Someone please explain to what they mean by the adaptive "ecm" or computer that the g's supposedly have. I really don't believe this hype that you will loose all gains made through adding a new exhaust system and a high flow air intake. Why would anyone purchase these items if the computer simple negates the h.p./torque increases.

Wouldn't the same thing happen with a supercharger or a turbocharger if we are supposed to believe this nonsense?

 

If you get a turbo charger you'd be changing ecu somehow anyway. The mods eventually ARE tamed and the car will slow down even with out mods anyway unless you floor it all the time as the baseline for the ecu is max power and then reduced from there.

Realize the research done here by many experts is not just for something to talk about...its for real dude - deal with it and disconnect the battery for 12 hours and see for yourself.

 

Drive the G35 in "Granny" mode for the first 1,200 miles (break in period). The "G" will continue to perform as if "Granny" is still behind the wheel.

Disconnect the battery for 12 hours.

Drive it the next day. You will notice a difference.

You do have to drive like a "Maniac" to keep both the ECU and the TCM from adapting to a tamer driving style. If you've read any of the posts from the 5AT drivers where they complained about the "slow" shifts, including myself, I can certify that resetting the ECU and driving in "ManuManiac" mode has taught the ECU and TCM to allow the G35c 5AT to drive like a sports car, not a luxury sports sedan. I cruise between 75 - 80 mph, my rpms are usually between 3200 and 6000 rpm, I take on-ramps and off-ramps at 50 - 60 mph (front outside tire squealing like a pig) and while I don't crowd or cut-off other drivers on the highway, I'm sure that they are cussing me out as I fly by them. My engine revs up very fast and it drops very fast. Another complaint from both 5AT and 6MT (especially them) drivers is how slow the engine drops back down for the next shift. My auto tranny shifts up just as fast as almost any manual tranny driver will do unless he/she is racing someone. When I shift down in "ManuManiac" mode, the engine revs up to make the required rpms. If I'm in "AutoMatic" mode in 5th gear and I press the accelerator just a little, the tranny will drop through 4th to 3rd in a heartbeat.

I.E. After a full ECU reset and a little training, I've got the car that I wanted when I bought it last January 17th.

Of course you will experience a drop in mpg from ~20+ to ~17-.

If you start driving in "Granny" mode again, the ECU and TCM will adapt to that style of driving. I've been driving in "AutoMatic" mode for the past couple of weeks because of my ~17-mpg avgerage and I can already tell that the TCM is not downshifting as readily nor is it staying in the lower gears as long while accelerating up to cruising speed.

Dnyo tests so far:

Baseline Dyno with ECU reset after post "Granny" break-in driving mode: 218.8rwhp & 281.4ft/lbs; Temp ~65f; Humidity ~5%.

Stillen Exhaust Dyno with ECU reset (before reset hp gain was almost nothing): 228.3rwhp & ###.#ft/lbs (skewed by A/T); Temp ~75f; Humidity ~10%;

Five week post Stillen Exhaust & IForged Wheels with no ECU reset: 225.9rwhp & 224.7ft/lbs; Temp ~98f; Humidity 100%; Basically no change from the previous Stillen Dyno run.

Five week post Stillen Exhaust & IForged Wheels & Injen CAI install with no ECU reset: 230.3rwhp & ###.#ft/lbs (skewed by A/T); Temp ~98f; Humidity 100%; However, the HP and Torque curves were higher across the entire RPM range even if the peak gain wasn't that much. My "B*tt-O-Meter" tells me that the torque gain in the lower RPM range is definitely there. Normally the ECU doesn't kick into true "performance" mode until ~3,500rpm when it really starts playing with the "variable value timing". But after just one 25mile drive, I'd say that the "G" starts from a dead stop like a young colt now versus an old codger like myself.

I'm going to reset the ECU overnight and go back for another run with the lastest setup.

Heres the link to the "ImageStation" album page where last night's Dyno run chart is stored. (You need a userid/pswd to view "ImageStation" albums. Register once, sign in once and you can view all "ImageStation" images/videos in the future.)

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4289651907&idx=3

<font color=red>Warning!</font color=red> Clicking on the image displayed on this album page will bring up the full size image. It's ~1.3MB in size.

Screamin' Daemon

 

Thanks suprhulk. I don't buy into the ECM theory negating the modifications on the car, and your dynos seem to prove it. I've been reading over at my350z.com and some others have posted dynos that showed the same results (no loss after several thousand miles of driving with no ECM reset).

I would like to see more people with modifications dyno their car when the mods are installed and a few thousand miles later too.

-Rick
G35C 6MT Ivory Pearl

 

Well here's a question regarding "granny" mode:

With all the mods in place, and driving "granny" style, does the HP and torque curves stay the same and only the aggressiveness of the shift points change?

I can understand the car adapting to drive "tamer" but I can't understand the car purposefully lowering the actual HP and/or Torque.

G35 6MT/DG/Fully Loaded

 

Here are my Dyno Charts (on Imagestation.com site, requires uid/pswd). Read my previous post for temp/humidity info and make your own conclusions about hp/tq changes:

1) Baseline Dyno w/ECU reset (2003/03/26) & Stillen Exhaust w/ECU reset (2003/05/08).

2) Previous Stillen Exhaust w/ECU reset run (2003/05/08) & New Stillen Exhaust w/o ECU reset run (2003/07/16) & Injen CAI w/ECU reset run (2003/07/16).

My "Seat-O-Pants" observations: From 2003/01/17, date of purchase, until first mod (Stillen), having driven in mostly "Granny" mode, during accelleration engine/trans upshifts to higher gears as fast as possible. Decelleration and the engine/trans stays in the higher gear until the engine is about to stall. Put the "G" in "Manumaniac" mode and upshifts are slow due to transmission's apparent desire to remain "soft". Still in "Granny" "Manumaniac" mode, downshifts are slow due to the engines apparent desire to stay at a lower rpm. Instead the engine forces the tranny to slow the car down to meet the engine rpm rather than the engine rev up to meet the tranny's rpm. From 2003/05/08 until 2003/07/01 driving Post-Stillen mod in "ManuManiac" mode. Eventually the engine begins to respond to throttle changes and shifts very quickly. No more "Let's think about this for a while" responses. If driving in "Automatic" mode, engine/trans stays in lower gears to a higher rpm before upshifting. Also, if crusing at 55mph, the slightest touch of the throttle and the engine/trans will drop from 5th to 3rd in a blink. Seriously, I could hear the slight pause from 5th to 4th before dropping to 3rd. Back in post-"Granny", "Manumaniac" mode, downshifts cause the engine to rev up to meet the tranny's rpm. This is especially true at the higher rpm range. At lower rpms, the engine/trans wants to be "soft" again but not as much as before when in "Granny" mode. Upshifts are almost as quick as any manual shift. Especially true in higher rpm range. A little slower in the lower rpm range.

For about the last 3 of the almost 10 weeks I've had the Stillen Exhaust installed, I'd switched to driving in mostly "Automatic" mode. This was because of the poor gas mileage and because I wanted to see how the ecu/tcm would respond. Personal observations are that the engine/trans are returning to their "Granny" mode of behavior. The engine/trans upshifts to higher gear quicker during accelleration (unless you go WOT). Switching to "ManuManiac" mode and the engine/trans seem to be less responsive than before, even in the higher rpm range.

Personal conclusion: If you want to drive like a "Maniac" the "G" will accomodate you. If not, the "G" will behave like a luxury car. The price you pay is up to you. A snarling "sports" car with bad average gas mileage (14-17mpg) or a purring "luxury sports" car with average mileage in the 20+mpg range.

Screamin' Daemon

 

I completely fail to see how this would have any effect on the manual transmission as you, not the car decide when to upshift. Where is the proof that the actual horsepower and torque numbers are lowered based on driving style?

 

My car is not in granny mode? will it still retart gains..?