dastek power chip anyone....

[clips]

any experience with the power chip?
 considering it very seriously to use on the td5 90, heard some good reviews (2 sources), non bad yet.
 anyone got any feed back be it for the td5 or otherwise.

(want to leave the origional ecu alone, so like the piggy back system of dastek)

cheers

[Hightower]

Got one on mine.  No problems so far.

Makes the car much more driveable.  There are hills where I would've had to change down to 3rd to get up, but now can stay in 4th and not worry.
I also seem to have regained some performance that I lost when I put the bigger tyres on.
Fast mine isn't.  More pleasant to drive it certainly is.

[Porny]

The Dastek box...

Does the same as every other box, all it does is confuse the signal from the ECU slightly, so it add extra fuel at the end of the normal injection.

This is far from ideal, as it does mess up the injector timing...

I've heard reports of cars (with other interupter boxes too) suddenly going in to limp home mode... which means you have to turn the ignition on and off to hopefully reset.

Or, at times the engine mil light coming on for no reason, I've even heard of engines cutting out.

Also worth checking EGT... which is difficult without fitting a thermocouple in the exhaust... as some boxes allow this to get too high.


Your warranty.... Land Rover know that people use these boxes, and may check any info stored in the ECU if an engine fails suddenly.

The view of Land Rover engineers is not to use them... some of them are very bad!!!

Heavy smoking can also occur at times....

I'd personally go to somewhere like JE Engineering and get the ECU reflashed (Allisport will also soon be offering this AFAIK)...

This does mean you'll invalidate the warranty on the engine itself, but not on the whole car.
JE (for example) have not had one reported engine faliure from using their tunes.

How many miles has your TD5 done??? more than 1000 miles??

TD5's also respond well to a slight increase in boost pressure (16 or 17psi is good) - and will not hit overboost.
But... you can't usually do this with a Dastek box or similar as the MIL light comes on quite frequently!!

Also, I'm very dubious of the power figures claimed!!!

IMHO, whilst the plug in boxes work - to a fashion - they're not ideal.


Ian

[clips]

How many miles has your TD5 done??? more than 1000 miles??

about 18k.

 thanks for your thoughts.

i like the idea of increasing the low down torque as the td5 does seem a little weak at low revs, despite the anti stall.
 i have heard of problems with the jerremy fern chip, will look into the JE, just didnt like the idea of changing the actual make up of the vechicle witout the ability to remove it

[littlepow]

What about upgrading the intercooler and air filter, maybe even a sport exhaust system? Less electronic magic to fail.

[thermidorthelobster]

I tried the Superchips chip, and also the van Aaken piggyback one, and settled on the Autologic flash upgrade in the end.  Like Simon, I found the truck's not exactly a dragster, but it makes it more driveable.

I'm not sold on the idea of messing around with the signal - it doesn't really do much at all apart from changing fuelling.  If you remap the ECU altogether, you get much more control over every aspect of the engine management.

[Porny]

like the idea of increasing the low down torque as the td5 does seem a little weak at low revs, despite the anti stall.
i have heard of problems with the jerremy fern chip, will look into the JE, just didnt like the idea of changing the actual make up of the vechicle witout the ability to remove it

Re-flashing the ECU technically isn't a permanent mod...
If you don't like, it's just a case of re-flashing the ECU with a standard tune... and if the people are clever, they will remove the 'markers' within the ECU that show it's been modified   (I believe that is still possible).

My recommendations would be JE... although it would be worth talking to Allisport (not that I'm biased!!!) - Andy's a nice bloke and will sort you out with a better 'tune' if he can!!

I'm not sold on the idea of messing around with the signal - it doesn't really do much at all apart from changing fuelling. If you remap the ECU altogether, you get much more control over every aspect of the engine management.

Exactly!!!

In saying that though.... there are people who mess up remapping the ECU.. a few companies I've heard of that remap the top end, but don't alter anything low down..
Which is ok in a car, but not in a Landy - where low down grunt makes all the difference.   They also offer poor drivability... in some cases it's all or nothing.

However, there are some good companies around...
They actually spend time mapping throughout the rev range, which gives better performance and overall drivability.


Tuning TD5's though.... is an addictive past time...

First it's the chip, possibly a better airfilter... a straight thorough pipe for the centre box (a TD5 actually makes a very nice noise!!), a big intercooler.....

Then it's onto hybrid turbo's and propane injection!!! :twisted:

Ian

[thermidorthelobster]

When I got my Autologic upgrade, I had to have a new ECU, as mine wasn't flash-upgradeable, so I kept the old one.  It also means if I dunk it, I have a spare.

[Hightower]

First it's the chip, possibly a better airfilter... a straight thorough pipe for the centre box (a TD5 actually makes a very nice noise!!), a big intercooler.....

Then it's onto hybrid turbo's and propane injection!!! :twisted:

I did it in a different order, based on the cash available.  Filter first, then straight thru pipe (which is not as loud as some people would have you believe) and now the Dastek.
When I can afford it I will get a bigger intercooler.
Not sure about propane injection yet tho  

[Porny]

When I got my Autologic upgrade, I had to have a new ECU, as mine wasn't flash-upgradeable, so I kept the old one. It also means if I dunk it, I have a spare.

It just means Autologic haven't got the resources... or don't understand - or do it to get more money.

Pre flash upgradeable ECU's can still be modified...

This is done by removing the main chip and soldering in a socket board...
Then it's just a case of flashing/programming a new chip and inserting it in the new chip holder... not as drastic as it sounds.  
Does involve more effort than just flashing the tune into a later type ECU...

This is how 38A Range Rovers are chipped (and Freelanders - pre Td4)... and any pre 2002 (pre flash ECU) Defender and Discoverys are done.... usually.

I know Allisport are now able to offer this service.


Ian

[thermidorthelobster]

But was there much point in doing that when they just gave me a reprogrammable ECU for free?  :D

[Porny]

suppose not.... :roll:

Though does depend how much they charged you to reflash it with the Autologic tune??



Ian

[Xtremeteam]

where i work we do the autologic fkash & i think its 350 ish,its the early ecu's that wont take the upload where as the later ones will

[Porny]

Thats because early ones (pre 2002 ish) have a different chip and are not re-flashable... hence why you physically have to change the chip.

Later ones... it's just a case of plugging into the diagnostic port and re-flashing the ECU with the new tune.


Ian

[Spooky]

I'll confirm what 'Hightower' says ... Not necessarily quicker, but more relaxing to drive.  No real diffierence to the fuel consumption, either ...

[Ja1983]

my experience with cars is much smoother, bigger pull on turbo (round 2500ish rpm) and better fuel economy, however it is my understanding that for best cost effective tuning, get all other bits and bats (fuel pre-heating, upgraded hoses, turbo tinkery, intercooler, charge cooler, even water injection on a 306!) sorted first, then get it remaps.

superchips did my mates seat arosa.. not the most intimidating thing, however afterwards it was pant browning! lil car with a filter, exhaust and a remap pulling 0-60 in 7.5ish seconds! trouble was the 3pot 1.4 (gttdi derived lump) ran out of grunt above 65..

he now has a stylo, which is faster according to dragstrip times, but doest feel as sudden as the arosa did.

few places to check out for diesel tuning:

www.diesel-inside.com (just been re-vamped)
www.dervdoctor.co.uk

 

*spam merchant!* :oops:

[wibble]

Hightower

PM sent

ta