Mini MS3 01-05 with OBD

The Mini MS3 for the 01-05 Miata/MX-5, now with full OBD-II support!


Overview

The Mini MS3 with OBD-II is an extraordinary new product from MS Labs. A one-of-a-kind product, it offers complete OBD-II compatibility, just like a stock ECU. It was made for strict regulation markets, like Germany and Switzerland, where customers need their ECU to be able to pass OBD-II inspection on a yearly basis.

Make no mistake–this ECU won't help you cheat on emissions. Instead, if your car is properly tuned so that it meets the emissions criteria, it allows the state inspection equipment to connect to the ECU to verify this.

This ECU supports all the OBD-II modes that the stock ECU supports: Mode 01 (Realtime data and monitor status), Mode 02 (Freeze frame data–yes, the ECU stores freezed frames), Mode 03 (stored DTCs), Mode 04 (clear DTCs), Modes 05-06-7 (monitor test results), Mode 09 (not actually supported by the stock ECU!)

The ECU supports the active monitoring of all outputs (injectors, idle valve, VVT solenoid, EGR valve, purge control valve, front and rear lamda heater, fuel pump, cooling fan, condenser fan, A/C compressor, VTCS valve, CEL, battery light) and will generate a fault code (DTC) if any are in fault (open circuit; short to ground; short to battery positive).

The ECU also supports monitoring of inputs (coolant temp, air temp, MAF, TPS, crank signal, cam signal, front lamda, rear lamda, alernator input, battery voltage, main relay voltage, immobiliser, brake, power steering pressure switch, clutch switch, neutral switch, knock sensor, barometer) and will correlate these signals with various data and logic to diagnose whether all these sensors and inputs are working correctly, like a stock ECU.

Please see the Features tab for a list of all available DTCs.

This ECU, like it's normal Mini version, supports everything you would need to upgrade your car's performance: sequential ignition with support for R8 coils, electronic boost control, closed loop lamda control (requires external lamda controller), switchable maps, launch control and flatshift and the ability to hand up to 43.5psi/3bar of boost. Flex fuel input is standard, and there are two spare digital inputs, 1 spare analog input and 3 spare programmable outputs.

The Mini with OBD also has a realtime clock to keep track of the time and date on logs if you want to add an SD card to log without a PC.

Please note that many functions that are normally handled by the MS3 processor, are now handled by an additional processor but all these functions can still be configured through TunerStudio. These functions include the cooling fans, the A/C, the idle control, the check engine light, the alternator control and the battery light. Please consult with us if you need to control these through the MS3 processor, as this may not be possible.

Product Features

The Mini MS3 ECU for the 2001-2005 NB with OBD(MMS30105OBD) includes:

  • Batch fire and Sequential injection
  • Wasted spark or Sequential ignition (Coil On Plug, Coil near plug)
  • Advanced knock control with DSP and knock windowing
  • Advanced idle control (stock 2-wire idle valve)
  • VVT Control
  • Alternator Control with idle compensation
  • Smart Battery Light Control
  • Tachometer output
  • Dual cooling fan output (Cooling fan with idle-up, condenser fan [if available]) with independently configurable idle-up
  • Advanced A/C control
  • Electronic boost control with 2 boost tables, boost by gear, boost by VSS
  • Valet mode
  • Power steering idle-up
  • Advanced CEL control
  • Full Immobiliser control
  • VICS output
  • TEN input support
  • EGR support with 3D step map
  • Catalyst warmup map
  • Full OBD-II support through the OEM OBD port (K-Line) with support for all OEM OBD-II modes and support for up to 92 DTCs (not all supported at the moment; 62 are supported and 30 more available with a future update–please note that this is not guaranteed!)
  • Currently supported DTCs: P0010, P0011, P0012, P0031, P0032, P0037, P0038, P0101, P0102, P0103, P0106, P0107, P0108, P0111, P0112, P0113, P0116, P0117, P0118, P0121, P0122, P0123, P0125, P0126, P0128, P0132, P0133, P0134, P0138, P0139, P0140, P0327, P0328, P0335, P0340, P0403, P0420, P0443, P0480, P0500, P0505, P0506, P0507, P0550, P0703, P0704, P0850, P1602, P1604, P1621, P2177, P2178, P2187, P2188, P2195, P2196, P2271, P2502, P2503, P2504, P2507, P2610
  • Currently unsupported DTCs: P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0401, P0441, P0442, P0446, P0455, P0456, P0461, P0462, P0463, P0600, P0605, P1487, P1603, P1608, P1622, P1623, P1624, P2004, P2006, P2009, P2010, P2401, P2402, P2404, P2405, P2407
  • 2 spare digital (on/off) inputs (for switchable maps, launch control, datalog start/stop, boost high/low, etc), ground to activate.
  • 3 spare programmable outputs (On/Off or PWM)
  • 2 spare 0-5V analog inputs (one for lamda input and one spare)
  • Externally accessible SD Card slot
  • Internal MAP sensor for up to 43.5psi of boost
  • Onboard barometric pressure sensor
  • Realtime clock with battery backup
  • Flex Fuel sensor input
  • CAN Bus connectivity
  • USB port

Product Specifications

  • Operating voltage: 7.5-15.5V DC
  • Absolutely maximum voltage: 18V DC
  • Operating current: 145mA
  • Number of processors: 2
  • Processor type/speed: 16bit, 50MHz with XGate CoProcessor
  • Enclosure: None, ECU fits inside OEM case
  • Length: 154mm
  • Width: 159mm
  • Height: 32mm
  • Weight: 0.34kg
  • Color: Black
  • Operating temperature: -20°C to +105°C

Product Options

The Mini MS3 with OBD doesn't have any options.

FAQ

This is a list of the mist frequently asked questions we get. If you didn't find the answer you were looking for here, please contact us.

What is a standalone ECU?

A standalone ECU is a user-programmable ECU that fully replaces the OEM ECU. This is the opposite of a ‘piggyback ECU', which works in parallel with (and requires the use of) the stock ECU.

What is the benefit of installing a standalone ECU in my car? How many HP will I get?

A standalone ECU will not give your car ‘X' additional HP just by installing it. Think of the standalone ECU as a tool that will help you unleash the potential of your engine, with any modifications you may have installed (such as a turbocharger, supercharger, cams, intake filter, headers, exhaust, etc), by fine tuning the air/fuel ratio of the engine and adjusting the ignition timing so that peak torque can be achieved throughout the engine's rev band.

Is a standalone better than a piggyback ECU?

This widly depends on the use of the car and the modifications it actually has. A piggyback ECU is some times easier to tune if the mods are basic intake/exhaust mods. However, many times the changes are not consistent over time. For example, you may find that a tune that was done during the winter is no longer good during the summer and vice versa. Sometimes this may happen the following day or even on the next engine restart. This is because the piggyback ECU doesn't have all the facts and only coarsely changes the injection duration and the ignition timing. This becomes much more evident when replacing the OEM injectors with higher-flow aftermarket injectors.

So how does a standalone fare better than a piggyback?

The standalone has absolute control over all the sensors of the engine, as well as full control over the injectors and the ignition timing. This means that the ECU knows whether the climate is hot, warm, cold or freezing, it knows if the engine just started, if it is warming up or heatsoaked, it knows how much throttle you are applying and whether you are in boost or not, of if the engine is knocking. It then takes all these inputs and calculates the proper fuel injection duration and applies the proper ignition timing.

That sounds complicated. Do I need years of experience to actually even get the car to start?

No. Our plug and play ECUs come with detailed instructions for an easy install, and with basemaps so that you can get started immediately. There's no need to go looking on the Internet for maps to load; the ECU will come preloaded with one.

Downloads

Manuals

The following product manuals are available for download: