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bscott077 Rookie Author Houston Posts:25 Points:1,850 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Apr 20, 2011 5:17:38 PM Ignore bscott077 Report Abuse I know most of us have heard of performance chips that will increase your MPG by 4 or even up to 10, but has anyone tried any of these? I figured they were a waste of a money and a scam, but I was just curious if anyone has tried them. My 13 MPG I'm getting right now digs deep into my pockets with every trip to the pump, and an extra 4 MPG would sure be nice.

bscott077

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Houston

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Message Posted: Apr 20, 2011 5:17:38 PM

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I know most of us have heard of performance chips that will increase your MPG by 4 or even up to 10, but has anyone tried any of these? I figured they were a waste of a money and a scam, but I was just curious if anyone has tried them. My 13 MPG I'm getting right now digs deep into my pockets with every trip to the pump, and an extra 4 MPG would sure be nice.

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Bill0068 Rookie Author Illinois Posts:17 Points:12,140 Joined:Dec 2012	Message Posted: Jan 7, 2013 9:59:30 PM Ignore Bill0068 Report Abuse The "chip" isn't a magic bullet. If you do your homework, as a rule requires other modification to the vehicle. In my case with a 98 Jetta TDI. If I were to put a bigger turbo on, larger exhaust and intake, and larger injectors, YES I will see an improvement. Goofy as it sounds, BIGGER everything, should make horse power! And it does. One would also think it burns more fuel. But provided I don't use that horse power by slamming my foot to the floor in every gear, there is a mpg improvement. "I gotta admit, finding one of these devices that would work reliably in your everyday driver would be equal to winning the lottery". I agree, but a chip tuned to a modified vehicle does work. In an everyday driver, no mods, gains would be small. "i would say bottom line,on a bone stock engine you would see little to no improvement.now,if you are planning some serious engine mods;bigger cam,more compression,gear changes,yada,yada,then it would come in handy to get the computer to get every thing back in line,per say". Again I agree, but serious engine mods are seldom needed. Let the motor breath, more intake, more exhaust, more boost. Cam lift and duration, compression, have little effect, if the motor can not get air in, and push it out. All the cam and compression in the world, isn't going to work if we suck air in and push air out through a bar straw. "I'm going with OceanArcher on this one too. Magic chips are marketed pretty agressively but the car maker has a pretty good idea how things should be done on their vehicles and homemade changes can give you endless problems and issues". I'd say the "car maker", has a fair to midland idea of what works. My kid, and his wife are both engineers for Chrysler. Better put, "if it works leave it alone, if not we will fix it later". I can see by your post you have not likely ever worked on cars. And that's fine, no disrespect intended. But engineers have not a clue of what "works", BEST. Good enough, is good enough. They would like to, but it's not in the budget. Engineers and car companies! An engineer can't be honest anymore. Did you know that cars (I assume from ANY company), NEVER, EVER! Start on fire! Some do however have a "thermal event". Some may even have an "excited expulsion of energy". Which means, "it blowed up real GOOD"! Possibly involving a "thermal event". FIRE! Bottom line, can you buy a chip for $5 on ebay that is gong to give you 4mpg? Not likely. Can you buy a chip for $500 that's going to give you 4mpg? Maybe. Can you buy a $500 chip and do $2000 of mods to your car, and get 4-10 mpg more? Very possible. So in answer to the original posters question, NO. I have not tried one yet, but after mods to my car, I likely will. It will take advantage of upgraded parts. And no! I do NOT work for any chip tuning company. But I have looked into this for more than a few years. And at least with my particular car, the chip is promoted to take advantage of mods you have made. They do claim gains on it's own, but the gains get bigger with the mods. And that comes from private parties, that have done it.
MertieMan Champion Author Lexington Posts:14,803 Points:2,898,535 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Jan 7, 2013 5:17:01 AM Ignore MertieMan Report Abuse Leave the vehicle as it came from the factory, why mess it up?
dgsteven All-Star Author Los Angeles Posts:817 Points:210,800 Joined:Oct 2012	Message Posted: Jan 7, 2013 3:25:15 AM Ignore dgsteven Report Abuse no
mustangman02232 Veteran Author Massachusetts Posts:438 Points:7,840 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Apr 22, 2012 2:16:41 PM Ignore mustangman02232 Report Abuse "proper tire inflation will essentially provide you with the same outcome." no way, if you buy a $5 chip off ebay, your getting what you pay for, a diablo or preferably an SCT Hand held tuner that plugs and plays into the ODB2 port is the way to go, my F350 6.0 stock did 14-16 mpg, now with my SCT it does 19-21 mpg regularly, infact while on a 700 mile round trip to pick up my mustang i got 17.5 mpg while towing about 5500 lbs with the trailer, it will also haul anything i need for work better, and when its play time, it will run a 13 second quarter mile at the drag strip, not bad for only haveing a $400 tune and a $250 exhaust on the truck, Rear tires get expensive
gasmask78 Champion Author Virginia Posts:2,298 Points:449,590 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Apr 20, 2012 5:12:29 AM Ignore gasmask78 Report Abuse proper tire inflation will essentially provide you with the same outcome.
RRBC Champion Author Victoria Posts:2,725 Points:532,965 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Apr 19, 2012 8:46:04 PM Ignore RRBC Report Abuse I wasn't aware of that. Good to know.
kxy4fw Champion Author Denver Posts:1,226 Points:275,355 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Apr 19, 2012 8:30:31 PM Ignore kxy4fw Report Abuse I think it's a scam
OceanArcher Champion Author Mississippi Posts:5,723 Points:1,331,300 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Apr 19, 2012 8:54:57 AM Ignore OceanArcher Report Abuse Wow -- Thanks for the accolades out there fellas and girls. I gotta admit, finding one of these devices that would work reliably in your everyday driver would be equal to winning the lottery. Is it gonna happen ?? Probably not anytime soon, but like everybody else, I'll keep readin' and hoping ....
kellyoneal Champion Author Louisville Posts:2,430 Points:707,740 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Apr 19, 2012 8:17:06 AM Ignore kellyoneal Report Abuse snake oil
OilerFan Champion Author Tulsa Posts:14,060 Points:2,449,000 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Apr 14, 2012 8:16:00 AM Ignore OilerFan Report Abuse If these chips helped many vehicles, AAA would be recommending them. Motor Trend would be pushing them.
bustermoves Champion Author Fort Worth Posts:3,470 Points:690,625 Joined:Apr 2010	Message Posted: Apr 14, 2012 5:30:13 AM Ignore bustermoves Report Abuse i would say bottom line,on a bone stock engine you would see little to no improvement.now,if you are planning some serious engine mods;bigger cam,more compression,gear changes,yada,yada,then it would come in handy to get the computer to get every thing back in line,per say.
Banjoe Champion Author Winnipeg Posts:4,279 Points:617,270 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 7:39:31 PM Ignore Banjoe Report Abuse I'm going with OceanArcher on this one too. Magic chips are marketed pretty agressively but the car maker has a pretty good idea how things should be done on their vehicles and homemade changes can give you endless problems and issues. Do the right stuff and stay safe out there.
Titanic1985 Champion Author South Carolina Posts:6,293 Points:361,095 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 1:07:41 PM Ignore Titanic1985 Report Abuse Hello OceanArcher. You said, "Many computers don't have a replacable "chip". The darn thing is hard-wired (read soldered) into the circuit. How many of us are capable of the delicate efforts required for soldering and de-soldering on a printed circuit board?" I know your background and you couldn't be more correct. Most of todays electronics are micro in size and surface mounted to the board. The power to these components is done by creating multi-layer ciruit boards. It is extremely easy with a soldering iron to "short-circuit" the board layers. I know you heard of Pace, Ocean, but for those who don't know what it is I explain. It is a highly controlled soldering station with temperature controls, various soldering tips, anti-static controls and a solder vacuum. I used one in the US Army and during Vietnam they cost over $2,000 and required extensive training. No, it would be folly to attempt soldering on todays circuit boards. Thanks for the input Ocean. Take care :-). [Edited by: Titanic1985 at 4/13/2012 1:09:05 PM EST]
Titanic1985 Champion Author South Carolina Posts:6,293 Points:361,095 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 12:57:08 PM Ignore Titanic1985 Report Abuse Hello bscott077. You've gotten a great deal of information from GBs. Certain individuals here are highly knowledgeable in electronics and go way back when vacuum tubes were being used. Yes, there are performance ICs (Integrated Circuits) available. The slang lingo is chips. As stated some are soldered in and some are plugable (the latter leads to corrosion and vibration related failures). Some are so involved, it takes an Engineer to reprogram them. My friend is a Virginia State Trooper. His Chevrolet Caprice would go 154 MPH which exceeded the Eagle tire Speed Rating of 150 MPH. GM sent an Engineer to de-tune the vehicle. Here is where I am going with this. Back in my garage days, late 1960's, we would change distributor advance weights to alter timing advances, etc. so the Supercars could race on weekends. It required a $2,000.00 Sun Scope to do the job accurately. Fast forward to today where you have computer controlled engines, transmissions, air-conditioners, emission devices, etc. It is NOT a hit or miss operation to change the "chip". Is it a scam? Many/most are. More importantly will it damage your vehicle and void your warranty. Take for example, a "Performance Chip" changes the timing advance or the automatic transmission shift points. It could cause the transmission to remain in overdrive beyond the engines peak torque curve and damage the vehicle. What if the transmission was ordered to downshift prematurely and over-rev (e.g. redline) the engine? No, without opinion, such a modification would have to be certified and tested before I would ever consider it and even then I wouldn't trust it for the previously mentioned reasons. Every gas shortage (real or imagined), price increases, etc. brings these types of devices out on the market. One such device is on the Computer Forum which claims MPG improvement by plugging it into the cigarette lighter. I've studied that device and the logic is that an increased DC current load will cause the computer to "adapt". To make the device more sellable, they have LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) on it to assure the driver it is working. The truth is that an increase in DC current draw will simply cause the regulator to compensate -- no MPG increase has been documented by many testings. My best advise to keep your vehicle well maintained by changing filters when required and monitoring tire pressures. Avoid hauling around unneeded weight in the trunk and most importantly get to know your vehicle and drive sensibily. Best wishes :-) . You don't mention specifics about your vehicle (e.g. year, model, engine, etc.). That would be helpful, but generically the vehicle is working as designed unless it is not properly maintained.
rick_evans Champion Author Boston Posts:3,739 Points:1,036,635 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Apr 13, 2012 12:51:45 PM Ignore rick_evans Report Abuse Check out these glowing ... um ... flaming reviews.
jamieg2012 Veteran Author Sioux Falls Posts:286 Points:11,385 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Apr 12, 2012 9:21:19 PM Ignore jamieg2012 Report Abuse i do not know there even is a chip that you can turn on and off at will to change chips you still have to program the ecu and to take it out you have to program it again do not think you are going to find what you want
emilam Veteran Author Edmonton Posts:428 Points:170,875 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Apr 12, 2012 3:08:22 PM Ignore emilam Report Abuse i want to find a chip that allows me to switch on/ off my turbo between hwy and city driving
monettnamreg Rookie Author Missouri Posts:31 Points:2,385 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Apr 12, 2012 12:48:44 PM Ignore monettnamreg Report Abuse Depends on what the chip is made to do some offer better mpg with a lil more horsepower some dont do anything
jamieg2012 Veteran Author Sioux Falls Posts:286 Points:11,385 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Apr 12, 2012 12:23:42 PM Ignore jamieg2012 Report Abuse not all are scams like any product and not limited to gas related you find some places make really bad stuff and others know what they are doing best to research a brand before deciding to buy and make sure you buy the right one for your car and what it is designed to even do some are for racing performance and others is for improved towing and others is for fuel economy in most cars for economy you do trade away performance in other areas
PaylessKY Champion Author Kentucky Posts:8,750 Points:1,585,450 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Apr 12, 2012 10:12:29 AM Ignore PaylessKY Report Abuse Its best just to keep your vehicle properly maintained. I agree with OceanAecher, they are scams
OceanArcher Champion Author Mississippi Posts:5,723 Points:1,331,300 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Apr 12, 2012 8:01:25 AM Ignore OceanArcher Report Abuse Bustermoves -- Your bud at work learned the hard way what many people have been saying all along --> a lot of these "power programmers" are total scams
bustermoves Champion Author Fort Worth Posts:3,470 Points:690,625 Joined:Apr 2010	Message Posted: Apr 12, 2012 5:35:22 AM Ignore bustermoves Report Abuse now adays,you spend around 300 bucks on a power programer,that is model specific.a guy at work bought one for his pick up.messed withit for a couple of months.didnt see much improvement in milage or performance.
jamieg2012 Veteran Author Sioux Falls Posts:286 Points:11,385 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Apr 11, 2012 1:49:51 PM Ignore jamieg2012 Report Abuse to replace the chip you have to replace the entire ecu with one that is made with the performance chip and fuel economy depends on what the chip is designed to do if you want a performance chip for street racing then the fuel economy takes a drop for more horsepower and if your chip is designed for improved towing then your fuel economy also takes a drop so you have to read what the chip is designed for and not blame a street racing chip for a loss in economy since it did do what it was designed for - horsepower to win the race
OceanArcher Champion Author Mississippi Posts:5,723 Points:1,331,300 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Apr 11, 2012 1:21:18 PM Ignore OceanArcher Report Abuse Many computers don't have a replacable "chip". The darn thing is hard-wired (read soldered) into the circuit. How many of us are capable of the delicate efforts required for soldering and de-soldering on a printed circuit board?
kxy4fw Champion Author Denver Posts:1,226 Points:275,355 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Apr 11, 2012 8:42:28 AM Ignore kxy4fw Report Abuse No.
sc331mustang Champion Author South Carolina Posts:2,159 Points:496,290 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Apr 11, 2012 8:01:26 AM Ignore sc331mustang Report Abuse Performance chips can give you better gas mileage. It can stiffen up shifts points in a transmission. If you modified your vehicle by adding a cold air intake changing gear ratio or other modification a performance chip or tuner can reprogram a vehicle computer to get the best performance or gas mileage.
Gazstation Champion Author Montreal Posts:4,123 Points:832,835 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Apr 26, 2011 2:51:48 AM Ignore Gazstation Report Abuse Me the chips, i eat them.
mustangman02232 Veteran Author Massachusetts Posts:438 Points:7,840 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Apr 25, 2011 8:43:59 PM Ignore mustangman02232 Report Abuse SCT is the only custom tuner i would buy. only thing better is a custom dyno tune which would cost thousands
Wombly Veteran Author Milwaukee Posts:254 Points:74,945 Joined:Jul 2010	Message Posted: Apr 25, 2011 3:38:27 PM Ignore Wombly Report Abuse better find someone who knows their stuff about your specific vehicle and tunes it correctly, but that can be pretty expensive. don't buy that SCT crap.
FIREJKP22 All-Star Author Pittsburgh Posts:588 Points:243,700 Joined:Feb 2003	Message Posted: Apr 25, 2011 8:51:56 AM Ignore FIREJKP22 Report Abuse Don't waste your money on chips. Buy HPTuners, EFILive, the real tuning software that actually does something.
ricebike Champion Author New Jersey Posts:10,048 Points:1,858,645 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Apr 25, 2011 8:50:03 AM Ignore ricebike Report Abuse you're better off changing out your fluids from the whole drivetrain to full synthetic fluids
nrg2004 Champion Author Austin Posts:2,345 Points:703,205 Joined:Mar 2004	Message Posted: Apr 25, 2011 7:57:51 AM Ignore nrg2004 Report Abuse many mpg chip makers are just resistors that are designed to fool the O2 sensor. just a way to separate you from your $$$$. be careful out there, as the prices of fuel rise the scammers start ramping up there marketing.