Does anyone know how much differance an ECU upgrade ( e.g JWT ecu ) would make to the 0 - 60 dash time on a Zed over stock? Has anyone put this to the test and timed their car?. Which ECU upgrade would you guys rate as the best / worst ( time for a few arguements!! )?

 

seez ya!

 

General concensus says JWT. This is just from speaking with others. Don't get a superchip - apparently it just raises the boost levels without changing the fuelling - lean mixture = hot engine!!! I think there is one of the website groups doing a group buy on JWT soon. I'll try and find out who. Davew might be able to help on this.

 

Andy

 

Cheers Andy

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I strongly urge you to buy a JWT ECU- NOW!!!

The difference is like 'night and day'. The car feels so much faster than stock, I haven't timed my 0-60, but I'm sure there will be a significant difference.

I bought mine from 'Coz' (Ultimate Z on ttnet) in the group buy arranged by Nico last year. I believe there is another group buy starting on ttnet. They usually retail for about $560, plus you have to pay a $500 'core charge'- this is refunded when your stock ECU is returned to the US.

Dave

 

 

Hi Dave.

 

Is this a better option than going for a Superchip or Unichip. I have seen some posts on the forum saying that superchip is shite, is this true? Is the Unichip better? Or does the JTW beat both?.

 

any thoughts

 

Cheerz

 

Simon H

 

simon,

 

the superchip has a bad rep, so don't even think about it. right or wrong, it's not worth the ribbing you would get anyway ;)

 

i am considering a unichip as well. I have a dealer on very good recommendation, who i will go with when i am ready. The unichip is a piggyback unit, which means any changes are in addition to the standard programming, so the possibilities are limitless.

 

The JWT is a very common upgrade for people, but they only offer specific upgrade paths, which i dont agree with, so if you wanted to try something different, it's not easy to get a custom map.

 

Silvia use a DTM chip i think, which can be mapped exactly how you want it, to whatever upgrades you have.

 

MOTEC units are cheaper in price now as well (rally cars, touring cars etc.) but are still dearer than any of the others.

I know a very highly recommended motec dealer as well, if interested.

 

MJP offer the Powerchip. Not sure of what it does, or who has one.

 

JWT $500

unichip £450

superchip £not interested

powerchip £400 (i think) but never seen them in action

MOTEC £1200

 

personally, i want to use someone that can map my car, not map a standard set of upgrades, which is why i will go with a uk chip, but thats my opinion.

 

as with all programmable chips, you need to find someone who knows their stuff, not just someone who does it...

 

Hi Simon,

 

I have the SE chip in my Z, it made a good improvement on regular driving and fast road driving. For my Z fuel economy does not seem to be effected. I even get the blip of the revs when you put it in gear. All for only £200 which breaks down as £100 for chip £100 to fit chip socket. Pete road tests the car himself to make sure there are no side effects.

 

I agree with Craig that having someone who can program your ECU based on what upgrade path YOU have taken is better.

 

And no I don't have shares in SE ;-)

 

See ya

 

Eddie ;-)

 

 

I was present when my Silvia chip was being programmed on a rolling road. It increased power by a real 50 bhp (Silvia have the graphs) and that was with no boost increase.

 

I'm not sure what power gains are claimed by others but bear in mind that most involve increasing boost.

 

Off the shelf chips have to be programmed very safely to avoid warranty problems etc. Having said that, JWT are better than most as he does offer a number of different chips for different upgrades. Having said that, there's no substitute for a custom programmed chip for your own car and mods.

 

The Silvia upgrade mightily impressed me.

 

Dave

 

I've had JWT in my Z for 2 years. The power comes from the boost jets that comes with it and raises the boost to peak of 13-14psi from 9psi stock. The chip allows you to run the higher boost safely. Big difference from stock. I'm guessing, but maybe 0.5 second quicker on 0-60. I am planning to replace it with SE's chip and I have offered to do a dynoed comparison. Maybe in the summer. I think Pete R is up for it.

 

Superchips(unless they've changed) is not good news. Foreign chips can be set for foreign petrol e.g 100 RON in japan?, so tread carefully. JWT works, no problems, but I think the SE chip will be better.

 

Coogs,

as much as i like the idea of a dyno comparison, i don't think it is really fair.

 

The JWT is programmed to cater for all cars up to a specific state of tune, safely.

 

So there is no fine tuning done to match each car, which you will be able to get with Silvia's chip.

 

For this reason alone, the dyno would be inconclusive to use as a comparison tool, IMHO.

 

However, as i stated previously, i prefer the custom chip approach, and i'm sure you will get some good results with Pete R and his PC ;)

 

It increased power by a real 50 bhp (Silvia have the graphs) and that was with no boost increase.

 

 

NO WAY !!!!!!!!!!!>

 

I was there. It happened. Can't say any more !

 

Dave

 

It depends on where the bhp figure started at and finished at!

 

If you got 200bhp on the graph before any adjustments were made then yes a 'real' 50hp increase would be possible from the eprom itself.

 

IMO I think that JWT caters for all Z owners looking to upgrade. (I am biased though) I don't believe that anyone else has put the time or money into changing the original Nissan programming to safely produce an mass eprom upgrade to market.

 

Take a look at lack300's comments on the forum. He has knackered every other turbo motor he has owned through power upgrades. JWT programmes their eprom safely so that we don't run into similar problems.

 

These after market piggyback items and programmable chips need to be programmed and set up by someone who has experience in doing so. A rolling road certainly doesn't represent normal 'on road' driving.

 

However, an alternative to JWT 'safe' ecu upgrade is either Mines or Jun. These are other example of chips where lots of research, engineering and money have been spent to produce a high performance option.

 

 

 

 

all i can say to you common people is...

MINE'S ECU rules the roost, If you have a £1000.00 to spare lol.

 

no really i have a mines ecu and it is really good, way more power than stock

 

I agree with everything you say Steve. The 50 bhp was from standard chip to custom mapped - it would not represent a 50 bhp increase over a JWT chip !

 

Just on your point about rolling road not being the same as on the open road, Peter did take account of this and finished off the programming from my passenger seat. A very trusting guy, given that it was done on country lanes, I had to have wide open throttle for the full rev range, and I couldn't use traction control as the 'misfires' would have messed up the programming !

 

Dave

 

Dave,

 

The increase HP from the JWT isn't more than around 20-30hp, so I'm led to believe. The main benefits are in that it's optimised for safe use of higher than stock boost levels.

 

I think that Henri's point is that a chip by itself cannot produce an extra 50hp over a stock chip. The manufacturers obviously don't tune the car to its maximum potential but I wouldn't have thought they leave 50hp behind in the ecu department??

 

As for the open road test...did you hit 200mph? :-)

 

 

I'm with Steve on this one, I've been present on quite a number of rolling road sessions at different companies, there is so much to be taken into account, the temperature that particular day, believe it or not even how close the rolling road is tothe sea and if it's down south or up north, I've even watched the operators fiddle the figures to suit what you want, plus have you any idea how big a fan needs to be to truely represent a car being driven at high speed in the open road, massive!!

Unichips are excellant, BUT, not on the 300zx, having 6 coil packs cocks things right up for accurate setting, I'm going for the J. W.T , hopefully..

Smithy, I.O.M

 

Thanks for all the views guys.

 

I was curious to see how other upgrades compared to the unichip I had installed a few months back. Millway Sport advised me to go for the unichip because it can be custom mapped to your spec. As far as I am aware you can also run extra stuff off this chip such as water injection etc..

 

It made a great improvment on the car, well worth £450.00. If anyone wants to go this route I advise they give Millway a call, they are very helpful and certainly know my ZED inside out now!!

 

One other question I do have is about the exhaust on a TTZ. the front section has a small pipe running into the wings and off somewhere into the car. My new exhaust did not have this! Is this important, should the holes now left be blocked up and if so will it damage the engine?

 

any help please

 

Cheerz

 

Simon H

 

Simon,

 

so you posted a trick question ? is that right ? you have a Unichip already ?

 

and it is fine is it ? i will be going for that as well, although through a different dealer.

 

Those pipes are for the AIV valves, which are for cold start emissions i think.

It is safe to disable them and plug the pipes.

 

Some might argue that you need the aiv part of the ecu map taken out, but....

 

 

Hi Craig.

 

Didn't mean to pull the wool over your eyes but yes I have had a unichip installed. It seems like it like it can offer a bit more than the others for any further upgrades.

 

Thanks for the info on what these extra pipes are on the exhaust are. I wanted to make sure my car doesn't go BANG if they are blocked up!!

 

seez ya!

 

Simon H

 

 

 

with all these upgrades you have all done can you all honestly say that you have had trouble free motoring.

i must admit all my failures have been due to superchip upgrades, i have never been keen on there idea of putting a bleed valve on a car, i would of preferred for them to have adjusted the actuator to alter the boost pressure.

STEVE did you get your e-mail from me yesterday?

 

Mmm! I'm not convinced with this uni chip.

 

Is there a website with further information available.

 

I don't see how someone can fine tune a modified Z within a couple of hours on a laptop! JWT, JUN & MINES have spent time & money in testing and producing marketable chips so how can any engineer make modifications to the original programme safely?

 

Where it really counts is out on the road so it would be nice to see a few runs at Santa Pod or Northweald using this chip.

 

Just another thought....

 

Why do Superchips only change 1 byte of information to the origianl programme if things are as simple as plugging in a laptop to make changes?

 

Henri... what are your thoughts on this uni chip?

 

Steve, you have my cell phone number, don't you ?

 

Call me...

 

If you don't, e-mail me

 

zee you

 

Henri

 

probably that it keeps the boost guage on full throttl.... hmmm lol.

well i agree with steve e, but these systems do come mapped already for the car you put then on dont they?

 

then it gives you the option of fine tuning the car.

 

Going back to Simons original question, has anyone seen any performance comparisons posted anywhere on the web. Not Dyno ratings but real before and after performance runs, say 1/4 mile times etc.

Grant