aftermarket sniper install problems

[sweetk30]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=755514

post # 117 on page 5 of this thread .

if you are thinking of a holley sniper efi system read up here . this is just a short list of all the problems i have had with them .

guys are also saying fitech has about the same problems .

but i have NOT heard near as much with edelbrock stuff .

take it with a grain of salt and make your choice as you with is all i can say at this point .

[PGSigns]

I posted in your thread. I pulled mine after 4 months and it went back never to return.
Jimmy

[cadillac_al]

No surprise. It's hard to beat the reliability of an old Qjet. Both of my trucks are still running the original 40 year old carbs with no issues. Fuel pumps don't last like they used to but it only takes a half hour to change one. I hope you can get your money back.

[sweetk30]

sad part here for me is i might be screwed . purchased 5/2017 for this project . finaly got running and road worthy after the build up time and work and such by 11/2018 . . . . lot of time past and i dont think the way he was talking on the phone this morning to me he was going to be that nice to me on a full refund . let alone parts swap out .

i know a guy who did get a warranty job on the sniper unit 1 month out of date and had no vehicle to drive for 2 weeks .

[weq92f]

.
I have to report that the MSD Atomic unit on top of my BBC engine just keeps on delivering what the marketing and documentation describe.

It had a failed IAC valve that caused a warm start issue with idle and stalling but that was easily diagnosed and fixed with a replacement part from the parts house. I've got the integrated ECU controlling my radiator fans now too which is a major bonus!


Just my couple pennies...

-klb

[sweetk30]

good to here on there part . but funny thing is holley parent co. owens msd / and others . look here for a masive list . if you think your not buying there stuff think again . . . https://www.holley.com/brands/

[The Rocknrod]

I'm glad to hear Holly is doing so well.

[sweetk30]

yep there just lovely . . . .

spent a good 4-5 hr's today sofar screwing with this thing and empty the sd card / reload it / update it / start new wizard program / dive it with data logging on / then bam goes crazy again barly able to save data log file . then try and drive it no sd card as per tech help and didnt even get out of park in my driveway and its going bonkers crazy . got video on my flip phone and sent it to the guy helping me from another forum and also to the tech guy at holley who has emailed me back .

this sh!t getting old real quick man this is my daily driver / driveway plow truck since my driveway is 8,000sq'ft of blacktop i am not going to shovel that sucker in the upstate ny snow belt machine winters we get .

i need this to frigin work orits getting a fuel pressure regulator and a edelbrock 1406 carb

[weq92f]

Wow... Good info about Holley being parent to MSD ( et al ).. !!

Some easy digging also finds this...

MSD introduced Atomic EFI in 2012:
https://www.onallcylinders.com/2012/...ection-system/

Holley acquired MSD in 2015:
https://www.enginelabs.com/news/holl...industry-deal/

Holley introduced the sniper in 2015.

Hth,

-klb

[PGSigns]

After the second failed fuel pressure regulator I started driving it with fuel pressure gauge hooked up. Fuel pressure would drift up to about 100 pounds. Pulled the little screen out and that dropped it 20 psi. Put an aeromotive fuel pressure regulator on it to get that part working. They really need a steady 60 psi to function. The linkage and the short throttle arm make drive ability suck on a good day.
Jimmy

[sweetk30]

yep 10-4 on the gauge for the fuel system . mine is an autometer electric 0-100 sweep unit front and center next to my tack .

[SunSoaked]

My 1406 and regulator are working great since I tossed the Sniper! Don't get me started on fuel pressure guages. Lots of research after the fact revealed why liquid filled guages drop to zero when they get warm. But that's another story. Just save yourself the headache and only but the Aeromotive guage. It's vented and doesn't have the problem.

[homemade87]

Originally Posted by SunSoaked

My 1406 and regulator are working great since I tossed the Sniper! Don't get me started on fuel pressure guages. Lots of research after the fact revealed why liquid filled guages drop to zero when they get warm. But that's another story. Just save yourself the headache and only but the Aeromotive guage. It's vented and doesn't have the problem.

I had the same problem with the oil gauge . I drained the oil out of it to give it a try . Seems to work pretty good now . I guess the oil gets hot and obscures the reading . I check mine cold and after warm up . Seems to be reading the same now . If I ever change it will be a Aeromotive as well .

[sweetk30]

UPDATE : i got my replacement handheld unit today . it had over 1.5hr of time in the house and warm shop to get up to temp from the cold up here in the north .

plugged it in let it do its little dance and rebooted it aspr the directions on tthe screen told me to . once rebooted guess what ????

D.O.A out of the box new it loads to the main screen of 6 options but no matter what you touch / drag / press it does nothing .

already called holley tech AGAIN and did what they asked me to do and now i am sitting here waiting yet again for my 3rd handheld unit .

[SunSoaked]

Not surprised, I went thru thier crap twice before tossing the POS in the trash. Truck has been running great with the Eddy 1406 ever since. I'm done with Holley. Sorry to hear it.

[The Rocknrod]

You probably could have gotten a great intake and carb from edelbrock or even a new street demon carb that would've worked out of the box. I have never done a after-market efi system, dont plan to after reading this.

[sweetk30]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

You probably could have gotten a great intake and carb from edelbrock or even a new street demon carb that would've worked out of the box. I have never done a after-market efi system, dont plan to after reading this.

4x4 truck i want efi .

and no thanks on the demon carb . read this list here to see how big they are and your screwed if you think your leaving them . https://www.holley.com/brands/

[SunSoaked]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

You probably could have gotten a great intake and carb from edelbrock or even a new street demon carb that would've worked out of the box. I have never done a after-market efi system, dont plan to after reading this.

It's just this Holley junk. Some systems work great. My Edelbrock Pro-flo was as good as the factory. Never one issue and it lasted over a decade until I switched to Vortec heads. I will go back to EFI as soon as funds permit.

[The Rocknrod]

Originally Posted by sweetk30

4x4 truck i want efi .

and no thanks on the demon carb . read this list here to see how big they are and your screwed if you think your leaving them . https://www.holley.com/brands/

Wasnt designed by Holley, they just bought Demon out - Still would have been better than what you've got.

[sweetk30]

wow what a read this was . even the pro builders are having problems with sniper and switching over brands .

http://www.edelblog.com/tech-tips/el...multi-port-efi

and fyi : my system i have still yet to feel comfortable with trusting it . and i am now on my 3rd handheld controller unit . the 2nd one was d.o.a. out of the box new .

[The Rocknrod]

Ya but it was written by Brian Hatano, Digital Content Creator at Edelbrock so . . .

[sweetk30]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

Ya but it was written by Brian Hatano, Digital Content Creator at Edelbrock so . . .

but they come to edelbrock and asked what thy can do for them .

i noticed that info and i just read it as another piece of info good or bad .

the other site i am on the few guys running pro flo 4 after removing there sniper / fi-tech units have reported less problems already . 1 guy just did a days worth of wheeling fun and said its much better . and another guy got his x-mas gift early this year in a BIG edelbrock box .

reason i made this thread to help others online searching find some first hand real feedback / good articles to read / real facts and not fake info like some of what holley has provided on the side of there box or in sales pics . i have done a lot more reading / searching since my problems started on the first day of start up . and i am not the only one with handheld controller problems .

and to be fair i dont include much fi-tech as i have never use one or had my hands on 1 . so any info i have provided is direct from other people posting there real first hand problems .

and to be clear i search the stuff the same way for each brand on the search box in yahoo . and i have found way less problem threads on edelbrock pro-flo 4 than the amount you see on sniper problems.

if someone still pics brand - X then so be it .

[The Rocknrod]

So what made you go with the one your using now? Just curious.

[SunSoaked]

Having switched from a 10 year old Pro-flo that worked flawlessly, I had buyers remorse before I even bolted it on. At over $1300 I figured I'd at least give it the benefit of the doubt. I was WRONG! Even when it ran good, it was far inferior to the Pro-flo. Port injection will ALWAYS be better than a wet manifold TBI.
It doesn't matter who the author is, the facts remain. Go big or go home. If you're gonna half ass it with TBI- don't bother. Edelbrock dropping TBI altogether says alot.

[sweetk30]

glad you asked i should include this in my little story . . . . sorry turned in to long story .

i have known on and off of edelbrock over the years and always use there intake manifolds . i know they have efi but figured the price point was a bit more than i wanted at the time .

i had been seeing all these holley / fi-tech ads and i figured i do some reading up on them . found a lot of guys in a group running around a 50/50 mix of the 2 . at that time 1.5years ago from current now they were doing great and happy . i even did a poll question for the 2 brands as to what do you have or would you buy and it also was a split of 50/50 for the most part .

so i figured the new guy on the block or the old forever name . . . . i went holley as the price for the options i wanted was within 5 bucks of the sniper to fi-tech .

then now as you have read just some of my problems with the sniper i was very un-happy with the units performance out of the box on day-1 of the start up as it had handheld unit problems.

then my customer service help over on there chat forum like we have here was a slap to the face with a brick the way i was welcomed with my first question and first reply from a moderator / admin guy . and even a few members were nastyish to me .

then i gave up there for a few days until i got a private message from a member who wants to stay private but offered to help . and within 30 emails back/forth and under 5 hr's time and also emailing and talking with holley tech but mostly this guy we pin pointed my bad controller .

then holley didnt want to do much from the sounds of it as i had had the unit since may / 2017 order date and received mid june / 2017 due to back-order . they just dont get it some guys build as they go but you cant build with out parts on had to build from and around .

when i said yes its out of the warranty but i just fired this up and i have time / date stamped pics of my entire build and first fire up and video proof of the problem they said o.k. send it in and we will see what we can do .

so i did this and then received another brand new d.o.a handheld . then they were going to regular ship it and that would get to me mid next week . i said nope i need it now i am done screwing around . so they said o.k. and next day air shipped it to me sat delivery . . . . that 1 finally works o.k. for now .

but in the mean time i have been searching and found all sorts of problems and people removing them and going edelbrock with much better results .