While browsing Jim Wolf's redesigned website last night, I came across a modification I had never seen before. It is a replacement for the automatic transmission brain, with a 3-way toggle switch. There is not much more to learn from the site (Link), so I decided to give them a call this morning.

The explained to me that the 3-way toggle switch has the three modes below:
Normal: Shifts and behaves exactly as OEM, for prolonged transmission life.
Snow: Only allows the transmission to engage first and second gear, ideal for snowy/icy conditions.
Performance: Bypasses rev limiter to allow a slight increase in powerband (he could not specify how much further it went), and allows the transmission to engage into a gear at a higher RPM.

That's right, he said it would bypass the rev limiter on automatic cars. I don't know of anybody that has this, but it was specified for the VQ30DE hence I posted it here instead of the General Form. Conrerning price, it is $495.00 with a $400 core charge (if desired). Any ginuea pigs?

-Cyrus

 

This sounds amazing. If I understand you correctly it is only for the tranny, meaning that it doesn't change the fuel curve. It would be awesome to get a deal from Jim that included this brain and an ECU for $700

 

This has been around for a long time if I remember correctly. I believe the verdict around on it was that it didn't do very much.

 

Its probably only really usefull if you have a JWT ECU with a raised rev limiter and a MEVI.

 

the "raised rev limiter" means instead of shifting at 6k in WOT(GXE/GLE/some SE's) it will go all the way to 6600

 

If you get a JWT ecu it will raise the rev limiter to 7200.

 

7200 is a bit much...asking for float...

 

Than if 7200 is to high can you get stronger valve springs? If so will 300ZX aftermarket springs fit if not where can I get some ones that can.

 

yea, they're talking about ECUs, not head and valve work

 

I know but if the revs go up to 7200 you will float the valves so you have to have head work done to handle that high of rev limiter.

 

im well aware of that, so are they...thats why he said you would float a valve. Anyway, the new TCM has been around for a bit, and it didnt get rave reviews. Normal mode is normal, snow mode is like leaving the auto shifter in 2, and the performance mode isnt that great sounding. you could just get a new ECU instead, and manually shift it for better results, and a lot cheaper than buying both

 

You won't have valve float. Someone was at 7700rpm, and while something weird was going on it wasn't valve float...

 

that sounds amazing but as if auto wasnt already letting car do so much work for the driver, now this makes driving even easier in auto...handicapped

 

My Cefiro came with it stock from Japan. The snow mode is amazing...works great on loose gravel and mud.....no snow here in the Caribbean
In power mode it shifts just before redline and it automatically kicks in if you go WOT. I can get the revs to go into the red if I shift with the stick.
You'll see the switch on the right of the stick in the pic.

 

i dont get snow mode. on your shifter, you can leave it in 2...how is snow mode special

 

If I put the car in 2nd it doesn't start in 2nd....it goes from 1st then to 2nd so I suppose the snow just skips the 1st gear.

 

sorry Who but....nope

 

Yo who I dig the Screen inside the stereo. Do those biatches come stock like that or is that aftermarket? If they come stock is it possible to put one in ours 4gen?

 

Quite a few people have gone to 7200 on the JWT's. Nealoc was getting a little valve float, but I think he figured it out. It's totally doable. The thing is, without replacing the springs in the valve body, the shifting on the auto tranny is slow, no matter what you do to it. That's why you can't go as far in RPMs as the manual tranny. Basically, if you tell the tranny to shift at 6600rpm, good luck if the gear comes in before you rev out to 7000. Hence, best when used with JWT ECU and MEVI. Really no point if you dont have either of those.

And no, to my knowledge, the 300zx is not compatible for valve switch. JWT also offers stronger valves, but changing the valves on a VQ30 is a long, expensive job. Once upon a time, Turbo95Max had his VQ30 built up. New valves, pistons, rods, etc. Had JWT do his ECU, ran out to 8000rpm.

 

once upon a time... i remember that build up. the pictures are so hot how much did he drop into that thing? i remember he even got the JWT cams that dont do anything

 

i had custom turbo cams and 1 of them snapped. I30Krab i think was the first to try the JWT cams.

My new motor buildup will be with all done up head but stock cams. i think you can use some VQ35 parts in a VQ30 head.

300ZX head stuff wont work cause that VG motor uses hydraulic lifters.

 

hmm, then who was the guy who just recently did a full build up (dished pistons, new valves, springs, injectors etc made for low compression, then supercharged, also powdercoated everything) i just got confused then i guess

 

There's a guy here in dallas with 8.5:1 compression, he claims, and he's got the cams i'm sure... Loren is his name... forgot his handle on here.. he was supercharged for quite some time, but now he's got his custom turbo with him and he's ready for the good boost

 

The 97 Volvo's had this type of feature on the auto tranny.

Normal = Casual shifts
Snow = Starts the car in 2nd gear instead of first
Performance = Allows shift point to be lowered to get you into the powerband quicker. Sucks when your cruising on highways with long inclines because the tranny will keep shifting back and forth because of not being in the powerband.

 

Lorenmiata. I believe it. He used to race everything in his SC Max.

 

Neal went to 7700rpm and it wasn't valve float. Someone was asking him about that. While at first he did think it was valve float some time later he realized that it wasn't.

 

going on Vyrus's description of it...it only is 1st and 2nd gear, starting in 1st. what you are saying makes more sense, but the different info is confusing

 

actually his SN is furbiss112

here is his link, talking about the engine build up i was refering to.

 

SNOW MODE starts the tranny in second gear. Putting the tranny into "2" only allows the tranny to shift to second gear which is completely pointless. Starting the car in second gear allows for more power to go to the wheels at a lower ratio so that you dont lose grip.

 

i know, but Vyrus said it limited the trans to 1st and 2nd... i know the idea behind snow mode, so i was confused why this one was different.

 

Sounds like the same thing 3rd gens come with stock, it would be cheaper to adapt one from a 3rd gen.

 

but would a 3rd gen have the same control unit?

 

Yeah it came like that but I'm sure you could find better looking aftermarket ones. I need an amplified antenna to pick up the TV stations better. The cool thing is that when the screen is docked, the face serves as a disc changer control. After I'm done with performance mods, I'll get to the audio but that's a low priority for me since I usually don't play music while driving. I like to hear the engine and everthing that is going on around. If I do play music it is usually low.The car is a 4th gen by the way.


I know my car man. I know for a fact that it does not ever use 1st gear while in snow mode. If I go WOT in snow mode the car has no acceleration and I count the gears that it goes through...only 3 in snow mode(2-4)

 

I was talking about the control unit from JWT, not your cefiro.