Making the ECT button useful (1 Viewer)

[AussieHJCruza]

how is the safari set up? still on the fence but looking more likely I'll keep my lpg and turbo it with 5psi boost

Yeah it's brilliant. Performance wise it wipes a vdj200, haven't properly timed it but probably around 8 seconds to 100. Got a px2 Ranger as a daily, with chip and exhaust and safari armax and its a fair bit quicker than that. My only wish is for a shorter first gear with the 35s

 

[junior80]

Awwww, come on!
That's like playing rock, paper, scissors by yourself, or taking your right hand out on a date!

nope its a win and i'm claiming it haha

 

[junior80]

Yeah it's brilliant. Performance wise it wipes a vdj200, haven't properly timed it but probably around 8 seconds to 100. Got a px2 Ranger with chip and exhaust and safari armax and its a fair bit quicker than that. My only wish is for a shorter first gear with the 35s

f+ck i might do it. your supposed to get them running real good on injected lpg too. all the guy said at turboglide was "5psi and there are no hills." are you in sydney @AussieHJCruza ?

and can we race?

 

[AussieHJCruza]

f+ck i might do it. your supposed to get them running real good on injected lpg too. all the guy said at turboglide was "5psi and there are no hills." are you in sydney @AussieHJCruza ?

and can we race?

Apparently LPG is good with a turbo, I had a TB42 GQ shorty back in the day turbo with a gas research setup and it was good, except for cold starts, didn't want to idle until there was a bit of heat in the coolant, presumably needed some heat to make the vaporiser work properly.
I'm in wagga but happy to race whenever

 

[Broski]

This really happens down there???



Are you saying, besides being able to select different shift points by mashing the ect button, there is also preprogrammed low range/high range mapping that switches with the high/low lever? I pretty much mashed my ect button 18 months ago when I put on 37” tires and left it there no matter where the range selector is at and it works for me.

Ditto on that, my ECT button has be on since the 37's went on.

 

[BlueCruiser84]

Edit: This wiring is for 93-94's. I'll look up 95+ wiring later on.



Here is a quickie that I did years ago to make the ECT button way more useful.

Effectively you take(de-pin) the B-L wire pin 19 on the 'B' connector, tape it up and set it aside.
View attachment 1882015

Remove pin 14 on the same 'B' connector, the P-W and place it in the original cavity for the B-L(pin 19) wire removed above.
View attachment 1882016

This allows you to leave it in the softer shift points in low range which is super useful in snow, and also select the 'low range' high revving map in high range for Sand and other street racing activities. Also is really useful to keep the 'high range' map active to save your neck in low range. One of the best things I have done for playing on super low traction floater snow.

This is great. I hate how the tranny shifts in L when driving through easy parts of trail. Likewise, with 37s, it would be nice to have an actually useful tow/haul mode for high range. I’ll have to dig into mine when I get back from out of town.

Waiting on the video. EWDs give me anxiety.

 

[Dreamin Wheelin]

Edit: This wiring is for 93-94's. I'll look up 95+ wiring later on.



Here is a quickie that I did years ago to make the ECT button way more useful.

Effectively you take(de-pin) the B-L wire pin 19 on the 'B' connector, tape it up and set it aside.
View attachment 1882015

Remove pin 14 on the same 'B' connector, the P-W and place it in the original cavity for the B-L(pin 19) wire removed above.
View attachment 1882016

This allows you to leave it in the softer shift points in low range which is super useful in snow, and also select the 'low range' high revving map in high range for Sand and other street racing activities. Also is really useful to keep the 'high range' map active to save your neck in low range. One of the best things I have done for playing on super low traction floater snow.

I want to shift into O/D in low range. I have a 97. Will this mod achieve my goal?

 

[WCBlueSky]

I did this mod too, but used a separate switch instead of the ECT button. It definitely makes the A442F shift points much softer in low range, which is nice for the easy parts of the trail.

 

[WCBlueSky]

I want to shift into O/D in low range. I have a 97. Will this mod achieve my goal?

I think so but I haven't confirmed. With this mod, you are tricking the ECM, so it thinks it is in high range when it is in low range. It should behave accordingly.

 

[ThreeEyedBandit]

I want to shift into O/D in low range. I have a 97. Will this mod achieve my goal?

Yes it should. The trans will shift how ever it does in high range, just at lower speeds.

If it try this make sure you report back so others can know the outcome.

 

[Dreamin Wheelin]

Yes it should. The trans will shift how ever it does in high range, just at lower speeds.

If it try this make sure you report back so others can know the outcome.

I reviewed the wiring diagram and it does not look like it will work with the 97 set up. The pin outs for the PWR/ECT button are different. Which lead me to research it further. It looks like the A343F transmission (95-97) ECM operates the PWR button and 4L differently compared to A440F (90-94).

For the A343F (95-97):
When in 4L, the transfer case tells the ECM that that you are in 4L via a voltage of 7.5-14V. That signal commands the ECM to use the 4L map. Interrupting this signal will keep the 4H mapping. That wire/pin is pin 9 on connector E7. E7 is the outside connector with 22 pins.

I plan to cut the wire and extent the leads to a switch. The hope is that switch off (signal open) will keep the 4H map which allows the transmission to shift into O/D. When the switch is on (signal to ECM) the ECM would initiate 4L mapping (normal operation).

I will report back the results.

 

[ThreeEyedBandit]

That is how a 93-94 A442F is controlled. ECM is high when I'm low range and Low when I'm high range. Can you post pictures of the later wiring diagrams?

I am sure the pins locations are different as the OBD1 cars have a separate ECM and TCM vs the OBD2 combined module

 

[ThreeEyedBandit]

Found a 96 EWD. The procedure and wire colors are the same but pins are different. You De-Pin and tape the B-L wire, location 9 in the 'D' connector. And replace it with the P-B wire, from location 20 in the same 'D' connector to location 9.

Edit: The D connector in the wiring diagram is the E7 22 pin connector in the connector location diagram as noted above.

 

[GeoEng]

Great modification, I'm gonna give it a try on my '93, but it'd be nice to have a photo of the connector to make sure I'm on the right one.

Another question with the same general purpose (lower torque while in 4L)- can the A440F be modified to have a 2nd gear start switch like the A343F?

 

[ThreeEyedBandit]

Great modification, I'm gonna give it a try on my '93, but it'd be nice to have a photo of the connector to make sure I'm on the right one.

Another question with the same general purpose (lower torque while in 4L)- can the A440F be modified to have a 2nd gear start switch like the A343F?

I'll try to get a picture in the next couple of days.

Your truck should have a A442F. Negative, the A440F is a mechanical trans. And with the A442F there isn't an easy way to do it with the stock computer.

 

[GeoEng]

Did this mod the other day, great to be able to turn off the ECT (power mode) at will when in low range, when the power mode is off it makes the shifts from 1st to 2nd really smooth when moving really slow in low. It's pretty easy to do. Thanks to the OP.
Cheers

 

[Rusty Marlin]

I’ve also read that O/D is unobtainable until the trans is up to a certain temp, but mine will go into 4th immediately.

Interesting, mine will not shift into O/D until the engine reaches between 126-129Deg F according to my Torque app.
And depedning on how cold it is in the morning this is between 1 mile and 2 miles down the road at 55mph after a 1minute idle in the drive.

 

[wakesetter]

wiring of harnesses etc is a weakness for me, I wish I had the confidence to attempt this, but I feel like I would destroy something important

 

[LXDOC]

Exactly 127 Deg on my 97 before OD engaged.

 

[baldilocks]

Interesting, mine will not shift into O/D until the engine reaches between 126-129Deg F according to my Torque app.
And depedning on how cold it is in the morning this is between 1 mile and 2 miles down the road at 55mph after a 1minute idle in the drive.

Well known and highly respected members have also said that the trans won’t shift into OD in low range. Mine will. I thought the shift to overdrive based on temp was related to trans temp not engine temp. My trans temp gauge starts at 100 and I know the trans itself is still cold a mile or two down the road as you mentioned. If trans shift to OD is driven by engine temps then perhaps mine is no different than any other. Works good, last long time...