Good News: ECU outlook good
New Member
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: South Carolina
Originally posted by Intrepid
The Electronic Control Unit (ECU) controls the fuel injection system, ignition timing and the fuel pump. Based on information from the input sensors (engine coolant temperature, barometric pressure, air flow, etc.), the ECU determines optimum settings for the output actuators (injection, idle speed, ignition timing, etc.). By adusting these parameters (or "maps") you can often increase horsepower.
The Electronic Control Unit (ECU) controls the fuel injection system, ignition timing and the fuel pump. Based on information from the input sensors (engine coolant temperature, barometric pressure, air flow, etc.), the ECU determines optimum settings for the output actuators (injection, idle speed, ignition timing, etc.). By adusting these parameters (or "maps") you can often increase horsepower.
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Joined: Nov 2002
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From: Oceanside Ca
Cheston:
Since someone said you did this first with the Maxima (which is a VQ motor as well), can you tell us how much gain in HP and torque the upgraded ECU gave you as compared to stock. Maybe this info will give us a glimpze of what to expect from the ECU on the 350z? At least it will give us something to think about as we wait for the Z results. Exciting stuff!
Jeff
Since someone said you did this first with the Maxima (which is a VQ motor as well), can you tell us how much gain in HP and torque the upgraded ECU gave you as compared to stock. Maybe this info will give us a glimpze of what to expect from the ECU on the 350z? At least it will give us something to think about as we wait for the Z results. Exciting stuff!
Jeff
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Issaquah, WA
Okay, now just watch out when you take the car into a dealership for factory work... I hear that some places just flash your CPU with the latest factory program every time it's in the shop!
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 823
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From: Long Island, NY
You will either swap your old ECU for a New ECU or you will upload a new program to your current ECU. If the former, you would have to incur the additional cost of not swapping your old ECU and keeping it in reserve. For the latter, you would have to reflash your original program. Both of these options will be either costly or time consuming, but possible.
However, it's unlikely Nissan will discover the new ECU or program unless they are specifically looking for it. The Nissan CONSULT computer may be able to determine that the program differs from OEM. Nevertheless, If you're going to do an ECU mod you have to accept the risk that your warranty (or part thereof) may be voided. I personally think the risk is low.
However, it's unlikely Nissan will discover the new ECU or program unless they are specifically looking for it. The Nissan CONSULT computer may be able to determine that the program differs from OEM. Nevertheless, If you're going to do an ECU mod you have to accept the risk that your warranty (or part thereof) may be voided. I personally think the risk is low.
Last edited by Intrepid; Mar 5, 2003 at 10:11 PM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 10,681
Likes: 11
From: Redondo Beach, CA
Hey Jeff--
i'd rather not get into speculating specific hp/torque numbers right now for the Z for several reasons.. Mainly because i know people will flame me, they have in the past and it totally brings me down, and the potential customer base suffers when people read BS comments that are thrown left and right, flaming what i've stated without actually being there next to me with the data in my hand and seeing car run.... besides. i dont know any of the numbers for the 350Z yet... i'm just as eager to just get the ecu back in the states.
i only put my time and effort to pursue products that have potential to be great mods. I mean, i'm just an enthusiast like you are, i want cool stuff for my car, so why just sit around and wait for other people to come up with cool ideas when you can try to make it happen.... When you're on the receiving end of flames and BS posts. it deters you from doing what you do... its best if i dont say anything until i am confident enough to say 'its the best we can do'
as for the maxima, when we ran on a DynoJet, the average HP gain throughout the RPM band was roughly 6hp, with a PEAK hp gain at 15 ponies at 4500 rpms. Torque was also increased with a maximum gain of 12 ft/lb at 4500 rpms, with roughly 5 ft/lb torque gain throughout the entire power band. The VQ30 suffered severely from top end breathing problems due the the intake runners... These tests were done putting a 96 ECU in my 97 maxima... (the aftermarket chips produced by Gforce Engineering ,now known as TechnoSquare, fit in 95/96 maximas only) My good friend, Nabil, had a 96 maxima that had his car chipped, and he had outstanding dyno numbers even higher than me when he ran his car on a Clayton style dyno... but everyone ridiculed the Clayton dyno as "incorrect" due to the fact it induced load onto the wheels when testing...
from what i've seen Technosquare do in the past, i have the utmost confidence in them...
well. i hope what i said did more good than add confusion.
if anyone has questions, comments, feel free to email/PM me...
when the ecu prog is finally completed.. i'm sure StrictlyZ and Technosquare will have no problems assisting you in getting one..
--Cheston
p.s. normally you would want to send in your own ECU, as for your car key will work with your own ECU *due to the immobilizer*... as for nissan knowing you have modified the ecu, all they have to do is pull the data thru the diagnostics port and they can see which FLASH version you are running.. some companies, like JWT will put "JWT ECU" in the title. i'm not sure yet if TechnoSquare will..
i'd rather not get into speculating specific hp/torque numbers right now for the Z for several reasons.. Mainly because i know people will flame me, they have in the past and it totally brings me down, and the potential customer base suffers when people read BS comments that are thrown left and right, flaming what i've stated without actually being there next to me with the data in my hand and seeing car run.... besides. i dont know any of the numbers for the 350Z yet... i'm just as eager to just get the ecu back in the states.
i only put my time and effort to pursue products that have potential to be great mods. I mean, i'm just an enthusiast like you are, i want cool stuff for my car, so why just sit around and wait for other people to come up with cool ideas when you can try to make it happen.... When you're on the receiving end of flames and BS posts. it deters you from doing what you do... its best if i dont say anything until i am confident enough to say 'its the best we can do'
as for the maxima, when we ran on a DynoJet, the average HP gain throughout the RPM band was roughly 6hp, with a PEAK hp gain at 15 ponies at 4500 rpms. Torque was also increased with a maximum gain of 12 ft/lb at 4500 rpms, with roughly 5 ft/lb torque gain throughout the entire power band. The VQ30 suffered severely from top end breathing problems due the the intake runners... These tests were done putting a 96 ECU in my 97 maxima... (the aftermarket chips produced by Gforce Engineering ,now known as TechnoSquare, fit in 95/96 maximas only) My good friend, Nabil, had a 96 maxima that had his car chipped, and he had outstanding dyno numbers even higher than me when he ran his car on a Clayton style dyno... but everyone ridiculed the Clayton dyno as "incorrect" due to the fact it induced load onto the wheels when testing...
from what i've seen Technosquare do in the past, i have the utmost confidence in them...
well. i hope what i said did more good than add confusion.
if anyone has questions, comments, feel free to email/PM me...
when the ecu prog is finally completed.. i'm sure StrictlyZ and Technosquare will have no problems assisting you in getting one..
--Cheston
p.s. normally you would want to send in your own ECU, as for your car key will work with your own ECU *due to the immobilizer*... as for nissan knowing you have modified the ecu, all they have to do is pull the data thru the diagnostics port and they can see which FLASH version you are running.. some companies, like JWT will put "JWT ECU" in the title. i'm not sure yet if TechnoSquare will..
Originally posted by zland
Cheston:
Since someone said you did this first with the Maxima (which is a VQ motor as well), can you tell us how much gain in HP and torque the upgraded ECU gave you as compared to stock. Maybe this info will give us a glimpze of what to expect from the ECU on the 350z? At least it will give us something to think about as we wait for the Z results. Exciting stuff!
Jeff
Cheston:
Since someone said you did this first with the Maxima (which is a VQ motor as well), can you tell us how much gain in HP and torque the upgraded ECU gave you as compared to stock. Maybe this info will give us a glimpze of what to expect from the ECU on the 350z? At least it will give us something to think about as we wait for the Z results. Exciting stuff!
Jeff
Last edited by Chebosto; Mar 5, 2003 at 09:10 PM.
Registered User
Joined: Feb 2003
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speed governor
This is what i was told by the dealership that sold me my Z.....if anyone asks, the Z is supposed to be governed at 156mph......BUT, there was a guy that bought his a week and a half before i bought mine.....he reported back to the dealer that he took his Z up to 175mph......so supposedly, there is no speed governor
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 823
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From: Long Island, NY
Originally posted by dwnshift
From what I was told on our ECU we sent, the immobilizer is gone. Its the only way they could reprogram it.
From what I was told on our ECU we sent, the immobilizer is gone. Its the only way they could reprogram it.
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 10,681
Likes: 11
From: Redondo Beach, CA
That is correct...
the immobilizer bit code has been bypassed...
the immobilizer bit code has been bypassed...
Originally posted by dwnshift
From what I was told on our ECU we sent, the imobilzer is gone. Its the only way they could reprogram it.
From what I was told on our ECU we sent, the imobilzer is gone. Its the only way they could reprogram it.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 246
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From: Cleveland
Just curious did you dyno your Z with the old ECU and record the temperatures and humidity at the time? It is hard to gauge relative performance gains without that data. We are already seeing +/- 20hp gains from Dyno to Dyno on stock rides.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 53
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From: rehoboth beach, de
Good stuff and good job with the ECU. I really gotta throw a quick jab at some car dealer's claim that someone took their z to 175mph. I beleive (and I'm sure I will be corrected if I am wrong), that several independant test show the z to have a drag-limited top speed of the middle to upper 150's. So yeah maybe down a long hill with a strong wind at your back...who am I to call bs. 
