What can the chip control?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,615
Likes: 1
From: New Lenox IL
What can the chip control?
I already know that we can stick with our originals, buy premade, have them custom made, or program them ourselves, but what all can the chip control exactly?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
timing, fuel delivery, air/fuel mixture, engine temp...
pretty neato, eh?
all the engine computers to about the same thing, the question is how many inputs (ie, how smart is it and how much info does it have to work with) and how fast it does it. basically, the computers speed will determine if we are dealing with a course calculations or fine calculations.
there are seperate computers that share some data for display and such, and then totally seperate systems, for like climate control and ABS/traction control.
pretty neato, eh?
all the engine computers to about the same thing, the question is how many inputs (ie, how smart is it and how much info does it have to work with) and how fast it does it. basically, the computers speed will determine if we are dealing with a course calculations or fine calculations.
there are seperate computers that share some data for display and such, and then totally seperate systems, for like climate control and ABS/traction control.
Elite Torch Red Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 57,805
Likes: 23
From: Exit 89 GSP,Lakewood,NJ The Land Of Mojo
Cental/South NJ Events Coordinator
CI 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 Vet
CI-II Burnout & Drag Champ
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
While not exactly a chip. ECS took my buddies supercharged C5 and did LS1 edit on it. He got an additional 50 HP out of it from tuning. Most of it came from leaning it out. His car was super rich.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 62,161
Likes: 1,733
From: Athens AL
C7 of the Year - Unmodified Finalist 2021
C4 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
Well if you optimize the A/F ratio for maximum torque output at low rpms, you could improve acceleration, might not be a big difference from stock though.
Pro
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 729
Likes: 4
From: Yukon OK
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
Ok, so how much can a computer control a car's acceleration? A friend of mine thinks that it has very little contol over the car.
It is actually pretty cool for a car with this much performance to get such good gas milage. The engine has a throttle position sensor feeding the computer so it can give you quick power or better milage depending on how much throttle you give it.
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 43,370
Likes: 0
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
What everyone else said, PLUS shift points on an auto, the rev limiter/top speed, fan on/off temps, knock retard, detonation, speedometer, and tachometer.
[Modified by GDP, 1:32 AM 12/8/2002]
[Modified by GDP, 1:32 AM 12/8/2002]
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
Your friend is partially right in that it can't control acceleration directly. Acceleration is dependant on a lot of things, mainly weight, traction and power. Obviously you can't change weight or traction in the computer so you can only deal with power. There is no simple power control in the computer though and it has to be dialed in with very careful monitoring of operating conditions and making small changes. You then analyze those changes and tweak it some more.
You can do this with volumetric efficiency, power enrichment, spark advance, etc, etc. There is a LOT of stuff that the computer looks at and makes it's calculations. Then on the auto you can affect acceleration a little bit by changing the shift points and such as it was mentioned above. The 92 doesn't even have some of the things that the newer computers do but it still allows you to control how the engine responds to it's inputs.
So technically friend is wrong, you can control acceleration in the computer, you can speed it up or you can make it run like complete poopie, but it's a lot more complicated than just punching in an acceleration constant. :cheers:
[Modified by Nathan Plemons, 2:41 PM 12/8/2002]
You can do this with volumetric efficiency, power enrichment, spark advance, etc, etc. There is a LOT of stuff that the computer looks at and makes it's calculations. Then on the auto you can affect acceleration a little bit by changing the shift points and such as it was mentioned above. The 92 doesn't even have some of the things that the newer computers do but it still allows you to control how the engine responds to it's inputs.
So technically friend is wrong, you can control acceleration in the computer, you can speed it up or you can make it run like complete poopie, but it's a lot more complicated than just punching in an acceleration constant. :cheers:
[Modified by Nathan Plemons, 2:41 PM 12/8/2002]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,713
Likes: 105
From: Manassas VA
Re: What can the chip control? (GDP)
According to Fastchips, they can change the TC lock up, but there is no control on the auto shift points. (93 and earlier) Also they can enhance Traction Control, timing, fuel curves etc.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,269
Likes: 0
From: Swanzey N. H.
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
I have a 93 Vette with the Ed Wright Stage 2 Fastchip with 160 degree thermo
(which is a must for the stage 2 chip). What it does for me is:
1. Eliminate the skip shift
2. Turn cooling fans on at 180 degrees F and off at 170
3. Raise rev limiter to 6200 RPM without spark retardation
(stock chip limits revs below 5800 and retards spark)
4. Slightly lean out fuel/air mixture
(which is a must for the stage 2 chip). What it does for me is:
1. Eliminate the skip shift
2. Turn cooling fans on at 180 degrees F and off at 170
3. Raise rev limiter to 6200 RPM without spark retardation
(stock chip limits revs below 5800 and retards spark)
4. Slightly lean out fuel/air mixture
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,615
Likes: 1
From: New Lenox IL
Re: What can the chip control? (Jim Holbrook)
If the chip in the 93 and earlier can't be controlled as much as the 94+ cars, couldn't the computer just be replaced by a different one? AKA, replace it with a laptop or swap the computers for a 94+ comp? I would think the laptop or something similar would be easier to do though.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
thats a case where there is more than just a chip in difference.
the later computers are faster, yes, but they have more than just a chip. the chip stores information specific to the engine... the processor makes some of the decisions... the chip holds the data and the programming.
if the chip is not compatiable with where it is being plugged, it won't work.
thats why the earlier Crossfire cars are upgrading to later pickup ECMs... faster, with the same inputs.
a real easy upgrade.
the later computers are faster, yes, but they have more than just a chip. the chip stores information specific to the engine... the processor makes some of the decisions... the chip holds the data and the programming.
if the chip is not compatiable with where it is being plugged, it won't work.
thats why the earlier Crossfire cars are upgrading to later pickup ECMs... faster, with the same inputs.
a real easy upgrade.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 5,713
Likes: 105
From: Manassas VA
Re: What can the chip control? (Lord Odin)
If the chip in the 93 and earlier can't be controlled as much as the 94+ cars, couldn't the computer just be replaced by a different one? AKA, replace it with a laptop or swap the computers for a 94+ comp? I would think the laptop or something similar would be easier to do though.
