Engine ECU Firmware Update After Injector Replacement

[jplozza]

Hi All

I have tried asking my two local dealer service departments the following and the Toyota customer help line with out success.

Basically I am about to replace my injectors in my 2008 D4D lux. I have assembled all the bits and when I opened the injectors box there is two pieces of paper. One remind me to recode the injectors the other refers to a Toyota service bulletin.

I fully understand and am OK with entering the injector compensation codes as warned on the first piece of paper that came with the injectors. However the second piece of paper warns that the ECU may need to be upgraded as per Toyota service bulliten EG-6006.

This is where I have my concerns. I have searched this forum, read all the threads on injector replacement and coding but can find no hard and fast requirements for an ECU flash upgrade or reference to the service bulletin number above.

I have even Goggled the Bulletin number with no luck.

As I say above none of the dealers I have called want to help infact they even appear a little hostile when they realise I will be doing the work my self. All of them refuse to tell me what the service bulletin means or advise me if I need an ECU flash update. All very disappointing as I buy all my parts from one of these dealers (except injectors) and the other I purchased the vehicle from new.

Any way the injectors are the Denso Remanufactured/exchange injectors (now there is another story) purchased from Diesel Centre Australia. They came in the shrink wrapped blue box.

From what I have read on New Hilux there may be three reasons to update the ECU but I am not clear on any of this.

1. Early Hilux's did not have DLC injectors and that an ECU update may have been needed when DLC injectors are installed.
2. There may be an ECU update that tried to address the cold rattle issue by changing the injection control while the engine was cold to possibly help it warm up quicker?
3. Later Hilux's have a pilot calibration/ learn routine than can be kicked off using the Tech stream software or the Toyota Scan tool II. (I do not know if this can be upgraded to earlier Hilux's)

My lux has done 155,000kms now and the injectors are defiantly on their way out. All of the injectors trim values are near or just out of spec (3 and 4 worse than 1 and 2) and there is a slight miss at idle at cold start for a few seconds and the motor is starting to get more rattly during normal driving. Plus on start-up there is now some crap coming out the exhaust that has started to stain the drive way. I suspect that I have at least one injector that is not closing fully and is weeping after I shut down the engine leaving a little bit of fuel in the cylinder that is causing the miss at start-up and the crap on the drive way. Ii all says time to replace to me.

The main reason for this post is to try and find out what is in the mentioned service bulletin that Toyota regards as top secret and if I need to go and have the ECU flashed because of the injector replacement and if there is a down side to any of the ECU flash updates.

I would also be curious to know how many ECU updates have been released and what they all are supposed to do?

[Luxi46]

First off, welcome to NewHilux!
It appears you have done your homework . So I'll cut straight to it:

I don't know what service bulletin EG-6006 is about, but I might be able to help with your other questions:

Point 1 & 2.
You're right about early Hiluxes not having DLC injectors, but an ECU reprogram is not necessary to run the DLC injectors if they didn't come standard. They run fine without the reprogram. The update you're talking about was more to alter the pre-injection timing for less cold rattle. This was/is just a bandaid solution if you ask me. IF you wanted the update regardless, it's only possible on post Aug '06 ECU's. Pre Aug '6 ECU's are non-flashable Yours is a 2008, so you're good to go.

Point 3
Pilot learn is only possible on post 2009 Hiluxes, but it will only help so much. If you're injectors are stuffed, no amount of pilot learn is going to fix that.

The downside of an ECU reprogram in general? It CAN go wrong! And believe me, it does sometimes. If you do it yourself and it goes wrong, the cost of replacing the ECU is for you. If Toyota does it, then they bear all responsibility.
Other then that, the updates usually fix issues that have surfaced over the years like with auto-transmission shifting or injection timing, so if there's an update for an issue you're having, I'd go for it. Just let Toyota do it . Sadly, only Toyota service technicians have full knowledge of what each update changes specifically so I'm of no help there. There are a few on these boards like boxhead55, so maybe PM him with your questions?

About the dealers being hostile when mentioning you'll be doing all the work. Well I don't necessarily agree, but it's probably because they're thinking, they won't be making any money off you, so what good is it to them to help you out. Think about it..

Hope this helps.

P.s: Hop on over to the introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself.

[jplozza]

Thanks Luxi46

That helps clarify some things. I just got off the phone to DCA where I bought the Denco injectors. Their techie said that the note on possible ECU update was just that it my be possible that you need to update the ECU.

When I asked why, he said that if I could not code the injectors then this was a sign that an ECU update was required (injectors not compatible with ECU) and If I could code the injectors then and ECU update was not necessarily required.

This makes some sense but I would still love to know what the service bulletin contains.

As for the dealers helping me out. Well why wouldn't they? I am conscious of not taking up too much of their time when asking a questions like this. I was not asking them how to replace the injectors (that would be different). I just wanted to know what the service bulletin said and or meant and if the truck needed to come in for an ECU update.

I also would have though dropping $60k+ on a fully optioned up Hilux would entitle me to some support. Not to mention that I occasionally have them service the truck and when I do the services I buy my parts from them. They may not be making money on my injector replacement but they have on my initial purchase and my spares and other services and I will be buying another new truck in the future. Will it be a Hilux? not if they overly p me off.

This should account for something.

Any way It was not my intent to rave about the service from the dealers or Toyota. It was sadly no more than I was expecting.

I do really appreciate your help

What I think I will do is replace the injectors and take it to another dealer as there is an outstanding recall to be done. At that time I will ask them to update the ECU software to the latest version regardless.

Again thanks

[boxhead55]

It is a reflash to lessen the amount of fuel injected when cold under 40 deg c to stop the posable chance of cold knock. Lots don't get it done. As sometimes the risk of ecu damage is to great.

[jplozza]

Just a follow up.

I installed the new injectors and had no problems recoding then using the Tecstream software and adapter. So no issues there or need for ECU update as was advised by injector supplier may be the case

The ute runs much smoother. It is very noticeable even though I did not think it was that bad before. I have not noticed any significant power gains but will have a better idea when I next put the camper on the back.

As far as noise goes there is defiantly less combustion noise although it was not that bad to start with.
The occasional rough idling at cold start has gone and when driving I can hardly hear the engine while coasting to a stop and it is idling.

What is very obvious is that the ute now revs smoother through the entire rev range and the fuel economy is significantly improved. I will try and post some before and after numbers once I have put a couple of tanks trough it. So far it is now less than 7 litres/100 around town where as before it was up over 12l/100km. If it stays like this then the injector change over will pay for its self very quickly.

I had no sign of injector seal blow by. In my ute the seals were the newer silver seals.

One very big tip be careful when removing the number four injector. When I did a lot of oil ran into the number four cylinder from out of the oil hole in the injector well. As I was changing the glow plugs at the same time I left them out installed the new injectors and then cranked the engine over with the glow plugs out to blow the oil out of the cylinders. This has been mentioned elsewhere in another thread. In that case I believe the writer destroyed number four piston and had to rebuild the motor. So be careful. Oh and also make sure there is no oil in the injector yoke stretch bolt hole. This may cause the bolt to torque up early and not put enough force on the injector. This has also been mentioned in other threads and I found that I had to blow out some oil from each hole.

I also checked the valve clearances with feeler gauges and every thing was with in the tolerance specified by Toyota workshop manuals. I can tell you I was very happy with that.

What I was not very happy with was how dirty the top end was. every thing was covered with a thin layer of soot/ash/carbon (not sure what to call it) very dirty. I am now wondering if I have leaking valve stem seals letting combustion gasses into the head.

Also I cleaned the EGR and inlet manifold less then 10,00 km ago and already there is a 1-2mm build up of soot in the ER and inlet again. I will be putting a catch can on ASAP.

All in all I found it to be a fairly simple job but a little time consuming. It took me 8 to 10 hours taking my time and using a torque wrench on every bolt and nut. Including changing the glow plugs. Changing the glow plugs also required taking off the EGR, EGR cooler, Throttle body and EGR elbow and all the related vac lines and water lines. I think there is as much work in changing the glow plugs as there is in changing the injectors.

A big thanks to all that have written what they have about injector changes and the advice given here
I will be changing the injectors every 100,000 Kms from now on.

[AshA]

It mustbe clean as a whistle for those l/100km improvements, well done

[jplozza]

I was a bit quick off the mark with the fuel economy and made a mistake with the math. So far better than before but not as good as I indicated. Will report back after a couple of tanks.

[@lberto]

As Luxi 46 says at the beggining of these thread because the year of your ute is 2008 the injectors that you have the QR codes that you must entered should start with the number 11 and 28 more digits, usually with these injectors in some way the ECU of the car make some minors adjustment, so the compensation code is not something obligatory but we have seen also that vehicles that we put the compensation code the injectors trims values are improved.
An easy way to know if you have second generation injector that is your case from a third generation injector is when you open your hood located the edu, is some kind of mini ecu if you have 2 plugs is second generation if you have 3 plugs is third generation.
The extra plug in the third generation is for the improvement that they made to the rail, the relief valve is now electronically control. Second generation the relief valve has a spring.