L-Tuned Steering ECU - The FINAL Word
09-23-01, 01:58 PM
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L-Tuned Steering ECU - The FINAL Word
Bit came over today and installed the L-Tuned steering ecu in my GS 430.
First, thanks to Sasha for supplying the instructions. bit did his install a year ago and having the instructions as a reminder came in VERY handy.
Second, THANK YOU BIT . I know I could have figured it out. But I'd probably have taken four times as long and I'd probably still be putting it (and my sore vertabrae) back together. Really appreciate your doing it for me.
Now to the meat of the info.
1. I had a GS 400 for 3 1/2 years with the standard ECU.
2. Bit has a '00 GS 400 that came with the standard ECU and now has the L-Tuned ECU.
3. I've had an '01 GS 430 for a month. Two weeks ago I had the L-Tuned suspension installed.
4. The folks at L-Tuned have told me that the '01 GS 430 comes with the L-Tuned ECU while the GS 300s come with the non-L-Tuned ecu.
5. I purchased the L-Tuned ECU and bit and I proceeded to set up a test to compare the two to see what we experienced.
6. With the OEM ECU installed we both drove my GS 430 over a course that included some low speed turns and high speed highway driving. We did not talk to each other about the steering or compare notes about our experince of the feel of the steering so we did not influence each other.
7. We then both drove the same course after the ECU was installed
8. We then compared our conclusions.
What we concluded:
There is DEFINATELY A DIFFERENCE. Both bit and I came to the same independent conclusions and only compared notes after both test drives.
a. The GS430 ECU is NOT the same as the L-Tuned ECU.
b. The L-Tuned ECU makes the wheel stiffer to turn at all speeds. The wheel offers more resistance to turning whether you are standing still or going 80 mph.
c. There in less "slop" in the wheel. The inch or so of turning play before the steering wheel starts to turn the car is gone. At low speeds when you begin to turn the wheel the car begins to enter the turn.
d. The "dead" spot in the center of the wheel at highway speeds is gone. At high speed if you turn the wheel a half inch you have just changed lanes.
----------------------------------------------------
Now some opinions -
Although the ECU cannot change the mechanical steering ratio, I believe the lack of slop in the steering mentioned in item "c" above is why the L-Tuned ECU makes the steering appear to be "faster" on tight turns.
Another opinion - The GS 430 ECU feels different from my '98 GS400. I believe there is a difference in the ECU between the older GS400s and the 01 GS300s and the GS430 but this test produced no emperical data to confirm it.
First, thanks to Sasha for supplying the instructions. bit did his install a year ago and having the instructions as a reminder came in VERY handy.
Second, THANK YOU BIT . I know I could have figured it out. But I'd probably have taken four times as long and I'd probably still be putting it (and my sore vertabrae) back together. Really appreciate your doing it for me.
Now to the meat of the info.
1. I had a GS 400 for 3 1/2 years with the standard ECU.
2. Bit has a '00 GS 400 that came with the standard ECU and now has the L-Tuned ECU.
3. I've had an '01 GS 430 for a month. Two weeks ago I had the L-Tuned suspension installed.
4. The folks at L-Tuned have told me that the '01 GS 430 comes with the L-Tuned ECU while the GS 300s come with the non-L-Tuned ecu.
5. I purchased the L-Tuned ECU and bit and I proceeded to set up a test to compare the two to see what we experienced.
6. With the OEM ECU installed we both drove my GS 430 over a course that included some low speed turns and high speed highway driving. We did not talk to each other about the steering or compare notes about our experince of the feel of the steering so we did not influence each other.
7. We then both drove the same course after the ECU was installed
8. We then compared our conclusions.
What we concluded:
There is DEFINATELY A DIFFERENCE. Both bit and I came to the same independent conclusions and only compared notes after both test drives.
a. The GS430 ECU is NOT the same as the L-Tuned ECU.
b. The L-Tuned ECU makes the wheel stiffer to turn at all speeds. The wheel offers more resistance to turning whether you are standing still or going 80 mph.
c. There in less "slop" in the wheel. The inch or so of turning play before the steering wheel starts to turn the car is gone. At low speeds when you begin to turn the wheel the car begins to enter the turn.
d. The "dead" spot in the center of the wheel at highway speeds is gone. At high speed if you turn the wheel a half inch you have just changed lanes.
----------------------------------------------------
Now some opinions -
Although the ECU cannot change the mechanical steering ratio, I believe the lack of slop in the steering mentioned in item "c" above is why the L-Tuned ECU makes the steering appear to be "faster" on tight turns.
Another opinion - The GS 430 ECU feels different from my '98 GS400. I believe there is a difference in the ECU between the older GS400s and the 01 GS300s and the GS430 but this test produced no emperical data to confirm it.
Last edited by RealMarty; 09-23-01 at 02:20 PM.
09-23-01, 02:27 PM
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Darn it, Marty, i was hoping that you and sensei-Bit were going to save me a little money and conclude that the L-Tuned ECU is the same as the current one in the 430.
I know that steering feel is more difficult to quantify, as opposed to effort and dead spots, but can you or Bit document any change there as far as what the contact patches are doing?
(I still would like to know how Toyota/Lexus is supposed to keep two ECUs with the same part number seperate! I can just imagine a practical joker like the person on the line at Mattel a few years back who switched voice chips on a few dozen G.I. Joes with those in an identical number of Barbies. From Joe: (Girl voice) "Let's go shopping!!!!" From Barbie: (gruff man's voice) "Dead men tell no tales!")
Oh well.......one o' these days, be givin' ol' Steve @ Carson a call......
Thanks to you and Bit for providing the definitive answer!! Good on ya!!
I know that steering feel is more difficult to quantify, as opposed to effort and dead spots, but can you or Bit document any change there as far as what the contact patches are doing?
(I still would like to know how Toyota/Lexus is supposed to keep two ECUs with the same part number seperate! I can just imagine a practical joker like the person on the line at Mattel a few years back who switched voice chips on a few dozen G.I. Joes with those in an identical number of Barbies. From Joe: (Girl voice) "Let's go shopping!!!!" From Barbie: (gruff man's voice) "Dead men tell no tales!")
Oh well.......one o' these days, be givin' ol' Steve @ Carson a call......
Thanks to you and Bit for providing the definitive answer!! Good on ya!!
09-23-01, 03:22 PM
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Originally posted by mooretorque
I know that steering feel is more difficult to quantify, as opposed to effort and dead spots, but can you or Bit document any change there as far as what the contact patches are doing?
I know that steering feel is more difficult to quantify, as opposed to effort and dead spots, but can you or Bit document any change there as far as what the contact patches are doing?
Sorry, the L-Tuned ECU doesn't give any more road feedback or feel than the OEM unit does. Wish it did, but no
09-23-01, 03:22 PM
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Originally posted by mooretorque
I know that steering feel is more difficult to quantify, as opposed to effort and dead spots, but can you or Bit document any change there as far as what the contact patches are doing?
(I still would like to know how Toyota/Lexus is supposed to keep two ECUs with the same part number seperate! ...)
I know that steering feel is more difficult to quantify, as opposed to effort and dead spots, but can you or Bit document any change there as far as what the contact patches are doing?
(I still would like to know how Toyota/Lexus is supposed to keep two ECUs with the same part number seperate! ...)
As far as keeping parts straight, here's my guess... Lexus sends a batch of stock ECUs to TRD / L-tuned which are then reprogrammed (flash memory or PROM) and they can be distinguished from then on because they're put in little 'L-Tuned' bubble wrap packages. The volumes are small enough that it's not too hard.
09-23-01, 09:48 PM
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I agree that the L-tuned ecu does work and yes a 80 miles where i felt the steering tighting up..as for the turning ratio i don't think that what the purpose of the chip...and as for ID diff>between ecu stock has i think two block dots and l-tuned has only one.
just my two cents
just my two cents
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09-24-01, 05:53 AM
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1SICKLEX,
We missed ya!! Wanted to show off my ride and had all that beer to drink (so bit and I did the best we could without you).
But, with your harrowing hero night on Saturday and your smashed cell phone we had no way to get in touch with you -- so we understood when you didn't show.
Catch you next time.
We missed ya!! Wanted to show off my ride and had all that beer to drink (so bit and I did the best we could without you).
But, with your harrowing hero night on Saturday and your smashed cell phone we had no way to get in touch with you -- so we understood when you didn't show.
Catch you next time.
09-24-01, 11:09 AM
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Now that the ECU is in all I have to do is get the dealer to get the suspension to stop making noise and I think my mods are complete for now. They better be I'm about tapped out
Yes, the silvers are different colors. I don't have a great eye for color, but I would say the older silver was whiter and the millinium silver is more gray.
Yes, the silvers are different colors. I don't have a great eye for color, but I would say the older silver was whiter and the millinium silver is more gray.
Last edited by RealMarty; 09-24-01 at 11:22 AM.
09-24-01, 12:12 PM
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Realmarty, I'm glad you finally solved this puzzle. Let me get this straight now.
1) First there is the factory ECU's for the pre 01 models
2) The GS430 is a different ECU from the previous models AND also different from the L-TUNED ECU right?
So all in all, there is THREE different kinds of ecu's if I read it correctly?
Can't really concentrate, too many Heinekens
1) First there is the factory ECU's for the pre 01 models
2) The GS430 is a different ECU from the previous models AND also different from the L-TUNED ECU right?
So all in all, there is THREE different kinds of ecu's if I read it correctly?
Can't really concentrate, too many Heinekens
09-24-01, 06:04 PM
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Originally posted by RealMarty
Yes, the silvers are different colors. I don't have a great eye for color, but I would say the older silver was whiter and the millinium silver is more gray.
Yes, the silvers are different colors. I don't have a great eye for color, but I would say the older silver was whiter and the millinium silver is more gray.
09-24-01, 06:51 PM
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Originally posted by DIESELMAN63
1) First there is the factory ECU's for the pre 01 models
Yes, for all of the pre '01 GS 300s and 400s
2) The GS430 is a different ECU from the previous models
Sure feels that way to me and that's what every Lexus dealer and the L-Tuned folks say also. It's just that they say it's the L-Tuned ECU...and it's NOT.
AND also different from the L-TUNED ECU right?
The L-Tuned ECU is without question different from the 430'S
So all in all, there is THREE different kinds of ecu's if I read it correctly?
Sure would seem so -- the 430'S ECU is somewhere between the 300/400'S and the L-Tuned.
I'm beginning to wonder if they meant to put the L-Tuned ECU program in the 430s and screwed up the programming somehow and got something in the middle. Since they all have the same part number it woudn't be tough to confuse them.
How the hell can they be different and all have the same part number. What inventory genius thought that one up?
Wonder if I should keep my original ECU in case there's a recall?
1) First there is the factory ECU's for the pre 01 models
Yes, for all of the pre '01 GS 300s and 400s
2) The GS430 is a different ECU from the previous models
Sure feels that way to me and that's what every Lexus dealer and the L-Tuned folks say also. It's just that they say it's the L-Tuned ECU...and it's NOT.
AND also different from the L-TUNED ECU right?
The L-Tuned ECU is without question different from the 430'S
So all in all, there is THREE different kinds of ecu's if I read it correctly?
Sure would seem so -- the 430'S ECU is somewhere between the 300/400'S and the L-Tuned.
I'm beginning to wonder if they meant to put the L-Tuned ECU program in the 430s and screwed up the programming somehow and got something in the middle. Since they all have the same part number it woudn't be tough to confuse them.
How the hell can they be different and all have the same part number. What inventory genius thought that one up?
Wonder if I should keep my original ECU in case there's a recall?
09-24-01, 08:47 PM
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When I traded my 2000 GS400 for a GS430 the steering was definitely tighter. I noticed this most often when I needed to turn the wheel at a stand still or at very slow speeds. If it had any more resistance at slow speeds I would feel like I was driving a big truck. Maybe they should also make a Force Feedback ECU