To Dastek or not to Dastek?

Phinx · Post by **Phinx** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:32 pm

I have never liked piggybacks and there is just something about fooling the ECU that doesn’t sit well with me.

I have a number of "illegal racing buddies" that have had an array of chips fitted to different cars and most sing the same song.
Once the buzz has worn off they start picking up problems like cold start issues, problems with idle when it’s hot outside or cold, Weird fueling issues and that’s the minor list

Some have more apparent serious issues, Like cutting out at higher RPM, fuel usage, intermittent problems.

I would go for a complete stand alone unit, but unless you’re looking to just be fancy or to go modification and HP crazy the stock ECU socketed could work for your needs.

I pushed 190 Whp or 140 Rwkw on a stock ECU so I think the unit can take a few modifications

Just my 10 c Zim

Sorry Gary not trying to make you lose a sale or anything like that.

Charlvdw · Post by **Charlvdw** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:41 pm

So Phinx who does the tuning on your sx?

Gary57 · Post by **Gary57** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 1:59 pm

Phinx no stress about the sale. I think "chips" dont sit well with you because you have been misinformed or have heard stories about kak Unichips when the kak part is actually the tuner.

There is nothing wrong with "fooling" the ECU, this is not a black art or something to be frowned apon, there are many exotic cars (Ferrari's, Porche", etc) that are "chipped" in order to fool the "ECU". My SX drove 100% with the Unichip without 1 hickup. If you are not going to spend R8000 on a EMS then "chipping" is your best bet. This way you retain the factory knock sensing, cold start compensations (this works as a % of the main map so if it is tuned kak it will start kak), etc. What you are doing by fitting a "chip" is making a programmable ECU out of a factory one, which is the same thing as a standalone. You fit a standalone system so you can alter the fuel and ignition that is exactly what a "chip" alows you to do.

I think what you need to find is a guy that can tune your car, someone that understands the finer details of a IC engine and not some poophole who thinks he can tune.

Phinx this is not an attack at you or your thought but merely my oppinion.

Charlvdw · Post by **Charlvdw** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:08 pm

Gary im considiring your price seriosly, i just have to way up things like the garantee and the attitude of the tuner if i dont buy the product from him(him profitting less). O and then getting the thing here, dont think you do door to door.

Gary57 · Post by **Gary57** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:13 pm

What you should do is install it yourself, it is connected to the stock wiring plug so you can do it your self. Drive the car to him and ask for a tune. That way he wont have any idea of how long you have had it for so there wont be any change is his attitude.

I will send it via Post Office, counter-counter or counter-door.

Charlvdw · Post by **Charlvdw** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:29 pm

Ill sleep over it. Yust one more thing, what garantee can you give me that its still working cause electrical equipment can kak by lying on a shelf.(no experience on ECU's, but alot on transmitter equipment)

Gary57 · Post by **Gary57** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:35 pm

I cant garantee it because if you wire it up wrong and short the circuitry inside of course it wont work. I drove my car to JHB with it installed, removed it when I fitted the Wolf3D and it has been in a bubble wrapped box ever since. It will work, I know there is nothing wrong with it.

Phinx · Post by **Phinx** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:50 pm

No problem Gary…

The fact is there are people that don’t have problems with “unichip” “Perfect Power” and so on.
But then again there is a list of names and numbers I can give you of people that do.

What you are doing by fitting a "chip" is making a programmable ECU out of a factory one, which is the same thing as a standalone. You fit a standalone system so you can alter the fuel and ignition that is exactly what a "chip" alows you to do.

Sorry dude, not by a long shot. A chip is constantly changing the inputs “fooling” your ECU into think something else is happening and compensating for that
It is by no means a stand alone unit or as programmable as a stand alone unit and should not be considered one,

Charlvdw this is your call, I have gone as far as 148 Rwkw without a chip which is a very nice gain over stock
I have surrendered and admit that I will never win the battle about “Chipping”

At the end of the day it’s up to you to do the Research and see if you need a “Chip” at this time or not.
I personally would consider a nice boost controller or a Turbo upgrade but this is all your call

Charlvdw · Post by **Charlvdw** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 2:58 pm

I do understand your point. The thing is where yust to far apart if i stayed in Durbs you could fit it for me, i could pay you and the both of us would have been happy. But now it ends up under some fat ladies arse at the post office and we end up being blaming each other, wich i dont want. But ill think and let you know in the morning.

Gary57 · Post by **Gary57** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:13 pm

Phinx the Unichip allows you to "create" your own fuel map. The values that the tuners types in the map is the values that the motor sees. If he types in 15ms the injectors will inject 15ms. So he is not really "fooling" the chip into believing something but more of intercepting the values and changing them without the ECU knowing.

The Unichip allows you to add fuel when you need it and give more timing when you want.

Charlvdw there are guys that can install it for you, if you want to maybe speak to Draco (or anyone with a unichip) and see if you can install yours while looking at his. There is only 4 wire to cut and splice into, it is really not that hard.

Phinx · Post by **Phinx** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:02 pm

Phinx the Unichip allows you to "create" your own fuel map. The values that the tuners types in the map is the values that the motor sees. If he types in 15ms the injectors will inject 15ms. So he is not really "fooling" the chip into believing something but more of intercepting the values and changing them without the ECU knowing.

But its still changing the parameters set-out and called for by the ECU.
Would you not agree that changing these setting without the ECU knowing would make the car more sensitive to changes in temperature or incorrect sensor inputs?

For example the ECU might be trying to administer the cold start procedure while the “chip” is changing the output causing a Cold start issue because the fuel map says one thing on the ECU and the “Chip” wants another. If a chip was as good as a Stand Alone then why would you have gone for a programmable ECU?

Look I’m not says I am right you’re wrong, All I’m saying is I have a list of people that have had issues with “Chips” is large.
I mean staring at a dyno screen and only seeing a very small increase or finding the dyno operator cooking the print-out because nothing much changed is quiet common

It seems to have become a South African saying like “1 liter brandy, 2 liter coke, 3 liter ford “ to just say “all you need is a Cone an Exhaust and a Chip”
The point is just research you options before jumping, I mean most of us looked at a couple of cars before buying the SX why don’t we do the same with performance parts.

Well I guess that why we have this forum
[smilie=200sx_200sx.gif]

Gary57 · Post by **Gary57** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:28 pm

No it doesnt work like that because you are not affecting any of the compensation tables. The cold start will work off a % of the main map, so yes if the main map is a balls up the so will the cold start be. The engine tempreture compensation will work off the same principle, as a % of the main map.

I went standalone because I wanted to learn about them and this was the best way I knew, it worked of perfectly for me.

mario_200sx · Post by **mario_200sx** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 5:31 pm

Wish I had the cash right now.

Have a few mods lined up.

The guy that works on my car said I should put a 63mm exhaust, freelow with one box at back. Is that to small? Same time doing FMIC, chip and actuator to get boost to 0.8bar.

WarrenS13 · Post by **WarrenS13** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 8:43 pm

Sorry for the Hijack, but where is a good place in JHB/Boksburg ish area that can properly tune a unichip, and that won't screw me over or mess the car up, and who knows his stuff?

Thanks

And back on topic, I've had my car for about 16 months with a unichip, and no real problems hey. Fuel economy is really bad, but can't compare to a standard car cause I've always had the chip.

But I wanna get it tuned, cause its as I got it still, and I think it overfuels cause it can be a bit smoky and smelly, and guzzles. But Lord knows it could be anything!

Doctor G · Post by **Doctor G** » Wed Jan 16, 2008 10:11 pm

As far as chips go, I think the perfect power stuff has worked well for me in the past. The SMT7 especially would be great on a sx.

For tuning a Unichip in JHB, I'd go to Arno from CRD. They used to be in boksburg, but now they are located opposite the main gate of the old Wesbank Raceway.

Hi tuned my NA car before. Speak to him and find out if he knows about turbo.

Else Jedi?