[Unichip Jack]

Great discussion and questions... some questions have been answered pretty accurately and completely by posts, but here’s a little additional information. Everything in red is a question or paraphrased question… I don’t want to get any deductions for plagiarism if there are any English teachers out there…

How often do you add maps for new parts? That depends upon how often new parts requiring a new tune come out. We’re currently working on our E85 maps and will add maps as new parts requiring remapping come out for the car.

It’s worth noting lots of bolt-on parts don’t change the calibration… even though they may make a power difference. A typical example are throttle bodies… although they frequently make the engine “feel” stronger because they rescale the accelerator pedal/throttle plate relationship, they have no effect at all on the calibration. They also generally don’t make more power...

I read through the Unichip install docs and it intercepts the MAF, Crank Position Sensor, and Throttle Position Sensor. There have been good gains to be had from controlling the VVTi system which I don't know how the Unichip might accomplish? The Unichip can certainly control VVTi but the basic kit isn’t wired to do so for a couple of reasons… (1) installation simplicity, (2) selling price, and (3) bang for the buck. Moving cam timing can produce gains in specific portions of the rpm band but that creates corresponding power loss elsewhere in the rpm band. Altering cam timing doesn’t generally “create” power it just shifts where the existing power is produced. It’s all about the engine’s volumetric efficiency and while that can be altered with internal engine work, a “net” gain across the rpm band generally takes more than just a VVTi change. With new values, flowed heads, and changes in the cam grind for lift and duration, you can make meaningful power and will need to change cam timing to maximize that power, but the overall benefit with stock heads and cams is generally a push at best.

If changing VVTi is an important feature to anybody, modifying a kit is easy as is building the maps with the UniTune software.

As a side note, every Unichip computer is capable of doing a lot of things, even if the basic kit doesn’t utilize those capabilities. For example, every Unichip can run a shift light, but the basic kit isn’t set up to do that, again to keep down costs and make for an easy installation for the “average” user. Unlike other options, customizing the Unichip kit is something easily done by a shop or at home.

So if I plug this in my car "stock" would I get anything out of it? If you install a Unichip mapped for an otherwise “stock” FR-S, you get at least 80% of the gains of the car with bolt-on intake and exhaust modifications.

I agree, seeing some screen shots (I'm sure they exist, just need a link to them probably) of the GUI would be nice. Reposted for convenience…http://www.unichip.us/260-faq-end-user-tuning

Can this turn off a CEL for no cat? The Unichip doesn’t “turn off” fault lights because it doesn’t reflash the OE ECU. A reflash tells the ECU that something the OE programming says is a fault isn’t a fault; the condition (like removing the cats) still exists, but ECU just doesn’t thinks it’s a problem.

The Unichip creates a simulated condition to make the OE ECU believe everything is “normal” which means OE ECU never turns on the light in the first place… as with most things, you can get to the desired solution with either tuning approach. Perhaps the difference seems unimportant but it’s fundamental to the difference between the two approaches.

That said, “defeating” emissions system controls or cautions is a huge Federal legal issue with very steep penalties (like $100k for each violation) and banning the parts from future sale. That get’s our attention even if it doesn’t concern somebody else.

Do you have E85 already? The E85 maps will be finished shortly after the holiday break. As soon as they’re finished, they’ll be posted to the maps library which makes them available to anybody with a download cable or tuning software.

How many maps do they have on their site? We currently have 17 maps covering the AiRaid CAI, the Injen CAI, the Takeda CAI, drop in panel filters, and a stock airbox. In each instance, there are maps for each intake alone, each intake with a CatB, and each intake with headers and a CatB. All of those combinations have low octane, midgrade, and premium fuel maps. We also have a valet map in which the engine won’t accelerate above ~ 3500 rpm and an immobilizer map in which the engine won’t start.

Do you just connect your Unichip to your computer and pick the map you want and connect it back to your car and that it? Yes, that’s it… as often as you want. It takes less than a minute for the download.

So If I just buy the cable for $35 I can install the tunes they have? Yes.

The advantage of the Flux2 Display is you can download more than one and switch on the fly? Without the Flux2 Display, how many tunes does it hold? All maps actually live in the Unichip computer and the Flux2 Display switches them. There are five map positions in the Unichip and you can populate any number you desire. With the basic kit, you get a mechanical 2-position switch to change between Map 1 and Map 2. Remember if you have a download cable, you can put any map in those positions and can change what map is in either position any time you want.

Dealer’s looking for “flashed”ECU’s…” While its true dealers probably don’t spend a lot of time looking for flashed ECU’s, every time your car goes in for service, the dealer downloads data from the ECU.

While they’re just looking for fault codes, fuel trims, when service was performed, and other diagnostic data, there is a wealth of data spit out for them and all of it ends up in your vehicles history in their records.

Although I’m sure there are minor variances in procedures and data between OE’s, as a minimum, they all download the “current” ECU program ID and when that program was loaded. Their data base already tells them when they programmed or reprogrammed your ECU… if the latest service download doesn’t match what’s in the data base… well, it’s probably not a good call to assume the OE is stupid.

Does anything on your desktop ever really go away? Why would you think your car’s ECU is any different? There’s way too much information in there about your vehicle’s history for them to just ignore… especially if the car comes in for some warranty work…

We have dealerships that are very good customers and pretty open about things. There is data available to you with your scan tool’s “keys,” data available with a dealer key, data available with a national key, and data available to the factory only. On most ECU’s these days, nothing is ever removed or lost… regardless of what’s cleared or reprogrammed and the factory sees all of it.

Whether they say anything or not, they have the data… whether you care or not is certainly your choice.

Did we mention there's no “footprint” in the OE ECU from the Unichip because we don’t reflash it?