It's a reprogrammable ROM (program) board for Toyota ECUs. This particular one is for Supras (7M-GTE and 2JZ-GTE Inline 6 Turbos).
At the risk of getting a lot of negative flames I will flatly state I am NOT a fan of so-called "piggyback" ECUs. I don't care if you're talking about a Venom, Unichip, or even the TRD SC supplementary ECU -- they are all "band aids" trying to circumvent (second guess) what the stock ECU is doing. It would be far better to get the stock ECU to do what you want in the first place!
Replacing the stock ECU with a aftermarket unit (Haltec, FAST, etc.) would be another option but they also have drawbacks. Generally speaking, they lack the redundancy, FEM (failure effects management aka "Limp Home Mode") of the OEM ECUs, and durability testing of an OEM ECU (if the racecar dies you tow it home, if your street vehicle dies you can be stranded -- automakers go to a lot of trouble to prevent you from getting stranded due to an ECU failure). The aftermarket ECU will have to get interfaced with the OEM system and because of the various different implementations for distributorless ignition, idle control actuators, crank angle sensors, variable valve timing systems, and "drive-by-wire" throttle its likely that some of the OE systems will need to be changed or lost. You can all-but forget about emissions controls and compliance. Finally, you will be starting with a blank sheet of paper for fuel and ignition maps -- you won't have the benefit of starting with the factory maps that cost thousands of man-hours to develop (and likely need only minor tweaks).
No, I think the best option is reprogramming the stock ECU. We just need to find a way to do it. The Ford people with Ford's "EEC-IV" and "EEC-V" engine control systems have a really cool option (for supported vehicles and calibrations) -- "J3 Service Port" upgrades. The Ford ECUs have an "expansion port" on the side called the "J3 service port." It is essentially a PCI Bus (oversimplified) for the ECU and a way to "upgrade" the stock processor with a new program. Devices plugged into the J3 Port can read the stock program and replace it, on the fly, with a revised program. The ECU remains otherwise stock and fully functional. If you "switch off" or physically unplug the J3 Upgrade device, the ECU reverts to the stock program automatically as the internal program is never changed (unlike the flash upgrades for the newer GM/Dodge/Ford ECUs). Check these out, to find out what they can do:
BTW, the reason I know about these is I've been researching them to use in my Jeep, which runs a '93 Ford EFI 460 (7.5L for you metric guys). I've run out of what engine mods I can make before the stock ECU programming gets in the way (about 345hp/475#ft -- yes, it can outrun my Tundra even though the Jeep weighs 5,800# and runs 40" tires with 4.56 gears!). The coolest solution I found is swapping to a 5.0 "A9M" or 5.8L "ZA0" (CobraR) Mustang EEC-IV ECU and MAF (mass air flow sensor). Then I can use one of the tuneable J3 Port modules to tweak it as much as I want (although supposedly the stock "ZA0" 5.8L CobraR ECU works pretty well with a modded 460). FYI, the reason I have to switch ECUs is because the 460's ECU "calibration" is not one currently supported by any of the tuneable J3 Port modules -- in other words no one has figured out what all the data in that particular ECU does and therefore there is no "template" for modifying it. Also, the 460's before '96-97 used "speed density" fuel-metering instead of using a MAF to directly measure the incoming airflow.
I would DIE for a similar upgrade for a Toyota (especially Tundra or V8 Lexus) ECU!
Ok so is there way to reprogram the 2UZ-FE(V8) and 5VZ-FE(V6) you are right about the piggybacks they are band aids.
Also have you heard of Superchips for ford from the flip of a switch you can go from stock setting to a race setting.You can also upgrade it evert time you do any engine mods. I heard about this when I THOUGHT I was getting a Lightning(parents like to twist there words around).You should contact them to see if they are interested in making them for Toyota motors.
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Originally posted by 03TundraTRD Ok so is there way to reprogram the 2UZ-FE(V8) and 5VZ-FE(V6) you are right about the piggybacks they are band aids.
Also have you heard of Superchips for ford from the flip of a switch you can go from stock setting to a race setting.You can also upgrade it evert time you do any engine mods. I heard about this when I THOUGHT I was getting a Lightning(parents like to twist there words around).You should contact them to see if they are interested in making them for Toyota motors.
Supposedly the newer Toyota ECUs are reflash-able, just like GM/Chry/Ford ECUs. I'm pretty sure 2001-on, maybe 2000. The problem is the code & flash-method is proprietary and would have to be reverse engineered. But at least there's hope! There are already PC/windows based re-flash programs available for the Flash-programmable GM ECUs (using a "home-made" interface cable). Pretty slick, too bad GMs engine controls suck...
Something along those lines should emerge for the Tundras. If I could find an Electrical Engineer and Microcontroller Coding Expert and lock them in a room with a Toyota flash-ECU and flash programmer for 2 weeks... Any volunteers?
the stock ECU is programmable, but you need a special Toyota programmer tool. it plugs into the OBD2 connector and uses the extra pins. and 2003+ years computer is different.
through research on this site, I've found the only thing the jetchip does for the tundra is to raise the shiftpoint a few rpm. my shiftpoint is already at the redline, so for most of us, the jetchip offers no serious gains. however, about a year ago I got interested in reprogramming the tundra's ecu, so I hit google and spent about two weeks looking up information on reprogramming ecu's. Only thing of interest or worth noting was a page where a guy posted some code on how to reprogram his audi ecu.
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Originally posted by ACUDesperado through research on this site, I've found the only thing the jetchip does for the tundra is to raise the shiftpoint a few rpm.
I know nothing about JetChips, but in general the ECU tuning involves:
More timing advance, which means 91+ octane.
Tweaks to air/fuel part-throttle maps so adaptation has as little effect as possible on full throttle maps.
Tweaks to the full-throttle maps.
Adjustments to camshaft timing (VANOS, VTECH, etc.)
Redline changes.
My guess is that JetChip at least advances the timing. Using an OBD-II graphing tool you can measure the timing advance of a stock ecu and a JetChipped cpu if there is anyone in the East SF Bay Area who wants to offer their JetChipped truck up for testing.
Originally posted by TampaBayTundra In the performance products catalog this month, there is a Jet chip.
I can't say I'm suprised but you're both missing the point. CAN EITHER THE JET CHIP OR FACTORY TOYOTA FLASH PROGRAMMER be custom-manipulated by either the owner or a professional engine tuner?
No. So neither one qualifies for this discussion. However, the fact the Toyota programmer exists validates the POSSIBILITY of a "user tweakable programmer" emerging in the future, without even a hardware mod to the stock ECU. That's VERY promising.
One of the really cool things about the Ford EEC products (twEEcer and EEC-Tuner) is that the calibration files (.EEC files) can be emailed and posted on websites to be shared with others. If someone else has tuned a setup similar to yours, they can send you their calibration file to examine and use as a starting point. None of the other "popular" programmers have that capability -- and it's a POWERFUL capability.
Originally posted by dpeete I know nothing about JetChips, but in general the ECU tuning involves:
More timing advance, which means 91+ octane.
Not necessarily. My Ford 7.5L EFI motor will tolerate 4 degrees of timing advance on 87 octane with no pinging. And the 4 degrees IS noticable. The same for the 1st Gen Lightnings ('93-95), which can tolerate 2 degrees on 87 oct. and 4 deg on midgrade 89. Two degrees doesn't sound like much, but it can add 5-10 hp.
Generally vehicles operated in cooler and/or more humid areas can tolerate more advance before needing premium.
Originally posted by Mudog715 Not necessarily. My Ford 7.5L EFI motor will tolerate 4 degrees of timing advance on 87 octane with no pinging. And the 4 degrees IS noticable. The same for the 1st Gen Lightnings ('93-95), which can tolerate 2 degrees on 87 oct. and 4 deg on midgrade 89. Two degrees doesn't sound like much, but it can add 5-10 hp.
Generally vehicles operated in cooler and/or more humid areas can tolerate more advance before needing premium.
True. My race car runs 4 additional degrees of advance in all conditions (110 degree days at Thunderhill Raceway aren't uncommon) and has no problems. But I have tested the car in various conditions to see what I could get away with.
The thing to remember about modern motronics is that it is far more costly on performance to advance timing until you hit a ping then it is to just run a little more conservative. On BMW's I see the ECU pull out 6-8 degress of advance as soon as it senses a knock. So if you advanced the default timing by an extra 4 degrees at a given RPM point and get a ping you will wind up netting negative 2-3 degrees of timing. If you had just played it conservative at 3 degrees of extra advance you would always be ahead of the game.
Originally posted by dpeete True. My race car runs 4 additional degrees of advance in all conditions (110 degree days at Thunderhill Raceway aren't uncommon) and has no problems. But I have tested the car in various conditions to see what I could get away with.
The thing to remember about modern motronics is that it is far more costly on performance to advance timing until you hit a ping then it is to just run a little more conservative. On BMW's I see the ECU pull out 6-8 degress of advance as soon as it senses a knock. So if you advanced the default timing by an extra 4 degrees at a given RPM point and get a ping you will wind up netting negative 2-3 degrees of timing. If you had just played it conservative at 3 degrees of extra advance you would always be ahead of the game.
That has proved to be quite a problem with the GM LT1/LS1/LS6 small-blocks -- they are hypersensitive to ping and sometimes confused by resonation of engine accessories (gear drives, blowers, etc.). Some guys are constantly fighting to keep the ECU from pulling out their advance.
Luckily, both the stock 460 ecu and the earlier 5.0L Mustang ECUs lack knock sensors, so this is not an issue with those. On the Tundra, it's a different matter, although it seems more tolerant than most. Obviously, one will have to excercise care in modifying the iForce's advance curve -- sometimes less is more.
Yeah, GM's have some interesting knock situations. It's been said that some noises cause the knock detector to go off and the timing gets pulled.
I know on earlier cars (my old Typhoon for example) there were some people that were capable of adjusting the fuel and timing tables really well by flashing new proms (old technology I know).
I just don't think there's that much more power lurking inside these engines. If we lean it out too much it's just going to get really sensitive to knocks not to mention the safety margin of running rich (which comes into play in our hot AZ summers). ECM designers have been doing really nice work lately in designing systems with built in safety margins without sacrificing much power. Not to mention if we start messing around too much we could screw up the driveability of these trucks.
If we were forced induction, that'd be a whole different story. But for a NA car it wouldn't be too useful IMHO.
Tundra ECU Upgrades - THIS is what we need...
Any volunteers? 
Linear Mode
