INFO REQUEST: Chipping a car, does it need to be tuned?

Just get a faster car, imho playing around trying to get your car to get more power leads to failure and lowers the selling price.
 
Thugscub said:
Just get a faster car, imho playing around trying to get your car to get more power leads to failure and lowers the selling price.
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Not necessarily. At Steve's Auto Clinic (BTW I hate these bastards), they do a unichip installation which will not void your guarantee or Motorite/MotoCare policy.
 
Thugscub said:
Just get a faster car, imho playing around trying to get your car to get more power leads to failure and lowers the selling price.
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That definitely just an opinion - the performance market is big, and speaks for itself - yes, if you let some noob work on your car, it will get screwed up. There are guys getting more than 3x the power (600kw turbo conversions) out of S2000, and have been running safely for years.

This is a hobby just like anything else - its like telling someone to by a better camera if they want better photo's.
 
Slootvreter said:
Not necessarily. At Steve's Auto Clinic (BTW I hate these bastards), they do a unichip installation which will not void your guarantee or Motorite/MotoCare policy.
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They can't do a unichip that will not void your warranty, unless the manufacturer agrees, they probly just do it so its not noticeable to the manufacturer but if he does find it what do you think he will do
 
Thugscub said:
Slootvreter why do you hate SAC?
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About three years ago I phoned them for a quote for a major service. Got the price, which was reasonable. Took my car there and just made sure with the manager (Andy Payne or something at that time) and confirmed that the price is all inclusive. He said the only thing I will need to pay extra is the metal fuel filter. So add another R140 to the amount. I made sure again if that will be the total amount and offered to pay before hand. He said yes, that's what I'll be paying and no they won't take money before the time. Which is fine, I suppose.

Got my car back, they added another R1300 to the amount. R600 for spark plugs, R300 for oil, etc etc. The fact is they fscked me over and there's no way of getting my car back without paying. Goddamn monkeys.

bboy said:
They can't do a unichip that will not void your warranty, unless the manufacturer agrees, they probly just do it so its not noticeable to the manufacturer but if he does find it what do you think he will do
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There was actually a laminated notice on their counter and wall that said they will. :confused:
 
Gnome said:
A "chip" is a piggy back, some of them I've heard can plug into the ECU but for the most part a chip refers to a 3rd party programmable control unit that sits between the ECU and engine sensors.

How it works is, a circuit board with a micro-processor is inserted between the ECU and sensor, it then changes the voltages/resistance/etc. received by the ECU, this in turn causes the ECU to do what it is they wish to accomplish with the piggy back, namely increase/decrease fueling/ignition timing/etc.

So the idea is you put in the piggy back system, add performance mods, put the car on a dyno and see where the car is over/under fueling and change values on the piggy back which in turn changes the way the ECU interprets the data, causing a change such as increased fueling or decreased timing, whatever may be the case.

You don't HAVE to do any type of tuning with a chip, you can put it in and put all the values in as 0, that will cause NO change to the input the ECU receives, therefore it's back to stock, so to speak, the chip would be invisible, even to the ECU or any type of diagnostic tool, they'd have to look at the ECU wiring to determine it's there.

You only HAVE to remap if the car is having trouble running, usually this is the case if you fit a seriously wide degree camshaft in combination with other modifications such as port & flow, exhaust manifold, intake manifold, etc. On Opel's for example some people even use 1.4 Corsa ECU's on 2litre engines or fit ITB's (individual throttle bodies) and chip, these cars could probably start without the chip but it's gonna run like crap.

So you can see you only NEED to remap if you A) wish to increase performance or B) the car isn't running as it should (which includes, engine knocking, over/under fueling, terrible fuel economy, etc.)

Most of the newer piggy back system are basically a ECU, they even allow extra injectors and things to be added.

The other side of this as you may know is full management which replaces the ECU with a after market variant, might sound awesome but in reality most cars have pretty awesome stock ECU's and many of these management system lack key features like idle control, I've used Dicktator and Mr. Turbo before and I'd take standard ECU with a piggy back ANY day over those systems, they just cause headaches.

Just so you know: Most N/A cars would get NO benefit from fitting a chip or full management (in fact it'd probably be worse) if extensive mods have not been done to the engine (For example, ANY Opel N/A motor will yield NO gain by fitting a chip without mods). Turbo motors on the other hand is different, most of these yuppies who talk about how awesome their GTi is after a chip assume that the map of the standard ECU is inferior when in reality the extra power was gained by the piggy back increasing the Boost on the Turbo Charger, meaning more power but less reliable motor (and considering VW's track record so far with Turbo chargers I'd say these units are already running on the edge, increasing the boost is just asking for it to blow).

The OEM ECU is tuned by the manufacturer using engine dyno's where the actual engine is fitted to a system and carefully monitored, mobile dyno's or wheel type dyno's can't compete with that.
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THANKS for the decent post Gnome:D

@Slootvreter....They can't do it!!! ANY interference with the OEM parts voids waranntee. Even if you only change the ECU timimg with a data scanner.
 
Bejasus R600.00 for s/plugs what where they made out of ? Solid platinum?

Won't be taking the Audi to those asses.
 
Thugscub said:
Bejasus R600.00 for s/plugs what where they made out of ? Solid platinum?

Won't be taking the Audi to those asses.
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I know the S2000 spark plugs are quite expensive - I think they're more than R600 - I'll try find out - and thats even if you buy them yourself.
 
DarkDenim said:
Nonsense! How many GTI turbos have blown because of remapping? The turbo fitted to the TDi Sportline is the only VW turbo with issues, and that's without even remapping. I and a lot other GTI owners have had remapped GTI's for over 2 years with zero issues, not even clutch! No need to make a move...checkmate! :D
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1) I didn't say a single GTI engine blew but regardless I'm sure there are a few out there that have had failed turbo's or blown motors, from overboosting or just plain bad luck, no car has 0 failure, BS.

2) I said that considering VW's past track record, it's obvious they are running their motors on close tolerances, decide for yourself what to do. VW & GM are know for changing their engines when reselling them here in SA btw. Sometimes it's changing the 16V motor for a 8V, sometimes it's changing the Turbo for a cheaper part, depends on where they can cut corners to make more money.

3) Don't elude yourself that they "remapped" your ECU and bam you got extra 20kW out of the motor. They increased the boost (unless they did other mods to the engine), the motor (turbo, rings, transmission, you name it) is definitely taking more wear than the standard one, if you want to believe that or not is up to you (since you are seemingly an expert).

xrapidx said:
I know the S2000 spark plugs are quite expensive - I think they're more than R600 - I'll try find out - and thats even if you buy them yourself.
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Yeah performance motors usually use Iridium plugs, they are incredibly expensive but I think most of them have like 100 000km change intervals so it's not really that bad.
 
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Gnome said:
1) I didn't say a single GTI engine blew but regardless I'm sure there are a few out there that have had failed turbo's or blown motors, from overboosting or just plain bad luck, no car has 0 failure, BS.

2) I said that considering VW's past track record, it's obvious they are running their motors on close tolerances, decide for yourself what to do. VW & GM are know for changing their engines when reselling them here in SA btw. Sometimes it's changing the 16V motor for a 8V, sometimes it's changing the Turbo for a cheaper part, depends on where they can cut corners to make more money.

3) Don't elude yourself that they "remapped" your ECU and bam you got extra 20kW out of the motor. They increased the boost (unless they did other mods to the engine), the motor (turbo, rings, transmission, you name it) is definitely taking more wear than the standard one, if you want to believe that or not is up to you (since you are seemingly an expert).



Yeah performance motors usually use Iridium plugs, they are incredibly expensive but I think most of them have like 100 000km change intervals so it's not really that bad.
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Which fool doesn't know that remapping software makes the turbo boost higher? There's absolutely nothing wrong with VW engines IMO.
 
Theres a local honda club forum why not ask there. I think its hondaboys or something
 
asked on an international S2000 forum... found the info I need... thanks.
 
What was the question again - now that I'm edumacated?


xrapidx said:
I already only get 350km to a tank :(

But considering I work 2km from home - its not really an issue.
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Haha - what a joke - I now get 250km - 300km.
 
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