Chip Tuning vs. Performance 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 put your car on a rolling road. They’ll run a series of diagnostic tests using precise machinery while the car’s running, then adjust the software accordingly.

Performance Tuning

While chip tuning deals exclusively with the software, performance tuning mostly concentrates on the physical parts of the engine. The vast majority of these hardware modifications or improvements concentrate on the powertrain, such as the cylinders, exhaust, transmission, and more. Performance tuning is almost always focused on getting more power out of the engine.

Performance tuning can be done by car owners in their garages, but they really have to know what they’re doing. Actions like boring out the pistons, installing a custom exhaust system and changing the compression chamber size are very complicated procedures that have to be done to very narrow margins. Owners will often find that they get the best results when they have the performance tuning done by a professional shop.

Combine the Tunings

If you really want to get the most performance possible out of your car’s engine, then you’ll probably want to combine both performance tuning and chip tuning. Performance tuning will allow you to switch out parts and tweak engine parameters to get as much as possible out of the engine.

Once you’ve got all of the physical parts fine-tuned, chip tuning will allow you to make sure that the software is lined up to get you the best response possible out of your upgraded engine. In fact, many of the pro shops that can help with performance tuning can also help with any chip tuning or remapping that needs to be done.

More Benefits of Engine Chip Tuning

Benefits of Engine Chip Tuning

If you’re into upgrading or customizing your car, then you’ve probably heard about engine chip tuning. Whether the ECU is changed, the engine is remapped, or a performance chip is added, the change in the software can make a big difference in how your vehicle functions.

1. You Get More Horsepower

When the ECU comes from the factory it comes with conservative software settings, and that includes power settings. These help the car be more stable under a variety of different conditions, but it also means there’s some power left behind. Chip tuning can change the fuel/air ratio and timing to give your car extra power and torque.

2. You Get More Fuel Efficiency

For a long time, engine chip tuning was almost exclusively used to get more power out of vehicles. However, the recent emphasis on fuel efficiency and environmentalism has changed that. The right chip tuning can make a substantial difference in your fuel economy. It may be at the sacrifice of horsepower, but many cars have a lot more power than they need for everyday driving.

3. They’re Affordable Upgrades

There are plenty of upgrades that can increase your horsepower or improve your fuel efficiency. For example, a custom exhaust system can make a big difference. But these cost a lot to have made, and require a lot of labor to install correctly. Chip tuning, on the other hand, is a much more affordable option. Even if you pay extra to get the tuning done by a pro shop, it’s still cheaper than other options.

4. They’re Easy to Install

A big part of that affordability comes from the ease of installation. Universal diagnostic ports make it easy to plug new engine chips or chip management units into the existing system without having to take apart the ECU. This cuts down on the necessary labor immensely. This makes it extra affordable to have the chip tuning done by a pro, since the labor costs are low.

5. They’re Tuned to Fit Your Driving

Manufacturers set the software to fit a variety of conditions, everything from the high elevation cold of the northern Rockies to the humid heat of south Florida. They’re also made to work with a wide variety of gasoline grades for versatility. Unless you’re road tripping across the country on a regular basis, you don’t need that versatility. Chip tuning allows you to make sure that your car is specifically made to work at its best in the conditions where you drive it.

6. They Give You a Cleaner Burn

There are a wide variety of different technologies that need to work together to get the most out of your fuel, including the timing, fuel/air ratio, injection, transmission, and more. The cleaner the burn, the more efficiency, more power, and less build-up you’ll have. This kind of fine tuning means that you’ll have to be much more selective in your gas choices, but it can pay off in a big way.

A Basic Guide to the Computer in Your Car

Computer Operating Guide  in Your Car

Did you know that modern cars can have over 80 different computers scattered around the car? These control everything from your automatic windows to your stereo to the brake system to your engine. The computers are all hidden behind body panels, in the engine compartment, and dozens of other places. In fact, the only sign of computers most drivers will ever see is the console interface.

Emissions Standards:  The Birth of Car Microprocessors

Car computers really got their start with the introduction of the catalytic convertor and electronic fuel injector. Before these systems, the fuel/air ratio was controlled by the carburetor, which could be more than a little imprecise. A catalytic convertor requires a precise fuel/air ratio (1:14.7) in order to be effective in eliminating emissions. As emission standards got more and more strict, more control was needed.

Enter the first car microprocessors. The chips were nowhere near as powerful as the ones in personal computer, but they didn’t have to be. After all, they have to process a lot less data and programs. These chips made it possible for the fuel/air mixture to be constantly monitored and adjusted to make sure it had the right ratio. As technology got more advanced, the uses for auto computers multiplied.

The CAN

As more and more computers were added to cars, something had to be added to tie them all together. This is where the Controller Area Network, or CAN, comes in. The CAN creates a complex network that connects all of the computers throughout the car. The modern CAN design doesn’t even have a central hub or router. All of the individual Electronic Control Units (ECUs) are linked to the network, allowing them to interact seamlessly.

Parts of an ECU

That network would be nothing without the ECUs. These are the actual workhorses of your car’s computer system. On the outside they tend to look like boxes, but inside the housing is a circuitboard with several different components, including:

Analog-Digital Converters:

Many of the sensors throughout the car are analog, but the chip can only deal with digital data. The converters turn those analog signals into 1’s and 0’s so the chip can use them.

High-Level Digital Outputs:

That digital signal hits the processor, which runs it through programming. Depending on how the programming reacts, the chip will send signals through the outputs to operate things like fuel injector, spark plugs, and more.

Digital to Analog Converters:

Like the sensors, most of the parts in a car are mechanical, meaning they need analog signals to run. The convertors take the digital signal and make it into the voltage that’s needed to power the mechanical parts.

Signal Conditioners:

Sometimes that voltage needs to be adjusted to work with certain parts. These conditioners are circuits that make any necessary voltage changes, and are the last link in the ECU chain.

Diagnostic Ports

There are various ports built into the ECUs and the CAN that allow access to the system. Mechanics will use these to connect diagnostic computers to aid them in finding problems with the engine. They also make it easy to switch out faulty ECUs or parts of the CAN without a lot of network splicing.

But they have another common use. Mechanics and car owners can use these diagnostic ports to connect to the engine control module. That connection can then be used to remap the computer, add performance chips, or tune the software.