Can I run with ECT Power mode continuosly?
10-11-11, 07:09 AM
#121
Hi Kurtz sorry for bugging you again. Although the paddles are just top gear limiters I assume they can still be used as normal manual gears right. I mean if you're at a stop light and you paddle down to 1st the disp also shows 1st gear and once you accelerate, the gear will remain in 1st unless you paddle up to 2nd right ? Or does it shift to 2nd gear automatically once the rpm hits redline ? I think it will not.
So essentially if we paddle up and down at the right rpm's the paddle will work or seem to work exactly like a manual, right ? and you have more control of the engine and not letting it shift automatically by selecting a higher gear limit with the paddle shifters? I hope you're getting my point here.
Here's the difference:
In an IS-F if you put it in M-1 you are in first gear. Period. Then, as you approach redline, you paddle to 2... 0.1 seconds later you are now in 2. Period.
In an ISx50 if you put it in S-1 you are in first gear. Same thing so far, right? Ok... now, as you approach redline you paddle to 2. But they aren't shifters. Instead, the FULLY AUTOMATIC transmission notices it's now "allowed" to use both 1 AND 2... so if conditions are appropriate for it to be in 2 instead of 1, it will now command a shift to the transmission... and the car will then shift into 2... and it'll both feel, and actually be, a LOT slower than the experience in the IS-F to get from 1 to 2.... slow enough that you might well bounce off the rev limiter before it happens because you are nowhere near as fast as a computer at noticing the car is near the optimal shift rpm....
Overall It's not a "YOU WILL SHIFT NOW and stay in specific gear X" message to the car it's a "You are allowed to use an extra gear... so if you think that's a good idea, you can then decide to put the transmission there, but all lower gears are still ok too!"
It will always be much faster, in a drag race type situation, to just leave it in D and let the computer shift for you.
10-11-11, 10:32 AM
#122
By bounce off, you mean the engine will blow right ?
It won't work "exactly" like a manual, because the paddles aren't shifters. On the IS-F they are (in M mode).
Here's the difference:
In an IS-F if you put it in M-1 you are in first gear. Period. Then, as you approach redline, you paddle to 2... 0.1 seconds later you are now in 2. Period.
In an ISx50 if you put it in S-1 you are in first gear. Same thing so far, right? Ok... now, as you approach redline you paddle to 2. But they aren't shifters. Instead, the FULLY AUTOMATIC transmission notices it's now "allowed" to use both 1 AND 2... so if conditions are appropriate for it to be in 2 instead of 1, it will now command a shift to the transmission... and the car will then shift into 2... and it'll both feel, and actually be, a LOT slower than the experience in the IS-F to get from 1 to 2.... slow enough that you might well bounce off the rev limiter before it happens because you are nowhere near as fast as a computer at noticing the car is near the optimal shift rpm....
Overall It's not a "YOU WILL SHIFT NOW and stay in specific gear X" message to the car it's a "You are allowed to use an extra gear... so if you think that's a good idea, you can then decide to put the transmission there, but all lower gears are still ok too!"
It will always be much faster, in a drag race type situation, to just leave it in D and let the computer shift for you.
Hmm, alright I get it now. So while up shifting the transmission pauses and thinks to select what gear it wants to select which is not the same case while downshifting , since the gears do downshift while we paddle down. Think S mode is best for track use and D mode in a drag race as you mentioned. Thanks once again Kurtz. You're the man 
It won't work "exactly" like a manual, because the paddles aren't shifters. On the IS-F they are (in M mode).
Here's the difference:
In an IS-F if you put it in M-1 you are in first gear. Period. Then, as you approach redline, you paddle to 2... 0.1 seconds later you are now in 2. Period.
In an ISx50 if you put it in S-1 you are in first gear. Same thing so far, right? Ok... now, as you approach redline you paddle to 2. But they aren't shifters. Instead, the FULLY AUTOMATIC transmission notices it's now "allowed" to use both 1 AND 2... so if conditions are appropriate for it to be in 2 instead of 1, it will now command a shift to the transmission... and the car will then shift into 2... and it'll both feel, and actually be, a LOT slower than the experience in the IS-F to get from 1 to 2.... slow enough that you might well bounce off the rev limiter before it happens because you are nowhere near as fast as a computer at noticing the car is near the optimal shift rpm....
Overall It's not a "YOU WILL SHIFT NOW and stay in specific gear X" message to the car it's a "You are allowed to use an extra gear... so if you think that's a good idea, you can then decide to put the transmission there, but all lower gears are still ok too!"
It will always be much faster, in a drag race type situation, to just leave it in D and let the computer shift for you.
10-11-11, 12:26 PM
#123
Just the opposite.. that's why the rev limiter exists- to keep you from blowing the engine by over-revving it... bounce off means you'll rev to the limit, then the limiter will cut you back a bit, keep it floored and you'll hit the limit again, and back, and so on.
The gears don't actually downshift when paddling down either. Again the system tricks you into thinking so, but drive an IS-F and you'll tell the difference.
In an IS-F if you are going 30 mph and you put it in M-4 you are in EXACTLY 4th gear, and will stay there until you shift one way or another.... paddle down to M-3 and you are, in about 0.1 seconds, in EXACTLY 3rd, and will stay there.
in an ISx50 if you are going 30 mph and put it in S-4 you MIGHT be in any gear between 1-4, since the computer is allowed to use anything at or below the limit you set.
If you happen to be in 3rd (because the specific conditions, speed, pedal input, transmission learning, pitch of the car, etc say 3rd is best for those conditions, and the computer decides that) then even if you "shift" down to S-3 the car won't shift at all it will remain in the same 3rd gear it was in before in S-4. It just won't then be allowed to shift "up" to 4 automatically if conditions change to where it thinks that's a good idea.
In short- in an F if you put it in M-4, it's in 4th period. In an ISx50 if you put it in S-4 it might be in any gear from 1st through 4th depending which one it thinks is best for the current situation.
So again, you can't, ever, directly shift an ISx50 like you can an F. The only thing you can ever do is lock out a specific upper range of gears. Sometimes, depending on conditions, this will trick you into thinking you "shifted" the car, but you didn't. The automatic transmission is always automatic, controlled by the computer, within the gear range you allow.
That's not to say S mode is never useful... it's great for saving your brakes when coming down off a mountainside for example... and can have some limited use for "fun" driving on twisty roads if you want to, say, lock out the top 2 (overdrive) gears.... but the paddles aren't shifters... ever. They'll never work like the paddles in an IS-F (or other true direct-shift transmissions, including manuals)...and they'll always be a lot slower to cause a change in gears than those types of cars or just letting the computer do it in D will be.
Hmm, alright I get it now. So while up shifting the transmission pauses and thinks to select what gear it wants to select which is not the same case while downshifting , since the gears do downshift while we paddle down. Think S mode is best for track use and D mode in a drag race as you mentioned. Thanks once again Kurtz. You're the man
In an IS-F if you are going 30 mph and you put it in M-4 you are in EXACTLY 4th gear, and will stay there until you shift one way or another.... paddle down to M-3 and you are, in about 0.1 seconds, in EXACTLY 3rd, and will stay there.
in an ISx50 if you are going 30 mph and put it in S-4 you MIGHT be in any gear between 1-4, since the computer is allowed to use anything at or below the limit you set.
If you happen to be in 3rd (because the specific conditions, speed, pedal input, transmission learning, pitch of the car, etc say 3rd is best for those conditions, and the computer decides that) then even if you "shift" down to S-3 the car won't shift at all it will remain in the same 3rd gear it was in before in S-4. It just won't then be allowed to shift "up" to 4 automatically if conditions change to where it thinks that's a good idea.
In short- in an F if you put it in M-4, it's in 4th period. In an ISx50 if you put it in S-4 it might be in any gear from 1st through 4th depending which one it thinks is best for the current situation.
So again, you can't, ever, directly shift an ISx50 like you can an F. The only thing you can ever do is lock out a specific upper range of gears. Sometimes, depending on conditions, this will trick you into thinking you "shifted" the car, but you didn't. The automatic transmission is always automatic, controlled by the computer, within the gear range you allow.
That's not to say S mode is never useful... it's great for saving your brakes when coming down off a mountainside for example... and can have some limited use for "fun" driving on twisty roads if you want to, say, lock out the top 2 (overdrive) gears.... but the paddles aren't shifters... ever. They'll never work like the paddles in an IS-F (or other true direct-shift transmissions, including manuals)...and they'll always be a lot slower to cause a change in gears than those types of cars or just letting the computer do it in D will be.
Last edited by Kurtz; 10-11-11 at 12:29 PM.
10-17-11, 08:26 AM
#124
Just the opposite.. that's why the rev limiter exists- to keep you from blowing the engine by over-revving it... bounce off means you'll rev to the limit, then the limiter will cut you back a bit, keep it floored and you'll hit the limit again, and back, and so on.
The gears don't actually downshift when paddling down either. Again the system tricks you into thinking so, but drive an IS-F and you'll tell the difference.
In an IS-F if you are going 30 mph and you put it in M-4 you are in EXACTLY 4th gear, and will stay there until you shift one way or another.... paddle down to M-3 and you are, in about 0.1 seconds, in EXACTLY 3rd, and will stay there.
in an ISx50 if you are going 30 mph and put it in S-4 you MIGHT be in any gear between 1-4, since the computer is allowed to use anything at or below the limit you set.
If you happen to be in 3rd (because the specific conditions, speed, pedal input, transmission learning, pitch of the car, etc say 3rd is best for those conditions, and the computer decides that) then even if you "shift" down to S-3 the car won't shift at all it will remain in the same 3rd gear it was in before in S-4. It just won't then be allowed to shift "up" to 4 automatically if conditions change to where it thinks that's a good idea.
In short- in an F if you put it in M-4, it's in 4th period. In an ISx50 if you put it in S-4 it might be in any gear from 1st through 4th depending which one it thinks is best for the current situation.
So again, you can't, ever, directly shift an ISx50 like you can an F. The only thing you can ever do is lock out a specific upper range of gears. Sometimes, depending on conditions, this will trick you into thinking you "shifted" the car, but you didn't. The automatic transmission is always automatic, controlled by the computer, within the gear range you allow.
That's not to say S mode is never useful... it's great for saving your brakes when coming down off a mountainside for example... and can have some limited use for "fun" driving on twisty roads if you want to, say, lock out the top 2 (overdrive) gears.... but the paddles aren't shifters... ever. They'll never work like the paddles in an IS-F (or other true direct-shift transmissions, including manuals)...and they'll always be a lot slower to cause a change in gears than those types of cars or just letting the computer do it in D will be.
The gears don't actually downshift when paddling down either. Again the system tricks you into thinking so, but drive an IS-F and you'll tell the difference.
In an IS-F if you are going 30 mph and you put it in M-4 you are in EXACTLY 4th gear, and will stay there until you shift one way or another.... paddle down to M-3 and you are, in about 0.1 seconds, in EXACTLY 3rd, and will stay there.
in an ISx50 if you are going 30 mph and put it in S-4 you MIGHT be in any gear between 1-4, since the computer is allowed to use anything at or below the limit you set.
If you happen to be in 3rd (because the specific conditions, speed, pedal input, transmission learning, pitch of the car, etc say 3rd is best for those conditions, and the computer decides that) then even if you "shift" down to S-3 the car won't shift at all it will remain in the same 3rd gear it was in before in S-4. It just won't then be allowed to shift "up" to 4 automatically if conditions change to where it thinks that's a good idea.
In short- in an F if you put it in M-4, it's in 4th period. In an ISx50 if you put it in S-4 it might be in any gear from 1st through 4th depending which one it thinks is best for the current situation.
So again, you can't, ever, directly shift an ISx50 like you can an F. The only thing you can ever do is lock out a specific upper range of gears. Sometimes, depending on conditions, this will trick you into thinking you "shifted" the car, but you didn't. The automatic transmission is always automatic, controlled by the computer, within the gear range you allow.
That's not to say S mode is never useful... it's great for saving your brakes when coming down off a mountainside for example... and can have some limited use for "fun" driving on twisty roads if you want to, say, lock out the top 2 (overdrive) gears.... but the paddles aren't shifters... ever. They'll never work like the paddles in an IS-F (or other true direct-shift transmissions, including manuals)...and they'll always be a lot slower to cause a change in gears than those types of cars or just letting the computer do it in D will be.
It's pretty clear now. D mode is good enough for me now on normal day to day driving conditions.
01-17-12, 10:04 PM
#126
Very interesting thread. I've had my 250 since Sept and haven't used it once I don't even use the paddle shifters or put it into s mode. To me its all a gimmick, a waste of gas, and a quicker way to break your car. I can totally see people abusing their tranny with all this. I've had 11 cars and they were all manuals. This is my first automatic and I enjoy just cruising. From what I've gotten out of this thread is putting the ect on would make your tranny run each gear at higher rpms so wouldn't that drain your gas? There's so many ppl claiming better gas mileage with it on and just as much with it off. I'm tempted to test it out but my gas mileage has already dropped a lot since I bought the car after throwing on 20s a gigantic sub and box molding my spoiler my quarters etc etc
01-18-12, 04:41 AM
#127
Very interesting thread. I've had my 250 since Sept and haven't used it once I don't even use the paddle shifters or put it into s mode. To me its all a gimmick, a waste of gas, and a quicker way to break your car. I can totally see people abusing their tranny with all this. I've had 11 cars and they were all manuals. This is my first automatic and I enjoy just cruising. From what I've gotten out of this thread is putting the ect on would make your tranny run each gear at higher rpms so wouldn't that drain your gas? There's so many ppl claiming better gas mileage with it on and just as much with it off. I'm tempted to test it out but my gas mileage has already dropped a lot since I bought the car after throwing on 20s a gigantic sub and box molding my spoiler my quarters etc etc
I never use the gimmick paddles either.Want the feel of more power?Use the power mode.
01-18-12, 05:43 AM
#130
On the other hand, It's better to use snow mode when in stop and go traffic (bumper to bumper). It eliminates the jerkiness. You also use snow mode for running on a dyno.
Koz
Koz
01-18-12, 05:49 AM
#131
I select the "S" mode (floor selector) all the time to help shed speed and when I'm about to make a move (passing on a highway). This allows me to bring the engine speed (RPM) up to peak power to accelerate quicker.
Koz
Koz
01-18-12, 10:40 AM
#134
This is a great thread! I got an '11 IS350 a couple of months ago, and was wondering exactly what the ECT PWR switch did. From what I've read, all it does is change the shift points for both upshifting and downshifting. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I had a similar switch on my previous car (a manual transmission), but it did more. Because it was "drive by wire", everything was controlled by the computer. I assume the IS is drive by wire too, but I may be wrong. So when I pushed the "sport mode" button on my previous car, it actually changed the throttle position mapping to make the throttle more responsive. It made a BIG difference. It was also supposed to change the steering response, but I had a hard time seeing the difference. I did tend to turn it off while on the interstate to numb up the responsiveness a bit, and I THINK it did. Either that or I simply got used to it. I was also told that it also changed the mixture and timing settings to make them more aggressive, but I was never able to confirm that. It seems pretty reasonable to me though, and it really wouldn't be that difficult to implement even if the car isn't drive by wire.
I was actually thinking of sending an email to Lexus to see if any of these techniques are used on my IS, but it seems like we have some pretty knowledgeable members in CL that might know and actually respond. I wasn't very convinced Lexus would.
Any ideas?
I had a similar switch on my previous car (a manual transmission), but it did more. Because it was "drive by wire", everything was controlled by the computer. I assume the IS is drive by wire too, but I may be wrong. So when I pushed the "sport mode" button on my previous car, it actually changed the throttle position mapping to make the throttle more responsive. It made a BIG difference. It was also supposed to change the steering response, but I had a hard time seeing the difference. I did tend to turn it off while on the interstate to numb up the responsiveness a bit, and I THINK it did. Either that or I simply got used to it. I was also told that it also changed the mixture and timing settings to make them more aggressive, but I was never able to confirm that. It seems pretty reasonable to me though, and it really wouldn't be that difficult to implement even if the car isn't drive by wire.
I was actually thinking of sending an email to Lexus to see if any of these techniques are used on my IS, but it seems like we have some pretty knowledgeable members in CL that might know and actually respond. I wasn't very convinced Lexus would.
Any ideas?
01-18-12, 11:19 AM
#135
Exactly what it does was already posted in this very thread back in post #24
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/5807368-post24.html
I had a similar switch on my previous car (a manual transmission), but it did more. Because it was "drive by wire", everything was controlled by the computer. I assume the IS is drive by wire too, but I may be wrong. So when I pushed the "sport mode" button on my previous car, it actually changed the throttle position mapping to make the throttle more responsive. It made a BIG difference. It was also supposed to change the steering response, but I had a hard time seeing the difference. I did tend to turn it off while on the interstate to numb up the responsiveness a bit, and I THINK it did. Either that or I simply got used to it. I was also told that it also changed the mixture and timing settings to make them more aggressive, but I was never able to confirm that. It seems pretty reasonable to me though, and it really wouldn't be that difficult to implement even if the car isn't drive by wire.
I was actually thinking of sending an email to Lexus to see if any of these techniques are used on my IS, but it seems like we have some pretty knowledgeable members in CL that might know and actually respond. I wasn't very convinced Lexus would.
Any ideas?
I was actually thinking of sending an email to Lexus to see if any of these techniques are used on my IS, but it seems like we have some pretty knowledgeable members in CL that might know and actually respond. I wasn't very convinced Lexus would.
Any ideas?
The 2IS is drive by wire.... but ECT doesn't change steering behavior.
Some folks have claimed they think it changes throttle sensitivity but I've never seen anything in the actual lexus documentation to support that