Can the EPROM chip go BAD?

[spud814]

Hey guys,
I currently had a JC chip but with the rasing gas prices in California i decided to take the chip out to safe some gas, but when i put my old chip back in, and i try to crank it up, it just wouldn't start. The stock chip when out of the ECU was well storaged, and not damaged. I had reinstalled it once before for fun to feel the difference in performance and it still worked then. I also installed it correctly, i'm just thinking maybe the stock chip just went bad. Well now i'm stuck with using 91 octane. What u guys think is up with my chip?

[e30Matt]

Well shit, I've got a JC chip/Schrick cams/other mods in my M42, and I still make 240-250 miles to the tank, driving like an idiot. The chip doesn't seem to have hurt my mileage much.

Anyway, perhaps static electricity? I don't know if EEPROMs are subject to that or not.

[bimmerphile]

Every microchip has a built in lifespan, but I have never heard of a 15 year old EPROM going bad...

[Sean]

It probably was fried by static electricty.

Any chip, doesn't matter what it is, is viable to ESD (electro static discharge).

If it's not working, that's probably what it is. Unless the voltage was amazingly high, you couldn't tell if the chip was fried or not.

Sucks that's it's dead though... :x

[spud814]

i just wanted to swap it back out to use cheaper class like 89 octane to save some money. Would my car really ping if i use lower then 91 octane gas with the JC chip? well i guess it's not worth that little bit of money to try, lol

[m42technic]

Anyway, perhaps static electricity? I don't know if EEPROMs are subject to that or not.

E30's use EPROM's, and yes they are quite susceptible to damage from static electricity.