[Lamalas]

Hey everyone, I recently got myself a Chrome Jester ECU with the idea of installing it and getting it all set up sometime in the near future. I have a few questions, and I tried asking both 3SX and Chromedecu support, while 3SX told me to contact Chromedecu and they have not responded. Not trying to throw anyone under the bus, just trying to get a little basic info so I don't mess things up. Basically, I just wanted to know if it comes with a plug and play stock tune pre loaded, or not. That way, when the shop goes to install and tune it, it will have the base setup to work from. Also, if I understand the websites correctly, that ECUflash and Evoscan are the best programs to use with this?

all that being said, 3SX mini facts page says its plug and play ready, so does that mean I can simply plug it in and it can drive at stock settings?

Thanks again for your time and help with these random ass questions lol.

 

[VR Thor]

I don’t have one personally, but from what I remember..

It is PnP… However:
It does matter which year ChromeECU you buy for your generation, since there is something (wiring or sensor inputs) converted if you have a 1G for example. So hopefully you purchased the correct “year range.”

It comes with a stock base map, but enough to just get the car started and putt around if I recall. Since every vehicle is different (even in stock form.) Ideally, you’d need to get it to reset and relearn your car’s map, or get it retuned to your car’s specifications. It is not something I would recommend plugging in, call it good, and start racing or doing something reckless.

Someone may be more than happy to correct me.

 

[Lamalas]

I don’t have one personally, but from what I remember..

It is PnP… However:
It does matter which year ChromeECU you buy for your generation, since there is something (wiring or sensor inputs) converted if you have a 1G for example. So hopefully you purchased the correct “year range.”

It comes with a stock base map, but enough to just get the car started and putt around if I recall. Since every vehicle is different (even in stock form.) Ideally, you’d need to get it to reset and relearn your car’s map, or get it retuned to your car’s specifications. It is not something I would recommend plugging in, call it good, and start racing or doing something reckless.

Someone may be more than happy to correct me.

I made sure to get the correct year range. I have a 95 cali spec VR4, and triple checked it was the correct one before I placed the order, and the box states the correct info as well. As for plug and play, I should have been a bit more specific lol. I was meaning with just cruising around town, like to save money by not towing it to the shop, I can plug this in and cruise over. That would probably save me a bit of cash because I wouldn't need to pay them to install it as well.

 

[TurboSinceBirth]

It comes with a factory 99 base map with the peripheries set properly for the components on your 91-93, 94-97, or 98-99 if you specify your year. It is plug and play and will run the car without changing the tune if you have both the stock MAF sensor and stock 360cc injectors in the car. Change either of those and the car won’t run well and won’t even be driveable to the tuner without making changes within ecuflash.

Ecuflash is used to read, write, and make changes to the tune map on the ecu. You need the specific 3000GT XML file or it won’t work. Same thing for Evoscan. Both of those along with instructions are included with Chrome V2 when you download it from the website. Purchase of the ecu should come with a coupon to download it to waive the $20 fee. Evoscan is the program you’ll use to datalog it.

So as long as you don’t install larger injectors or change out the MAF sensor, you can drive the car around as much as you want. It’ll work just as good as the stock ecu.

 

[Lamalas]

It comes with a factory 99 base map with the peripheries set properly for the components on your 91-93, 94-97, or 98-99 if you specify your year. It is plug and play and will run the car without changing the tune if you have both the stock MAF sensor and stock 360cc injectors in the car. Change either of those and the car won’t run well and won’t even be driveable to the tuner without making changes within ecuflash.

Ecuflash is used to read, write, and make changes to the tune map on the ecu. You need the specific 3000GT XML file or it won’t work. Same thing for Evoscan. Both of those along with instructions are included with Chrome V2 when you download it from the website. Purchase of the ecu should come with a coupon to download it to waive the $20 fee. Evoscan is the program you’ll use to datalog it.

So as long as you don’t install larger injectors or change out the MAF sensor, you can drive the car around as much as you want. It’ll work just as good as the stock ecu.

I have the stock MAF on the car for now (I have the GM MAF and translator in a box and haven't put it on yet). I have bigger injectors, but have the Apexi air/fuel controller installed and pulled down to near stock levels. Would that still work with ECU or should I just hold off? I'll have to check the box to see if it had the coupon, I wasn't looking for it at the time so I just don't know 100% if it was included (I dont have a reason to doubt its not, just I dont recall seeing it). Thanks again for answering my questions though. This helps a lot. If it will work with the Apexi, then I can save some cash and time at the shop. If not, then its not a big deal, just something they will have to be made aware of when doing the tune.

 

[TurboSinceBirth]

I have the stock MAF on the car for now (I have the GM MAF and translator in a box and haven't put it on yet). I have bigger injectors, but have the Apexi air/fuel controller installed and pulled down to near stock levels. Would that still work with ECU or should I just hold off? I'll have to check the box to see if it had the coupon, I wasn't looking for it at the time so I just don't know 100% if it was included (I dont have a reason to doubt its not, just I dont recall seeing it). Thanks again for answering my questions though. This helps a lot. If it will work with the Apexi, then I can save some cash and time at the shop. If not, then its not a big deal, just something they will have to be made aware of when doing the tune.

You could install the GM MAF/MAFT combo if you’re already going to do that and just set it to stock 360cc settings so it’s just doing a direct translate.

Since you already have the Apexi doing the correction for your injectors you could just swap the Jester ecu in and be fine but when you go to get it tuned you won’t want to keep the Apexi and it should be uninstalled. There’s no reason to be running the piggybacks with Chrome. The MAFT would be necessary to let you run a non-restrictive MAF for 400+hp but outside that Chrome can take care of everything else.

 

[Lamalas]

You could install the GM MAF/MAFT combo if you’re already going to do that and just set it to stock 360cc settings so it’s just doing a direct translate.

Since you already have the Apexi doing the correction for your injectors you could just swap the Jester ecu in and be fine but when you go to get it tuned you won’t want to keep the Apexi and it should be uninstalled. There’s no reason to be running the piggybacks with Chrome. The MAFT would be necessary to let you run a non-restrictive MAF for 400+hp but outside that Chrome can take care of everything else.

sweet. I also have a boost controller, can the Chrome take care of that as well? If I can clear that stuff off my dash, that would be fantastic lol. I plan on getting to the 550 range on HP, part of the reason I got the MAFT setup. Though I do need to check the wiring on it. The setup I got from a guy came with the translator, the MAF and a small 6inch long 3 wire harness that goes between the MAF translator harness and MAF, but when I was originally checking it out, the red light on the translator was blinking. The diagram/instructions said the blink pattern meant it wasn't getting a signal from the MAF, so I need to find out if its the MAF or that 6 inch long 3 wire harness. I haven't seen that extra set of wires on other people's setups that I can recall. So I put it in a box for now to deal with later.

Thanks again for all the helpful info.

 

[TurboSinceBirth]

Yes you can have Chrome control boost. It’s relatively simple to setup the basics of it but the other features like boost by gear, etc are a little more in depth. All it requires is a $15-20 Mac boost solenoid wired in for hardware.

That 6” long wiring harness is to convert the 3 prong GM connector to the newer 5 prong connector. It’s just an adapter so they’re not hard to mess up. You can check the connections.

 

[Lamalas]

Yes you can have Chrome control boost. It’s relatively simple to setup the basics of it but the other features like boost by gear, etc are a little more in depth. All it requires is a $15-20 Mac boost solenoid wired in for hardware.

That 6” long wiring harness is to convert the 3 prong GM connector to the newer 5 prong connector. It’s just an adapter so they’re not hard to mess up. You can check the connections.

The boost controller I have now has a solenoid, could I just reuse that and wire it in appropriately? I'll have to look at that 6" harness thing again, I dont recall one side being for 5 prongs, but I'm probably misremembering here. This is overall awesome information. I'll be able to clean up a lot of wiring with this and get those controllers off my dash. Do you by chance have a link to a diagram for wiring up the boost solenoid to the ECU? I just want to make sure I can do it right, because right now its hooked into the controller. Thanks again!

 

[TurboSinceBirth]

The boost controller I have now has a solenoid, could I just reuse that and wire it in appropriately? I'll have to look at that 6" harness thing again, I dont recall one side being for 5 prongs, but I'm probably misremembering here. This is overall awesome information. I'll be able to clean up a lot of wiring with this and get those controllers off my dash. Do you by chance have a link to a diagram for wiring up the boost solenoid to the ECU? I just want to make sure I can do it right, because right now its hooked into the controller. Thanks again!

A few of them used the same 3 port solenoid but not many so you’d have to attach a picture. This is what they look like:https://www.amazon.com/Valve-Contro...678941216&sprefix=mac+solenoid,aps,118&sr=8-3.

They aren’t polarity sensitive so just wire it into the same wires the factory boost solenoid was connected to. If you end up deleting that whole tree of solenoids when you did the vacuum reduction, then on that main 6 pin plug it’s pin 2 and 5 you want to connect to. The wires are red and red with a yellow stripe.

 

[Lamalas]

A few of them used the same 3 port solenoid but not many so you’d have to attach a picture. This is what they look like:https://www.amazon.com/Valve-Control-Solenoid-Controller-35A-AAA-DDBA-1BA/dp/B07SSSBBZ2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=12DATJOM6LMJ3&keywords=mac+solenoid+3+port&qid=1678941216&sprefix=mac+solenoid,aps,118&sr=8-3.

They aren’t polarity sensitive so just wire it into the same wires the factory boost solenoid was connected to. If you end up deleting that whole tree of solenoids when you did the vacuum reduction, then on that main 6 pin plug it’s pin 2 and 5 you want to connect to. The wires are red and red with a yellow stripe.

Thanks again, I'll have to get that solenoid. I have the car in a shop right now for some different work (they dont do tunes so I'll have that done at a different place), so I'm looking at some pictures and the solenoid is a 2 port apexi one. It looks like it plugged into a harness, that probably goes directly to the boost controller. I did do the vacuum reduction, but the picture was before that. The whole tree is gone. Do you have a link for the setup of this solenoid with the vacuum lines? I want to bookmark it so when I go to do this, I can do it right.

 

[Chang oil]

Pick up yourself a Tactrix cable as well preferred new
This will come with the OBD 2 connector
Even though it is still going to be a OBD1 set up
(Will come with both OBD1 PLUG & a converted OBD2 plug wiring combo)
Both will have ground dongles (headphone style jack)
You'll have to install power and ground directly from ECU to the tactrix cable
Will also come with a V3 to USB wire that will plug into the back of the tactrix plug and you'll be able to hook the USB plug directly into a laptop for data logging purposes
It's a very simple set up
Getting the right drivers for evoscan to run correctly is another animal had my Tuner remotely access my laptop to do my initial set up
With running evoscan & tactrix flash software
Windows 10 preferred
But I think evoscan and tactrix will work on windows 11 with correct driving software

I think the jester chrome ecu might have came with the OBD2 connector it's been a good while since I've installed mine so
Tactrix cable
Also has a micro SD card slot with a memory card formatted prior to recording your data logs as well

OBD1 to OBD2 connector
Even though you are still OBD1
You will be able to see DTC in evoscan
Without having to count CEL flashes
How I mounted mine on a 1G

(Just for reference)

 

[Lamalas]

Pick up yourself a Tactrix cable as well preferred new
This will come with the OBD 2 connector
Even though it is still going to be a OBD1 set up
(Will come with both OBD1 PLUG & a converted OBD2 plug wiring combo)
Both will have ground dongles (headphone style jack)
You'll have to install power and ground directly from ECU to the tactrix cable
Will also come with a V3 to USB wire that will plug into the back of the tactrix plug and you'll be able to hook the USB plug directly into a laptop for data logging purposes
It's a very simple set up
Getting the right drivers for evoscan to run correctly is another animal had my Tuner remotely access my laptop to do my initial set up
With running evoscan & tactrix flash software
Windows 10 preferred
But I think evoscan and tactrix will work on windows 11 with correct driving software

View attachment 310319

I think the jester chrome ecu might have came with the OBD2 connector it's been a good while since I've installed mine so
Tactrix cable
Also has a micro SD card slot with a memory card formatted prior to recording your data logs as well

View attachment 310320

View attachment 310321


OBD1 to OBD2 connector
Even though you are still OBD1
You will be able to see DTC in evoscan
Without having to count CEL flashes
How I mounted mine on a 1G


View attachment 310322


(Just for reference)


View attachment 310323

I did get the Tactrix thing as well. I saw that is very important for the tuning and stuff. The instructions I saw, because my year is that weird hybrid OBD2 thing, is that I have to wire a cable (which is included) to the pin 57 of the stock 12 pin plug. That will allow me to hook up the Tactrix and flash stuff. At least according to the link I shared below. As far as evoscan & tactrix flash, the laptop I ordered comes with windows 10, so I shouldn't have any issues with that. I hope lol. I'll end up spending quite some time researching those programs once I get the car back from the current shop and my laptop comes in. I noticed on your final picture, you have the injector scaling set to 550, is that just something you type in there, or is there a separate drop down list and that just displays what you selected? I'm excited to finally get this car going again. Been a LONG time coming with dozens of stupid issues. Thank you for your info as well!

 

[Chang oil]

I'm not quit sure for scaling
I can build just about anything when it comes to fine tuning it
I leave that up to the pro's....
So far as that I left up to the tuner to get everything up to par on that end ..
It actually needs to be set a 850 what I'm running now

From going back and forth with a tuner will help you track down any issues faster then trying to ohm things out with a multimeter
If you are mechanically inclined it turns any issues you have going on in a faster turn around time to keep the car going ....

Looking at my issues right now the OE MAF has gotta go
After it killed my plugs and my 02s
Figuring things out on my own as I go helps me & others later on down the road even if its posted / digging thru the 3Si archives....
Some good info
Some cheezy info ....
Still gotta pick and choose your own route in what you wanna do
thinking outside the box sometimes helps and creates other cool mods etc.....

 

[Lamalas]

I'm not quit sure for scaling
I can build just about anything when it comes to fine tuning it
I leave that up to the pro's....
So far as that I left up to the tuner to get everything up to par on that end ..
It actually needs to be set a 850 what I'm running now

From going back and forth with a tuner will help you track down any issues faster then trying to ohm things out with a multimeter
If you are mechanically inclined it turns any issues you have going on in a faster turn around time to keep the car going ....

Looking at my issues right now the OE MAF has gotta go
After it killed my plugs and my 02s
Figuring things out on my own as I go helps me & others later on down the road even if its posted / digging thru the 3Si archives....
Some good info
Some cheezy info ....
Still gotta pick and choose your own route in what you wanna do
thinking outside the box sometimes helps and creates other cool mods etc.....

I just realized I never added that link I was talking about lol. As far as the program goes, I'll leave that up to the tuner for the start of things. Maybe after I learn the program better and feel more confident, I'll start tweaking the settings a bit.
Here is the link I was talking about. It is year specific, so I believe this is the setup I'd have to do for my year (95).

Chromedecu.org | 94-97 US VR4 Plug and Play Flash Ecu Installation

chromedecu.org

For the solenoid, I'll have to find a post on how to set up a 3 port one. The currently one, that I posted a pick of, is a 2 port that has a splitter going to each wastegate. I assume the 3 port just changes it so 1 port goes to the gauge, the other 2 go to the waste gates. But i'll figure that out at a later time I guess.

 

[TurboSinceBirth]

You don’t have to set the jumpers for your car if you specified your year and fed or Cali spec but otherwise you’ll follow the instructions there for install.

Here’s the diagram for the solenoid

Port 1 on the right side is vented. Port 3 goes to a boost source. Don’t use the compressor housing as the intercooler pipe next to the throttle body will be more accurate. You’ll lose a few psi going from the turbo outlet to the intake manifold and wonder what is going on. Port 2 goes to the wastegates. T them off with equal length lines to the front and rear. It’s a pretty simple install.

The scaling within Evoscan is set to your injector size so if you should choose to check the duty cycle values they will be accurate. It isn’t used otherwise.

 

[tom93vr4]

I don't think you said which boost controller you now have, but the BCS looks like it may be the Apexi AVCR. A couple weeks ago I decided to try the Chrome 'boost control' - I was using the AVCR. I simply rewired the BCS to the ECU instead of the AVCR, no plumbing changes. It's working just fine (although I have not got it all 'tuned' yet).

 

[Lamalas]

I don't think you said which boost controller you now have, but the BCS looks like it may be the Apexi AVCR. A couple weeks ago I decided to try the Chrome 'boost control' - I was using the AVCR. I simply rewired the BCS to the ECU instead of the AVCR, no plumbing changes. It's working just fine (although I have not got it all 'tuned' yet).

I also have the Apexi AVCR setup. I was wrong about how I have it setup though, I said 1 set of line went to the wastegates with a T and the other went to the gauge. The one that went to the gauge was my dumb ass forgetting about it going to the intercooler pipe near the throttle body, with a T going to the boost gauge. I never had any issues with it, so now I'm wondering if I could just do that, move the wiring over. Do you have a link about wiring it up to the ECU correctly? I want to make sure that I get it correct.

 

[tom93vr4]

There is an old and rather lengthy thread on the other forum which you may want (or not) to read;

3000GT / Stealth / GTO - Controlling Boost with a Flash ECU?

Ok so i have been out of the 3/S game for awhile and came back to find out we now have FLash ECU capabilities. I have been researching this but am a bit confused about how the Flash ECU controls Boost. I am going to be picking one of these setups but need to know the best way to go for Boost...

www.3sgto.org

However, for wiring I just unplugged the connector from the stock BCS, then used a couple 1/4" male spade connectors to run wires to the Apexi BCS. I actually had another 2-pin molex connector in the wires from the Apexi to its BCS so I added another one for the wires from the stock BCS connector just in case I wanted to go back to using the Apexi - but that's just the way I did it.

 

[Lamalas]

There is an old and rather lengthy thread on the other forum which you may want (or not) to read;

3000GT / Stealth / GTO - Controlling Boost with a Flash ECU?

Ok so i have been out of the 3/S game for awhile and came back to find out we now have FLash ECU capabilities. I have been researching this but am a bit confused about how the Flash ECU controls Boost. I am going to be picking one of these setups but need to know the best way to go for Boost...

www.3sgto.org

However, for wiring I just unplugged the connector from the stock BCS, then used a couple 1/4" male spade connectors to run wires to the Apexi BCS. I actually had another 2-pin molex connector in the wires from the Apexi to its BCS so I added another one for the wires from the stock BCS connector just in case I wanted to go back to using the Apexi - but that's just the way I did it.

Do you happen to have a picture of your BCS wiring setup? I'm just trying to get a good idea of how you did it. What I'm understanding is that you took the spade side after wiring it, and shoved it into the stock harness, then on the other end another spade fitting shoved into the apexi BCS. This is just how I'm interpreting your explanation, so I fully expect to be wrong here lol. I'd like to avoid cutting things if possible, but it's not a big issue if I need to. Thanks again for your info