got my ecu tuned by powerchip

[Bavarian Motorist]

As long as I return it back to stock, which I understand will happen.



I am still very uncertain about this product.


In first gear, my car used to pull insanely...and now...it feels like it is losing power around mid-range as opposed to gaining it like it should be.



It is weird. There are definitely some improvements but it feels to me like there are some losses. I can't fully tell, though, w/out a comparison.



Maybe if I used it in conjunction w/ a mod such as an exhaust or intake?



Well, I still have a little while to decide.



I will record the exhaust for you guys and see if you can detect a difference.

I always unplugged the light, easy and I didnt have to worry about it.

[Bavarian Motorist]

If my oil is less than half full, I should add oil?



What type of oil do I need for my car? My dealership said they charge $300 for an oil change (LOL) but also that my car burns 1/2 qt - 1 qt of oil every 1000 miles (WTF? LOL)


Is adding oil as simple as opening that little thing in the boot and pouring some oil in?

[MartinJ]

Yup just open up the rear and pour in. On a 987 each mark on the oil level indicator corresponds to about 1/3 of a quart.

I usually add 1/4 of a quart if it is down by one mark wait 5 minutes and then measure. After that I add very small amounts.

My car burns almost exactly one quart per 3,500 miles.

[Ghostrider 310]

My car doesn't burn anywhere near that, I use 0-40 Mobil one.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Why are our cars burning that much oil? It burns almost as much as a two stroker engine.


Btw... what oil do we need to use for our cars? I have a feeling my dealership will charge way more than what its worth.






OK GUYS! NEWEST REPORT ON THE ECU UPGRADE!



After much careful consideration, testing and driving (at least 400 miles) I have made what I hope is to be my final conclusion.


The car is faster. You definitely feel a lot more torque, especially in 3rd gear where the car used to die off a little.


The exhaust sounds different. A little bit deeper.


The throttle response has improved by a lot.



There isn't a flat spot at around 2k RPM like there used to be. It's not so lively, but it's not flat.



Over-all, after almost returning the thing, I am very pleased. Perhaps it just needed a few hundred miles to get worked in. Whatever the case, it works now and I am still getting used to the new power.



How powerful? It isn't a HUGE boost, but it is substantial enough where you will definitely feel it and then some.



Do I recommend this product?


YES. 100% so far. Call Trav and tell him about the 986forum offer he made ... $600. He will honor it like he honored mine


Btw, the shipping is simple. All you do is print out the shipping label they e-mail you, bring it to fedex kinko's center, wrap it in bubble wrap (costs $2.50) and they mail it out for you. Powerchip pays for the shipping for you from your credit card to save you the hassle.


I don't want to piss off any sponsors or anything, but I just felt there was an interest in the product here that needed to be satisfied.



If anyone has any questions, I'll answer the best I can.

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

Sorry, don't want to sound like a Kill-Joy, but I gotta call BS.

Less than 24Hrs. ago you were extremely hesitant with each gain you reported. Now, all of a sudden these gains (Butt-Dyno only) are Definite?

You say the car is faster? How are you measuring this? How much faster? 0-60? Top Speed?

You say there is more torque? Again, how are you measuring this?

Reported gains in MPG? How much and again, how are you measuring it, the gauge or by measuring the amount of a refill? Perhaps you're not idling as much in the past 24 Hrs. or changed your routes (Freeway vs City driving)?

In less than 24 Hrs. you put 400+ miles on the car? That's more than 6Hrs.40min. driving @ 60MPH - where'd you go? To Boston... and Back? That would be slightly less than 400 miles.

I don't mean to pick on you, but the Placebo Effect is a tremendous thing. It can make people think and feel things which just aren't there.

You're comparing the qualities of the car to a MEMORY of what your car used to be - not very accurate.

Did you record Baseline Data before installing this chip? Were you careful to drive in the exact same manner using the same routes and speeds?

If not, none of your reported gains can be verified, they're just unqualified impressions and that's waay too little for people to run off and spend $600.

I suspect that you're pushing the car harder since the chip install and it's this shift in driving style which is accounting for most of the reported gains.

The Stock DME does a pretty good job of optimizing the performance of the car with stock intake and exhaust. Re-chipping may alter the power/torque curves, but I doubt it added anything significant, if anything at all.

I think reports like this can be valuable to the knowledge base here, but only if the comparisons are real and conducted in some sort of controlled manner.

Good Luck with the chip, I hope that it's really all you report it to be, but based on what I'm hearing so far, I remain somewhat skeptical...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99