Build Your Own Fuel Injection Computer

renaissance-redneck writes "I was searching for details on assembling a fuelie setup from junkyard parts when I stumbled across this: 'MegaSquirt is an Experimental Electronic Fuel Injector Controller for Internal Combustion engines. Its main goal was to create a simple fuel-only controller that could be easily reproduced with cost-effective components.' If you've got the time and the skills, it beats spending $2000."

Comments

Please don't knock out the server....

[Juggle]

Not this weekend! I build my MS back in December but didn't get my new motor together until about a month ago. Now I'm about ready to start putting it all together and /. finally notices the project.

So of course just when I need the site the most it will probably be overrun and unavailable ;)

Seriously though it's a great hardware hacking project. Quite a few revisions to the basic system have been made by the users and there are even a few spin-off projects (MegaSpark, MegaSquirtAVR, MegaJolt, MegaView, MegaTune, MSTWeak3k....) all of which were created by users of the system.

It's based on a stripped down simple version of the DIY EFI-32 project that aimed at building a homebrew version of the GM computer but was getting so complex it was turning some people away.

If the main site does get slashdotted there's the Yahoo Group: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/megasquirt

The MS FAQ:
http://members.shaw.ca/megasquirt/MS%20FAQ.h tm

And a few photos of my own project for those of you you just want to see the pretty pictures:
http://www.americansandassociation.org/ phpBB2/modu les.php?set_albumName=album43&op=modload&name=gall ery&file=index&include=view_album.php

Re:Interesting...

[barzok]

Cadillac still has it, it's part of the Northstar system. But, it's only for use in emergencies - if you lose your coolant, it shuts down half the engine at a time to pump air through to cool it off.

Word on the street is that Dodge's new 5.7L HEMI has or will have in a near-future iteration cylinder shutoff for when you don't need all 8 sucking down the gas.

Re:Interesting...

[thing12]

Cadillac still has it, it's part of the Northstar system. But, it's only for use in emergencies - if you lose your coolant, it shuts down half the engine at a time to pump air through to cool it off.

The Cadillac 16 uses a similar engine and it switches on demand to run on 4, 8 or all 16 cylinders of its 13.6 liter engine. Very cool stuff...

Other options

[vsigma]

They do sell other standalone setups which we use for Rallying (Yes, like you see on SpeedVision, or what you have played on GranTurismo or other Rally racing game) - examples: Link ECU, MoTec, AEM-EMS

All of the above allow control and modification of all elements of the car via a serial link to a laptop. You can even data log and so forth.

Depending on where you buy it and so on, it's not going to be as cheap as the product listed here - but, you gain boat loads more functionality. For Rally racing like we do - we need the control/fine tuning ability to change fuel maps, ignition timing, Anti-lag for the turbo (amongst other things) to squeeze out every bit of performance that we can to go against much better funded teams.

-victor

Close but it needs more...

[Tweakmeister]

The modern ECU's control more than just the air/fuel (by reading 02 sensors, etc.). They alter things like timing and monitor a host of things.

Many in the Honda crowd use an Apex'i S-AFC (or similar) to attach in line with the computer to adjust various things. Additionally you can buy other controllers and the like to adjust realtime at will.

This thing is impressive, but is no replacement, it's a piggyback, and has a long ways to go.