Theres alot of chip talk going on , Which chips actually work?????

[96_4.6]

Want to buy a chip, was about to buy a diablo but read more negitive them positve, please help

[Hammer]

ALL chips (the hardware) should work fine. Any chip, no matter what the make, can access and the same settings within your car's computer.

The difference is the tune. Most chips are burned with a "default" set of parameters, or tune. Many shops may download different setups from Diablo. (Cold Air Kit, 3.73 gears, blower)

But even then, they are "generic" setups. For any chip to be worth it's cost, it needs to be dyno-tuned. Done right, you'll notice the difference. Done wrong... you could have issues.

[Murdock]

Hammer is right, it is the person tuning it, not the chip. Hands down the best way is to get the car on a dyno. Just make sure you get on a dyno that offers wide band O2 tuning.

Murdock

[Mustang92]

Actually not every chip can access the same parameters. Superchips has no where near the same tunability as say the Autologic chips. Far as I know the Autologic chips have the most parameters to tune from. The chips themselves though are not what matters it's the tuner. You could have the best chip in the world but if your tuner is clueless your car will not gain anything.

Bill

[Hammer]

Actually not every chip can access the same parameters. Superchips has no where near the same tunability as say the Autologic chips.

I didn't know that... Thanks 92!

[96_4.6]

So what happened to just buying a chip and installing it, that wont do anything?? I saw one on ebay go for 185 (diablo) and thats better then 239 i think they are, are there anyones you can just buy and install that work good???

[Mustang92]

Originally posted by 96_4.6
So what happened to just buying a chip and installing it, that wont do anything?? I saw one on ebay go for 185 (diablo) and thats better then 239 i think they are, are there anyones you can just buy and install that work good???

That has never been a good idea and I'll tell you why.

JET, Superchips or any other company that offers a chip for your car that is "off the shelf" meaning they send it to you with little or no information about your car is generic. Generic chips will add a few degrees of timing and maybe pull some fuel pressure but are not tailored for your car specifically. There are tons of different EEC codes for each year car. In 2000 there are like 40 or so and each one is different ever so slightly plus since there are little things different about the way a motor is put together that will also effect the stock tune. The tuner I know did a 2000 GT hours before mine and picked up 20RWHP with a custom tune. My car netted a 5RWHP loss after 4 hours of tuning.

My stock tune was near dead on and the tuner could not improve on it but the guy in front of me was running super rich so by leaning it out to a safe level they picked up great power. So if you gave me one of those off the shelf chips I wouldn't gain anything but the other guy may pick up something. Now to me I'm not ready to gamble away $200-$300 on something that "might" give me power. Most cars don't even need a tune. The only ones that do are power adder cars and cars with lots of work done. With a simple timing adjuster you can pick up the majority of the power you would gain with a chip and have the flexibility of being able to adjust it as you please.

Bill

[96_4.6]

I love doing stuff to my car but i could never figure out how to bump up the timing

[Mustang92]

With a timing adjuster it's so simple anyone can do it.

Bill

[VicRattlehead]

first ill start with an answer to the original post, Fordchip.com rffperformance.com and reinhartperformance.com all use the same programs that were written by the fordchip guys. all of them work. in my case on my stock 96 tbird i was running 15.7 all day, a new chip from fordchip.com and i was now running 15.00 all day with a best of 14.97, ive since put a 2000 4.6L into the car and a reflashed eec but winter in chicago makes it hard to go to the track so no new numbers yet.

anyway,

superchips vs diablo/autologic = 1 bank vs 4bank, what that means is the superchip blankes can only modify files in one of the banks in the eec, a diablo can modify files in 4 banks, ie 4x the amount of stuff. for instance, a one bank superchip can not change fan start/stop function, where a diablo can access the bank where the fan controls are located, so with a 4bank chip i can now program the eec to turn the fan on/off at different times. there is a LOT of other things that a 4 bank chip can control where a 1 bank cannot.

dynotune vs mailorder: a dynotune is by far the best you can do, no question, but if you dont have access to a dyno mailorder is your only option. the websites mentioned above do use diablo blanks, ie the get unprogramed chips and then reprogram them with thier programs. when you order from them you need your box code, and mods to your car, they take thoes mods and program a custom chip programed for you and your car, they actually program it, not just download something like what diablo does. they custom calibrate a chip for you.

timing, its best done in the eec not the timing adjuster, then again i do it with a octain spout.by using the eec timing is adjusted through the curve, this is best done on a dyno that way it can be adjusted and fine tuned but it can be done via mailorder, they have thousands of dynotunes under their belt and they have probably done many cars with the same mods and they can get something really close and still have it a safe tune.

ask diablo/superchip/ape/autologic what an octaine spout is, then ask them how they use it to help in peformance, i bet you they wont have a clue how to use it to gain performance, then go to fordchip/rff/reinhart and ask them about it. they will tell you what it is and how to use it.

lastly, superchips blanks do not work well on 99+ eec, they changed the actual computer board it is a little thiner and the superchips blanks dont seat that well on the board. they work but ive seen problems with them, thats why fordchip started using diablo blanks.

[paver one]

www.FordChip.com are the best and they work..........

[Hammer]

Thanks for the info Vic....
Good information..

Its great to see that you got that much of an improvement from your 96 tbird.

Unfortunately, I have yet to personally see anywhere near that kind of performance improvement from a "mail order" chip mod in an otherwise stock manual tranny GT either on the dyno or at the track.... reguardless of the chip manufacturer.

You will see some sort of improvement on a dyno tuned setup, but on a stock car.... is it really worth the price of the chip and the tune?

I for one don't think so, and until I actually see any performance data to the contrary, I will usually recommend other mods than a "chip" on a near-stock setup.....

Once again, this is just an opinion of a crazy old man...

Once again, thanks for the info Vic.... Its good reading....

[VicRattlehead]

on an otherwise stock auto, a chip from fordchip is the first thing you should do, that and the trans mod listed on tccoa.com, jerry changes the shift schedual and raises the shift rpm and the line pressure durring the shift, not like what the rest do raising the pressure all the time, it raises the speed limiter. the tc lockup is changed, timing is raised, fans are turned on sooner, temp is kept at a lower temp.

here is the rest of the stuff it does...


*Firmer transmission shifts
*Removed tip in spark retard
*Remove spark reduction during shifts
*Revised shift pattern for more performance feel
*Faster manual downshifts
*Higher speed limiter or completely removed speed limiter
*Higher rev limiter or completely removed rev limiter
*Higher WOT shifts
*Revised fuel table
*Revised spark table
*Improved engine braking when at closed throttle
*Improved part throttle feel from better torque converter function
*Turn cooling fans on sooner
*Revises torque converter function to eliminate shudder and allow it to run
cooler
*Adaptive fuel management, spark, timing, shifting, throttle management,
torque converter management, A/F management, intake, traction controls
*Improves fuel efficiency and increases mileage

*Available for any air meter you want to use
*Available for any fuel injectors you want to use
*Available without EGR
*Available without rear O2 sensors
*Available for any axle ratio you are using
*Available for any custom application

[Hammer]

Being an old-school type of guy, and experience in seeing electronics go "belly-up", its kind of disconcerting when you actually start thinking how much is controlled by your PCM\EEC nowadays.... I guess the "future is now"...

Anyways, the info that I'm seeing posted backs up my original idea that an aftermarket chip can certainly do more for you if you run an automatic tranny.... as much of the good stuff (but certainly not all) is removed when using a manual transmission.

I could see where a chip and some 3.73s could "wake up" an auto GT.

[VicRattlehead]

oh i agree, with a manual, id do some other stuff first, and leave the chip toward the middle of the mod process. but an auto is so ******* electronicly controled, its pathethic, and a mustang stock is a tad bit more performance oriented than the bird but not by much.

have a good xmas, im going to shovel the crappy white christmas that we got last night

[96_4.6]

Originally posted by VicRattlehead
on an otherwise stock auto, a chip from fordchip is the first thing you should do, that and the trans mod listed on tccoa.com, jerry changes the shift schedual and raises the shift rpm and the line pressure durring the shift, not like what the rest do raising the pressure all the time, it raises the speed limiter. the tc lockup is changed, timing is raised, fans are turned on sooner, temp is kept at a lower temp.

here is the rest of the stuff it does...


*Firmer transmission shifts
*Removed tip in spark retard
*Remove spark reduction during shifts
*Revised shift pattern for more performance feel
*Faster manual downshifts
*Higher speed limiter or completely removed speed limiter
*Higher rev limiter or completely removed rev limiter
*Higher WOT shifts
*Revised fuel table
*Revised spark table
*Improved engine braking when at closed throttle
*Improved part throttle feel from better torque converter function
*Turn cooling fans on sooner
*Revises torque converter function to eliminate shudder and allow it to run
cooler
*Adaptive fuel management, spark, timing, shifting, throttle management,
torque converter management, A/F management, intake, traction controls
*Improves fuel efficiency and increases mileage

*Available for any air meter you want to use
*Available for any fuel injectors you want to use
*Available without EGR
*Available without rear O2 sensors
*Available for any axle ratio you are using
*Available for any custom application

Which chip does all that on the fordchip website, F1,F2 track one or the ultimate one, I have a 96 gt auto and i need to wake that car up, thanks

[Murdock]

have never tuned a T-Bird before, but I have seen the octane pin you are referring to. However, I don't think the Mustangs have this. I mostly tune 5.0L, but my '01 GT I tuned using an Autologic chip. I bout the car so I could tune an AODE, so far I have gotten the car to 13.89 with the chip. A gain of .53 seconds in the 1/4. The car shift like a rocket, but spins real bad into second gear. At one point or another I think I have had my fingers into every aftermarket chip and system there is, but I have never messed with Superchips. I have always heard they have limited editing. We built a '92 LX with a 331 and a 38psi blower and it had serious pre-ignition with a Superchip. After literally pitching the Superchip and tuning the car with a PMS it ran great. I ultimately did the final program with a chip.

Murdock

[VicRattlehead]

Originally posted by Murdock
but I have seen the octane pin you are referring to. However, I don't think the Mustangs have this.
Murdock

i helped fordchip with a 97 or 98 mustang with a vortech on it, and jerry was using the pin for timing advance and long story short, i bascily had to explain the whole function of the plug to the owner of the car. so thoes had them but after 98 i have no experience with thoes at all, they might have one or they might not i dunno.

[96_4.6]

but hey what chip does all that stuff you said, i posted a question above, thanks

[VicRattlehead]

Originally posted by 96_4.6
but hey what chip does all that stuff you said, i posted a question above, thanks

ohh sorry bout that, thats the basic program, it shoule be the F1 contact Pete at fordchip to make sure.