Can we do a software update after EGR cleaning job with TechStream

The firmware files are downloaded directly from Toyota’s file servers, after showing you appropriate/available firmware(s) via OBD. (It also asks for your workshop information which I forget how I got around, very likely patched for prevention of not entering that by now).

I would have to say 100% bootleg copies would fail…

 

I have taken apart the EGR valve and dont recall any specific electronic parts in there. its a relatively dumb electro-mechanical switch. there might be a revised shape, spring or minor difference, but I'm not sure what that could be. The intake manifold supposedly follows a similar minor shape revision pattern in later years of the Prius g3 - it gets newer part numbers in later years. I thought I read that the software programming just changed the times at which the valve opened and closed relative to the engine temperature or rpm. The idea being is this is a software hack designed to optimize the real problem of hardware failure of the general EGR valve and cooler design, which leads to excessive soot buildup. If it was me, I would just buy a new EGR valve and install it and then have the dealer update the software. As a side note, Toyota covered my EGR valve replacement under TSB 0027-16. Granted, this was after the warranty expired, so i give them the benefit of somewhat going the extra mile. But they didn't inform me of potential cooler clogging at all during this maintenance. So I was left with a 110k mileage cooler, which was almost entirely clogged by 135k miles - when i got motivated to actually inspect and clean this myself. This and other dealer shenanigans made me start working on my own cars again - unfortunately. Incidentally, the new valve after 20k miles also was moderately dirty but not too bad, when I cleaned it; and this was with the 20k miles on it after programming fix. So the programming cannot be considered a real "fix", probably just a "life extension" on cleaning, to some degree.

In 2019, here are the Toyota EGR and gasket part numbers the dealer used on my 2010:
- 04004-58137 = EGR valve kit
- 25685-37010 = gasket to EGR cooler

There is something on 2019 EGR invoice from Toyota that references programming:
- OFP 25620-37130

So tell Toyota you want the "OFP 25620-37130" treatment.

 

If it's the revised EGR valve, while I'm out of my depth, I believe it does need revised programming.

What's the miles on it? My "hunch", considering the shaking/rough engine, would be the head gasket is already going, fwiw.

That's the new valve (pictured)? I don't recall the six little cutouts around the valve seat, with the original. Interesting; maybe they're designed to allow a constant trickle?

 

I can tell you it’s about 15 to 30 minutes of labor to flash that update. When I had mine done I was in and out of the dealership within 60 minutes.

I had them flash it before the new egr valve kit was installed by others. I noticed no differences with the new flash driving either valve.

One of the more recent Priuschat speculations is the latest ecm update may have changed water pump logic. Even more hypothesizing based on an European tsb is it may improve hg resilience. I noticed no change in water pump logic. I don’t trend egr operation so I am not sure if it’s logic changed but it is likely. Clearly the original egr valve was lacking in some way and was redesigned for 2013. Many would stick open and were blamed for a rough idle.




Most code readers can read the “calibration id” before and after. In my case I had the first revision of six as listed on the tsb for a v wagon. Ecm code is different between a hatchback, a plug in or a v wagon, so it would be no surprise if it was different on a Lexus hatchback with the same engine.

In any case another dealer including Toyota could flash your car for an hour’s labor or less.

I would and did get the latest ecm flash for several reasons including it updated the ecm first release to the sixth and current ecm calibration id. Clearly some improvements were made along the way.

 

You should read the CALID out of the ECU and compare it to @rjparker list above. If it's current, there's no need to update, and the stealership might just take your $250 for nothing.

 

Connect Toyoda software it will tell you the firmware number . If you're car is reasonable kept up it's probably already updated. Not sure how folks are getting updated bypassing dealer. Unless someone inside of Toyoda network is downloading files and distributing them I have such files thru 23 I think .

 

I don't know I think so I think if you have a working real or at probably even a fake copy of the Toyota software tech stream then you could take this file that I have on my text stream computer and use the files It has all the computer latest updates for well I think all Toyota models if I'm not mistaken but at least the Prius and all of that stuff and I bought the thing I can't remember now I think in 2022 or 2023 and it is just been removed out of dealer service and this guy downloaded all these files of the computer updates and firmware I believe for all models that are in the system at the time the file was downloaded I don't know if you can really peruse them all that easily what you do is is you hook up the software get it running and when it scans the car it shows you the computers in each one of the systems and in red over in the right column it tells you the number of the firmware update and then it tells you if the car you're looking at has that update or lesser and then I think it can look at the file that's on the computer and say oh no we have a newer version over here and then it alerts me and then I apply it or don't and then so far all of my Prius that I've scanned my stuff has been up to date and I haven't done it the car came to me I guess already done and I don't really know how that gets done out in the wild people just don't decide to take their car in to get scanned for a computer update because why? When I did this with my brother Chevy Volt I called the Chevy dealer and I said well it's a 2012 car it's never been out of Bethesda Maryland since the day it was put on the road except for tires It must need a couple of updates by now and the Chevy dealer was like nope there's not a thing for that car I'm like oh holy crap I thought that was pretty interesting.

 

Those look like mechanical peen marks or the machine hits the metal to make that attachment it looks like they've put a valve seat around the aluminum maybe it gets so hot that it messes up the aluminum and the valve doesn't completely close and leaks mine would run water through it and I've seen pictures online where new ones not necessarily the new ones with this peening done in it. But I've seen a video where I got took water and pour just a little bit in it and it ran right out of the valve that opens and closes on one that's supposed to be closed I guess they close at rest when they're off or something and then he took the new one without energizing it or anything put it at the same angle poured a little water in it and it held like a faucet was turned off there may be something to that.

 

I think you are right. An egr valve is closed at low rpm and wide open throttle. The -120 version I received looked well sealed when closed.

 

While I've not programmed a car's computer, I've got 20+ years of experience programming industrial controllers. There's always the chance that something will go wrong. One of the things that they don't tell you is that flash memory only has so many times you can write to the same memory before it burns out. It's getting better, and there's flash memory management circuitry that moves things around so you're not writing to the same physical memory locations, but eventually things will go wrong. That's how I turned a laptop computer into a brick when doing a BIOS update years ago. When doing this for a living, I always had spares with me when going to the field. Espeically when doing program updates, and it was always super stressful when starting the download.

If you do end up programming your own, get the Toyota procedure and follow it. I think they have you start off by connecting the car to a separate 12 V power source, just to make sure your battery isn't going to die half way through the upgrade.

For me, it's worth the $250 to let it be someone else's problem. The dealer has the software, the procedures, and have done it before.

 

Yeah the steps are posted all around I mean it doesn't really do a whole lot I would say yeah you definitely want to make sure you're 12 volt to your car doesn't die in midst of a firmware update obviously just like your computer other than that there's not really much that goes on there's not much input from the human other than I'm changing from this number to that number update and here it is in red and you push the button and that's about it It's very short quick and sweet doesn't take a long time like the battery would die because it's just sitting there unless it's already dying anyway and no good so if that's the case make sure you're connected to something that can't be sucked dry Just sitting. But I will get the file together for you and I imagine if you have Toyota software you will be able to put this file mine is right on the desktop marked as I don't know what I'll send you a picture I bought the CF-13 toughbook from a going out of business Toyota dealership with the xhorse cable and everything.

 

I would expect you could find a Lexus TSB with the id on the Toyota TIS system.

The format is the same with the first 8 digits unique and the last 8 digits apparently referencing the hardware.


My original id is added to your screen capture. It is now 34725500 A4701000. Given the Prius originals all started with 000 as digits 6-8 it is likely your 000 is factory original as well.

Prius Calibration ids prior to revised egr and intake tsbs

 

You would need access to the file I think that would house the update that you're trying to get and the only way you'll do that is to get somebody with a TIS login account to get you online in the TIS system so you can download that whatever it is firmware update ECU update whatever they call these things I can look on my 2022 purchased TIS system from the dealer and see what my file says for your car that can also be looked up in Toyodadom. Relatively easy I imagine just a call to your dealer parts department even could possibly tell you the numbers you want to hear about for your latest ECU updates as long as they know which ECU you're talking about when you plug up TIS or the Toyota software to your car and run a health check usually those computer numbers are far to the right a little past the orange and shows you the update you have currently installed in red I do believe and then all my machine if there's a newer update in this file it automatically tells me there is an update and then I know to look in that file because I'm not connected to the Toyota TIS system I could probably get a login but I'm not really looking to do all that.

 

For clarity