Engine Drivetrain 1st Gen Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: G-Force Chip - Real or Rip Off

Another hint, don't bother with earthquake insurance either, as Manitoba sits on Pre-Cambrian shield (solid rock, goes way deep)

Mark

 

I know someone who did the mod...

not with this, but just putting a resistor instead of the temp sensor. Chose a value such that the ECU thought it was 70 degrees or something. He picked up a few HP, but pulled the item anyway. It was John Petrich up in the Portland area. He's a good guy who has done lots to his car.

While it does fool the ECU, you still have the knock sensor to protect the engine from extreme lean conditions, so it's not as bad as it seems.

But $70 is just BS.

The MSRP is just there to create a psycological "anchor" for the value to make prospective buyers to think it's a deal. A bad deal for a plastic box, a sticker and a resistor array. But the guys spared no expense. They could have just put a single resistor in there and saved a quarter! No expense spared!

Matt

 

I think you have this backwards. I think this effective thermistor cheat is an attempt to lean the mix and therefore gain some power. Colder = leaner, hotter is richer, So the O2 sensor will sniff the exhaust and try to adjust, but it will be trying to richen it back up. And yes, you do still have the knock sensor to yank timing if it gets too lean.

It is much safer and effective to work with the ECU instead of trying to cheat it.

 

"Cold" air will be seen as denser and more fuel will be added to compensate for it.

And the 02 sensor will try to lean it out seeing it as a "rich" condition. Or could (should)...

 

Correct, I am the backwards one here..................my bad.

 

I once had a boss with an 84 Corvette... the only year of the CROSSFIRE fuel injection.
He SWORE that hotter spark plugs were BETTER since they'd burn all the fuel.

Of course, he'd never want to run against my "lowly" 5.0 Mustang... smart man.

It seems a lot harder to trick the ECU these days into gaining more HP. Gone are the days of tweaking the TPS, bumping the fuel pressure, colder thermostats, etc.

These days EVERYTHING seems to throw a code!

 

Most questions should first go to the manufacturing available technical contact.
G-Force High Performance Chips at Wholesale Prices - Contact Us



See what explanation and MINI specific answers they have about their product. Than at least a foundation to applaud the product or discredit technically.

I will say that I am an advocate of if you do not personally have experience or technical knowledge of a part try to learn more before commenting its performance. Speculation and street common sense is of little real applicable benefit but fun to read.

The price is the real issue but Matt does have a plausible explanation.

 

Lesson Learned

If you're going to to try to trick someone into spending $60 for a circuit, go ahead and spend the extra 50c to buy a small board & a couple extra diodes/resistors to make it at least *look* like a real circuit.



I take one look at this and instantly *know* that it was specifically built with the intent to deceive.

Moreover there's a great likelihood that those contacts will come loose over time...talk about leaving yourself open to a support nightmare. ut: :lol:

Now nobody give them any ideas! ...oh wait...dang...

 

I got it!

I've been trying to figure out how they can avoid being accused of outright fraud. Given the fact that there is no power or other signals going to the chip (not even a ground) and that it is connecting in parallel with the temp sensor, the only *possible* function is a fixed-value resistance. Moreover most cheap"programmable" devices (e.g. Programmable Logic Arrays, EEPROMs, etc.) would not work in this case because it's an *analog* signal. And anything that would work (e.g. custom ASIC) is way too expensive (and 1000% overkill). So how can they claim this is "tuned to specific vehicles"? (i.e. sufficiently to stay out of jail or at least being shut down)

My guess is that each pair of pins on the chip have different resistive values. So they "tune" the chip for different cars by connecting the wires to different pairs of pins. That way they can honestly say that it is "customized" for specific vehicles.

That would also allow them to stay within a reasonable range of resistance values for each car to avoid stalling (due to an over-rich condition) or throwing codes.

Very clever....in an evil, devious kind of way...


BTW this may have been blatantly obvious to everyone else...I'm still waking up so all the neurons aren't quite up to speed yet...:idea:

 

It's junk.

 

And in WOT

you're in open loop, so the O2 sensor does nothing. Really, you will get a mild power bump from this at WOT in the right condition. It's the price/performance ratio that is suspect. John did it with a 10 cent resistor. They add a 20 cent sticker, a couple wires and a bit of time, total cost including labor is what $1.50? Also, there is no guarantee that the resistance is right for our cars.

But if it's even close to right, and gives say 1 hp of peak power, it's a better buy than a lot of other snake oil that's out there.

But really, who's complaining? If the market will support this, then why not let people who don't know better buy it if they think it works. Isn't that what "open markets" are for?

And Lynn, if we limited ourselves to first hand knowledge and fact, the internet would be sparsely populated indeed!

Matt

 

Some of you might want to read up on how 02 sensors work, how to check them for function, and how they are constructed for the location environment most operating within before making such remarks about another part may having some similar single operation function?

Reading the claims the ad very clearly uses phrases "up to" and full refund if not satisfied. This is not the first company to offer this type of product and claims. They at least have a containment for the main part while others just send a commonly available resistor specific for a type vehicle. * one reference check out 02 eliminator.

Let me be clear, I am not recommending this specific product to anyone. I just think it is funny how the closet experts come out to lay claim about product knowledge never having tried it and post comments indicating within those responses a lack of basic electrical specifically automotive electrical understanding.

Stop already! You just lower this thread and forum down to the level of another.

 

Ok, everyone is talking about the "chip', but what about the "Tornado" thingie?

Jim

 

:lol: Matt I see we are both up early today! **I received 2 e-mails yesterday asking about this product. One gave me this thread to check out. :lol:


**"Lynn Have you ever heard of any good or bad results with these guys"?


My response:

"(name withheld) I have never heard from anyone that has actually tried their product and have never had one to examine so I am afraid I can not help you."

 

I was trying to say a similar thing .. yes, it might work, but caveat emptor.

 

Installed one on a 1998 suburban. My customer brought it to me along with the other parts for a complete tune up. After my work he claimed he felt a power difference.We all know what from. As it turned out I had forgot to install the Tornado! Later I did the double blind test with him to see if he could in fact feel the difference. He clearly picked every time I installed it. So I got to thinking and removed the air cleaner assembly completely. He picked it as the tornado. So I knew it was the sound change created by the Tornado he heard not the feel. Did this test mean it did not work? Without a dyno I would not give a definitive answer. He thought it worked for him so he believed his money well spent?

 

I believe Mythbusters tested the Turbonator/Tornado Air and conclusively said "no."

 

So is that like believing the hookers in a Nevada whore house really like you?

 

They don't???