I was browsing over on the SHO board and came across this...sounds intresting, thought I'd share.


The RacersGroup PROgram UniChip

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'00 White Diamond Perl w/Nav
WW Spoiler, Comptech Exaust, Rear Comptech Sway bar, H&R OE Sport Springs, AEM CAI, Inspire Tails, Inspire Interior footwell lighting

 

I've read about the UNIchip several times over at SHO. Seems like it gives very substantial gains on the Accord V6. Not sure how credible the sources are though. If the gains are real, then it seems like a better solution to buying an Apexi VAFC.

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Y2K Satin Silver/Ebony 3.2TL
-AEM Short Ram intake
-Magnaflow axle-back exhaust
-Ground Control coilovers
-BLITZ coolant pressure riser
-BOSCH platinum+4 plugs
-Factory underbody kit and Wing
-Mesh grill
-Body color door handles
-Lighting:Polarg M12 sidemarkers/Opti-Blue Xenon HighBeams/Eurolite 168 Xenonbulbs/Minimax Xenon domelight/Hiper Strobes
-20%/35% Llumar Platinum tint
-Räzo Shifter and Alloy pedals
-2 Rockford 10" XLC subs pushed by Boss Audio CLR60 amp
-Escort Passport 7500

 

I just called the shop in San Diego and they said it would cost one thousand dollars to buy and install the unit. $599 for the unit and $500 for dyno tune. That is allot of money.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by Donte99TL on May 10, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

Its not a TL, but on the WRX's(last gen) the unichips were having problems compared to the other chip makers.

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Why the need to dyno tune ? Are they trying to collect data from the "guineas pig" cars so that they can later on create a real unit that doesn't need tuning ?

 

Just called the dealer in VA. Alexandria

595 for part and 278 for install and tune, dyno.

and if you don't like it free removal.


He said typical gains are about 10hp +

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CL-S
White/Ebony/Navi/Spoiler/Visor/Full Bra/Mud Guards/Cargo Net/Acura Car Cover/Tint 20%,35%, Rockford 250a2 Amp w/JL10w6 / K&N Drop in Filter. Comptech Springs/Sway/Headers Polarg m-6.

 

LOL, Its NOOOOOOOOOOT a chip!

Its a piggy back ECU that is CUUUUUUUUUUUUUSTOM tuned to YOOOOOOOOOOOOOUR car! You can also switch b/w custom programs with the flip of a switch.

Wanna run 103 octane at the track with super advanced timing? Not a problem...

Now how about READING before you start making some more assumptions about it.

Hehehe...

 

I posted a huge thread about this earlier... was a few pages long. There was even a TL in Cali that had it installed.

 

If someone, who has an aftermarket intake and exhaust, installed such a Unichip and dyno'ed his car. Does it mean he has to spent another $500 to re-dyno his car again if he want to install a header or big-bore
throttle body later on ??

I worked for a company which designed engine diagnostic systems for cars, and has a fair amount of knowledge in electronic engine management systems. Apart from the OBD1 and OBD2 craps, an ECU reads in inputs such as throttle position, crankshaft angle, camshaft angle, coolant temp, air flow, engine knock, exhaust oxygen level, speed, rpm, etc, and ouputs signals to control ignition timing, fuel injection timing, vtec switching, egr valve, etc.

The only way to increase an engine's horsepower is to increase the air flow, fuel delivery, and ignition timing. If someone installed a higher flow intake and exhaust, the car's air flow sensor will sensor that extra air flow and inform the ECU to inject more fuel into the engine and maybe advance the ignition timing too. The ECU doesn't care what you put into your car because the air flow sensor and oxygen sensor can monitor the change.

So basically, the fuel injection map, ignition timing map, vtec switchover point, and 1st/2nd intake runner switchover point, are the only things that an aftermarket ECU or chip can modify to increase an engine's horsepower. If the above map data is optimized for a particular engine, why the need for dyno tuning ?? The only reason for dyno tuning is because the aftermarket company's map data is not complete or not optimized. There are so many different engines from so many car manufacturers out there; it is not a simple or cheap task to generating an optimized mapping data for each single one of them. But it is easy to have a set of generic data and "customize" (they claim) to the particular engine by dyno'ing on site.