Ok Fellas, Where Do I Get One, How Do I Install It And What Does It Do?

 

you already have one, all cars do.. provided they were made since you were born

Engine Control Unit

 

So Getting One For An Upgrade Isn't Necessary?

 

What would you do with two of them? They cost quite a lot! If you're talking about aftermarket ECUs, no one makes one for the Maxima.... one that works anyway.

 

ok i didnt know that one was not made for the maxima

 

Where is the ecu located under the hood? Specifics please.

 

Geez... everytime a newbie asks about ECUs everyone's waiting to give them the run-around. Is it really that tempting?

The Engine Control Until is basically the brain of the car. It takes input from all kinds of sensors to figure out what your car is doing and how it's running at any given second, to make all kinds of tiny adjustments that you'll never know about.

When people talk about ECU Mods, they are usually talking about chips or new ECUs that update part of the programming of the OEM ECU. From what I understand, these primarily consist of tweaking the timing and fuel injector settings in order to get the engine to work harder.

From what I've been told here, a useful ECU mod doesn't exist for the 5th gens.

In our Maximas, the ECU is located to the right of the gas pedal in the center of the car. If you pull out that small panel right next to the gas pedal (just pop it out) you'll see the side of the ECU - it kinda looks like a harddrive.

Hope that helps...

 

There is no ECU for the maxima after 1996.