Stay far away from these chips . Even the "good" ones from big names are bad for your car. Let me tell u what they do and what the difference is between a powerbox and a remap .
A powerbox ( racechip) is a box that has resistors in it . The connectors are placed in between sensors so the data that the ECU gets from these sensors is not what is actually happening inside the car. For instance , the box is placed inline with the common rail pressure sensor and the intake manifold pressure sensor . Actual values are 1400 bars and 1.45 bar . The resistors lower the voltage from the sensors and the ECU will see 1300 bar and 1.35 bar . So what happens ? The Ecu lets the fuel pump and turbo add more pressure wich off course results in more power . Well hey , thats what i want to happen , so whats the problem ? is that not exactly what happens with a remap ? At 10 times the price ?
Well yes and no , here comes the big difference .
A remap changes values in the ECU , not the readings itself . So this means , when a turbo generates 1.45 bar , this is exactly what the ECU will see . Evey car with a ECU has some safety's installed , pressures that can not be exceeded . If u change the value the ECU gets , so does the safety , if safety is set on 1600 bar for the common rail and 1.60 for the turbo it will only interfere when these values are long passed , with all the possible damage u can think of . Furthermore a good tuner will not only change turbo and fuel pressure ( the cheap ones do) but will also look at soot map , how much the clutch and transmission can handle etc...
So , if u want to keep ur car for a long time i suggest u get a remap done by a good tuner , one that makes his own maps and does his research . they cost more but in the end they will be the cheapest choice .
