Curious to know the 0-60 time of the 94-96 ES with ECT engaged. Yesterday, I was run off the road by a pre-93 Accord EX because I didn't have enough power to merge.

 

I have a '96. I'll try to do a run today and let you know. I live at about 4200 feet above sea level, so you have to keep that in mind.

By the way, merging doesn't have a whole lot to do with power. It's more of a driving skill-type thing. You should be able to do a good merge with a 40 hp VW Beetle.

 

0-60 time for any first gen ES3 is in the low 8 second range. '94-96 *may* be marginally faster, but none of the magazine tests I've seen have been able to verify this. All first gen ES300s get pretty much the same numbers, regardless of the year. The ECT power will help a bit, and I'm sure the mags got the fastest times in this setting, if indeed it makes the car quicker.

I agree to some extent that merging takes skills, but its still nice to have some power to help you out. Bad driver merging a very slow car = disaster waiting to happen.

 

I did a couple runs today at 8.6 and 8.8 seconds. Remember: I am in southern New Mexico at 4200-4400 feet above sea level. My car is noticeably zippier at lower elevations. I didn't try any runs with the ECT in "economy" mode--just in the "power" mode.

I sure don't mind having plenty of power on hand when merging. I used to really enjoy getting onto a freeway on my Yamaha FZR1000. Still, ya have to look and blend. A bad driver in a very powerful car (or on a powerful bike) could also be a recipe for disaster, in my opinion.

 

All ECT does is change the point at which the transmission shifts gears.

It helps more on the freeway or fast city driving than improving 0-60 off the line. It up and downshifts quicker with ECT on.

The thing is the ECT will shift the engine at 6K RPM (into second from 1st gear) which is past the point of the peak of the power band. So you're not getting any more power past the point which the engine would shift without ECT on..you know?

 

One thing the ECT does do, however, is that it keeps the engine within its max power range when the car upshifts into a higher gear.

 

Dood, somthing must be pretty wrong....My ES is like a merging machine. I'm usually going faster than traffic by the time I hit the end of the entrance ramp.

It probably does have to do with skill 2. I can merge my 91 GMC Jimmy pretty damn good, and shes a worker, I keep her WOT quite a bit...YEEEAH!

BTW....anyone ever noticed a loss of power after gutting the cat?I think I have. I lost some massive torque... =(

 

I see, so other than increased gas consumption is there any harm in driving with the ECT on all the time?

 

Blux, gutting the cat will lose some torque down low, but you should see a noticable top-end improvement.

Xenon, Driving with ECT on all the time is perfectly alright if you don't mind the drop in fuel economy. Either way, unless you have the throttle floored 95 percent of the time you drive, the tranny should be able to take the aggresive driving. It is a durable unit unlike the tranny in some of its competitors (cough...acura TL.....cough).

 

ECT on?

The controls on auto trannies look at RPM vs throttle angle. If you put your foot into it, they shift later or at a higher RPM. ECT alters the ratio of RPM to throttle angle a little and so the transmission may be in a lower gear for a longer period at the same throttle angle or driving style.

WOT should take you to redline regardless. If it does not, you should adjust your transmission trottle cable to the Lexus recomended 0.1 MM of slop. That's right, there should be very little play at all. Taking the play down to 0 will not allow for vibratiions and expansion due to temperature differences.

Good luck and drive safe.

 

you guys are luck...
my 97ES doesnt have this ECT function.....sad..sad

 

At WOT on my ES, the car shifts well short of redline. With the ECT on, the shift point is moved up. The ratio does change for throttle angles short of WOT. Unless my ES is abnormal...

 

hmm, same here, I dont ever go over the redline, unless I keep int in second...etc....(like my avatar thing...) to get it to redline

If you ask me its a waste of your money. I guess I still drive all crazy and what not too, but I see these kids that are flooring it at ever stoplight just to stop again a block later. Its not worth it if you ask me...

When I punch it in my jimmy it seriously burns like a gallon of gas... : / ehhhh makes me cringe...

(oh yeah and about gutting the cat...its a good idea, you get a lot more high end power, and it sure loudens up the exhaust..)

 

0-60 in an ES is aroung 8-9 seconds.

 

Well i have a 1993 es300 5 speed and i've tested it a number times with a g-tech the best time i have gotten was a 7.01 i've also gotten 7.2-7.3. I've used the g-tech for years so i know what i'm doing i also raced my friend with a gtp supercharged grand prix and i hung right with him.