ECU Remap/Software vs Chip:
08 June 2017 by Veloce Performance
ECU Remapping or also known as Software Upgrades, done correctly, will always be the better and safer way of optimising an engine. Much more parameters can be optimised than a with a chip. A Chip will ultimately only fool the Engine Control Unit (ECU). For example, most chip options will connect to a diesel engine's common rail pressure sensor. The chip will intercept the signal providing the ECU with the rail pressure values. The chip will reduce the common rail pressure signal by a certain percentage, thus fooling the ECU into thinking the common rail pressure is too low and by this method the rail pressure is increased. More fuel is injected and that is how the additional power is achieved.
With ECU Remapping / Software, the ECU is not fooled nor tricked. The software directly instructs the engine and components what to do. With ECU Remapping a lot off small changes are made to make a significant difference safely instead of the 1 or 2 parameter changes made by a chip. With modern ECU's it becomes more and more difficult to fool or trick ECU's with a chip. That is why in some cases little or no additional power is achieved or engine malfunction lights will appear and the vehicle will enter safe mode or also knows as limp mode.
In a few cases some may argue a chip made more power than with ECU Remapping, this is not because no more power can be produced with ECU Remapping, it is most likely decided by the developer of the software that any more power will be unsafe for the engine or the skills or the developer may be limited.
In rare cases, some vehicle's software can not be optimised because of the limitations of the interfaces that is responsible for reading the ECU's software and after optimisation, the writing of the new optimised software. In such cases a chip is the only way to increase the performance of the engine.
Plug & Play Units does have an advantage when it comes to vehicle warranty. In most cases, if the unit is removed before service, it is undetectable by the manufacturer. ECU remapping / Software Upgrades, may be detected by some manufactures, this however happens very rarely. There is still to this day manufacturers that can not pick up the ECU Remapping / Software Upgrades.
With regards to vehicles out of warranty, ECU Remapping / Software Upgrades should be your first choice.
The only advantage any chip(Plug & Play) will have vs ECU Remapping is the warranty factor. Companies claiming that a chip is better than ECU Remapping is purely trying to trick you into a sale because they dont offer ECU Remapping.
We will assist you into choosing the right product for your vehicle.
