http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33597

I was serfing al gore's glorious internet and came upon this item in ebay. What the hell is it, and does anyone here think that it works

 

snake oil

 

A lot of these devices “trick” the engine computer into thinking the engine needs full spark advance or full rich. These will modified the actual sensor readings from the engine.

If it was this easy to get an extra 20 hp wouldn’t you think the manufacturers would have done this to start?

Stick with TRD hop-up equipment.

The seller has good feedback %, but is also located in Canada, which could cause a problem if this device is not what it is advertised. If he is selling these for $25, think about what he is paying for them and take a guess what it costs to produce.

 

It's not really snake oil, it _does_ work in the sense that it will get more fuel into your engine thus producing more power, but it's not worth the $$$ he's charging.

Read up here to see what the box is doing:
https://www.yotatech.com/~corey/tech/dr_z_ect/dr_z.htm

The eBay box is a fixed resistor, Dr. Z's mod encompasses a variable pot for maximum effectiveness.

 

What rjlem said.

In the vast majority of vehicles these things don't give you more power> Or, maybe give you a bit more initial throttle response, or maybe top end, but you scarifice emissions and even fuel economy in the process. On many engines the computer doesn't like it and your check engine light will come on. On some the computer will even compensate for it and therefore you wasted 25 bucks....

 

I differ to beg with you dood...

When I did it, I got a 5.5% increase in fuel flow:
http://www.midiwall.com/4Runner/ect.html

Yes, you sacrifice economy, but you have to burn more fuel to make more power.

 

Do you still have this installed? If so, do you still use it? This mod may be a nice band aid for a HGLR ping caused by lean out due to a S/C. What do you think?

 

I pulled it when I installed the SMT 5 (the longest thread ever!). But yes, it may be a fix for the folks with _minimal_ ping issues from HGLR post S/C. (i.e., As far as I know, there hasn't been any real-world testing of this mod with S/C's)

 

more fuel doesnt mean more power. if you're running too rich its just a waste of gasoline.

 

Of course... but in this case the air flow is available, the advance is "tricked" as well, and the fuel is burned.

 

I still stand by my comment "..in the vast majority of vehicles..."
Glad to hear you found it useful. Did it help without your other changes?

 

I had done it before most of them, eve the deckplate.. so yeup - it helped without anything else going on.

I pulled it once I installed the SMT-5; since I then had direct control over timing and fuel, it wasn't necessary.