Performance Chips: What to Expect, What to Prepare For
Before the early to mid 1980s, cars weren’t generally equipped with air intake sensors or ECUs, and modifications made to a vehicle were mostly focused on body upgrades and physical performance results. Nowadays, almost any vehicle you see on the road that’s been made in the past 25 years has been outfitted with an air intake sensor and an ECU, and over time these changes have opened up the door for a far different type of performance modification. With an automotive performance chip, you can improve a variety of results, from your car’s fuel economy to its horsepower potential. Below, we’ll cover some tips that can make approaching a performance chip installation much easier than you’d otherwise think.
Keep that Wallet Fat
Most performance computer chips don’t cost a lot of money, and you certainly shouldn’t be paying more than a hundred dollars for one. These chips are already designed to save you money (a more mainstream performance upgrade, a turbo kit, can cost thousands of dollars), so don’t blow more than you have to. For around fifty dollars, a well-designed performance chip can be purchased that should work on your vehicle.
Don’t Bother if Your Car is Old
Remember earlier when we mentioned the air intake sensor and the ECU? Well, they’re both important for chip installation. In fact, without the sensor, there is nothing for a chip to hook up to, and so cars that were built prior to the mid 1980s are likely not equipped with the technology needed to install a performance chip. So if you’re still driving that ’69 Mustang around, don’t expect to be able to use a chip on it.
Keep it Simple
Performance chips can be installed even by many novice-level car enthusiasts, so long as they’re good at following some simple instructions. These chips don’t require professional installation, and only the most basic of automotive tools are needed to complete the installation. And don’t worry about having to remove other parts to put the chip in, as a performance chip can work with most other performance add-ons already equipped to your vehicle.
Expect Results
It’s hard to gauge exactly what kind of boosts you should expect to receive from a chip, as results vary between car types and many other factors. Generally, you can expect up to 4-7mpg in fuel expenditure savings and perhaps 60 extra horsepower, so these are solid gains to pursue for such a low price point.
