If you contact Upsolute to get your car chipped, give them my name (Wes Michaels). It will save you a lot of time, since I was the first Crossfire to get it done, the file is under my name. Your area Upsolute rep. will be able to get it from my guy. Otherwise they have to pull your chip, read it, put it back without mod.ing it then have you come back in about 3 days after they look up the Crossfire file and get it sent from Austria. Then when you come back they take your ECU back out. Remove the chip and Rewrite it. Reinstall it and you are good to go.

http://www.upsolute.com/eng/index.html

 

Yes...My Upsolute guy got the data from Wes's Upsolut guy. So they evidently share amongst themselves.

Wes' Upsolute guy:
USA UPSOLUTE Williamsburg, VA
Sonny Lowe
Williamsburg, VA
USA phone (757) 876-7734
e-mail sonnylowe@upsolute.com
homepage www.sloweracing.com

David's Upsolute guy:
USA UPSOLUTE Fairfax, VA
Minh Nguyen
Fairfax , VA
USA phone (703) 930-5181
e-mail mntuning@verzion.net or p.pitstop@verizon.net
homepage http://upsolute.com


Should be able to get the Crossfire file from either guy.

 

Can we assume that the ECU data are all the SAME to begin with? If Wes had an older program, would I "end up" with his program (assuming that I have a newer build date). Or should I not be concerned about this...

 

Mine is exactly the same as the SLK from 2001 - 2003. I'm very sure you don't have a newer or better software build than David or I have. If they come out with an update for software we will all get it in the form of a flash update. I learned that from my Xfire tech. when I was researching getting this done. I didn't go into this blind.

 

Wes:

So what did this do to the mileage? I looked at the other post, but did not see any hard numbers.

And what would this change do to those of us that have wide temp variations in the seasons? In mid January, it can be -10, and mid July, +99. I am curious as to how the tuned ECU program would deal with that? And I guess I am asking the same thing about humidity and altitude variations. Or does the car already auto comensate for those variables?

If I were to do this, it would be more for an increase in MPG, than for performance. If there is a 5-7 mpg difference with this tuning and the K&N filters I already purchased, then we are talking about a 20+% improvement in the mileage, which makes the payback for these modifications pretty fast and appealing, considering that 93 octaine here just went to $1.95 / gallon.

I just want to make sure that I don't do something that seems right, but is long term dumb.

Am I making sense, or just rambling?

Thanks.

Jim

 

$1.95 for 93?! Damn...I'm moving to Ohio. $2.33 here for 91 in Southern California.

 

Wow.... Everybody needs to come to Virginia Beach $1.81 for 93 octane. jsisabella you must be lonely during the summer if you stay in Ohio... Most of your state is here! :lol:

I've only checked it once so far. I was getting (with K&N only) right around 23 mpg with a mix of 60% Interstate and 40% city driving. When I checked it after chipping I got 24.5 and that was with a lot of "Checking out the new power" foot to the floor tricks. It will be about 4 more days before I will check it again. I just filled it up on my way home from the autocross Sunday.

 

In NJ 93 is $1.83. If only we had self serve, our gas prices would be even cheaper...

 

$1.95 IS for self serve!!!! It was holding steady at about $1.84 until just a few days ago. I can understand a bit of an increase, but this is just plain greed at work....

When I leave Ohio, it is for the FL Keys, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Belieze, Cozumel, or Bonaire. Scuba diving heaven not too far away.....

Let me know what you get in MPG improvements.

What about the other variables? Already handled by the car, or modified by the chip? Any guesses?

Thanks.

 

I paid $1.88 for 93 this morning (then I'll get 5% back from Shell). Haven't done the math on the last tank yet.

I would't expect to get 5-7 mpg increase from the chip and air filters. More efficient engine operation resulting in improved fuel economy yes, but I don't know that you'll get that much.

I personally for the pure tecno-gook in me would like to know all the answers to your questions too. :wink: But I think Upsolute themselves will have to answer to that techie level. Or perhaps read some of the techie details on the various chip sites (google for 'performance chip').

Although Wes IS the aero engineer :P , me I just do command systems for submarines... 8)

 

I pulled this off the Upsolute web site:

The most important development was of course the ECU (engine control unit). This device basically consist one or more small microcomputers which are responsible for the regulation of the engine. The microcomputer runs a program which is stored in a Memory (Eprom/Flash) device. The ECU is responsible for the whole engine management and controls, verifies, navigate and adjust all the important functions of the car/engine.

This all happens under consideration of the current load condition of the engine in conjunction of the RPM and environment variables (outside temp., air density, engine temp., ...). This all is possible through the information of many sensors which are capable to measure Fe. Pressure, temperature, RPM, speed and amount of air with a very high precision.

Then the ECU reads the stored values out of the predefined maps for the injection, ignition, charge pressure, lamda, ... In this way, all the time the best possible ignition timing and the optimal amount of fuel in combination with the correct charge pressure is calculated out of the maps in conjunction of all the sensor values.

All this data is optimized at the chiptuning process. That means the maps for injection (at gas cars also ignition) and charge pressure, are measured in conjunction to each other in the whole RPM band, recalculated and with a very detailed computer programing in relation to load and RPM optimized. This is happening in a way that the maximum possible power and torque is gained, while the tolerances for the long life time of the engine is still kept, and the maximum possible fuel economy is reached. Keeping all this in mind, a noticeable power increase and also a stronger torque of the engine is gained. Power and torque improvement of 20-30% at Turbo engines, and 8-12% at normal aspirated engines are realizable, which causes an high improvement for acceleration, agility and top speed The engine will be more agile and stronger, while the lifetime, and the every day use of the engine is at liable use and regular service intervals the same as at the stock setup.

The main purpose at normal gasoline cars is the regulation of the requested and maximal possible amount of injection. Since the Air/fuel ratio needs to be very exactly to let the catalytic convertor work flawless, the injected amount of fuel depends on the amount of air that is available. In addition the optimal ignition point needs to be determined, when the compressed air/fuel mixture is fired. If the ignition point is to late, the consumption will raise, if it is to early the car will start pinging. In addition the ECU has many other purposes, which will not be changed.


The second paragraph answered my questions. It seems that sensors read all the variables for temp, pressure, etc. and feed that to the ECU. It then adjusts air/fuel and ignition timing based on the sensor inputs.

So what they are doing is fine tuning the M/B setting tables stored on the EPROM. Upsolute states that the tuning is based on the country the car will be used. It would make sense then, that there would be an improvement in the mileage, but I doubt more than 10% or so.

So if we assume an average of 23 mpg stock, this would be a 2.3 mpg improvement plus another 1.2 (a guess?) or so for the K&N filters. So we are at 3.5 mpg total. That works out to about a 15% improvement.

I might as well finish this. I usually fill up once per week. My last tank of gas was $26.00 at $1.85/gal. 15% savings would be $3.90. The cost of chip upgrade and K&N filters - $490.00. That makes the payback period about 31 months. Obviously less time if gas prices keep going up.

Since I intend to keep this car 6-7 years, this makes sense to me. How about everyone else?

 

Makes sense to me as well...

However, when I did the chipping my motivation was different. I was looking for the performance enhancement. The increased fuel mileage was a very welcomed by-product.

 

No dealers here in Phoenix!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:

 

Did you email Rene?

He's the owner of the company and if you use the "Contact us" on the web site that's who you get.

 

Speaking of 91 and 93. Does anyone know of any gas stations in Los Angeles that sell 93? email me maxwellstarsky@msn.com

 

i don't think i've ever seen anything more then 91 octane in all of CA. probably some regulation or something. Do the chipped cars need 93 to work well?

 

The chip companies I've communicated with asked me if my primary driving area had 91 or 93. To me implying that the tuning would be different. Not that if tuned for 91 you can't USE 93, you just won't be getting as much advantage as you could. I DO believe there would be a problem if they programmed you for 93 and you can only get 91.

 

Go to www.upsolute.com and ask them. They are very helpful people.

 

Lowest I saw this last week, driving thru half a dozen states, was $1.79 for 93 octane in Staunton, VA. Look for premium to be at 2.50-3.00 or more within 31 months. Maybe a lot more depending on how our messed-up Middle East foreign policy plays out.

 

That's not what the economists are saying. Forbes has a more optomistic take on what gas prices are going to do. Mexico and Russia are already increasing production to offset OPEC. Maybe this will also wake the crybaby, tree hugging liberals up to our need for more oil exploration and drilling in Alaska!