etc.). Collectively we can generate some very interesting conversations, though I've heard that the discussions of the Audi elite make us look pretty dumb. :) Even the dsm.org site is Linux powered.

You can check out my car here, and more about DSM's here.

I've been into cars as long as I can remember, and have been getting more and more serious about the performance side of things. Genetically, I've been somewhat cursed as being both a geek and a jock, so naturally I've gravitated into cars and other things that go fast. (I just bought my first motorcycle, a Honda CBR600F4i)

I started off in a Camaro Z28, and quickly became dissapointed with their build quality and reliability. I then moved into imports, and have never looked back. I now drive an Eagle Talon, which falls into a group of cars known as DSM's. These cars are pretty amazing considering the oldest ones are 13 years old. They are highly detuned from the factory, and have essentially the same engine as the Lancer Evolution, a high performance 4-door car which has had a lot of success on the WRC circuit. There are lots and lots of fast ones, most of which are daily drivers. The big dogs in DSM drag racing are pushing close to 800 HP and 30+ PSI through a measly 2.0 litre 4 banger.

The industry support for these cars, though not up to the levels of the Honda Civic or any of the domestic sports cars, is amazing. For instance, I use my Palm Pilot with the DSM Pocketlogger to aid in tuning-- I can get everything from coolant temperature, to knock counts all from my Palm. I can also do things such as turn injectors on and off from the Palm to test them. As far as some more hacking goes, I have an HKS VPC which essentially lets me use a less restrictive way to monitor my airflow, as well as trick the ECU (the car's computer) into thinking that conditions are always optimal. Piggybacked on that, I have an Apex-I Super AFC which essentially lets me tell the ECU how much fuel I need, and at what RPM's. I also have an Greddy Profec B Electronic Boost Controller which lets me adjust the amount of boost my turbo runs.

My primary attraction to these cars initially were that they were AWD (I live in Colorado). Once I learned more about them and their potential, I was hooked. I think the thing I like about them the most is that they are the underdog, since they don't have anything near the displacement of Joe 6-pack's muscle car, and that they use brains instead of brawn to get their power. To me the most impressive car which was imported into the US was the Toyota Supra, but that's a whole other topic.

Anyhow, if you're interested in getting a car that you can 'hack', you could probably pick up one of these cars for around $3K. Warning-- it's a very expensive and addictive hobby. My motorcycle is just over a week old, and I've pretty much got all of the parts picked out I'll be buying once my refund check finally gets here... since its fuel injected (still somewhat rare in the 2 wheeled world), it will require some electronic hacking for a new exhaust and intake.

On a side note, in the local chapter of Club DSM, I'd say at least 75% of us are techies to some degree (EE's, SysAdmins (both NT and Unix guys), programmers, etc.). Collectively we can generate some very interesting conversations, though I've heard that the discussions of the Audi elite make us look pretty dumb. :) Even the dsm.org site is Linux powered.

You can check out my car here, and more about DSM's here.

Don't forget about DSMs! We now have the world's first AWD, first unibody in the 8s!. One of our RWD converts is in the 7s. Not bad for a little 4 banger.

I love that statement...."V8 power". Please. Not every 4 banger out there is a Honda. "There's no replacement for displacement" makes me laugh when the V8 guys are talking...of course they won't talk trash like that to someone with a bigger engine. I don't have to make up for some macho inadequacy by buying big, inefficient technology. I'll take my (modded) 350HP turbocharged inline 4 DSM any day over a V8, because I still get 30mpg. You should see the look on those LS1 drivers faces as I pull on them in my "rice rocket"...it's priceless.

We should all encourage, and monitor, our children's internet useage. For that matter, kids should be encouraged to learn regardless, but the Internet is what makes learning beyond traditional means possible. I know my library has very few books on Linux, or Eagle Talon's, or case modding, or religious persecution, but thanks to the Internet, that info is easy to find. Make sure they're not getting into things they shouldn't, but encourage learning, and a self-motivated desire to learn. It will aid them greatly in their lives to 'love to learn.' It's helped me, and I didn't even have the Internet until I went to college. Just think what I could have learned in grade school if I had.

Why are we referred to as consumers? I'm on the net usually to play games (the free ones, not the ones charging monthly fees), research info on Linux, my car (Club DSM), discussion boards about tech and computers, Online Banking and Payments, and many other websites that I'm not paying squat for. As soon as sites start charging for content (be it thru annoying pop-under ads, or actual monthly fees) I'm quite likely to leave and find a better free site. That's what got everyone online so quickly in the first place. It was absolutely free! Do I buy stuff online? Sure, but it's definitely a VERY small percentage of my total yearly monetary expenses. Online businesses had better realize this fast if they want to stay in business.

It's not that charging for services is bad. In fact, more power to them. But unless your service is absolutely necessary to a web surfer, you'd better kiss your profits goodbye. And no, showing more banner ads and pop-unders will not increase revenues if no one is willing to visit your site in the first place. Plus, with all the free software out there that allows everyone to filter out the 'noise', businesses had better find a better way to attract and keep customers than just flashy ads.

I agree with you about Big Media. They will buy up their online competitors, if there competitors are stealing some of their profit. So what? Online, this shouldn't matter, because like you say, someone else can always put up their own info and do it for free. Or if they own a profitable site, don't take it public trying to make bajillions of dollars, and it will remain yours for all time, to do whatever you wish with it.

Some sites are actually TOO good at blocking. DSM.org notes on the front page of their site that their mailing list (which you have to request to have sent to you) gets bounced by AOL for being 'spam'. Apparently AOL doesn't follow normal email conventions and rules in an attempt to 'help' the average retard Joe Schmoe that just got on the 'net.

As an owner of both a 93 Eagle Talon TSi AWD and a 95 Eclipse GST, I would have to say the reliability of these cars has been pretty high for me. Having owned several Hondas before purchasing these cars, I have something to base my opinion on.

A lot of people think they're unreliable because the internet DSM mailing list seems to have a lot of posts about problems and how to fix them. However, you have to understand that a DSM owner fixes their own car in their garage, rather than the average Honda owner who drives it to their local dealer. They're lot like Linux users - find what's broken and hack till it works. My cars have never had any problems at all and the 93 has 108k miles on it now.

As far as the comparison to the GSR, a non-turbo DSM is no match. Buy a turbo if you're gonna buy one and you'll thank yourself later. My 93 has been slightly modified (exhaust, air intake, boost set to 14psi) and can do 0-60 in 4.9sec on normal everyday street gas. There aren't many cars that can compete in a race from a red light (just ask any V8 owners where I live..haha). AWD is awesome! I would highly recommend it.

For the ultimate guide on DSMs in general go to Club DSM. I don't think there's a more knowledgeable group anywhere else on the internet.

Brian