Chips and reliability
01-04-2002, 08:35 AM
#3
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Re: you aint no newbie
I know. But I have been thinking about this lately. With all that extra stress on the engine it will cause excess wear and tear. It seems to me that it would have to effect reliability at least a little bit.
01-04-2002, 08:47 AM
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Of course it does. Anyone who claims that chipping won't reduce the life of your engine is.......
stupid or lying.
It stresses engine internals, because the car is under more boost. Pracically ALL the engine parts take more stress, but some are affected more than others.
HOWEVER - If you watch a boost gauge, you'll notice that you're only really going into deep boost if you're really pushing the car. Most people don't get a chip and then constantly drive ***** out.
IMHO - I'd rather have a 210 HP 1.8t for 120,000 miles than a 150 HP dog for 150,000.
It stresses engine internals, because the car is under more boost. Pracically ALL the engine parts take more stress, but some are affected more than others.
HOWEVER - If you watch a boost gauge, you'll notice that you're only really going into deep boost if you're really pushing the car. Most people don't get a chip and then constantly drive ***** out.
IMHO - I'd rather have a 210 HP 1.8t for 120,000 miles than a 150 HP dog for 150,000.
01-04-2002, 08:51 AM
#6
Sounds like you answered your own question...
But I look at it this way...
1) When I'm commuting to work and shifting between at 3k, I'm putting just just a bit more stress if not the same than with a stock chip.
2) When I perform spirited driving the chip is letting me drive the engine harder which will cause more wear on the car. I feel that I would still cause pretty good wear with a stock chip. It would just limit me. I find myself driving harder with the stock chip because I need to squeeze a little more power out of it than with the chip.
3) I'm prepared to service/maintain the car more often with aftermarket performance parts installed.
1) When I'm commuting to work and shifting between at 3k, I'm putting just just a bit more stress if not the same than with a stock chip.
2) When I perform spirited driving the chip is letting me drive the engine harder which will cause more wear on the car. I feel that I would still cause pretty good wear with a stock chip. It would just limit me. I find myself driving harder with the stock chip because I need to squeeze a little more power out of it than with the chip.
3) I'm prepared to service/maintain the car more often with aftermarket performance parts installed.
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01-04-2002, 09:12 AM
#8
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Umm...
Well I'm no expert on chipping. However, with some experience tuning other turbo cars under my belt, I say that's all speculation.
What shortens engine life is detonation and pre-ignition (both known as knock) and overheating. increasing boost with the right fuel mixture does stress the engine but does not necessarily shorten engine life.
If nothing else, you're risking head gaskets that might fail under increased compression.
The effects of detonation can eat away at the pistons and valves with small pit marks. Sometimes it can destroy the ringlands and will suddenly burn oil from below. The overall effect of knocking can bend or snap rods, which could then blow a hole in the crankcase. No, I'm not saying this to scare anyone, but I've seen pictures of all these such things on 4-cylinder turbo engines. When tuning turbo cars, you proceed carefully.
However, I'm trying to say that chipping doesn't equate to increased knocking; therefore chipping doesn't necessarily mean you will bend a rod or prematurely kill your engine. Chipping merely changes fuel and boost maps. These are very sensitive settings, so you would need a datalogger to identify how much knock the engine is getting when you run full boost. A real fuel computer can be programmed so you can alter these maps yourself so that the knock level is at a minimum and the power level is at a maximum.
With the correct settings all around, the car should last as long as stock. If the chipping company knows what they're doing, then you will have a good setup. If you drag race it, then throw all bets out the window because anything can happen.
What shortens engine life is detonation and pre-ignition (both known as knock) and overheating. increasing boost with the right fuel mixture does stress the engine but does not necessarily shorten engine life.
If nothing else, you're risking head gaskets that might fail under increased compression.
The effects of detonation can eat away at the pistons and valves with small pit marks. Sometimes it can destroy the ringlands and will suddenly burn oil from below. The overall effect of knocking can bend or snap rods, which could then blow a hole in the crankcase. No, I'm not saying this to scare anyone, but I've seen pictures of all these such things on 4-cylinder turbo engines. When tuning turbo cars, you proceed carefully.
However, I'm trying to say that chipping doesn't equate to increased knocking; therefore chipping doesn't necessarily mean you will bend a rod or prematurely kill your engine. Chipping merely changes fuel and boost maps. These are very sensitive settings, so you would need a datalogger to identify how much knock the engine is getting when you run full boost. A real fuel computer can be programmed so you can alter these maps yourself so that the knock level is at a minimum and the power level is at a maximum.
With the correct settings all around, the car should last as long as stock. If the chipping company knows what they're doing, then you will have a good setup. If you drag race it, then throw all bets out the window because anything can happen.
01-04-2002, 09:26 AM
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It's really more dependent on how you use it...
...rather than whether or not it's chipped. You control the boost (albeit indirectly) via the throttle. Yes, as mark says, more power equals more stress, so if you beat the hell out of a chipped 1.8T something will most certainly fail before it would if it wasn't chipped and you beat the hell out of it. So chip it and be nice to it. Run synthetic oil and change it every 5000 miles. Let the turbo cool before shutting it off, particularily after driving it hard. These cars are well made and will last provided you take care of it.