Reprogramming the "smart" ECU?

[cmjohnson]

OK, gurus, here's one for you:


I've got a '92 Camry with the 3VZ-FE in it, in factory trim.

The ECU (the brain) adjusts the performance of the engine system according to how you drive. If you're gentle with it, it optimizes the peformance for gentle driving, with relatively slow throttle response and shifting gears very smoothly.

If you start romping on it for a few days, putting your foot to the floor, making jackrabbit starts, passing people at full throttle, ect. the ECU will adjust and the throttle response quickens up a LOT as does everything else about the performance of the engine and transmission.

The difference between the two setups can be as great as night and day.

But if you don't keep driving it hard, it'll revert back to the mild mannered driving profile in just a couple of days.

I would prefer to keep the ECU in the higher performance mode at all times, though I can go for weeks without ever cracking the throttle very far.

How would I go about getting the ECU to stay in performance mode without having to drop the hammer a couple of times a day while driving?

I can hardly be sure I can even manage that, not in daily commuter traffic. I have to wait for the weekend before I get open stretches of road ahead of me suitable for some heavy throttle work.

CJ

[jm_2thow]

didnt know ecus did that

[Deep]

Yeah its funny how much they do. Most people would say grab an SAFC or similar, but theres a debate about how much they really do once the ECU has 'learned' that its air/fuel ratios are being fucked with it and reverts to stock or as close to stock as it can. Short of going standalone with multiple programable maps, I'm not sure there is anything you can do.

[Phi]

Originally posted by Deep
.. but theres a debate about how much they really do once the ECU has 'learned' that its air/fuel ratios are being fucked with it and reverts to stock or as close to stock as it can...

oh crap! I never thought of that! I guess I'll just have to keep driving like a maniac

[cmjohnson]

It definitely DOES make a big difference. Drive like a raving maniac for a week or two and then drive like a timid little old granny for a week or two, and then try to return to driving like a raving maniac again. The ECU won't let you do that, at least, not for a while. It'll take a couple of days to get the throttle response back.

I've got to make sure I punch it a couple of times every day I go driving, or the ECU gets soft on me.


CJ

[AustSV21]

do generation two camry's have this ECU?

[FALCON2691]

does it do this for the celica also

[powderblue91]

im pretty sure they do for gen 2

[smokey8890]

damn ODBII

[Morpheus]

thats nuts.
I had no idea

[Chris Corolla S]

I have heard of this but never noticed it on my 2001 5-speed Corolla.

[HeNry2kOoL]

I thought it's only cars with ECT-i would have this feature. Cars without it like the auto Gen2 and 3s (and maybe Gen1s?) has the manual ECT button to hold rpms longer and give a better shifting response without all that learning process. Unless the ECU does do that too...

[epborden]

Gen 2's are somewhat similar, but like he said there is the ECT button for power and normal driving modes. All you have to do is push the button for what mode you want. There is a big difference. With power mode on you can hear it holding until red line, with normal on it shifts before. The ECU still adjusts though, it has to. If you put in a custom cai for the Gen 2, it takes about a week for the ECU to adjust. So yes, Gen 2's are somewhat the same.

It really is a good thing you have one though, the cars are supposed to be fuel economical, so the car adjusts for you depending on how you drive so you get what you pay for from the gas station, basically.