Anyone have experience with EBay Perf Chips?

[RobertK]

Looking to purchase a performance chip for my ECU and I came across this on EBay..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=33597&item=7988621809&sspagename=WDVW

Does anyone on the board have any experience with these? Are they the same thing as the Jim Conforti or Dinan chips?

[Digitalwave]

It's not worth the risk. Who knows who made those (some guy in his basement with no experience), and what mapping they used. It's worth the piece of mind for a real chip. Chips basically dictate how your engine runs.

[nando]

I have one and got lucky, but like TJ said it's not worth the risk. the only reason I got one there (it's a bavauto) was because JC doesn't have one for the 526 ecu.

[Digitalwave]

It's ok to buy legit chips (as long as its easy to tell they are real and not some cheap fake one) off eBay, I was refering to the $10 home-made specials.

[nando]

well even with 'legit' chips, there's no way to tell if it's real or a copy. flash chips are cheap ($5 or less), all you need is time and the know how to program them..

[nefarious7907]

ask mark d

[RobertK]

That's what I was thinking.. more than likely someone has takin a JC or Dinan chip and cloned it. A friend of mine who runs his own electronic repair shop said he could clone the chip no problem with very basic ROM programming equipment.

All those resistor boxes do is trick your ECU to think you're getting more air than you really are and making your car run rich. Eventually those things can damage your engine.

[DaN]

I got one for $20, havent had any problems. Definitely an improvement. It's not a large investment, so Id say its worth the risk.

[arsevader]

I got one for $20, havent had any problems. Definitely an improvement. It's not a large investment, so Id say its worth the risk.

The 'risk' isn't the $20 you spent on the chip but the cost of repair to an engine.

[Mystikal]

That's what I was thinking.. more than likely

Do you cheap bastards ever stop and listen to what you're saying?

There is a distinct possibility that the chip will completely ruin your car. Why risk it?

[RobertK]

What I was saying is that if the chip I bought was guaranteed to be a clone of a reputable chip I would buy it for $35 because it's not different then copying a file from on disk to another. Same file now on 2 disks.

Furthermore, I now that there is more than 2 people here with eBay chips in theirs cars that won't admit it and I've not come across one single thread that mentioned their cheap chip causing long term damage to their car's engine.

[Mystikal]

...if the chip I bought was guaranteed to be a clone of a reputable chip...

Since when is anything on E-Bay actually guaranteed. They probably "guarantee" their 20hp claims too.

Furthermore, I now that there is more than 2 people here with eBay chips in theirs cars that won't admit it and I've not come across one single thread that mentioned their cheap chip causing long term damage to their car's engine.

If someone won't admit they have it in their car, why would they admit it ruined their engine? You just killed your own logic.

[arsevader]

What I was saying is that if the chip I bought was guaranteed to be a clone of a reputable chip I would buy it for $35 because it's not different then copying a file from on disk to another. Same file now on 2 disks.

How many times have you copied a file and it was corrupted somehow along the way?

James

[rs4pro3]

I'm not afraid to say I have an eBay chip in my car, and have installed them in at least 2 other peoples cars here in Chattanooga.(in the cars for at least a year now)

[RobertK]

How many times have you copied a file and it was corrupted somehow along the way?

If that were the case then the chip would not work period once you put it in and that would apply to every chip manufacturer. Do you really think that every Dinan and JC ship is hand programmed before it's sent out? More than likely they have the file on a PC with a serial ROM programmer that hammers them out. Like I said before, give my a name brand chip and my bud can create a perfect copy for $5-$10 within mins.

Since when is anything on E-Bay actually guaranteed. They probably "guarantee" their 20hp claims too.

Not speaking of eBay as much as I am speaking in terms of cloned chips.

If someone won't admit they have it in their car, why would they admit it ruined their engine? You just killed your own logic.

Considering the number of newbs that post to forums and all the BMW forums that exist there would have been atleast one post out there that outlines what damage the cheap eBay or cloned chips are capable of if it were a common problem.