ECU upgrades for 3rd Gen ES?
February-8th-2005 | 02:36 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 27
From: Rockingham Co., VA
ECU upgrades for 3rd Gen ES?
Howdy Mazda compact fans!
I'm a newbie here and also to tuning (before it was always a matter of keeping an old car running). Last year we needed a second car. I lusted after the Mazdaspeed Protege or SVT Focus, but we needed an inexpensive practical car and our price range was $10K. Fortunately a family friend had an '02 Protege ES in black mica on his lot and he worked me a good deal! I love the way this economy car drives and handles the mountain roads around here. Later I got a used stock strut tower brace and used Injen shortram from my sister's boyfriends MP5 for cheap. I would like to continue some upgrades but with a baby on the way my budget is virtually non-existent. Which leads into my tech question (which i didn't see a thread for, so I hope I'm not breaching posting protocols)
I thought I read MP3's and MP5's have the same 2.0L 16V engine I have, but are tuned for something like 140 hp instead of the 130 hp for the ES. Is this true? If so, would trying to track down an MP5 ECU in salvage or ebay be the most economical way to bump up HP compared to an aftermarket chip or reflash? Even if it was cheaper, is it too big of a risk to switch brains rather than reflash? I have not found any info about chips or reflashing the stock ES ECU (for perhaps obvious reasons ) other than the suspect "universal" ones on ebay.
Mods so far
MP5 strut tower brace.
Injen shortram(?) intake.
Proposed upgrade path.
Stage I: cat-back exhaust
ECU or chipupgrade, maybe advance timing
upgrade plugs and wires
Stage II: Get Mazdaspeed Protege, give ES to the wife. lol
Any advice is greatly welcomed and appreciated. thanks
I'm a newbie here and also to tuning (before it was always a matter of keeping an old car running). Last year we needed a second car. I lusted after the Mazdaspeed Protege or SVT Focus, but we needed an inexpensive practical car and our price range was $10K. Fortunately a family friend had an '02 Protege ES in black mica on his lot and he worked me a good deal! I love the way this economy car drives and handles the mountain roads around here. Later I got a used stock strut tower brace and used Injen shortram from my sister's boyfriends MP5 for cheap. I would like to continue some upgrades but with a baby on the way my budget is virtually non-existent. Which leads into my tech question (which i didn't see a thread for, so I hope I'm not breaching posting protocols)
I thought I read MP3's and MP5's have the same 2.0L 16V engine I have, but are tuned for something like 140 hp instead of the 130 hp for the ES. Is this true? If so, would trying to track down an MP5 ECU in salvage or ebay be the most economical way to bump up HP compared to an aftermarket chip or reflash? Even if it was cheaper, is it too big of a risk to switch brains rather than reflash? I have not found any info about chips or reflashing the stock ES ECU (for perhaps obvious reasons ) other than the suspect "universal" ones on ebay.
Mods so far
MP5 strut tower brace.
Injen shortram(?) intake.
Proposed upgrade path.
Stage I: cat-back exhaust
ECU or chipupgrade, maybe advance timing
upgrade plugs and wires
Stage II: Get Mazdaspeed Protege, give ES to the wife. lol
Any advice is greatly welcomed and appreciated. thanks
February-8th-2005 | 02:51 PM
#2
The man behind the mask
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 11,572
From: Birmingham, AL
this post will be very short....i'm trying to run to the bathroom!!
#1. welcome to the forum! glad to have you!
#2. mp3 ecu is the only "performance" ecu available. Junkyards and other owners are really the only place to get them. the gain is MINIMAL....
#3. get a budget together and figure out what you want to spend and what your goals are and then we can help you pick out a shopping list and give you an order.
#4. you'd be better to keep the ES and put an aftermarket turbo on it...they are much faster!
#1. welcome to the forum! glad to have you!
#2. mp3 ecu is the only "performance" ecu available. Junkyards and other owners are really the only place to get them. the gain is MINIMAL....
#3. get a budget together and figure out what you want to spend and what your goals are and then we can help you pick out a shopping list and give you an order.
#4. you'd be better to keep the ES and put an aftermarket turbo on it...they are much faster!
February-8th-2005 | 07:39 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 27
From: Rockingham Co., VA
Originally Posted by Roddimus Prime
this post will be very short....i'm trying to run to the bathroom!!
#3. get a budget together and figure out what you want to spend and what your goals are and then we can help you pick out a shopping list and give you an order.
#4. you'd be better to keep the ES and put an aftermarket turbo on it...they are much faster!
#3. get a budget together and figure out what you want to spend and what your goals are and then we can help you pick out a shopping list and give you an order.
#4. you'd be better to keep the ES and put an aftermarket turbo on it...they are much faster!
I didn't even mention wanting to upgrade suspension and handling because I heard/read somwheres the MP3 and Mazdaspeed P are actually bargains in that department, as opposed to buying it separate and trying to recreate or improve upon Mazdaspeeds setup. Well, obviously if you try to buy all Mazdaspeed parts separate...so I guess I'll research aftermarket suspension.
And of course more power is always good...but this is my daily driver.
So I'll just hang out and learn a thing or two for now.
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