Powerchip !

[CMF_micra-man]

I did not even know these existed for the Micra.

http://www.powerchipgroup.com/interact/datasheets/datasheets_two.asp?pid=Nis0000

They claim a 10-15% power increase for $890 + fitting.

 

[CMF_micra_pete]

"Your Nissan Micra 1.3 uses an ECU which features an embedded processor rather than a normal chip or EPROM which means that your car does not use a chip that can be modified. The Powerchip upgrade for your car is an additional computer which alters the ignition timing of the vehicle in the same way as a normal chip style upgrade"

use of a un-remappable piggy-back unit?

 

[cisco]

Yeah for $890 its not a good investment.

You can buy a fully programmable microtech for not much over $1000 and control EVERYTHING.

Plus, the 10-15% powerchip quotes are usually quoted combined with the installation of extractors, intake, exhaust etc. Just the chip on its own, you hardly notice anything in the real world.

You can blanket advance the ignition yourself aswell and you don't notice anything on the micra.

I reckon the product they offer the micra is not a good investment.

Just my $0.02.

 

[CMF_Polar]

you can get them for about $250 autralian £100ish in the UK. post your ecu to them and they post it back fitted to the bosh ecu. i was interested in one when i had my 1.0 micra. but when i called to get more info some salesman of a shop said it would give about one half of a brake horse power increase. sounded like he was laughing and taking the piss so i chose not to buy one in the end. bhp increase from one of these is about 5bhp.

 

[CMF_micra-man]

It was a general FYI for others on the site.

Micra Pete, what prices are your re-mapped ECUs?

Do you have a map for more powerand another one for more economy?

Have you a stockpile of Micra ECUs yet and can you do exchange units?

 

[CMF_Yom]

I had a quick look into them a few weeks ago, just out of interest.

I wasn't impressed.

For starters the guy who was meant to know how they worked and how they altered the fuel maps simply couldn't explain what they had done to get so much more power out of a completely standard car. They tell us price/Kw is $111.25c. That isnt TOO bad considering we're still naturally aspirated here, but considering you can get with breathing modifications (and these are 100% proven modifications here on this site, not some magic computer trick like these powerchip folk are offering) it puts the powerchip at poor value again because it doesn't open up the top end quite like an exhaust and intake combined.

 

[CMF_Yom]

And a table of where their power magically appears.

 

[CMF_Yom]

There's also a few cheaper and lower powered units (Gold 98 can only be run on 98RON fuel such as Ultimate and Optimax) like the Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Here is the Gold. It is designed for use with normal everyday joe-blow petrol.

 

[CMF_Yom]

You can imagine the graph for that table. Same as the one above, just lower the line a few mm.

 

[CMF_Yom]

"You can blanket advance the ignition yourself aswell and you don't notice anything on the micra. "

What do you mean by blanket advance?

Did you follow the Haynes (or Nissan FSM) documented way of adjusting ignition timing? If you don't follow the method correctly you won't achieve much with adjusting the distributor. Mabye a big flat spot...

Both alex and I experienced significant changes in throttle response at highway speeds after advancing our timing to 17.5degrees from the 13.5 they were set at. In 5th gear at 100km/hr mine used to make alot of noise when you squeezed the throttle and think for about 15 seconds before it found 110km/hr. Now I can squeeze the throttle and get an almost instant response. Definately would be able to measure it on a dyno. if i could spare the cash to test it, I would.

Cheers

 

[CMF_White Knight]

Many moons ago before Family Hack went turbo I fitted a Uni Chip. It certainly made a big differance in throttle response and there was a definate gain in power and fuel consumption.It is still in Hack and has been trouble free for over 2 years now.
I am sure if you are mainly stock standard you will notice the differance. Once forced it would be hard to notice.

 

[CMF_Yom]

Uni chip there's another brand I forgot about.

Are you saying that it increased fuel consumption?

I definately don't want that to happen.

 

[CMF_Yom]

Well, don't want it to happen just yet anyway. haha

 

[cisco]

I thought most of those off-the-shelf ECUs just up the fuel amounts a bit. And hence consumption gets a bit worse.

I think similar to an adjustable fuel regulator, however its properly tuned. I.e. rather than just increasing the fuel pressure everywhere like a regulator does, it increases it properly across the whole tune, without the black rubbish coming out the back..

I get a similar big extra measurable notice in response and torque with an adjustable fuel regulator.. But the downside is that you get the black stuff coming out the back because its not a proper tune.