Today we will talk about PCMTEC vs a Haltech Plug n Play.
Have you ever thought, "What is best for my application?", "Is the Haltech worth the extra money?" or "At what point should i buy a haltech?"
We will discuss what the pro's and con's of each are, along with some determining factors as to why you might choose one over the other.
Lets first talk about the factory PCM (or ECU in other terms).
Since the release of the BA Turbo, flash tuning has been available.
The first means of this was via the SCT xcal flash tuner.
Whilst these were great for the time, they offered some hurdles in terms of being a slow and cumbersome tune swapping solution, especially once more exotic fuels became more common (E85)
This was then closely followed by HP Tuners, which later advanced to include the Ngauge.
Then along came PCMTEC. Since the release this software has been ever expanding, offering things like switchable tunes on the fly, flex fuel compatibility with supported flex fuel kits, and overall a better tuning software.
PCMTEC is still a flash tuning software which does have draw backs over a standalone solution such as Haltech, but it definitely has its place.
Lets move onto the Haltech PnP (Plug n Play).
The Haltech PnP is a fantastic ECU, at a price-point that is defintely dearer than PCMTEC credits, but there is several reasons for this and once you dive deep enough, youll understand that the cost outlay may become a logical decision.
Haltech ECU tuning software is not a flash tune style approach, which in itself offers great benefits to both the tuner, and in a lot of cases, the customer.
The Haltech PnP offers live tuning (which isnt an available feature with flash tuning), meaning that making on the fly tune adjustments is possible, which can make for much quicker (and debatably more accurate) tuning.
It also offers additional expansion of I/O from a hardware perspective which simply cannot be offered with the factory PCM without potentially losing some features due to hardware limitations.
People will often ask "Will PCMTEC be suitable for me or is Haltech the route I should go", which is a question that can be broken down in to several components.
1. To what extreme have you modified the engine? Is it a simple bolt-on build? 1000cc injectors? Stock camshafts?
2. Are you wanting to add additional features outside the factory PCM hardware limitations, such as Nitrous? WMI? Strain gauge? 12 injectors?
3. Are you committed to the one tuner for the entirety of the vehicle tuning process, and/or are you wanting to be able to make your own adjustments within the ECU?
This is how we approach each of these questions,
1. For something like a stock turbo engine, where the customer has added things like, an upgraded bolt on turbocharger, valve springs, head studs, oil pump gears, exhaust system and a larger intercooler, and is happy to have, for example, a high and low boost tune, then PCMTEC is going to be the most viable option.
The initial layout for PCMTEC credits and a tune is going to be significantly less than a Haltech, and without complex tuning required around such things like, larger camshafts, or significantly larger fuel injectors, then this is where you will find the sweet spot is.
Once you start to progress to things like, larger camshafts, significantly larger injectors, staging fuel pumps, vast range of boost levels and 4port boost control then the Haltech is something worth considering.
2. What kind of current or future accessories do you want to add? Have you got a large turbocharger that could be aided with nitrous? Are you in a location where e85 isnt as readily available therefore a Water Meth Injection kit is going to help yeild more power on 98? Have you moved to something like a sequential/dog engagement manual gearbox and are looking to add a strain gauge? Is your fuel system so demanding that 12 injectors will aid in drivability as well as power?
This is where the Haltech steps up, as these features are either unavailable to add, or requires adaption to the factory PCM (which in itself is a cost).
3. This one can be a big deciding factor, as it will apply across the board.
First thing, how confident and how loyal are you going to be with your initial tuner?
If you think "I have a great relationship with my tuner, and i will continue to return to them for future re-tunes and adjustments", and if the above answers have brought you to the PCMTEC solution, then that is most definitely going to be the most cost effective route. Primarily due to the PCMTEC credit scheme,
If for any reason you look to go down the path of changing tuners, this will require your new tuner to re-purchase credits, which depending on the extent of the initial tune (custom os, flex-fuel, 2 or 4 selectable tunes) then the cost can increase significantly, especially if youre paying for a second round of credits.
If your thoughts are "Hmm, I may or may not continue to use the same tuner" then perhaps a Haltech is going to be a more viable option.
Whilst changing tuners will still require the cost of a retune and associated checks or charges, you will not have to re-purchase tune credits for the tuner to access and adjust parameters on your PCM.
The last point is, do YOU want to make adjustments within the ECU?
Whilst this is most definitely a daunting task, and a scary one for beginners, theres no denying we have all at one point thought "hmm I'd like to adjust this or that" in a way.
With PCMTEC, this requires purchase of the software, AND re-purchasing tuner credits to make adjustments. In some cases, at this point, you have spent the value of a Haltech or you are coming close.
This discussion can be a quite deep and long one, and everyones situation is going to be different,
Whilst I could continue to go on about this for paragraphs,
If you're struggling to make the decision, feel free to contact us for further discussion at
parts@primeperformanceparts.com.au