There are many, PGMFI Commercial ECU’s available, the major players for Honda 1996 - 2001 vehicles are ProECU and Hondata, there also several free solutions although none of these provide a commercial tested and trailed product, real time tuning solutions, or come with any local support or warranty.
All PGMFI solutions are based around an emission standard called OBD1.
During the Early 1990’s Honda Developed several ECU’s which now have been engineered with additional features, by people like ProECU and Hondata.
Thankfully for Honda owners, Honda designed there ECU’s in such a way where today’s technology can now safely control and re program them to control almost any Honda engine perfectly, with almost no limitations. This was mainly achieved as the “tune” information was separate from the central processor of the ECU, so one could very effectively replace the “data” and use the ECU to control the new data, thus retune the ECU. This is exactly how solutions like ProECU and Hondata Work
In late 1995 the Environmental Protection Body of the World, released a new Emission standard “called” ODB2 which forced Honda and all car manufactures to redesign there ECU’s in the way it deals with emissions.
Honda’s Answer was to develop a new kind of ECU to meet emission standards, which is commonly known as OBD2a, unlike before Honda incorporated the main processor and “data” section all into one surface mount processor component. Honda newly developed ECU did not have any provision to use external data, nor was the Honda Processor rewriteable in any way, which for now has seen a complete end to PGMFI solutions for these ECU’s, several company’s have looked at making a replacement programmable processor for these ECU’s although the projects have been dropped due to OBD1 conversion being cheaper and more effective.
With the new wave of ECU’s Honda changed the Plugs at the ECU, although majority of all the sensors and the way the engine operated stayed exactly the same.
The PGMFI solution for these newer incompatible ECU’s that Honda was now producing was to create conversion harness’s to allow the older standard ECU’s plug up to the new OBD2a wiring. Remembering the only difference is emission control standards in which the ECU communicates to OBD2 emission devices.
So essential the PGMFI world has been able to adapt its technology and live on despite the new emission standard via simplify using a compatible PGMFI OBD1 standard ECU wired for a 1996+ wiring. In late 2001 Honda released a new revision called obd2b and again slightly changed the wiring of there ECU’s
How to tell what ECU you have by looking at the Plugs
 |
OBD IIb (left 3 plugs used)
|
OBD II ECU
|
OBD I ECU
|
OBD 0 (JDM PR3 and PWO)
|
Solutions
Wireharnes’s or Hondata’s Plug and Play ECU
You can use a compatible PGMFI ECU and use a Wire harness like pictured below or use Hondata conversion option as also pictured below.
Civic, Integra 1996 - 1998, and Prelude 1996-2000
Civic, Integra 1998 - 2000
Linear Mode
