Engine chip tuning, i.e. way to increase power in a conventional car
Tuning a car is not only about improving its appearance or preparing it for competitive driving. Engine chip tuning, if performed professionally, significantly increases driving comfort without the risk of damage to the power unit.
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 gives very good results.
What is chiptuning?
Car manufacturers often leave engines oversized in many ways to be built in newer models or customized to fit, size or weight of a particular model. The same engine can have several different power and torque ratings. With the help of chip tuning, i.e. modifications to the factory engine management computer program, we can adjust and improve these parameters.
– The increase in engine parameters with the help of chip tuning does not have to be large in order to meet our expectations. However, usually XNUMX% gain is enough to make a noticeable difference while driving, says Grzegorz Staszewski, Motointegrator.pl expert. “The main reason for this is to make the car more dynamic, 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 camping cars and small buses that often tow trailers.
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There are also modification programs that significantly reduce fuel consumption and are called ecotuning. The engine map is then tuned so that at medium rpm and load it is also lighter and has less fuel appetite.
How to do chip tuning?
The Internet is full of specialists who offer chip tuning services. However, you need to know that the operation of modifying the engine controller ECU 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 around.
- The basis of a well-made 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. It often turns out that increasing the parameters of the power unit simply does not make sense, because it is damaged and therefore significantly weakened in relation to the nominal factory parameters, says Grzegorz Staszewski, Motointgrator.pl expert. - The car may have a damaged flow meter, a clogged catalyst, a hole in the intercooler, a faulty turbocharger, and after fixing such faults, the car changes beyond recognition. It even happens that a catalog car should have one hundred and twenty horsepower, and when tested on a dynamometer, it turns out that there are only thirty of them! These are rather exceptional cases, but half power failure is a common occurrence.
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 the failure of others, and the drive transmission may not be able to cope with an overly worn engine after chip tuning, which is associated with a high risk of damaging it. Therefore, an experienced mechanic knows that it is important to have a good understanding of which models can be modified and to what extent, and which elements are designed so that they cannot be tampered with by 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 cannot be done well without dyno testing. 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 (available for purchase, among other things, on the website Motointgrator.pl). 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 dose of fuel, the boost pressure with a turbocharger or compressor are changed and, as a result, power is also increased.
See also: Tuning and sports - accessories, spare parts - online store spal.regiomoto.pl
Car chip tuning 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, which completely changes the engine management software. This provides a more precise and safer adjustment that eliminates the risk of any deviation.
In most cases, a 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 check their control programs routinely at each check 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 specifics of chip tuning, not all drives can be subjected to it. Engines of the older generation of the eighties and early nineties of the last century are not suitable, since in most cases they are mechanical structures 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 electronic engine management system 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 turbocharged engines. You can also make changes to the drivers in naturally aspirated engines, but this will not always involve an increase in power; rather, with raising the rev limiter or speed limiter.
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.
