I'm wondering if my 2009 JCW, which has a custom exhaust, custom wheels, custom air intake system and possibly custom intercooler, also has a chip or aftermarket ECU. How could I determine this without access to the original owner? (I've never been able to find the original owner who did the wheels and other custom work, though I'd like to.) It's very well done, though. All accessories work including cruise, infotainment and TPMS, there are no persistent codes or CEL's after four years of ownership. Is it possible it has a "Stage 2" kit or something like that? It seems to have quite a bit more torque than other JCWs I've driven, though it's not too loud.

There are parts from Alta, M7 and AWE, as well as some that are unmarked. I believe all these mods were done when the car was new. It was also ordered with every possible option, so funds were definitely no concern. This JCW would have been in the high 40's new.

Any help with this mystery is appreciated. I'd also love to talk with the builder if anyone knows who it was.

Keep on motoring . . .

 

Tuning on your car (N14 engine) is usually accomplished by flashing the ECU memory, and cannot be verified by visual inspection. A tune will usually raise the rev limit and increase boost.

The wheels look like they came from a 2006 GP.