OBD2 Performance Chip - Any Of Them Worth The Money?
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2019 11:23 am
This is a tough question as typically it garners responses that are mostly guesses without any real evidence one way or another. By evidence I mean, someone actually dyno tested the difference any chip might make in power and torque. Not, it "felt" faster, or "I heard these were a scam." It's widely known stock ECU programming is conservative. If you have a car programmed to take 87 regular octane it's common knowledge you can increase horsepower if you use higher octane fuel and advance the timing (and alter air/fuel mixture) as the higher octane fuel will not create engine knock when advancing the timing and you'll get more power.
Now the $20 chips on Ebay I would say, you get what you pay for (practically nothing) but what about the $100-$200 chips that plug into the OBD2 port? Are then really any different than the cheap Ebay models? I've also seen chips that plug into a sensor under the hood and others you splice in.
Wondering if anyone has found a brand that is reputable, producing products that actually give you some real gain in HP/Torque (like 7-10% or more) in conjunction with running premium gas. Someone that's either done a before and after dyno test or before an after with a performance meter like a Passport GT-2. Seems if you can't at lease see a reproducible difference on a performance meter before and after chip, the increase is then non-significant.
I'm not necessarily talking about a specific Miata application but more in general for the newer Mazda Skyactive 4-cylinder engines. Is there any conclusive evidence out there (where?) or is it all just subjective opinions based on butt dynos and heresay?
Now the $20 chips on Ebay I would say, you get what you pay for (practically nothing) but what about the $100-$200 chips that plug into the OBD2 port? Are then really any different than the cheap Ebay models? I've also seen chips that plug into a sensor under the hood and others you splice in.
Wondering if anyone has found a brand that is reputable, producing products that actually give you some real gain in HP/Torque (like 7-10% or more) in conjunction with running premium gas. Someone that's either done a before and after dyno test or before an after with a performance meter like a Passport GT-2. Seems if you can't at lease see a reproducible difference on a performance meter before and after chip, the increase is then non-significant.
I'm not necessarily talking about a specific Miata application but more in general for the newer Mazda Skyactive 4-cylinder engines. Is there any conclusive evidence out there (where?) or is it all just subjective opinions based on butt dynos and heresay?