I've been going back and forth about this for a while. I'm geuinely interested in a VI but I just don't know if the gains are worth the price seeing as there is no ECU out for a 99.5. Obviously I'll gain highway pulling power but the results at the strip are minimal, if at all significant. $~650 is a hefty price to pay just to have top-end passing power. But I really don't know where else to go with mods as the only thing left, save FI, would be a B-pipe. If you have a VI, please chime in.

 

i'm in the same boat... iansw has another group deal starting... dont' know what to do.

 

That's what prompted me to post this.

 

I have the VI w/o JWT ECU and love it. It make the engine much more refined. Although I plan on gettig the ECU soon, I would be happy just the way it is now.

 

Bluebird wants to buy this so he can finally beat that Miata that has been tearing him up.

 

love the VI - but I'm biased.

 

This is a tough one. I'd almost recommend against it seeing that you're 5 speed. The longer you drive a 5 speed with the MEVI (and no JWT ECU), the more aware you become of the midrange power losses. I'd probably just save up for a FI setup. Once you get that, then maybe go with the MEVI. I feel sorry for you guys with the 99s because you're kind of stuck with nowhere to go.


Dave

 

Quick question for you guys. I have a 95 Auto. Would a JWT ECU with a raise limiter benefit me over a GForce ECU? Wouldn't the tranny still use the same shift points? But then with the JWT ECU I could manually shift it at 6800 rpm or so, right?

Thanks!

TJ

 

doesn't the JWT raise the rev limiter by 500rpm? So you could shift at 7000?

 

Yes, the raised fuel-cut will definately help you. You will have to manually shift to take it past 6500rpms though. I know BSwithTF has to do that.


Dave

 

How would that work for 3rd gear?, im assuming that as long as you have overdrive off it will rev to 7k?

 

Yep.

 

I love my VI, but you do waste a lot of potential without an ECU.
That's why I picked a nitrous kit.
-hype

 

that what i'm thinking. nitrous or vi right now...

 

Dave is right, that is a tough one.

I too have the 99.5 and I have the VI. On the one hand, as I30tMikeD said, it does make the engine feel and sound much more refined. The intake has toned down a little in volume, but the tone of it is different now too.

Unfortunately you can feel the loss when you're just cruising along and give it some gas. It doesn't have all the "punch" it used to in the mid-range.

This is the price you pay, however, for a VQ that screams all the way to the redline (and someties rev-limiter). It's not just about passing power either. it's about revving out every gear (well usually just 1-3) and having it feel and sound great all the way to the top. Pre-VI it really annoyed me to have the VQ pull so hard in the low and mid range, but then just strain, choke and die past 5500 RPM. Now it just begs to be revved out.

If I could go back and do it all again...... I'd buy a 95/96 Seriously though, I'd still buy it. It may not help your 1/4 mile times but it makes the car feel more complete.

 

Get the MEVI then get an ACT street clutch and you'll have no problems with power. Each gear will pull hard and fast. Then you can take your car to redline with more power each time. It helps after 65mph. When you do the quarter you get upwards of 90mph now how could that hurt to have one. Just get it you'll never regret it.
And if that's not goond enough then get forced induction or buy performance pistons, cams, etc. And it's been seen on some .org members time slips to improve at least 1/2 a second which is a lot in the 1/4 mile world.

 

You need the ECU to drop the ET and gain the MPH. Ian is the only guy in here that showed any real measureable improvement with the MEVI and no ECU. The ECU restores all the lost power and then some. My car is now MUCH stronger entering each gear from a 6500rpm upshift.....and when I take it to 7000rpms and upshift it's With the ECU, I find myself not winding the gears as high as I did with just the MEVI. This is because the ECU packs a nice punch from 3000-4500rpms. The power surge from 3000-4000rpms is really sweet.

Dave

 

Most people here don't spend every day at the track is just the point I was trying to make earlier.

On the freeway, this mod is great.....without the ECU, and even moreso with the ECU is all I've been trying to say. I've seen the arguments about 1/4 mile times, but alot of people don't care about that, or only go to the track 2 or 3 times a year. (I don't think I'm the only one that gained .3 seconds, I know there was at least a few others....damn, I wish search worked)

As a daily driver mod, I love it, and all the reports I've gotten is from how much people love it.....

I know I'm biased, but I am speaking what I perceive to be the truth, and I think alot of VI owners would agree.

IanS

 

Other than a ECU upgrade, is there anything else that can help restore the lose of midrange power? I've seen dyno numbers for an RVM udp which showed anywhere from 5-10 hp gains at the wheels(I wish I could search for that thread) so I maybe planning to get the MEVI and the pulley, any other suggestion?
I wish JWT made an ECU upgrade for 97+

 

So does it matter the order in which I install the following mods? ECU first or VI first? I'd like to do the ECU upgrade first since I generally don't go to the high RPM's as much. Generally, when I punch the gas, I'll run it up to 5K RPM and shift. And with the upgraded ECU, I feel it would really benefit me at these shift points.

 

I still have yet to see a good reason why us 97+ cant get a decent ecu, they can make them..they just dont wanna get off their lazy butts to figure it out. If obd2 is so hard how come all the other new cars these days you can buy ecu products for. For instance my friends s10 just went out and bought a new ecu for it, not a prb. I just dont see why we cant get someone to make one for us newer guys. If anything I would have thought it would be us with a ecu option and not the older 95, 96's sigh

 

if you do high way driving or you drive above 80 mph you will love it.

lots of guys here don't even go over 70 mph

 

I dunno.

Downshifting at 40-60 to gain passing speed seems pretty awesome also.

(Obviously different Auto vs 5spd here, but you know what I mean)

 

forced induction or internal engine work ie: cams, pistons, etc.

 

someone stated that when your 5speed you really see the midrange loss, but what if your auto, with mevi and no ecu, do you still really notice it, and would you advise getting one?

 

Get one you'll love it, everytime I get a straight stretch of road I take it past the switch-over point just to hear and feel it kick in. I can't wait to get a Y-pipe and an ECU and really see what my car can do.

 

I wished search worked because I don't know how many times Nealoc187 and myself have said this:

YOU CAN RUN A MODIFIED 96 IN A 97/98 MAXIMA, the only downside is there will be a CEL. Neal was running a 98 ECU in his 96 for two weeks with no problems. Mardigras is running a 96 G-Force ECU in his 98 GXE.

As for the loss of power from 3000-5000rpms, you will feel it if you're an auto or 5 speed....even if you have the UDP (I have an UDP). Pretty much the VQ lacks all it's "snap" in acceleration if you're rolling along and punch it from 3000-5000rpms. Also, when you upshift at WOT, there is a bog until the rpms go past 5000rpms. The 1-2 shift isn't near as strong as it use to be due to the lack of power. When you get the ECU, not only do you more midrange power, you're entering each gear 500rpms which is HUGE.

If I was to do all again, I would have gotten the ECU first. With the torque rich US intake manifold, the VQ would be an absolutely stout beast which would definately show a measureable improvement in the 1/4 mile. Get the MEVI and things only get better.

I have the ability to search the Org and I can't find any proof that the MEVI alone does anything positive in the 1/4 mile other than Ian's first run with it at the track with the MEVI. There's something people need to remember about Ian's runs though. Ian did back to back runs with the MEVI, one run had the MEVI completely turned off during the run and the other was with the MEVI set at 5000rpms. He showed about a .3 second and 3mph gain with the MEVI activated. The thing that should be noted is the MEVI manifold makes less power than the US intake manifold from 2800-5200rpms. What I'm getting at is Ian's runs truely aren't a comparison of the "before and after" test because he never made any runs with the US intake manifold. The lack of power with the MEVI from 2800-5200rpms will definately make you slower because that's where most VQs (without the higher fuel cut) spend their time accelerating. Ian really should have run at the track with the USIM and then tested the MEVI. Neal, myself, and a couple other have done a true comparison and we didn't see much.


Dave

 

I actually hadn't recalled that I did run it with the MEVI on, and not without - I had totally forgotten that...good point.

My only point is, however, that most people don't go to the track every day, and most spend a good amount of time on the freeway.

IMHO, the gains on the freeway beat out the loss of a small amount of low-end torque. But that's my opinion.....some people feel they would rather have the low end torque.

But to me, -10-15tq at 2800-5000 RPM is well worth the loss to gain 15-36hp at 5000-6800RPM.

And even better if you get the ECU, of course.

I guess whoever is reading this just needs to decide what they want - a little more low end torque or alot more high-end tq/hp....

And that all comes down to the driver, how they drive, and what they want.

 

I'll be damned.

 

What about 99.5's? Any difference there?

Oh, that 99 that has the ECU on CarDomain. Can somebody who is a CarDomain member PM him and get the details?

 

Anyone find out the answer on this???

 

SterlingMistMax: I'm thinking that us 99.5 guys might be able to swap in a 2K-2K1 engine because our wiring harnesses are 5th gen and not 4th gen. That would solve our problem and give us 222hp stock. I started a thread about it a month or so back, however no conclusion was reached on the feasibility of the project. Let me know if you can't find it.

 

I'm using a 96 ECU in my 97.. no CEL yet. Put about 100 miles on it so far. As stated, VQ with VI loses a lot of punch down low. You will think your engine is sluggish if you try to do partial throttle passing at low speeds. The ECU doesn't really correct this in my opinion. Maybe I don't see as much gain because I have a 97. You will no longer have that superhero passing power from 2000rpm-4500rpm. The USDM winds out soooo fast from 2000rpm to 4500rpm. The VI won't do that, but once you hit the upper RPMs, the car flies!

I wouldn't recommend a 99 max automatic get a VI if nitrous/FI is an option. The loss of low end coupled with an automatic kinda sucks.

Seeing the needle go well in to the red is surreal. =)

ZuM

 

how much does the JWT ecu cost?

 

man.. i want a vi... but im a 98. With out the ecu.. its no go since i'm 5spd. Also... 500 for an ecu, and 650 for the vi = a lot for only a few ponies up top

 

1. 95-98 can all use a JWT/ECU
2. What does a 5-speed have to do with it?
3. How about 30 hp up top? A little more than a few.

 

so its possible to use a JWT ecu with no probs? COOL

 

wow I learned a lot from just reading this entire thread. Thanks guys. I might even start saving for the ECU/Mevi upgrade now. I'll most likely get the ECU first cause I love doing 2nd gear pulls from 40mph(4k rpm).
-Paul

 

yeah.. i'm saving. I30tMIke convinced me!

 

and if you have a supercharger with a MEVI, it is so sweet to see that speedo and RPM needle drop so fast it will leave you speechless , Myself and two other boosted members ran a Evo on the freeway, we punched it around 3k and the evo and myself were neck and neck until about 6K after that I pulled away from him, look on his face priceless because that was third gear in 4th gear boost brought me back to 5KRPM very fast and put about 5 plus carlength on the EVO. The VI is awesome thing for the freeway and boost.