Modifying a car engine with chip tuning has its risks

By Christoph Walter Nov 9, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - Many a motorist has jumped at the chance to boost the car engine with so-called chip tuning, but chip tuning is not without risk and should only be carried out by experts.

It sounds quite simple. The software used by the manufacturer for engine management is adapted or replaced, providing up to 20 per cent more horsepower.

'The data is either replaced or added to the electronic control system, keeping the original software intact,' says Harald Schmidtke from the German association of tuners (VDAT).

By changing the parameters for a turbo unit, or the timing of the fuel injection, the performance of the engine is boosted.

'We utilize the power reserves left by the manufacturers,' says Guenther Irmscher, who runs a tuning firm specialising in Opel cars.

Sven Gramm, from the Mercedes tuning firm Brabus, agrees that the car makers avoid going to the maximum of what the material and technology can do, especially when it comes to the parameters in mass production.

Philip Puls, an expert from the German technical testing authority TUV, says chip tuning can even contribute to improved fuel consumption while improving performance.

But Puls says there are also risks involved when the tuning is carried out by amateurs.

If the tuner happens to overdo the performance boost, it could lead to major engine failure and damage to the transmission, brake system, or other parts, Puls warns.

Any motorist wishing to boost the performance of her or his car should leave it to an expert, Schmidtke warns.

'Customers should go to well-known and reliable firms and not penny-pinch,' he says.

Reliable tuners always offer a guarantee of their work, Schmidtke explains, and customers should ask for it because the manufacturer's guarantee does not cover damage that can be directly attributed to a tune-up.

A chip tune-up could also be lost during a software-update carried out by the manufacturer. This can be avoided by adding an additional box that can be adjusted to switch off automatically if the engine gets too hot, according to Schmidtke.