FAQ

Q: Do I need a Haltech ECU?

If you’re modifying an engine significantly beyond its standard specifications with the intent of using it for racing or other performance-based activities, upgrading to a stand-alone engine management system is recommended.

With the addition of an aftermarket exhaust, turbo, supercharger or a camshaft, the factory ECU’s engine calibration will no longer be optimized to suit your engine’s new potential.

Q: Does Haltech support my engine?

Haltech ECUs can be used on most petrol engines. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 cylinder engines are supported. This also applies to rotary engines with 2, 3 and 4 rotor engines supported. Please contact your local Haltech Dealer if you have any questions about a specific engine.

Q: How much extra power will my engine make with a Haltech ECU?

It’s important to understand that an ECU is NOT a power adder. The ECU on its own does not make power, what it does, however, is allow the tuner to calibrate the engine’s fuel, ignition, boost, and camshaft position (just to name a few) in order to extract the full potential from your existing engine configuration. So the power gains you will see after fitting a Haltech ECU and dyno tuning the engine are the result of the optimization of the tune itself. Keep in mind power gains will depend on the tuner, your engine’s potential, and its current state of tune.

Q: Will my fuel economy get better or worse?

With a good tune, your fuel economy should get better. Dyno testing before an aftermarket ECU is fitted to your car will give an indication of how rich/lean your engine is running. From these results, your tuner will be able to inform you of the potential fuel savings to be had.

Q: What should I look for when selecting my engine management system?

There are many differences between engine management systems, the most important thing is to find out how an ECU suits your particular engine/car. Here are the basic things to check:

• The number of inputs and outputs. Having more inputs and outputs offers more flexibility in the way of ignition and injection types as well as extra outputs to control additional devices.

• Tuning resolution. The higher the resolution the more detailed the mapping which allows for more precise fine-tuning. Haltech’s Nexus R5 has a 4D 32x32x8 tuning table resolution.

• Accessories and compatibility. Remember that ECUs don’t work in isolation, they are a part of a system so it’s important to check whether the ECU you’re looking at is compatible with other devices and how easy it is to configure them in the ECU’s programming software. For example, integrating dash displays, power distribution modules and extra sensors.

• Upgrades and support. ECUs are not cheap so it would be frustrating to find out the ECU you’ve just purchased is about to become obsolete. Haltech offers continuous support for all its ECUs and provides free firmware and software updates.

• Finally, check that the ECU you’re looking at has the functionality your engine requires. For example, closed-loop O2 control, idle control, engine protection, and boost control should be all included and enabled.

Q: How difficult is it to install a Haltech ECU?

Haltech ECUs come with a variety of different wiring kits. Your choice of a wiring kit will depend on whether you’re using the whole or a part of the factory engine harness, doing an engine swap or building a race car from the ground-up. The level of difficulty will depend on your choice of the ECU wiring type.

• Plug’n’Play (PnP). These are the easiest ECU kits to install. They will connect directly to the factory wiring harness either via an external PnP adaptor or a built-in PnP connector. Basic knowledge of automotive wiring is required to complete this install. For the list of supported makes and models see the “Search By Engine” tab on the Haltech website home page.

• Terminated Engine Harness. Each of Haltech’s terminated engine harnesses is made to suit a specific engine and comes complete with terminated ECU connectors at one end and all engine connectors at the other. All your factory connectors are labeled, crimped, and terminated at exactly the right length. These are ideal for engine swaps or ground-up builds. Good working knowledge of automotive wiring is required to complete this install. For a list of supported engines see the Terminated Engine Harness page on our website.

• Plug and Pins. If you are using the factory engine harness but your car is not supported by our Plug’n’Play range, you can adapt the factory wiring harness to fit your Haltech ECU utilizing a Plug and Pin connector set. Remove the factory connectors and crimp the Haltech Plug and Pin set on. Will require solid automotive wiring knowledge and crimping skills to complete.

• Universal Wire-In Harness. These harnesses come with terminated ECU connectors at one end and an unterminated wire bundle at the other. Each wire will need to be cut to length and terminated to its intended connection. Ideal for custom wiring jobs. Will require solid automotive wiring knowledge and crimping skills to complete.

Q: Can a first-time user install and set up a Haltech ECU?

To successfully install an Engine Management System you will need a good understanding of the inner workings of the engine, especially the EFI aspect of it, some basic automotive wiring knowledge, and a lot of common sense. All Haltech ECUs come with the Haltech manual on USB drive, however as a first time installer it is often handy to have some guidance from your Authorised Haltech Dealer or your local tuner along the way.

Q: Who should I call to talk about tuning my engine?

If you’re getting a Haltech ECU installed and tuned it’s always a good idea to use someone who has experience with Haltech products and the Haltech calibration software. See the Dealer Locator tab on our website for your closest Haltech dealer details.

Q: Can I tune the car myself?

You can certainly tune your engine using a Haltech ECU, however, we strongly recommend taking the car to an Authorised Haltech tuner if you are unsure about the tuning process. We also recommend that you have your car tuned on a dyno as it’s the safest and the most reliable way of getting a good tune.

Q: Where do I obtain the tuning software?

The tuning software will be included with your ECU at the time of purchase. Alternatively, you can visit the Downloads Page on the Haltech website to download full working copies of our tuning software, even before you purchase a Haltech ECU.

Q: Does Haltech Technical Support come with the unit when I buy it?

Haltech provides Technical Support for all its products, however, if your Haltech ECU has been purchased and/or tuned by one of our Authorised Dealers, we recommend you contact them for support.

Q: How do I contact Haltech Technical Support?

The quickest and the most efficient way to get Tech Support is via our Support Portal. Here you can search our extensive Knowledge Base or submit a Support Ticket. All Support Tickets are logged so you don’t have to repeat your story each time you contact us.

Q: Do Haltech products have Warranty?

At Haltech we make every effort to design and manufacture fault-free products that perform up to or above market expectations. All of our products are covered by a Global Limited 12 Month Warranty.