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Originally Posted by ZGirl4U
Hey guys.... I was wondering if someone could explain this to me... Im fairly new to german cars and I keep hearing about bmws being "chipped" and how effective it is. What exactly does this do and how much does it cost?   |
First off, chipping doesn't do much for cars that aren't turbo or super-charged.
Now, what chipping does is alter how the ECU controls the air-fuel mixture across the rev range. Manufacturers tend to tune their cars for the lowest common denominator of factors - allowing for crappy fuel, emissions testing, maximum fuel economy, etc. An expert can alter the ECU so that it's set for maximum performance under the most ideal conditions - essentially trading performance for poorer fuel economy, emissions, and setting the car up for higher octanes than the manufacturer allowed for. Typically you see claims of about 10 more horses, and those tend to me optimistic. Chips can run the gamut from $500-$2500, since some cars are more difficult to de-code and re-code than others.