Just curious if there is any advantage performance wise using the Holley Terminator X system vs the stock ECM. Thinking of switching because I like the digital dash option but curious if there is any tuning advantage that you can do with it that is not possible with the stock unit

 

I dont think there is a tuning advantage except tuning the holley is a bunch simpler in my opinion. But that is an opinion thing really. The holley shines becuase it does two step, boost control, nitrous control, meth injection control, traction control if you add the extra sensors. Etc. It really isn't a contest.
Honestly if you add the cost of hptuners, two step, boost controller together your most your way to a holley terminator.

 

Are those options available on the Terminator? I was under the impression they were only available on the Dominator

 

The terminator has less input outputs so you have to choose your options but they are all available on the terminator.

 

Yes they are all available in the Terminator X software. Limitation is the 4 inputs / 4 outputs.

Terminator X is so easy to program safety features as well. I have mine set to monitor for excessive IAT(meth not spraying), low fuel pressure, lean AFR, over boost, etc. It is going to react way faster than I will watching gauges.

Also factor into the cost that it includes a WBO2 sensor and acts as your controller and gauge. Running closed loop with the wideband makes dialing in your VE table almost idiot proof.

 

I cant believe I forgot about the wideband. Makes the terminator even more affordable.

 

Its absolutely no contest. Aftermarket ECUs offer so many things that the stock ECU can't even dream of.

 

Since you mentioned the digital dash your post, If you get either of the Pro dashes then you also get.

• Input and output functionality for 13 multi-configurable inputs, and 4 ground switched outputs.
• User defined alarms for any input

 

For a true street car I like to keep my factory cluster and all gauges working with zero codes or faults.

 

This is what almost got me to jump onto the TerminatorX bandwagon.
But then the more I thought about it, the less sense it made, to ME or MY car.

I already have HPTuners (15 years now), as well as an electronic boost controller, 2 step, transbrake, wideband, flex fuel sensor, and no desire to lose my factory fuel level and other gauges, or the cluster.

Not trying to badmouth Holley, and yes, the Terminator X Max (to control my 4L80E also) is $1300, but factor in all the little extras that you'll want or need...miscellaneous switches, pigtails, harnesses, sensors, and a $1000 "dash", it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for someone like myself, who has everything pretty well dialed in, and 100% functional already. $2500 will buy a lot of drag radials and E-85, lol.

Now on my son's car, an LS Turbo Foxbody project, it made perfect sense to go Holley, as we're starting from scratch.

I'm on several FB Holley pages and am a little concerned that there are so many people complaining about Holley's lack of support...as in there is none...or very little. I know people ALWAYS report the bad, and rarely the good, but there's plenty of bad to go with all the pedestal placing of Holley. I just hope our new experience is trouble-free, like many before us has been.

So, some of you may not think I am talking out of my ***, lol, I used the Holley Sniper on my Chevelle, just over 4 years ago when it first came out, and after dicking around with Fitech and their idiots. Had only 1 issue, their supplied POS wideband sensor crapping out within the 1st month or so. But aside from that, it worked great. The drawback is, the small, palm sized controller is all but useless, (unless you are parked) as a "dash", so you pretty much need to figure in a human sized ($1,000 or more) Holley dash in order to see what's going on...
Driving down the road, you ain't seeing **** on this thing:


Ditto.

Cliff Notes:
New Build started from scratch = Holley Terminator, hands down.

 

i think its a great middle ground and useful step up from a stock ecm with add on boxes like boost controller and 2 step, but its a far cry from what a hp or dominator offers once you want to get weird. the datalogging has been so shitty and problematic for me i just gave up entirely and stopped messing with my car until i can upgrade from the terminator x to the dominator.

 

If you have nothing into HPT or EFIlive etc, and you are not already equipped with ancillary equipment as pointed out above.. go Holley.

I had a old 4th gen cluster that was always acting up and the lack of ability to datalog so much info thru a 0411 pcm made it a easy choice. I am not sure if remote tuning is easy/done with HPT, but my tuner has gotten my car running awesome all via remote tuning. #holleyfanboi here

 

I had a wideband. I own both efi live and hp tuners with spare credits on them. I had a stock harness and pcm laying in the corner..

I still bought the Holley system. Way worth it. Even upgraded to the HP ecu this month so I could put low z injectors in and use the map based boost control without burning a input.

Stock ecu works great. Really does. But I eliminated having extra boxes and piggy back devices in the build. My wiring is very simple and will be easy to troubleshoot quick in the event I have a issue.

Bump/staging box $300, wideband $200-300, boost controller $300-500, meth/nitrous controller $200, etc etc.... aftermarket ecu’s make a lot of sense in applications where you need this stuff.

if you got a basic street car with none of that running 7-12 psi. Probably not worth it

 

I have 2 Holley term X. I don't even understand how you can go stock ecu even with a stock motor. By the time you change anything you need a retune. One of mine is stock LS1 except cam. Maybe if I was doing bone stock ls swap I would look into the hassle of sending off the ecu for vats and all that for 100 bucks then spend another 500 on a used harness. You are almost there to get so much more and flexibility. I don't understand how its even an option. Maybe I am missing something.

 

Kward, do you understand tuning? Simple question.

 

Termi x is night & day better, if you loose oil pressure, there a safety to shut it down, if the fuel pump gets weak, it will add fuel on the fly to keep from melting it down, if it has a wastgate issue, you can set a over boost up so it shuts the system down, tuning side is way easier, data logging better, plus you have boost controller option, I am fuel tech guy, but you can not buy a system in the same price range as termi that is as good

 

It's probably possible with enough outputs, but the better solution would probably be to piggyback sensor signals into the stock pcm so that it can still run the dash. I didn't get to try this, my stock ecu bricked and forced my hand upgrading to the Holley.

 

This,

You need to piggy back or run dual sensors to feed both PCMs, but its def doable. Folks have done it before. I would not burn outputs trying to run a GM cluster, just seems backwards to me.

 

People have been using the Holley Terminator X to piggyback the stock Gen 4 ECUs to retain all OEM functionality with huge success.

 

I'm planning on piggybacking a terminator on the back of the e38 in my 5th gen camaro so all the gauges and stuff work but the terminator controls my engine and trans. Only thing I'm going back and forth about is letting the e38 control the throttle or letting the terminator do it. Id lose my cruise if I let the terminator do it. I hate buying the no dbw terminator and then finding out the e38 just won't control the throttle piggyback and have to rebuy the dbw terminator.