The UNIchip appears to be available:

http://www.webbmotorsports.com/forum...sc&start=0

When will GIAC become available?

Anyone have an opinion about these two?

I'm considering one of them with a 15% reduction pulley from Alta.

Regards, Mark

 

Here is my .02. Even if the GIAC chip makes 10 hp more that the Unichip I will still get the Unichip. You have to send your ECU to GIAC to be flashed. If a new software version for the ECU come out it will rewrite over the GIAC software. The Unichip however is a piggyback chip and will be unaffected by ECU reflash by the dealer. To me GIAC and any of the others that require the ECU to be flash programed are a PITA. Either the car is down while you send out the ECU or you can wait for the cables and laptop (ala Powerchip). The Unichip will still be there and still working.

My Unichip is on order through Webb Motor Sports, and will be shipping on the 16th of this month.

Also if you didn't know you can store 2 different maps on the same Unichip chip. How cool is that. Call Randy and he will tell all.

Cheers,

JD

 

This is just speculation on my part, but I'd imagine you would have better control/resolution reflashing the stock program (GIAC, Powerchip, etc) than you would with a Piggy Back (Unichip) that only fools the stock ECU signals. The only real benifit IMHO of the Unichip is that you can pull it for dealer visits and there should be more places you can take it to for a custom tune.

 

Why would you update your ECU? Do you have problems, stumble? If so get the update now. Otherwise this shouldn't be a concern. Dealership doesn't just flash your car without asking.

Frankly it seems that the Webb/Powerchip is already better than the Unichip, and I fully expect the GIAC to be even better. Why would you still get the Unichip if it is beaten by 10hp? Isn't the whole point to get the most Hp and Torque? You seem just a little biased to me.

mdavis, please do a search. There is info about the GIAC and others on this site. You can also call Helix Minisports (sponsor page) and ask Eric directly.

 

weaverpsu,

I don't think it is necessarily bias, since there are many people who think the GIAC will be the best chip ever, even though no one has really seen it on a car. Not knocking the GIAC.

I think the main point is that the form factor is an inferior design. A form factor such as the Uni-Chip and the Shark Injector is a superior form factor because it puts the control back into the consumer. The GIAC at this point, will require you to take the chip out of the car and ship it to Helix. This will require downtime and with the technology available is really a poor way to do it. It may generate the most power, but probably not much more than 2 or 3 extra hp. The lack of control for many people is not worth it. Even Helix's numbers show only a 2 or 3 extra foot/lbs of torque. If you car is sent to the dealership and a problem is noted that requires a reflash (it has now happened to me 3 times in the last year), it would be a total pain to drive it home, pop out the chip (or in other cases wait for a serial cable to be shipped) wait for a few days for the upgrade and then your car is ready. A chip upgrade is not just solely about power. Smoothness, fuel economy... are some other factors as well. Some people may want that last bit of extra horsepower, this is a perfectly acceptable requirement that some people have. And they may be willing for either some downtime or wait for a cable for that power. Others are just looking for a little extra smoothness, some hp gains and the ability to take it back to stock and modified settings at will.

Getting your ECU reflashed is not only done to go to the next version. Sometimes if you check engine light comes on it requires the dealership to reset the DME. There are a host of things that may require the ECU to be reflashed. And no the dealership does not always tell you if it will reflash it.

I think whatever you are looking for in a chip is acceptable, whether it is hp or ease of use. I don't think people should be knocked for wanting the UNIchip or the GIAC. We should discuss their strenghts and weaknesses. Although very few people have experience with more than one chip. Most who do have experience going from either the EVO to the Webb/Powerchip or the Shark to the Webb/Powerchip.

 

GIAC is still not out. You can be sure that as soon as it is ready HELIX13 will let us know. In it's early release version you will have to physically take your MINI to an authorized GIAC shop or pull the ECU and mail it. The early version is for the 15% pulley. Other versions later will be tuned for the 17% and 19% pulley.

Yes, this is a hassle but I am told that soon there will be a method to add the software for the ECU via the OBDII port under the dash much like PowerChip or Evotech does.

I am waiting for the GIAC and would not consider the Unichip at this time.
Just my opinion and faith in the quality of GIAC when it does arrive.

 

Far as I can tell both products are currently smoke and mirrors, aka vaporware. All the bench racing discussion in the world wont matter a whit until they come out and someone does a side by side dyno test.

_________________

 

dgszweda1,

Where'd you see helix #s for the GIAC chip? I didn't think that they'd posted anything yet.

As far as the others, I'm inclined to go with a flash upgrade rather than a piggyback. (jlm's research with the Apexi notwithstanding. That alone sounded promising.)

Though the unichip doesn't interest me, I've been in two cars with Webb's Powerchip and it kicks. Both of these cars had intake/15% pulley/chip and exhaust and they were night and day different from a 15%/intake car alone. (It's a tough call to attribute power to the chip or the exhaust--just giving an impression here.)

If I were getting a chip today it'd be that one. I'm going to wait for the dust to settle though. I'm having fun working through suspension stuff for the moment. By the time I'm done with that perhaps we'll have some definitive answers.

One thing I know--there's still a lot of interesting stuff happening in this area.

Jeff

 

fried duck, the numbers were shown by saying they are this much more than a,b, and c. Meaning the existing chips. It was torque that he was talking about. Maybe you can find it somewhere but I thought it was in a vendor announcement form.

And by the way I wasn't putting anyone down. Just thought that it was absurd to say that even if GIAC was 10 hp better that he wouldn't get it. Makes no sense. For me it is an easy decision, I am only about an hour and a half away and will have other work done while I am there. I understand it is a pain if you live farther away.

 

Jeff,

It was here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...c=22056&13

He mentions E, P, and S, which I am assuming stand for Evotech, Powerchip, and Shark.

And weaverpsu you are right about the torque.

 

Torque is everything....

 

Thanks for the link. I'm happy being the fence-sitter for the time being. I'm actually enjoying reading about the experimentation everyone's going through, and what it buys 'em.

I'll even chip in $20 if someone'll do the dyno comparison & post the results <grin>

As I've posted before--the torque curve is the only one I look at!

Jeff

 

TORQUE doesn't happen with an M45 equpped 98 cubic inch four-banger, no matter how you slice it.

TORQUE is more like a nitromethane fueled 500 cubic inch HEMI with a Littlefield 16-71 overdriven 15%!

 

Spoken like a true 15-percenter...

 

nice condescending remark

Back to our regularly scheduled thread:
The UNIchip will be available starting Monday, March 15th.
When is the GIAC being released?
Application questions: Do you want flash-based, or piggyback? Flash-based has downtime, but no visible hardware. Piggyback is virtually instant, and has add-on hardware. Don't care? Wait for dyno's vs. stock, analyze according to your goals.
_________________

 

[quote] >>nice condescending remark But come on...

 

so, is the UNICHIP supposed to be better than the Webb/Powerchips, or just pretty much offer the same program but in a different method (for those who don't want downtime)?

cheers
-ABT-

 

" It's like religion, practice what you preach, but don't push it down others throats as "the truth" "

It's like some religions, unless your religion is one of those that sponsored the inqusition, Conquistadors, Crusades, "conversion" of the Incas, banned gay marriage and abortion, etc.

 

now THAT certainly isn't putting anyone in a corner.

Could this thread hold the record for fewest posts before going off-topic?

Greatgro, I got the joke. Reminded me of Carl Weathers playing Chubbs Peterson in Happy Gilmore when he says "spoken like a true a-hole!" I know you didn't mean it that way, though...

WINK WINK BIG SMILE

Marty

 

Thanks Marty!

 

well UNICHIP beat the GIAC out of the gates as first available to market....

first person to have it in conjunction with their 15% pulley, exhaust, and intake are reporting dynocharts of over 220 hp.... they will post their chart shortly they said. i think i may be skeptical on 220 with just those mods, however the reaction sound promising.

link to thread on Webb:

http://www.webbmotorsports.com/forum...28d41043e955c5

Rave reviews for the UNICHIP right off the bat.

-ABT-

_________________

 

Sounds great.

I do wonder why it is so hard to get side by side dyno comparisons of the various ECU modifying options. So far it seems like pulling teeth to get someone to actually dyno their car before and after a chip install, much less comparing several of them on the same car/dyno.

Why is that? I wanna know...

 

my car dynoed 227. what's the big deal?

_________________
""the onus of proof is on he who asserts the positive."

 

John - please qualify your statement. What engine tuning? Are you talking about WHP?

_________________

 

my statement is as qualified as the one about 225hp. my 227hp isa number I can justify.


If I use the uncorrected dyno reading, (available by a button push on the dynojet)the SAE reading of 188 goes to 202, then apply the 11% drivetrain loss (like the Unichip dyno tester apparently did). and you get 227.

Of course Randy didn't quote these figures, one of his forum members did, and it was more appealijng to use the larger numbers. Randy, more usefully, quotes SAE wheel dyno readings. If you note in the Webb forum, immediately there are some comparisons of the Unichip 225hp results to Randy's 200hp kits I assume Randy's hp numbers are wheel, right?

_________________apples ain't oranges
""the onus of proof is on he who asserts the positive."