Transmission Control Refined: The TCU 2.0 Transmission Controller

By Brian Wagner September 12, 2019

Expanded tuning capacity is one of the biggest perks of modern vehicles that are computer-controlled, but what do you do when you’ve outgrown that computer’s abilities? When it comes to the transmission side of computer-controlled vehicles, TCI has a solution with its TCU 2.0 Transmission Controller. This unit removes the chains that bind the stock ECU and allow the user full control of their transmission.

TCI’s goal with the TCU 2.0 was to create a transmission controller that was versatile, could be tuned with a laptop, and would give expert-level tuners a solid platform to work with most electronically-controlled transmissions. The TCU 2.0 provides tuners total control over every function of the transmission so it can be fully programmed to work with different applications and horsepower levels.

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Dave Henninger from TCI explains what the company wanted to bring into the design of the TCU 2.0 to make it a solid product.

“The TCU 2.0 has all the bells and whistles, so it can do up to eight-speed transmissions, but it can do four or six-speed transmissions easily. It has pulse-modulated outputs, so you could take just about any 2010 and older transmission and use it with TCU 2.0. Some of the later transmissions might be challenged, but if you can configure it and wire it, you can make it work. We targeted mostly the more popular GM and Ford transmissions with this unit with our harnesses. The platform itself could literally be used with any electronically-controlled transmission.”





What makes the TCU 2.0 so special is how powerful the software is. TCI wanted to be sure the TCU 2.0 could work with multiple transmissions and platforms, while still being able to communicate with different systems.

“The software gives you the ability to really configure the entire system how you want. We have several different speed inputs and outputs that can be configured in different ways. If you have any type of special solenoid outputs you can configure those to function as you want. It uses CAN Bus protocol, so it will work with many different devices besides FAST XFI, and you can select the different protocols in the software,” Henninger says.

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The TCU 2.0 has the ability to work with virtually any horsepower level application. It gives the user control over the lockup function on their torque converter without interference from the factory ECU. You can lock the transmission up in different gears and even lock up between shifts as well.

Henninger provides an example of how the TCU 2.0 provides more transmission control in an LS-swapped vehicle.

“The TCU 2.0 is very straightforward in allowing you to make accurate line pressure changes and turn different things on or off as needed. A stock ECU only leaves you certain items and limits how you can change them. With the TCU 2.0, you can eliminate the factory transmission controls from the ECU and get full control of your transmission with no influences, so what you command will happen. These aftermarket controls allow you to get what you need without any issues caused by the limits of the factory ECU.”

To learn more about the TCU 2.0 and its abilities check out the TCI website right here.

Article Sources

TCI
(88 776-9824