Thread: Recommendations for 'chipping' a MY99 130?

Hi Adam,

ECU upgrades are a personal and touchy subject. I raised a similar query 6 months ago and it failed to get a response.

I have a MY99 110 with the same ECU (non flashable) as yours. I went with the Bruce Davis Landy's upgrade. It blows more brown smoke in second than I'd like but that could be the ageing rubber hoses from turbo to intercooler to inlet as much as over fuelling. I noticed a significant improvement for overtaking on the highway. There seems to be more urgency after pressing the right foot. I haven't really noticed any low range crawling speed torque improvement. If your truck is like mine, keeping it in the narrow torque band is the secret. It's $660 well spent in my books.

I did some research on the UK forums and while I can't verify the information, it was suggested by some that the later flashable ECU's can installed in lieu of the early non flashable units as a replacement. Other commentators said they were not compatible. TD5 alive spend alot of effort on defender mods and they would be a source of clarity on that point. You will find a second hand ecu in Oz to be expensive. You can pick up a second hand unit off Ebay UK cheap and I think the new units were selling around GBP300. You will get tired of replacing the ECU unit and will eventually leave one in there all the time.

I have friends that have the flashable units with an on the fly program change. Some of them have opted to ditch the upgraded program and stick with the factory program.

Don't quote me on this but i thought the disco and defender ecu in the older non-flashable units were the same bar programming. The disco was given a few extra ponies.

As for fuel economy, it's a misnomer that you get fuel economy from an upgrade. Driving technique and style has more influence all other things remaining the same. You might not see an increase in fuel consumption with more power, which to some equates to a saving.

cheers MLD