Performance Chips?

[Highway Man]

Maybe someone has already started a thread on this and I didn't see it but anyway here goes. With all the advertising about performance chips I wonder if anyone would like to chime in and share their experience with these products? Like many other products there are those few that actually perform the way they are advertised and then there are those who jump on the bandwagon with a cheapo designed to do nothing more than to separate someone from their money. I have looked at the possibility of trying one of them myself and I would appreciate the recommendations of those who have already been down this road. What I would like to accomplish is a realistic hp gain without slaughtering fuel economy. If anyone thinks they are all junk that is what I would like to hear.

 

[vetteoz]

What I would like to accomplish is a realistic hp gain without slaughtering fuel economy. If anyone thinks they are all junk that is what I would like to hear.

Send me you money.
Car will go just as fast because of your lighter wallet.
There is no magic bullet to give what you want with a chip change; especially a generic " off the shelf " chip like Hypertech ,etc
A custom chip tuned for your car " may ' give some minimal performance gain because factory tune has to accomodate drivers who cruise and drivers who thrash their cars; but you are not going to pick up 50 Hp

 

[Curious George]

I agree with "oz".

For the price you are going to pay for the "off the shelf" chip, you can buy what you need to burn your own chips (for just a bit more). If your car is stock or close to it, custom burning your own chip will improve drivibility and will enhance performance somewhat.

At first it is a bit overwhelming, but if you stick with it, burning your own chips is a big learning curve and fun in the end.

CG

 

[boomdriver]

Maybe someone has already started a thread on this and I didn't see it but anyway here goes. With all the advertising about performance chips I wonder if anyone would like to chime in and share their experience with these products? Like many other products there are those few that actually perform the way they are advertised and then there are those who jump on the bandwagon with a cheapo designed to do nothing more than to separate someone from their money. I have looked at the possibility of trying one of them myself and I would appreciate the recommendations of those who have already been down this road. What I would like to accomplish is a realistic hp gain without slaughtering fuel economy. If anyone thinks they are all junk that is what I would like to hear.

The ONLY thing that you'll get from a generic performance chip is engine fan control, some modification of the spark timing, and little or no usable HP gain.

For the price of any of the generics and I don;t care who the mfg is, a REAL tune and a custom burned chip for OBD-I cars is the way to optimize the engines ability. I often tell guys that are going for a tune, when they demand to know how much MORE HP they will get out of this, I tell them they don;t actually "get" any more HP, the tune will simply utilize whats already there. That usually results in 10 to 30 newly discovered HP...

remember,
heads, pistons, spark and cams make power. Chips and computers just manage it.

 

[Highway Man]

Good responses

I have a big grin on my face as I type this. I like the line about going faster because of a lighter wallet! :L That's good! Boomdriver I think you put the icing on the cake with the statement that cams, pistons, and such make horsepower and chips manage it. Anyone else care to get in on this? :cool

 

[bartric]

So would that mean without all the computers it would have free flow and nothing to limit the hp?

 

[warren s]

So would that mean without all the computers it would have free flow and nothing to limit the hp?

Newer fuel injected cars need the computer. The ECM can measure many parameters at once and sort of "coordinate" the systems. For example it will by use of various sensors measure the density of air flowing into the engine, along with the temperature of the air and the speed at witch it goes through the intake track. The ECM will based upon this information adjust the pulse width and duration of the injectors to match. It samples the air and adjusts over 100 times a second. Also it will test the exhaust to make sure the mixture (the infamous O2 sensor) is within parameters.

 

[warren s]

CHIPS.....

Some cars seem to get a tad bit more out of chips, like the Turbo Buicks back in 87.

Depending on your car, you may pick up 5 to 8 hp, and depending on the chip. There were many at one time. Usually the more aggressive ones needed good premium (94) to do their best.

 

[norwegianvette]

It is all up to you. I did buy a Hypertech to have better fan controll as i run a cooler termostat. I did not do it for the Hp and for my use the original 300 is plenty. It might save you on miles to gallon but then again these cars is quite good on the consumption as they are. I´ve done some mods to the breathing and when my opti said good bay i had a new vented one from MSD put in together wit a MSD 6AL and new wires and plugs. I have a set of new injectors from FIC and a new gas filter to do and she should be running for a long time i hope.None of this will make the car faster but she runs smoother

Steve