Diesel chip tuning – what happens to a diesel engine during tuning + Video

Diesel chip tuning, what it gives and what the consequences may be after it

Many diesel car owners are interested in how to optimize engine performance and increase its performance. Today there are several methods, but chip tuning is still considered the most popular and safest. For a diesel engine, which initially has significant power and torque indicators, high-quality chip tuning can significantly increase these indicators. On average, well-done chip tuning of a diesel engine leads to an increase of up to 25% from the factory dynamic characteristics of the car. And if necessary, you can achieve an improvement of up to 40%! At the same time, there is often no need to modify or redo anything in the motor itself or other hardware.

Before doing engine chip tuning, you should know the consequences of this procedure.

However, before deciding on this procedure, it is worth understanding in detail what it is, what it gives and what the consequences of its implementation are.

Pros and cons of firmware for a diesel unit

People often ask, is it possible to do diesel chip tuning with your own hands? Answer: you can, but under the guidance of an experienced specialist or following the instructions clearly, otherwise you can only make things worse. To do engine tuning yourself, you need to have a special program and the necessary equipment on a flash drive.

If you do not interfere with the hardware, that is, do not change the size, material and shape of the unit parts, but only do the firmware, then the power of a diesel engine can be increased by up to 25%!

Advantages of chipping a diesel engine

chip tuning by flashing is a reversible process, that is, you can return it to the way it was in case of a bad result;
high-quality diesel chip tuning is affordable for the owner of a middle-class car, because now there are many specialists who do this;
firmware of the electronic control unit is done quickly and can be rolled back or returned to the original program if the result is not satisfactory;
when tuning a diesel engine, it is not necessary to install different intake and exhaust manifolds, as when tuning a gasoline engine;
you can change the parameters of the ECU program;
after correct ECU firmware, the diesel car, one might say, breaks and rushes;
the comfort of driving a chipped car increases;
after performance improvement, the maximum speed and torque threshold increases;
flashing the ECU means that intervention in the unit is minimal.

As I already noted, after the correct professional chipping of a diesel engine, the car sharply picks up speed and becomes more maneuverable.

If you turn on all the electronics in the vehicle (radio, air conditioning, freezer, etc.), then during acceleration the ECU will “smartly” take energy to the electronics so that there is enough for both it and the engine power.

If after modifications to the engine you do not like it or some errors like P001 appear, you can easily return the firmware to the factory state. Programmers call this rollback.

We recommend: Internal combustion engine

Disadvantages of chipping a diesel engine

Fuel consumption increases significantly, for example, from 10 liters to 12 liters per hundred km;
oil and filters need to be changed more often;
The service life of the engine decreases, because the more gentle the engine, and the car as a whole, is operated, the longer it will last. If you “squeeze all the juice” out of a vehicle, then the resource is greatly reduced;
fuel system parts fail faster;
the warranty of a dealer or a regular car dealership expires, so new cars should not be chipped;
after chip tuning, the engine may require higher quality diesel fuel.

Consequences of chipping a diesel engine

Let's consider the situation using the example of the Volkswagen 1.9 TDI engine, which can be with a power of 90 or 150 horsepower. The engine size is the same, but the power is different. Is it possible to make 150 hp from a 90 hp internal combustion engine? Many people think so.

In fact, not everything is so logical. At a car plant, engineers install completely different turbines, intercoolers and injectors for a 90 horsepower engine.

The material from which the cylinder block (BC) is made and the material of the crankshaft are also different. BCs are cast iron, but the cast iron is different.

For an engine with a power of 115 hp, a BC made of higher quality cast iron is already used. Therefore, if the motor is externally the same, the composition is different. If you accelerate a 90 horsepower engine to 150 hp, then the cylinder block and other parts may not even withstand it. Of course, these materials have reserves, but who knows what maximum power these parts are designed for.

Power is increased by supplying more fuel and air to the working chambers of the cylinders. In both diesel and gasoline engines, a turbine is responsible for supplying air. And the air supply pressure can only be increased by increasing the turbine speed. A conventional production TDI turbocharger rotates at 200 thousand revolutions per minute and operates at a pressure of 1.05 bar (atmospheres).

After chip tuning, the turbine supplies air with a pressure of 1.25 Atmosphere, this is achieved by rotating the compressor impeller at a speed of 280 thousand revolutions per minute.

With an increased operating mode, the turbine does not work for long. If the service life of a turbocharger without intervention is usually 100 thousand km, then after chip tuning the turbine may have to be changed after 50 thousand km.

After chip tuning, more fuel begins to flow through the injectors. This is also an additional load on the unit. In this case, ECU tuners increase the timing of fuel injection so that an increased volume of fuel has time to pass through the injectors. This means that the torch from the nozzle does not go into the combustion chamber, but onto the piston, which is already going down.

The pistons begin to overheat greatly and melt around the perimeter. And, if the fuel does not have time to burn out completely, then it settles on the surface of the piston and soot deposits form. There was a separate article on how to clean pistons - Cleaning pistons.

In addition to problems with the turbine, injectors and pistons, after chip tuning, there is another one - an increase in the load on the transmission. The dual-mass flywheel is particularly stressed. It is designed by designers to work with an engine with standard characteristics.

We recommend: Variable valve timing systems

And, since the thrust of the internal combustion engine is increased after modifications to the diesel engine, the springs and dampers are compressed to the limit. As a result, it also happens that the flywheel cannot withstand it and completely breaks.

The gearbox and clutch may also not be able to withstand the increased engine power. An acquaintance installed a diesel engine from a Nissan car into a UAZ. After that, other parts began to fall out, because the characteristics are completely different. But, after modifications and transmission elements, this car has been running for more than 10 years.

Installing a turbo timer

What can cause a turbine to overheat? The answer is obvious: from driving at very high engine speeds. If you turn it off immediately, the lubricant in the bearings will become coked. To prevent this from happening, the engine must idle for a couple of minutes to allow the turbine to cool down.

It is on this rule that the operation of the electronic device is based, which supports the operation of the unit after the ignition is turned off.

Some diesel engines have systems that, after stopping the engine, leave the electric pump of the stove running to cool the turbine.

Advantages and disadvantages of diesel internal combustion engine firmware

The advantages of microchipping a diesel car include the fact that the driver gains greater control over the car, customizing it for himself. An inevitable disadvantage is increased fuel consumption. In addition, insufficiently careful or aggressive tuning can bring the load on the engine to a critical level. Plus, incorrectly carried out reconfiguration can lead to accelerated wear of engine parts and other machine systems that are oriented to factory settings. Especially if you consider riding as a sport.

IMPORTANT! Engine chipping should only be done by professionals.

Advantages of diesel engine chip tuning

The main advantage of electronic tuning of internal combustion engines is the ability to customize the car to specific needs. There are other benefits too.

The increase in engine power, depending on the model of the unit and the desire of the owner, can range from 25 to 40 percent.
Removing restrictions will allow you to feel the car better (if you get used to driving after tuning).
Expanding the capabilities of the car - the control system will not control the driver.
Chiptuning takes significantly less time than mechanical modification of the engine. A couple of hours versus several weeks (excluding the search for specialists, the necessary equipment and parts).
Ability to “roll back” changes to factory settings. Including at the time of warranty service.
Lower costs than mechanical upgrades.

In addition, chip tuning does not exclude mechanical changes in the engine - you can configure the electronics for non-standard hardware.

Disadvantages of diesel engine chip tuning

The disadvantages of this procedure, in addition to increased fuel consumption when using the engine at full power, include the danger of exposing engine parts to accelerated wear. In addition, other vehicle systems (chassis, automatic transmission, etc.) are usually designed to work with the official factory engine settings, so changing the power will most likely negatively affect their operation.

IMPORTANT! One of the main disadvantages of chip tuning is the need to increase engine maintenance costs. A modified engine requires not only a more careful attitude to fuel, but also more frequent changes of oil, filters, etc.

Innovations

So, in 2021, a new generation chip tuning module was presented. It is designed specifically for small-displacement diesel engines with a volume of up to 2 liters . The cost of the product will be about $1000. The main positive qualities of the device will be an increase in power, but at the same time the engine will become more economical by an average of 20%.

Of course, this is hard to believe, but it seems that all this may be true. Despite the high cost, pre-orders have already been made by more than 5,000 motorists around the world. The device will go on mass sale in early 2021.

What is chip tuning?

The electronic control unit (ECU) in a car is its “brains”. It contains a microprocessor and memory that are responsible for receiving and transmitting signals to and from the motor. The ECU receives the signal and transmits it to other systems, such as the ignition system, fuel injection, etc. The parameters that are stored in the ECU memory from the manufacturer, as a rule, have very average parameters. After all, initially the factory parameters are constrained to strict limits and standards for environmental emissions indicators, and are aimed at minimizing wear and tear on the life of the engine and other systems.

We recommend: EGR in a diesel engine: what is it

Chip tuning optimizes the functioning of the electronic control unit by making changes to the operation of control programs. It regulates and optimizes indicators such as smoothness, power, torque and many other parameters.

Most often, chip tuning means flashing the electronic control unit microcircuit using special software. However, there is an alternative method - installing special control boxes on the ECU.

Chipping a diesel engine differs from a similar procedure for a gasoline engine.

Introduction

There are many ways to increase the power of a personal car. With the development of information technology and the mass introduction of microcircuits, the phenomenon of independently entering data and changing the parameters of the vehicle information system has recently been rapidly gaining momentum. Engine chip tuning: what is it?

The answer is hidden by the term itself: “chip” can be understood as “microcircuit”, and “tuning” translated from English means “tuning”. Chip tuning in Moscow is already being transformed into a profitable business, and for car enthusiasts this innovation promises the opportunity to increase the speed and/or traction characteristics of the car. But there are certain restrictions established by law, beyond which will be considered a violation with all the ensuing consequences.

The influence of chip tuning on the life of a diesel engine

Experts advise using the additional power resource only when necessary - when overtaking, sudden acceleration is inevitable, etc.

IMPORTANT! In general, the life of a chipped engine depends not only on the skill of the tuner, but also on the driving style of the driver himself.

It is worth remembering that even with standard ECU settings, constant maximum loads reduce the service life of the motor. This applies to a chipped engine to an even greater extent, especially if it is a turbodiesel.

This is especially important if chipping was carried out on an already worn-out engine. In this case, the risk for the driver of losing his engine increases significantly.

Installation of pre-heater

In winter, warming up a diesel engine is problematic. In severe frost it does not start. To make life easier for the unit, motorists use a preheater.

The device is a small boiler that heats the burner. It turns on automatically or by remote control. Warm-up time depends on the outside air temperature and the power of the device. As a rule, this takes about 20 minutes.

Webasto and Eberspächer are the most famous companies that produce pre-heaters. The first is more reliable, and the second is more compact. Some foreign-made diesel models (Volvo, Ford and Land Rover) are equipped with heaters at the car plant. By the way, there is a not very bad Russian analogue - “Binar 5”, which is produced by. But there is an opinion that it is not entirely reliable. However, this is not so, because in recent years a Bosch pump has been installed on Binar 5.

For normal functionality, the preheater must be connected to the vehicle cooling system. Plus, the battery is in good condition. If the battery is dead, it may be discharged and the car will not start.

Since the PP is a necessary thing, its installation should be carried out by professionals. But every car owner must remember that if the car is new, the dealer can remove the car from warranty for unauthorized design changes.

How to improve the performance of a diesel engine?

An article about how you can improve the performance of a diesel engine - tips, recommendations, description of necessary actions.

A strong engine means speed, and who doesn’t like driving fast! Many car enthusiasts are susceptible to the idea of creating a more powerful engine. Refinement of the engine will increase its dynamics and reduce fuel consumption. Increased dynamics gives the driver confidence behind the wheel. The ride becomes more comfortable, and the driver’s actions when overtaking appear decisive.

One of the main advantages of increasing engine dynamics is a sharp start and rapid acceleration.

If you approach this procedure competently, you can reveal the hidden capabilities of the automobile “heart”.

DIY budget option

If you have the desire and the means to make your car more powerful, you should turn to professionals in specialized tuning studios. Do-it-yourself improvement is also possible, but if you have a garage and equipment at a minimum. It’s one thing to dig through your father’s donated penny for driving around the area, but another thing if we are talking about tuning expensive cars, because without special knowledge and skills it is easier to damage the car than to improve its power performance.

Possible consequences

The service life of the units will certainly decrease if they have undergone changes. Get ready to diagnose your car more often and buy expensive parts. Any interference with the factory design and settings leads to this.
Do the math and figure out in your mind what you want from car tuning, what is important to you. Sometimes it’s cheaper, easier and more profitable to just buy a new, more powerful car.
If we are talking about tuning a car that is under warranty, then any interference with the factory condition will entail the removal of the car from warranty service.
Most major improvements entail an increase in fuel consumption, take this into account too.

Using turbocharging

One of the features of diesel engines is that they do not have a throttle.

Thanks to this, air quickly enters the cylinders without any control systems. To prevent the engine from overheating, you should install an intercooler that cools the air entering the cylinders.

The positive aspects of turbocharging:

More efficient fuel combustion occurs.
Motor power increases.

Negative aspects of turbocharging:

The work period is very limited.
Fuel consumption increases slightly.
Only expensive oil should be used.
The turbine itself is also not cheap.

All the methods described above can help make the car faster. The most popular method among drivers is the installation of additional units. But we must not forget that increasing the engine power will certainly lead to a reduction in its service life.

In addition, increasing vehicle speed always comes with additional costs associated with installing a more efficient braking system. Therefore, you should think carefully before deciding to tune your car.

Source