Mega Squirt Pnp

A5literMan

At least it is lumpy...
5 Year Member
Jul 30, 2011
4,674
2,345
194
Illinois
Anybody on here have any experience with the MS plug n play? Keep looking at it and the Anderson Motorsport PMS. Really leaning towards MegaSQuirt opinions anyone?
 
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Heres my Mega Squirt experiance
Just wanted to share my nightmare with Mega squirt or DIYAutoTune.com. Bought a Brand new mega Squirt PnP 2 for the ease of plug-n-play. As I tried my best I was not able to get the engine to fire unless I plugged back in my factory ECU. Im a weekend wrencher and thought maybe I was at fault and brought the mega squirt into a reputable Autotune shop in town. They experienced the same issue and spent 4 hours ($440)trouble shooting with no resolve. DIY auto tune assisted over email with no success. DIY wanted to try more trouble shooting but at $110/hr the Autotune shop advised me that its a hardware issue. I took there advise and sent it back for a diagnostic, DIY was able to recreate my problem and had is shipped back in 4 buisness days (Cost to me $120 shipping/import). Once picked up I had my car towed back to the Autotune shop and they still were not able to get the car started unless they plugged my factory ECU back in. Im up to 4 tows at this point ($480). So im at $1040 above the cost of the mega squirt and the car still has to be tuned. I asked them if they could reimburse me for any of the costs. They replied
"Hoffan Innovations will not be held in any way responsible to any accidental or consequential damages including direct or indirect labor, towing, lodging, garage , repair, medical or legal expanse in any item in our catalog or to the delay or inconvenience caused by the necessity of replacing or repairing any such item"
After all of this I let them know I would atleast like a refund as I could not sell the mega squirt in good faith, nor could I use it for my car. They did not reply to my last couple email or offer a refund for the faulty device.
Im sure there are some success stories with Megasquirt out there but this was definitely not one of them. My advise is to just stay away if you can.
 
I happen to agree, I have a MS powered vehicle myself. If you check out the digital tuning forum [I run that section BTW] there are dozens and dozens of successfully tuned MS cars on this site.

Also I fix bad tunes done by shops all over the US all the time. If they are not familiar with the system its easy to fail at a tune. Post what you have on the Megasquirt help thread and i will be happy to take a look at it for you.
A link to the help thread is in my signature
 
I happen to agree, I have a MS powered vehicle myself. If you check out the digital tuning forum [I run that section BTW] there are dozens and dozens of successfully tuned MS cars on this site.

Also I fix bad tunes done by shops all over the US all the time. If they are not familiar with the system its easy to fail at a tune. Post what you have on the Megasquirt help thread and i will be happy to take a look at it for you.
A link to the help thread is in my signature

Thanks for your advice? you may want to re read my post. Once I sent it back they were able re created the problem I was having as in the Mega squirt was broken and it wasnt the tune shop.... DIY was more then willing to spend all the time in the world to help over email but it was costing me $110/hr in the shop. The shop sent them all the Data log files, tested all the components and they still were not able to get the engine to spark. As soon as I removed the Mega junk, and plugged in my factory ECU it would run. Also looking further there seems to be just as many bad reviews for mega squirt as there are success stories just a fyi.
 
Yours in the only unsuccessful story I have ever heard of.
BTW, there are other suppliers that sell an equivalent or better version of the Megasquirt, i.e. PiMP by Stinger Performance.

The only only unsuccessful story?? haha google Mega Squirt issues. There is literally a facebook page with over 600 people complaining about their platform. My mission is to save as many people from going through what I have experienced.
 
Thanks for your advice? you may want to re read my post. Once I sent it back they were able re created the problem I was having as in the Mega squirt was broken and it wasnt the tune shop.... DIY was more then willing to spend all the time in the world to help over email but it was costing me $110/hr in the shop. The shop sent them all the Data log files, tested all the components and they still were not able to get the engine to spark. As soon as I removed the Mega junk, and plugged in my factory ECU it would run. Also looking further there seems to be just as many bad reviews for mega squirt as there are success stories just a fyi.
Your lack of understanding a system and having to pay a shop is not there fault. The only negative reviews I have read are from those like yourself who do not understand the first thing about tuning and outsource it. I built my own unit and heavily modified it, if i have a problem it is of my own making. I also spent enough time with the hardware and software to know how to fix an issue.
The circuit required to fire the TFI in a ford is very simple and i highly doubt it was bad unless the ignition settings were incorrect. Having the polarity on the output reversed will melt the circuit or burn up the tfi module. Fyi.
 
Btw, if the shop had the spout removed the system will not produce spark. The ms needs the spout signal to recognize the rpm and set an advance. If they had the spout removed you would never get spark. Fyi.
 
Your lack of understanding a system and having to pay a shop is not there fault. The only negative reviews I have read are from those like yourself who do not understand the first thing about tuning and outsource it. I built my own unit and heavily modified it, if i have a problem it is of my own making. I also spent enough time with the hardware and software to know how to fix an issue.
The circuit required to fire the TFI in a ford is very simple and i highly doubt it was bad unless the ignition settings were incorrect. Having the polarity on the output reversed will melt the circuit or burn up the tfi module. Fyi.

Hmm do you go out searching for bad reviews? your biased opinion was pretty clear from the get go, I get it! youre a Mega Squirt cheer leader. It took them 2-3 business days to even figure out a possible solution, but im sure you would of found it sooner ;). How about you search negative mega squirt reviews, or mega squirt issues? May clear up your comment about the only person to struggle with Mega Squirt.
 
Hmm do you go out searching for bad reviews? your biased opinion was pretty clear from the get go, I get it! youre a Mega Squirt cheer leader. It took them 2-3 business days to even figure out a possible solution, but im sure you would of found it sooner ;). How about you search negative mega squirt reviews, or mega squirt issues? May clear up your comment about the only person to struggle with Mega Squirt.
Nope, people struggle all the time I just happen to help them with there problems. Your arguing with someone who has been successful with over 40 MS powered cars... you have no dog in this race my friend, be butthurt that's your right but dont cry to me about it. I tune all kinds of systems and all of them have there problems. Get the :leghump: over it.
 
Nope, people struggle all the time I just happen to help them with there problems. Your arguing with someone who has been successful with over 40 MS powered cars... you have no dog in this race my friend, be butthurt that's your right but dont cry to me about it. I tune all kinds of systems and all of them have there problems. Get the :leghump: over it.

No need to get defensive, I get it! you like to pump your own tires. Im just sharing my experience to warn other users, as Is my right on a forum. Im sure there are lots of pro mega squirt posts, why not tune into one of those and tell them how great you are? Dont forget to tell them about all the 40 MS youve done, im sure theyll be impressed.
 
No need to get defensive, I get it! you like to pump your own tires. Im just sharing my experience to warn other users, as Is my right on a forum. Im sure there are lots of pro mega squirt posts, why not tune into one of those and tell them how great you are?
Because I have already helped them tune there cars. Over 2 dozen members on this site and counting.
I dont claim to be great others do that for me. Bye felicia
 
Yes you came into a thread that is 5 years old and gave a review on a standalone ECU that you had problems with. Did you ask for help over at the MS forums? Did you come here and ask the dozens of members that have ms powered cars for help? Did you ask on the corral? How bout yellow bullet? Grassroots? Thehamb?
I dont go out and look for negative reviews on a product that has worked every time I used it, (well there was a b16 honda i had issues with but that was a simple pot resistor adjustment.)
If you didnt you did not use the resources at hand, MS is all about getting help from the 'community' of other users.
The other gentleman you insulted is an engineer, we are not cheerleaders we simply know of what we speak.
 
Yes you came into a thread that is 5 years old and gave a review on a standalone ECU that you had problems with. Did you ask for help over at the MS forums? Did you come here and ask the dozens of members that have ms powered cars for help? Did you ask on the corral? How bout yellow bullet? Grassroots? Thehamb?
I dont go out and look for negative reviews on a product that has worked every time I used it, (well there was a b16 honda i had issues with but that was a simple pot resistor adjustment.)
If you didnt you did not use the resources at hand, MS is all about getting help from the 'community' of other users.
The other gentleman you insulted is an engineer, we are not cheerleaders we simply know of what we speak.

haha just cant let it go hey? your are being soft.
If by insulted you mean point out the fact that im not the only unhappy customer as he suggested? Its a difference of opinion leave it at that so you can get some sleep tonight. If not Im more then happy to keep telling how disappointed I was might the MS. Your call
 
I will sleep just fine dont you worry about that. You see unlike yourself I can tune and troubleshoot my own car.
Your the only unsuccessful story he has ever heard of.= he doesn't go around looking for problems because he hasn't had any.
Your welcome to your own opinion as am I, the first thing I offered was to help. Your half cocked attitude is very grating, calling me a cheerleader because I'm successful with my ventures was childish at best. You have a great Christmas as well, sorry you couldn't get it figured out and gave up.
 
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Never said from the beginning I was competent when it comes to tuning a car. But claiming the tune shop that has built there business on Tuning cars doesnt know what they are doing it another thing. So keep pumping your tires bud, i think you could do a better job of it but looks like you dont mind getting in the practice. Further more-

Shouldnt have to send the MS back for repairs, they admitted there was an issue. But youre right! I should of stuck with it and fixed the hardware problem myself on my brand new MS haha
 
Never said from the beginning I was competent when it comes to tuning a car. But claiming the tune shop that has built there business on Tuning cars doesnt know what they are doing it another thing. So keep pumping your tires bud, i think you could do a better job of it but looks like you dont mind getting in the practice. Further more-

Shouldnt have to send the MS back for repairs, they admitted there was an issue. But youre right! I should of stuck with it and fixed the hardware problem myself on my brand new MS haha
Not my intent, they are responsible for the fix. However, your shop should have done a composition log which logs the ignition system inputs and outputs. Verified cam input (pip signal in distributor)then if the MS showed rpm but no output from the coil (lack of spark or no rpm on the gauge cluster) the output inside the MS was at fault.
This should have taken 10mins at best not 10hrs.
If you had come here and asked I could have helped.
 
Steve is not a cheerleader, he has hairy legs and likely looks terrible in a skirt.
that said, I don't condone people coming here and throw negative posts around about products that many here use with great success, if you have a bad taste with the ms system then so be it. Don't come here thinking you're going to convince anybody to not use it because you had a problem, I already deleted a thread you tried in another forum here spouting your dislike for ms so you came here specifically to bad mouth the system. Go to facepage and join the so called legions of ms unsatisfied customers.
 
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