Performance Chips

Discuss modifications on your new shape Hilux here. 2005 till current. Also called the Vigo in other countries.
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junglerider
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Performance Chips

Post by junglerider »

I have a 2008 3.0 D4D and looking for a little more power. I've read good things about Unichip but they are not available in my country, Costa Rica. Anyone have any insight on RaceChip? Pros, cons?


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Last edited by junglerider on Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Chips

Post by Mud Dog »

Welcome aboard, Will! :thumbup:

Not too clued up on the chips, but I'm sure someone here will be able to help. :winkx:
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Re: Chips

Post by Mars »

From what I have seen the Racechip is quite popular. There are a number of threads on the forum that you can search and also a poll on them. I think it is under the sub forum "modifications"
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by junglerider »

Thanks for the welcome. I'm waiting for 'that guy' to advise. Every forum has one or two members that knows all. I'm new here but you guys know who he is. Send him my way please.


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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Mud Dog »

junglerider wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 3:37 am Thanks for the welcome. I'm waiting for 'that guy' to advise. Every forum has one or two members that knows all. I'm new here but you guys know who he is. Send him my way please.


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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Mars »

Standard forum etiquette is to do your searches and homework first and then to pose questions. There are lots of very knowledgeable guys on the forum. No-one likes to be taken advantage of though.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by junglerider »

Mars wrote:Standard forum etiquette is to do your searches and homework first and then to pose questions. There are lots of very knowledgeable guys on the forum. No-one likes to be taken advantage of though.
Thanks Mars. I did and there is not a lot of info here. A few guys use it, one guy says it's junk and will burn holes in the pistons. So far I haven't found any valuable info like WHY it is good or bad. Maybe people don't know and I'm in the wrong place. They seem to just bolt things on that they see other people bolting on without asking themselves why that product.


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Re: Performance Chips

Post by junglerider »

There are lots of very knowledgeable guys on the forum. No-one likes to be taken advantage of though.[/quote]
Thought forums were for sharing info. Didn't realize that was 'taking advantage'


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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Mars »

The reason why performance chips work is that it is possible to take over the injection timing and the volume of diesel injected into the engine from the engine ECU using an external processor. It is very easy to improve performance in a diesel engine. You simply inject more diesel. The problem/risk is that with a diesel engine a richer combustion mixture leads to higher combustion temperatures.

The success of adding a chip is therefore dependent on how it is implemented. The safest option is to have a chip installed that is calibrated to your specific vehicle on a dynamometer by professional installers. In that manner they can adjust the injection profile to achieve an optimum setting for your vehicle which will not be the maximum performance you can get from the vehicle.

With the "plug-and-play chips" you hope that the program on the chip is a conservative profile and not simply set up for maximum power or somewhere close to it.

Holes get burnt in pistons if there is a hot spot that is created on the piston crown due to too much diesel being concentrated in one spot. Normally this results from a leaking injector. I suppose it is possible to over fuel an injector to the point where the diesel in not atomized properly leading to a hot spot on the piston but I am speculating. I suspect that the burnt piston/s was a combination of over fueling and old/leaky injectors.

Another risk is the increased combustion temperatures lead to increased exhaust gas temperatures and increased cylinder head temperatures. Under heavy load such as towing a trailer uphill and full acceleration it is very easy for the cylinder head temperatures to quickly reach dangerous levels which could lead to valve seat recession, burning exhaust valves or other damage to the cylinder head.

Most guys go for the Dastek Q-chip which is installed and calibrated for your specific vehicle on a dyno and they follow a more conservative approach. The Diesel Torque chips also seem to be quite popular. Of the plug and play chips they seem to be the most popular.

It is not only the risk of over fueling but some guys have also reported their vehicles going into limp mode under hard acceleration or load conditions such as when overtaking another vehicle.

There seems to be a correlation between the price of the chip and the end result. I would be hesitant to fit a plug and play chip.
Last edited by Mars on Tue Nov 21, 2017 8:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by JamesC »

Mmm, now that is what I call an informed, educated, and well-worded response. Informative, based on fact, rather than speculation. Your reply also underscores my philosophy of rather keeping the vehicle stock standard. I drive a 2.5 D4D SRX...it is a donkey. I knew it when I bought it. It drives like a donkey. But it just keeps on going - the part I am interested in.

If you want more power, sell, and buy something more powerful.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Jaws »

Good post Mars


Just to add that if someone still feels they really "need" a chip an EGT gauge should be installed with the chip


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Re: Performance Chips

Post by junglerider »

Thanks Mars for that very informative post, it is appreciated! Since I cannot get a chip dyno tuned (Unichip) to my vehicle, maybe a plug and play with an EGT gauge is the next best option? It looks like EGT is the only thing I need to monitor, AF not an issue? I'm guessing the guys going into limp mode is caused by the extra power exposing pre-existing problems that don't show up under normal power. I have never heard anything bad about Race Chip so I assume they stay in the "safe zone". I will also check out Diesel Torque. Thanks!
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Mars »

I understand that the engine goes into limp mode when the pressure in the common rail drops below a certain threshold. This is due to the chip causing more diesel to be injected than the high pressure pump can deliver. The guys who build the Arctic truck replicas here only use Racechip and they told me they have not had any issues.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Thabogrobler »

Welcome Will!

My personal preference is the Unichip. I will go as far to say I will not install a chip if I can not get a Unichip properly installed!

South Africa is a unique country in the sense that we drive fast over long distances in high heat with heavy loads. Now all of that puts some serious strain on an engine, especially a turbo diesel.

Eg. Safari turbo's in Australia successfully installs turbo on the 1HZ Land Cruisers. The exact same modification does not last in South Africa due to the above combination of factors.

In Thailand the 2.5 D4D Engines gets commonly chipped to 350HP! BUT they do not drive the distances that we do, neither as fast or with a heavy loads.

Further, in South Africa I know of a few engine failures where these generic chips was used, but it is almost unheard of in Europe(where most of them originate), again due to the above combination of factors.

Another problem with the generic chips it that for eg. your car can handle 18% more fuel at 2000rpm but only 3% at 3000rpm. Now, these generic chips can only add or remove a preset amount of fuel. What will happen if the chip says inject an additional 10% fuel across the range at 3000rpm? Melted pistons!

With a Unichip the fueling(and many, many more settings) can be adjusted every 100rpm if the tuner wish with a value as the tuners seems fit.

Thus, in short, if you live in a cooler climate, do not carry heavy loads or tow heavy or drive too fast(140km/h plus) a generic chip *might* be ok if you can not find a Unichip.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by rood »

Ek het n Performance chip gekoop en wil my hilux laat dino. Waar kan ek gaan?
Ek het iewers gehoor van SAC dink dit is in PTA, kan iemand my aanduiding gee asb.
Ek gaan more of vrydag PTA toe en sal daar wil aangaan
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Jaws »

rood wrote:Ek het n Performance chip gekoop en wil my hilux laat dino. Waar kan ek gaan?
Ek het iewers gehoor van SAC dink dit is in PTA, kan iemand my aanduiding gee asb.
Ek gaan more of vrydag PTA toe en sal daar wil aangaan
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by rigardt »

ek twyfel sterk.
daai is n plug n play boks.
jy kan hom nie stel op n dyno nie. hy doen sy eie ding !
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Mars »

Watter chip is dit daardie? Dit klink soos die Dastek Chip want hy sê Q4. Hoe Dastek werk is as jy daar wil wag terwyl hulle jou bakkie doen moet jy 'n afpraak maak voor die tyd wat so twee weke vooruit is. As jy die bakkie die oggend bring sal hulle hom doen as jy bereid is om hom daar te los vir die dag. Dan druk hulle hom êrens in die dag gou in.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by rood »

Dit is n Dastek Chip Q4. Sal hulle vandag skakel.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by junglerider »

Thanks Thabo! More great info to consider. Compared to you guys in S.A.my Hilux has it easy. 100 to 120 Kph max and longest trip ever (couple times a year) would be 3-5 hours.

You implied the Plug N Play chips are not mapped in 3D, is that correct? 3D considers RPM and throttle position for fuel adjustments, not just RPM across the board.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Thabogrobler »

junglerider wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:20 pm Thanks Thabo! More great info to consider. Compared to you guys in S.A.my Hilux has it easy. 100 to 120 Kph max and longest trip ever (couple times a year) would be 3-5 hours.

You implied the Plug N Play chips are not mapped in 3D, is that correct? 3D considers RPM and throttle position for fuel adjustments, not just RPM across the board.
Yes, generic chips has a certain set value and that is it.

Your closest Unichip dealer in your neighbourly Panama.
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Re: Performance Chips

Post by junglerider »

Thabogrobler wrote:
junglerider wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2017 6:20 pm Thanks Thabo! More great info to consider. Compared to you guys in S.A.my Hilux has it easy. 100 to 120 Kph max and longest trip ever (couple times a year) would be 3-5 hours.

You implied the Plug N Play chips are not mapped in 3D, is that correct? 3D considers RPM and throttle position for fuel adjustments, not just RPM across the board.
Yes, generic chips has a certain set value and that is it.

Your closest Unichip dealer in your neighbourly Panama.
Yea, maybe not. I contacted the listed unichip dealer for Panama and he is trying to sell me a 'much better' plug and play chip called Spyder. Maybe Unichip needs to update their website Image



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Re: Performance Chips

Post by Oz-Meister »

Jis Manne

Ek is relatief nuut hier en lees maar gereeld die posts, ek is nie eintlik iemand wat baie praat of heeltyd foto's post nie, maar ek wil maar net vir julle in kennis stel (vir die wat wou weet), As enige van julle dit oorweeg om jou 2.5 Vigo SRX 4x4 te chip, en as jy in die kaap bly, sal ek dit voorstel, dat jy nerens anders gaan as KSD in Stikland nie, hulle doen al vir 30 jaar lank Tuning op voertuie, Toyota se handelaars stuur hul bakkies direk na hulle toe, hulle skryf hul eie programme vir die Tuning, het baie "trade secrets" en diens is seker die beste in SA. Hulle spesialiseer ook in Diesel Tuning!

Praat met Karel Swanepoel, hy het ongelooflik baie kennis, en hulle gebruik Unichip/DasTec/q veskoon die spelling.
Hulle Tune jou voertuig baie veilig, en ek vertrou my "Truckie" by niemand anders nie....

Elkgeval, om tot by die punt te kom, my Hilux is n 2012 2.5 SRX 4x4 met 191 000km's.

Standaard stoot hulle +- 77Kw en 249-255Nm fabrieks uit

Wel manne, ek is baie gelukkig want my ou Trokkie kan jy maar se sit saam met die 3.0 D4D manne.

vandag vir sy laaste Mapping laat gaan na Karel toe, en na my Snorkel, 76mm pyp en Cooler (Self opgesit), gesels hy nou mooi met

111.9Kw en 378Nm

:dance1: :dance1: :dance1:

Ek dink dit is absoluut die moeite werd.

Groete.

Os
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