I am thinking about getting either a Unichip or Powerchip to help my ECU recognise the Ralliart engine. but after talking to a few guys I have been told that I might not get the extra Kw's as advertised.

Does anybody know what I can expect 2Kw's or up to 20Kw's

I have also been told that my current ECU is a better option for the Ralliart Engine than the Ralliart ECU due to the fact that the timing is farther advanced for the VRX Sports engines than the Ralliart.
How much different will it make having a Unichip or Powerchip.
I don't want to spend the money if it isn't going to make bugger all difference.

Help me make a good decision

cheers in advance

might wanna PM gremlin regarding the powerchip... i think hes the only one thats installed one onto a magna... so he'll give you an opinion on them....----> piece of ****...not to buy one.....

Unichip is always a better option than a powerchip because it can be tuned specifically for your car, where as a powerchip is a best guess. Lets say, best case scenario, the powerchip doner car happens to be an exact match to your car so you get the best possible performance gain by fitting the powerchip. The Unichip can always be tuned to achieve the same results.

If on the other hand the powerchip doesn't match your car exactly and you get less than expected power gains, you're screwed because you can't customise it.

Any "chip" or piggyback style tuning device in general, on a mildly modded magna/vrx/ralliart will be lucky to net more than 6-8kW at the peak. Most people don't consider these to be a very good value for money mod on their own. If you intend to throw aftermarket cams/headwork/turbo/supercharger/nos kits onto the car down the track - then a piggyback or full replacement ECU becomes compulsory in order to get the best tune for your car.

Also - a very good point by chthulu above about the lack of 'tuneability' of the powerchip. Any system which can be tuned to suit the car would be better than a powerchip for obvious reasons.

powerchip will be pointless - its untuneable

unichip is the way to go. It would work a whole lot better in tuning ur ecu to work better with the ralliart engines differences compared to a normal magna motor (being cams & compression). Considering you are running a ralliart motor with the standard ecu you'll definately make a decent gain.

A unichip is the way to go out of those two options. When did you swap your motor?

A unichip is the way to go out of those two options. When did you swap your motor?

his ralliart motor came fitted from factory. One of the perks of working for MMAL:cool:

Oh very nice. Your car runs ok? A friend is putting a ralliart motor into a TJ, it will be finished any day now.

']his ralliart motor came fitted from factory. One of the perks of working for MMAL:cool:

Kinda begs the question why didn't it get a ralliart tune also???

Kinda begs the question why didn't it get a ralliart tune also???

At the time of getting the Ralliart engine there wasn't a way of getting a Ralliart ECU fitted to the vehicle. Believe it or not but getting non standard items fitted during production is very difficult unless you follow the vehicle down the line personally, which I couldnt do as I was working at Lonsdale Engine Plant. You can't get a Ralliart ECU fitted afterwards because it will not marry with the BEM. So I am stuck with the original VRX Sports ECU.
But having said that I have been told by Steve Knight that the timing used for this ECU is better than the Ralliart ECU anyway.
I am just looking for more ways to get Kw's, hence the Unichip question.

cheers

Derry

Any "chip" or piggyback style tuning device in general, on a mildly modded magna/vrx/ralliart will be lucky to net more than 6-8kW at the peak.

I agree with you there, but I was plesantlly suprised a few years back when I had a Unichip fitted to my old auto TF 3.0. The car only had a K&N Panel and 2.5" cat back exhaust, the final figure came out as a 12kW gain at peak power (98kW->110kW):shock: , I was more then happy.:D

Oh i think everyone should give the powerchip a go, just like i did.. i mean they offer a money back guarentee!!!!

I wasnt happy with the power increase so i rang and asked for my refund... reponse i got.. prove it!

So i had to spend $100 on a dyno run with and then without the powerchip... 1kw gain with the powerchip... Posted the powerchip and dyno sheets back to melbourne.. Got a phone call.. Sorry we put the wrong map on your chip.. We are sending it back for you to try again... I tried to refuse but they wouldnt refund me.. Got it back again, put it in same story... Wanted me to prove it again.. (ie another dyno run)... I had abuse the crap out of a manager and threaten legal action for them then to offer me a refund minus a $300 restocking fee... So for the $800 (+$100 for dyno) i spent on the powerchip i got $500 back...

They're a bunch of pricks and there product is crap... Even the way its wired into the car is dodge.. It only connects to ONE wire (how many does the greddy etc need??)... Reminds me of one of those crapy $20 things you can buy on ebay.. thats exactly how they are wired in... singel wire thats changes the air flow sensor or whatever... Wouldnt suprise me if thats all a powerchip really is

It only connects to ONE wire (how many does the greddy etc need??)...

Two. MAF sensor and crank angle sensor wires :P

Two. MAF sensor and crank angle sensor wires :P

Add at least a couple more if you have the injection and ignition harnesses hooked up.

As far as I know the Unichip uses 3 wires (crank angle sensor, MAF, and somthing else? 12V maybe:D )

Add at least a couple more if you have the injection and ignition harnesses hooked up.

The crank angle sensor is the wire used by the ignition control feature to retard or advance ignition timing, so I'd already counted that. I'm not sure how the injection control harness works. Piggy back computers generally don't have the ability to completely define the injector duty cycle, only to modify the ECU's existing signal. Maybe the injection control harness allows the greddy to directly control the injectors.

Mitsiman would likely know the answer to that.

Mitsiman would likely know the answer to that.

Probably - I certainly don't lol .

There's a fairly comprehensive thread in the RPW section of the MOGWA boards regarding emanages. Having said that - most if it made about as much sense to me as the japanese documentation that comes with the emanage :bowrofl: .