Possibly a dumb question... but with breathing mods like an intake, exhaust, plenum, cats etc... which model year ECU seems to be best at compensating for lean conditions?

The reason I ask, is that I've been studying posted dyno charts recently and it looks like '03s seem to have the fewest lean conditions and respond to modifications the quickest by richening the fuel mixture

any thoughts?

 

You would have to do a search, but I recall a couple of posts stating that the 2004.5 ecu appears to be better at living with mods. I think it was based on the fact that the AFR wasn't looking bad on a few modded 2004.5 where comparable earlier versions would be very lean. It may have been on another Z board. I can't remember now.

From my own experience I recently added a plenum spacer about 3 weeks ago. Immediate results were what appeared to be better throttle response mostly. Now all of a sudden that has increased even more and the car is running noticably stronger. Did the ecu finally adjust and is now taking better advantage????? I don't know, but it looks that way.

When I get the time to offline the car and get the pulleys, headers and hi-flo cats in I will dyno the final package in prep for an ecu reflash so I guess I will know whats up at that point.

With what i have installed so far I have not detected the signs of a very lean condition which is knock. I have not detected a single occurrance.

 

Again, the running lean issue.
Running lean and it being an issue is such a misconception.
All Zs will run lean with mods such as exhaust, intake etc, no way around it.
but they don't run lean enough to blow things up either. The newer computers in the Z compensate more than some of the older ones, and adjust themselves accordingly.
BUt for basic bolt ons, running lean shouldn't be at all a concern. people on the threads really blow it way out of porportion