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Nov 18, 2012

Upgraded and Programmable ATTESA From Full Race



I was out of the Nissan Skyline GT-R loop for a while, I followed this thread from 2011 on GTR.co.UK about an upgraded and programmable ATTESA system from Full- Race, but didn't follow up.   April this year, Geoff put up some information on the box they had been working on.  The factory ATTESA system was developed over 25 years ago. It had some changes over the years, but like anything it was a good base but could use some tuning.  Full Race brings you the ETS Pro which replaces the ATTESA ECU, and the ~$1000 factory mechanical and fragile G-sensor.

First of all - the ETS-PRO is a full standalone center diff controller that completely replaces the stock ATESSA ecu and G-sensor, similar to the motec CDC but at far less cost and more user-friendly. You can leave the stock attessa ecu and sensor in place if you wish (doing nothing). In any RB26 application making some real power, this unit literally transforms the AWD system. There is no piggyback or mod you can do to the stock system that I am aware of which has this level of performance and adjustability, the ETS-PRO flat out works - especially noticeable if you have a track car and seat time, we have seen improvements from 2-4 seconds per lap compared to the older stock based atessa


Auto mode is where the ETS-PRO shines. Auto mode uses the gain knob and inputs from the g-sensor and TPS input working off the preset map to determine optimal torque split at the transfer case. Of course you can tune this map via USB, and we will offer free map updates in the future if needed, but thus far I am extremely happy with the performance and based on the track experience weve gathered have no desire to change it at this time. 

Manual mode is a "fixed torque split". Meaning you turn the knob and it goes from fixed 0/100 (knob all the way down = RWD), turn it up a bit more and youre at 20/80, or turn it all the way UP and you can lock it at 50/50. There is no input from the G-sensor here, and it really only makes sense for dirt/off-road use or ice/snow racing. I have no reason to use manual mode in my car, i much prefer the Auto mode, and that is the biggest benefit of the ETS-Pro in my experience. Of course Henrik in Norway contacted me recently as he ice races his r32 GTR and would likely prefer the manual mode. Racing in the rain may also benefit from manual mode, but i prefer to use the high gain setting in auto mode currently

Also if you raise the ebrake up 1 click (so it is not engaging anything except the ebrake light) this has the same effect as 0psi in the transfer case. You can do burnouts, drift, use a 2wd dyno, etc. I personally run the ebrake cutout on a manual switch, but that is just my preference to wire it that way. I go into detail on the instructions for both options

Installation Guide for R32 GT-R.

Q: Does ETS-PRO work on vehicles with A-LSD (Active Rear Differential) :
A: No, if you have an A-LSD equipped skyline, you MUST have an aftermarket rear differential, and eliminate A-LSD (highly recommended). We suggest using ETS-Pro with a clutch pack 2-way rear differential even stock GTR 2 way reshimmed to NISMO spec plate:disc:plate:disc is highly recommended (and free). Most high quality aftermarket units with a smooth lock like Carbonetic, ATS, OS Giken (soft lock version for 4wd) or Nismo may also work well. The key for a 4wd car like this is a smooth locking diff that is not overly aggressive, but does not slip open either.

All for only $499. Less than 1/2 the price of a new OEM G-sensor. Looks like I will be giving this box a test in the future.

3 comments:

AndyStuttgart said...

What a pity it doesn´t work with the A-LSD...maybe this would have been a workaround for my non-working ATTESA with the AEM Series 1 ECU...

Anonymous said...

Have you gotten around to testing this out? The review looks like you've used it but then you mentioned that you need to test it out in the future.

Sean Morris said...

I have one that I haven't finished installing yet. Its about 1/2 way installed, so I wanted to have it for the next track day. The last track day, you could hear the car spinning the tires out of some corners, this should help a lot with grip coming out of corners.

http://www.gtrusablog.com/2013/09/fontana-nissan-5-meet-auto-club.html

I would like to get the car out to Buttonwillow or Willow some time in the near future.