performance chip for car?

[MTK]

For you car guys, what is this exactly, and does it really work?

eBay Motors: PERFORMANCE CHIP FORD FUSION 2008 2009 GAS SAVER (item 260303240670 end time Oct-26-08 21:22:17 PDT)

[saden1]

lol...increase MPG up to 30%!!! I wonder why Ford doesn't pre-install these chips in their car. Sounds scammy and a first class ticket to fucking up your car. Stay away.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by saden1

lol...increase MPG up to 30%!!! I wonder why Ford doesn't pre-install these chips in their car. Sounds scammy and a first class ticket to fucking up your car. Stay away.

My thoughts exactly. If it were so easy to get better mileage I think it'd be already in the car. I am logically confused how it both increases horsepower and mileage. Those two generally work against each other.

[MTK]

I'm sure the chip on ebay is bogus, but what about something like this?

http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/Sur...ce-Chip/17558/

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

I'm sure the chip on ebay is bogus, but what about something like this?

Surge Performance Chip by Surge Engineering

I would only go with the Jet performance chips. Those ones on ebay are seriously just a resistor with a heat shrink tube on it. A buddy of mine got one of those and I told him that's all it would be. It was hilarious when he opened the package.

[cpayne5]

Yeah, as others have said, don't do it. It won't help.

[saden1]

The only chip worthy of purchase are those that allow you to remove speed cap on your car. What's the real value of these chips? They won't improve your gas mileage and they can't help you get more out of hardware that is at optimal level without damaging the hardware.

[firstdown]

You know these chips will void you car warranty. Ok, just take it out before you take it in to have it work on. Ops, their computer can tell if you have used one.

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted by saden1

The only chip worthy of purchase are those that allow you to remove speed cap on your car. What's the real value of these chips? They won't improve your gas mileage and they can't help you get more out of hardware that is at optimal level without damaging the hardware.

Some units are very effective. The biggest gains are with diesel engines, though, where with the right setup, one can gain tremendous amounts of power and torque by simply plugging in a control unit and turning a knob on the dash. Many times, upwards of 100hp can be gained easily. Also, with diesels, a lot of times fuel economy will also be improved.

Gasoline engines don't normally provide these types of gains with such simple additions.

[mredskins]

do yo ulike having your check engine light on all the time? Basically that is what will happen it will mess up your OBD or in your case your OBD II.

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted by mredskins

do yo ulike having your check engine light on all the time? Basically that is what will happen it will mess up your OBD or in your case your OBD II.

Doubt it.

These things generally "trick" the computer into thinking conditions are not what they really are. They change readings for things such as air temp, fuel flow, O2 readings, etc. So, things could be bad (on these cheap eBay units) and the computer will never know, and never throw a code.

OBD and OBDII are just standards, btw, not components.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by mredskins

do yo ulike having your check engine light on all the time? Basically that is what will happen it will mess up your OBD or in your case your OBD II.

My check engine light has been on for about 2 years now. About once a week I pop the hood and check the engine. Yep its still there.

[Monkeydad]

Scam. The computer will re-learn and adjust any effect this has (if any) out of it.

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted by Buster

Scam. The computer will re-learn and adjust any effect this has (if any) out of it.

Yes, the ebay product is a scam.

No, the computer will not "learn" that it's there. All this thing does is take an input, transform it, and output the result. The computer has no idea this is going on. The computer can only make decisions based off of the values that it is given.

It's like if you were to put a thermometer inside an 80 degree room. It wouldn't be able to tell you the outside temperature (and no, this isn't a thermometer with a remote sensor). Same sort of thing.

These things are all based off of the principal that if you trick the ECM into thinking certain conditions exist, it will adjust various properties of the engine to the point where you gain power, torque, mpg, etc. You can pick up some of the 3 with certain chips or programmers. But not ones that boast claims like this (and only alter a single parameter!).

Two things when buying things like this: 1) If it looks too good to be true... and 2) You get what you pay for.

[MTK]

Thanks cpayne, I figured the ebay thing was crap.