recommend chip

Just purchased an 06' Pre-runner and I already have trd exhaust and k+n intake, does anyone recommend a certain chip? are the any available?

 

Chips, in the true sense of pulling/replacing a PROM on the ECU circuit board, are kinda out of date. Piggyback units, complete standalone ECU replacements, and program reflashes are current ways of "tuning" the ecu, or "engine management".

I'm new to the Toyota and Tacoma platforms, and haven't found much in the way of engine management...I'd be interested, too, in hearing what's out there.

 

Saw this recommendation in another thread. I have a cold air intake, headers and catback exhaust. Pulls real strong. Looked at the calibrator but I think I will stop here. Anyway check out this web-site, www.urdusa.com. Look for the URD MAF calibrator. Good luck!

 

I bought a "chip" on ebay and haven't had the nuts to install it, the truck just passed the thousand mile mark, kinda scared to run this gadget on a warranted truck. Anyhow, the "upgrade" installs on the temp sending unit via two wires. I guess it's supposed to change the signal the computer reads and thereby changing whatever the hell happens after that (mixture?) to tweak performance. This thing is called the "Juicebox." Also bought an aluminum spacer for the throttle body which claims to increase hp by about 10. Not scared to install this unit, just pressed for time. In fact, I shouldn't even be jackin' on this site, got plenty of other shtuff I should be wrenching on! I'll post the results when I've installed the spacer (unless I get a credible reply directing against it), and about this chip, should I do it? It stares at me daily from the dresser. Then again, so does a picture of my wife and I on the beach on our honeymoon. Well, honeymoon's over! Ready to dump some dough on some other shtuff I really don't need..............

 

In case no one else does, I'll specifically advise you against using the "chip", which is just altering the signal the ECU receives from whatever sensor it plugs into. You're probably causing the engine to run lean, which can promote power, but can also promote pinging and high exhaust gas temps (hot enough to be bad for aluminum ;-). It might give you some gains, but it might cost you an engine. By falsifying the information from the sensor, you're limiting the ECU's ability to protect the engine...and that's not a good thing.

I don't have any background with throttle-body spacers...hopefully someone else can comment on that for ya!

Edit: Good engine management is comprehensive (not just dealing with a sensor here or a sensor there), gives performance gains, and maintains the ECU's ability to protect the engine. It takes a lot of time and familiarity with the engine and ECU...and it ain't cheap.

 

Have a cold air intake, JBA headers and magnaflow catback exhaust on the V-6. Pulls hard! Work for Toyota, talked to a couple young techs that have X-runners. They say MAF sensor adjusts for increased air volume and inturn more fuel. I talked to them about a MAF calibrator that URDUSA.com is selling. They told me to save my money. If you want to go the drags and have extra money incase something blows than I'm sure the chip would help. When my ex bought a Volvo S-40 the saleman ssid the 4 banger w/ turbo had 160 hp. If you installed the 1000.00 chip you would get 200hp. Don't know if he knew his stuff or? I'm sure reliability could be suspect. Chip ahoy??

 

There are chips (PROMs) and there are "chips". The $1000 chip that the salesman might have been referring to would probably have been a PROM (programmable read-only memory) chip, and would have contained an altered set of ECU code (replacing the Volvo OEM ECU code). This chip would be installed on the actual ECU motherboard. A lot of the engine management is now done by reflashing the PROMs on the ECU, without even messing physically with any chips.

I was hoping to hear about re-flash engine managment approaches for the Tacoma...and I'm still listening

The "chip" from eBay is not really a chip at all...it's probably only a resistor (maybe with a capacitor) that attenuates the signal voltage coming from whatever sensor it's applied to (MAF, air temp sensor, yadda yadda)...the ECU thinks the operating conditions are different (from what they actually are), and follows it's program for the "falsified" conditions.

 

Ah HA! Well thanks for the info! I haven't installed the "chip." But I know someone selling a "juicebox chip" for a Tacoma if you know anyone interested! CHEAP!!!

 

putting a chip on a turbo motor and a n/a motor are 2 different worlds. so jumping 40 hp on a 4 cylinder turbo motor is very possible.

 

Waiting to hear if they are comming out with a "programmer" for the Tacoma's? That's the route I'd take instead of a "chip".

 

i bought the "chip" "module" whatever off ebay, one for my cad xlr, and one for my 2000 gmc sierra, $7.95 ea, i tried them both, right away the xlr came to more life, also the check engine light came on next start, i took it out, $7.95 part in a $70,000 car (no brainer) the gmc ran better, more off the line oomph, ran fine for about a month, went out to start it and it would run for a second then quit, took out the "chip" all is fine. the "resistor" actually goes in the air temperature sensor wiring, my son took the resistor to school to mechanics class, they took the shrink wrap off and went to radio shack and bought several different resistors and put a car on the computer and checked the temperature, all resistors had diffent values and all had different heat temperatures, so yes it is fooling the computer with the wrong info.

 

The best way to really see any actually HP out of any small mods you do (CAI, exhaust, etc) is to get the URD MAF calibrator (www.urdusa.com) There is a lot of people on other forums that have used it with good results. It's fairly easy to use and you can make changes to it everytime you add another mod. It's most definitely worth the money.

The throttle body spacer isn't gonna give you an additional 10hp in my opinion, not on an EFI motor.

 

as chris farley would say "that is correct" but it will give you a bad case of herpes and on top of that a really annoying whistle from your motor every time you hit the gas...

 

Well I'm glad I never installed the spacer. It's still collecting dust in the closet. The "Helix Power Tower." Really? A whistle? That would suck. Thanks for the info.