Funny you should bring this up: I'm reviewing different ECU options (Megasquirt being one) this very day and finding the "ECU housing" part of the rule to be excessively restrictive, with no good reason.
I understand the genesis for the rule: we were trying to avoid the "Motec in a box" syndrome. It was an (ultimately ineffectual) way to try and limit ECU modifications to the original board; unfortunately, it failed (kinda like how Prohibition was supposed to eliminate alcohol consumption; all it did was put it on the black market, increase its price, and decrease its quality.)
I suggest the rule be amended to allow open ECUs, as long as the original unmodified wiring harness is used. I may even suggest - given further thought - that we allow the OE ECU plug to be cut off and wires molded to an aftermarket plug (however, it is a far simpler matter to adapt to an unmodified harness plug then it is to cram it into an unmodified ECU housing). I do not believe we should allow additional sensors/inputs, wires, or outputs.
We've been down this road before; there are many, many threads on this forum arguing over this very contentious issue. I expect this thread will be no different. What I am suggesting is that the original apparent intent of the rule failed, so let's let bygones be bygones and accept the new paradigm openly.
Rules creep? In the letter-of-the-law sense of the words, yes. But, within the "new" spirit-of-the-rules sense, no. - GA [/b]
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