Chip tuning of the car. What is it and is it beneficial?
Many drivers dream of more engine power. It turns out that getting extra power from our power unit is not so difficult. One of the methods is chip tuning, which is becoming more and more popular. Professionally made, it greatly improves driving comfort and safety without the risk of engine damage.
Many drivers associate car tuning with the installation of spoilers, chrome trim on the rear of the body, low-profile rubber or tinted windows with peeling film. If such visual changes in most cases are not dangerous for the condition of the car, then any intervention by home-grown mechanics, for example, in the suspension or braking system, can be dangerous for both drivers and other road users.
Every intervention on a production car, aimed at any change in technical parameters, requires extensive specialist knowledge and well-equipped technical means. Tuning can affect various components of the car and be carried out in order to achieve various goals. One is to increase engine power and torque while reducing fuel consumption. It is best to implement this through the so-called. chip tuning. Professionally made by an experienced mechanic, it brings very good results and, importantly, also increases the level of ride safety.
What is chiptuning?
Automakers often leave engines oversized in many ways in order to “release” them in newer models or to fit them to the equipment, size or weight of a particular model. The same engine can have several different power and torque ratings. Using chip tuning, i.e. modification of the factory computer engine control software, we have the ability to tune and extract "hidden" parameters with a large degree of freedom.
“The increase in engine parameters with chip tuning does not have to be large in order to meet our expectations. Of course, there are drivers who want to turn an ordinary civilian car into the "king of the roads", the unbeatable winner in skirmishes at traffic lights. However, usually 10% boost is enough to notice a clear difference in modification,” says Grzegorz Staszewski, Motointegrator.pl expert.
“The main reason for this is to make the car more dynamic, more flexible, but not necessarily faster. There are car models that, in relation to their weight, have too little power and torque, which is why they react too lazily to the gas pedal. This makes it difficult to climb slopes and perform overtaking maneuvers, which significantly reduces the level of driving safety. For these reasons, chip tuning is also often chosen by women who drive large and heavy family cars on a daily basis, as well as owners of campers and small buses that often tow trailers, the expert adds.
There are also modification programs that significantly reduce fuel consumption and are called ecotuning. The engine map is then tuned in such a way that at medium rpm and load it is more frisky and has less appetite for fuel.
How to do chip tuning?
The Internet is full of specialists who offer chip tuning services. However, it is important to know that the operation of modifying the motor controller is not an easy one and, if done carelessly, usually does more harm than good. Let's not be deceived by assurances that chip tuning can be done correctly in a parking lot next to a shopping center for PLN 200-300, because without professional technical equipment and extensive knowledge of a mechanic, you will not be able to move.
“The basis of a high-quality modification is, first of all, an analysis of the technical condition of the engine, therefore, first of all, a diagnostic measurement is carried out on a dynamometer. Often it turns out that increasing the parameters of the drive unit simply does not make sense, because it is damaged and therefore significantly weakened in relation to the nominal factory parameters,” says Grzegorz Staszewski.
“The car could be damaged, for example: a flow meter, a clogged catalyst, a hole in the intercooler, a faulty turbocharger, and after eliminating such defects, the car changes beyond recognition. It even happens that a catalog car should have 120 hp, and when tested on a dynamometer, it turns out that there are only thirty of them! These are rather exceptional cases, but halving power happens often, ”adds Stashevsky.
After troubleshooting, the vehicle is re-tested on the dyno and if the performance remains the same or very close to the manufacturer's specifications, changes to the controller can be made.
Correctly performed modification consists in fine-tuning the operation of the engine so that it does not overload. All vehicle components form a single, precisely interacting whole. A malfunctioning one element most often leads to damage to the others, and the drive transmission may not be able to cope with a too “shaved” engine after chip tuning, which is associated with a high risk of breakdown. Therefore, an experienced mechanic knows what needs to be felt, which models can be modified and to what extent, and which elements are designed “back-to-back” and cannot be interfered with the factory settings.
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After changing the engine controller software, the car should be put back on the dynamometer to check if the intended parameter changes have been achieved. If necessary, these steps are repeated again until success is achieved. A well-made chip tuning does not affect the deterioration of the exhaust parameters, which are determined by the relevant standards, and therefore there is no need to worry that our car will have problems during standard technical tests after the modification.
Poorly performed chip tuning by "homegrown specialists" who do not have the appropriate technical training and, of course, knowledge, usually ends in unpleasant consequences. Such changes “by eye” without dynamometry cannot be performed qualitatively. They often download the modifying program two or three times because none of these operations brought the desired effect. It is later revealed that she couldn't bring it in because the car had an undiagnosed, often trivial, malfunction. After its subsequent removal during the review, the increase in power is unexpectedly 60%. As a result, the turbocharger explodes, holes are made in the pistons and very large holes in the car owner's wallet.
Powerbox
Chip tuning methods vary. Some controllers need to be disassembled and programmed in the laboratory, but in most cases, programming is done through the OBD (on-board diagnostics) connector. There is also another way to increase engine parameters, often confused with chip tuning, which consists in using an external module, the so-called. Power supplies. This is an additional device connected to the vehicle system that modifies the sensor signals and makes changes to the readings of the engine control ECU. Based on them, the fuel dosage and boost pressure change and, as a result, power increases.
"Chipping" a car under warranty
Powertrain modification is often used while the vehicle is under warranty. It should be remembered that in modern cars, the computer remembers every change in the software and it is very easy to detect it by the service that gives a guarantee for this car. In post-warranty cars, in most cases, chip tuning is recommended, one that completely changes the software. This provides a more precise and safer adjustment that eliminates the risk of any deviation.
In most cases, the website cannot immediately detect changes. A special complex procedure is needed to check if the controller is running the factory program or a modified one. However, you should be aware that some reputable premium brand services revise control programs routinely at every inspection and you should not rely on such changes to go unnoticed, which may lead to a loss of warranty. At the same time, such sites offer their modification service, although, of course, for a correspondingly large amount of money.
Engines that love chip tuning
“Due to the nature of chip tuning, not all drive units can be chip tuned. Older generation motors from the 80s and early 90s are not suitable as they are in most cases mechanical designs devoid of electronics. This is easily recognized by the fact that the throttle cable is connected directly to the injection pump. If so, it's completely mechanical. In cars where the gas pedal is electric, the so-called Driver-by-wire is a guarantee that the engine is controlled by a computer and software can be changed,” says Grzegorz Staszewski, Motointegrator.pl expert.
Chip tuning is ideal for supercharged diesel engines. You can also make changes to the drivers in naturally aspirated engines, but this will not always involve more power, but rather an increase in revs or a speed limiter.
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A car with mileage, for example, 200 300 km can be changed? Unfortunately, when buying a used car, we do not guarantee that the mileage indicated by the seller is correct. Therefore, it is difficult to check its suitability for chip tuning only by mileage and it is always necessary to subject the car to a complete diagnosis on a dynamometer. It often turns out that even cars with a mileage of 400-XNUMX thousand kilometers are very well maintained and there are no contraindications to improve its performance. However, before making any changes to the tuning, it is always necessary to first take care of the good condition of the tires, brakes and chassis - elements that determine driving comfort and, above all, driving safety.
