Quote:
Originally Posted by nasukneil
Hi guys
I have been testing a RaceChip ( www.racechip.co.uk) on my G31 540i since Friday, and have a couple of questions.
Although there is a noticeable difference in EcoPro and Comfort, in Sport it only seems to make a slight difference; to the point that I am considering returning it under the 14-day money back guarantee.
I am running the GTS Black with the app switched to “Race”, having only played with “Efficiency” and “Sport” for a brief period.
I’d be grateful if someone can answer a couple of questions before I send it back needlessly:
The hp display on the sports dials only ever gets to 340hp, in series or with the chip set in any setting. The advertised gain is +54 hp, so am wondering if the displayed figure is generated by the ecu before the chip kicks in? It’s the same for the Nm figure, no change. Has anyone with RaceChip noticed this?
I am using standard unleaded fuel (95RON I think, usually Sainsbury’s) and not “Super” unleaded (97RON I think). Will this make much of a difference?
Is it okay, or correct procedure, to change between the settings using the app whilst driving? There is no guidance on the website, only to turn the engine off before changing the settings on the chip itself.
Thought I’d try here for the answers first to get users firsthand experience...
Cheers |
I have driven a 540i with a racechip and noticed it made a difference, but it wasn't what I expected. It felt faster slightly but it wasn't more much more aggressive; it didn't give that surge of power lower down which is where I feel is the 540's biggest downside. The owner of that car actually returned the unit within the 14 days because he felt it was too expensive for what it was.
He and I now both have a JB+, which is much cheaper (£200) and is extremely simple, it literally does nothing but increase the boost at the turbo by upto 4.5psi (user selectable) but he and I both agree that the end result feels more noticeable than the racechip. I can't recommend the JB+ highly enough considering the price and simplicity.
Now, in any mode, when you are cruising at 'normal' pace and you then floor the throttle, there is an aggressive surge in power as the turbo gets to work, pushing you back into the seat. Keep your foot down, and as it goes through the gears you get that punch each time. The feeling is completely unlike the stock car, which is purposefully tuned to deliver power in a very linear way thus eliminating any feeling of turbo rush. Because the power delivery is so different to stock, it
feels like it does more for the car than the racechip, and that is what I am interested in more so than peak figures because it was always the mid-range lack of punch that bothered me, not the all out, top end power.
I now don't need to knock the shifter to the left to get the car to pick up pace rapidly. Obviously it will be faster still but the point is it doesn't feel necessary any more whereas I felt it necessary constantly before. Now the mid-range is so much more aggressive that you don't need to reach the top end of the rev range to get a blast of speed.
Unlike the racechip, I noticed the difference with the JB+ immediately. Being the skeptic I am, I had wondered if there was some placebo effect going on, so after about a week I disconnected the JB+ for a day and put some miles on it. The difference is night and day. Stock, the acceleration all feels very civilised and linear, there is a bit of a surge when flooring it but nothing like what you get with the JB+. With the JB+ it is just so much more fun to drive.
Even if the racechip was the same price I would choose the JB+ all day, but considering it is £600+ its a no brainer. I had my own racechip on my F10 535d a year ago and I returned that for the same reason, my butt dyno wasn't confirming much of a difference and if thats the case, it's no use to me.
The sports dials in the car will not exceed the standard figures, because they are not a direct measure of BHP/Tq but rather a calculated figure based on what the car thinks it is doing based on standard parameters.
Any tune changes those parameters and the sports dials are unaware, so they will read out incorrectly.
Short answer: they are of little use now.