Performance Chips: Installation, Expectations and Results

Before the days of air intake sensors and automotive ECUs, modifications made to a vehicle in order to improve its performance required straightforward physical upgrades to components built into the car, truck, or SUV. (think hood scoops, narrowed rear-ends, wide tires).

In the past several decades, however, as the proliferation in the use of computer chips to manage vehicle electrical systems has turned every recent vehicle into a mobile computer so-to-speak, performance upgrades no longer depend on large, invasive modifications. One of the newer car mods that has soared in popularity are Performance chips. These chip upgrades can provide drivers with multiple benefits, ranging from a noticeable increase in MPG to a definite difference in horsepower.

The Installation Process

If you decide to want to install a chip, you’ll want to consider several factors before proceeding. Identifying your goals for the vehicle should be priority one. Prior to the early 1980s, cars weren’t equipped with ECUs or air intake sensors; key components necessary for the installation of a PCD chip. However, if you decided to install a 2010 Audi A6 performance chip, you’d find that the benefits for your German beauty are quite high considering the cost of the chip is very cheap compared to other modification options. For most vehicles that are capable of utilizing this upgrade, the install is a very simple one and only basic hand tools and about an hour should be adequate for installation.

Increasing Fuel Economy

If you want to gain around 4-7 miles per gallon, like most commuters who welcome any MPG gain with open arms, this can be an easy-to-perform upgrade for everyday drivers. After all, purchasing a hybrid vehicle can be expensive, so this modification can help you cut fuel costs without requiring you to purchase an entirely new vehicle. Please note that a vehicle’s fuel economy varies depending on several factors including miles on the engine, weight of the vehicle and other performance modifications you’ve previously made. A Hummer fuel efficiency upgrade will be different when using a chip than the results you’d get from using a chip on a Honda, Nissan or Toyota, for example.

Improving Horsepower

Achieving significant horsepower gains might be among the top reasons a vehicle owner would choose to install a performance chip upgrade. With no need to reset the ECU and no requirement to spend hours syncing your car’s ECU to the new equipment, you can still gain decent horsepower using this cost effective mod. You can always run the chip with other bolt-on mods for even better HP gains. Items like cat back exhaust, cold air intakes and a header will yield an even better performance gains.