Chipping an LS1

[CamaroDMD]

OK, so I am new to modern motors...most of my experience is with classic V8 engines that greatly pre-date any computers...so, this post may be full of stupid comments and questions; so bare with me.

Anyway, I have a couple friends who have performed a couple bolt on mods to their cars (one is a Ford Explorer and the other is a Dodge Ram) and one of the mods they liked the most was the computer chip they installed.

So, my understanding is these chips generally alter the air-to-fuel ration and the fuel curves to make better power. Do they also generally lower fuel efficiency?

Also, I would be interested in at some point doing this to my Camaro if it was worth doing. Right now, my car is pretty much bone stock...but I don't have any crazy plans with it. I have a 2002 Camaro SS LE M6 with the factory 3.42 gears and an SLP installed Auburn differential. The car also has a factory installed SLP Blackwing Lid. I have a Flowmaster catback on it...but I don't know what series it is...it came with the car.

Is there any computer tuning/chipping that would be worth me doing...or should I pursue other options? This is my daily driver so I don't want to do anything that will greatly hurt efficency, make it hard or unreliable to drive.

Basically, I know nothing about this and I was looking for some general information.

[ycems779]

The newer computers dont have removable chips that you can take out and change, but here is a link to info about tuning. Hope this helps.
http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2440

[markarvidson]

Most vehicals after 1996 dont use "chips",they are programable much like the computer you made this blog with.In general programming gets you a little bump in power and believe it or not a couple miles to the gallon.You were correct on the way they get the power,they fine tune it compared to the general "tune" the factory uses.They do not effect reliability at all.

[markarvidson]

And by the way the only stupid ? is the one you didnt ask.

[mark21742]

hey man, welcome to the computer age! don't feel bad at all for asking any and all questions, we are all here to learn, teach, share, and help eachother. ( I fall into the learning catagory with you, as do a lot of others). there are a few options for you, handheld tuners i.e. (preditor) they are ok but limited, mail order tune i.e. (lsxtuners) (frost is a member on here) you mail him your pcm and he recalibrates it to your mods, or a full program package i.e.(hptuners) you get the cables, disks and use your laptop to fine tune anytime you want ( this can take awhile, lots of reading and info to soak into your brain) but if you like it it can be hours of fun. any way you go you should notic a gain in power and probably slightly Better gas mileage. good luck and if it helps just think of sitting in your nice comfy passenger seat adjusting you a/f mixture with a few key strokes instead of taking all day leaning over the fender, breaking, drilling and retapping that bolt that needed turned just alittle more while swapping out jets in your carb...

[bamaz28]

my z28 is been under the superchips treatment, someone before me played with a programmer on it. i get about 17 mpg now taking it easy. need to dyno mine to be sure but i dont think it factory anymore. i have 2:73's and a 6-speed.

[andrew69_04]

my experience with the tuners has been ok. I used one on a chevy truck and picked up 2mpg and enjoyed having no rev limiter or top speed limiter. As for my last "JET STAGE 2 CHIP" i bought, its the biggest POS i have ever had. It has done absolutely nothing but lower my MPG 1 mile on my big ass 2500HD 8.1L silverado. If you are interested in any kind of computer mod, my advice to you would be to talk to a local tuner if avaliable to you. They can do a million times more with your car than any programer and they dont cost much more. If you could see what the tuners really change, you would never spend your money on it. Hope this helps ya out.

[Frost]

Mail order tunes work really well with bolt ons cars

[dozerdan]

i'd definitely atleast look into a mail order tuner if you can't find a local dyno tuner. handheld can't compare to a good dyno tune.