Auto ECU in a manual car - the final word

[thomasjamal]

So my question is can you use an auto ECU in a manual car.

Before you flame me, yes I have searched. In fact, I'm asking this because I have searched. I've found tons of conflicting opinions on this. Some say it wont' work at all. Some say it will work with rewiring/reprogramming the ECU. Some say it works with no modification at all. Some even say the KA performs better with the auto ECU on a manual car.

So what's the real deal. If YOU have actually done this an know it works please respond and let us all know what mods you had to do and what the results were. If you don't think it will work tell us why.
Modified by thomasjamal at 8:02 AM 5/2/2007

[7spokenightmare]

ive been wondering this very same thing........

< takes a seat in the corner>

[dickie]

auto s13 ecu works fine unmodified in a 5-speed s13 for me. you may have been reading about the need to adapt s14 for use in s13?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I have also done an S13 to S13 swap. Originally manual, and threw an Auto in there. No I'll effects, but I didn't really have a whole lot of time to test it, so don't take this as gospel if it will work better or not. I will say that it does WORK.

[KDashy]

I use an auto ecu on my 5spd.

No modifications to the ecu.

No ill effects as far as I can tell.

[mrgreeneyes]

i swapped my car (s13) auto -> manual and ran the auto ecu for a while, ran like normal, put a 5 spd one in later for kicks... its my daily so driving is light and mpg conscious so i really cant tell of a performance difference, but it will def work.

[neverlift]

I'll clear it up....auto on 5spd is a go 5spd on auto is a no no. timing maps are a bit different(little less on the auto) as well as fueling.sohc I ran mine on stanza auto with mods but they are for tuning

[oki_bum]

It works...i read on one of the threads that it also removes the fuel cut...or was it speed cut?

[thomasjamal]

Thanks for the positive results. I have read a lot of people on here who did auto to manual swaps say they had to somehow set the auto ECU to think it was always in neutral. So you guys are saying there's nothing to that and you can just install it with no super secret methodology?

[superDorifto]

i had an auto ecu in my swapped s14...ran perfect, it did throw a CEL because it was still looking for the auto transmission selonoids, but it ran perfectly

[nzmoman]

good info....

thanks

Thomasjamal for asking and clearing this up for many of us

[AZhitman]

I kept my auto ECU when I went 5-speed.

[nzmoman]

is this the same for SR installed cars? With a 5spd ecu vs a manual and of course from the same chassis set?

[struckinc]

auto ecu will work in a 5sp. it does throw a check engine light because according to the ecu your car never shifted even when you are going 90..also using an auto ecu should eliminate the speed limiter on the same principles. ecu thinks you are still in neutral therefore speed limit doesnt apply but rev limiter does

[574-240sx]

Works just fine I have used auto ecus in 2 cars. No speed cut too.

[thomasjamal]

I think that's pretty conclusive.

This is why NICO is the best. Thanks for making it clear.

[574-240sx]

You will notice a little bit of a higher idle when you come to a stop for a slight second. Just small stuff that doesn't make too much of a difference.
Modified by 574-240sx at 12:54 AM 5/3/2007

[NotDave]

well...if its true that you can use an auto ecu with no problems then the "how to auto to 5 speed" thread is incorrect. OP on that thread even said there were problems with an auto ecu that were fixed after a 5 speed ecu was swapped

[neverlift]

that was probably a case of bad ecu... just make sure to unplugg the auto trans computer as well tho for you swap guys.

[TerminalVelocity]

Awesome thread guys.But here's one for ya,Could you use an s14 obdI auto ecu with an s13 manual trans in a 95 zenki? What driveshaft would you use? Manual S14?

[neverlift]

cute one well if its obdI s14 maybe yes/maybe no s14's were kinda obdI/II so some have obdII code(ecu) with obdI sensors and vise versa...also a code will be thrown on the s14 ecu for the crank sensor in the transmission

[kc240guy]

You will notice a little bit of a higher idle when you come to a stop for a slight second. Just small stuff that doesn't make too much of a difference.

Modified by 574-240sx at 12:54 AM 5/3/2007

the higher idle is because it thinks its in gear so it revs higher. If you make it think its in neutral it will have a lower (normal) idle.

[thomasjamal]

how do you make it think it's in neutral?

[bone_stock_240]

Will an auto pignose ecu work in a 5 speed chuki? Me thinks not. Just throwing it out there because I have an auto pignose ecu lying around.

[TerminalVelocity]

cute one well if its obdI s14 maybe yes/maybe no s14's were kinda obdI/II so some have obdII code(ecu) with obdI sensors and vise versa...also a code will be thrown on the s14 ecu for the crank sensor in the transmission

Is there a way to tell if you're a straight obdI or a mix obdI/II?

[neverlift]

urghghgh IDK off top of my head,although somewhere online there is a registry of sorts for ecu's that should help determine...

a sohc ecu will work in a dohc car with a dizzy reclock and of coarse the maf of a sinlge cam motor unless you are gonna open up the ecu to swap tp scales and maps for the de to run. Its do~able but not so much PnP, JWT will send an e guy a de ecu when he wants 600cc and cobra maf ,and they tell you to reclock the dizzy blah blah... a iat code will be thrown too IIRC

[Drift Motion]

my s13 was converted to 5 speedstill have the auto ECU, works fine, except when u come to a stop, the rpm stays a lil over 1000rpm for a second or 2, then drops back to 700rpm

[ThuG LyFe]

^so how do you make the auto ecu think it's always in neutral?

i'm most likely gonna get my 95 S14 swapped to a manual but i guess i should ask the shop doing the swap the details.

[thomasjamal]

^so how do you make the auto ecu think it's always in neutral?

That's what I want to know.

[White Comet]

my 89 had always been 5 spd but i swapped in another sohc automatic ecu to remove speed limit. car is lightly modified and runs like a change no cel or anything, just direct replacement and go.