Help.....
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 437
Likes: 0
From: Oneida TN
Help.....
My brother in law is a great guy. He has restored several cars, and always does a wonderful job, from the body to the motor. My problem is....Whenever we are around eachother, he always say's " how's the vette running? You should buy a CHIP for it." How do I explain to this motorhead that the chips suck....I am serious, I am not real well versed at car lingo....In a nutshell what do the chips do, so I can tell him this....thanks....tom
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 4
From: Rockford Illinois
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Hueytown Alabama
Well.... First off, you cant put a chip in your car. That's the old school way of tuning non-flashable PCMs.
However, you can buy a programmer which will re-flash your PCM with some user selected preferences. Or you can have a custom tune done by a professional.
Hope that helps....
However, you can buy a programmer which will re-flash your PCM with some user selected preferences. Or you can have a custom tune done by a professional.
Hope that helps....
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 16,270
Likes: 30
From: "It's 106 miles to Chicago, we've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18-'19
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Just tell him
"I got your CHiP right here...."
Take your pick!
"I got your CHiP right here...."
Take your pick!
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,065
Likes: 24,731
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '25
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
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
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
C5 General
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,391
Likes: 0
From: Boosted in Manhattan & Round Rock TX. President of the Non Club Club of Kansas and Round Rock , Not the flat part.
A few more 
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Department H (U.S. Branch) Western MA
Well.... First off, you cant put a chip in your car. That's the old school way of tuning non-flashable PCMs.
However, you can buy a programmer which will re-flash your PCM with some user selected preferences. Or you can have a custom tune done by a professional.
Hope that helps....
However, you can buy a programmer which will re-flash your PCM with some user selected preferences. Or you can have a custom tune done by a professional.
Hope that helps....
just explain what Qwk said above, so that your bro has a better understanding of newer engines, thus saving him from looking foolish in front of fellow gear heads that are in the know. it's the only right thing to do. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
You don't put a chip in a C5, you "reflash" the computer (bench tune or dyno tune) - But, bottom line is and this is obvious from your question: If you have to explain, he won't understand!
