Car Repair World

Know About Chip Tuning, Remapping, ECU Looking to modify the computers in your car to get more power or efficiency? A quick Google search can be incredibly confusing. If you’re having trouble telling the different ECUs apart or comparing chip tuning vs. remapping, this quick guide can help you understand what they are. Chip Tuning: Early engine computers were first introduced in the 1980s and changed the way that engines were tuned up. Suddenly tune-ups were no longer about adjusting parts like a carburetor. In order to change key engine parameters, the chip had to be physically removed and replaced with a new chip. This was the original chip tuning, where the tune-up involved switching out the chip. This term gets a little murky as technology evolved. The introduction of diagnostic ports meant chips didn’t have to be removed to be changed. The diagnostic ports allowed direct software access, so the chips could be reprogrammed without being removed. Today, chip tuning ...

Chip Tuning vs. Performance Tuning When it comes to getting more out of your engine, two of your big options are chip tuning and performance tuning. These are both types of engine tuning, each with their own benefits, and their own costs. Chip Tuning Originally, chip tuning meant that the chips in the ECU (Engine Control Unit) were removed and replaced with chips that had different software. The introduction of diagnostic ports to car computer systems opened the door for engine remapping, or rewriting the software without having to replace the chip. When a lot of people refer to chip tuning today, they actually mean remapping. On the low end, you can simply buy a chip module that plugs into the diagnostic port to change the programming. This can have unpredictable results, since the module isn’t specifically made for your car and driving conditions. For the best results, chip tuning should be done by a professional. After installing a high quality chip, they’ll often...

Costs and Benefits Of Chip Tuning When you’re considering engine chip tuning or remapping, it’s easy to run into conflicting and confusing information. It can be tough to track down concrete numbers for what it can and can’t do for your car. Believe it or not, there’s actually a good reason for that. So Why the Ambiguity? There are a couple reasons why chip tuning doesn’t always get the same results. The first is the variation of cars out there. For example, a 1997 Honda Civic has little in common with a 2007 Ford F-150 4×4. There’s also a large variety of environments where the cars are driven. Chip tuning for a steadily hot environment can give much more stable results than chip tuning for an environment that swings from cold and dry to hot and humid. The other big reason is the chip tuners themselves. There’s a wide variety of ways to change your car computer’s software, everything from a cheap “plug and play” external chip module to having a professional remap th...

Warranty On Engine Chip Tuning  Engine chip tuning, or adding performance chips, can make a big difference in how the engine in your vehicle runs. However, if your vehicle is under warranty then you probably want to keep it that way, and no amount of improvements are worth having to shell out big money the next time anything goes wrong. These tips can help you figure out what will happen to your warranty with engine chip tuning. This does not qualify as legal advice, and if you really want to be sure then you should consult a warranty attorney. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is a federal law that was passed back in 1975 to protect consumers. The law specifically covers how warranties are treated by the consumer and the warrantor. There are a wide variety of protections and regulations that are part of it. But what does this have to do with engine computer unit tuning? The protections of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act mean that a w...

Engine Chip Tuning Legalized Or Not The right performance chip or engine control unit can change the software in your engine’s computer, giving you more horsepower or more efficiency. In theory, it’s your vehicle, so you can do whatever you want to it. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers would like to change that. This group of 12 automobile manufacturers seeks to prohibit car owners from changing the software in their cars. But do they have legal grounds to make that claim? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act It all comes down to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Passed in 1998, the DMCA was designed to specifically deal with issues of copyright and intellectual property in the digital age. At the time, it dealt with music, movies, software, and other digital products. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is petitioning to have the software within the car’s computer covered under the DMCA. They claim that they have a copyright on the software. Li...

Engine Chip Tuning Engine chip tuning, also known as engine remapping or simply chip tuning, can be a great way to get more out of your car. It’s a relatively small modification that can drastically change how your engine runs. But those changes can also have a downside. Here are a few risks you take when you tweak the ECU or engine control unit. It Can Push the Engine Too Hard One of the most common engine remaps is to get more power out of the engine. The right settings for the fuel/air mixture and timing can get your engine functioning at a higher speed and getting more power with every stroke. But that extra power can push the engine parts beyond normal stress limits. At the same time, the increased heat and repetition lead to higher wear levels. Both of these factors can combine to increase the risk of catastrophic engine failure. This is why engine tuning can often void your powertrain warranty unless it’s done with the right gear by the right person. The E...

The Pros and Cons of Engine Control Module Tuning The engine control module, also known as the engine control unit, is the computer that controls key functions of your engine. By hooking a chip tuner or performance chip into the system, the parameters from the computer can be altered. This can change key factors in the engine, such as the fuel/air ratio or the spark timing. Here are a few pros and cons of ECU tuning. Pros More Power: Vehicle manufacturers tend to be conservative with the settings on their ECM to account for changes in elevation, temperature, fuel, and maintenance schedules. Chip tuning can change the settings to get more power from the engine, adding a good chunk of HP to the car. More Efficiency: The main goal of chip tuning for a long time was power, but today’s higher gas prices and environmental goals have changed that. Modern chip tuning can help your engine run more efficiently, and can give boosts of 5-10 mpg. Affordable Upgrades...