Tweaked ECU Options

[thespacepanda]

I've got a question for you guys/gals. A mechanic friend of mine that owns his own shop said that one of his mechanics can tweak the ECU of any car to give it substantial horsepower/torque gains. He has an Integra with ~175 whp that is completely stock save the modified ECU.

He says he can probably get about 40-50 more power to the wheels with proper modification out of my 7A-FE. Any of you guys ever done this or know anyone that has?

Need to know before I pay him a couple hundred bucks for it.

[presure2]

not going to happen, period.
(on a 7a/5s/3s toyota ecu anyway)

[lubu]

not going to happen, period.
(on a 7a/5s/3s toyota ecu anyway)

Cant you flash the ROM and reload it with new data?

[Kwanza26]

Cant you flash the ROM and reload it with new data?

ROM = Read Only Memory = NO new data. Like a CD-ROM... you cannot simply "reload" different data once data is finalized onto its memory.

And to the OP... these are basic 4 cylinder engines... no matter what your friend claims... the physics involved with these engines simply cannot make 40-50 more horsepower with ecu tuning alone. That's impossible given the stock engine. You also cannot compare this engine versus that engine because the engines are NOT the same in terms of making peak horsepower.

[lubu]

ROM = Read Only Memory = NO new data. Like a CD-ROM... you cannot simply "reload" different data once data is finalized onto its memory.

Actually you can flash ROMs but it depends on whether its EEPROM or PROM, I wasnt sure if the semiconductor in the stock ecu is EEPROM or not hence the question.

[Kwanza26]

Actually you can flash ROMs but it depends on whether its EEPROM or PROM, I wasnt sure if the semiconductor in the stock ecu is EEPROM or not hence the question.

ROM is not the same as PROM or EEPROM... whose acronym's specifically say they're writable... but doesn't necessarily mean they're rewritable... PROM's are typically not rewritable... the P in PROM only means a program is "written" in after the chip's manufacture and once written cannot be unwritten because a physical process occurs. EEPROM, depending on the context is a fairly vague term that can refer to old style physically rewritable chips or current flash type electrically rewritable chips. Either way, EEPROM technology is fairly new in the mass market (remember when the first 32-64 mb flash drives costed hundres of dollars?) and although the technology is growing exponentially, they came about en-mass only recently. EEPROM type chips, or flash based chips are very new in ecu's... and 6gc's certainly don't have them built on-board. That however doesn't mean a flash based chip couldn't be installed over the factory chips and thus making a "programmable" ecu... but that's a whole new can of worms.