Performance Chips

[Ultraguy]

Anybody have any recommendations for or against performance chips for an 04 ls430?

[nc211]

My only question is why? I mean, I know why, but why chip an LS for more performance? They're pretty dang fast as is, and really meant for quiet & smooth operation. Chipping it sounds like a way to mess up that balance that they're known for. But, to each is his own. I don't think I've ever seen anyone on here that's successfully chipped an LS. Maybe JIBBY knows how to, as he has tweaked out his 4.0 V8 in his SC pretty successfully.

[VMF]

its all a matter of how much money you want to put into your engine mods, in this field, the sky is the limit, there are supercharger kits for 1uzfe out there, there are intakes, exhaust kits etc, but i agree with nc211, why?

LS engine is very undertuned i agree, this is what gives it its reliability since it is not exposed to the stresses of the sport engine, you can squeeze up to 800 hp on this block without doing very extended modifications, as one person in australia did when he installed 1uzfe in the supra, but in the LS case, engine is restricted by the transmission, which is also programmed for the smooth ride, exhaust, intake and of course ECU. what chips usually do, is they are being attached to MAF sensor and then send modified signals to ECU to trick it into sending richer mixture into cylinders. this means your fuel economy is going to suffer and different components of the engine are going to be but under extra stress, ask yourself again, do you really want it? there are bunch of other car models out there that are a much better fit for modifications. (E.G. civics, thats why i got one:) )

[sonyman]

its all a matter of how much money you want to put into your engine mods, in this field, the sky is the limit, there are supercharger kits for 1uzfe out there, there are intakes, exhaust kits etc, but i agree with nc211, why?

LS engine is very undertuned i agree, this is what gives it its reliability since it is not exposed to the stresses of the sport engine, you can squeeze up to 800 hp on this block without doing very extended modifications, as one person in australia did when he installed 1uzfe in the supra, but in the LS case, engine is restricted by the transmission, which is also programmed for the smooth ride, exhaust, intake and of course ECU. what chips usually do, is they are being attached to MAF sensor and then send modified signals to ECU to trick it into sending richer mixture into cylinders. this means your fuel economy is going to suffer and different components of the engine are going to be but under extra stress, ask yourself again, do you really want it? there are bunch of other car models out there that are a much better fit for modifications. (E.G. civics, thats why i got one:) )

That's not what chips usually do; that's what ebay scam fake chips do. A real chip or "piggyback" unit modifies the air/fuel ratio at various engine speeds overriding the factory ECM's air/fuel table. It doesn't just fake airflow measurements or air temperatures.

The Unichip is a popular choice for the early 1UZ-FE engines, and it's probably adaptable for the 3UZ-FE as well.

[Leadfoot]

I have just finished downloading some of the factory manual's for the 98 LS400 I have just bought, and am amazed at how accurately controlled these vehicles are. I cannot see how tweaking a few basic parameters is a good idea. Toyota have spent millions getting the balance right, I wouldn't see the benefit in changing the factory set up. I wouldn't think the tweaks would add up to any real improvements (please provide some links, I would be very interested!!)

I understand that no power level ever seems enough over time, but if you want more power the best bet is to drive with the ECT switch in power mode, as the whole air/fuel ratio is fairly closely controlled by the onboard computers. I understand that best power may be available at richer settings, but holding higher RPM will always give greater effect.

Edit: also just been over at the www.lextreme.com website, may be a helpful resource base!!

[SKperformance]

mines in japan makes an ecu but it is about 1500-2000