Cooper D & Digital Tuning Box

[Seamus Not Faster]

I've been rather surprised at what appears to be a 'fixation' with the remap option for turbo diesel tuning on this site.

A digital tuning box can be a neat hassle free, quick self install solution. It can be removed just as quickly, without trace, for those that have issues in this respect.

I purchased a digital tuning box from Chip Express.

A very simple 10 minute installation, although the injector leads proved quite a tight fit, space wise, when refitting the plastic engine cover.

Unlike other tuning boxes on the market,this one has four separate connector leads, one to each individual injector.[The norm is to have just one plug-in connector to the pressure sensor /atomiser located at the end of the common rail ].
It also has its own power supply from the battery,many others do not.
A waterproof slip-case cover, together with a long velcro strap is provided, useful for engine bay mounting .

Power range is quoted as 137HP to 156 HP and torque from 292Nm to 319Nm. [A Std car is 110Hp and 240Nm, 260 Nm with overboost]. The box is supplied as 'optimised'. In reality this means that the jumper switch is on the middle switch setting.

There are six 'jumper 'switch connector settings allowing you to 'fine tune' the power. All you need is a small torx screwdriver to access them behind the perspex end cover. I run mine one below max.

I've been more than pleased with the results. It really works beautifully.
The punchy engine is very crisp and pulls even more smoothly and strongly throughout. This smoothness is incredibly deceptive because (a) it really doesn't feel like a turbo diesel, and (b) subjectively you don't feel as though you're travelling all that fast. It's pretty quiet and drama free, that is until you look at the speedo !! Tee Hee. Much to the surprise,and consternation, of some other drivers.

The real gain is not so much in standing start acceleration times but in real world driveability. Third and fourth gear 'pick up' is amazing, the magic carpet swell of increased torque really shows.

The 'standard' power setting provides a perfectly satisfactory improvement.
However the highest jumper setting produces a rather more perceptible 'step' in performance, with no noticeable increase in smokiness or soot deposits on the back of the car either.

Inspite of the performance uplift, and remember once you have it you tend to use it more, I'm still getting around 53 mpg real world average.
And it's been 5000 + trouble free miles so far.

[timp]

How quick and easy is it to remove for those visits to the dealer?

[Seamus Not Faster]

5 minutes maximum. Open the bonnet,remove the plastic engine top cover,a push pull fit, unplug the four connector leads from the box to the injectors,reconnect the original leads . Open battery cover flap,slacken two small nuts to remove the power lead from the battery terminals, replace cover. The box inside its case is removed simply by undoing the velcro strap used to attach it to an existing bracket in the engine bay. Refit the plastic top cover,close bonnet. Job done.

As the Meerkat says 'Simples'

[timp]

next question then, price?

[timp]

I'll answer my own question - website shows £445

[Cziks]

I would be very interested in something like this, however I'd want to see some real world dyno graphs, with and without the tuning box.

[Seamus Not Faster]

Had the car tested on a dyno last week using the standard as delivered setting which I now run permanently.

Corrected power was 127 HP at 4475 rpm and max torque of 285Nm at 2260 rpm.
Well below C.E.'s claimed figures on their website. See my previous post.
Even more surprising considering that without the box the car was producing 117HP at 4670 rpm and 264Nm at 2110rpm.

The absolute figures are nevertheless consistent with those claimed by superchips.co.uk with their alternative remap option. From their website: 126HP at 4249 rpm and 277NM at 2124rpm.
With Superchips being considered to be the market leaders in remaps, there is probably a very good reason why the power and torque gains appear relatively modest.
That should provide me with some peace of mind with regards to engine longevity with the chip express box.....

Does anyone have any knowledge of any long term 'issues' with specific tuning boxes or remap upgrades ?

[Dunny]

Hi there. I've literally just joined up, though been reading the site for a while now, and I have used a tunit box for my Cooper D. I had many problems with the box I had and twice it had to go back as tunit claimed to have put wrong maps on or incorrect software. When it finally came back in it's supposed correct format, it would throw on the DPF blocked fault, and also caused another warning light to come on. Saying that, the dealership couldn't find the fault code as it was never logged.

I don't know if anyone else has ever had these issues, but my experience with tuning boxes hasn't been the best. I had a previous car remapped and went 40k miles hassle free.

Hope that helps.

[Seamus Not Faster]

Reported my 'surprise' with the dyno results to Chip Express. In my original post the car felt much better than the dyno figures would suggest. Bit of a placebo effect here perhaps ?
I returned the original box and a replacement sent by return of post. They claim the new one has 'improved' electronics, whatever that means. It looks nothing like those illustrated on their website,and annoyingly it is much larger, the only sensible place to locate it being in the battery compartment.
Can't argue with the performance of the new box though.Completely different.Awaiting retest on the same dyno.

As an aside, with my 'concerns' over engine longevity, I spoke at length to a very personable and helpful chap at P-Torque. They remap at around + 25HP, equating roughly to around 137HP.Every car is slightly different. Acheived mainly through extra fuelling,a touch of ignition advance and + 0.1 on the boost. They reckon that is still well within limits and have not had any issues.

[killermaro]

hi guys,

where is the common rail plug? any help?

thanks a lot!

[Seamus Not Faster]

I finally got around to retesting the Chip Express Digital Tuning Box ,with the jumper switch now set to max power.

All runs have been conducted on the same Dyno at the Powerstation in Tewkesbury. Andy and Dirk have been courteous,friendly, extremely helpful and very informative.

Box at Max Setting

Power 130.5 HP @3675 rpm
Torque 307.4 NM @ 2115 rpm

New Box at its Std Setting as supplied [Tested January 2010]

Power 127.3 HP @ 3745 rpm
Torque 284.4 NM @ 2260 rpm

No Box Fitted ie standard R56 Cooper D

Power 117.0 HP @ 4136 rpm
Torque 267 NM @ 2135 rpm

So at max setting ,there is a net 11.5% increase in power and 15% increase in torque. Modest but worthwhile gains.

A quick analysis of the OBD information reveals a 0.1 bar increase in the boost pressure.

The main benefit is in the flexibility and 'real world' driveability that the extra torque gives you.

The power results are consistent with those claimed from remaps by Superchips, P-Torque and the like.
As in my earlier post, that gives me peace of mind with respect to longer term durability of the drivetrain.

Just for info the Cooper D and Cooper S share the same clutch.

Conclusions.

1. A noticeable and worthwhile increase in performance.

2.The Chip Express Website power claims are rather optimistic

Disclaimer: I have no connection with any of the businesses mentioned in this thread. The above information is provided in good faith simply in the hope that it may assist other Dooper owners in making a more informed decision.

[Seamus Not Faster]

This clip shows you how to access the pressure sensor-atomiser plug connector 'der Stecker', on the Cooper D engine enabling you to connect the 'RaceChips' digital box.

NB. This is a very different set up to the 'Chip Express' tuning box in the above threads, which works via the individual fuel injectors rather than the common rail.

YouTube- Mounting RaceChip in MINI Cooper D

[Performance_Torque]

I can honestly say that every plug in box we have tested back to back has never achieved the figures they quote.

Power delivery is also never as good, being much less smooth an controlled than a remap

[Seamus Not Faster]

I used a 'RaceChips' Tuning box on my Dooper before opting to purchase the one from Chip Express.

This RC chip was migrated from a different vehicle for which it was originally purchased as specific to that vehicle.
Having later bought the Dooper, on enquiry with RC I was informed that with only a change of connector plugs, the RC box could be then used on the Mini.
This got me wondering why the box didn't need any reprogramming for the new vehicle ? I have to conclude that it must be 'generic' in its operation, digital or otherwise.

My experience has been that the Chip Express box is far superior in performance results terms to that of Racechips.
It produces a very smooth and eager power delivery, the engine revs much more freely over a wider rev range with perceptibly more punch.

The Racechips box produced a very noticeable pronounced lag low down and then doesn't pull anywhere near as hard or cleanly, particularly so towards the 'top end' where it really becomes rather 'rough' and feels to 'run out of chuff' esp in 5th 6th gear up gradients.

Which bears out the comments made by P-Torque about smoothness and power delivery of the 'generic' plug in boxes in general.

I can only concur wholeheartedly with their comments.

I'm happy with the Chip Express box but.................

Looks like a remap at P-Torque may be on the cards to produce a definitive which really is best.

Watch this space....................when I'm out of warranty at the end of the year.

[RONHULLOCK]

try dtuk, their green box upped the power on a 1.9 astra from 150 bhp to 206bhp dyno tested.I had one on my 307 136bhp diesel and their tuning box made a hell of a difference on that too.