You can still gather friends around your car engine and find ways to boost performance. You just won’t be reaching for socket wrenches; you’ll be reaching for a computer chip and a PC. And you won’t be tweaking the carburetor, you’ll be tweaking the computer modules.
Auto manufacturers program their vehicles for average drivers, producing results most people need for the average day on the road. But for people who need (or simply want) better performance for speed, towing torque or just to get up and down steep grades, average just won’t do. |
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Several aftermarket companies (Superchips, JET Performance and Hypertech to name a few) have produced upgrade computer modules for 1996 and newer vehicles. They’re easy to buy and easy to install. And they’ll provide almost any performance enthusiast with the right stuff. Generally speaking, all computer upgrades work about the same way.
- Connect the tuner or programmer module to your vehicle's ALDA connector, which is the plug that mechanics use for diagnostics.
- The tuner reads the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to determine how the vehicle's computer is programmed.
- From there, the tuner manufacturer provides options for various elements of performance. Hypertech's Power Programmer III, for example, allows you to tune for different fuel octanes, from 87 regular to 92 premium, for improved mileage performance.
- Once you’ve made your choices, the module takes over, recalibrating the computer's parameters, or as gear-heads might say, re-tuning the engine.
Here are just a few of the options for performance changes you should be able to make with almost any of the aftermarket computer modules.
- Optimize air/fuel mixture for engine efficiency and improved fuel economy.
- The extended rev limiter gives a wider band of power through an extended RPM range. The module moves the “red line” or maximum RPMs up for when you need it – like when you’re entering a speeding freeway or a burst of speed to avoid a collision.
- Modifying the engine cooler fan on/off setting helps to keep your engine cooler so it lasts longer and works more efficiently.
- Match the speed rating of your high-performance tires to the top speed limiter setting you select.
- Improve your vehicle’s acceleration performance by creating firmer shift points in your automatic transmission. This re-tune will give you additional power when you are already cruising at high speed and need just a little more “oomph” for passing.
- Adjust your speedometer/odometer to your non-stock tire sizes. If you’ve got a larger-than-standard wheel or tire package or changed your gear ratios, this modification will adjust your speedometer and odometer to reflect the actual RPMs generated.
The best thing about the module upgrades is that they’re easy to do. Just change out a chip and punch a few computer keys and you’re done. You may not even get your hands dirty!
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