Accessories with your Link ECU
What accessories are required to maximise your Link ECU?
We sell a variety of sensors and extras which complement aftermarket ECUs, but you may be wondering where to start and which ones are really necessary.
With Link’s range of PlugIn ECUs (catering for over 30 vehicles), you can generally make use of the factory sensors on the car. An air temperature sensor is often a handy extra, while all the existing sensors also need to be checked in case their quality has deteriorated over the years and they need replacing.
An Expansion loom is one great addition to a PlugIn ECU, allowing for extra inputs and outputs that the factory ECU doesn’t cater for. This could be used for flex fuel, an antilag switch or dual map switches to swap between high and low boost.
Picture by GT4-Play
Alternatively, when using a Wire In ECU, you will want to look at creating a complete engine management package to ensure the ECU has all the information it needs to run your engine optimally.
The following three sensors work together to achieve the correct Air to Fuel Ratio (AFR) within your engine. With the correct AFR, your car will run smoothly, idle well and respond to changes in load accurately.
*MAP sensor – onboard with the MonsoonX and some PlugIn ECUs. Check with your Link ECU Dealer to see if your PlugIn ECU has an onboard MAP sensor.Manifold absolute Pressure sensors basically measure the altitude of the vehicle, by detecting ambient air pressure. With this information, the ECU can adjust the fuel injectors according the the amount of oxygen in each cylinder. These are essential when using the boost control function of Link ECUs.
*Air Temp sensor (IAT) – Measures the temperature of air going into the engine. The cooler the air going in, the better.
*Coolant Temp sensor – measures engine temperature via the fluid in the radiator / cooling system
Other sensors which are helpful in creating a good overall set-up include:
*TPS– Throttle position sensors detect the position of the accelerator to measure the engine load, deceleration, acceleration, wide open status and idle status. The information obtained by the TPS is also used to adjust the proper air fuel mix.
*O2 sensor – This sensor is usually positioned in the exhaust manifold. Up to eight O2 sensors can be used for individual cylinder tuning. The sensor will determine the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gas that passes the sensor. Based on the information from the sensors, the tuner will be able to properly adjust the fueling.
*CAN Lambda – Allows you to measure air fuel ratio via CAN bus, saving you analogues inputs in the ECU for other features.
Plus, the likes of boost control solenoids, Ignitors for inductive coils and knock sensors are just some of the many additional accessories that will enhance your engine management package.
Photo by All Performance Garage
A dash display is another consideration, to relay information to the driver’s cockpit. Link MXS Strada dashes connect straight to the Link ECU and are a very popular choice. Alternatively, a tablet equipped with Windows operating system can act as a custom display.
For both ECU types, PlugIn or WireIn, it is ideal to get in touch with a trusted Link ECU Dealer and find out exactly what is best for your specific vehicle.
Link has a range of Expert Dealers across the globe, who will be able to advise the requirements and pricing options available. Find one close to you on our Dealer Map here: www.linkecu.com/dealers