What is a chip-tuning car?

There are many options for tuning the engine. In any case, it is very important to configure the software that controls its operation. Its optimization can give a positive result even without the use of other measures. Next, we consider what chip-tuning is.

Definition

This term refers to the setting of the operation modes of electronic controllers in different ways. For example, by changing the control programs of the engine control unit or by using additional electronic modules to increase power.

Classification and productivity

Chip-tuning is divided by design into three types and by the way of implementation - two.

Most often it is used to increase power. Therefore, it is very common on sports cars, for example, chip tuning "BMW." In any case, the process aimed at increasing productivity, has a nice addition: contrary to the widespread misconception, it also reduces fuel consumption, as it increases the efficiency of the engine.

Economical

Recently, in connection with the crisis and the rise in price of fuel, it becomes popular address chip-tuning. In particular, aimed at reducing fuel consumption.

Correction

Also, the chip tuning is used to adjust the program of the engine control unit when changing the motor parameters. This may be due to the replacement of standard parts with alternative ones, for example fuel injectors, turbocharging, fuel switching and other engine design changes.

That is, when sport tuning the motor by installing advanced parts, you need to adjust the control unit accordingly. So, when equipping BMW with even high performance injectors, not to mention more serious changes, it will take a chip tuning "BMW" to optimize the engine management program.

The same applies to the installation of gas-cylinder equipment. That is, when converting budget cars like the Ford Focus to alternative fuel, you also need a chip tuning of Ford Focus. This is because the ignition timing for gasoline and gas are significantly different, and they can only be changed by setting the engine control program.

Correction

This kind is especially popular in the local market in the segment of mass cheap models. In order to understand what a chip-tuning of this type is, you need to know that some manufacturers adjust the motors to average parameters without taking into account specific operating conditions, such as fuel and climate characteristics. Therefore, such motors may not function correctly. This can be manifested, for example, in unstable or increased idling speed, jerks at the beginning of the movement, etc.

However, errors in the engine program are found not only on the simplest models, but also on premium ones. Chip-tuning "Audi" and other expensive cars allows you to eliminate these miscalculations. They can be expressed in the delay of reactions to the gas pedal, jerking in the gear changes, etc.

Exercise

More clearly, what is chip-tuning, becomes, if you know the stages of these works and the sequence of their implementation. There are three in total.

• First of all, you need to find a management program. There are three options: get a new control unit along with the new firmware, get a new program, read the initial firmware of the car.
• In the latter case, that is, when using the standard program, correct the required parameters. For new firmware it is not required if they are competently matched to the engine parameters.
• New or corrected firmware is written or replaced by engine control units.

Read / write program

The first and last stages are similar in technology implementation and can be implemented in various ways, depending on the technical capabilities of the executor, the type and parameters of the control unit.

Most often, the diagnostic socket is used to read the firmware without removing the control unit. Chip-tuning in this way can be done on most cars that have been produced since the late 90's. The last century. Since that time, mass introduction of flash memory with reprogramming has started in the engine control units. This method is very simple, so you can read / write firmware this way by the power of the performers, who do not even know in detail what chip-tuning is.

In older cars, the firmware is usually found in the ROM chips with ultraviolet erasure. To read it, you need to remove the memory chip, and usually you have to do it by evaporation. In addition, a programmer is required, designed for specific types of microcircuits. This method is much more complicated than the previous one, so it requires a high skill from the performer.

Also for the considered works it is possible to use interface BDM (background debugging mode), which is an in-circuit programmer. However, it should be taken into account that, since it was developed by Motorolla, this interface is only available in engine control units based on the processors of this manufacturer. In addition to specialized equipment, these skills require corresponding skills, so this method is also difficult.

Instead of the above interface, in some cases, use the Boot-mode of the processor.

Editing

These works are the main stage of chip-tuning, if it involves changing the original engine control unit. For their competent implementation, a complete knowledge of the parameters of the tuned motor, its potential and weak points is necessary. In addition, to customize the firmware, you need a specialized software that represents the calibration data in a graphical form. In addition, usually reconfiguration of the firmware is combined with the recalculation of checksums that control its integrity. Less often this is done with the use of checksums calculators.

In any case, it is necessary to take into account the shortcomings of the calibration data display programs in a graphic form. First, they are not able to search for calibration constants. Secondly, they can make mistakes in the identification of calibration tables.

However, the software market presents alternative products that do not have these drawbacks. These are specialized editors containing a database of firmware and calibration cards. The latter are the developers of editors, usually using the reverse-engineering of the firmware to find the calibration data and study the algorithms of the control system functioning. Therefore, such editors display in the graphic form only reliably known calibration tables and the constants of this firmware. In addition, they automatically perform checksum correction while saving changes.

The easiest in the implementation of mechanical chip-tuning. It involves replacing the engine control unit with a new one with another program. However, in this case, in order to perform the work correctly, it is necessary to find a block with the firmware completely corresponding to the parameters of the engine, or it must be created by someone according to the order in accordance with the characteristics of the motor and recorded in the block.

results

It should be borne in mind that the results of chip tuning are influenced by many factors:

• Presence of pressurization;
• Volume and initial performance of the engine;
• The efficiency of the firmware;
• The potential of the engine and other aggregates of the car.

So, the increase in the parameters to which the tuning was directed is determined primarily by the engine features. Naturally, the chip tuning "Ford Mustang" and "Focus" will give completely different results.

The availability of supercharging is very important for the efficiency of chip tuning. This is due to the fact that the atmospheric and supercharged engines use different reserves when tuning. So, for example, the chip tuning "Ford" with the atmospheric engine assumes correction of the parameters of the fuel supply and ignition. The productivity growth in this case is 8-12%. At the same time, the chip-tuning "Audi" with a turbocharged engine is carried out by increasing its pressure. This can give an increase of 30-40%. This feature is very bright when comparing atmospheric and supercharged motors of a similar volume.

For example, the chip tuning "Focus" with a 1.6-liter engine capacity of 105 liters. from. Will provide an increase of about 10 liters. from. At the same time, flashing the VAG engine with 1.4 l TSI of a smaller volume can give a significantly larger increase. Chip-tuning "Skoda" with this engine with the maximum allowable boost for the sink condition boost pressure (stage 2) expresses in an increase in power for 140 liters. from. Version of 50 liters. from. That is, the increase in this case is more than a third of the original value. Torque for reasons of conserving the resource of the gearbox is increased to no more than 300 Nm. Nevertheless, for the simplest versions, its increase is also significant (80 Nm).

Also, of course, other engine parameters, such as volume and initial performance, also matter. For example, the chip-tuning "Kia" with a 1.6-liter engine capacity of 125 liters. from. Will give an average increase of about 13 liters. from. This is calculated on the basis of the fact that the average increase in productivity for atmospheric engines is 10%. Thus, the chip tuning "Chevrolet-Corvette" with 6.2-liter V8 with a capacity of 466 liters. from. Increase this figure by about 47 liters. from.

In addition, the advisability of using chip-tuning is determined by the efficiency of the factory firmware. So, if the manufacturer has tuned the engine for maximum efficiency, it should not be edited further, since this not only does not produce a significant result, but can lead to a significant increase in fuel consumption and a decrease in the resource. This is typical for sports models. However, most motors have averaged settings, which provides a margin for improving performance. In addition, many manufacturers market cars with one engine of varying power. Often this is observed in the framework of one model: the machine can be offered with three versions of the engine, differing only in the settings. However, the difference in value between them can be significant. Thus, chip tuning is a way of saving when buying a car, because you can purchase the simplest version and turn the engine management unit into a more expensive one.

Finally, you need to consider the potential of the motor and other components of the car. This determines the boundaries of the improvements, under which the resource will be preserved.

On the basis of this, it is obvious that the most promising for chip-tuning are weakly-tuned turbo engines. Now there are many such versions on the market. This is due to the influence of environmental and economic trends, as a result of which manufacturers switch from multi-cylinder, high-volume atmospheric engines to smaller engines equipped with a low-pressure turbo. This measure is used primarily to reduce fuel consumption, not performance, so they have a high potential for chip tuning.

Atmospheric small motors of budget cars are not so promising from this point of view. Although the result is sometimes very clearly manifested. Thus, the chip tuning "Renault Logan" allows you to increase traction at low revs, a top speed of about 10 km / h and reduce the acceleration time by 1 s. This is due to the peculiarities of such models.

On low-power slow machines it is much easier to improve dynamic performance than on fast sports. First, they have averaged tuning of the engine control programs, which provides the potential for increased productivity. Secondly, on such models a tangible result gives even a slight increase in power, which provides chip tuning. The testimonies testify to this. To improve the dynamics of fast sports cars is much more difficult. Even a small increase in it requires much higher costs.

Cost

The price of chip-tuning for different machines is very different. It is influenced primarily by factors such as the parameters of the vehicle being modified and the features of the new firmware. Cheapest to set up budget machines. Thus, chip tuning of many models of VAZ costs about 3000 rubles. Among the mass-produced cars, it's more expensive to modify sports cars. For example, the cost of these works for the most inexpensive supercar, Nissan GT-R, starts from 30 000-40 000 rubles. In addition, the price is determined by the efficiency of the setting. So, the specified cost of chip-tuning for GT-R refers to the simplest option, increasing the capacity by 30 liters. from. To achieve its increase by 70 liters. With., Have to pay 3-4 times more.

However, the most costly customized tuning tuned motor. Moreover, the chip tuning included in the tuning kits offered by the workshops is usually cheaper than the custom firmware for a unique motor of approximately the same level created with the use of arbitrary parts. This is due to the fact that in the latter case, a thin individual adjustment of the firmware is required, while in the tuning kits certain sets of parts are used, under which the program is tuned.