How dependable is a FAST XFI set up? or maybe a BS3?

[Steve]

I built a car(not a turbo Buick) a few years ago and I bought one of the first FAST EZ EFI set ups they sold and it was a nightmare! The ECM died 3 times in the first 10 hours of run time. FAST said it was due to faulty parts from thier suppliers but I was disappointed to say the least. I expected a qaulity product from FAST but that was not what I got and it goes to show that you really don't want to be the guinea pig on a new product! I know the XFI set up has been out for a while and I haven't heard of a lot of problems but I want something that is going to be 100% reliable. My car will see a good amount of track time but it will see a lot of street time also including a few thuosand miles in a week on the Hot Rod Power Tour. If you have a XFI would you recommend one for my car? I would also consider a BS3 and I would welcome some feedback on those also. Thanks for the help!

Steve

 

[smoke20]

same guy made fast and bs3 both good want best go Motec

 

[Steve]

same guy made fast and bs3 both good want best go Motec

I know John Meaney developed both systems originally but John has not been involved in FAST in quite some time. I am the most interested in the qaulity of the systems because I know both systems are very capable of taking care of my performance needs but after the EZ EFI debacle I went through I want a system that will give years of service without sudden unexplained failures. I know that nothing lasts forever and things happen but I want to be as confident as possible in which ever product I buy.

 

[bison]

I want something that is going to be 100% reliable.

I dont really know anything that is 100% reliable in the racing industry. Ive seen OE stuff take a dump in less than adequate time (sometimes repeatedly) and its typically had a lot more R&D than anything aftermarket. If your looking for something that you can quickly extract the most power easily id look into an XFI or BS3. If you are looking to race your car a few times a year and making less than 9 sec power use the KISS method. Its hard to beat the stock stuff up to that point. Btw both my cars have XFI. No matter what engine i put in either car the tune is close within a few WOT hits. This can be quite a bit more challenging with a stock ecu that doesnt have any wideband feedback.

 

[Steve]

I dont really know anything that is 100% reliable in the racing industry. Ive seen OE stuff take a dump in less than adequate time (sometimes repeatedly) and its typically had a lot more R&D than anything aftermarket. If your looking for something that you can quickly extract the most power easily id look into an XFI or BS3. If you are looking to race your car a few times a year and making less than 9 sec power use the KISS method. Its hard to beat the stock stuff up to that point. Btw both my cars have XFI. No matter what engine i put in either car the tune is close within a few WOT hits. This can be quite a bit more challenging with a stock ecu that doesnt have any wideband feedback.

Thanks for the reply. I have had a few 10 second cars and I have always used the stock ECM with the usual add ons(translator etc.) but this time I starting from scratch with a stock car so I have no investment in anything else so I can go either way and by the time you factor in everything the price difference is not that great. The car will likely be in the low 10's and maybe dip into the high 9's on a good night so for that level either XFI or stock ECM will work ok. If it wasn't for the EZ EFI debacle I would buy the XFI and never think twice about it but I am a little gun shy now. I even went as far as driving 12 hours round trip to FAST once with the EZ EFI ECU to get it repaired and waited for it because I was tired of waiting two weeks every time it died and I sent it in!

 

[RickC]

Reliable on a Daily Driver

I've run an XFI 2.0 on my daily driver since July of last year. So far about 12000 miles in Florida weather. I can't say anything about the track because the car is basically stock and never been but it is holding up well to daily wear and tear. The XFI solved countless maintenance problems/questions I had with the stock setup just trying to keep it running reliably. So far I've had the TPS sensor, Ignition control module and coil pack all go bad in the last year at different times (they were 24 years old) and each time I was able to diagnose the problem in a few minutes with the laptop. The XFI is what lets me keep using the car as my daily driver. I recommend it.

'87 GN
1 owner
164000 miles
42.5lb injectors, XFI 2.0, 'rest stock

 

[XXQUICK6XX]

Plus your customer support from where you buy it from. Should be taken into consideration no matter on which system you decide on.

 

[northerngn]

I feel that XFI is very reliable...hell, since going 2.0 and having Cal set me up with a safe and powerful target afr table...I don't even briang a laptop with anymore...what more do ya need?

 

[boostt76]

Hi I

 

[boostt76]

Sorry about the previous thread. I run the xfi with new 2.0 version and it is awesome worth every penny . By the way Cal hartline of Hartline performance is a distributor and expert too.

 

[grey racer]

Installed the XFI a year ago and am totally satisfied with the outcome. I can only imagine the money I might have spent if not for the troubleshooting capabilities of the FAST.
It takes the guess work out of finding problems that would normally be a nightmare of money and aggravation. Cal Hartline is a great person to work with and ridiculously honest.
I put on about 10,000 miles a year and have made 70 passes with my car and haven't had a problem.....Without the XFI, I have a feeling I would be rebuilding a blown motor !!!

 

[JayC]

same guy made fast and bs3 both good want best go Motec

John had nothing to do with the XFI.

 

[JayC]

If this is a Buick and its not a sub 10 second car, the MAF Pro would be a no brainer.

 

[jpwalt1987]

If this is a Buick and its not a sub 10 second car, the MAF Pro would be a no brainer.

What would be the advantages of the MAF pro over something like the TurboTweak SD chip?? I am in the same situation as the OP and cant decide what to get. Thanks, Jeremy

 

[Nasty Wendy]

I drove my car from Bowling Green to North Carolina through the mountains with a newly installed FAST XFI and my car ran flawlessly and got 25mpg.

 

[d0n_3d]

Plenty of people running FAST XFI systems on their daily drivers with success. It is an awesome computer. I'm running one on my stock motor setup right now (not running quite yet). But that's only because I got the XFI for dirt cheap. Gotta keep up with these new cars technology wise. A stock 25 year old computer system can only do so much! Plus you can eliminate the stupid fail-prone stock MAF and you don't need a scanmaster. And if your stock wiring harness has seen its last days, I would highly recommend getting the GM TPI standalone harness. Don't really think running a $2000 ECU system with a 25 year old wiring harness is the best idea in the world. Just saying.

 

[SuperCPA]

.....If your stock wiring harness has seen its last days, I would highly recommend getting the GM TPI standalone harness. Don't really think running a $2000 ECU system with a 25 year old wiring harness is the best idea in the world. Just saying.

I recently purchased that harness through Cal. Did you drill a new hole to route the new harness through the firewall closer to the back of the engine? The length of the sensor leads past the firewall boot concerns me that they will not reach their proper locations without doing so. Is there a link to some pictures or some additional information you can share that might give me a better idea of how it worked for you?

 

[HighPSI]

Carl, I have had customers run the harness both ways. If you use the factory hole, you will have to mount the computer close to the stock location so the harness will reach the back of the engine and then "blossom" out to the sensors. If you drill a new hole behind the engine, you will end up with a much cleaner install. and can use the XFI grommet at the firewall. If yoou have any questions, you can always call me.