cabo1

engine running a stock program under normal driving conditions? Thinking about getting APR

Roy3

In my opinion, the re-programmed ECU will have no negative affects on the long term health of the vehicle. It's how heavy your right foot is that will determine how long your motor will live, regardless of what program you have in the computer. If you drive around with your foot on the floor all the time, you can't expect your car to last a normal life.

R

msauve

It's not clear what you mean by "normal driving conditions," but if you're considering a chip, you're obviously planning on using the additional power. Increasing the power output obviously increases the stresses on much of the engine and drivetrain, the obvious result of which is increased wear and greater chance of failure.

Having said that, it's all about risk/benefit - I've got about 120K on mine, and about 80K of that with a chip. Something will break someday, probably sooner than it would if I weren't chipped. But I like having the chip, and will just have to deal with it, if and when it breaks.

bubba j

Presumably you aren't "using" the chip all the time.

msauve

even if it's set to the stock program (APR offers this). Arguing against a tautology makes no sense.

If it's set to a performance program, there's no way of knowing exactly how it changes things - full throttle maps are obviously different, from simply looking at HP/Torque curves, but even steady throttle cruising may differ from stock, in unknown ways. So there's no way to legitimately claim it's not being "used," when it is.

cabo1

thanks for your responses

maaliish

say that under normal driving conditions (specifically in vac) there is no tangible difference between a stock and a chipped ECU in terms of its long term effects on the engine.

msauve

but _I_ would never make that claim, not having the information necessary to determine its veracity. You, on the other hand, must obviously have access to all the source code and maps of both the OEM and chipped ECUs, and therefore know that no chip could possibly run too lean and burn a valve or too rich and clog a catalytic converter, nor could it cause excessive detonation, pounding a bearing or some faulty bit of code which doesn't open the wastegate at an inopportune time. Please share it with the rest of us.

Of course, if you define "normal driving conditions" as not making use of the additional power offered by a chip - why have a chip in the first place? In that case the subject is moot.