[flav]

does chipping the mini cooper, or any other engine for that matter, cause any long term damage or effects. has it been found to shorten engine life or reliability. if not why does the manufacturer cripple the engine and not allow it to be used to its full, but safe, operating potential. i would think this would change the fuel to air ratio causing the engine to run hotter and thus shoren engine life but increasing performance. any comments.....

 

[RallyMINI]

Sure it does!

A car company has to set the limits of their engines based upon ANY driving condition, thus they will be very conservative...

making and engine work harder will shorten the life of internal components due to wear, it will increase the load on the cooling system, decrease fuel economy, and possibly detriment other positive aspects of the car (idle sound, cruising ability, etc).

Plus, they have a cost target, and every cent matters...you can spend a little $ and get a lot of power if you know where to put it.

There is always more power somewhere in a engine, you just have to find it.

Good luck!
RM

 

[Z1GZAG N]

While the company I work for modifys only American made cars, from 4 cylinder to V10s, we have found that increasing the horse power and torque not only provides more performance but typically gives a slight increase in fuel mileage. Vehicles that come from the factory tuned to operate on 87 octane fuel typically gain the most power as we tune them to run on 91-93 octane fuel. By running on 91-93 octane fuel, we can advance the timing and typically lean the air fuel ratio at the lower rpms. Under normal driving this equates to better fuel mileage.

On the 6.0L 2004 Ford diesel pickup, we can get 150 more HP and 225 more lbs of torque! We here from customers all the time who are getting 2-3 more mpg while cruising at 70 mph with the program.

As for shortening engine life or effecting the overall reliability, unless you drive the vehicle harder than you would with out the chip, you're actually extending the life of the motor.

Look at it this way.

If you have 300 feet to get to 70 mph, a higher hp/torque motor won't have to work near as hard as a low hp/torque motor will, when in the same size and weight vehicle.

The main thing you have to worry about with aftermarket chips is the air fuel ratio. Most standard chips are designed to be installed on basically stock motors. Normally an air intake and cat back exhaust are ok. But, put headers or a big throttle body and you're most likely going to be running too lean. Running too lean causes detonation. Call it pinging or valve rattle. If it's ignored, you may end up with a burnt piston.

The more power you have, the less you have to press the gas pedal to get to lets say 60 mph compared to a lower hp

 

[orange_juice]

The main thing you have to worry about with aftermarket chips is the air fuel ratio. Most standard chips are designed to be installed on basically stock motors. Normally an air intake and cat back exhaust are ok. But, put headers or a big throttle body and you're most likely going to be running too lean. Running too lean causes detonation. Call it pinging or valve rattle. If it's ignored, you may end up with a burnt piston.

If you are to switch the throttle body and headers, how could you fix the detonation problem? Would a upgraded ECU to match the ungrades work out the too lean mixture?

 

[Z1GZAG N]

If you are to switch the throttle body and headers, how could you fix the detonation problem? Would a upgraded ECU to match the ungrades work out the too lean mixture?

Yes, a custom ECU upgrade specific to you modifications will adjust the air fuel ratio for not only the best performance but also protect the motor from detonation.

Headers, Bigger throttle bodys, Bigger Mass Air meters, Bigger fuel injectors, cam change, head porting and increasing the bore and stroke of a motor will all lean the air fuel ratio.

Think of your motor as a big air pump. The more air you can flow through the motor, the more performance you can get out of it. But you have to adjust the ECU so it adjusts the amount of fuel it adds to that increase in air flow.

 

[bertbert_29]

if i was to only modifiy the air intake and and chip- this wouldn't cause any problems..right??

 

[Z1GZAG N]

if i was to only modifiy the air intake and and chip- this wouldn't cause any problems..right??

Typically, while a cold air intake will help performance, it isn't so big a change that the computer can't adjust for it. So, I don't see any danger in installing a cold air intake.

As for the chip, you should still mention the fact that you have the cold air intake when ordering the chip. It probably won't cause any change requirements, but leave that to the chip company to decide.