JAMES.M.

Seeing as the P.E. conversion thread is getting a bit big, i thought i would start again, but with Uni-chip.
Is there anyone out there who has actually had it fitted(that isnt working for them!) and if so what are your views on it?
I am still looking for an upgrade and just becoming more confused by the day, so any advise would be welcome.
Cheers....JAMES
P.S. Bob what are your views on the above topic? As i think you are the only other ecu educated man(that i know of) who's opinion i havn't read.
P.P.S. Firefox,Dynt what ecu upgrades if any are you using?

firefox

Howdy..

I am running a HKS setup..which I am going to change.... I thought of going the Apexi route... just to be different... Although Link is a maybe... who knows... chances are I will try both... lol

DYNT uses the Motec system..(expensive)

J.

leestudd

Yikes, the topic has split. Haven't got time to watch two threads. Eeeck !

Sorry.

JAMES.M.

I have the Unichip fitted to my 94 WRX. I can say nothing but praise. I have had it fitted now for just a month and have had no problems in the colder weather. No cold start or idle problems either.

Bhp before: 245 peak
Bhp after: 282 peak

Torque before: 232 lb/ft
Torque after: 276 lb/ft

Car now running 17 psi of boost.

As an aside, I know quite a few GT4 and GTI-R who have had the Unichip for 6 months plus, i.e. through summer and into winter and have also had no problems.

If you want more info. mail me off-list.

Cheers

Lee S.

leestudd

Had the following mailed to me to put on the board as the guy doesn't have access.

I'm posting this as received and I cannot vouch for any of the content.

Cheers

Lee S.

-------------------------------------------
From: Hugj1@aol.com <Hugj1@aol.com>

Lee I am not a member so will you please post my views on the bulletin board.
I had Uni chip fitted at STI Imports approx 2 months ago. I chose this system
a) Because I can take it off when I sell the car.
b) Because Dave Griffith at STI seemed very knowledgeable.

CAR SPEC
STI version 3/5 door
HKS induction kit
FGK exhaust with twin exit down pipe
Boost pressure peaks at 1.4 bar, holds 1.2 bar this is with a adjustable
acctuator
Bhp 307 @ 5900rpm
Lb/Ft 303 @ 3800
I have had a slight increase in peak boost pressure during the colder days
but still holds the same 1.2 bar. No cold running problems at all so far.
Only compliments for the uni chip, but I have not done any track days yet!
but it has had some very hard road use. It does seem that the topic of the
Power Engineering conversion versus all other engine management upgrades has
got a little bit bitchy (meow).

Cheers Jon

MorayMackenzie

So Dave Griffiths at Interpro is happy to HOLD 1.2 bar and PEAK at 1.4 bar? And it increases boost beyond 1.4 bar depending on the weather? Cor, I hope Jon's boost gauge is overreading rather than these figures being genuine, for his engine's sake!

300bhp from 1.4/1.2 bar, sounds short on power! I suppose they might be mapping to max boost at low revs and drop it further up the scale, that would be less destructive!

Moray

MorayMackenzie

oh, BTW,

I have a friend who's car was unichiped and "remapped" at Interpro (before the name change, I think). The unichip distributer has had a look at it because of the problems he was having. The distributor found that of the two hundred odd available (fuel?) mapping points, Interpro changed a grand total of TWO. They also advanced the ignition _fully_ across the entire revrange.

Whoops!

MorayMackenzie

Oh, BTW again,

Interpro worked on another friends car and left a hose loose and unclipped. Hose dropped off and engine went to turbo's maximum boost, 30psi or so, bye bye engine.

The hose was clipped as standard here (Cosworth engine), so it ain't quite like my scoobies problem.

Moray

R19KET

Moray,

What do you consider is the max safe level of boost, Peak, and held.

Mark.

leestudd

So this is good old Interpro work is it ? Yikes, more horror stories with that name involved than you can shake a stick at.

Don't think I have ever heard a good word about these guys.

Cheers

Lee S.

JAMES.M.

Err, just a couple of questions.
1,who are interpro?
2,is 1.2/1.4 bar of boost good or bad?
...JAMES
P.S. Mark(R19KET), you've done a fair bit to your car car, have you heard anything about uni-chip? BTW, how's the possom going?

R19KET

James,

Sorry, but I don't know much about the Unichip. I understand the principal of how it works. That it adjusts the fuelling, ign', etc', by modifying the output voltages from the sensors, to the ecu. This is how most of the Jap tuners have been tuning for years.

It's been said many times, that any system, is only as good as the person setting it up, and understanding the car to be tuned.

My car is going great. I'm very pleased with the Possum. I've done 4 track days now, and apart from having to make some minor adjustments to the map, it's been fantastic (wish my driving was).

What's very interesting, is that a map that works well on the road, could be catastrophic on the track. Even a map that is ok at one track, could be iffy at another.

I can run much more boost, and advance on the road than I can on the track, and even the map I ran at Donnington, was too marginal at Brands Hatch (GP circuit) today.

At least with the Possum I knew this, and the AFR, and EGT meters I have fitted, are invaluable. I would have these regardless of what ecu/system I had fitted.

PS. The Brands Hatch GP circuit scared me SHI*LESS !!!!!. Donnington was a stroll by comparison.

Mark.

MorayMackenzie

Whoops! Sorry guys,

I got my units conversion wrong! 1.2 to 1.4 bar is actually around 18 to 20psi ish, which is about as much boost as you would want with standard sti internals etc...

So, 1.4bar peak, 1.2bar held should be ok(for an STI III at least).

So, R19KET, I reckon 1.2 bar held and 1.4 bar peak should be ok with an STI III, can't say what would work for STI IV with it's smaller turbo (alledgedly).

Moray

R19KET

Moray,

Yes I know. WRX's/STi's hold about 1.1bar as standard, and depending on exhaust mod's, can peak as high as 1.5bar(22psi). My car did this with just a Scoobysport exhaust, and induction kit. NO detonation, about 9%co.

UK cars would of course run less boost, and even cars of the same year will differ in what they are able to run. Just look at the results on the dyno site. Even re-mapped cars of the same year vary enormously.

If common sense is used when increasing boost (circa .2bar) and time is spent correctly adjusting the fuel, and ignition, there shouldn't be any problems.

Mark.

Bob Rawle

Marks point is well made ... its fair to say though that higher boost numbers do not automatically mean more power and torque. Its air flow thats needed and a turbo will produce boost even when the exhaust is restricted ... it may well produce less power if the boost is too high. Again its all about getting the correct balance of boost, fuel and timing.

Bob

steve McCulloch

I'm currently waiting for a new chip to be made for the sti 5. The current ones on the market are not fast enough to cope with the ecu changes.

Sti imports is run by Dave Morgan
Interpro is run by Dave Griffiths.

Sti imports - is the import arm, but Morgan knows his stuff
Interpro has been around for a number of years.

As far as slagging matches go, Interpro, like most other tuners are specialists in Fords, and not Subaru's. They have, however been working on Scoobs for a few years now.

I have heard nothing but praise about this company over the years, even from a competitor company - Well Lane in Yorkshire.

Well Lane (Kevin) does not reckon messing with the engine, but they will do it. They fitted a Superchip? to an sti 4?, it was ok for a few months and then the engine blew up.
It puts me off any form of chip, if I were only getting a chip.

Dave Morgan goes on about the Uniden chip, but they have realsied its failures and are now waiting for a new chip.

R19KET

Steve,

Without getting into the 'Superchip' debate again, it's not the same as a unit that can adjust fuel, ign', etc'.

The Unichip retains the original ecu, but modifies the signals it reads. So if the original ecu is fast enough !!!.

The Possum is used by many rally teams, and also by people who have heavily modified cars. It's also being used on the STi5, and MY'99's.

It's not the products that are fault (apart from Superchip) but the people fitting them.

The Subaru can be very quirky, and most tuners have a VERY limited knowledge of them. They are used to dealing with Cossies, and such like, and try to apply the same thinking.

The Possum Link, was designed by Possum Bourne (Subaru rally driver) and Link electronics, specifically for the Subaru.

Mark.

MorayMackenzie

Steve M.

Waiting for a faster chip...

Does this mean your plans for a 360/360 conversion have been shelved for the time being? If so, have Interpro paid back any monies paid in advance?

Moray

DYNT

Need a very..very fast processor ??? I say go for MOTEC M48-Pro.

Anything faster then that ECU??? I dont think so ......I know..I know...

IS EXPENCIVE !!!!!

Is only money rite ......

steve McCulloch

Moray and everyone else. I aint going to bore you all with inaccuracies, I aint a technical person when it comes to cars, Dave did say something about the processor on the current conversions being too slow.

I'm waiting for a better one to be made, but I'm not shelving plans, the new one should be available any time now (according to Dave), but as I said in another thread, if its anything like PE claims on cracking the sti 5 then I'll be waiting until 2010.

I aint shelved out any money yet, so it does not bother me so much, just want to have a laugh at the UK spec cars with the Prodrive conversion, when I tell them ' Yeah my cars standard, apart from exhaust, filter and dump valve' when its really had a bit more!

Would like a go at the 1/4 mile runs also, to see what a reasonable conversion gives.

GavinP

Off-topic slightly, Chiptorque in Australia have apparently cracked the MY99 ECU - see