chip tuning..the risks

[LeeT5]

http://home.swipnet.se/850-styling/start.htm ...then click on risks of chip tuning.

An interesting read.

[siamblue]

Very nice find, A real good read there,
We all know the more power you have the more wear and tear that happens to the vehicle, but some people don't know/care how much damage it can do to standard bushes/steering suspension and brake components.

[S60D5]

I think the moral of the story, is that the more you tune your car the more care you should take. A mildly tuned T5 (RICA/TME @ 280ish) you should step up the servicing, more regular oil changes and look to do "stage 0" stuff. If you tune heavily you should be taking great care of the car at a "no expense spared" level, possibly £1000's per year.

[macV70R]

I think the article is aimed more at actual "chips" rather than a re-map.
I dont know much about tuning cars using the ecu but altering anything that isnt factory standard is going to cause controversy with lots of people.

Fair enough the ignition timing, fuel and boosts are all altered but I have heard worse stories from people who have had an installer that has fu**ed the ecu by soldering it in wrong.

The increase in hp is no doubt going to put more strain on the car, and as mentioned the more you tune the more you have to look after it!!

dont think chips are as common now as they used to be tho....??

I read an article on a lotus carlton a while ago, and they strongly recommended that you didnt go anywhere near a chipped version of the supercar cos the ecu is so complicated that if it fu*ks up you might as well scrap the car!!

Bit extreme I thought!!

Anyway, I've had a couple of beers so all this is probably total bolllocks.

By the way, the bloody shell optimax is back up to 1.01p per litre

Robbing gits.

Mac

[Al115]

That has got to be one of the most useless articles I have read recently (but insightful in a different way, so thanks LeeT5 for bringing it to everyone's attention!)

It is largely subjectively written, except when the authors throw a couple of figures out into the air. Have they published a full report of their tests - that might be interesting?

It could better be titled "things to think about when tuning your car" or something much less alarming.

YES, if you tune your car (chipping or not) you place more stress on the components, that is patently obvious. YES, if you just chip the car without upgrading ancilliaries, you are more likely to run into problems. This article just seems alarmist to me.

[LeeT5]

That has got to be one of the most useless articles I have read recently (but insightful in a different way, so thanks LeeT5 for bringing it to everyone's attention!)

Are you being sarcastic???

[volvotuning]

The BIGGEST factor associated with engine wear is how you drive and maintain the car. If you abuse it, the engine will wear prematurely. If you abuse it when tuned, it will wear even more prematurely.

If, however, you don't abuse it then even if it's tuned you won't noticably reduce the life of the engine.

Adam.

[LeeT5]

The BIGGEST factor associated with engine wear is how you drive and maintain the car. If you abuse it, the engine will wear prematurely. If you abuse it when tuned, it will wear even more prematurely.

If, however, you don't abuse it then even if it's tuned you won't noticably reduce the life of the engine.

Adam.

ENOUGH SAID.

[C70T5]

The BIGGEST factor associated with engine wear is how you drive and maintain the car. If you abuse it, the engine will wear prematurely. If you abuse it when tuned, it will wear even more prematurely.

If, however, you don't abuse it then even if it's tuned you won't noticably reduce the life of the engine.

Adam.

Agreed. Although I do RICA my Volvo's I am equally made more than aware by current tuning company of the dangers and advantages of the changes. Also under those parameters driven in a manner as I normally would there is an advantage to both smoothness and fuel consumption. We should all know that with power comes responsibility, corny statement but I think true. Just because it can does not mean you must. Engine improvements are there for the "when needed" situation, that overtaking maneuver, those track days.

I personally don't think theres much cause for concern.

[Vikingxl]

What the hell give me more power.Who cares about a few quid extra on the servicing.

[Al115]

Are you being sarcastic???

Nope!

[Murphy]

I hear Renault are doing 1.2 clio's with 18000 mile service intervals - if anyone is that concerned

[lance]

I think if you use quality oil and change every 3000 -5000 miles ( as soon as looking brown/black) and drive the engine well below 3000 rpm till warm it wont make much difference, to wear n tear.

[LeeT5]

this thread has spark off some replys...

[Not_Gwaredd]

Way to go. So by testing 2 chips (poor ones at that) they come to the conclusion that tuning your car is bad mmmkay... & the only mod you should do is fit some Volvo approved Ohlins shocks?

Hmmm, ok. Perhaps the tuning companys that 'declined' to give them there chips or maps did so, not because they were afraid, but because they knew the testers were dicks?

Anyone who reads that nonsence & believes it, deserves not to have their car chipped anyway.

Cheers,

Gwaredd.

[LeeT5]

Way to go. So by testing 2 chips (poor ones at that) they come to the conclusion that tuning your car is bad mmmkay... & the only mod you should do is fit some Volvo approved Ohlins shocks?

Hmmm, ok. Perhaps the tuning companys that 'declined' to give them there chips or maps did so, not because they were afraid, but because they knew the testers were dicks?

Anyone who reads that nonsence & believes it, deserves not to have their car chipped anyway.

Cheers,

Gwaredd.

Maybe they werent dicks...maybe they were genuine testers with no alterior motive...and maybe just maybe you are biased?

[Not_Gwaredd]

Nope, not biased as I don't own a chipped Volvo. My point was that you can't come to a crap conclusion like that by only testing two chips.

The conclusion should have been:

These two chips that worked, are rubbish. We are unable to test all the chips & maps available on the market today as the companys knew we wouldn't write a glowing report about them as this wasn't the angle we were after, so sensibly, they told us to piss off. Therefore, we are unable to come to a conclusion on tuning cars, except for these two, which are rubbish. But hey, why not whack some Ohlins on. They're recomended by Volvo you know!:

[spesh]

Why didnt anyone tell me this before I put i bleed valve on my car and bent 4 rods???????? Cheers u guys, lol

[Justin]

I have to agree with Gwaredd, this is utter nonsense.

There are many tuning companies, not all of them solder new chips in, some dont even open the ECU, and most these days just use the manufacturers software and change parameters. I think the main issue with parts failing is not failing at all. On a stock car....any make for that matter the parameters to work in before a fault is detected are huge, by tuning you are merely making the tolerances to which the cars ecu works in less, ie, on a stock car you use a crap batch of fuel, does it throw a management light ? No, why, cos it can tolerate it, use a bad batch on a tuned car and it may well throw a light, indicating a fault, not because its broken but because "it cant tollerate crap"

Just like some of us

[lance]

Defo , look after your car it will look after you!

More power less throttle less strain requied for a given speed.

Therefore a tunned over serviced, quality fuel ,driven properly car would last a lot longer than. a super market Fuelled , Dealer serviced that gets thrashed from cold every morning car !