Any cons to having ECT power on all the time?

I see you drive a 2.7 — it might be a more dramatic difference on the 6 cycl … in my experience the truck is annoying to drive unless I hit that button .. it seems like it’s ALWAYS one gear too high otherwise

 

My truck's been tuned for a while and I recently had to go back to stock to track down a trans issue. I forgot that I had an ECT-always-on plug and drove for a week without it and couldn't stand it. What a sluggish POS.

I put the ECT-always-on plug in and it drives so much better that I don't even care to get a tune again. Huge improvement in drivability.

Not saying ECT is akin to a tune, but it goes a long way to making the truck drive like it should. The always-on mod is a great stopgap for those not wanting to spend hundreds on a tune.

 

YES. my sentiments exactly / I need to find the ECT always on mod instructions somewhere

 

bro my post was sarcasm

 

I know - my note wasn’t directed to you but I just used it as an entry point to the discussion

 

Your post caught me off balance, I'm guessing you're joking. If you weren't, I *think* the ECT PWR button is a toggle, press it to engage, some number of hours, days, weeks, months, or years later, press it again to disengage.

 

It resets each time you turn off turn vehicle

 

Ahhh, got it, thanks! Us manual drivers are newbies with stuff like this.

 

Here's the one I have: https://www.ebay.com/itm/123768419718

 

I’ve had ECT PWR on 100% all week and so far I’ve gained a little mpg’s on both highway and back roads. Higher rev’s but more efficient inertia wise. Got a couple long hills and don’t mash the pedal as much to get up and go at 65-70. I still don’t get it but if it continues at 21.4 and climbing I’m pressing the button more.

 

Others may feel differently, but I feel like the ECT is just the same as driving without, only you have to push the pedal down further. I adjusted to pushing the pedal down further pretty quickly after going form my Acura TL to the Tacoma. At first, it felt weak, and then I got in the habit of more foot, and now, I feel that I have plenty of power. I sometimes squeal tires coming out of a full stop, no tune, no ECT. All foot.

 

It’s probably because with ECT off the engine suffers on the low gears for a longer time, until a reasonable speed is obtained and a higher gear is held and so ironically punching the gas may yield higher mpgs because you’re attaining speed and a higher gear faster.

 

It almost feels like it upshifts too soon and the lugging occurs until you step on it and it kicks down winding up the R’s past 3k. I guess the combination of 1700 and 3k is worse than 2k averages. But it makes it feel heavy and lazy without it. I think the inertia of the right R’s and gear is more efficient at slight accelerating instead of stomping it and then having to let off when you achieve the desired speed. Letting off it then upshifts and slobs again. Prolly what people are calling gear hunting which is a new term for me only having my truck for a couple months. I’m going to keep the button pushed for now and prolly look into a tune. The powers there, it’s just at the floorboard sometimes

 

You don’t need it on your 22. Just drive it like you stole it without ECT. It will learn your driving style. After a few thousand miles you’ll forget about it.

 

Interesting.

 

I use ECT when towing or when driving in the hills. Don’t usually use it driving around town or on interstates. To be honest, I haven’t noticed any increase or decrease in gas mileage, but I do think the truck runs better, has some snap to it when the ECT setting is used, that’s just my observation.

 

I would like to know from the engineers exactly what parameters are changed by ECT. It seems to me the stall speed is changed, and the transition into the upper ranges of the power band are not noticeable. When driving in "S" mode or "D" mode the timing seems to make a huge jump somewhere around or a bit over 3500rpm, this is not noticeable with ECT engaged.

I have a 2017 Taco TRD Sport 4x4 3.5 and my driving is 95% to work and back on surface streets. I never drive this thing in "D" due to gawd awful programming. I almost always drive in "S" mode 4th, manually selecting 5th when speeds reach 45mph+. However, I notice the engine is much smoother and requires less throttle input when ECT is engaged. I have had this truck since December 2022 and I average 18.5 to 19.5 MPG in mostly city driving.

 

i usually use s-mode for city driving. it's always in too high of gear otherwise. ect mode helps, but still in too high of gear once i let off the gas a bit.