ecu question

[h22accordlxvtec]

i have a 93 accord with a f22a4 with intake full exhaust and am lookin to get more horses... i was told the p28 ecu is a good way to go... i can get my hands on a p28 chipped for $25 but am wondering if i will gain or lose...i was also told the p14 is good too any info

[5sp5drCB]

I don't see how a p28 would help you out much. You may see a small gain after some tuning but do you think it's worth it? I'd throw the money in the H swap jar. I've read alot of info concerning this issue on here before...just do a lilttle more research.

[GhostAccord]

For $25 I'd get it no matter what. You are going to need to have it tuned on a dyno to see any real gains, if any. The $25 Chipped P28 (if it works) is well worth picking up on even if you don't use it with your current engine setup. You will have it for any other Honda engine you may want to tune.

[h22accordlxvtec]

what about the p12 any takes on that

[GhostAccord]

Your not able to chip and tune a P12 like you can with the P28. The p12 also won't operate the intake secondary throttles (IAB). The chipped P28, on the other hand, can be modified to operate the IAB's.

[deevergote]

GhostAccord, remember what section you're in... I'm quite certain "chipping and tuning" wasn't even part of this guy's plan.


The P28 is a Civic ECU. It will not run your engine in stock form. It has to be modified, and properly tuned for your motor. $25 for the ECU, $20 for the chipping kit, and $500 to have it tuned on a dyno... or $500 for the tools and a ton of studying to learn how to do it yourself... or $100 for a local "street tuner" to do it, and maybe do it right. It would also have to be from 92-95... 96+ is OBD2, and is completely useless to us.

Furthermore, the P28 is a VTEC ECU. It is commonly used in modified form for the H22A. If you want to go with a modified ECU, tuned for your particular motor, the P06 from the LX/DX model 92-95 Civic is a common choice. Just as with the P28, it MUST be modified and tuned properly, for your engine. It can't just be installed.

The P12 is made for the F22A1 in a Prelude, which is identical to the F22A1 in the Accord. The great thing about your F22A4 is that it's identical to the F22A1 in every way except the exhaust manifold. So the P12 will get you a little power if you just slap it in there. No modification needed.

The P14 is made for the H23A. A 2.3L engine with higher compression than your F22A4, and I believe it runs on 91-93 octane, as opposed to the F22A4's 87 octane requirement. The P14 would not be beneficial at all to you.

[StinkinLincoln]

Deeve is right!! Damn thats hard to say.....lol

[excoupemt5]

GhostAccord, remember what section you're in... I'm quite certain "chipping and tuning" wasn't even part of this guy's plan.


The P28 is a Civic ECU. It will not run your engine in stock form. It has to be modified, and properly tuned for your motor. $25 for the ECU, $20 for the chipping kit, and $500 to have it tuned on a dyno... or $500 for the tools and a ton of studying to learn how to do it yourself... or $100 for a local "street tuner" to do it, and maybe do it right. It would also have to be from 92-95... 96+ is OBD2, and is completely useless to us.

Furthermore, the P28 is a VTEC ECU. It is commonly used in modified form for the H22A. If you want to go with a modified ECU, tuned for your particular motor, the P06 from the LX/DX model 92-95 Civic is a common choice. Just as with the P28, it MUST be modified and tuned properly, for your engine. It can't just be installed.

The P12 is made for the F22A1 in a Prelude, which is identical to the F22A1 in the Accord. The great thing about your F22A4 is that it's identical to the F22A1 in every way except the exhaust manifold. So the P12 will get you a little power if you just slap it in there. No modification needed.

The P14 is made for the H23A. A 2.3L engine with higher compression than your F22A4, and I believe it runs on 91-93 octane, as opposed to the F22A4's 87 octane requirement. The P14 would not be beneficial at all to you.

wicked awesome info! *bow* i was just about to ask the question you just basically answered, lol... and not to hijack, but is the P12 tuneable? like for a hypothetical f22ax turbo application?

[deevergote]

No Accord or Prelude ECU is fully tunable to the average tuner. The big tuning houses such as Spoon and Mugen have done things to them (and even then, that was really only the H22's P13), but guys like us can't do much more than change the fuel delivery.

If you want to tune, use a P06 for non-VTEC, and a P28 or P72 for VTEC.

[excoupemt5]

No Accord or Prelude ECU is fully tunable to the average tuner. The big tuning houses such as Spoon and Mugen have done things to them (and even then, that was really only the H22's P13), but guys like us can't do much more than change the fuel delivery.

If you want to tune, use a P06 for non-VTEC, and a P28 or P72 for VTEC.

sweet, thank you kind sir

[GhostAccord]

The P12 is made for the F22A1 in a Prelude, which is identical to the F22A1 in the Accord. The great thing about your F22A4 is that it's identical to the F22A1 in every way except the exhaust manifold.

Aren't the intake manifold and the camshaft different as well. I thought that's why all the A1 owners do the swap to the A4-A6 intake, Pt4-F50 camshaft and the PT6 ECU. So the P12 makes more power with the A4-A6 setup? Are there any dyno graphs that show the power gains? Do you have to remove the IABs as well or operate them manually?

[quaidum]

Aren't the intake manifold and the camshaft different as well. I thought that's why all the A1 owners do the swap to the A4-A6 intake, Pt4-F50 camshaft and the PT6 ECU. So the P12 makes more power with the A4-A6 setup? Are there any dyno graphs that show the power gains? Do you have to remove the IABs as well or operate them manually?

the a4 just has the tubular header
the a6 had a different cast exhaust and iabs, cam and pt6 ecu

[GhostAccord]

the a4 just has the tubular header
the a6 had a different cast exhaust and iabs, cam and pt6 ecu

Thanks for clarification. I always thought that the A4-A6 were the same. That's what ya get for not owning a Cb I guess.

[deevergote]

True (not that I've had an F22A in my possession since I got into CB7s...)

F22A4 is an F22A1 with a tubular exhaust manifold. Intake manifold and camshaft are the same, as is the PT3 ECU.

F22A6 has the different exhaust manifold (cast, but not the same design as the A1's cast piece), intake manifold with IAB, camshaft, windage tray, stiffer valve springs, and the PT6 ECU. The PT6 controls the IAB electronically.

The P12 is designed for the F22A1 in the Prelude. That F22A1 is identical to the F22A1 in the Accord. The intake and exhaust are different (not the manifolds, but the actual piping), so that may make some difference, but the majority of the difference lies in the ECU. That F22A1 is rated at 135hp, rather than 125hp like the one in the Accord.

There is nothing saying that the P12 will offer any significant advantage over a PT6 on an F22A6, or an F22A1 with F22A6 (or H23) parts. People that say this are merely assuming. In the tuning world, 1+1 does not always equal 2. The P12 will give nearly 10hp to a stock F22A1, but it may actually result in a loss in power on an F22A6. It's not simply a bolt-on 10hp.