Chipping an LS1
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 85
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From: Oregon
Chipping an LS1 OK, so I am new to modern motors...most of my experience is with classic V8 engines that greatly pre-date any computers...so, this post may be full of stupid comments and questions; so bare with me. 
Anyway, I have a couple friends who have performed a couple bolt on mods to their cars (one is a Ford Explorer and the other is a Dodge Ram) and one of the mods they liked the most was the computer chip they installed.
So, my understanding is these chips generally alter the air-to-fuel ration and the fuel curves to make better power. Do they also generally lower fuel efficiency?
Also, I would be interested in at some point doing this to my Camaro if it was worth doing. Right now, my car is pretty much bone stock...but I don't have any crazy plans with it. I have a 2002 Camaro SS LE M6 with the factory 3.42 gears and an SLP installed Auburn differential. The car also has a factory installed SLP Blackwing Lid. I have a Flowmaster catback on it...but I don't know what series it is...it came with the car.
Is there any computer tuning/chipping that would be worth me doing...or should I pursue other options? This is my daily driver so I don't want to do anything that will greatly hurt efficency, make it hard or unreliable to drive.
Basically, I know nothing about this and I was looking for some general information.
Anyway, I have a couple friends who have performed a couple bolt on mods to their cars (one is a Ford Explorer and the other is a Dodge Ram) and one of the mods they liked the most was the computer chip they installed.
So, my understanding is these chips generally alter the air-to-fuel ration and the fuel curves to make better power. Do they also generally lower fuel efficiency?
Also, I would be interested in at some point doing this to my Camaro if it was worth doing. Right now, my car is pretty much bone stock...but I don't have any crazy plans with it. I have a 2002 Camaro SS LE M6 with the factory 3.42 gears and an SLP installed Auburn differential. The car also has a factory installed SLP Blackwing Lid. I have a Flowmaster catback on it...but I don't know what series it is...it came with the car.
Is there any computer tuning/chipping that would be worth me doing...or should I pursue other options? This is my daily driver so I don't want to do anything that will greatly hurt efficency, make it hard or unreliable to drive.
Basically, I know nothing about this and I was looking for some general information.
the flowmaster is an 80 series, and tuning your car right now would be a little bit of a waste, you should do some other mods, you can always do long tubes with ORY or catted y, those dont hurt reliability, and a better catback, ported and polished throttle body is also an option
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,259
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From: Lexington, KY
In the early days of EFI you would physically swap out a chip to reprogram it. No longer because on these cars the computer is flash programmable. Meaning you can basically edit the existing program with either a handheld tuner or software and a laptop. The tuning device reads the factory program, makes the desired changes to it, and rewrites it back into the computer. This opened the door for pretty much unlimited mods because you can edit the program to your specific application.
The answer to your question is a matter of opinion. Unmodded A4 cars tend to benefit from tuning mainly because you can alter shift points, shift firmness, and adjust for different size tires or different gears. You can also adjust the fan settings for a lower thermostat, though it's debatable as to weather or not this is even worth doing. M6 cars will only benefit from any performance gained by altering the timing and spark tables. In my opinion it's really not worth it since the gains will be minimal vs. the cost of a handheld or software/laptop. There is a good article in this month's GMHTP magazine where they tested several handhelds. They actually did gain a little HP with them though, so you might pick up a copy and decide for yourself. My opinion is that it would be best to wait until you did some mods that required tuning, such as headers and/or a cam, before spending the money on tuning.
The answer to your question is a matter of opinion. Unmodded A4 cars tend to benefit from tuning mainly because you can alter shift points, shift firmness, and adjust for different size tires or different gears. You can also adjust the fan settings for a lower thermostat, though it's debatable as to weather or not this is even worth doing. M6 cars will only benefit from any performance gained by altering the timing and spark tables. In my opinion it's really not worth it since the gains will be minimal vs. the cost of a handheld or software/laptop. There is a good article in this month's GMHTP magazine where they tested several handhelds. They actually did gain a little HP with them though, so you might pick up a copy and decide for yourself. My opinion is that it would be best to wait until you did some mods that required tuning, such as headers and/or a cam, before spending the money on tuning.
In the early days of EFI you would physically swap out a chip to reprogram it. No longer because on these cars the computer is flash programmable. Meaning you can basically edit the existing program with either a handheld tuner or software and a laptop. The tuning device reads the factory program, makes the desired changes to it, and rewrites it back into the computer. This opened the door for pretty much unlimited mods because you can edit the program to your specific application.
The answer to your question is a matter of opinion. Unmodded A4 cars tend to benefit from tuning mainly because you can alter shift points, shift firmness, and adjust for different size tires or different gears. You can also adjust the fan settings for a lower thermostat, though it's debatable as to weather or not this is even worth doing. M6 cars will only benefit from any performance gained by altering the timing and spark tables. In my opinion it's really not worth it since the gains will be minimal vs. the cost of a handheld or software/laptop. There is a good article in this month's GMHTP magazine where they tested several handhelds. They actually did gain a little HP with them though, so you might pick up a copy and decide for yourself. My opinion is that it would be best to wait until you did some mods that required tuning, such as headers and/or a cam, before spending the money on tuning.
The answer to your question is a matter of opinion. Unmodded A4 cars tend to benefit from tuning mainly because you can alter shift points, shift firmness, and adjust for different size tires or different gears. You can also adjust the fan settings for a lower thermostat, though it's debatable as to weather or not this is even worth doing. M6 cars will only benefit from any performance gained by altering the timing and spark tables. In my opinion it's really not worth it since the gains will be minimal vs. the cost of a handheld or software/laptop. There is a good article in this month's GMHTP magazine where they tested several handhelds. They actually did gain a little HP with them though, so you might pick up a copy and decide for yourself. My opinion is that it would be best to wait until you did some mods that required tuning, such as headers and/or a cam, before spending the money on tuning.
Now we can FLASH chips. But it has nothing to do with the term flash memory or how flash memory works. It is just a term.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 0
From: Lexington, KY
It was mainly because the chips back then were not electronically eraseable. They were flashable though. Some were even UV eraseable. But most were write once.
Now we can FLASH chips. But it has nothing to do with the term flash memory or how flash memory works. It is just a term.
Now we can FLASH chips. But it has nothing to do with the term flash memory or how flash memory works. It is just a term.
^^ According to my buddy who is in that industry you're right. The "flash" memory we have today came about because of the technology advance that allowed the memory to be written to over and over and over again. The old stuff (Think 80's ROM chips) could do the same thing, but it was (much!)larger and would burn itself out after rewriting only a few times. The memory of today can take thousands of rewrites because of details that are over my head 
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Yes all memory chips are FLASHABLE or they would be useless. But we could not write to them ourselves back then. The term flash memory is frequently used nowadays to describe a type of memory that can be rewritten to repeatedly and explains the difference between when we used to "chip" our cars vs. now that we can re-FLASH the computer instead. Which is something the original poster did not understand so I went out of my way to type a lengthy explanation. And all you want to do is nitpick my choice of words? If you have nothing positive to contribute to the original poster, go post somewhere else.
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In your shoes, your best option for tuning would be a dyno tune. I think many of our sponsors will do a dyno tune of a near stock car (no cam or head work) for about $250. Mail order tunes generally run about $125, but I don't get the warm fuzzy that every last pony has been found and you have several days of down time. With a dyno tune, you get a personalized tune and you get a nice dyno sheet that you can stick in your window at car shows (worth a LOT) 
. I'm afraid I don't know of any tuners in Oregon, though...so that may limit your options.
I would tend to disagree that a tune won't do you much good. Typically, you get the best torque gains in the low to mid rpm range which is where you drive the car most. And you generally pick up 10-12 rwhp in the upper rpm range as well. About the same as a cat-back...so if a cat-back is worth it...then why not the tune?
Efficiency will be improved, as you are making more power from the same size engine. If you drive exactly the same as you do today, then your mileage will improve because the engine doesn't have to work as hard. If you drive harder, as you should to enjoy your investment, then the mileage will decrease. More power requires more air & fuel...simple.
. I'm afraid I don't know of any tuners in Oregon, though...so that may limit your options.I would tend to disagree that a tune won't do you much good. Typically, you get the best torque gains in the low to mid rpm range which is where you drive the car most. And you generally pick up 10-12 rwhp in the upper rpm range as well. About the same as a cat-back...so if a cat-back is worth it...then why not the tune?
Efficiency will be improved, as you are making more power from the same size engine. If you drive exactly the same as you do today, then your mileage will improve because the engine doesn't have to work as hard. If you drive harder, as you should to enjoy your investment, then the mileage will decrease. More power requires more air & fuel...simple.
Last edited by NOBR8KSS; Apr 23, 2008 at 08:06 AM.
All is cool. Some memory is not flashable though. Back in ye' old days of ASIC design... the rom might of been build with the data physically programmed into the die.
Would really suck to patch a bug on that system.
At my uncle's shop we used to reflash old arcade game roms in hex with a chip burner. Cool stuff. Electronically erasable is just alot less of a pain in the *** and no UV lamp to damage your eyes. I still have the chip burner but it is ISA slot.
Would really suck to patch a bug on that system.
At my uncle's shop we used to reflash old arcade game roms in hex with a chip burner. Cool stuff. Electronically erasable is just alot less of a pain in the *** and no UV lamp to damage your eyes. I still have the chip burner but it is ISA slot.
i'd leave it alone for now . . . ok get rid of the flowmaster catback unless your goin with true duals lol when you do get your first mod get a set of lts and do a custom exhaust that'll open her up and with a tune you'll get the same gas mileage
like everyone already said, get some more mods, then take your car to a good ls1 tuner.
id suggest not wasting any of your money on a handheld tuner as well. just wait til you get it dyno tuned.
id suggest not wasting any of your money on a handheld tuner as well. just wait til you get it dyno tuned.
