Being FNG2, I get the honor of rummaging through Jonnie's junk mail. That's what he calls press releases and the sort. I'd like to think he doesn't know this, but he is always wondering how I know about new products before he does. I find all sorts of cool stuff sent to him: JDM parts, fan mail, and press releases. That is how I came across the V-Force Power Control Module. After reading the release I was not sure exactly what it did, but I had to see it. Anything that uses a RISC 20Mhz processor to optimize the ignition spark while it advances and recalibrates the fuel map has to be cool. It definitely grabbed my attention; I wanted to know what it did and how it did it. Of course, that was solved by a call to the guys at JET and a visit to their shop.
Before anyone bursts my bubble and spoils my fantasies of electronic bliss, let's discuss what this little tuning gadget does. As mentioned it optimizes the fuel mapping and ignition timing. In short it alleviates the factory-tuned fuel economy that most of you wouldn't even worry about. Here's how it accomplishes this. It reads the MAP sensor and Throttle Position Sensor, alters the voltage, and sends a false reading back to the ECU. The ECU then takes this "reading" and evaluates what needs to be adjusted. The signal the V-Force sends to the ECU makes it think it needs to increase the fuel and ignition curve.
The guys at JET did some research on this project and the results aren't too shabby. The unit comes with a very detailed instruction manual which shows everything, right down to where to find the wires and the color of the wires needed. They chose to show us the product installed on a '95 Honda Accord EX, of the automatic trim, to prove the V-Force's versatility. Never fear though, as the unit is available for many Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi applications. Observe, as I, FNG2, witness the unit installed without lifting a tool or a finger, except to snap pictures.
Dyno ResultsDyno results rarely lie. Especially when performed on the same dyno, the same day, within a short time of the original test. When I arrived at JET they were just about to strap the car to the dyno. I watched as they pulled the Accord onto the dyno, strapped it down, and did the initial testing. Unfortunately I only printed out a graph showing the horsepower results, sorry guys.
The baseline run showed the Accord putting out 154.9 at the wheels. Definitely not a bad baseline run, but this left me skeptical as to what the V-Force would produce. The install was performed without removing the car from the dyno. The unit is run by processors so there is really no tuning to be done. It was wired up, turned on, and the dyno was again fired up. The run with the V-force installed shows peak horsepower to be 162.9 at the wheels. That's an 8hp increase over stock. The power also increased throughout the whole rpm range. I can definitely say the dyno showed the V-Force to be something to think about when purchasing the next part for your car.
The Low DownMSRP $239
Pros Ease of installation, price, and dyno results.
Cons Not tunable. The unit is self-tuning based on what the processor sees.
Install Difficulty Intermediate
Verdict Definitely a product to think about purchasing when you are looking for your next upgrade.
Tool BoxWire crimpers/strippersPhillips head screw driver Slotted driverElectrical tapeDrillRatchet 10mm socket