Help on terminology for a custom chip!

[ZumZum]

The car's a little higher. right?

Yeah, but don't tell my G/F that. She thinks she's #1.

 

[Edmond]

Yeah, but don't tell my G/F that. She thinks she's #1.

I wonder if she surfs CAC?:L

 

[ZumZum]

I wonder if she surfs CAC?:L

If she does I'll probably get smacked with the jewelry ads instead of having them left in my chair.

 

[fast.asleep]

I wonder if she surfs CAC?:L

Hope not. Althought last year I got the "sometimes I think you like that car more than me"

solution: lie

 

[87blackroxi]

Hope not. Althought last year I got the "sometimes I think you like that car more than me"

solution: lie

That's How i've lived this long! always tell her she's #1:L

 

[G Winter]

Two ladies aren't really so bad to support. The problem comes when there gets to be ,
1 - driveway rats.
2- rug rats.
Buying shoes for all of them puts a real bite on the wallet.

 

[87blackroxi]

isn't that the truth!

 

[WhalePirot]

Definite dent in the Vette budget

Just the first one!

I am not the chip expert here, but can share my experience. My car ran real well with the stock chip, headers and Flowmasters. Rather mild mods, similar to what you plan. I later opened up the intake, installed larger valves and a mild cam. The stock chip still handled it okay. I later went to a more aggressive cam, which dropped the manifold air pressure (MAP) enough to confuse the ECM. The car ran rich, as the ECM thought the throttle was open more than it actually was, due to the low MAP. This manifested itself in black tailpipes and by the overdrive becoming a 'hunter'; on and off cycling, even at stable cruise, warmed up. I believe the ECM thought it was in open loop; (not warmed up) due to oxygen sensor indications of the rich mixture. (Actually, new plug wires once fixed that 'hunting'. Honest!)

The ECM has limited authority to alter, in real-time, the fuel tables (and other parameters, which do not apply here) to compensate for these changes, all affecting airflow in and out of the combustion chamber, hence mixture. Once the ECM's limit is reached, the car runs at a less-than-optimum fuel/air mixture; therefore not producing all the power that particular engine is capable of. I believe the intent is to allow for aging engines, varying fuels, etc., while keeping an optimum air/fuel ratio of 14.7:1.

Resetting the ECM (depowering it for >10 seconds) erases the adjusted numbers the ECM 'learned' and wrote to the fuel tables, setting them back to initial factory settings.

A modified chip does not give the ECM more authority, nor does it change it from seeking an optimum mixture. It simply uses different initial fuel table values as a starting point, which should be tailored to each engine.

My custom chip's fuel tables were painstakingly developed to zero out ECM adjustments (midpoint in the +128/-128 range). The 256-range number, should be familiar to computer geeks. My engine, however, is WAY out of stock parameters, particularly due to the very aggressive roller cam (9" of idle vacuum).

The bottom line here, as I see it, is either chip should attain virtually the same mixture and performance for you, with possible minor changes at WOT and/or timing advance. I'd surely get specifics on exactly what the new chip does and learn of any other limitations. The factory must allow for owners that may not keep the car well tuned and may allow for lower octane fuel, which an aftermarket chip might not tolerate so well. You may be required to burn premium fuel with a new chip.

Before I'd drop hard coin on a 'hot' chip, I'd analyze the exhaust pipe color AND the spark plugs to see how rich or lean the car runs; a poor-man's approach, as few of us have the electro-gizmos to view the adjustments the ECM made.

Congrats on the g/f thing. Hopefully, she enjoys your Vette passion.