Toyota Tacoma 3.4L K-Line ECU Reflash interest

I believe they sell their tuning software on the website with a flash cable

 

@OVTune What’s the word on the 3.4s? Any possibility for a sister board you mentioned earlier?

 

The ability to flash / tune the ECU is possible. has been for a while. However, the issue is only some ECUs, and I do not yet know which ones.
But we have the calibrations. We have the files, etc.

 

So, just to be clear, the only way around that is to find the correct ECU part numbers? You mentioned a sister board before, What’s the solution to this?

 

How would I go about having an ECU flashed?
And how can I know if it is supported?
89661-OC250

 

I would like to bump this. Have there been any updates or changes?

 

There is only support for the following 4 Cal ID's at this time.

 

Actually, yes. But there are no “tunes” yet. I’m not sure there ever will be. The only way to tune the 03-04 ECUs is to have a certified VF tuner do it in person. They’ll need the Pro tuner package for the Kline ECUs and you’ll need to buy the regular package to get going.

I’m not even sure if anyone that had this done and posed results yet. It’s taken 20 years to crack those ECUs and im sure it will be a while before we get any real solutions.


I’m still not sure if we’ll ever have the ability to flash canned tunes by an end user. VF isn’t very clear nor do they provide information that is easily understood by the common idiot. So I guess only time will tell and it might be another 6 years before anything good happens.

 

Dangg. Whelp, that's rough. I understand that tuning our ECUs is obviously difficult to the degree where it's likely easiest to just piggyback / have a standalone ECU.

That's good to know though!! I suppose that I'll just look around for the best piggyback option. I know that there are a few, but I haven't found any that are reasonably priced enough to make it feel like it might be worth going for. At least, not for my daily driver. It's either all in or nothing.


Thank you, I really appreciate the info!

 

Haltech is probably the way to go, given the stock ECUs lack of expandability and requirement to use a 5v MAF and narrowband O2... seems like tuning it would be a waste anyway.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/1st-gen-haltech-ecu-discussion.772300/

 

Alright, thank you very much for the link! I need to read a lot more about all this stuff. I'm cool with getting into systems and messing around with stuff, but I'm new to ECUs. So I've gotta figure out how to do it all, because I think it's definitely rewarding to do it all by my own hands!!

 

Megasquirt is likely the most affordable option.

 

I wouldn’t argue that a standalone is absolutely the best way. But I would gladly pay the $800 for a canned tune if it meant I could fuel in boost and get more power in mid range, and a more appropriate transmission map taking into consideration Boost in low gear. The stock curve with the supercharger is absolutely pathetic and the dynos don’t lie. The power curve is unlike any PD supercharger curve on most other applications.

The torque looks like it’s been neutered so doesn’t get too far off what the OEM ECU would expect. It’s almost like when airflow through the MAF hits a certain point it’s reducing power no matter the AF ratio or intake temperature.

Many folks might say “that because you’re knocking” but if that were the case it’s all mechanical and a standalone isn’t going to fix the mechanical limits of too much compression etc. unless you’re actually lean.

Even with a stock ECU W/M injection to cool the intake charge, closed loop enrichment to increase A/F lower than you should really need, FIC adding fuel to keep fuel trims close to zero it has the same behavior. This is why I can’t help but feel like there’s more to it than just knock reducing power due to heat or lean condition in boost.

The 2nd gens seem to do fine with canned supercharger tunes. Not sure why we can’t have that as well as long as the VF tuner Kline tech would allow a similar approach.

 

I can't comment a ton on the stock computers timing map logic, I know what it does in reaction to knock and unfortunately it is so sensitive to knock that it often interprets increases in noise from higher cyl pressure as knock as well. Who knows, there may or may not be options in the VF software for deadening the response to knock.

One thing the newer tunable stock ECUs have over ours is much better sensors, full wideband AFR sensors that are banked, map and maf sensors, quick response IAT sensor, non-resonant knock sensors, etc. Which really helps them be safer with an off the shelf tune that may not be 100% right for their trucks condition and equipment. Our computers have trouble with the MAF getting nearly maxed out by even the low boost pulley options and quite frankly a MAF is the wrong piece of equipment where boost is concerned. It's why many newer systems use a MAP or MAF and MAP together.

You're right though on two major points, when there is knock it is because the stock computer has no enrichment and many times when knock is sensed it is extremely minor or non-existent. I don't believe the 5VZ is knock limited until fairly high boost. But it cannot cope with the lack of fuel and the addition of air and the existing piggy backs and supplemental fuel controllers are a pathetic attempt to make it palatable. They just cannot react fast enough and cannot advance the timing to solve the broken timing curve. One thing you may or may not know is that during a pull with the stock SC pulley the output temps are in excess of 188* which is a recipe for knock on any setup but especially so on the stock fueling logic. Common decency says you should start pulling timing after IAT crests 135*. Others have noticed this, but part of the blame is to the SC, it is a poor design. It's too small for the application and must be overdriven to keep up, and it has no provisions for boost cooling which would help massively. The SC at 6-7psi isn't even in the same ballpark as a turbo charged setup at 3-4psi, this has been observed on stock computer setups too (may have something to do with rev range on stock computer since after 3k rpm the reaction is deadened to knock sensor input).

While I'd like to see something like the K-Line be available, I wouldn't be too hopeful for it to be as adjustable or useful as a 2nd gen or 3rd gen stock computer just due to age of components and technology used. I also wouldn't expect miracles with the SC, and I'm not just saying that because I have a turbo, perhaps at the very least the new SC won't make too much more heat even though it still won't have boost cooling. I think at best we will have a slightly less shitty 7th injector type power level without the extra hardware. Just having the ability to control timing would make it superior to the 7th though for sure, having my control over the timing makes each pull for my truck feel almost the same, nothing funny happening in the background making some better and some worse.

 

I have a URD FTC for sale if you're interested

 

100. This would be great for the "OEM +" peeps that have a TRD S/C and not much else. A canned tune that utilizes the S/C as best as possible with the OEM sensors and ECU. That would be great.

 

2003

 

how much?

 

$350 shipped
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...air-flow-fuel-timing-calibrator-maf-t.796701/

 

do you know if itll fit a later year 2.4?