DIY 94-97 to 98-99 Patch Harness Parts

[prop7459]

Okay guys I found some useful information to make a adapter harness for 94-97 TT cars to accept the 98-99 TT Flashable ECU. This will prevent you from hacking your stock harness to accept the 98-99 ECU for less than $60 dollars. I will like to credit to Ceddy, 0xDEAD and MrFred. I am pulling information from their sites.

Here are there sites.

Ceddy

Evo9 in a 2G/Evo8 « Ceddy's Lair (http://ceddy.us/?page_id=458)

0xDEAD and MrFred

http://evoecu.logic.net/wiki/Plugs,_Pins,_and_Connectors

Plugs, Pins, and Connectors - EvoEcu

Male 94-97 TT ECU Connector:
** You can pull this from a busted ECU.
** (I am trying to find the correct part number from Tyco for this connector)

Female Connectors 98-99 TT ECU

The 98-99 TT use JAE MX-7 Series plugs.

You need:

1 x 28 Pin Plug

* MX7-A-28SC
* Digi-Key - 670-2313-ND (Manufacturer - MX7-A-28SC)

1 x 28 Pin Retainer

* Mx7-28S-RT
* Digi-Key - 670-2312-ND (Manufacturer - MX7-A-28S-RT)

1 x 30 Pin Plug

* MX7-A-30SC
* Digi-Key - 670-2315-ND (Manufacturer - MX7-A-30SC)

1 x 30 Pin Retainer

* MX7-A-30S-RT
* Digi-Key - 670-2314-ND (Manufacturer - MX7-A-30S-RT)

1 x 35 Pin Plug

* MX7-A-35SC
* Digi-Key - 670-2317-ND (Manufacturer - MX7-A-35SC)

1 x 35 Pin Retainer:

* MX7-A-35S-RT
* Digi-Key - 670-2316-ND (Manufacturer - MX7-A-35S-RT)

18 x Large Pins (16-20 AWG)

* MX7-SGC3-7000-ND
* Digi-Key - 670-2319-ND (Manufacturer - MX7-PWC2-1E-4500)

75 x Small Pins (18-20 AWG)

* MX7-PWC2-1E-4500-ND
* Digi-Key - 670-2320-ND (Manufacturer - MX7-SGC3-7000)

** I am in the process of locating the part numbers for 91-93 TTs ECU connectors. Most the connectors are posted in both sites listed above. I will continue to update this thread once I have located all ECU connectors for 91-99 cars. If anyone finds a error in this thread, please let me know. If anyone finds any missing part numbers, please feel free to post them.

[NOMIEZVR4]

hell yeah....good find..hopefully with more people giving this attention flashing 3/s and related ecu's soon shouldn't be an issue anymore...

please keep this post updated!!

[prop7459]

I think I may found the ECU side connector for 91-93 TTs and 94-96 TT.

**91-93
**Part #: 174518-7

website

AMP / TYCO 174518-7 is in stock! | Buy 1745187 | 174518 7 | Onlinecomponents.com (http://www.onlinecomponents.com/buy/AMP-TYCO/174518-7/)

**94-96 TT
** Part #: 174915-6

website:

http://www.tycoelectronics.com/catalog/products/en?q=174915-6

I am waiting for blackstealth over at 3si to confirm the connector for the 91-93 cars. I the near future, I will buy these parts to confirm whether they are the right connectors.

[DrkZide]

I'm lost

[prop7459]

I'm lost

This thread is basically telling you what is needed to build a plug n play harness in order to use a flashable ecu such as 98-99 TT ecu. This will prevent you from hacking your stock harness. I am not sure if they harness can be used for the Montero or Galant ECU conversion though. Bloomslang charged a 1st gen TT guy 200 bucks to create such harness to use his 99 ECU. I am still doing research to ensure I have the correct part numbers.

[Tiberius]

I did this a while ago and I have enough material left for 5 harness adapters.
The recaptable for Gen1 and Gen2-Hybrid are the same. Gen1 has 16-pin,22-pin and 26-pin (64 pin total) and Gen2-Hybrid has an additional 12-pin (76-pin total). You buy the 76-pin receptable and for use on Gen1 you just don't solder any wires to the 12-pin section.
look here for comparison:
http://www.diyautotune.com/diypnp/images/connectors/n76/n76_connector_applications.jpg

I got everything from onlinecomponents.com except the 12-pin plug which was on backoder. I got it a while later later though.

[DrkZide]

This thread is basically telling you what is needed to build a plug n play harness in order to use a flashable ecu such as 98-99 TT ecu. This will prevent you from hacking your stock harness. I am not sure if they harness can be used for the Montero or Galant ECU conversion though. Bloomslang charged a 1st gen TT guy 200 bucks to create such harness to use his 99 ECU. I am still doing research to ensure I have the correct part numbers.

I didn't even know that was an option!

[HLxDrummer]

I did this a while ago and I have enough material left for 5 harness adapters.
The recaptable for Gen1 and Gen2-Hybrid are the same. Gen1 has 16-pin,22-pin and 26-pin (64 pin total) and Gen2-Hybrid has an additional 12-pin (76-pin total). You buy the 76-pin receptable and for use on Gen1 you just don't solder any wires to the 12-pin section.
look here for comparison:
http://www.diyautotune.com/diypnp/images/connectors/n76/n76_connector_applications.jpg

I got everything from onlinecomponents.com except the 12-pin plug which was on backoder. I got it a while later later though.

You mean an adapter harness for a 1G to run the Montero ECU? If so, would you be interested in making me one?

[x2percentmilk]

I've done tons of research into this, and recently built my own patch harness for the 93. You are right, AMP/TYCO makes a connector called the MultiLock Hybrid 040/070. The issue with all of these connectors is that MOST companies require ridiculous minimum orders (500+), as this is typically an OEM only application. That is probably one of the reason boom slang harnesses cost so much.
I have found a website that does sell every needed connector singly, and ships pretty quickly, the only issue being that sometimes they are not in stock. I have come across onlinecomponents but every part number that would work was on an 8 week back order.
I was originally going to keep this secret and start making /selling harnesses, but I have other things to deal with, and didnt want to buy the right crimp tool, so here ya'll go :)

New United Race Tech (http://www.newunitedracetech.com/shop/)
The sidelocks are the ones that are on our vehicles, not sure if the rear hinges will fit or not.

Remember you need to buy the contacts also (but not for the receptacle), and might as well pick up some automotive grade color coded wire while you are at it.

Here is a picture of the receptacle I bought from them with a hacked-up harness I found and will be turning it into a patch harness, possibly with a nice PCB board for easy splicing. PLEASE DONT hack up harnesses and sell them for this purpose, or buy one and hack it up. The cost will probably even be higher and its just as much work.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s178/x2percentmilk/h4.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s178/x2percentmilk/h1.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s178/x2percentmilk/h2.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s178/x2percentmilk/h3.jpg

[Tiberius]

I was originally going to keep this secret and start making /selling harnesses, but I have other things to deal with, and didnt want to buy the right crimp tool, so here ya'll go :)


same here. I sold 2 so far which barely returned the investment (parts + overseas shipping) and decided that it's way too much hassle for too little money. In retrospect it would've been way easier just buying the thing from 3SX.
At least I didn't have to buy a crimper, I already had one that worked. Not the 100% recommended Tyco thing but it did the job.

[prop7459]

You guys are right about buying these connects in bulk quantity but here are two sites that has the male connector in stock.
Male ECU connector:

1. Master Distributors - Over 300,000 Electronic Components In Stock! (http://masterdistributors.com/) (requires $35 purchase)
2. Electronic Component Distributor | Onlinecomponents.com (http://www.onlinecomponents.com/) (requires $35 purchase)

[Tiberius]

FYI this is one of the harnesses I built:
http://bullmann.dnsalias.org/public/ecu_adapter_gen1.jpg
This one is Gen1 only, hence the missing plug. The last one I built was Gen1 and Gen2-Hybrid.
All the important sensor wires are coded in colors mostly compatible to the colors used on Apexi S-AFC and AVC-R the rest is white.
As you can see I did't cast the male housing in epoxy like boomslang does. I failed at making a mold and found it's not really nessecary as long as you don't pull hard on the wires. Everything is insulated with shrink-tubing instead with alle the sensors wires having additional pieces of unshrunk shrink-tubing for convinience.

[NOMIEZVR4]

Is anyone going to be doing a write up on this anytime soon??...:)

I have a writeup in the works myself, I just have to finish the job before I post it..lol

[prop7459]

Hey your write up will be huge contribution to making the conversion harness more available to the diy crowd.

[Tiberius]

Whats there to write up? Get the parts, get some wire, cut it in pieces, solder one end to the recaptable, isolate with shrink tubing, crimp a connector to the other, put connector into plug housing, repeat for all other terminals.

If you're asking what wire to put on which terminal for an ECU swap, I can't help you with that. All I've ever done was straight through adapters to hook up piggy-back units to.
But you can find the ECU terminal lists for all models on stealth316.com this should be enough.

[lawdogg]

Awesome thread. I'm doing this to run my 94 ECU in my 92 wiring harness. This gives me all the missing info I needed!

[Tiberius]

Everyone who wants to swap ECU's between 2-bolt and 4-block engines with the different CAS need to read this:
Jeff Lucius on CAS conversion (http://stealth316.com/2-cas_conversion.htm)

just a reminder that doing the wiring is not the only job when you're swapping ECU's...

[jba3]

I'm not sure that there is more than a couple 98/99s out there, and I'm not sure the non-3S ECUs will be sold as a modified ECU without the adapter harness. But, this is still good info, especially for making your own pass-through harness.

[Tiberius]

Also when you want to go fully programmable and make it plug&play on the OEM harness. There may be the day that you want to put the OEM ECU back in the car and then a hacked up harness will be seriously annoying.

[prop7459]

I understand that there are a few 98/99 ECU's to grab from but right now you can get a 98/99 ECU for $726 off of trademotion. If you compare the cost of getting an Emanage Ultimate, ACR2, and AEM, buying a new ECU is not that expensive.

[lawdogg]

Edit: Figured it out. Order placed. Psyched to get this harness all made up - bonus is I can use it as a boomslang too - you guys are AWESOME for sharing so much info and I owe all of you a beer at NG

[prop7459]

Did you buy the parts from the links a posted?

[lawdogg]

Did you buy the parts from the links a posted?

Yes, but I'm also using parts from a hacked 1g harness I have.

[95gto]

Also when you want to go fully programmable and make it plug&play on the OEM harness. There may be the day that you want to put the OEM ECU back in the car and then a hacked up harness will be seriously annoying.

The non-3S ecu solution will come with an adaptor harness, you won't be hacking anything up. To switch back you would just pull out the new ecu, remove the adaptor harness, and install the old ecu.

[lawdogg]

Ok so thanks to CoreyB to pointing this out ... you all might know this but I'm a little obtuse.

To make an adapter harness between a 1g and a hybrid ECU, the only thing you have to worry about is the little 12-pin plug. The other three plugs are for all intensive purposes directly complimentary.

See http://www.plxdevices.com/ECUDatabase/Mitsubishi/Mitsu_Dodge_3000GTVR4_StealthTT_91_97.pdf.

Only 1 pin *needs* to go into the hyrid's 12-pin plug:

A quick run-through of the terminals off Stealth316 shows these pins are all in the 12-pin plug on the 94-95, and here's where they get their signal from on the 91-93:

Pin 59: A/C Switch 2
Pin 60: Rear heated o2 sensor, emissions (cali) - not present in 91-93
Pin 58: Engine Ignition Signal
Pin 52: Ignition Timing Adjustment Terminal

And come from these pins on the 91-93:

Pin 20: A/C Switch 2
Pin 101: Engine Ignition Signal
Pin 104: Ignition Timing Adjustment Terminal

In other words, if you want to run a 1g ECU on a 94-95, or a hybrid ECU in a 1g, you'll pretty much only have to deal with the Engine Ignition Signal and the 12-pin plug. SO there's no need to build a fancy adaptor harness unless you want to use it as a boomslang harness or something along those lines.

Thanks Corey!

[Greg E]

What about an obd2 com port? This is important for 1G cars to use the evoscan 2.0 cable.

[prop7459]

Don't quote on this but the DSM guys grounded pin 79 on to a 2.5mm aux port to allow the rewriting to the ECU. I don't see why we can use a similar method.

[lawdogg]

The com port is the missing piece of the puzzle ... I know you can wire one in, Aaron did it, but I don't know where to source the part. I suppose I could hit up the junk yard and hack one from a 2g DSM.

[prop7459]

The com port is the missing piece of the puzzle ... I know you can wire one in, Aaron did it, but I don't know where to source the part. I suppose I could hit up the junk yard and hack one from a 2g DSM.

You can buy the flash connector dirt cheap. Here is the link

EvoScan 1998-2006 Mitsubishi Reflash Connector (http://www.evoscan.com/evoscan-gps-obdii-cables/details/27/1/performance-vehicle-pc-diagnostic-interfaces/evoscan-1998-2006-mitsubishi-reflash-connector)

[Greg E]

You can buy the flash connector dirt cheap. Here is the link

EvoScan 1998-2006 Mitsubishi Reflash Connector (http://www.evoscan.com/evoscan-gps-obdii-cables/details/27/1/performance-vehicle-pc-diagnostic-interfaces/evoscan-1998-2006-mitsubishi-reflash-connector)

You still need the 2.0 cable. All that piece does is provide a regulated power source to the cable which will enable flashing.

[lawdogg]

Ok so just found this out ... the 12-pin 040/070 hybrid plug ordered off of new united race tech does NOT fit into the 12-pin port of the hybrid ECU. It's too wide. Curses.

[yellowstealth]

Just FYI for anyone that was looking to do this, it looks like Digi-Key just got some more of P/N 670-2315-ND (JAE P/N MX7-A-30SC) in.

[Tiberius]

you can get the right 12-pin housing at DIYAutoTune.com Megasquirt Kits / Assembled Engine Management Systems, Wideband o2 Sensor Systems and tuning products (http://www.diyautotune.com)

[lawdogg]

What's the part #? I can't find it on that site.

[Tiberius]

Conn-PNP-M12

[yellowstealth]

I've been working on mapping the connections for a 1g --> 99 TT adapter harness. I've got most of them, but there's a few left I need to work out. I'll post it from home later. Does anybody already have this info they're willing to share?

[yellowstealth]

Here's the excel spreadsheet of what I've got so far:
2403

Important things I don't know yet:
99 pin ID for the knock sensor
OBD-II port connections / Flash connector

If anybody has any info on those I'd greatly appreciate the help.

[lawdogg]

Word, got my 92 running on my 94's ECU. No extra connectors, wiring, harnesses needed. Just took the pin out of the harness and connected it to the ECU. w00t, lol

[Tiberius]

I'm only familiar with gen1 and gen2 but I'm pretty sure only gen1's have knock sensors. All other models don't.

[yellowstealth]

99 SL ECU showed up today, so I just stuck it in, pulled the stock ROM and saved it, and flashed the VR4 ROM to it. Since that worked, I'm assuming my OBD2/Flash port connections are correct, so here they are:

OBD2 Pins 4 & 5 to chassis ground
OBD2 Pin 16 to 12v switched power
OBD2 Pin 7 to Pin 85 on ECU
Flash port Pin 26 to Pin 100 on ECU

I'll post a final spreadsheet when I'm sure of the rest of my connections.

[prop7459]

99 SL ECU showed up today, so I just stuck it in, pulled the stock ROM and saved it, and flashed the VR4 ROM to it. Since that worked, I'm assuming my OBD2/Flash port connections are correct, so here they are:

OBD2 Pins 4 & 5 to chassis ground
OBD2 Pin 16 to 12v switched power
OBD2 Pin 7 to Pin 85 on ECU
Flash port Pin 26 to Pin 100 on ECU

I'll post a final spreadsheet when I'm sure of the rest of my connections.

This great news, I aslo have a 99SL ECU. Did you push a 99VR4 Rom? I haven't started this project since my won't start since November :(.

[yellowstealth]

I did load the 99 vr4 rom. I'm having an issue with evoscan freezing when I try and log in 3000gt/dsm mode. OBD2 will connect, but obviously I want to use the 3000gt mode so I get all the correct sensors and can log knock. I haven't done much other than start the car. It starts right up, idles ok, I backed it out into driveway and pulled back into the garage, but I don't feel comfortable doing anything more until I've got the logger working properly and have verified everything's working as I expect it to.. It's wanting to idle real lean, but I suspect that's just because I don't have my values for the PTE 550 injectors right. I found latency settings for just about every other injector, but not the 550s.

[BlackStealth]

Pin 1 on the OBD2 plug needs to go to pin 84 diagnostic ground pin. This puts the ECU into MUT mode when ground is present.

p.s. I'm also running a 99 3000GT VR4 ECU into my 93 car, loving it so far.

[yellowstealth]

Pin 1 on the OBD2 plug needs to go to pin 84 diagnostic ground pin. This puts the ECU into MUT mode when ground is present.

p.s. I'm also running a 99 3000GT VR4 ECU into my 93 car, loving it so far.

Thanks, I got that one already but hadn't updated. I'm curious did you build your own adapter or purchase one? Also, are you able to log using the 3000gt/dsm mode in evoscan, or are you using MUT-III?

[BlackStealth]

I can use both modes. One mode is MUT mode, the other mode is OBD2 which encapsulates MUT requests at a slow rate.

My cable is a boomslang harness which I verified and corrected. Someone was selling the 99 3000GT VR4 ECU, Boomslang conversion harness and OpenPort 2.0 cable so I purchased it all.

[ChargerX3]

Great thread thus far. Been thinking about doing my own harness.

[Drummer]

subscribed.

[Jesters Deadd]

subscribed...

[99 vr4]

I have the harnesses for 1g, hybrid, and 2g available through morgon's motorsports (xwire), all come with a reflash plug and the 1g comes with an obdII port.

You can source all of the parts and DIY - but if you look at the prices of the hard parts and factor in S&H of the hard parts, then factor in your time, your loss of hair, etc, etc, your not saving your self any money and you are def costing yourself TIME. Now I have been fabbing these up for some time now. I make 10 to 20 at a time. I have had to teach my poor gf how to solder and junk because it is just such a PITA.

So, for the unconvinced:

Lets look JUST at the 99 ecu plugs:
28 Pin Plug 1 @ $2.50 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $2.93
28 Pin Plug Pin Retainer 1 @ $0.75 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $0.88
30 Pin Plug 1 @ $5.16 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $6.04
30 Pin Plug Pin Retainer 1 @ $0.75 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $0.88
35 Pin Plug 1 @ $2.73 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $3.19
35 Pin Plug Pin Retainer 1 @ $1.18 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $1.38
Sig (Small) Pin 75 @ $0.38 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $33.35
Pwr (Large) Pin 18 @ $1.04 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $21.90

TOTAL $70.55 - Thats just for the 99 ECU side
Figure about $10 to $13 bucks for the 1G or 2G ecu connector.
Oh - and if you have a 1G, you need an OBDII Port. And dont forget the mitsu reflash plug.

So figure at LEAST $100 in parts. No Wait, add solder, heatshrink, and wire. You shouldn't just slap any old wire into those 99 ecu connectors. The pin crimp specification is 1.4mm wide on the signal pin. Soooo if you crimp 1.7mm wide because you are not using ultra thin wall (TXL) wire, you will have to work real real hard in stuffing all those pins in the connector. But I suppose if you want what they pass of as primary wire at your local auto parts store, then by all means have at it.

Now you got your conversion table - what pin goes to what pin. Don't make a mistake or you might be buying a new ecu. You get everything fabbed up and how much time did you spend? I bet at least an hour or two. Do you figure your lost time with your family and friends is only worth $2.50 hr? Any way you slice it, it is so much nicer to just order the part, slap it in, and walk away . . . that being said . . .

Von can yell at me later - I have the 1G / hybrid / 2G connectors available through Morgan's Motorsports (xwire). Everything is built with extra thin wall TXL cross-linked polyethylene wire rated at 60v and between -59°F to 275°F. Resistant to moisture, grease, oil, gasoline, and most solvents. It meets or exceeds SAE J1128. Check with xwire for pricing.

[ChargerX3]

What is your price then?

[Jesters Deadd]

I'm only familiar with gen1 and gen2 but I'm pretty sure only gen1's have knock sensors. All other models don't.

This is wrong! All DOHC 3000gts have knock sensors.

[Jesters Deadd]

I have the harnesses for 1g, hybrid, and 2g available through morgon's motorsports (xwire), all come with a reflash plug and the 1g comes with an obdII port.

You can source all of the parts and DIY - but if you look at the prices of the hard parts and factor in S&H of the hard parts, then factor in your time, your loss of hair, etc, etc, your not saving your self any money and you are def costing yourself TIME. Now I have been fabbing these up for some time now. I make 10 to 20 at a time. I have had to teach my poor gf how to solder and junk because it is just such a PITA.

So, for the unconvinced:

Lets look JUST at the 99 ecu plugs:
28 Pin Plug 1 @ $2.50 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $2.93
28 Pin Plug Pin Retainer 1 @ $0.75 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $0.88
30 Pin Plug 1 @ $5.16 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $6.04
30 Pin Plug Pin Retainer 1 @ $0.75 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $0.88
35 Pin Plug 1 @ $2.73 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $3.19
35 Pin Plug Pin Retainer 1 @ $1.18 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $1.38
Sig (Small) Pin 75 @ $0.38 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $33.35
Pwr (Large) Pin 18 @ $1.04 ea add 17.00% for average S&H from DigiKey $21.90

TOTAL $70.55 - Thats just for the 99 ECU side
Figure about $10 to $13 bucks for the 1G or 2G ecu connector.
Oh - and if you have a 1G, you need an OBDII Port. And dont forget the mitsu reflash plug.

So figure at LEAST $100 in parts. No Wait, add solder, heatshrink, and wire. You shouldn't just slap any old wire into those 99 ecu connectors. The pin crimp specification is 1.4mm wide on the signal pin. Soooo if you crimp 1.7mm wide because you are not using ultra thin wall (TXL) wire, you will have to work real real hard in stuffing all those pins in the connector. But I suppose if you want what they pass of as primary wire at your local auto parts store, then by all means have at it.

Now you got your conversion table - what pin goes to what pin. Don't make a mistake or you might be buying a new ecu. You get everything fabbed up and how much time did you spend? I bet at least an hour or two. Do you figure your lost time with your family and friends is only worth $2.50 hr? Any way you slice it, it is so much nicer to just order the part, slap it in, and walk away . . . that being said . . .

Von can yell at me later - I have the 1G / hybrid / 2G connectors available through Morgan's Motorsports (xwire). Everything is built with extra thin wall TXL cross-linked polyethylene wire rated at 60v and between -59°F to 275°F. Resistant to moisture, grease, oil, gasoline, and most solvents. It meets or exceeds SAE J1128. Check with xwire for pricing.

Or you can go to your local junkyard and most 98-2004 mitsubishi ECUs will have the three plugs and wires for a 99 VR4 ECU. I even checked out the four plug diamante and montero ECUs and the three needed pigtails can be cut from the wire harness of the car. I just cut them when I grabbed the ECUs I was testing. The forth plug even had a bunch of extra pins for the three plugs you would use.

TOTAL $ depends on the yard(I got the ECU and plugs for $24)- Thats just for the 99 ECU side
Figure about $10 to $13 bucks for the 1G or 2G ecu connector.
Oh - and if you have a 1G, you need an OBDII Port. And dont forget the mitsu reflash plug. (cut that from your donor car too free with the ECU I bought)

So figure at LEAST $37 in parts. No Wait, add solder and heatshrink... but I got an ECU too.
Now I did have to go to a junk yard, not the nicest place. And the wire diagrams aren't easy to figure out if you don't have both manuals.

Just letting people know there are options, plus maybe you can source some used plugs a little cheaper.

[Greg E]

Or you can go to your local junkyard and most 98-2004 mitsubishi ECUs will have the three plugs and wires for a 99 VR4 ECU. I even checked out the four plug diamante and montero ECUs and the three needed pigtails can be cut from the wire harness of the car. I just cut them when I grabbed the ECUs I was testing. The forth plug even had a bunch of extra pins for the three plugs you would use.

TOTAL $ depends on the yard(I got the ECU and plugs for $24)- Thats just for the 99 ECU side
Figure about $10 to $13 bucks for the 1G or 2G ecu connector.
Oh - and if you have a 1G, you need an OBDII Port. And dont forget the mitsu reflash plug. (cut that from your donor car too free with the ECU I bought)

So figure at LEAST $37 in parts. No Wait, add solder and heatshrink... but I got an ECU too.
Now I did have to go to a junk yard, not the nicest place. And the wire diagrams aren't easy to figure out if you don't have both manuals.

Just letting people know there are options, plus maybe you can source some used plugs a little cheaper.

Gate found a legit 96 Stealth spoiler for something stupid cheap like $12 from a junk yard... You can get lucky!

There's always ways to cut corners but to be fair, it's not like Brett's harnesses are a ripoff either. It's not like he's gouging us for huge profits. They're quality, convenient and take away a huge headache. If it's worth it to you, then jump on it. If not, then don't. No biggie.

[99 vr4]

Most junk yards around here won't let you in to cut the connectors off of the wiring harness. There are a couple of pick and pulls . . . but they usually don't have anything worth going after . . .

[Jesters Deadd]

Gate found a legit 96 Stealth spoiler for something stupid cheap like $12 from a junk yard... You can get lucky!

There's always ways to cut corners but to be fair, it's not like Brett's harnesses are a ripoff either. It's not like he's gouging us for huge profits. They're quality, convenient and take away a huge headache. If it's worth it to you, then jump on it. If not, then don't. No biggie.

I completely agree... except for the cut corners comment. Oem connectors and wiring is quality stuff.

[Greg E]

I completely agree... except for the cut corners comment. Oem connectors and wiring is quality stuff.

My apologies. I didn't mean to imply cutting corners in quality, I'm talking about saving yourself $$ by making one yourself.

[Drummer]

Gate found a legit 96 Stealth spoiler for something stupid cheap like $12 from a junk yard... You can get lucky!

There's always ways to cut corners but to be fair, it's not like Brett's harnesses are a ripoff either. It's not like he's gouging us for huge profits. They're quality, convenient and take away a huge headache. If it's worth it to you, then jump on it. If not, then don't. No biggie.

At $250, the work involved in making the harness correctly is fair. If you have the money and not the time/patience/skill, its worth it. It is entirely possible to make your own, given you have all 3 of the previous things.

[99 vr4]

I just thought I would share this with you all . . .

There are several issues with regards to using a SL ECU:

Namely there are no provisisons for the boost gauge, the fuel pressure selonoid, the fuel pump relay (low speed), and the wastegate selonoid. Additionally the knock sensor circuit is designed differently.

What does this mean? No Boost Gauge. No fuel pressure control via ECU. The VR4 has a two stage fuel pressure system. Besides having the fuel pump on low, the fuel pressure selonoid bleeds air from the fuel pressure regulator on the rail keeping idle pressure low. Fuel pump locked on HI all the time. And finally no stock wastegate control.

And don't forget the knock sensor circuit is significantly different between turbo and non-turbo models. Basically, you will get phantom knock when there is none, and will not read knock when there is knock. This is not a 100% all the time issue, but it is significant enough that I would not take the chance.

You will have to have an aftermarket boost gauge, aftermarket fuel pressure regualtor, fuel pump locked on hi, and an aftermarket boost controller.

And of course the spun bearings that come from the ECU not seeing knock when there is knock and reduced performance from the ECU pulling time when it sees phantom knock.

There are even more issues with the base distributor model. And even more issues if you have a non 3000GT ecu. Trust me, I know. I have reverse engineered most of the critical circuits to include knock sensor, IGN Transistor feedback, fuel pump and pressure, and O2 sensors.

[Jesters Deadd]

What!??? A bad idea? really? Having an inexpensive completely tuneable ECU that is nearly plug and play with an adaptor harness is a bad idea?
I have tested it on my car and IT WORKS GREAT!

1. No stock boost gauge... the stock boost gauge doesn't even measure boost, you should have a real boost guage anyway!

2. No stock two speed fuel pump control... hotwired fuel pump. This is like stage one upgrade stuff.

3. No stock fuel pressure solenoid control...Install an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator and hook up the vacuum from the intake. The fuel pressure solenoid only cuts vacuum to the fuel pressure regulator during hot starts. Most people have already disconnected this with no noticable affect.

4. No wastegate control... install a manual boost controller or a better one truboost etc.. Again this is stage one upgrade stuff.

5. Knock Sensor!... I tested this on my VR4 and got the same amount of knock on the same program as my 99VR4 ecu at the same locations... it wasn't 100% scientific but it was very repeatable...

Basically have a boost gauge, hotwired fuel pump with an adjustable fuel pressure regulator and a boost controller and you are set with an 98/99 SL ECU. This is all stuff you will need for stage one upgrades. You will have all the tuning ability of the 98/99VR4 for much cheaper than a 99VR4 ECU. Just ask questions and know what you are doing before you do it.

[99 vr4]

jester . . . for an experienced tuner such as your self . . . the lack of a completely functional knock sensor is apparently a non issue. But for the normal DIY, this should be an area of concern. Big concern.

I am not saying that having a completely tunable ECU is a bad idea. Having a completely tunable ECU in which you THINK the knock sensor is working 100% is a bad idea. Would you remove your knock sensor completely and keep driving your car? I don't think so. If you knew your knock sensor was bad would you throw caution to the wind and say forget about it? Maybe you would. But you shouldn't.

I will try to shed some light on this in non-technical terms. The knock sensor is a piezo element which generates an electrical signal in response vibrations very much like a microphone generates electircal signals in response to sound waves. Think of the knock sensor circuit like an amplifier, audio filter, and signal processor. The filters and amplifers are hardware based while the signal processor is software based. If your filters and amplifers are not tuned the sound you get will be junk. You can't fix it the signal processor. Lets say your have a new audio amp for your car. It can pump 300 watts from 20 to 20K. But your speakers are rated from 70 to 15K. So you throw in a filter but miscalculate and your filter passes 50 to 5K. So now you have no high end (sounds like shit) and your driving too much bass to your speakers. Does it work? Yes. Does it work well? No. Will your speakers last? Time will tell. Probably if you don't drop any deep bass at high power.

I know you would never really mismatch your shit like that, but you are if you use an unmodified ECU. If you say its a non issue - then I wouldnt let you near my car if you paid me. I know your a smart man. I know your an experienced tuner. I also know that no one else has reported this problem. But you have heard of the Diamante and Montero "wierd" knock issue. Well guess what? Its the same circuit as what is in the SL ECU. Its only a matter of time. Sorry to bust your bubble. - Brett

[Jesters Deadd]

jester . . . for an experienced tuner such as your self . . . the lack of a completely functional knock sensor is apparently a non issue. But for the normal DIY, this should be an area of concern. Big concern.

I am not saying that having a completely tunable ECU is a bad idea. Having a completely tunable ECU in which you THINK the knock sensor is working 100% is a bad idea. Would you remove your knock sensor completely and keep driving your car? I don't think so. If you knew your knock sensor was bad would you throw caution to the wind and say forget about it? Maybe you would. But you shouldn't.

I will try to shed some light on this in non-technical terms. The knock sensor is a piezo element which generates an electrical signal in response vibrations very much like a microphone generates electircal signals in response to sound waves. Think of the knock sensor circuit like an amplifier, audio filter, and signal processor. The filters and amplifers are hardware based while the signal processor is software based. If your filters and amplifers are not tuned the sound you get will be junk. You can't fix it the signal processor. Lets say your have a new audio amp for your car. It can pump 300 watts from 20 to 20K. But your speakers are rated from 70 to 15K. So you throw in a filter but miscalculate and your filter passes 50 to 5K. So now you have no high end (sounds like shit) and your driving too much bass to your speakers. Does it work? Yes. Does it work well? No. Will your speakers last? Time will tell. Probably if you don't drop any deep bass at high power.

I know you would never really mismatch your shit like that, but you are if you use an unmodified ECU. If you say its a non issue - then I wouldnt let you near my car if you paid me. I know your a smart man. I know your an experienced tuner. I also know that no one else has reported this problem. But you have heard of the Diamante and Montero "wierd" knock issue. Well guess what? Its the same circuit as what is in the SL ECU. Its only a matter of time. Sorry to bust your bubble. - Brett

I know everyone involved in this appreciates the works you have put into this project. And for the record I totally agree with you... except the test results I gave should be taken into consideration also. I realize you are speaking from a review of the hardware side of this and reviewed the circuit differences. However, I tested this on my car and got the same amount of knock on the same program on the same road with in an hours time as my 99VR4 ecu at the same locations on the graph... it wasn't 100% scientific but it was very repeatable. That's real world testing to 18 plus psi. What would be nice is if we test the circuit to see the hz window the knock sensor sees. Then we can be able to tell if it is cutting off part of the window or if it is just narrower or shifted.

[sublime_whatigo]

Great work guys! I should be able to test the knock sensor on a diamante ecu versus a 92 ecu soon. Its going to be next to impossible to get any good comparison, but I've tuned enough to know if something is fishy with the knock counts.

[99 vr4]

Jester, from what I can see is that the knock issue with the Diamante and Montero ECU's seems to affect some people more than others. Some people swear they don't get knock, and others get all sorts of issues with these ECUs. Knock itself is not always able to be duplicated. Lets say some guy in NY is getting knock. I could load his tune and not get any knock. There is so much more here than just the tune and fuel delivery.

You have to take into account fuel formulations. Not all gas is equal. And even if you buy Amoco Gold here in St. Louis you can bet it is not formulated the same as Amoco Gold in Florida or New York. Although the EPA mandates RFG vs CG in high polution areas, they also limit the Reed Vapor Pressure (basically the rate of boil off) so RFG will be formulated differently in the winter vs. summer vs. elevation for each major area. Frequent Questions | Reformulated Gasoline | US EPA (http://www.epa.gov/oms/rfg/faq.htm) Then you have to take into count air temperature, density, barometric pressure (elevation), and humidity. Throw all of this into the mix with your tune and thats how you might not get knock or you might get knock. :)

So although I am sure that your real world test yielded no additional knock, its not 100% because there are more variables. As far as the filter circuits are concerned, I am sure that Mitsubishi, if they could have cut corners (and cost) by using the same knock sensor circuits, they would have. Even though we are talking a small handful of parts, the engineers designed it, tested it, specified it, and signed off on it. It is there for a reason.

As far as working the math for the filter circuits, I hate laplace transforms and I don't see myself working out that math any time soon.

[Jesters Deadd]

Interesting information per the 99 service manual...
"The knock sensor generates a voltage proportional to the magnitude of cylinder block vibration due to knocking and inputs it to the engine control module. Based on this signal, the engine control module provides retard control of the ignition timing."
So maybe it doesn't need Laplace transforms just a little V=IR.

[TurboSinceBirth]

Has anyone found a source for OBDII and Mitsubishi flash plugs other than junk yards? We don't have any 3S's around here or DSMs for that matter so I have to resort to another source to get at least the flash plug.

[Greg E]

Any 96+ Mitsu will work. Eclipse, diamanté, montero... Surely they had something there.

[TurboSinceBirth]

Any 96+ Mitsu will work. Eclipse, diamanté, montero... Surely they had something there.

Nope. :(

[99 vr4]

Has anyone found a source for OBDII and Mitsubishi flash plugs other than junk yards? We don't have any 3S's around here or DSMs for that matter so I have to resort to another source to get at least the flash plug.

You don't need the flash plug... Lol

Open port has a mini jack for the flash port on the side. They supply a stereo mini plug cable which plugs into the open port and then plugs into the mitsu re-flash plug. Just bypass the mitsu connector.

My harnesses are set up this way and include the obdii when needed.

[TurboSinceBirth]

You don't need the flash plug... Lol

Open port has a mini jack for the flash port on the side. They supply a stereo mini plug cable which plugs into the open port and then plugs into the mitsu re-flash plug. Just bypass the mitsu connector.

My harnesses are set up this way and include the obdii when needed.

While I was searching for somewhere to buy the plugs I ended up finding Ceddy's page where he listed this mod. I just got about 12 male to male mini stereo cables to do just that. They were cheap and I plan to build more than one harness.