a little help for a newbie

[cinic]

Hi to all. This is my first post, but I m registered member enough time, to know: here I must search for help.
I have one S2 whit 3B motor and I want to put a tuning chip on it. But it’s not an easy thing, here in Spain. The absolute absence of serious tuning houses makes this almost impossible. Now I was thinking buying a chip and install it by myself. I sow pretty cheep staff on www.ebay.de (but don’t know if they gut enough for the job).
My question is: can someone recommend me a decent chip, an where to buy it. And the second question: how do you think, can I do myself the installation (its only changing the original chip (who is below the glow compartment?) whit the new one?
Thanks in advance and don’t be very sarcastic to me, I’m just a newbie.

[Graham]

Dont buy the ones off e-bay as alot of them are ex-racing chips with no safety features and wont back of if there is a problem with the engine. They will just push and push till the engine goes POP. There are plenty of people on here who will advise you and even help you upgrade. You must consider safety before power, the standard brakes are the achillies heel of these cars and are not up to the job of a standard car, let alone uprated. You could have a decent set of brakes for around the £400 mark, maybe even cheaper on the continent.
HTH
Graham

[kwlw]

I buy lot's of stuff from ebay.de, also bought tuning chips from there. There are two ways:
1. Buy stupid and cheap chip, which may:
a) "be stock chip with no changes and no expected result" (BAD)
b) "screamer chip done by some programer, who don't know nothing about the engine", this chip has safety routines disabled, and does not limit boost. This will destroy your turbocharger and possibly engine in minutes, crack cylinder head, etc. (WORSE)
c) "be chip copy from famous tuning company like ABT, MTM", these chips offer medium performance, but all safety routines are intact. Very small percentage of chips offered through ebay are those. (GOOD)
d) "be tuning chip with pasport or with ecu and pasport". I mean original chips from serious tuning companies mentioned above. Usually seller provides original bill, or at least copy, etc. In some cases chip can be welded in some ecu with not broken MTM or other respectfull company seal (ABT, SMS) (VERY GOOD)
e) "be chip from BMW, OPEL, network card, etc" don't need explanation (BAD)

I personally had purchased chip which I can call b). It is not known what is inside, however, I will try it only on the rolling road with relief valve, knock indicator, racing fuel, using cheap turbo, and other safety measures. On rolling road under load, with using wideband lambda, you can +- tell, what this chip is up to. Is it trying to destroy your engine, or just the standard one.

One more tip - send PM's to the buyers, who purchased chips before you. Time to time you can get good info from them, like "it killed my turbo", "no effect" , "engine blown".

2. Not to use ebay, but contact Mihnea or Paul (S2central.net?) for serious chip tuning or universal homefries, which have good name and relativelly good pricing here.

Sau

[Stick Insect]

I buy lot's of stuff from ebay.de, also bought tuning chips from there. There are two ways:
1. Buy stupid and cheap chip, which may:
a) "be stock chip with no changes and no expected result" (BAD)
b) "screamer chip done by some programer, who don't know nothing about the engine", this chip has safety routines disabled, and does not limit boost. This will destroy your turbocharger and possibly engine in minutes, crack cylinder head, etc. (WORSE)
c) "be chip copy from famous tuning company like ABT, MTM", these chips offer medium performance, but all safety routines are intact. Very small percentage of chips offered through ebay are those. (GOOD)
d) "be tuning chip with pasport or with ecu and pasport". I mean original chips from serious tuning companies mentioned above. Usually seller provides original bill, or at least copy, etc. In some cases chip can be welded in some ecu with not broken MTM or other respectfull company seal (ABT, SMS) (VERY GOOD)
e) "be chip from BMW, OPEL, network card, etc" don't need explanation (BAD)

I personally had purchased chip which I can call b). It is not known what is inside, however, I will try it only on the rolling road with relief valve, knock indicator, racing fuel, using cheap turbo, and other safety measures. On rolling road under load, with using wideband lambda, you can +- tell, what this chip is up to. Is it trying to destroy your engine, or just the standard one.

One more tip - send PM's to the buyers, who purchased chips before you. Time to time you can get good info from them, like "it killed my turbo", "no effect" , "engine blown".

2. Not to use ebay, but contact Mihnea or Paul (S2central.net?) for serious chip tuning or universal homefries, which have good name and relativelly good pricing here.

Sau

Do the 2. option and do yourself a favour. Mihnea only will chip your car if he is there. He does not usually post the chips.

David

[Beetie]

Mihnea does remaps only, but if you contacted Paul N (s2central) and sent your ecu away to him he can sort you out!

[cinic]

Thanks to all, I know how important is to find a chip who doesn’t destroy my engine. I will try a contact whit Paul, and see what he going to offer. And one last question, must I change the wastegate in order to put the new chip. Wish me luck.

[Beetie]

No!