EG1

FWIW, Nissan sales reps are morons! I had one call the SER a "spec five" and another told me and a friend there was a good chance the new Z would be FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. WTF???

jak

I heard the same thing FROM NISMO themselves. "No ECU in the states because the current ECU is all ready optimised and further tuning will produce minimal to no gains on 91 octane pump gas."

I seriously doubt we will see more than couple extra hp from an ECU runing 91 octane.

There is this myth that Nissan took a 350hp motor (hence 350Z) and detuned it to 287hp for various reasons. What if reality is that Nissan took a 260hp motor and tweaked the ECU and other components to the max to get a total of 287hp? I'm in clined to believe the latter.

What other production vehicle with a 3.5 liter V6 or smaller, without FI, costing less than $30,000.00 puts out OVER 300hp? I can't think of any.

Unlocking some pile of hidden power from an ECU is only wishfull thinking. Nissan has gotten all they can from the ECU.

Jeff

all_bark

iTrader: (5)

I REFUSE to beleive that. What is wrong with a little positive, wishful thinking? And why would Nissan want to "stretch" a 260 hp engine up to 287 on a new flagship car? So it will blow up six months later and cause all hell to break loose? What's the sense in that? Leave some room for improvement to make all the mod freaks happy, right? Makes better sense to me.


Hey Chebosto,

No response to my question, you still mad at me?......

jak

I agree that nothing is wrong with a little wishful thinking. I would like it to be true to but it is probably not reality. Another fact to support this hypothesis is the G35 Sedan uses the same motor as the Z and is only 260hp. 287hp is an odd amount of hp to start from scratch with.

I am just saying that I think Nissan tweaked every last ounce of power out of the motor from the ECU.

Now if the purpose of re-tuning the ECU was to allow other mods like exhaust and intake to operate at their peak performance, then a new ECU would be useful, depending on how much gain the ECU would allow the mods to perform at vs. the stock ECU. Even that may only provide several hp.

Dropping in an ECU alone isn't going net more than a couple of hp.

Jeff

zland

Jeff, I bet you are right!

Jeff

jeffw

Jeff and Jeff,

"Jeff" is always right!

--
Jeff

jak

Hey Jeff,

I remember you saying that you had a freind at Nismo or was associated with Nismo. Has he/she said anything about the ECU?

Jeff

Chebosto

iTrader: (43)

All_bark: no i'm not mad at you.. but your numbers, calling it wishful thinking might be an understatement..

Jak: curious thing to note... the G, even though stated at a lower HP rating than the Z, actually dynos slightly higher RWHP than the stock Z.. we have the G35 ECU program as well, the tuner is looking at the differences in coding, if any, and will look further into that.

as far as dropping the ECU alone, i believe it will make HP, although not like jaw dropping amounts, but something better than stock numbers...

Can350z: as far as the consult2 altering timing... the ecu program will full change the entire timing advancement (or retardation) depending on rpm and fuel... timing isnt the problems.. its the fuel mapping values that need to be tweaked...

i personally think that there is room for gains with the ECU, moderate gains to say the least...... i understand the current wants/demands of such an upgrade.. its just going to take time to get a reliable and solid product out.....



--Cheston

uklooney

I've just been told the following from an informed colleague.

The Japanese 350z ECU has a different fuel mapping than the US version. 287hp on 98ocatne fuel.
The US car's fuel map sacrifices a little economy for power, and produces 287hp on 93ocante fuel. The fuel map can be easily re-flashed from a PC with suitable software, allowing the user to remap adhoc (good for race days and 105octane stops). The whole ECU is held on an EPROM, and can therefore be fully flashed. No need for piggy back boards, unless you need to interface with new hardware (nitrous etc.).
The difficult bit is to decipher the EPROM's functions, data areas, and structures.

What's really needed, is a copy of that software, and the software design spec for the ECU.

Does anyone know where I can get a hold of these?

Maybe we should we set up a bribery fund?

Chebosto

iTrader: (43)

Yes. you are correct. the entire ECU is a flashable memory module.. we have tried the JDM ecu map in the US-spec car, and it initially gains good power but after the 4th pull or so, the gains 'normalize' to around the stock US-spec numbers..

the software is attainable through Tectom/TechnoSquare's EPROM reader and programmer, and if you have a few $G's then you can get your own and program it yourself, but then you'd have to learn to read all the hex codes for the mappings.

ALL ecus will benefit with higher octane.... a more efficient fuel mapping with higher efficient gas will definately yeild good gains on any engine..

ZZZ-35

I have been informed that our Nissan ECU follows the LS1 engine management theme in that there is a function call torque mangement ( I think someone mentioned a loopback?). When we install that super duper exhaust gaining 20hp the ECU torgue management with bring the the higher gain back into line with it maximum limits thereby protecting the engine. I received this information from a Powerchip engineer there in Melbourne Australia who re-flash your ECU with their new ignition and fuel mappings plus reset the torque management to a higher limit. They claim an increase of 14kW from 206kW to 220kW on 98 Ron fuel (91.5 U.S. octane) our cars are tuned for 95 Ron (88 U.S. Octane), they also claim that any further mods will not be detuned out by the ECU. I find this all a bit hard to belive that this company in Aus. has beaten everyone with this re-programming of the ECU or are they just re-flashing with U.S. ECU specs, your car have 214Kw std. They're asking A$1300 about US$700. with 3yr warranty. Their website is www.powerchipgroup.com go to International tab, select change region, go to Australia & New Zealand, select Nissan 350Z.

What's your option ??

jak

I just bought front and rear camber/caster kits for the car from a company in Australia. As far as I know they are the first with adjustable caster and the first to produce front kits. So I am not surprised that an Austrailian company beat everyone to market with a product for our car.

The chip looks very interesting. The only thing that I would question is their claim that our ECU is detuned to run on 88 octane. Our US owners manual section 9-2 states 91 octane or 96 Ron. The question is are the US vehicles ECU's tuned for the ownersmanual recommended octane or detuned for 88 octane as they claim?

My assumtion has always been that the ECU was tuned and optimized for 91 octane as the owners manual states, in which case an ECU upgrade by itself would provide little to no gain on the same gas. If their claims are correct this would be good news.

Jeff

zland

Can anyone convert the the data on thier website to HP and torque gains on that chip for me?

westpak

iTrader: (19)

From their site I added conversions:

"In standard form, the 350Z 3.5 produces 206 kW (276.1 HP) and 363 Nm (267.7 Ft-lbs).

Powerchip has a range of chips to suit your car, which can increase it's power to between 214 kW (286.9 HP) and 220 kW (294.9 HP), and it's torque to between 377 Nm (278 Ft-lbs) and 388 Nm (286.2 Ft-lbs)."

jak

Hmm.....214kW = 286.9hp on and 377Nm = 278 ft-lb torque on 91 octane. These are our current factory specs.

This seems to confirm that our ECU is already tuned and optimized for 91 octane as it says in our manual. This also seems to support the fact that a new ECU will provide minimal to no gains on 91 octane gas.

Jeff

westpak

iTrader: (19)

It also goes along with chebosto's earlier statement that they had found 5-7 HP in the tuning, I think the biggest thing with the ECU reprogramming is that it will allow it to take better advantage of the mods we are putting on the car.

ZRiCaN

iTrader: (1)

I read a while back that Nissan designed the engine specifically for the Z's and did quite a bit to it to squeeze out 287, thats why the number is weird. But to keep the tradition of the Z for under 30 grand they had to use the engine in other models to balance out the money that was put into the Z. the 03 Maxima Altima, G35 sedan and coupe all have or is available with this engine. Different HPs for each obviously. But they basically started with the 260 engine and started tweaking till they reached their goal which orginally was 280+.

I was on the first preorder shipment and had plenty of time to sit and wait for my Z so read every thing I could on it. I knew more about the car than my dealer.

Ches: good luck wit the ECU

jak

I was just thinking the same thing The 5-7hp chebosto found is essentially the same hp increase powerchipgroup got on 93 octane. I agree with you westpak that the only real advantage an ECU can provide is to help our mods perform at their peak.

It really appears that Nissan tuned and optimized the ECU programming for the best gas that is most widely available in the country where the car is going.

All of the cars going to Australia are tuned and optimized for 87-octane gas thus 276hp instead of our 287hp.

Jeff

Chebosto

iTrader: (43)

From what i've seen in person on stock from the Maxima and other supposedly 'premium fuel only' fuel curves, most stock ecu programs are done so that the common 'idiot' can drive a car and not subsequently blow it up... worse case senario would probably someone driving on 87 octane in 120+ degree weather in the Mojave desert... there is an inherient 'buffer' placed into the stock program to drive the car in a wide range of environments... ECU programs just 'eliminate' some of this buffer zone to let the engine run a bit more efficient... so if you just keep using high(-er) octane gas, you'll be fine...

its a pitty California's octane is so low for supreme.... but hey.. we work with what we get.

350z4steve

iTrader: (1)

Interesting Read...hope this is available for US Z's



http://www.powerchipgroup.com/datasheets/1/Nis0063.pdf350Z data sheet