Diesel tuning chips - experiences.

muddyl

Does anyone have experience of using the diesel tuning chips? The decent ones, not the cheap ebay crap.
Read a few good reviews, but you can never tell if they are "true" reviews. Thinking of getting one for a C8.
What's your opinion on these?

k3lvc

I've had both a remap and a chip on different vehicles

Remap on a diesel Alfa Spider from 200BHP to 242BHP - car was leased and map wasn't physically visible though I did declare to the dealer when they worked on it so they didn't wipe it. When they did (by upgrading the ECU for an Alfa update) the remapper re-installed again FOC.

My chip was an official Brabus one on a Mercedes C320 - 224BHP to 272BHP :rotfl: - visible to a mechanic/dealer if they knew what they were looking for so had to be declared to insurance company.

IMHO unless it's an official manufacturer chip that retains warranty then I'd be inclined to go for a custom remap and have something suited to your driving style (I tried 2 extremes on the Alfa - one of which left the throttle like an on/off switch, the other gave a turbine like torque line)

Gloomendoom

I've used them on two different cars. The first car it produced a very noticeable power increase. On the second car, however, I couldn't detect any improvement at all, despite both tuning boxes coming from the same manufacturer.

I would be tempted to get one on approval, most do a money back guarantee, try it and send it back if it doesn't come up to expectations.

BTW Some of the 'cheap' eBay ones work quite well.

pulliptears

We have a 'green' chip on our 1.9 CDTi Astra, noticeable increase in power and fuel economy has improved massively.

smcqis

I had this DTUK green chip on my astra, the cheap ones are a waste of time. Be careful though I wouldnt want to run one for years on years, they trick the ECU and more bhp usuaully means your clutch, brakes etc should be uprated too though I had mine on for about a year before sold car and didnt do any of the above mentioned. Improves fuel effieciency too

Notmyrealname

The ones that increase the fuel rail pressure kill injectors and the fuel pump. A remap is the only way to go. Unless you want to munch through DMFs don't go silly.

forgotmyname

if it only connects to the temperature sensor or to the fuel pressure sensor then avoid like the plague.

If you really must goto maplins or similar and buy a £5 bag of mixed resistors.

One of them will give you the extra power you crave by fooling the engine management into thinking
the fuel pressure is too low.

Thats all the plugin boxes do.

sillygoose

I think it funny how some of the cheapest Ebay ones claim to be a chip to sound more legit. but are infact just a resistor-in-a-chip. Basically a 60p small plastic box and a 20p resistor. Connected across the temperature sensor, its basically similiar to leaving on the choke on an old car after its warmed up. People selling these want hunting down and locking up for fraud.

As mentioned the proper plug in ones can work but may well damage the fuel system in time due to forcing the pressure up.

Find a forum for your make of car and join. You will find others that have had proper remaps and can see if it went well or badly. If you find a reputable remapper this way it will be safer. Some manufacturers these days only put in clutches just about up to the job, if you up the power too much and use it a lot you will probably need a new clutch before long.

forgotmyname

Plenty of people using cheap boxes and will claim they are the best thing since sliced bread.

Possibly the same people selling the boxes on ebay?

They dont normally produce the claims when put on a rolling road though.