Calif. vs. Fed/Canada ECU?? Also JET reprogram? - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

lexusmech · 06-19-2005, 03:14 PM

Hi, haven't been around the board much. Busy moving and working.

I've been toying with the idea of making headers, then getting my ECU reprogrammed. While searching for a donor ECU to get programmed, I found there were different models pending whether you lived in CA or not. I was wanting to hand onto my old ECU for smog reasons.

Does anyone have any idea of the differences this might give me? Any real hard gains? I found some on car-parts.com for about $75.

Also does anyone know what type of gains a reprogrammed ECU from JET would give me? What are they going to change? Ign timing? fuel curve? etc etc????

I've already dumped quite a bit into this motor and I know there has to be some more power in there somewhere! I'd like to do some serious playing with my ACIS too. I'll be moving into a place very soon where I can stabilize my life and get started on my projects.

My mods so far for a manual 2vz: balanced motor, mildly ported heads, milled heads (compression is about 9.5 now), a true cold air intake (which I had to move the battery to the trunk), aluminum flywheel, mildly ported exhaust manifolds, no muffler.

Future plans include headers (home built), larger exhaust, maybe even squeeze in a larger cat (I plan on staying semi eco friendly). I've also played with the idea of a flapper valve for the exhaust. Install oversized exhaust with the flapper valve to help maintain some back pressure. I've heard of this on a motorcycle.

I work for Lexus so tools and shop access are no problem. Welding there is pretty much a no no though. When it comes to ECU programming I'm not really that in depth on it but could understand most stuff and catch on quick.

thanks

lexusmech · 07-08-2005, 01:26 AM

back to the original question, would a non CA ecu give me power gains?

white90dx · 07-08-2005, 03:43 AM

Wire in an SAFC or similar piggy back for fuel/ignition tuning for mild performance changes. I haven't heard good things about jet or any of the other 'we can tune any car' ECU 'reprogramming'.

A CA ecu probably will not get you any improvements and is mostly likely incompatible with your wiring harness (it has additional things like EGR gas temp sensors and a second O2 sensor... at least it does on the 4-cylinder).

-Charlie

chronoti · 07-08-2005, 08:33 AM

^ yup ca has more sensors and what not ... diffrent harnest. you proll have a ca car you need to stick to that ecu or else you need a diffrent wirin harnest

lexusmech · 07-08-2005, 10:18 AM

my only argument would be that if I look in the factory schematics, I don't see provisions for "calif." and "non-calif" harnesses, ecu's, HP, etc etc. Manufactoters don't often publicize that CA cars have less HP but for wiring it would be pertinant to later troubleshooting. Food for thought.

oops my bad, so far the only thing I see is the exhaust gas temp sensor feeds to the air flow meter....hhmmm a non CA air flow meter?

Toysrme · 07-08-2005, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lexusmech

Does anyone have any idea of the differences this might give me? Any real hard gains?

None, the differance between ca vs federal at that time was simply a post cat o2 sensor to warn when the cat was completely dead.

Also does anyone know wh

Quote:

Originally Posted by lexusmech

at type of gains a reprogrammed ECU from JET would give me? What are they going to change? Ign timing? fuel curve? etc etc????

Again, none. Jet isn't copitant enough to un-soldier Toyota chips. They can't re-flash Toyota chips. We still haven't discussed the fact that they don't know how they are programmed. They'll simply slap a JET sticker on the outside & send it back.

You'll have to go a piggyback, or stand-alone route. Do what the rest of us do with the ACIS, hook it to a real vacuum port (instead of the vsv) so that it closes any time the throttle is open off-idle.

The headers are the same style logs used on later v6's. Custom headers don't make any signifigant power on the later v6's, I see no reason the 2vz should be different. Very, very little in the name of cost / power. You could fit a turbo on that car with the same cost + some DIY.

lexusmech · 07-08-2005, 06:04 PM

Thanks toysrme, i was mostly getting back to the ca/non ca ecu idea. I read your IM's on the headers and Jet.

As for reprogramming ecu's, we can reprogram the new ecu's. We did some reprogramming on shift improvements on the IS 300's. But that is a later ecu and also with a factory programmer. But on that note, if we could do it, couldn't JET figure it out?

If I could sit and physically watch the guy reprogram my ecu I'd believe it and be willing to pay for it. Hm,,, I do live in CA?

Wraith · 07-09-2005, 12:15 PM

Jet programs only work for Domestic ecu's not for imports...

Toysrme · 07-09-2005, 12:46 PM

Actually I appear to be wrong on the 2vz-fe headers. Jetspeed down in AUS. Seems to have great gains out of them.

There *are* some people that can reprogram the old 22re, and 3s ECU's scattered around. It would be a 50-50 shot that it's the same stuff & they could do it. Even if you could find someone, they've more than likely never delt with a 2vz - so they're not going to be able to just slap in new numbers, they'll have to test it and blah-blah.

I just think it's way easier to put on a piggyback in our case. It would probably be cheaper also.

lexusmech · 07-10-2005, 01:54 PM

Piggyback? As in the SMT6 (I think thats what it is)?

Another idea that popped in my head I'd be willing to try just because is use a '92 computer. I've compared the sensor inputs and they're pretty damn close as far as what sensors are used. I used to have the list's of the two computers' inputs and they were pretty damn close. It still uses the same MAF (i'm pretty sure), THA, distributor, knock sensor (except the '92 uses 2 i think, but thats easy to work around), etc etc.

Not sure what kind of gains I would get. I think that ecu would be flexible enough not to notice the different size motor. Things I wonder about are the injector timing, injector open length, fuel pressure, idle air control, etc etc. Hopefully if I was lucky, I could simply get a plug for the new ecu and slid the original pins out of the old plug, rearrange them, and slide them into the new plug. hhhhmmm, more food for thought.

white90dx · 07-11-2005, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lexusmech

Piggyback? As in the SMT6 (I think thats what it is)?

Another idea that popped in my head I'd be willing to try just because is use a '92 computer. I've compared the sensor inputs and they're pretty damn close as far as what sensors are used. I used to have the list's of the two computers' inputs and they were pretty damn close. It still uses the same MAF (i'm pretty sure), THA, distributor, knock sensor (except the '92 uses 2 i think, but thats easy to work around), etc etc.

Not sure what kind of gains I would get. I think that ecu would be flexible enough not to notice the different size motor. Things I wonder about are the injector timing, injector open length, fuel pressure, idle air control, etc etc. Hopefully if I was lucky, I could simply get a plug for the new ecu and slid the original pins out of the old plug, rearrange them, and slide them into the new plug. hhhhmmm, more food for thought.

Uhhhhh... are you talking a 3vz ECU on a 2vz?? No way, it won't work. Or, even if you get the wiring right, you fuel/ignition/idle/etc. will be all screwed up.

Get a piggyback and have it tuned - SAFC, E-Manage, SMT6, etc.

-Charlie