"Performance Chip" questions

Register to hide this ad
slimjim said:
do these "performance chips" work? if so, how so? has anyone here tried them? here's a link to a random performance chip for a 2005 t4r:
http://www.racepages.com/performanc...005&partid=175&brandid=636&skipped_brand=true
it says that i'll add 16 hp and 18% torque. any thoughts?
Click to expand...

You would what to see a dyno graph on the claimed gains. The question is; is this gain at the wheels or engine output? If it is at the engine you can only expect approx 12 hp at the wheels (RWHP). Is it worth $900? You can gain 14 hp RWHP from an cat back exhaust system alone, for less then $400. Also if you experience any related failures with the chip installed you void the warranty. You would need to remove the chip if you need Stealer service.

Koz
 
Re: Re: "Performance Chip" questions

CVsGX470 said:
Save your money! This stuff is a joke.
CV
Click to expand...
I disagree. I've been researching the unichip pretty heavily lately because I'm pretty serious about trying it out. I found a .pdf from Unichip's website that claims 12.5 hp for the '05-'06 vvt-i V8, and 15+ hp for the non-vvt V8's. Also, it should be noted that the 4.0 V6 gains 20+ hp from the chip alone. I didn't see any dyno charts but I'm pretty sure thats what the pdf table was based on.

Now, 12 hp doesn't seem like alot and it isn't. Like Koz said, you can get 12 hp from a cat-back exhaust alone. But, in my quest for 300 crank HP it is a critical power enhancer. Additionally, the Unichip will enhance other performance mods like catback and cold air intake. The unichip may only give you 12 hp in stock form, but it may be closer to 20 hp with the mods. Not only that, since factory fuel ratios tend to be on the rich side, the Unichip leans the mix out a bit to acheive optimum fuel/air ratios which not only means more power, but better fuel economy. The guys on tundrasolutions.com have been reporting on the unichip and say they can really feel a difference in power and report 1-2 mpg avergage increase in fuel economy.

I plan on buying the Unichip tuned for cat-back exhaust and cold air intake (volant) and will report my findings when I have them installed.
 
Re: Re: Re: "Performance Chip" questions

OUTRNNR said:
I disagree. I've been researching the unichip pretty heavily lately because I'm pretty serious about trying it out. I found a .pdf from Unichip's website that claims 12.5 hp for the '05-'06 vvt-i V8, and 15+ hp for the non-vvt V8's. Also, it should be noted that the 4.0 V6 gains 20+ hp from the chip alone. I didn't see any dyno charts but I'm pretty sure thats what the pdf table was based on.

Now, 12 hp doesn't seem like alot and it isn't. Like Koz said, you can get 12 hp from a cat-back exhaust alone. But, in my quest for 300 crank HP it is a critical power enhancer. Additionally, the Unichip will enhance other performance mods like catback and cold air intake. The unichip may only give you 12 hp in stock form, but it may be closer to 20 hp with the mods. Not only that, since factory fuel ratios tend to be on the rich side, the Unichip leans the mix out a bit to acheive optimum fuel/air ratios which not only means more power, but better fuel economy. The guys on tundrasolutions.com have been reporting on the unichip and say they can really feel a difference in power and report 1-2 mpg avergage increase in fuel economy.

I plan on buying the Unichip tuned for cat-back exhaust and cold air intake (volant) and will report my findings when I have them installed.
Click to expand...

I've always heard that these can screw up your ride by changing the timings and etc. of the engine to a point that is unfit for the design of the engine. It changes the timing of the EFI and etc.. I know for a fact that if you mess with the chip and toyota finds out, it will void your warranty. I've also read articles that said they really don't do much of anything at all and are a waste of money. The website and etc. can tell you and show you anything they want you to believe, but I have a hard time seeing the benefits of risking your engine for 15 HP
CV
 
I'd be interested in one of these, but running the engine leaner in a vehicle that sees a decent amount of towing (in my case) would not be a good thing. Unless they have built in enough safety to account for what these vehicles were designed to be capable of originally.

Ricky
 
Re: Re: Re: Re: "Performance Chip" questions

CVsGX470 said:
I've always heard that these can screw up your ride by changing the timings and etc. of the engine to a point that is unfit for the design of the engine. It changes the timing of the EFI and etc.. I know for a fact that if you mess with the chip and toyota finds out, it will void your warranty. I've also read articles that said they really don't do much of anything at all and are a waste of money. The website and etc. can tell you and show you anything they want you to believe, but I have a hard time seeing the benefits of risking your engine for 15 HP
CV
Click to expand...
I understand and you're probably right. But for us people who care about getting as much power out of the 4.7 as possible, optimum engine tuning is key. All the Unichip does is calculate more accurately the optimum fuel/air ratio and applies it by changing the injector pulse widths (duty cycle). I hardly think this is any kind of risk to the engine.

As for voiding the warranty; by law, Toyota (or any other maunfacturer) can't void a warranty unless a specific failure is scientifically proven by them to be directly related to the modification. Case in point, I read a story about a guy who put an engine brake on his duramax diesel engine. Two months later he had a catastrophic engine failure. Obviously, GM voided his warranty citing the brake as the cause. He did some homework and deteremined that the brake was not to cause, but rather bad material used to make a batch of exhaust valves. He had an automotive engineer do an extensive analysis on the engine and material of the valve and proved that other models of similar VINs were the same way. After all of the evidence was reported to GM, a litigator awarded him a new engine plus costs of research and litigation to be paid by GM. I'm not saying I want to go through all of this, but its an example that car companies just can't all of a sudden void warranties because of minor modifications. What I'm saying is, if my wheel falls off for some reason and I go to have it replaced under warranty, Toyota can't refuse service because of the chip. Additionally, I would remove the chip before I took it to the stealer and they would have no idea that any kind of mod was there in the first place...
 
Last edited:
While I agree that a a poor software upgrade can have negative affects on engine longevity and performance especially over a long time, Unichip is not this kind of company. They do performance software tuning for cars all the way up to Porsche Twin Turbo's.

While the pricing is not in expensive, there are few options availible to those of us afflicted with the VVTI. Sure it an improvment over the non VVTi engine, but its also a curse at the same time.

While I agree that dyno numbers are always nice to see, I will chime in that I have seen, on more than one occation, inflated dyno numbers. In addition, finding a AWD dyno and finding the process that allows for a 4runner to actually be dyno'd maybe next to impossible. To go with that, the CFM requirments of most larger (3.0L+) engines can not be met through out the entire rev band with fans. As such you will rarely see what performance gains can really be made with dyno plots. I wouldnt mind seeing one but none the less, I do not put alot of stock in them.
 
I've read that someone added some type of chip to a 4th gen 4Runner and the check engine light came on and even after the chip was removed the light didn't go out. I just don't think 12 to 16 hp is worth $900. Also is that hp gain to the ground or at the engine?

Koz
 
Even if you get the (doubtful) hp gains you have to ask yourself is that minor gain worth it. It's not like you are drag racing your truck and those increases might not be realized till a portion of the RPM band you rarely see. Beware of this stuff since you can get similar gains just by opening up airflow with and exhaust.
 
Finding out the area under neath the curves on a dyno is what im more interested in than overall performance numbers.

Koz,
While i fully trust your position on this board, its going to take me more than a second hand story not to believe that Unichip can make things work.

Ron,
I agree with you but just look at those people that add chips and turbos and such for towing. The same follows suit here.
 
Re: Re: "Performance Chip" questions

Koz said:
You would what to see a dyno graph on the claimed gains. The question is; is this gain at the wheels or engine output? If it is at the engine you can only expect approx 12 hp at the wheels (RWHP). Is it worth $900? You can gain 14 hp RWHP from an cat back exhaust system alone, for less then $400. Also if you experience any related failures with the chip installed you void the warranty. You would need to remove the chip if you need Stealer service.

Koz
Click to expand...

Agreed. The other problem with a chip is that it 1. breaks the seal over place to plug the chip and also requires scraping off the coating off the contacts which is another giveaway if they look. You can apply rubber cement which look the closet to the coating but the seal is still broken which is a no-no for your powertrain warenty.

The new thing which may not be available yet for the 4runner is a custom flash through the dlc connector underneath your steering wheel. This is where you plug a scan tool into all obd2 cars and newer. The original oem programing can be flashed back in for dealor service. It can be detected that It's had had a program flashed throughin it but it is less obvious to the visual eye.

Also..... Don't mess with the programming while it is under warrenty unless you are wlling to foot the bill of a new engine. If you wanna pay.... you gotta be willing to pay.....
 
Last edited:
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: "Performance Chip" questions

OUTRNNR said:
I understand and you're probably right. But for us people who care about getting as much power out of the 4.7 as possible, optimum engine tuning is key. All the Unichip does is calculate more accurately the optimum fuel/air ratio and applies it by changing the injector pulse widths (duty cycle). I hardly think this is any kind of risk to the engine.

As for voiding the warranty; by law, Toyota (or any other maunfacturer) can't void a warranty unless a specific failure is scientifically proven by them to be directly related to the modification.
Click to expand...

I don't know how scientific it has to be. I think a simple case of burned valves or damage from detonation and you're hosed. Unless the Unichip folks really did their homework, Toyota will know the engine management has been altered and you've lost a nice chunk of your warranty. If the Unichip messes up the fuel/air ratio, it can seriously toast your engine. There's definitely some risk...
 
Just bring out the damn TRD Supercharger for my 05 V8. No chips, no voided warranty. I just want the damn S/C!!! (think they will ever have it out for the 05-06 models?)
 
Jrunr said:
Just bring out the damn TRD Supercharger for my 05 V8. No chips, no voided warranty. I just want the damn S/C!!! (think they will ever have it out for the 05-06 models?) [/QUOTEl]

No new tune with a supercharger? :awais: :confused:

Thats suprizing to hear. Sounds like a lean condition waiting to happen if you ask me....:eek: I would at least throw it on a dyno with a wide band 02 sensor to make sure it is still conservativly safe for a longeitivity standpoint.
Click to expand...
 
Casper said:
Koz,
While i fully trust your position on this board, its going to take me more than a second hand story not to believe that Unichip can make things work.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying this product will cause any problems, for $900 I would think it should be reliable. I have a lot of experience fine tuning fuel injection systems on motorcycles. Basically these products tricks the ECM into thinking the sensor's readings are not what they really are and the system compensates to give you the ability to alter the settings. The settings (default) that are programmed into the "chip" are probably safe. To fine tune the settings you need to first KNOW what you are doing and need experience/knowledge of how far you can safely adjust the setting. You would need a sniffer (02 sensor) in the exhaust to keep the air/fuel setting in a safe range. You would also need a (4wd) dyno to confirm the gain. To tune it properly you will need to make MANY passes at redline RPMs, which can be catastrophic if mistakes are made.

All of this for 12 to 16 hp doesn't make sense. When this done on a motorcycle you can gain up to a 10% gain in HP, for approx $300 and the cost of dyno tuning (with an HP exhaust and HP air filter). There is a system available for motorcycles where the manufacture of the dyno also makes the control module and use a completely automated computer program and 02 sensor integrated into the dyno that also simulates a load on the motor, controls the throttle, and determines the PERFECT settings (at all throttle positions and RPMs, hundreds of setting) for your custom assembled/modded motorcycle (or stock). This process takes about 2 to 3 hrs and costs about 300 to $400. In the end you will get a custom map for air/fuel and timing that keeps the setting in the perfect range while producing the best possible safe hp + torque gain.

On my bike I went from 158 RWHP to 180 RWHP, 12 HP from the Ti header/pipe + HP racing air filters and 10 HP from the dyno tuning.

Koz
 
I don't know...I think people are overthinking this. Unichip is obviously a reputible company and they sell alot of product. Somehow I don't think they'd be in business if they went around burning peoples engines up. Like Casper and other people who have tuned cars before have said; its a relatively safe product and they've had success with it before in the past with no problems and I believe it. I just think people are skeptical because no one here has tried one on the 4Runner, which is what I'm going to do, and good or bad I will report my results (maybe have a dyno run or two also, there is an AWD dyno about 10 minutes from my house).

Even with the risk of leaning out the mix to the point it would cause engine damage, they (Unichip or whoever programs it) would have to be pretty wrong on air/fuel volumes and ratios to cause damage; not exactly their advertised claim of increasing horsepower by making "superfine adjustments to the air/fuel ratio for optimum power" Now, I'm not 100% sure here, but isn't there a little window between the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio and the air/fuel ratio that will burn your engine up? Just like there is a little window on the rich side? Its not like if the mix gets .0001% lean your engine will burn, right? So, my point is they obviously tuned this thing on a test vehicle to get the base map, so it may even be a touch rich to start with. Then small adjustments are made to optimize the mix for intake and/or exhaust, none of which I would think are drastic enough to cause engine damage. During all of my research, I haven't come across any stories or tales of a Unichip destroying someone's engine. Just to be safe, however, I will make a trip to the dyno w/ O2 sensor just to be sure, then I will report the results for all to see.
 
OUTRNNR said:
I don't know...I think people are overthinking this. Unichip is obviously a reputible company and they sell alot of product. Somehow I don't think they'd be in business if they went around burning peoples engines up. Like Casper and other people who have tuned cars before have said; its a relatively safe product and they've had success with it before in the past with no problems and I believe it. I just think people are skeptical because no one here has tried one on the 4Runner, which is what I'm going to do, and good or bad I will report my results (maybe have a dyno run or two also, there is an AWD dyno about 10 minutes from my house).

Even with the risk of leaning out the mix to the point it would cause engine damage, they (Unichip or whoever programs it) would have to be pretty wrong on air/fuel volumes and ratios to cause damage; not exactly their advertised claim of increasing horsepower by making "superfine adjustments to the air/fuel ratio for optimum power" Now, I'm not 100% sure here, but isn't there a little window between the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio and the air/fuel ratio that will burn your engine up? Just like there is a little window on the rich side? Its not like if the mix gets .0001% lean your engine will burn, right? So, my point is they obviously tuned this thing on a test vehicle to get the base map, so it may even be a touch rich to start with. Then small adjustments are made to optimize the mix for intake and/or exhaust, none of which I would think are drastic enough to cause engine damage. During all of my research, I haven't come across any stories or tales of a Unichip destroying someone's engine. Just to be safe, however, I will make a trip to the dyno w/ O2 sensor just to be sure, then I will report the results for all to see.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good plan, I would be very interested in the results. What may happen is the power delivery may also be cleaned up the low rpm fuel delivery. I would love to see a 20 hp gain and the elimination of the little hesitation when applying throttle at off idle, low RPMs.

Koz
 
All the Unichip does is calculate more accurately the optimum fuel/air ratio and applies it by changing the injector pulse widths (duty cycle).
Click to expand...
I wonder why the Toyota engineers weren't smart enough to think of this?


But for us people who care about getting as much power out of the 4.7 as possible
Click to expand...
You should definitely install a Nitrous Oxide system!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 437 (members: 4, guests: 433)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,304
Messages
3,554,041
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top