ECU Re-flash Article !
11-17-2003, 07:55 PM
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ECU Re-flash Article !
thought this would be of interest. Maybe some have seen this, but a possibility with the 8? took from RX-Tuner mag. Couldn't post graphs though
By RYAN SCOTT
"GREAT NEWS for Mazdaspeed Protégé owners, and an exciting possibility for RX-8 owners. Mazda recently released an ECU update for Mazdaspeed Protégé owners after complaints of hesitation and missing power in the low-mid rpm points. Mazdaspeed Protégé owners can bring their car to a Mazdaspeed certified Mazda dealer and have their ECU flashed with the new program. The process only takes a few minutes to complete.
It consists of simply plugging in a computer into the wiring harness that will overwrite the original set of fuel and ignition maps in the ECU with a new, optimized one. The results thus far have been quite spectacular! Owners are typically reporting a 10% increase in horsepower and torque between 3500 and 5000 rpm’s. Peak hp and torque are only slightly higher, but this overall
powerband increase results in much smoother around town driving and greatly improved throttle response. One example of a before and after dyno
"This begs the question, what if they could do the same for the RX-8. As we all know horse-power was reduced to 238 after a new ECU map was loaded at port to comply with EPA regula-tions.
Undoubtedly this new ECU map was hastily conceived, and could eas-ily be optimized. Could RX-8 owners get those 9 hp back from a simple ECU flash provided for free from Mazda? Quite possibly. If nothing else, one would think that an ECU reprogram could be provided by the aftermarket with similar results. Dyno results from the RX-8, such as the one below, pro-vide evidence that there is still power to be gained. Note how when the vari-able
fresh air duct and variable intake valve open at 7250 rpm, the slope of the curve decreases and becomes more jagged where it should continue upward in a linear fashion. This, to me, indicates improper tuning that could be corrected with an ECU reprogram.
Sure, this is speculation at this point, but the fact that Mazda has taken a proactive approach with Mazdaspeed Protégé owners must be a source of optimism for RX-8 owners. RX Tuner will continue to investigate this issue, and pass on any findings.
By RYAN SCOTT
"GREAT NEWS for Mazdaspeed Protégé owners, and an exciting possibility for RX-8 owners. Mazda recently released an ECU update for Mazdaspeed Protégé owners after complaints of hesitation and missing power in the low-mid rpm points. Mazdaspeed Protégé owners can bring their car to a Mazdaspeed certified Mazda dealer and have their ECU flashed with the new program. The process only takes a few minutes to complete.
It consists of simply plugging in a computer into the wiring harness that will overwrite the original set of fuel and ignition maps in the ECU with a new, optimized one. The results thus far have been quite spectacular! Owners are typically reporting a 10% increase in horsepower and torque between 3500 and 5000 rpm’s. Peak hp and torque are only slightly higher, but this overall
powerband increase results in much smoother around town driving and greatly improved throttle response. One example of a before and after dyno
"This begs the question, what if they could do the same for the RX-8. As we all know horse-power was reduced to 238 after a new ECU map was loaded at port to comply with EPA regula-tions.
Undoubtedly this new ECU map was hastily conceived, and could eas-ily be optimized. Could RX-8 owners get those 9 hp back from a simple ECU flash provided for free from Mazda? Quite possibly. If nothing else, one would think that an ECU reprogram could be provided by the aftermarket with similar results. Dyno results from the RX-8, such as the one below, pro-vide evidence that there is still power to be gained. Note how when the vari-able
fresh air duct and variable intake valve open at 7250 rpm, the slope of the curve decreases and becomes more jagged where it should continue upward in a linear fashion. This, to me, indicates improper tuning that could be corrected with an ECU reprogram.
Sure, this is speculation at this point, but the fact that Mazda has taken a proactive approach with Mazdaspeed Protégé owners must be a source of optimism for RX-8 owners. RX Tuner will continue to investigate this issue, and pass on any findings.
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