Has anyone blown an engine with Unichip?

[JBreed]

Not saying that it had nothing to do with Unichip. Unichip pushes the engine a little harder so it is bound to put some increased stress on internals, etc. However, there is a large chance that it would have happened without the Unichip, due to the faulty wrist pin.

Alot more have blown with the stock ecu only than with any type of aftermarket EMS. I don't know the actual numbers though. Also, I agree with you about how an MSP feels with the unichip. It really does feel like a different car.

Different car ? How?

 

[ChopstickHero]

yeah, i agree, all things be equal (in terms of mods and no factory engine malfunctions) the chances of blowing the engine with PROPER tuning is alot less than having no tuning at all.

Horsepowerfreak: You probably can answer this: I am assuming that the higher boost setting on the unichip can be reprogrammed to spike at a lower psi (instead of the 13psi right now) and settle at a preferred psi level like 9 or 10psi. is this so?

 

[dirtysouth_msp]

Different car ? How?

More power, smooth acceleration and no hesitation and that is with stock boost. The increased boost setting makes the car feel like a beast, but I believe that it spikes too high and may be too much. If you can get the BC set to a lower psi with less spike, then I think it is a good idea to do so. If not then I believe that you should use a different BC that is adjustable.

 

[jeffmsp]

it spikes high at a low rpm so it is not too bad on the motor. The timing is also adjusted to compensate for the spike so. With no spike the spool would be too slow. If it bothers you just get a normal mbc.

 

[JBreed]

More power, smooth acceleration and no hesitation and that is with stock boost. The increased boost setting makes the car feel like a beast, but I believe that it spikes too high and may be too much. If you can get the BC set to a lower psi with less spike, then I think it is a good idea to do so. If not then I believe that you should use a different BC that is adjustable.

No Hesitation! man that sounds great, but My last engine met it's maker and my ebc was set at 10psi, it did spike around 11 to 12 though,(no EMS)

 

[UnNaturalinc]

Horsepowerfreak: You probably can answer this: I am assuming that the higher boost setting on the unichip can be reprogrammed to spike at a lower psi (instead of the 13psi right now) and settle at a preferred psi level like 9 or 10psi. is this so?

The 'peak' boost setting isn't even at the top end. It's where it is safe to run the 12psi (12 is the intended number). It increases to 12 then settles back down to 10. That's how it's suppose to function anyway.

I'll be doing some additional testing with things here shortly. I have a big show this coming weekend so all my focus has been into that.

*I might look into doing a sticky thread in the EMS section about the Unichip too. There's a lot of info in a lot of different places that I'd like to be more organized for people to read the facts on. I've intended to build a Protege FAQ, just never got around to it. I down own the domain www.protegespeed.net that eventually will house a lot of info.

 

[dirtysouth_msp]

I've seen unichip boost controllers spike or "peak" higher than twelve. Horsepowerfreak, can it be set to boost lower or at least less spike? I understand that it was designed to peak at twelve, but some people do not want to boost that high.

 

[UnNaturalinc]

Well how it was intended to work isn't how it's actually working for whatever reason. Probably the wastegate actuator or the boost controller solenoid is to blame. Changing the Unichip boost map won't solve the problem I don't think. My guess is that'd just be a band-aid to the problem.

 

[noclue119]

dirtysouth_msp thanks for letting us know that the Unichip is not totally foul proof.

But guys please this is a thread to see if anyone blown their engine a Unichip not how it works.

I don't want to sound like an asshole but its just that too many times i found thread with random s*** for 14 pages in it and it makes the searching hard as hell.

Thanks for understanding guys.

 

[TurfBurn]

You shouldn't blow any motor on any EMS unless the tuner/tuning was done poorly or too aggressive... so unichip or not you shouldn't pop a motor due to an EMS. Tuners blow motors... not EMS's

 

[UnNaturalinc]

You shouldn't blow any motor on any EMS unless the tuner/tuning was done poorly or too aggressive... so unichip or not you shouldn't pop a motor due to an EMS. Tuners blow motors... not EMS's

:thumbs-up:

 

[noclue119]

You shouldn't blow any motor on any EMS unless the tuner/tuning was done poorly or too aggressive... so unichip or not you shouldn't pop a motor due to an EMS. Tuners blow motors... not EMS's

well i understand that repeated stress is what usually breaks thing.

but i guess my question should be

"has any engine's life been shortened(throwing a rod, broken pistons, lost of compression, etc..) by using Unichip"

 

[dirtysouth_msp]

Sorry about being a little off topic, but I think that this stuff is relevant. Spikes can be dangerous and the spike I am talking about only happens on the higher boost setting of the unichip.

Found the answer to my question about changing the boost setting in another thread. It can be reproggrammed by an authorized unichip tuner.

If the programming of unichip BC is not to blame, then why aren't there any spiking issues when it is set to the lower boost setting. I'm not trying to be a dick, just trying to get some good info.

 

[atticus1398]

Mine isnt, but I think my damn LSD is about to go.
Unichip is hard on the LSD

 

[atticus1398]

Found the answer to my question about changing the boost setting in another thread. It can be reproggrammed by an authorized unichip tuner.

If the programming of unichip BC is not to blame, then why aren't there any spiking issues when it is set to the lower boost setting. I'm not trying to be a dick, just trying to get some good info.

B/C lower boost setting is stock boost(unichip ebc is off)

 

[UnNaturalinc]

Mine isnt, but I think my damn LSD is about to go.
Unichip is hard on the LSD

What? The Unichip has absolutely nothing to do with the LSD.

If you increase power to the vehicle and it puts additional wear on other parts you cannot blame the parts that added the power. An LSD's lifespan is also connected to how you drive the vehicle.

 

[atticus1398]

What? The Unichip has absolutely nothing to do with the LSD.

I know that Ben, but 230whp isnt good for the LSD, lol.
Actually, I noticed a little slippage action pulling through third. Clutch has 20k miles and is stock. I think its the clutch. Then Amy said it sounds the same as hers when her LSD went bang. So if it is my LSD, can you get the Quaife Ben? Oh yeah, PM sent for DP.

thanks,
shane

 

[dirtysouth_msp]

You shouldn't blow any motor on any EMS unless the tuner/tuning was done poorly or too aggressive... so unichip or not you shouldn't pop a motor due to an EMS. Tuners blow motors... not EMS's

I agree, but it is not like you can tune the unichip yourself, unless you are an authorized tuner. These things are pretuned when you buy them. Don't get me wrong, I think the unichip is great. I just don't really like the boost controller or the programming of it anyway.

I understand that on stock boost setting the BC is off. But, if the wastegate actuator or stock boost solenoid were to blame, wouldn't the spike happen regardless of the boost contoller?

 

[UnNaturalinc]

well i understand that repeated stress is what usually breaks thing.

but i guess my question should be

"has any engine's life been shortened(throwing a rod, broken pistons, lost of compression, etc..) by using Unichip"

Everything he said still stands with that question also. EMS's are for tuning. And tuning allows you to run increased power in a safer manner. Bad, negligent, inexperienced tuning is what is going to create issues, not the EMS itself.

Anything you do to the car, even driving it, is going to be hard on the engine.

 

[atticus1398]

I agree, but it is not like you can tune the unichip yourself, unless you are an authorized tuner. These things are pretuned when you buy them. Don't get me wrong, I think the unichip is great. I just don't really like the boost controller or the programming of it anyway.

show me a boost controller that doesnt spike on our turbo. at least the Unichip controls the spike.