INTRODUCTION

Autronic is an Australian based company, and the man who started it, Richard Aubert (Dip App Phys, B App Sc), was was one of the original partners in MoTeC, and earlier versions of the MoTeC's were designed by Mr. Aubert. He left MoTeC, and started his own business in 1993, hence the birth of the Autronic range of Programmable Engine Management Systems. The company is very successful, and despite being still on a modest scale, his products are widely used throughout motorsport, especially in Australia. Autronic ECU's are very well built, and have a reputation for reliability, as well as a resistance to interference from other engine parts. Autronic is always looking for ways to improve on the products, which has lead to the introduction of a new feature, self tuning. This area has always been a concern for the average car enthusiast, because while most are capable of the install, the tuning can sometimes be very difficult, and is best left to those who are familiar with the process, and have the right equipment. The self tuning feature will eliminate this concern, and allow the average "Do It Yourself" mechanic to install the system, and then just simply drive the car, while the unit tunes itself.

Autronic produces three different levels of ECU's, the SMC (which will satisfy the majority of auto enthusiast), the SM2, and SM3 (which are both aimed more at the motorsport level), as well as two different types of high end Air/Fuel ratio meters.

OPINION

I first became familiar with Autronic products when I was asked to help with the installation of one of their ECU's in a Group N Lancer Evolution III rally car. Before this I had dealt with only one other system, GEMS. Since then, I have dealt with quite a few systems. What first struck me, was the software supplied by Autronic. The programme was DOS based, and set up in a very simple way, with just a few keys, you could navigate through the various menus, with ease. Now for people who like all the fancy stuff in their software, this would have been a disappointment, but for anyone who has actually had to tune an EMS, this was simply fantastic. The last thing you want to do when concentrating on getting the correct air/fuel ratios, ignition timing, etc., is to wonder, "Now do I hit F10, to get back, or was that Alt+W?" Another good thing is the ability to tune while driving, and load files without having to turn the engine off. The other thing I found impressive, was the cars performance, after the installation and tuning. It was simply a different machine, and I was hooked on Autronic. Note: I got a glimpse of Autronic's latest software, and it looks very good.

Update: I upgraded the SMC with the new chip which uses the new version of the software. The new software is loaded with very cool features, like being able to set minimum and maximum parameters, logging with the feature of reviewing logged sessions (done in text tables) within the tuning software, the "Auto Tune" feature, and more. The new software has short cut key strokes, but you can still navigate easily with the use of just a few keys. In a word the new software is fantastic!

After working on several other systems, I would have to say that Autronic is definitely a high end system. Quite simply put, you are getting a system on the same level as MoTeC, with the only disadvantage being the extra weight left in your wallet after buying the Autronic, may slow you down a bit.

WHAT DID IT DO FOR MY CAR?

The answer to that in a nutshell, it transformed my car into a machine with some serious power, yet still maintaining streetable quality. My advise is, if you want real power, dump the stock ECU. The stock ECU supplies fuel maps up to 12 psi, so basically after that, you'll more than likely run lean, as well as your ignition advance being to aggressive for the manifold pressure, and rpm. Then again, the stock ECU is pretty well known for being very conservative, so when it senses detonation from the knock sensor, and air flow that equates to an excess of 12 psi, two things will happen. One it will dump fuel, and two it will retard timing, which really isn't good for developing power. Now you could go out and spend thousands on all the little gadgets, like AFC, ITC, VPC, EVC, etc., to try and improve your fuel and ignition, but you still would not have a hundredth the flexibility of the Autronic. Here's an example. The HKS Vein Pressure Converter, eliminates the Air Flow Meter, and has 4 adjustments for fuelling. The Autronic eliminates the Air Flow Meter as well, but has up to 512 adjustments in just the base fuel map, so throw in the maps for closed throttle acceleration, warm up enrichment, etc., and it makes the VPC look like a waste of money. O.K., so you're still not convinced, and you buy your VPC, but now you want to control boost. So you buy an Apex'i electronic boost controller, and feel very smart, because the Apex'i controls boost by rpm as well. That's O.K., but the Autronic controls boost by rpm, as well as coolant temperature, ie., no high boost when it's cold, or when it's too hot.

Another area where the Autronic wins hands down over all the gadgets on a stock ECU, is that there are no more limits to what you can change, from injectors, to direct fire ignition systems. You simply set up and tune the Autronic, to suit the engine parts. You can also control your fans, or use features like anti-lag, etc.

Right now my car is running 1.2 bar (17.4 psi) of boost, and it is running consistent. I have no unexplained "loss of power" situations like before at high boost levels, and not a hint of detonation. Also, all the creature comforts, and stock electronics, all work fine, and the car idles great. All in all, I'm 100% happy with the Autronic, it was money well spent.

WHERE DO YOU GET ONE?

I am familiar with two dealers, both of which I can recommend. You can contact either Edgell Automotive in New Zealand, or Ray Hall Turbocharging in Australia. I purchased my system from Edgell Automotive, and I dealt mainly with a very helpful, and knowledgeable gentleman named Peter Davidson, however Peter is no longer there, so I recommend you ask for Randall Edgell, whom I had the opportunity to speak with on occasion. Randall knows his stuff, not to mention he was pleasant to deal with. I got to know Ray Hall of Ray Hall Turbocharging, via e-mail discussion, and in the process decided to order the AutoTune upgrade from him. Ray is very up to date on all the latest things going on with Autronic, and has an excellent level of service.
 
 

Edgell Automotive  Fax: 64 9 443 1682  Phone: 64 9 444 6922

Ray Hall Turbocharging Phone: 61 7 4051 6672 Fax: 61 7 4051 3683 Click herefor web site