Aem Ems Issues
I am writing this thread to express my thoughts about the AEM EMS system. I have a few complaints to vent here so just hear me out. First off I would like to say the overall product is very good, but I think it was rushed to the market WAY too fast. I would also like to say that even though this thing has been a headache, the people at AEM have been extremely helpful in setting up my car. Now for the gripes:
1) The link to the computer is an old school serial cable that many, like my new, laptops do not have. It should be a USB connector. I had to buy a serial emulator from Belkin for $79 to be able to talk to the ECU.
2) If you want to use Automap feature, you MUST purcahse a 5 wire wide-band O2 sensor. The cheapest I've found so far is the one off of a 1996 Honda Civic HX to the tune of ANOTHER $300. Otherwise, you'll be making regular trips to the dyno to tune your car.
3) To be able to setup your car to run, you have to align the timing between the ECU and the crank sensor so that they both see TDC with no advance. The problem here is that you have to use a signal converter for a timing light that only Snap-On makes, which happens to be another $210.
4) The ECU cannot run the heaters on the 5 wire O2 sensor so you have to puchase an external heater controller from NTK/NGK that's another $150.
Add all this up and you've arrived to $739 of things that you have to purchase, unless you know someone with a shop who can give you the timing sensor. That's an extra $739 and this system is supposed to be plug and play? So far that makes me $2300 out of pocket and my car is still fouling plugs because the idle mixture is too rich, and I haven't even put it on the DYNO yet?! That will easily be another $250. So figure $2500 and I have a system that who knows how much more power it will make over the Vafc.... You be the judge if it's worth it...
Chris
1) The link to the computer is an old school serial cable that many, like my new, laptops do not have. It should be a USB connector. I had to buy a serial emulator from Belkin for $79 to be able to talk to the ECU.
2) If you want to use Automap feature, you MUST purcahse a 5 wire wide-band O2 sensor. The cheapest I've found so far is the one off of a 1996 Honda Civic HX to the tune of ANOTHER $300. Otherwise, you'll be making regular trips to the dyno to tune your car.
3) To be able to setup your car to run, you have to align the timing between the ECU and the crank sensor so that they both see TDC with no advance. The problem here is that you have to use a signal converter for a timing light that only Snap-On makes, which happens to be another $210.
4) The ECU cannot run the heaters on the 5 wire O2 sensor so you have to puchase an external heater controller from NTK/NGK that's another $150.
Add all this up and you've arrived to $739 of things that you have to purchase, unless you know someone with a shop who can give you the timing sensor. That's an extra $739 and this system is supposed to be plug and play? So far that makes me $2300 out of pocket and my car is still fouling plugs because the idle mixture is too rich, and I haven't even put it on the DYNO yet?! That will easily be another $250. So figure $2500 and I have a system that who knows how much more power it will make over the Vafc.... You be the judge if it's worth it...
Chris
I would be happy if they would just pay for the dyno session... They are offering $200 for a dyno session, but at one of their shops. There's no AEM dyno shop around me... Whatever.
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bitch bitch bitch...moan moan moan...these woes come with being a beta tester. If you didn't want to pay the price you shouldn't have spent the time/money.
I am not bitching about the price.. I am bitching about all the extra things I have to buy with it in order to make it "Plug and Play"....
And You have really nothing to say since you dont own the system, so shut the hell up.
Originally posted by Wesmaster
Uh, no body here signed up as a beta tester...what are you talking about?
Uh, no body here signed up as a beta tester...what are you talking about?
Its gotta be there somewhere - no coincidence the '02's were upgraded . . .



