chipping question

[murph]

I've got a mazdaspeed protege. Our car's ECU could use some help, and there are a few products out there for this now. I know touching the turbo at all will bump me way up into modified, so I'm wondering if this will as well. Some of the chips will essentially just tune the engine so that it can take boost better and then increase the boost from 6.5psi to 9.5psi. Since it does increase boost, will this bump me into modified? It gives around 20hp. If I run this chip in a mode that keeps the boost at stock, but can switch it to 9.5 for the street, will this bump me even if I run at stock boost while competing?

I know people chip the vw 1.8T engines all the time, does their chip change the boost at all? Where does that put them?

[MNbiker]

Any changes to boost mapping, boost levels or wastegate settings will bump you straight to Street Mod. The chip you describe would not be legal in Stock, ST or SP.

If you only change fuel & timing, you could run in STX or Street Prepared. However, most "chips" also change boost levels.

Virtually every chip available for the 1.8T engine changes boost levels.

-Steve

[murph]

so the chip I'm thinking about can have two program settings that I can change with a switch. If I ran increased boost on the street, can I change it back and run stock boost levels but better timing on the track and still be in STX?

It's also fairly easy to yank and doesn't require and ecu adjustment period, so I could always just take it out along with the spare tire and the floormats on the way to the track and stay in stock class I guess. =]

[MNbiker]

Originally posted by murph
so the chip I'm thinking about can have two program settings that I can change with a switch. If I ran increased boost on the street, can I change it back and run stock boost levels but better timing on the track and still be in STX?

It's also fairly easy to yank and doesn't require and ecu adjustment period, so I could always just take it out along with the spare tire and the floormats on the way to the track and stay in stock class I guess. =]

Switchable chips/ECU piggybacks would not be legal, as it would be virtually impossble to prove what map you were using in competition. Also, most chip programmers could care less about autocross rules, so their "stock" settings are typically illegal. The most common illegal mod is keeping the maximum boost level the same, but changing the mapping to provide more boost at lower rpm's. Definitely improves a car's driveability, but not legal for ST/SP.

You may want to check around and see if anyone can provide an STX-legal chip. FWIW - There are a number of tuners who do this for WRX's. My re-flash is even user-tunable, via laptop, for fuel & timing.

Pulling the chip for competition would obviously be totally legal.

-Steve

p.s. Most modern turbo cars can gain 20hp+ with simple bolt-on exhaust/intake upgrades and the stock ECU. You may want to go this route instead, as then you're completely STX/SP legal and don't have to worry about the programming skill of the chip programmer.