I've been reading and following along the info regarding the unichip and finally decided that I want one.
I called John at unichip and had a conversation about how to get one.
They will sell one to me for the auto that would have to be hardwired into the car and at a cost of about $800.00.
That being said, I asked if they could do a plug and play for just mine and he said no, simply because they want to order harness parts in bulk to do at least 20 or they were not going to sink the time and money into doing one at a time. (the plug and play also requires a small circuit board)
Anyway, I want to see who is seriously interested in a group buy for this. It could be a mixed group buy of auto's and 6 speeders, as long as we got close to 20 people.
He will guarantee a plug and play product for two years and will guarantee we will see the gains promised, 10-15 hp.
He said the price will be roughly $600 to $700.00 for the group buy.
I'd hate to see this project die but I will end up buying one myself either way, I just one a plug and play model, which would take a group buy to happen.
They can also reprogram the chip as our set-up changes, which is nice.
I think it's a great product for the money, considering what is currently available other than the Comptech S/C for $4,000.00.
I have every other mod and need something more without spending the money on the S/C or going to nitrous.
What do you guys think, can we get something moving here?
Considering the money many of you have spent on your CL for other mods, this seems worth it by comparison.

 

For me only after a 6 speed version is tested & for sale.

 

buy 20 of them and then resell them

 

We need a six speeder to go to unichip for a few days of R&D to help get this going so that auto's and six speeds can benefit from a group buy. We need everybody interested, six speeds and autos, to get this group buy going for a plug and play at a reduced price.
Otherwise we'll all be on our own with this, at a higher cost and with no plug and play option.

 

lol.. statements like that is the exact reason why sh*t don't happen. (nothing against you Fuzzy)

I gave up my car for a week for the auto, and it does work for TLS also, but don't seem to get any response from them either.

All I can say is that, between 6speed, Auto CLS, and TLS, 20 people should not be hard. Except if everyone feels the same way fuzzy do, Sonor, just go buy one yourself.

 

Ditto... I would add that the PnP harness should also be tested out on both the Auto and 6 speed.

Once UniChip proves to me that the version of the UniChip for the 6 speed and PnP harness have been thoroughly tested, I would participate in a Group Buy.

 

A good thought but an iffy investment not knowing who would be interested.
I'll pay the extra money to have my own done and hardwired, just thought I'd test our interest as a whole before I did that.

 

I agree, you wouldn't think 20 people would be that difficult, especially when you consider people spend as much on an exhaust, which offers very minimal power gain compared to the chip for the same money.
These guys will definitely stand behind their product, so I don't see where people are so worried, doesn't make sense.
I'll do it myself either way.

 

Good luck sonor! I promise you that you will enjoy the gain, and the butt dyno will approve.

And if you get them to build you a pnp harness special. I will spilt the cost with you. I want one too.

 

"CLS2001_97124",

I would volunteer my CLS 6sp tomorrow, if UniChip could do the development and testing in the Bay Area. I would also pay for the development of the PnP harness (parts and time). I just don't feel comfortable in buying something untested.

 

Fact remains, this isn't chump change & it is a very very new product. I can understand 100% why there is some hesitation...

Not everyone is in a hurry to splice into their ECU & void their warranty, etc...

Sonor...have you been over to the other boards to drum up some GB fever? There's got to be 20 folks between the 3 or 4 major forums.

 

They wouldn't charge you for anything and I think you may get the chip for free for doing the R&D but you would have to drive up to Washington to get it done I believe.

 

it's Oregon. and the chip is not untested. we have dyno results from the 5AT. the 6MT results will be as good or better. it's not like it's not gonna work for the 6 speed.

 

I agree Matt!
Oregon it is, I couldn't remember.
I haven't tried the other forums but that might be a good option.

 

sonor,

If you do spawn new interest, I will help you in any way I can. Just let me know. But my offer is still there if you are going to pay for the pnp done.

 

I want one for my 6 speed! But only PnP.

 

Based on the experience of chip modding for many cars, if Unichip thinks that doing a chip for the
CL/TL/CL-S/TL-S would be a money making business opportunity, it would have gone out and rent some test cars to test on and create the chip years ago. Why do we as a customer has to beg them (and lend our cars) to do us a chip ? So, don't expect the 20 people all rush in at once.

 

Oh man.. we are back to that again.. It's called supply and demand. Unichip knows that the CL is a very limited production, especailly the 6 speed, and now the TLS has been replaced with the new 04 TL. So why would you think that they even care about development / R&D for our cars?

The answers is, scalbert. He called them to see if Unichip is willing to do something for us, and UniChip agreed. But as you can see majority of Performance freaks are on this board for the ACL, but we still can't get enough people for the GB, so why on earth would you think that this is a "money making business opportunity"??

I've seen UniChip shop, they have ton's of higher production quantity cars waiting in line to get a chip developed (f150, toyota TRD, etc) So I really don't think "we" as the "customer" are in control of this one. But your arguement could for sure work if we are talking about an RSX or Civic. But in our case, it just don't.

 

I don't understand your comments.
As a group we have not shown enough interest to have them spend the money to develop a plug n play chip, that's why we need a six speed volunteer and 20 people total to do it.
Just because 1 or 2 people want one doesn't mean they'll make 20.
I didn't expect people to jump but show some interest in trying to see if it was possible.
What's funny is that I've seen people here spend $800.00 on an exhaust as they think it will net them more hp because some company says it will, even though they may be losing hp, we now have a proven chip for less than $700.00 and everyone is hesitant.
I'm glad I can buy the chip without a group buy or support from this forum, otherwise it would never get made.

 

Calm down, my point is that anyone thinking of buying 20 of the 6-speed mod chips and reselling them might be sinking into a money losing deal, since that someone has mentioned it.

 

buy it. you will always be able to resell it later.

buy it now for $800, sell it 2 years from now when you replace the CL with the latest and greatest, then sell the chip for $400.

so you're leasing 15hp for 2 years for $400. good deal to me...

I personally am not modding my car any more or I'd get this. It has to be the best bang for the buck mod out there.

 

I plan on keeping the CL for more than two more years, I don't drive it everyday.

 

that was a joke, Ed.

 

Your missing the point here man. People are willing to spend $800 on an exhaust because its a direct bolt on application which doesnt void the warrenty on a $30K car. Also if someone is spending $800 on an exhaust it is being built by a quality company. You state that they need a demo vehicle to test on, but do you think that when greddy designed a cat back exhaust for our car they had to beg someone for a demo.

 

This seems like a future mod for sure now. One a set price, group buy or not, has been set i may end up buying one.

 

Your the one missing the point dude, this product would be made available in a plug n play version with a group of 20 or more people, so it could be put in and taken out in minutes.
If I just bought one as of now, I would have to hardwire it, which I'm trying to avoid.
How much research do you think a company like Greddy puts into an exhaust for our CL, just enough to make sure it fits and that's about it.
Comptech would have been a better comparison but hey, that's why I only but Comptech stuff, it's the best.

 

For all of you 6 speeds out there - who is located the closest to Unichip???
I am in f-ing FL so there is no way my car is going to Oregon.

First how many 6 speeds would buy this?

Second, if 20 of us want the product for the 6 speed and kick in a few bucks a piece we can give a little incentive to the person with the closest 6 speed to take it up to Unichip for some R&D - cover gas - food - lodging - strippers...

Just my .02

David-

 

sonor kid
Put me down for one but I think the harness is importent too ,in case we go in for warranty.
You didnt think I let you get ahead of me did you?
John

 

The group buy would include any combination of autos or six speeds, same parts different tuning curves.
John, how are you buddy?
I didn't think you would let this slip by, good to hear from you.
Harness would be the best alternative but my warranty is up in June, so I will do this anyway. A tranny issue down the road is my only problem with a hard wire but I'll take my chances on that issue.

 

I might be able to take some vacation time in March and go up to Oregan to get my 6 speeder chipped and PnP harness developed. But I don't think people will be happy to wait that long. Isn't anyone closer than me from the Bay Area?

 

I'm down for a group buy at $600 w/ the p+p harness/circuit board...however I want to see a real dyno graph of hp and torque. Also find out how much re-programming would cost for the future if we do get a s/c??? I am really intrested and anxiously waiting this but I'll ONLY buy if it comes w/ the p+p harness. I'm at no cost cutting/splicing my factory ecu harness. Keep us informed please sonor...do it for the sundance gold in both of us don't let this thread die too!!

 

i may be able to find a 6mt up here. i'll call my acura tech and see if he knows someone.

 

Also find out if they'll warranty it if an Acura Certified Tech installs it instead of them. If not where is a Uni-chip distributor in Long Island and would that cost even more cash for installation?????

 

riiiight..... It took us 4 months to find 20 buyers for a freaking 54 dollar GAUGE POD!!!.....

Good luck.... but remember this group buy your trying to get going will more than likely take longer than you expect....but stick with it...

Smitty

 

So sonor, who did you talk to? Jack or Tony? I'm guessing that you will take over the GB for this unit. which is great! I was going to start one if you didn't once scalbert publishes the e-manage number. But hey, nothing wrong with starting it early.

Damn.. only if Kalin still lived up here, he would have been perfect. Six speed with H/I.

Like mattg said.. I will also attempt to track down someone with a 6 speed for the tuning.

 

I'd take a chip if it comes with the plug n play. I definitely don't want to hardwire it.

 

Not to throw a wrench into this but it is very obvious they have not looked into a PnP harness in depth. The 5AT and 6-Speed ECU connectors are different. This means buying the 5AT connectors in bulk would not yield any benefit for the 6-Speed guys.

So this GB may need to be double or the 6-Speed guys left out. Either way it does make a PnP Unichip system more difficult. However, I fully understand Unichip's stance on this as they need to cover themselves.

Now, can this still be done without a PnP harness from them, definitely. I already made my own for the e-Manage. I will be making TAG's blown AV6 PnP e-Manage harness soon along with re-doing ModAddict’s. The same methods could be applied to the Unichip. You would just need the Unichip harness and wire it into one of the available straight through harnesses.

 

In addition, we could make the harness if we knew what the Unichip connections were like. We would need to know the connector and pin outs to make this works.

However and again this is not to take away from the Unichip. We have all waited a long time for something like this and a few more weeks will not hurt. Heck, I started the current Unichip direction and would still like to see it come to fruition.

But for everyone's interest I suggest waiting to see how the e-Manage pans out on an NA vehicle (two will be dyno'd). It may not make the power of the Unichip at which point the selection list is narrowed. But if it did as well if not better (plus the other options within it) there may be some people pissed that they did not wait.

I could care less either way as I am curious what the results will be. But I hate to see something done in haste and later regretted.

 

So exactly how are the 5AT and 6-Speed ECU connectors different? Different shape and/or size of connectors with same pin-out? Different pin-out? Similar pin-out? Same type of pins used? Different type of pins?

 

All of the above...

The first problem is that they do use different connectors (shape, size and number of pins). Secondly, they have different pin-outs when related to anything close to being similar.