Integrating chrome with an in dash display?

[99ishVR-4]

This was originally a pm to Greg E. He wanted to answer it in the forum.


Hey, first of all, I would like to say thank you for everything that you are doing in regards to the Chrome ecu. I fully plan on adding it to my car once my restoration is completed. I would do it now, but after having the car apart for so many years, I really want to keep most of it as similar as possible so I if it doesn't start, I dont have to question whether it is the flash ecu or 1000 other things. After its good and running, I would like to start my install.

However, I do have a few questions for things that I had planned on installing for this build that may later prove to be useless with the flash ecu.

The first thing is the blackstealth lcd boost controller. I love the idea behind it and having it be able to show knock right in my face. But I have seen many people sell their lcdboost controllers after installing the flash ecu. I don't understand why really. What is your take on this? Does it not mesh well with the flash ecu for whatever reason?

I had a carpc installed in the past and I have been debating on whether I should install it again considering how cheap the din all in one touchscreens have got and how much of a PITA the carpc could be at times. It would seem the carpc is more trouble than its worth UNLESS I can integrate it with the flash ecu. The way I had it set up in the past was I had HHH installed on it and was able to log on the carpc while I was driving around but it was very clumsy to say the least. Because I had to run a separate Frontend program for the radio and music, I eventually never used the HHH because I would have to get out of the frontend, which took me back to the windows home screen and then open up HHH. My ideal setup is a something similar to what is in new cars such as the GTR and bmws. Basically where my radio is playing and I have my media up on the screen, but also all of my ecu information up on the screen like knock, oil pressure, boost, fuel pressure, ect. Now, I am not sure how evoscan looks in person considering I have never used it, going on evoscans websites, it seems they sell lcd displays that look exactly like my carpc that show the info I want but I am completely unfamiliar with the products or even if they have anything to do with the evoscan you are using to log with. This is the products screenshots that I saw that looks similar to what I want: Evoscan GPS Navigator New Version Summary . I just have no idea if that will work with the chrome ecu.

I understand that what you are doing has nothing to do with my imaginary software that plays music a tab over from displaying my engine vitals but I was wondering if you were familiar the products that are on evoscans websites or if they even apply. Or is there something that I dont even know about that I could simply install on my carpc and get basically what I am looking for?

If not, thats fine, the next best thing is basically something like the lcdboost controller that plays well with the flash ecu, ie: a lcd screen I could install in my dash somewhere and get a mini view of what you would otherwise need a laptop for. Something that can warn me in real time while I am driving and not something I see when I get home and check the logs. And a little bit more high tech than the dash warning lights I guess.

Sorry if this has nothing to do with what you do, I just don't know who else to ask. I feel like the days of having an individual gauge for for every engine sensor are almost gone and I would love to integrate everything into one media center/real time logging/warning touchscreen display or a mini display that I could install in the stock cluster.

So thanks for any advice or answers, keep up the amazing work.

[TurboSinceBirth]

I love my BlackStealth LCD BC. It has saved my motor more times than I can count and is one of the big factors I could push my stock motor so far. I don't get why people want to sell theirs unless they can't get the boost controller portion working right which I understand. I had some huge difficulties with it not delivering linear boost but I also couldn't get it to datalog worth a crap either so that wasn't helping. I should have the issue solved but won't know until my car is back together. If not I will see what else Antero has I can test.

I know what you're talking about with a device like what the GTRs have where you can view a number of gauges. I looked at the evoscan GPS also. I would also like something similar but am still looking to try and find it. I like the LCD BC but would like to view more or maybe some different things graphically. It's still a great device but definitely not the end all. You can get it too work just fine with a flashed ecu. I have a feeling you would still be looking for some sort of CAN BUS LCD monitor type device though. I'm curious what you come up with.

[Melbowski]

I too have long wanted this to be a reality, and considered running a carpc just to get this functionality. However, like you described, the more I read about the project the more it seemed clunky and unrefined. With double din touchscreeen units becoming ridiculously cheap, I've opted out of building a carpc, but I still like the idea of having gauges displayed. The best idea I've come up with for having the best of both worlds is to run a nice new touchscreen HU, and run a small carpc to load Evoscan's gauge display. Then I'd tap the carpc's video output to the back-up camera input on the HU so I could toggle to it's display via a stock switch I don't use (active aero or active exhaust hooked up to the reverse light input on the HU) overall enabling me to see my gauges and still use the HU. That however just seemed like a big hassle to be switching the display back and forth, and I don't know if it disables music playback while the back-up camera is active... I'd love to see if anyone has come up with a better solution to make this a reality.

The Evoscan GPS Navigator you posted does indeed work with the Evoscan we use to log our cars (it's the same logging program). My problem is mounting the screen somewhere, and that's why the carpc option seemed so much more appealing. If I wanted another screen in my car for gauges, I'd just bring my laptop with me... Evoscan can run gauge setups (not super easy to configure but it can be done) and show you any variable that it can log. It also can use custom alerts/warnings, which would be great on a carpc setup. Really, short of the carpc and Evoscan Navigator option I've never heard of anything that could make what you're looking for possible.

As for the BlackStealth LCD Boost Controller; it's a fantastic product and iirc it works perfectly fine with the flashable ECUs. Honestly imo if you're not going to a flashable ECU there isn't a better Boost Controller on the market! The reason people get rid of it after going to a flash ECU is simple: it's no longer needed. The benefits of the BSLCDBC (boost control, knock count, CEL codes/clear, logging) are basically eliminated once you're running a flashable ECU. The flashable ECU can control boost, and does so by load rather than psi, giving imho a better tuning ability that won't fluctuate with conditions. The flashable ECU can flash the CEL at a programmed knock count to warn you of knock, though the BSLCDBC can lower boost and give you an exact knock count instantly which is an amazing feature (note however that the Evo ECU mods have added this feature to their flashable ECUs, I have no doubt Greg is working to bring this functionality to our platform as well). The flashable ECU offers great logging features via Evoscan which can also check/clear CEL codes. You also can't log via Evoscan and display data on the BSLCDBC at the same time. Basically once you upgrade to a flashable ECU your BSLCDBC becomes a very pretty knock gauge, so most people sell it to someone who can make better use of it.

In any case, hopefully there's something out there that can do what you're looking for, as I'd certainly be interested in it. In the meantime, after all of my research into getting this setup for myself, a carpc was the only viable option I came up with. Perhaps another forum member has a better alternative, and regardless of what you find/choose, be sure to update this thread with what you come up with.

[ShootMeNow]

The reason people get rid of it after going to a flash ECU is simple: it's no longer needed. The benefits of the BSLCDBC (boost control, knock count, CEL codes/clear, logging) are basically eliminated once you're running a flashable ECU. The flashable ECU can control boost, and does so by load rather than psi, giving imho a better tuning ability that won't fluctuate with conditions. The flashable ECU can flash the CEL at a programmed knock count to warn you of knock, though the BSLCDBC can lower boost and give you an exact knock count instantly which is an amazing feature (note however that the Evo ECU mods have added this feature to their flashable ECUs, I have no doubt Greg is working to bring this functionality to our platform as well). The flashable ECU offers great logging features via Evoscan which can also check/clear CEL codes. You also can't log via Evoscan and display data on the BSLCDBC at the same time. Basically once you upgrade to a flashable ECU your BSLCDBC becomes a very pretty knock gauge, so most people sell it to someone who can make better use of it.

I've read your post about 10 times and I'm still confused about not needing the BSLCDBC when you get a flash ECU. I understand the functionality overlap, but not displaying gauge data, which is what this thread is all about. The BSLCDBC is a clean solution for eliminating expensive gauges (Boost gauges alone can cost more than the BSLCDBC, especially if you have to have someone install the gauge inside.) Outside of reinventing what BlackStealth has done and setting up an LCD to display the data realtime from the flash ECU, setting up a car pc which you say is extremely difficult, or having a laptop sitting on the passenger seat, how does the flash ECU replace the gauge functionality of the BSLCDBC?

[Melbowski]

I've read your post about 10 times and I'm still confused about not needing the BSLCDBC when you get a flash ECU. I understand the functionality overlap, but not displaying gauge data, which is what this thread is all about. The BSLCDBC is a clean solution for eliminating expensive gauges (Boost gauges alone can cost more than the BSLCDBC, especially if you have to have someone install the gauge inside.) Outside of reinventing what BlackStealth has done and setting up an LCD to display the data realtime from the flash ECU, setting up a car pc which you say is extremely difficult, or having a laptop sitting on the passenger seat, how does the flash ECU replace the gauge functionality of the BSLCDBC?

Hmm, I guess I wasn't clear enough; that would explain why every post after mine was, "I can't see why anyone would get rid of the BSLCDBC," even though I dedicated an entire paragraph to why people would do exactly that. That or more likely people simply don't read my posts, and just simply post their thoughts. I mean it was like three paragraphs, you could be watching pr0n or something far more enlightening... Before I begin here, let me make something completely and utterly clear:

Everything written here is my opinion, you may or may not agree with what I say, and that's perfectly fine. Also, the BlackStealth LCD Boost Controller is freaking awesome! If you're doing any tuning/modifications to your car and don't have a flashable ECU, you should have one of these in your car! BlackStealth rocks and is an awesome guy for making this product for our platform! If you have a pocket full of cash and nothing to spend it on, the BSLCDBC is never a bad choice. I plan to run one in my Talon; mostly because flash-tuning improvements for DSMs are completely dead and I want boost control, and partially because the BSLCDBC is straight baller!

Ehem. That said, I'll get to your question: First and foremost the Op asked:

The first thing is the blackstealth lcd boost controller. I love the idea behind it and having it be able to show knock right in my face. But I have seen many people sell their lcdboost controllers after installing the flash ecu. I don't understand why really. What is your take on this? Does it not mesh well with the flash ecu for whatever reason?

I directly answered his question as to why this would be; those reasons are mainly based on functionality overlap as you noted, which I feel I outlined quite well in my original post.

Outside of reinventing what BlackStealth has done and setting up an LCD to display the data realtime from the flash ECU, setting up a car pc which you say is extremely difficult, or having a laptop sitting on the passenger seat, how does the flash ECU replace the gauge functionality of the BSLCDBC?

Well, when you remove every other option to display data, the BSLCDBC sounds like the best/only option no? However my post was not designed to say the flash ECU replaced the BSLCDBC's ability to display data per se, merely that with the flash ECU the additional data display isn't needed. The things you need to see can be displayed by traditional gauges and the flash ECU, imho not only sufficiently, but generally better than the BSLCDBC. For displaying the things you don't really need to see, but want to see, a carpc is the best choice, followed by your laptop in the passenger set, and then followed by the BSLCDBC. Recognize though that is ranked based on usability, and data acquisition, not convenience. As for why to use traditional gauges with a flash ECU instead of the BSLCDBC, well that's a bit more involved. Don't worry though, you know I love to write novels (this post is at the text limit), so tighten your boot-straps and get ready to dive into the rabbit hole.

First, what boost gauge are you running that costs more than the BSLCDBC!? Last time I inquired about the BSLCDBC, it had a going price of almost $300, so unless prices have dropped dramatically you're buying one hardcore boost gauge! (remember we're only talking display here, not boost control) I mean you could just roll into Advance/Autozone and snag a boost gauge for less than $20; will it be the most accurate, badass, light-up, blinking gauge you'll ever own: no. Will it give you a reasonably accurate boost reading: yes. Now that may sound blasphemous, but recognize that boost (psi) is a varying/inexact tool for measuring airflow (which is what we care about). When you tune via a flash ECU, you'll be tuning by load, not by boost for that exact reason. A boost gauge is really only useful for seeing sudden changes in pressure, i.e. problems. As for the install; you can pick up an a-pillar gauge pod for less than $50 in the classifieds, and if you can't install a boost gauge (there's only like 10 step-by-step guides on these forums) then you certainly aren't going to be tuning, let alone installing/needing a BSLCDBC...

So more onto the display situation; say you want to display your AFR on your BSLCDBC, fine and dandy it can do that... Well, if you already have a wideband that outputs a 0-5v signal for it to convert. You've probably noticed that nowadays most widebands have everything built directly into the gauge too. So riddle me this, if you have to have a wideband for the output anyway, what are you gonna do, just stuff the WB gauge under the dash? Maybe I'm crazy, but I think a nice big led sweeping display with AFR displayed in the center is much nicer and easier to read than a 1 inch tall display on my dash... In fact that's probably my biggest beef on this whole deal! Gauges are typically analog, with large easy to read sweeping displays; which to me is much nicer than trying to read a little screen.

So what about the stuff traditional gauges can't display then? Knock sum and such. Well as outlined in my original post the flash ECU can display knock via flashing the CEL, with any set value you'd like. Does this give you actual knock count: no. Does it really matter: not particularly. (though Ceddy used the DSM boost gauge to show knock count, it wouldn't surprise me if Greg has already implemented this for our platform as well) Sure seeing the actual number sounds good, however unless you're rocking a photographic memory, and can instantly look down and remember RPM/Load/Knock Count/Timing, knowing exactly how much knock you have isn't really very useful. Since the BSLCDBC doesn't currently support datalogging, both the CEL flash and the red flash of the BSLCDBC are equivalently good at saying "take your foot off the gas stupid!"

Okay then, what about the other stuff like IDC/voltage/fuel trims/etc that the ECU can't directly display? Well honestly, those are for tuning and the BSLCDBC can't log the values, so what the hell do you need to see them for? All this should be well-within safety margins and stable before you're DD the car. Is it handy to be able to see the values: of course. Is it necessary: certainly not. If you're rolling around displaying these values on the 3 displays the BSLCDBC has available, you're squandering its usefulness. Until the BSLCDBC can datalog, seeing these values is pretty much pointless unless you're running your car on the ragged edge of what your injectors can handle (IDC), and you should have spent the money on bigger injectors/fuel pump instead if that's the case!

Finally, what the OP talked about was centered around a nice system that could cleanly and clearly display gauges from the ECU, similar to a car pc using Evoscan to display the data, which by the way freaking rocks. I often use my laptop to display gauges via Evoscan when I get the urge to pretend to be Paul Walker. (still haven't figured out how to make it flash "danger to manifold" on knock count though...) This is great because the gauges are large, analog, datalogged, can be as many as you want, and are very easy to read; which just so happens to be the opposite of the BSLCDBC imho. Also, I never said the carpc was extremely difficult, more-so it's just a hassle. You have to build/buy one, get everything wired in, configure the software, etc. It's a lot of work imo just to see some extra gauges display data that I don't really need to see. I'd much rather spend the money on usable performance upgrades. On the subject of carpc's, I don't know who was talking about carpc's costs, but seriously 2k!? You playing Crysis on that thing or what? You can pick up a decent used complete system from mp3car for around $500 last I checked. Evoscan doesn't require too much power to run, so the pc doesn't have to be extravagant. The skill to actually install one though, that's where I bet most people would fall through.

Condensed version: Traditional gauges are cheaper, at least equivalent in convenience, and easier to read. The flash ECU can display what's important in one form or another. What can't be seen by either traditional gauges or the flash ECU is only really relevant when you're tuning, and you should have your laptop with you at that point anyway for datalogging. The BSLCDBC imho doesn't truly fit for what the OP is looking for, but it's as good as he's going to get short of a carpc.

With all that said, I still think the BSLCDBC is a great tool; it's very convenient, well-made, useful, and will only get better as BlackStealth continues to improve it. Is it something I want for my Stealth: yes. Is it high on my priority list: no. There are far more things that I would like to get first, and since I'll be using the flash ECU for boost control, the BSLCDBC serves little purpose. It's only ability at that point is CEL checking and data display, which while those are very handy, I feel the flash ECU and traditional gauges are a cheaper and sufficient alternative. Especially when I can always get my laptop whenever I really want to delve into the data.

[TurboSinceBirth]

So what about the stuff traditional gauges can't display then? Knock sum and such. Well as outlined in my original post the flash ECU can display knock via flashing the CEL, with any set value you'd like. Does this give you actual knock count: no. Does it really matter: not particularly. (though Ceddy used the DSM boost gauge to show knock count, it wouldn't surprise me if Greg has already implemented this for our platform as well) Sure seeing the actual number sounds good, however unless you're rocking a photographic memory, and can instantly look down and remember RPM/Load/Knock Count/Timing, knowing exactly how much knock you have isn't really very useful. Since the BSLCDBC doesn't currently support datalogging, both the CEL flash and the red flash of the BSLCDBC are equivalently good at saying "take your foot off the gas stupid!"

It does go back to personal opinion what you prefer. Until you've tuned and ran a high hp car you may not care too much about knock count. For me running stock internals at a power level few have been able to accomplish without blowing things up you realize how important some parameters are to the safety of the tune. You may not want to know your knock count. A flashing CEL with the flashed ecu is great and all but I prefer to know just how many counts of knock it is. Did I see 5 or 25 counts? There's a huge difference. Depending on what rpm and load it's at sometimes you can't exactly limp the car home to take care of it so in those instances it is nice to know how severe the problem is. Given the fact that my motor survived I can count on more than two hands instances where having the knock sum feature saved my motor whereas a flashed ecu without a laptop datalogging through evoscan would have been necessary. I have a flashed ecu so I'll find out how well it works so I can't comment on if I'll be in a situation where I will need to reflash my map in order to make changes to get safely home, but I think the stock ecu will probably do a good enough job to deal with some inconsistencies related to air and fuel caused by leaks or hardware failure.

Okay then, what about the other stuff like IDC/voltage/fuel trims/etc that the ECU can't directly display? Well honestly, those are for tuning and the BSLCDBC can't log the values, so what the hell do you need to see them for? All this should be well-within safety margins and stable before you're DD the car. Is it handy to be able to see the values: of course. Is it necessary: certainly not. If you're rolling around displaying these values on the 3 displays the BSLCDBC has available, you're squandering its usefulness. Until the BSLCDBC can datalog, seeing these values is pretty much pointless unless you're running your car on the ragged edge of what your injectors can handle (IDC), and you should have spent the money on bigger injectors/fuel pump instead if that's the case!

The LCD BC can log all of those values. I have done it plenty of times even if I had OBDII interference from the cable. The newer LCD BCs have a serial expansion card for datalogging purposes. Things happen when you're really pushing a car/turbos. It doesn't stay set it and forget it all the time. Our cars are old and unless you replace every part with a new one there will be adjustments to be fixed or made here and there. I prefer reading my AFR off my AEM wideband and also my oil pressure on a 52mm gauge. There are some things I wouldn't want a small screen all in one type gauge. At the same time there is some beneficial information to display on a heavily modded car that you won't have at your disposal if you're not carrying around a laptop all the time which is what most people will be doing. If $300 is too much to spend on little functionality wait until you get to a big build because you'll be crying at everything. It's not for everyone and if you have a flashed ecu it's not necessary but sometimes pushing the envelope means you're in control and know how things are functioning all the time. It's not a digg on anyone but there should be some clarification on features/uses from someone that has used one extensively enough. Antero made quite a few improvements and added functionality through firmware updates.

[Melbowski]

It does go back to personal opinion what you prefer. Until you've tuned and ran a high hp car you may not care too much about knock count. For me running stock internals at a power level few have been able to accomplish without blowing things up you realize how important some parameters are to the safety of the tune. You may not want to know your knock count. A flashing CEL with the flashed ecu is great and all but I prefer to know just how many counts of knock it is. Did I see 5 or 25 counts? There's a huge difference. Depending on what rpm and load it's at sometimes you can't exactly limp the car home to take care of it so in those instances it is nice to know how severe the problem is. Given the fact that my motor survived I can count on more than two hands instances where having the knock sum feature saved my motor whereas a flashed ecu without a laptop datalogging through evoscan would have been necessary. I have a flashed ecu so I'll find out how well it works so I can't comment on if I'll be in a situation where I will need to reflash my map in order to make changes to get safely home, but I think the stock ecu will probably do a good enough job to deal with some inconsistencies related to air and fuel caused by leaks or hardware failure.

Now this makes things rough, because I agree with you and disagree with you at the same time. Seeing your knock count is indeed very handy and reassuring, but it lulls you into a false sense of security. It can certainly give you a better idea of how severe the problem is, but it doesn't solve it. I mean when you're rolling hard and your piston shoots through your hood, are you going to look at the knock gauge and say, "well looks like I had 25 counts..." I think not. Likewise, if you're trying to come home after a long day and you see it flash 3 counts, are you just going to rod the piss out of it anyway because it's not that bad? Also, at what load/rpm are you unable to limp the car home without knock? Are you completely unable to stay out of boost, or are you knocking at idle?

My problem with what you're saying is that you're making it sound like the knock count number is what saved your car, as though a distinct warning that there was knock at all would not have been enough (i.e. the flash ECU flashing the CEL; this is an inherent feature, no laptop connection required). Knock happens and builds so quickly when you have your car pushed to the edge, that seeing the number is far less important than getting off the throttle. I mean, I know you're a smart guy, and even if you didn't have a specific number in front of you, you would have babied the car home to see why your tune drifted. That's exactly why you're making such great power on stock internals after all. I'm not denying that having the number is convenient, but knowing the amount alone doesn't save your baby.

I also want to point out that you are, at least in terms of the general 3/S population, a rarity. More than 80% of VR4&R/T-TT will likely never go past BPU, let alone be pushing the stock motor to its limits (probably more like 90% honestly). That in and of itself makes your point, while valid, rather short-reaching. Most people run their 3/S as a DD or summer car, and don't want to push it to the limit. I have tuned on the Evo ECU, and the DSM flashable ECUs, so I'm far from oblivious. My DSM ECU had the ability to show knock count via the boost gauge, my buddies Evo did not (well it did have two stage knock count CEL; I don't know if that's possible on the 3/S ECU but it's nice). I found it to be a cool feature, but regardless of knowing the exact knock count I still jumped off the gas like my motor depended on it (because it did, lol).

Also, unlike the 3/S and Evo ECU that lets you run boost via load, my DSM never got this functionality, and since I tuned by psi, my tune drifting was not uncommon. When I tune I try to go for a knock-free tune (which as I'm sure you're aware is not always possible), and when that CEL flashed I was much less concerned about looking at the gauge to see how much there was, and far more concerned with getting the car home safely so I could get it straightened out. The 3/S ECU is quite similar to these ECUs, and I applaud Greg for pushing it further and further with every update.

The LCD BC can log all of those values. I have done it plenty of times even if I had OBDII interference from the cable. The newer LCD BCs have a serial expansion card for datalogging purposes. Things happen when you're really pushing a car/turbos. It doesn't stay set it and forget it all the time. Our cars are old and unless you replace every part with a new one there will be adjustments to be fixed or made here and there. I prefer reading my AFR off my AEM wideband and also my oil pressure on a 52mm gauge. There are some things I wouldn't want a small screen all in one type gauge. At the same time there is some beneficial information to display on a heavily modded car that you won't have at your disposal if you're not carrying around a laptop all the time which is what most people will be doing. If $300 is too much to spend on little functionality wait until you get to a big build because you'll be crying at everything. It's not for everyone and if you have a flashed ecu it's not necessary but sometimes pushing the envelope means you're in control and know how things are functioning all the time. It's not a digg on anyone but there should be some clarification on features/uses from someone that has used one extensively enough. Antero made quite a few improvements and added functionality through firmware updates.

I appreciate your clarification as a product user! First hand information is by far a great advantage; I had read that the newer models were moving to an SD slot in the future, but I didn't know that you could log currently. That makes things far more handy, since you can log and apply that knock count to load/rpm and sort it out. The DSM ECU does not allow for dataloging without a laptop (though Ceddy experimented with it on the Openport 2 cable as it has a mini-SD slot built in and it was promising; I hope Greg looks into this as well, I'd love a constant data feed) and I always thought it'd be a great feature, because as you stated, shit happens right now, you don't always have a chance to grab your laptop and check it out. However, I will say that as a tuner, my dedicated tuning laptop and power invertor are in my car at all times (they fit very nicely under the passenger seat) and as such my laptop is always available. I also have two-way security so you creepers don't get any ideas...

I also understand that a car is not a Ronco Showtime Rotisserie; you can't just "set it and forget it." My drifting tune in the Talon was a good reminder of that partially because it's old, and partially because the temps in MI would jump from 10* to 60* day to day in the winter. However, the flash ECU with load based tuning/boost control has a much better ability to handle and adjust for that as you stated. I'd say that it really depends how hard you're pushing a car to determine what you need; a person running a stock VR4 doesn't need a wideband even though it's handy, ya know?

That stated, I liked that you implied exactly what I said above; you're a "heavily modded car," which puts you on a different platform than the typical user. I mean, you're preaching to the choir about the BSLCDBC; I think it's a great product and intend to get one down the line. As for me, I've put over 2k into my motor alone simply to make sure my future goals aren't pushing its stock limits, so I'm not wining about the price. I certainly could have just bought some DR650s and let my old tired motor take it until she puked, but that's not my style. However, much like yourself I am not the norm. The OP asked about it's usefulness and why people would get rid of it after getting the flash ECU, and since his vehicle profile was empty, I went with a stock/typical user analysis. I hate to say it, but these cars are getting cheap and many owners want to spend what they have on what gets the most gains. At this point, his needs and your needs are likely far from the same.

I appreciate you taking the time to post up; your first-hand experience is very valuable, and the more we lay the information out, the better choice others can make about it for themselves. We may have different opinions, but I know we have the same overall goals: a safe, reliable, fun 3/S, that we built ourselves. I hope your build continues to go well, keep on rocking man.

[Greg E]

I don't really understand why people would be selling their LCDBC after going flash. To be honest I haven't heard of anyone doing this.

I've been communicating with Antero (BlackStealth) to keep him appraised of all my future logging parameters. His device will be the ONLY aftermarket device to work with the flash ecu. He's got a fantastic product and I fully support people using it with mine.

As for a car PC, you gotta be careful. You need not only evoscan to log but you also need my 3000GT XML file to log the flash ecu. No other logging program will work with chrome. NONE! The next version of chrome will calculate load, airflow and rpm differently so none of the numbers displayed will make any sense. I have no clue if my XML file will work with the GPS unit. Never tried it nor have I had any interest in it.

The other thing with a car PC is ecu flash. You need this program to read/write to the ecu. Since these chips on the flash ecu are so sensitive to voltage, I wouldn't recommend even attempting to flash with a car PC as that device is already a draw on the car battery.

[99ishVR-4]

I don't really understand why people would be selling their LCDBC after going flash. To be honest I haven't heard of anyone doing this.

I've been communicating with Antero (BlackStealth) to keep him appraised of all my future logging parameters. His device will be the ONLY aftermarket device to work with the flash ecu. He's got a fantastic product and I fully support people using it with mine.

As for a car PC, you gotta be careful. You need not only evoscan to log but you also need my 3000GT XML file to log the flash ecu. No other logging program will work with chrome. NONE! The next version of chrome will calculate load, airflow and rpm differently so none of the numbers displayed will make any sense. I have no clue if my XML file will work with the GPS unit. Never tried it nor have I had any interest in it.

The other thing with a car PC is ecu flash. You need this program to read/write to the ecu. Since these chips on the flash ecu are so sensitive to voltage, I wouldn't recommend even attempting to flash with a car PC as that device is already a draw on the car battery.

Alright Thanks, will be getting the LCD Boost controller and ditching the carpc then.

[ShootMeNow]

Alright Thanks, will be getting the LCD Boost controller and ditching the carpc then.

I was looking to do the same thing, run music, gauges, gps, all from one unit. When I started researching though, temperature became a concern, as well as cost. Looks like around 2 grand for the car pc and screen, but they are only good from 14-120 degrees Fahrenheit. It gets colder than that in NY and sitting in the sun in the summer I don't know how hot it gets inside the car but hot enough to melt the glue on my ezpass sounds beyond the limits. The BSLCD looks great for taking care of the gauges though. Waiting for him to pm me links and pricing.