unichip

[dinger1983]

has any one unichiped a auto legnum vr4 before

[Nutter_John]

sghom , map2 are far better

[Nick Mann]

Mine was also unichipped. The chip is fine, but the number of people who have a dastek license and a 4wd rolling road are not so high. So mine has now got a MAP2 - I can tinker with that when I want.

[Nutter_John]

Yeah forgot that Pete got one fitted before sghom , even trying to find info out about the unichip is hard - they never claim to give you any more power or torque they just claim to make the car run the best it can run

[dinger1983]

im just trying to find an option for chipping the car dastek are only 40 min away from me and iv spoke to awdmotersport and the suggested basicaly the same thing eurospec are doing but withought there experiance with the car just dont wana have to traval to the other end of the contry every time i need a remap

[Turbo_Steve]

every time I need a remap

Well, that's pretty much the most important part of product selection: what are you using it for:

You need to buy ECU mods based on where you want to end up, not where you are now. So, for example, if you're planning to start with a unichip, then add exhausts, turbos, injectors, intercooler and a partrtidge in a pear-tree at a later date then I'd say that TBH the Unichip isn't for you. It lets you diddle with the factory ECU responses rather than out-and-out remap. If you're just going for a few breathing mods (exhaust, inlet, maybe a cooler) and a nice bit of boost, the unichip will probably do what you want...but then why would you need to remap it again?

I reckon the MAP2 will work out cheapest for a one off remap.
I reckon the Unichip is better if you're going to keep fiddling with it a little bit.
I reckon if you're going to mod the cr@p out of it and keep on tinkering with various parts and configurations, then you might as well stump up for an EMU or, better still a Vipec and do the job properly.

[dinger1983]

well at the moment all i have on the car is a pannel filter 3"cat back and a mbc

i have just bought a de-cat and im looking at getting an intercooler at the end of the month i would like some down pipes but have no idea were to find then in the uk

now map ecu is an option but to get any thing like that im gona have to travel very far witch i wana try to avoid what happens if the there is a problem and i am 500miles away from the nearest tuner

i have spoke to awdmotersport about a vipec but they would have to start from scratch which mean alot more ££££ in r &d unlike eurospec but not sure if they have fitted the vipec to an auto yet

so the unichip even though it may not be the best its the nearest option to me and it is a proven on the car

think now its more about practicality than anything eales a year ago i wouldnt have even thought about it i would have forked out the ££ for the best but now wife, kid , morgage ,bad back , and im out the airforce in less than a year i realy wont be going realy mad wih the car just little things here and there save my ££ for fuel and servising lol

[Nick Mann]

The unichip did the job for my car, but only until I made another modification. Then I needed to travel 100 miles each way and pay a minimum of £200 for a tune up. So for that reason I took it off. The MAP ECU is potentially the same thing, but at least I can fiddle with it myself if I want to. The Unichip meant I was very limited on where I could go and for that reason it wasn't for me.

The unichip has been fitted to several cars, and If you are not planning to have to remap it on a regular basis or do significant modifications later, then it is capable of doing what you need it to, IMO.

[dinger1983]

thanks nick in kinda in the oposite situation im only 30 miles away from the local unichip tuner and would have to traval for any other piggyback/ecu were any benifit would be eaten up in fuel cost

[apeman69]

thanks nick in kinda in the oposite situation im only 30 miles away from the local unichip tuner and would have to traval for any other piggyback/ecu were any benifit would be eaten up in fuel cost
The benefit, in terms of smile on yer face, will never be eaten up in fuel cost IMO. :rolleyes4
If you worry about the cost of fuel then get a diesel or LPG! /whip
You're a member of a forum that is the world's no. 1 authority on these cars. Use it to your advantage.
Plan your mods sensibly and logically and how may times will you need the ECU tuned?

[dinger1983]

this time last year i was a an unmarried bloke with no worries living in a barrack block paying £19 who owned a home being payed rent every month with realy more spare cash than sence think i had 11 cars in the last 5 years icluding 3 brand new and have spent prob tens of thosands modding the others

but now i have a wife child and 2 house to pay for and a vr4 and because i choose not to prioritise my car anymore please dont asume because i choose not to spened £500 just on fuel every time i need a trip to eurospec that i cant afford to run a vr4 or dont want to take advice

all i wanted to know is if anyone had use then before and they have and it works may not be the best but its whats most practical for us scottish members way up here with no bloody tuner with any thing eales that works and im sure a if i show good gains there will be a few more that may get one to

[apeman69]

Go for it then and let us know how you get on.
There's no doubt that you can improve fuel economy on these cars by adding a fuel controller and driving in slippers.

[dinger1983]

after i grined off the welds holding on cat and get the decat i just bought on i will be going for a power run (with rallie art pannel filter, 3"catback s/s exhaust, de-cat, and mbc installed )

then at end of the month the intercooler will go on and january the unichip. should get a pre and post power figure so will find out from the pre installment run the gain from intercooler

and then total gain at the end

i will be looking down pipes if there is a future group buy and fuel pump and pressure regulator then will need a retune but thats the future again

[apeman69]

Assuming your fuel pump's OK it may be worthwhile considering just hard-wiring it rather than upgrading. Pretty sure the fuel pumps are capable of sufficient flow for muchos power. Mine's perfectly fine, hard-wired, anyway.
Look forward to the dyno comparisons on this one.

[Turbo_Steve]

Some of them seem better than others.....for the paltry sum of money it costs to upgrade, most people don't want to run the risk. Potentially, the first you know about a weak fuel pump when running far beyond the design limit is the knock driving one of the rods through the side of the block.

Nasty.

Now, if you are monitoring fuel pressure and/or knock and AFRs this is less of an issue: leanness becomes apparent quickly on your AFRs, your EGTs go up and then the knocking starts. 5 types of bad.

Scott, for what you have planned (the usual basic breathing mods and a remap) I'd suggest you stick a fuel pump and an intercooler on there before you go for your remap, and then have done with it.

Finally, don't forget that the further you turn the boost up, the less long your turbos are likely to last...though we're talking 10,000s miles here.

If you're after a cheap intercooler mod, try cutting away all the plastic in the bumper that blocks it! I mean..mitsubishi...WTF?

[dinger1983]

the intercooler will be on by dec wen i get payed remap jan again wen i get payed the fuel pump was an after thought realy

but fueling wise id like to do the lot at once ie pump ,reg and injectors maybe afew other thing (downpipes any one got a spare set) and just get a retune which i dont think will be that expensive after i spoke to the guys at dasktek who told me it would just be dyno time