Date:         Wed, 13 Nov 2013 07:48:43 -0600
Reply-To:     Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Subject:      Re: Vanagons and Megasquirt EFI controllers
In-Reply-To:  <5283578A.5030604@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

On 11/13/2013 4:42 AM, JRodgers wrote:
> Is anyone on the list running a Megaquirt controller on their Vanagon??
>
> JOHN
No, but I've been running an old school DOS programmed Haltech for maybe
12 years or so.  I'd like to upgrade to one of their windows based units
when the cash becomes available.  IIRC, Mega squirt is the one where you
can solder it al together and save a lot of money.  I bought the
halttech from Gene Berg and sons, but it took a lot of reprogramming to
get it to run on the Vanagon.  When the DOS laptop died, we  found a
website called dosbox.com that would switch your windows unit back to
dos .  The etire program to run the fuel maps etc was a whopping 88kkb
or so......The van is almost impossible to start below 10 degrees, but
we have done nothing with the cold start program and the guy in Omaha
that's the regional expert on these things can't fix it unless I drive
it over there and let him play with it during a cold snap....at 100
bucks an hour. Overall, I've been happy with the reliability issue and
when the ecu died several years ago, no one in the states had any old
school stuff, soI had to ship it to Australia to get it repaired.

If I ever do a Subi conversion, I'll either use this system or buy a
used windows unit off ebay .  There should be maps set up for a stock
2.5 SOHC on their website forum making the switch pretty painless.
solder 4 different FI connectors and  figure out the ignition changes
andTPS mounting andthat should do it.  Would sure beat having to pay
someone $600 to modify an old Subie wiring harness.


YMMV


DM&FS