Sports mode for non-Kakadu models

[ptommo59 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ptommo59]

Hi Sas477,

If you are going to check your wiring harness connections.

I tracked down some 2018+ wiring diagrams and the ECO Mode switch Connector wiring goes to the Shift Position Indicator Connector G303 and from there to the Engine/Trans ECU and Airconditioning Amplifier.

On the G303 Connector the following pin are used for the ECO Mode Switch:

Gnd - Pin 18 (White/Blk) connects to Gnd Junction G277 Pin 9
ECO - Pin 14 (Pink) connects to G24 Pin 18 (EOS) on the Aircon Amp
Normal - Pin 13 (Red) connects to G184 Pin 8 (SPCN) on ECU
Sport - Pin 15 (Blue) connects to G184 Pin 12 (PWMS) on ECU

ECO/Normal/Sport pins all should have voltage on them
Gnd should be short circuit to the chassis earth.

If it is the ground that's missing there is should be additional Gnds on Pin 12 & 16 (White/Blk).

Let us know if you find anything out.

[humungusmon Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close humungusmon]

Hi ptommo59

Just wondering how you discovered the part number please?
my VX has been on order since November 22 so sadly I think I still have more waiting/ planning time still.

thanks

[ptommo59 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ptommo59]

I found the part numbers on a range of Toyota online parts catalogues and websites I located during my research. For some reason a few of the parts catalogues must be going through an update or refresh for the post 2017 models as my links have stopped working for these models.

The 5 mode 8471160030 ECO Driving Mode Switch I ordered through Amayama should be here in a few weeks so when I get it will post photos of it fitted and confirm it works as expected. Would have loved to get the VX 3 mode version but couldn't find a source that stocked them so will just have the extra modes listed on the switch but not available to use.

[Brisbane4101 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brisbane4101]

I also ordered the 8471160030 switch, should be here in about a month, I have a GXL, so will report on if/how it works.

[ptommo59 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ptommo59]

HI Brisbane 4101,

Did you try using a shorting link to see if it activates the modes as I describes above?

I am interested to see if the issue Sas477 had is on all GXLs or changes depending on whether you have the standard or leather seat option due to the harness differences.

[Brisbane4101 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brisbane4101]

hi ptommo59, no, I didn't try using the shorting link, as I had already ordered the switch when I read Sas477 comments, so thought i'd wait for the switch to arrive.

I have the standard seats, but the plug is under the blanking plate, mine is an Jan 2022 build GXL, i'll let you know how it goes when the switch arrives.

[Brisbane4101 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brisbane4101]

ok, my switch turned up today. I installed it in a 2022 Prado GXL, and ............ it doesn't do anything.
I have the plug under the plastic plate behind the gear shifter, so it all looks legit, but nothing happens when the switch is installed, so something else must be missing in the mix.

[ptommo59 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ptommo59]

Hi Brisbane 4101,

Still waiting on mine to arrive but sorry it didn't work straight out of the box.

Do you want to try to workout where the issue is as it may be simple to find if you have access to a multimeter?

If yes, on the connector you should have:

• a short circuit to a chassis ground point on Pin 5 (white with black stripe).
• either 5V or 12V between the chassis ground point and pins 3 (blue with white stripe), 6 (yellow with white stripe) & 7 (light green with black stripe)

Once you have checked these let me know what you find and I can walk you through next steps.

[Brisbane4101 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brisbane4101]

thanks for the offer. I am ok with a plug and play connector, but not confident to muck around with the wiring / etc, i'll let it go, good luck with your switch when it arrives.

[humungusmon Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close humungusmon]

Hi Brisbane4101. I just sent a PM. Thanks.

[Axoman Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Axoman]

Brisbane4101

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Brisbane4101 Thanks for the tip on this switch. I can confirm it works on my 2021
VX. Look, I can’t say there is huge change in the sport mode. But I definitely notice the eco mode. Air conditioning drops power and throttle is dulled.

[ptommo59 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ptommo59]

Hi Axoman,

I did find the same when I originally trialed this mod on my VX but think you may see more of a difference in Sport if you are accelerating under load.

The other thing I am not certain of yet is that you are now accessing three different throttle/gearbox shift point maps and do these all get set independently with the engine and transmission relearn process?

If yes, then technically you could initiate a relearn in Sport and drive like you stole it for a while to get it to setup for go harder off the mark. Then do the opposite in ECO to make it try to conserve at much fuel and possible. Then everyday drive in Normal to get a balance.

I probably won't try it but an interesting thought for someone who knows how this all actually works to comment on.

[gunda Member Find all posts View Profile Close gunda]

As the owner of a Kakadu, I find that the increase in responsiveness that I get from an iDrive / EVC throttle controller far outweighs the increase from Sports mode. And that's just with the controller in auto mode.

[ptommo59 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ptommo59]

Hi Gunda,

Different topic, but do you use your Crawl Control and/or MTS?

What are your thoughts on whether it is worth adding one or both of these to a VX if its around $1000 to do using new OEM parts.

[gunda Member Find all posts View Profile Close gunda]

Different topic, but do you use your Crawl Control and/or MTS?

What are your thoughts on whether it is worth adding one or both of these to a VX if its around $1000 to do using new OEM parts.

Occasionally, not all that often, not as often as I expected. I bought the Kakadu mainly for outback towing, rather than serious 4WDing. Would I buy it again? Not sure. It has a number of features I like. The big negative is the difficulty getting a GVM upgrade. It's not impossible, but more difficult.

Is it worth spending $1K to add those features? Depends on what you use it for. I suspect crawl control would be useful. Less sure about MTS.

Back on topic, one advantage of sport and eco modes is that I can leave the throttle controller on auto around town, and mute its effect a little by keeping the Prado in comfort mode. When I tow, I switch back to normal. It's not a big deal, but handy. Sometimes when I'm driving the twisty stuff and not towing, I turn the throttle controller off and switch to Sport+ for the handling, although I'm not convinced that it does a huge amount. The KDSS is good in such situations.