When I was a teenager, I took my first mechanics class. Why? Well, my father happened to be a military and civilian airline mechanic and it was important for him that his daughters understand the intricacies of how a car worked. He didn't believe that the knowledge was solely the property of men and wanted us young girls to be handy ourselves.
As part of our lessons, we learned about the engine in detail, how to change tires without depending on anyone’s help, and of course, how to fix and check the car for problems. I’m no mechanic, but believe you and me, I’m spending far less money and far less time at the mechanic than the average person who doesn't understand how to fix minor car problems.
That being said, it’s important for me to spread knowledge about the mechanics behind how a car functions, so today, I’m sharing some information on chip tuning. Enjoy the added knowledge!
Let’s start with the basics - What is chip tuning?
Chip tuning sounds similar to what it physically represents: “tuning” (modifying) an erasable programmable read only memory chip that is located in a vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU acts as a mini-computer and controls and monitors the engine.
What can chip tuning do?
The idea behind chip tuning is to modify the ECU for various reasons. Among these are to have superior performance, increase gas efficiency or have cleaner emissions. The chip tuning module will test and change the settings of the ECU based on your driving.
How does a chip tuner work?
The chip tuner will read data from the ECU and the engine and optimize the numbers and configurations based on the results. It will look into things like injection timing, quantity and pressure, air mass and boost pressure. Through analyzing these numbers, chip tuners will then work to fulfill their role in real time, consistently optimizing the engine.
The chip tuner will read data from the ECU and the engine and optimize the numbers and configurations based on the results. It will look into things like injection timing, quantity and pressure, air mass and boost pressure. Through analyzing these numbers, chip tuners will then work to fulfill their role in real time, consistently optimizing the engine.
A chip tuner can help save gas by making the engine run more efficiently.
What sort of chip tuner should you use?
Do NOT get a run-of-the-mill chip tuner. You are messing with a powerful part of your vehicle that could disable your car if done wrong. Only use quality chip tuners that can be trusted, ideally those that don’t use the OBD interface. The best chip tuner options will not overwrite the control unit and thus set the default options in the manufacturer’s software upon removal, like chip tuners from www.racechip.com.
How are chip tuners installed?
Chip tuners are relatively easy to install into your vehicle. It takes about 10-15 minutes to set it up and no special tools are needed. First, you connect the chip module to the engine and the engine control device with a simple plug system, fix the module, and you are set. Of course, any chip tuner that you purchase will come with visual and text instructions to facilitate the process, but otherwise, there are many video tutorials on YouTube to help you.
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