What’s the big deal about Link ECUs!?
They’re one of our favorite products, so we want you to understand:
- How they can improve your car?
- When you should consider upgrading from the factory ECU?
- The options that are available?
How they can improve your car?
A correctly selected, installed and configured Link ECU can completely control your engine package. The most important part of complete control is having complete tunability of the ECU, in order to achieve an optimal tune for your engine. When tuned by a professional, benefits can include:
- Increased power and torque output
- An engine that drives smoothly
- Improved economy, if you can control your righty foot!
- Basic engine safety features, to reduce the chance of engine damage.
Link ECUs can also improve your car with additional features including:
- Boost control through the ECU, allowing for multiple settings, boost by gear or boost by throttle.
- Flex fuel capability, allowing you to run E85, pump gas, or any combination of the two.
- Advanced engine safety features where additional sensors can be added to further protect the engine from damage when run outside of desire parameters.
- Launch control to provide fast take-off.
- Anti lag to improve boost response.
- Flat foot shifting for fast and smooth gear changes.
- Ghost-cam/Cyclic idle to give an aggressive sound when idling.
- Advanced configurability allows for a huge range of additional functions to be added, specific to your application and purpose.
- Traction control to control the power delivery when traction is limited.
- Datalogging gives the ability to record information about the engine inside the ECU, which can be reviewed for trouble shooting, to improve performance, or even improve race times.
- Run a race dash!
When you should consider upgrading from the factory ECU?
Deciding to install a Link ECU isn’t always straight forward, and there are some instances where we would retain the factory ECU, or even use an alternate brand of ECU. Let’s look at the basic reasons we’d recommend upgrading to a Link ECU:
- If your factory ECU isn’t easily tunable, or
- If your factory ECU is tunable, however has constraints that will be limiting for the power you’re chasing.
- You want to use some of the additional features that Link ECUs can provide
- You’ve performed an engine swap, by fitting a different engine to your vehicle.
The options that are available?
When it comes to fitting a Link ECU to your vehicle, there are two main options – Plug-in and Wire-in.
- Plug-in Link ECUs are the most common type we install, as they’re easy and cost effective. They replace the factory ECU and plug directly into the factory wiring. They have an expansion harness for wiring in a few additional sensors, switches or outputs.
- These are vehicle specific, so are only available for specific range of vehicles. Click here to see what plug in ECUs are available for your vehicle.
- The plug-in ECU is a good option if your wiring loom is in good condition and you only require a small amount of additional inputs and outputs.
- Wire-in Link ECUs are just that, an ECU that is wired into the factory wiring loom, or has a complete replacement wiring loom made to suit the engine and vehicle.
- We typically use a wire in ECU in an application that doesn’t have a plug-in option available, or the requirements are a little more serious than a plug-in can offer.
- In general, we use these on vehicles that have had an engine transplant, are a full race car, are building a full wiring harness or need functions and features that are beyond what a standard plug-in ECU can offer.
- Find out more information about wire in packages.
In conclusion, we believe that Link ECUs are one of the best on the market.
- They can improve the performance of your vehicle and offer countless additional features.
- When you need great tunability and want to push the limits of your vehicle, we recommend considering a Link ECU.
- With a range of both plug-in and wire in ECUs, there will be an option to suit your needs.
If you want help deciding if you need a Link ECU, or what type will best suit your car, contact the PBMS team today!
