ECU upgrade 101
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ECU upgrade 101
If you are driving on of those xAs or xBs, there is no reason to upgrade your ECU.
It is my understanding that you bought this vehicle for the price, the aftermarket products, and how applicable it is to have. (groceries, friends, kids, blah, blah, blah)
If you go and upgrade your ECU you may, MAY, see an increase. The true way to do it is to rip out the ECU and ship to the company, then they alter it, and send it back. Depending on the alterations you may neeed to upgrade alot of your solenoids, and rethink how the engine is managed stock, fuel/air, oil, etc.
Most companies however just add a chip that confuses the hell outta your ecu. So when it reads the AFM sensors the chip gives it false information. You don't want that. The only reason you should go and do this upgrade is if you want to run boost that is far above the safe limits of your engine. I will give you an example.
My Supra runs at 12 psi. When I upshift the engine slows and the RPMs decrease. Because of the sudden change of fuel do to braking or lettin of the gas to shift, the 12 psi has no where to go. So the BOV reacts and dissapates the boost. Because my BOV can't handle 12 psi of boost, the boost builds up temporairly. Causing my ECU to read that the AFM is way off. So fuel cut initaiates and kills my engine for a split second. If I upgraded my ECU, I would lose the fuel cut set up for when my engine is about to predetonate or blow a head gasket. This is just an example as to why you shouldn't touch your ECU. Not unless you are hoping to hit high HP and Torque gains. And if that is your goal, you shouldn't have purchased an xA/xB.
I am not sayin not to do it. If you want to feel free ti's not my car. But just think of this bit of info tucked away somewhere.
It is my understanding that you bought this vehicle for the price, the aftermarket products, and how applicable it is to have. (groceries, friends, kids, blah, blah, blah)
If you go and upgrade your ECU you may, MAY, see an increase. The true way to do it is to rip out the ECU and ship to the company, then they alter it, and send it back. Depending on the alterations you may neeed to upgrade alot of your solenoids, and rethink how the engine is managed stock, fuel/air, oil, etc.
Most companies however just add a chip that confuses the hell outta your ecu. So when it reads the AFM sensors the chip gives it false information. You don't want that. The only reason you should go and do this upgrade is if you want to run boost that is far above the safe limits of your engine. I will give you an example.
My Supra runs at 12 psi. When I upshift the engine slows and the RPMs decrease. Because of the sudden change of fuel do to braking or lettin of the gas to shift, the 12 psi has no where to go. So the BOV reacts and dissapates the boost. Because my BOV can't handle 12 psi of boost, the boost builds up temporairly. Causing my ECU to read that the AFM is way off. So fuel cut initaiates and kills my engine for a split second. If I upgraded my ECU, I would lose the fuel cut set up for when my engine is about to predetonate or blow a head gasket. This is just an example as to why you shouldn't touch your ECU. Not unless you are hoping to hit high HP and Torque gains. And if that is your goal, you shouldn't have purchased an xA/xB.
I am not sayin not to do it. If you want to feel free ti's not my car. But just think of this bit of info tucked away somewhere.
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,018
From: Lake Jackson, TX
Gee...the previous car I had, I bought an aftermarket ECU, installed it in 5 minutes, and gained ~20whp. Just from messing with the air/fuel curves. Every car is different so there's no telling what an aftermarket ECU will do for these cars until someone actually does it.
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 309
From: Petaluma, CA
Upgrade the "solenoids"? Which solonoids would those be??
A properly reprogramed ECU is necessary to manage an engine with extensive modifications.
A modified ECU on a stock engine is not going to get much gains at all. It depends on how well the air/fuel curves were done at the factory. Some MFGs spend more time and effort on it than others. I to have done a chip upgrade on my other cars with great results but I would not expect much from these cars.
ken
A properly reprogramed ECU is necessary to manage an engine with extensive modifications.
A modified ECU on a stock engine is not going to get much gains at all. It depends on how well the air/fuel curves were done at the factory. Some MFGs spend more time and effort on it than others. I to have done a chip upgrade on my other cars with great results but I would not expect much from these cars.
ken
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Right he key word is properly. I knida bothced this thread when I started it. I ment this to be a warning. Alot of people just go and do it form companies they haven't researched, and that gets you no where if they do it wrong. If you got it to work, good, you knwo what you are doing, but for those who don't know what this does to your vehicle and the ones that think this a mod that you can do and you will have no problems, be warned. If the company does it right you will be alright, but if they don't your engine will be ion a world of hurt.
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