got my ecu tuned by powerchip

[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

Ya, there either a difference or theres not. When I cold aired my BMW I could definately tell my lost power above 5 grand was there. I was hitting the rev limiter by accident because I wasnt used to it having power there. Id return it, get your money back, and put it torwards something else.

BM, I agree with MNBoxster and Boggtown. Sorry, dude.

Originally Posted by 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

True thats what i was thinking +1

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by 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?

Feels much faster than it did. I am pulled back to my seat now whereas before I was used to flooring it to redline in first and it almost seemed normal to me.

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)?

My average MPG from driving the car ALL 7k miles (before the ecu got back) was 20.1. Very low because I drive like an ass hole, but it hits the 20s because most all my miles are highway miles. I am always beating my car on the road. Of course, when I got the ECU, as I already explained, I drove it like even MORE of an ass hole to get the ECU to adapt, and still, the MPG was raising...After 400 miles and tremendous amounts of extra ass hole-ish driving, it reached 20.9 and has been steadily raising.

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.

When I got it, I drove to my friend's house in Long Island...40 miles. Drove around town a lot... 15miles. Drove back home...40miles. Drove to school in Albany...150miles. Drove back home today...150miles. Drove back to Long Island...40 miles. Drove to autozone to find oil (they told me they had no info on my car...)... 15 miles.


That's roughly 410 miles. Approximated, of course.

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.

Yes I completely understand and knew this before hand, which is why I was so skeptical at first. If it was a placebo effect, don't you think I would have jumped out of the gate screaming about how great it was?

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

Unfortunately, yes. But I will defend myself by saying I have put 7400 miles on my car since mid-november. I really know my car well, at least in terms of how it drives. I trust my claims to some extent based on that.

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?

Negatory. I figured that if the gains were worth it, I would notice it. I apologize.

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.

What have you got to lose? Shipping can be done for free..but takes 4 days each way.

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.

Aha, I must disagree here. I ALWAYS drive my car very hard. I can't even describe to you how hard I drive. People can not drive w/ me because I nauseate them.

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 thought the same myself. How can you squeeze any more power out of this car? Porsche has already done a good job. That is why I was so hesitant to buy any mods. You of all people know about me and my mod craze. I didn't want to commit money to anything w/out a guarantee. I certainly expected the worst.


My car, though...is definitely different now in a good way.

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

I hope so too. The best I can offer is to perhaps let someone in my area drive my car and see if THEY notice a difference. Yes, there are variables involved there as well, but eliminating all variables is virtually impossible.



I'll buy a stop watch tomorrow and time a 5-60... 5-60 to eliminate extra variables caused by launching techniques and such.



Well, like I said, I know my reports have varied so much, that's why I left the idea open that I may have a new report tomorrow.


For all I know, it was the temperature change that caused the different feel. I mean, when I last had the car, the temperatures were in the mid 40s...when I got it back Wednesday, it was 65 that day. Now today, Thursday, it is in the low 40s...


Could explain why I wasn't so impressed w/ the car when I got it back. What do you guys think?

[Adam]

The harsh reality is you very well may have thrown $600 down the poop shute. Without before and after dynos we will never know. Jim is absolutely right. The placebo effect is a ******************** and it's the performance aftermarket's best friend.