Well as it turns out im going to be able to get my MCS flashed. Im just wondering with all the differnt ones out there what is the differnece between them? As far as i know there is the unichip, giac, shark, and um well i guess that is it. any more? what is the price difference. has anyone done a head to head and posted there findings? thanks

 

Try doing a search. There is a ton of info out there on these. I have made a small comparison without the Unichip at http://www.szweda.com/Mini

 

I've owned EVOtech, Powerchip, and UNIchip.

In order of excellent driving refinement:
1. UNIchip
2. EVOtech
3. Powerchip

In order of good customer relations
1. UNIchip
n/a. EVOtech
abyssmal. Powerchip

In order of "butt-dyno" and consistency of burnouts
1. UNIchip
2. EVOtech
3. Powerchip

Cost:
Powerchip $690
EVOtech $720
Unichip $735

I must note, the UNIchip doesn't bother with flashing, it's a piggyback, which is above and beyond flashing in terms of portability and not having the dealership overwrite your programming!

Other products that have this sort of "in-hand" flexibility are AmD's 1-click, and the Shark Injector.

GIAC is not to market yet - don't hold your breath either.

 

Just to be contrary, I'll ask you if you feel that you now have $2,145 in improvement from your ECU programming, since that's apparently how much you have invested. Kind of makes one wonder about just going 19% and forgetting all the ECU stuff...


BTW, I completely agree with Ryan about trying to avoid the flash-based upgrades if possible - I've got the car in to the dealer today for an intermittent airbag light, and I'm hoping they don't feel the need to overwrite my programming "just because".

 

hmmmm.... interesting. sounds like unichip is the way to go, to they talior there piggyback to each car or is it a one for all? Im not lookking for something that is going to take a computer genies to work on. something that is easy to install.

 

Unichip is the way to go. Flashing the ECU could be a problem because
you are really limiting yourself to the one kind of setting you have on
your car.

For instance, if you run into bad gas or get knock detection on winter gas,
the only thing you can do on a Flashed ECU is to drain the fuel or drive
slowly and hope that the next tank is good gas...or add toulene into the
mix to increase octane level. Anyway, you are very limited.

With the Unichip, if you have a local Dastek tuner, you can have 2 maps
programmed in there so that you have one for pump gas (say programmed
on oygenated gas for winter), then have the second one programmed for
93+ octane or even close to race fuel. PLUS, the ability to revert back to
stock map if you need to.

Ive used the Unichip with great success...unfortunately there are no
local Dastek tuners in my area that can help me do refined tuning, so
I am trying to work out other 'user tunable' piggy backs such as the
E-Manage from Greddy and others. On those, most local tuners can help
me. I am also researching if there are other piggy backs with other
Japanese manufactures that can work on my MCS. I think its just a
matter of tapping into the proper ECU signals and you're set up to tune it.

 

Unichip has a series of programs available depending upon the mods you already have. Many of us with the cat-back exhaust, CAI and pulley go for the MINI-05 program. Additionally, your Unichip module can be re-flashed for a nominal fee if and when you add other mods, as well as a custom made program from a Dastek tuner.

 

Go to MTH-powerchip.de. This is very economical with software costing 59 Euros which is about $70. You will need a cable for about another $100. The fellows name is Franz Holzl and he is very good. Another member here says he has used a straight, less expensive cable with success. I boght the one for $100 because it provides opto isolation to ENSURE that the computer does not cause any electrical problems with the OBDII port.

You can read all about my experience with this in a thread below named $200 Cartune chip, or something like that.

When you use his application, you download a copy of your stock map and save it. You then upload the modified map that you receive from Franz. At any time you can put the stock map back in and switch them back and forth at will like you do with the AMD or Shark. Franz also seems to be open to changing the map for you when you make other mods. This is MUCH better than removing the ECU and sending it to someone and pay them $400 or so every time you want to make a mod and then have no way of changing it.

I fully believe that this is as good as any of them plus it offers the flexibility of changing maps yourself. My car is an MC, but he has it for the MCS as well as all other OBD2 equipped BMW products. I am very happy with it.

Good luck,

 

I also use the MTH Flash.
For the money you spent it is the best bang for the buck.

Franz is gone on vacation for the month of August. So for those that might be interested......please be patient or wait until September.

BTW...he also made is own coilover suspension Sachs/Eibach and is also working on a Turbo Setup for the Cooper and his own head for the MCS.



The coilover is adjustable from +10mm to -50mm.
The shock is also adjustable. This is just to show you that he actually makes parts for MINIs and not only does Flashes for Bimmers.
Alex

 

Alex,

Thanks for the explanation of the coilovers. Franz sent me this picture, but because of his English he didn't explain what he was showing me.

Also thanks for letting me know he is gone. It is the way they take vacation in Germany and most of Europe for that matter. They just shut down the company and everyone takes vacation at the same time.

Too bad for those here who want a reflash. The MTH just can't be beat. An added bonus is that it costs very little as long as you have a PC that you can hook to the car, a laptop is most convenient.

 

any dyno plots for the MC or MCS? what claims does he make regarding power output?

 

He posted a dyno plot for the MC in the "$200 Cartune ....." thread. Click on it below and look for a post by Franz. It shows 86 kW stock and 102 kW with his map. That is for an MC. After he is back from vacation, I'm sure he would be happy to send you the plot for the MCS.

If you do it yourself, it takes about 500 miles for the driver habits data to be replaced with meaningful data. If Franz does it (you probably can't take your car to Germany for him to do it) he erases the driver habits data so the remap takes full effect immediately. Mine has a few hundred miles since the remap and gets stronger every time I drive it.

I expect that when you send your ECU to one of the vendors who will reflash, they delete the driver habits data at the same time they reflash. For that reason you get an immediate change.

I suspect that Franz does not provide a means of doing this for his customers because it is risky deleting this data. If you made a mistake it might require some major software reloads to make the car run again.

There is much information about this reflash approach in the "$200 Cartune" thread below.

 

FWIW, the new Dinan chip is less than half the price of the others existing on the market.

 

The Dinan chip is less than half of $59 Euros (which is about $70.) Wow, THAT'S CHEAP! The MTH Flash costs about $70.

Where can I get the Dinan for $35?

Thanks,

 

Anyone considering using the Apexi S-AFC? It will need to be dyno tuned,
but local sportcompact car tuners are more fluent with this setup than
DASTEK and others in my area.

Basically on low throttle angles the car will run stock. Only at close to
wide (which you program) does the SAFC kick-in to take over the A/F
ratio's. Plus it is user tunable too, if you have a EGT and or wideband 02
sensor onboard.

http://www.apexi-usa.com/electronics_safc.asp

Setting Mode: Allows user to adjust air/fuel ratio through Hi and Lo Throttle maps. Other features such as throttle percentage settings, RPM point settings, and deceleration air-flow correction are adjustable through the setting menu.

 

Ok, then, the Dinan Chip is less than half the price of the other $700 chips and is a LOT more than the MTH version

 

I think I'm sold on the unichip!

 

Unichip gets my recommendation...its not my mind playing tricks on me, the car does pull harder, all the way to redline.... up top is where you will notice it the most though.

 

I agree on this too. When I had the Unichip on my car it was pulling
really hard above 5k RPM to redline. :smile: I sold it because I couldn't
tune locally.

 

I agree, my buttdyno says it pulls harder

Earl

 

I love my unichip - it doesn't stop pulling!