Stupid Question Time

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390) 10/10/2017 at 20:21 • Filed to: stupid question

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If the ECU isn’t the modern equivalent of a carburetor, what is? And is there even one?

Nibbles > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 10/10/2017 at 20:26

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I’d say the injector is the closest analogue, but that doesn’t cover air. The ECU covers a lot more than just A/F ratio.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 10/10/2017 at 20:32

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The whole air intake and fuel injection system, I guess. Including the part of the ECU that deals with the a/f ratio.

nermal > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 10/10/2017 at 20:35

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I think an ECU flash is the modern equivalent of an upgraded carb, in terms of performance mods.

But stock for stock, no.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > nermal 10/10/2017 at 20:41

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Not even. An upgraded carb will actually increase air flow and thus fuel into the engine. An ECU can’t do jack shit about airflow and the mixture is already spot on from the factory.

Unless it’s a turbo car (In which case your messing with the boost) ECU flashes by themselves are nearly worthless.

cmill189 - sans Volvo > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 10/10/2017 at 20:42

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This here is a computerized carburetor. Super high tech stuff. Tea Bee Eye.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 10/10/2017 at 20:44

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The fuel injectors and throttle body are the modern carb. Throttle body controls flow of air into the Chambers and fuel injectors deliver fuel. That’s all a carburetor did. It roughly metered in some air and squirted some fuel too.

nermal > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 10/10/2017 at 20:46

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Yep I was thinking turbo engines. You can add both air and fuel with an ECU flash, among other things, in the same way that a bigger carb can add air and fuel.

On a NA engine, an ECU flash can change fueling and timing. Not worthless, but no where near the gains on a turbo engine.

EL_ULY > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 10/10/2017 at 20:51

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I would argue more to be the injector driver or drivers. Those are controlled by the ECM but specifically for the fuel along with fuel pressure sensors, fuel quality sensors, mass air flow, manifold pressure sensors, intake runner flaps, throttle position sensor, etc

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > cmill189 - sans Volvo 10/10/2017 at 21:43

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and the the worst of both worlds

kanadanmajava1 > cmill189 - sans Volvo 10/12/2017 at 16:28

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That’s actually a fuel injection throttle and two injectors. Those are known as Throttle Body Injection (TBI). These were used during transition phase from carburetors as they could use intake manifold designs for carburetor use. Functionally it doesn’t differ from the more modern solutions much besides that there are less injectors than cylinders and they are placed before the throttle valves.

This thing is a computer controlled carburetor (E series Rochester Quadrajet). The blue electrical connection is for a computer controlled mixture solenoid and the (dirty) white one is for a TPS. It functions like a normal carburetor but the mixture is fine tuned by the ECU using the mixture solenoid.