ECU Chip/ Tune for AU in SE QLD?

Rozwell28 · 08-03-2011, 10:14 PM

Hi all,

After deciding that an XR8 buy is just not happening, I want to see if I can get more from my AUII VCT instead.

The car already has an exhaust and larger intake, so the next step will be either some form of tuning the ECU (possible?) or inserting a piggy-back chip I guess.

Can anyone recommend a good place near Brisbane for ECU mods?

I know of Chiptorque in Nerang, and had one of their chips in a different XR6. It was a nice improvement, however I don't know what other options there are for the AU. I'd rather not replace the entire ECU- its not that serious.

All opinions will be appreciated. Especially insulting ones.

FTE72 · 09-03-2011, 09:27 AM

You can now have your AU flash tuned by xcal 3 mate. I have had great service from RDP at Kippa Ring.

blueoval · 09-03-2011, 09:39 AM

Even consider a J3 chip from T.I. Performance.

Cheaper than a flash tuner and has very good Australian support.

http://www.tiperformance.com.au/dealers.php

Cam · 09-03-2011, 11:19 AM

I have a (reprogrammable) chiptorque chip in my stroked AU, I have not yet had anyone tell me anything that a XCAL can do that a Chiptorque chip cannot do... Only downside is that you wont have multiple tunes.. Chiptorque will also sell you a SCT XCAL if you so desire.. when you call ask for Matt, say Cam with the Stroked AU sent you ;)

Or look at a TI chip as Shav suggested..

The Monty · 09-03-2011, 01:24 PM

Or Josh with the NA6 Blue AU, lol. I ran the Xcal 3 software, expensive, but having user adjustable settings is good as well, and it has a mini datalogger.
RDP also does a really good jo using Xcal 3

FTE72 · 09-03-2011, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cam

I have a (reprogrammable) chiptorque chip in my stroked AU, I have not yet had anyone tell me anything that a XCAL can do that a Chiptorque chip cannot do... Only downside is that you wont have multiple tunes.. Chiptorque will also sell you a SCT XCAL if you so desire.. when you call ask for Matt, say Cam with the Stroked AU sent you ;)

Or look at a TI chip as Shav suggested..

You have the ability to return your car to stock tune and reprogramme xcal to use it on other cars(not just fords) in the future....significant advantage I would think? More of a tool than a mod.
Nothing wong with Chiptorque product though.

Cam · 09-03-2011, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTE72

You have the ability to return your car to stock tune and reprogramme xcal to use it on other cars(not just fords) in the future....significant advantage I would think? More of a tool than a mod.
Nothing wong with Chiptorque product though.

For $250 I can have the Chip reprogrammed from my (maffless tuned) stroked AU and have it retuned for my ED 6 banger 5sp....

Not trying to go off topic, there just seems to be so many misconceptions regarding the chips :-)

robbyj · 09-03-2011, 03:10 PM

also with the J3 chip, it is possible to have multiple tunes that you can change on the fly

blueoval · 09-03-2011, 03:13 PM

yes thats one advantage the J3 has over the xcal3. Switching tunes without turning the motor off is a massive plus.

FTE72 · 09-03-2011, 05:18 PM

No misconceptions from me. I understand the differences very well.

FS5 · 09-03-2011, 08:52 PM

mate ,i personaly reckon its more down to the tuner ,as in the actual bloke that dose the tuning . some blokes know there stuff and others don't.when it comes to tuning the motor.
the hardware/chip /flashtuner will help auto's more ...with stally's and shift points.
be carefull ,

dieseltrain79 · 09-03-2011, 10:20 PM

How much are the chips from TI ?

blueoval · 10-03-2011, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieseltrain79

How much are the chips from TI ?

Have a look at the TI Performance website. They have all the prices for all the components there.

robbyj · 10-03-2011, 01:26 PM

http://www.tiperformance.com.au/buy.html

theres a couple of ways to go

custom pre programed ($190)
he asks for a dyno print out ($80)

which he uses the dyno print out, a list of your mods, to create a tune to suit your need. Obviously this wont be as good as custom dyno tune, but when i was speaking to him he reckons he can add 5% with the custom pre tune. (iv heard extractors add 12%, so its pretty good)

or, you can buy the blank chip ($95)
and take that to your tuner for a custom dyno tune (cost varies. $500+)
just need to make sure your tuner can work with the J3 chip.

in that same link below he chips is the "Four Tune Selector Switch"
which will be needed if you want to have multiple tunes on the chip. ($50-$70) depending on which option you choose.

Rozwell28 · 10-03-2011, 03:09 PM

Thanks for all the advice guys, much appreciated.
I called RDP at Kippa Ring and they quoted $1500 for a flash tune with three modes (Valet, 95 RON and 98 RON).

That looks like the ideal way to go, but also seems expensive for a simple software re-load.

I'm trying to avoid piggy-back chips. With the last AU VCT I had I put a chiptorque chip in it, tuned by Lachlan at Nerang. It was great for a week after the tune, but then the factory ECU started learning around it. Apparently that just happens with piggy-back chips, the ECU starts to compensate for the modified tuning and you lose a lot of the benefit.

Also, the chiptorque chip was taped in, not soldered. When the chip moved just a bit and broke contact, the ECU shut down completely and had to be rebooted by Ford for about $200.

Both of those problems would be avoided with a flash tune, but the J3 chip looks like really good value. RDP reckon a flash tune will provide about a 20hp gain ATW. Would the increase be comparable with a J3 chip?

The Monty · 10-03-2011, 04:46 PM

There wont be a different in total power outcomes between the chips. Like has been said, it will come down to the tuner over which product you choose.

robbyj · 10-03-2011, 05:06 PM

Like monty and others have said, it comes down to the software rather then the hardware

crakrz · 11-03-2011, 09:00 AM

The ECU cannot learn around J3 chips. If you said a UNICHIP piggyback, then I would say yes, because it is basically just giving the ECU false input readings to trick the ECU into giving the right outputs. They work in completely different ways. Many threads on this topic. I have had a custom Chiptorque J3chip, SCT Flash tuner, and now the Moates Quarterhorse J3. All doing the same thing. No problems with any of them.

-Craig

blueoval · 11-03-2011, 10:55 AM

If you can handle reflashing the XCAL3 every few weeks to remove any habits the car is learning then go for it. Otherwise if you cbf reflashing, go the J3. It is cheaper and has some good benefits even with boost. But finding a tuner who is capable of tuning it and tuning it well is the hard part. I would strongly suggest going with one of the dealers listed on the TI Performance website who know the product well to avoid any possible mishaps.

Cam · 11-03-2011, 11:01 AM

Thanks to crakrz and blueoval for saving me typing pretty well the exact same thing..

FS5 · 12-03-2011, 08:00 AM

all this talk about the ecu relearning around chips ,i personaly think is crap.i reckon its just the ecu picking up fault codes from sensors ,particulary the knock sensor.
if your car feels a bit sluggy take it to ford or someone and get them to do check the codes and do that self test thing with the scan tool.the car will crack along again after the codes are cleared .
sorry if its a bit off topic.
the best tune i ever had was with a unichip tuned at cnj ,but the guy that tuned it left a long time ago,he knew his stuff...