Engine remapping

[lightning]

Has anybody had their Z3 "chipped" and was it worthwhile?

"Superchips" are claiming 15bhp and an extra 39Nm torque from the Z3 3.0, for £235.
This is about 10% extra. They are also claiming improved driveability and better fuel consumption.

All of which were true with my Transit Connect van ( except with 25% power and torque gain) but that is a turbo diesel.

[Southernboy]

Chipping does deliver more power, however, I doubt it will deliver better fuel economy since to achieve more power, more fuel needs to be taken in on each stroke... this not only increases fuel consumption, but has another side effect... The oil used to lube the engine is subjected to the increased fuel with a resultant thinning in the cylinder, which leads to more rapid wear.
If it were possible to increase power and reduce fuel consumption without forced air induction it would be at odds with physics... more air in requires more fuel in too.
As far as gaining 15HP more, that is quite correct. I had my 2.8 chipped and it was most apparent on some of the steeper hills wher previously I would drop to 4th, I could manage comfortably in 5th. My fuel consumption also increased though.

[pingu]

Chipping is the LAST thing to do AFTER you have optimised everything else.

a Full service including valve clearances and fuel filter.
b Clear airways and throttle bodies of any obstructions and ensure that your throttle can open fully.
c Ensure exhaust is perfoming as you want. You may want to fit one that is less obstructed.
d Balance engine internals. This does very little for power, but can make a big difference to how freely it revs. If it can pick-up revs more quickly, the fuel demanded as the engine accelerates will be different to before.
e Cylinder head off. Port and polish head. Lap valves.
f Ensure cam lobes are to the desired profile and that the valve timing is to the required spec. Ensure VANOS is fully operational. If you want ultimate performance you will probably want to change the camshafts.

I think of an ECU upgrade as the same as performance enhancing drugs (but good and legal). I could increase my performance by 50% by eating properly, exercising properly and by doing the right things to optimise my performance. An Olympic athlete is already a well tuned machine. The only way to improve them is to use drugs (or fit an ECU).

You should already be doing a. b, c, d and e can be free if you do the exhaust yourself, rather than getting a new system. f will cost some money if the cams need work.

[lightning]

That's all true, but an extra 15bhp and about 10% more torque just by plugging in a computer, seemingly with no downsides, is tempting.
In reality l probably won't bother, as the 3.0 is hardly lacking in performance as standard.

[pingu]

That's all true, but an extra 15bhp and about 10% more torque just by plugging in a computer, seemingly with no downsides, is tempting.
In reality l probably won't bother, as the 3.0 is hardly lacking in performance as standard.

Like everything, it depends what you want. If you want an easy fix and don't mind spending some money, the ECU upgrade is a good option.

I was thinking about the drugs metaphor last night and it's really quite good. If you get your ECU from a good doctor he will knowledgibly profile it to your specifications, whereas a quack will just supply an off-the-shelf product. Both will probably show improvements, but ...

[Mad Max]

I always get my cars mapped by Enda at EndTuning. He's done my 3.0 M3, my 3.0 Z3 and now my MC. The 3.0 Z3 was definitely the best difference! Can't recommend it enough, or Enda

[Jonttt]

There will always be more scope re power gains from a turbo car.

NA cars are more about optimising the power curve and maybe a little extra power. And yes fuel consumption is often improved. You have to remember cars have a generic map to cater for all sorts of country specific requirements which leaves scope for improvement and it's common for better fuel consumption. Maybe not by much but certainly don't assume it will be worse to get more power in a NA engine.

My 993 gets significantly better mpg after a remap (but it's not hard to improve on 16mpg lol). I am now getting 20+ from the same driving style, +20bhp and much better 2nd gear pickup as a well known OEM flat spot has been removed.

I've never been a fan of chips though as often they were developed for the American market and can wreck your catalytic convertor.

I would ech getting the car sorted first, suspension and airflow etc....