Saturday, I drove to N.C. to get my Upsolute chip. When I
got there and they pulled the ECU, Rene quickly informed
me that my ECU programming was different than all the
other Crossfires they'd chipped. Not sure if it's because
mine is a manual trans or because it is one of the earlier
cars built (#439).

At any rate, he called his programmer in Austria, who
wasn't at all pleased to come in on the weekend, but
did it anyway. Because of this, it took several hours
to get to the bottom of things, but they finally did.

The programming in my ECU was identical to the
Mercedes SL 350 (not the SLK 320 like all the rest).
Once they figured this out, they flashed it with the
upgraded SL 350 programming and everything was fine.

Gee, I wonder if they accidently put the SL 350 engine
in my XF instead of the SLK 320 engine

At any rate, with nearly a 4 hour drive each way, I
didn't have much of a chance to test the increase in
power, but could definitley tell a difference.

 

that'll be the mystery engine upgrade sir....

Very strange almost work asking your dealer about it, expect he won't have a clue nor will DC, unless you are lucky enough to find a friendly tech.

 

That is strange. But, I'm glad Rene was able to get you squared away. Enjoy!

 

Rene is one of the most pleasant business owner I have ever spoke to! I can not wait to head down to NC and get my ECU done directly by him!

have fun with your new chip!!!

 

OK all of this chip talk has me interested. Does it void the warrenty, is it worth it for a marginal increase in power? Anyone have before and after dyno readings?

 

marginal? from the way WM has done his tests its far from marginal! It makes our car equal up to a 350z and that is all that matters too me... I want nothing more then to be equal to its power with our stylish figure!

Yes it voids it if they can find out somehow... which is difficult

 

I don't think it voids the warranty - most chip sites have FAQ's that directly say that chipping does not void the warranty. However, the dealer CAN say "This damage was done by the chip which you have modified..."; however, to my understanding, they then have to prove that the chip was in fact the cause. Keep in mind all of what I've said are assumptions, so I could be incorrect.

 

I know when mine was dead... they didnt tell me that it was the ECU at all... but then in the report it was the ECU that was changed back to a new one... but they just said that the electrical system in my power train was killed so they had to replace it all ... thats why it took so long... :shock: ... But I talked to Rene and he let me know EXACTLY what happened to the car

 

It would be interesting to see in his words EXACTLY what happened to the car (such that he's giving you a free chipping in NC :! :?:

 

the installer messed up... its simple as that... thats why he doesnt do the ECU chipping here in Michigan anymore...

I give the guy that did mine some room for error because he never did it before... but it pisses me off that he said he could do it when he couldnt....

 

On Saturday, waiting around for the programmer in Austria
to come in, Rene and I had plenty of time to chat. He definitley
knows what he's talking about. Someone else might have
just gone ahead and put the SLK 320 ECU programming in
my car, which likely would have locked it up and I would
have had to go to the dealer to get it fixed.

If the checksum value isn't right (which is a little security
number that represents the content of the ECU programming)
then the car locks up and won't start. Not too desirable.
Rene made absolutely (upsolutely?) sure that he had the
right stuff before installing it.

He did tell me how to be sure it's right when you have the
chip installed. When you turn the key to the on position
(before starting it). Make sure the engine check light
comes on. If not, DON"T TRY TO START IT.

Another tidbit, if you leave the driver side door open with
the key in the on position for a couple of minutes, the
throttle recalibrates itself (this is true whether chipped or not).
With the hood up, you can listen to the car "thinking" about
it for a couple of minutes.

After getting chipped, the punch on launch is powerful. I
can't shift the gears fast enough. Yesterday I punched it while
getting on the highway and nearly wet my pants, it gave
me such a rush. Then again, this is the first fast car I've
reallly ever owned. To some of you veteran sports car
owners, it might not be that big a deal.

 

He just explain exactly what happened to my car .... but when you didnt know what was wrong with your car and it doesnt start.. its a really icky feeling... its even worst when there wasnt even 800 miles on it yet...

 

Rene made me very comfortable with Upsolute from the first time I visited the Upsolute site and left them an email. Then he put me in ouch with Sonny, my local destributer, and after talking to him I knew this was the way to go. I haven't regreted it for a second!!!