The ECT mode: Is it smart?

[stevechumo]

I've recently found an article on the ECT (Electronically Controlled Tranmission) mode of the SC430. It says the ECT will learn the new driving style of the driver and it'll adapt to the driver. Is it true? If it is, will it apply to the SC400?

 

[Lextreme II]

I am not sure about the newer models but my car runs better with ECT ON and TRAC OFF.

 

[UZZ30-Québec]

there's no sport mode on those cars ( I think ???)

instead of a sport mode, the transmission adapts the shift points to your driving style.

If you are more hardcore than the sport mode, it will always shift the lastest possible, if you are an old guy with a fur helmet that never shifts over 2200RPM, it will adapt to this condition.

I prefer the good old button, because my driving style is never the same, when i want power, i set it to power mode, when i want to cruise, i set it to normal.

and I think they use the A-650E wich is pretty far from our good old A340E

 

[stevechumo]

On my SC, if I put the ECT on, the acceleration at dead stop is slower than without it. But oppositely on the freeway, the ECT kicks in faster. I still don't get it. One thing that I notice is the ECT mode drains the gas quicker.

 

[jibbby]

Steve, At stock the ECT allows you to get better performance like you said on freeway sprints...

With the mods I have done to my SC400 car it actually performs better with it off, I never hit that button now, when I used to live with it on for added performance......I believe the ECT just allows the engine to rev slightly higher when shifting...Not sure about the learning of the drivers tendencies and then adjusting. Maybe that is possible on the newer models....With todays technology that would not suprise me at all...I dought our older SC's have those learning capabilities...

 

[stevechumo]

I guess the ECT won't like your NOS system much.:sorry:

 

[UZZ30-Québec]

let's try to get into the trans computer's mind.

Jibby accelerates... Comp says" Ok, full throttle, shift point just before rev. Keep ready miss trans..." Jibby press the juice button, ".... ok here we gooooo WTF IS GOING ON!!!!??? AHHH SHIFT SHIFT SHIFT!!!! ALREADY IN THE CUT-OFF!!!!"

:lol:

 

[jibbby]

Yes, you guys are right, with the ECT on riding nos the shifts are to drawn out and slow, revs too high...Without just perfect most of the time......No nos the ECT button is still benificial with my car I think...On a stock SC like I said I always had the ECT button on for added performance on the freeway especially.....

 

[UZZ30-Québec]

ETC only makes shift points higher, and kickdown more often. That's why it's more effective on highway.

in city driving, if you do a lot of "american stops" the car will still try to restart in 1st gear. usually if you don,t do a near complete stop it will restart in 2nd gear.

 

[stevechumo]

Yesterday, I've just tried to put on the ECT mode on my '95 SC400 full-time and here's what I actually found. The car actually reponses a lot quicker at all speed, including at dead-stop acceleration than without it. Before, I only used the ECT mode only occasionally on highway and got impressive, but I never found it impressive at the transition between low speed and high speed. I feel the ECT mode can learn if we turn it on full-time in our older SC, too. It won't work at its full function if we only turn it on occasionally.

 

[jibbby]

Steve, are you sure? ECT can learn? My ECT button is so old it's about to fall off, let alone learn something...

If you say so I believe you.....

 

[Toysrme]

The ECT transmissions do learn. Which is why resetting the ECU & driving it like you stole it once a month can make a big differance in how some feel.
AFA trannies with the ECT/Power button. The engine tuning is not affected at all. No extra ignition timing, no extra (or less) fuel. The differance is the shifting points which is actually misleading b/c alot of people never realize the big change it makes.

During the upshift, the engine will hold slightly more rpm, but only on average as the ECT and normal shift ranges are the same. Yep! You heard it! (I.e. the same upshift point can be had without the button under ideal conditions of applying the throttle quickly enough from the right speed.)
What people don't realize abot the ECT button is that the actual big affect it has is downshifting when deccellerating. The engine will hold a night & day differance more revs under that condition.

Which makes ECT much more useful on a track with curves than it does with a drag strip. Many of them pick up a 10th of a second down a 1/4 mile. Its not the biggest differance in the world when accellerating.
(But we all already know that)