UniChip - Pros and Cons ....

AU2PWR · 04-03-2007, 07:46 PM

Well , I Might be recieving a unichip for my car soon , and i know all the costs that will be incurred of the Install and Retune ,

Just Wanting to Know , what sort of Gains im up for , im not one whos up for saying that a Unichip will give me 20 kilowats , but 3-4 would be alright

my car is a Falcon 4.0 with 2.5" Exhaust and CAI System , Plus Extractors to be Fitted ... Currently Sitting on 119.8 before CAI , with the Exhaust

Cheers in Advance
Daniel

JoesAu · 04-03-2007, 07:59 PM

id say around 10-12rwkw

b2tf · 04-03-2007, 08:21 PM

save the money and put it towards an edit. from my experience Unicraps are, well they're called Unicraps for a reason!

AU2PWR · 04-03-2007, 08:44 PM

if there so crap , why is whooshas car so quick with only that and an Airbox ?

Dont Care if there crap , im after FACTS not FICTION

RG · 04-03-2007, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b2tf

save the money and put it towards an edit. from my experience Unicraps are, well they're called Unicraps for a reason!

Not always, if tuned properly and your car isn't too majorly modded they can be good. My XR was fine with the Unichip before the stroker and Whoosha has had great results from his.

Bucknaked · 04-03-2007, 08:59 PM

You obviosuly never followed Austins rant #4 million and something

:

Save you money and get an edit. I think with Unichip, it's one tune only. With the edit it's 3 tunes. Seems more logical to me.

Just because someone elses car works well with a unichip, doesn't automatically make it right for your car. Yours is a 6 and his is an 8. Different ballgame (Correct me if I'm wrong on engine configs )

Laminge · 04-03-2007, 09:03 PM

Depends on application

Stock with a air filter, unichip would be my preference, anything else I would look at the potential of an edit

RG · 04-03-2007, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laminge

Depends on application

Stock with a air filter, unichip would be my preference, anything else I would look at the potential of an edit

Don't say that, it's mine that he's going to buy.

private9 · 04-03-2007, 10:07 PM

I have heard, but I really don't know (so please don't judge based on this) that the factory computer will relearn over a period of time, and you have to retune the unichip to suit every year or 2. It sounds a bit like crap to me, but I'm really not sure.

b2tf · 04-03-2007, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by private9

I have heard, but I really don't know (so please don't judge based on this) that the factory computer will relearn over a period of time, and you have to retune the unichip to suit every year or 2. It sounds a bit like crap to me, but I'm really not sure.

not crap at all, in fact thats exactly what happened to my car.

FS5 · 04-03-2007, 10:21 PM

unichips are great,but they can only piggy back what the ecu can do.
if you want to go big cam and stallie , shift points blah blah.go the edit.

on a mildly modded i6 they work a treat ,all this crap about relearing is bs.when you get it fitted and tuned get it tuned on 95 and run 98 . they are very sensitive to what fuel it was tuned at and to what you susposeddly buy at the pump.i had heaps of dramas with mine (ALL FUEL RELATED)ever since i had it tuned to 98 .it pinged on every big name brand unless i used my local servo,to wich it was tuned in the first place.i tested the theory at shell ,bp ,freedom the car would ping but ounce i added a bit of nulon it ran fine.

my 2 cents

private9 · 04-03-2007, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b2tf

not crap at all, in fact thats exactly what happened to my car.

Very interesting! I potentially have one coming my way, and was thinking of keeping it for the AU. From the sounds of things it should be ok with limited mods (only has an exhaust, filter & snorkel, with extractors to come) and that's all that will ever be done to it.

If I have to retune though, sounds like a PITA to me!

b2tf · 04-03-2007, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by private9

Very interesting! I potentially have one coming my way, and was thinking of keeping it for the AU. From the sounds of things it should be ok with limited mods (only has an exhaust, filter & snorkel, with extractors to come) and that's all that will ever be done to it.

If I have to retune though, sounds like a PITA to me!

As Minge said, if you're only going basic stuff, I guess it would be ok. For my application, and because I intend to do more mods (and bigger stuff), the edit is the go.

DirtyHarry · 04-03-2007, 11:58 PM

When you guys refer to an "edit" do you mean the CAPA flash thingummy?

SpoolMan · 05-03-2007, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyHarry

When you guys refer to an "edit" do you mean the CAPA flash thingummy?

Correct SCT edit flash box sold by Capa .

Kev_BLNXR8_Ute · 05-03-2007, 06:10 AM

Daniel,
Simple, Your car being and Auto you should not go past the Edit.

I have had both unichip and edit.
(By the way dont let Russell rip u off I have a unichip you can buy....lol)
Even though your car has only limited mods you will see a bigger gain from the edit.
Knowing how you drive (Zero to speed limit as fast as pos, Just like me) :eclipsee_ , You will see bigger gains from the edit due to the tunning of the Auto.
If your car were a manual I would say go with the Unichip but it isnt so I say Edit all the way....

Kev

LG · 05-03-2007, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kev_Blown_XR8_Ute

If your car were a manual I would say go with the Unichip but it isnt so I say Edit all the way....

And what do you mean by that?

rodderz · 05-03-2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LG

And what do you mean by that?

with an auto and edit you will see more scope for tuning, not just mainly in the a/f and timing areas of the engine but will be able to adjust transmission shift points, hardness of shift and all the torque reduction settings that are associated with it so that Ford can warranty it for a few years safely

Manuals while still having the torque tags to protect the driveline they havent got the number of adjustments as gears are changed manually

Dauphin · 05-03-2007, 01:05 PM

With my auto VCT I received 22 new rear wheel kilowatts from a larger air intake pipe, new leads and the Unichip. This was on the same dyno.

DirtyHarry · 05-03-2007, 01:31 PM

When you buy a CAPA box will you see any real gains by using the default alternatives that come with the box, or do you really need to book a tuner and some dyno time?

Mark351 · 05-03-2007, 02:14 PM

Custom tuning is the way to go.

Kev_BLNXR8_Ute · 05-03-2007, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LG

And what do you mean by that?

As Rodderz said...

Both will give very similar power figures, but the way you can set up the Auto with a flash box makes a lot of difference on the street or strip.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

With my auto VCT I received 22 new rear wheel kilowatts from a larger air intake pipe, new leads and the Unichip. This was on the same dyno.

Dont get me wrong the Unichip works well and has done for many years.
And im not saying the Edit will give you more power, but it will make an Auto car quicker on both street and strip.

Like I said I have a Unichip that I can sell but I wouldnt sell it to some one with an Auto. By the time you buy, install and tune a 2nd hand Unichip you will probably save about $300.
If you have an Auto spend the extra $300
If you have a manual and dont plan on doing any major engine mods like big Cams, save ya money and buy a Unichip.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyHarry

When you buy a CAPA box will you see any real gains by using the default alternatives that come with the box, or do you really need to book a tuner and some dyno time?

As Death XR said you really to need them to be custom tunned.

Every car is different and reacts differently.

I know of An AU I6 on here that was offered to come in and see how a default flash tune would go on his particular car somewhere in NSW and he lost something like 8rwkw.
They said thanks for the opportunity, sorry to waste your time and put it back to standard.

Sorry Rus, but I would have to push Dan toward the edit for his particular car...

Kev

5L · 05-03-2007, 08:17 PM

my xr8 had an increase of 17rwkw on the same dyno from standard with the capa edit. i also switch it back on stock sometimes take people for a drive, then flick it over to my 98 octane tune and they cant believe the difference. gets to 3000rpm and it just gets up there and boogies, lol. mate has a 260kw vy clubbie 6speed manual, and he cant believe the difference in my car from standard to now.

DirtyHarry · 06-03-2007, 02:28 PM

Do you generally use more fuel with the increase in power?

b2tf · 06-03-2007, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyHarry

Do you generally use more fuel with the increase in power?

I find I do, but its more because I tend to boot it more

:

**Chris** · 06-03-2007, 03:49 PM

Piggybacks are generally good for smashing with a hammer when you are in an angry mood.

Edit = more power, more driveability, more "niceness". No cut wires, no headaches, easy resale later on.

Kev - bigtime disagreement here buddy - smash it with a hammer or sell it to a WRX owner. Manual or auto, edit is the way to go.

(i bet you dont have it in your beast anymore!!)

Pinkbits · 06-03-2007, 05:35 PM

Daniel, i thought you would have known by now! EDIT is your friend.

SpoolMan · 06-03-2007, 05:42 PM

I don’t know if you would smash them with a hammer, but I would say after going there a big development stage with Hamos AU6 2 years back if we had the of the edit he would have saved heaps of money and headaches.
Putting on the chip after buying, fitting and tuning wouldn’t be cost affective compared.
The areas where edit will save you money in the long run, not have to buy a 2nd chip from Chiptorque to remove your rev and speed limiters as we had to do cost is $600 trade price.
After a diff change the AU speedo is out once you fit lower diff gears we had 3.9’s the car hits the wall at around 90/93 mph because the ecu thinks you have hit the speed limit.
Then there’s a problem running a hi-stall you may get away with 2500rpm stall but be careful how much torque the car is making or even this size stall will go into limp home mode.
Thinking of using a big cam I good Unichip tuner can tune for a small cam and get it to run very good, edit would allow much more control over the tuning and should be able to run a much bigger cam.
Last thing I think of is auto and shift points firming the shifts with edit will save you buying one of those electronic shift kit gizmos which will firm your shift but wont alter the points.

If you can set the chip up cheap enough and never going to do any more mods then it may work for you.