After market computer "chip" yet?

Can someone possibly get a pic of the 2016 Tacoma v6 ECU, I haven't been able to find it on my truck yet... Tuning Tech needs one to see if he can easily tune our trucks. We can send him our ecu's once he confirms he can tune it. I'd expect he can as they're cracking whichever toyota has the largest tuning demands. @Jeff Lange do you have an idea of where to find it?

 

I know which boards some of the older/other 2GR's use, but I know on the updated 2UR-GSE they've gone to a newer type of PCB. I suspect the 2GR-FKS also likely uses a similar one, but without opening one up it's hard to say.

Jeff

 

As always thanks for your input Jeff. Would you expect the ECU to be behind the glove box by chance?

 

The ECU is behind the glovebox yes, mounted vertically.

Jeff

 

My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee v8 makes "only" 230 hp, but smokes the 2016 Tacoma so badly it's laughable. The Tacoma's "performance" is a joke in my experience so far.

 

If I stay under 62 or so, gets maximum of 21mpg. If I'm on the interstate running (or attempting to run) 75 or better, the mileage is 15-ish and the tranny is continually shifting. It has to work too hard to stay at 75+.

 

Thanks all for the feedback. Just returned from 2 weeks in Great Basin, Moab (Arches & Canyonlands) and Ruby Lake. I have varied takes on the Tacoma, but overall my 2014 performs well. I can say, when it was stock, I was getting 22-23 MPG regularly on the hwy during long drives up I-5 (I don't even look at freeway driving stats as if you're in traffic, it really skews the MPG). Once I outfitted my Taco with Helo rims w/slightly larger tire, Stage 4 ICON, ARB Front bumper, FabFour rear, bed mat and bed extender, my mileage on the hwy has been a consistent 19-20 mpg on the long drives. I contribute to the fact of the added weight.

I just printed out the Toyota factory spec sheets in column format that shows all the specs for the various 2014 Tacoma models. You have to take it with a grain of salt as it has the curb weight of the Taco, when it was stock, at 4,220 lbs and a tow capacity of 3500 lbs. Yet, the tow capacity goes to 6500 lbs if you have a tow package; understandable. However, they don't increase the curb weight to account for the added weight of the tow package, which Toyota has told me is 160-200 lbs. Regardless, I just weighed my Taco at a California CAT scale. With only the truck, full tank of gas, full glove box, (2) extra oil bottles, fire extinguisher, jumper cable and the jack system; 4,860 lbs. Granted, I've added some weight by modifying the truck, but I know it has not been 640 lbs worth of weight (4860 - 4220 = 640). I say that as I've got the weights on various components.

- New tires 4.9 lbs more per tire than stock (add 24.5 lbs)
- Helo rims are 9 lbs more each than Alloy stock (add 36 lbs)
- Bed mat (add 35 lbs)
- ConsoleVault (add 4 lbs)
- Tuffy bed vault (add 16 lbs)
- AMP bed extender (add 17 lbs)
- Subtotal at this point is 132.5 lbs of added weight

- ICON Lift/Suspension (20 lbs) more than the TRD Sport Billstein system that was stock
- Subtotal at this point is now 152.5 lbs of added weight

- Leer Tonneau - unknown weight at this time, awaiting to hear back from installer who is checking with Leer
- Fab Four rear bumper is 115 lbs - still determining weight of color match original bumper, yet when I picked it up, it's a hell of a lot more than the 35 lbs Toyota specs quote. It took took arms to pick that thing up and I put it around 70 lbs.
- ARB Front bumper is 215 lbs - still determining weight

If I presume to add roughly 50 lbs for the back bumper, that is close to 200.5 lbs. That leaves the added weight of the front bumper and tonneau, so it's possible I've added 640 lbs, but I'm feeling more towards 400+ and the additional weight is the tow package not calculated for in the Toyota specs.

One thing I found notable is Toyota's own specs, which the dealer has told me is on the low side for towing because Toyota is trying to reduce liability by putting a lower tow weight in their literature. If you have a 4220 lb truck and the max is 5500 for GVWR, there are trouble with the numbers, because the GVWR includes the Tongue Weight of the trailer when you are towing. Thus 4220 lbs, add two passengers (say 350 lbs), plus cargo of 200 lbs, puts one at 4770 lbs. If you have a 3400 lb Airstream with a tongue weight of 590, then you have 5,360 lbs (4770 + 590). And this is conservative from what I saw folks doing in Moab and my travels.

Now, I bring this up as Tacoma occasionally gets dinged for performance issues overall. I have to disagree (until you can get a diesel option as with the Hilux in Australia). Even with my added weight, tack on two passengers and cargo in the bed, along with towing a 3500 lb trailer (Winniebago Winnie Drop), the Taco did better than I anticipated. Towing in 4th gear (as Toyota manual says do NOT tow in D-Drive as it voids any transmission coverage), we towed through Nevada & Utah at an average flat elevation speed of 70 mph (thank you states that have no lower maximum towing speed like CA at 55 mph). I was getting 10.4 mpg towing. I was surprised as TFLtruck did a comparison on YouTube of the 2016 Tacoma vs. 2016 Tundra and they got 8.4 mpg. Yet, there were using CruiseControl which in my experience always produces lower gas mileage as the CC can't foresee hills coming. Granted, towing up 6-7% grades, it dropped to 7.4 mpgs. That said, I could still go up the hill at 65 mph.

Last weekend, I somehow traded up my 6 month old 18' Winnebago; hate when things like that just happen (picture me, whistling and looking to the sky). I visited local Airstream here in the Bay Area. I only went to look, really, I did. When I mentioned my Winnie was only 6 months old, they offered me full value trade-in of what I paid. I couldn't resist as the Winnie is nice, but will go down in value, plus after living in a 6' wide trailer with a 2'x2' wet bath, it was too tight. The new Airstream Flying Cloud 19' is 1,200 lbs more at 3902 lbs, tongue weight of 590. Yet, I met several Tacoma owners at a 2 hr users class with 4x4 Tacomas. Not only did their Taco pull this trailer with ease, but all the way up to the 23' Airstreams. We discussed the GVW vs. GVWR vs. GVCR vs. TWR and many agreed, the numbers Toyota put out just make no sense.

Like I said, I had a great experience towing my first trailer and the TACO covered (4) difficult trails in Moab very well. Now, do I wish I could have a V8 in my Taco? Sure, but it's not available.

Sorry for the long post, but if anyone has feedback or experience with towing, loved to hear it.