These guys selling these performance/power speed chips claiming 20-25 HP increase for like $20-$40.... seems WAY too good to be, and in this industry, we know what that means... but maybe there is a loophole? I know they have the chips that take off the speed limiters and cost like $400, which are also supposed to make your car more efficient and thus add maybe 10-20 HP. Any thoughts on any performance chips? 1997 328i sedan Sports package
I put one in my 325e. It added a noticeable amount of power, especially at lower revs. It claimed + 20 hp and torque, but I have not confirmed this with a dyno run. I can tell you that it definitely adds some kick to the car. As for the top speed, I can't tell ya. My car, stock, struggled to reach 115, so with the chip it was easier and reached 120 mph before I had to lift. I have no opportunities to truly test it out, but I hear cars like the 330i (E46) are limited to speeds of like 128 or something like that, so I can only assume mine would have been limited to something less. I think I would be able to top it out with this chip, so it probably does remove the top speed limiter. I got mine on eBay for about $40 and was worth every penny. I like it so much that I am NOT willing to remove the chip and put the stock one back regardless of gas prices.
Performance chips don't add 20-25 hp alone. To achieve gains of that amount, you would need an exhaust, headers, intake kit, etc... I emailed Mike Miller about Dinan upgrades and he told me that with the above parts (minus the headers, no chip but a reprogram of the computer), I would get about 14 hp for the two M54's that we have.......
I went with the Dinan chip in my '95 M3 (the 95's respond very well to software upgrades) and while I have not run a before and after dyno, I can comfortably say it was the biggest 'bang for the buck' I've ever gotten from an upgrade. Like E39Chris525i said, it's really most beneficial when you add it in conjunction with an intake and an exhaust (which I did). 20 - 25HP may not be out of the question.
So overall it seems the chip is not a hoax... are there better brand names for these chips, or are they all generic? I am looking on ebay and there are $25 http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PERF...m14QQhashZitem250257210959QQitemZ250257210959 $10 (little cheap i think, hmmmmmmmmm) http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/20HP...m14QQhashZitem180251424485QQitemZ180251424485 But this third one is for $260 and the description is: Jet Chips Performance Chip ECM Recalibration Kit, Custom Programmed, Call Jet At 1-800-535-1161 8 to 5 PST Monday To Friday For ECU Confirmation, This Kit Requires Your ECM To Be Sent To Jet Chips For Recalibration, Jet Will Recalibrate It And Overnight Ship It Back To You, All Ins My 328i is limited at 137mph and that was i think at about 5000 rpm or so... these chips dont take that off do they? I thought there was another type of reprogramming chip thats takes off the limiters that cost a lot more...
Your car actually requires the software to be uploaded into it via the diagnostic port I believe. On the OBDII cars it's not an actual "chip". I don't have a clue what the ones you listed do...maybe someone else has some experience with them? I think your best bet is either going to be Turner or Dinan: http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html/show_category.asp?txtsearchParamCat=Engine Chips http://www.dinancars.com/store/Performance-Engine-Software-c-407-p-888.html Regardless of which one you chose, the software will have to be loaded, it's not going to be a simple plug-in chip for your car.
