I bought one of these. Was it a waste of moolah?

[kargo27]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/REAL-PERF...tem230202282814

I didn't buy it because I wanted to hot-rod my Elantra. I bought it more for the fuel economy.

Worth it? Not worth it?

Karl

 

[01rangerxl]

Not worth it. It is a 25 cent resistor that tricks your car into thinking that the air coming into the engine is colder than it really is. In fact, I would not install it. It is unlikely that you will experienece any performance/fuel economy gains, and it may cause driveability issues. All of the "real" chips cost $100+, and will likely require premium fuel unless specifically programmed to use 87.

The best things you can do for fuel economy are to bump up the tire pressure a little, slow down a little, and accelerate/brake smoothly and consistently.

 

[kargo27]

Ah, so does it richen the fuel/air mix?

If it did, that would seem to make it foul plugs after a while or possibly even the O2 sensor and the cat converter?

 

[01rangerxl]

Yes, the engine will run richer, and any problems that are associated with that can occur. I don't know anyone who has had one of these installed for a long period of time though. The only one I have seen personally was installed on a junk beater Camry. No real noticeable change happened. The car was destroyed in a wreck a short time later.

It is possible that you might feel some small power gain, but personally I would just return the "chip." Hyundai understands your car better than some eBay scam artist turning out cheap resistors. They try to make you believe it is the real deal by saying it is vehicle specific, but you could take that "Hyundai chip" and put it on any car with an air temp sensor and get the same effect.

 

[kargo27]

Oh well, lesson learned.

It was an impulse buy. I'll return it.

Thanks for the info, Ranger!

Karl

 

[kc8adu]

it might be fun to tear it apart and expose its innerds.
bet its just a resistor potted in a box with a fancy connector to put in paralell with the cts.
if you have a dvm put it on resistance range and post the measurement.
if you want me to autopsy it mail it to me and i will post the pics.

 

[kargo27]

Well, I pulled the top off and it looks like the innards are covered with some sort of hardened plastic.

Great for keeping out moisture, I could dunk it underwater and not worry about it getting the transistor wet.

Remind me and I'll mail it to you after Christmas.

 

[BarkerMan]

You also have to know that many smog control engines will return better mileage and performance in general with a fatter mixture. This resistor deal may not be the way to go because it is one fixed value and will compete with the mapping and can cause inconsistent results. It's not usually put in the correct spot in the system because to get it set right would require a remap. That's why the real chip solution is a bit more expensive, if fact a lot more expensive.

 

[brianl703]

From what I understand, at wide-open-throttle, there are no emissions limits. The engine can run as rich as is consistent with good performance at WOT.

 

[furgoon]

 

[kkreit01]

Yes -- stay away from all the ebay scams: black box with resistor, tornados and wannabes, electric superchargers, etc. etc. They are all a joke.

If you really want whats best for your car, search model-specific forums. They typically have the most knowledge and exeperience with "what works", and "what doesn't".

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: furgoon

THAT is stinking hilarious!

 

[furgoon]

Thanks, I cannot take sole credit for it though. I found it while at a specific forum for my truck.

 

[kargo27]

LOL! That is good!