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Harness builders take pride in their work, and Chad is no exception. He uses color-matched wiring, AEM-compatible connectors, and weather proofs everything with heat shrinking and an additional protective layer inside. This is followed by a sealing agent outside the wire, at the end of the heat shrink, going above and beyond.
All of these sensors will be joined to our 12-pin connector coming from the expansion port of the S54 PnP harness. Our MKC 5-connector harness probably has about a couple hundred dollars in raw materials alone, and a full morning’s work! The AEM Infinity is now set to accept other desired sensors, should we turn to a boosted or E85 application in the future.
While the AEM Infinity works with the car's factory sensors, AEM supplies the needed MAP sensor, which sits at the back of the intake manifold.
With all said and done our engine bay still looks very factory original.
And now the fun part—tuning. MKC owner Chad Charlton has been Project M3's tuner, as well as for Project Supra (can you spot it?).
Chad has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to engine tuning. When asked what he likes most about the AEM Infinity over the competitors, he replied, “I like how easy the software is to use. If you're coming from using a [AEM] Series 1 or Series 2, the learning curve isn't steep at all. Sure, the tuning is different with engine modeling using VE versus look-up tables, but the graphics user interface is very user-friendly.” He adds, “Also, the addition of a setup wizard and its advanced functions make it a breeze when setting up a new application from scratch as opposed to the work it would normally take without a base calibration to start with.”
After inspecting the contents, Chad followed a step-by-step online procedure that included product registration, and then downloading a base map that AEM developed to get the M3 fired up. Having never started a car with the AEM Infinity, there was much anticipation. But even with our not-so-stock setup, the car fired right up and idled perfectly. We hadn’t even hooked up the 02 sensor yet. It just can’t be this easy!
I sat there trying to get the car to hiccup with rough stabs of the throttle but it totally resembled the stock feel, thanks to the drive-by-wire R&D by the AEM team, and the Infinity's speed and VE capabilities. It was splendid.
