Random Chit Chat

[root]

surely now you mean Eeproms?

Physically changing the chip is a little old school... "Chipping" is now mostly a matter of reprogramming the existing chip, no physical changes being made, just electronic changing to the various parameter maps.

You don't need to be a mechanic to know about chipping a car (where they used to change the eprom, I knew about that in school. (Of course it helped to live on the same street as BBR when they were developing the original starchips, and super chips is only one town over as well...

 

[strollin]

The settings in the chips are pretty much a compromise no matter how you look at it. The ones shipped from the factory will contain settings that try to balance power, fuel economy, engine longevity, etc... The custom chips often tweak for power but ignore fuel economy and other aspects.

 

[Smart_Guy]

Dunno about other cars, but I know of mine and its close family (what I meant by these in my last paragraph). Chipping in these cars don't affect HP output at all, that's if they exist in the first place for it. Injectors are mechanical and controlling shifting timing and 1st/2nd gear start is done with an already existing switch (maybe other cars adopted this later and it can be seen right next to gear sticks). ECU's and other adjustments are designed to give the max performance already. Dunno about the details but they just don't. Do a quick search about "W124 M103 chip" and see wonders. The next W124 gen's engine (2nd gen of engine M104) is different and could have chips but most likely they don't noticeably improve anything. Communities had been thru this for a long time with no avail. Replacing major parts, or maybe doing some mechanical adjustments, are the only way to make an improvement.

These cars are in a league of their own. Trust me, being an expert mechanic in American and/or Japanese cars only is not necessarily enough to know how these (above) cars work. Ever worked on an older Mercedes?

 

[Celery]

SG, that's what the chips are, the ECUs. They are programmable. They can be programmed for economy, power and many other things.

They set the timing, fuel ratio and many other things.

root, what are eeprom? What I know is Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM)

 

[strollin]

Celery -

PROM - Programmable Read Only Memory -- These could only be programmed once.

EPROM - Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory -- These were erasable and reprogrammable BUT erasing them required exposure to ultraviolet light which meant they needed to be removed from the circuit to be erased.

EEPROM - ElectronicallyErasable Programmable Read Only Memory -- These can be erased and rewritten while in-place.

 

[Smart_Guy]

As far as I know chips are programmable ECU's. ECU's in my car and its relatives are not programmable. Not by definition, but by the absence of means to program them at least. Related community members looked for (and tried to invent) means to do it but failed. They were not designed to be programmed second hand.

These models unfortunately do not support programming stuff. Parts have their fixed functions and adjustments are done separately and mechanically manually. Even fuel-air mixture is adjusted by a hex screw on top of the mixer. They are programmably (if that's a word) hopeless.

The only thing close to programming in these cars is a simple diagnostic method that gives light signals diagnosing the problem with how many times it turns on.

 

[Celery]

SG, the chips on the ECU are ROMs. You replace them with EEPROMs so you can change specs.

@strollin- thanks. Now I remember that black light thing.

 

[Smart_Guy]

I finally learned how to make instant noodles with eggs.

 

[Wallaby Dan]

Well... Here we go again, Celery!! They got that 4 letter dirty word in the forecast again! Highs in the 30's and lows to damn low!!! Bring in the pets.....again...

 

[Celery]

I've been letting GrayZ in for the night. Sometime he wants to stay outside, chasing the females.

Yep, it's that time.