Thinking about getting a chip for my van

[JTalley]

Anybody got any recommendations? I'm not after power, I'm looking for fuel economy. I've found several on eBay, but some claim to give about 3 mpg, and that no other can do that, and others claim to nearly double the mileage and add a lot of horsepower.

Sounds like a load of bull to me.

If anybody has any advice, I need it because I don't want to waste my money on something that doesn't improve performance and mileage.

[astroturf]

What is your current Mpg?
How much for the Chips?

I say Tune up & a ScanGauge 2.

Jim

[1Gary]

A chip supposes a engine that is in tune first as a base line.To add a chip to one that isn't can complicate things and make it worst.Also,I suggest you stick close to Delco parts for tune up parts which is going to cost you more,but in the long run will be cheaper because they last longer.

Check out this link for that:

www.rockauto.com

[doyoulikeithere]

talk to Brian at TBICHIPS.com

he makes a "stage 1" chip to replace the chip in your "stock" setup.
He makes a "tow-master" chip for, well whaddayathink!
Then he makes "stage 2 & 3" chips for varying degrees of engine build up, ie lumpy cams, Higher fuel pressures, fatter injectors, etc.

I recently installed a stage 1 chip in my 1987 van and it runs a lot better.
I've never been one to track my mileage so no idea there but it runs a lot better and with more power.
Brian claims it will improve mileage or stay the same, but no worse.

As for scanners, chip flasher/tuners and stuff, these older vans (pre96) use an OBD1 computer system that is quite inflexible to being flashed without expensive equipment, unlike the OBD2 chips in the newer vans that you could simply flash with your laptop and a cord.

Good Luck. My stage 1 was about 120 bucks or so. Make sure you read up on hoe to identify your vans computer service tag number.

[JTalley]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure now that the eBay ones were scams. They were only about 5-7 bucks.

Good thing I came here for advice before buying! Anyway, I'm looking at TBIchips.com, so hopefully I'll find something there.

[JTalley]

Everything's waaaaaaay out of my price range...

Hopefully my electronics website takes off soon, because I'm as broke as a porcelain vase in a delinquent reform hall. As of right now I have about $20 and some change.

[doyoulikeithere]

twenty bucks?!
Nowadays, You can get a few bags of chips for that and some pop too.
Maybe you should be focused on rent instead of chips?
Electronics website? Can you reprogam chips?

[JTalley]

Naw, I can't re-program much. I just sell mp3 player accessories and what not.
If you're interested, you can check it out here.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

I was thinking as I read this that one of the last threads I read from you stated your van was low on oil and you couldn't afford a complete oil change...also another where you ran out of gas and only had $10...sounds to me like you NEED a fuel efficient econobox....NOT a chip for your van! Why not sell it and buy something that gets 30+ mpg and cost much less to repair such as brakes and tires.

[JTalley]

...sounds to me like you NEED a fuel efficient econobox...

My van gets excellent mileage when it wants to. I was only planning to get the chip because I heard they really improve mileage and I wanted to make it get better mileage regularly. Some days it gets 10 mpg, others it will get nearly 26 or more.

Besides, I think I've figured out what the problem is- the cat might be bad. There's no emissions testing around here, so I think I'll just cut it off.

And I like my van too much to just sell it. Plus, if I did sell it, there's no way I could afford another vehicle. I went and priced smaller cars. The cheapest I found was nearly $700, and it had no battery, hadn't been driven in a year, had flat, rotten tires, jacked up brakes, a leaky door seal, no keyhole on the trunk, and a severely rusted engine. The paint was bad as well.

Cars are expensive here.

I have a moped, though, but it'll need a lot of work, and I'm not sure where to even begin.

This is just a rough patch right now. If my mom gets a job, things will get a lot better. It's hard to find work as a 16 year old when even my mom, who went to college for years, can't get a job flipping burgers. We both applied at the same restaurant and nobody called back. I've applied at McDonald's twice, and even Braum's twice. I got one interview, but nothing ever came from that.

"...[T]he only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." -Former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt

I suppose, at this moment in time, most of my current projects are suspended. I only considered the chip because of what I heard about improving the mileage and the fact that the ones I saw were cheap, although they're apparently a "get what you pay for" kinda thing.

I've been hypermiling recently, so we should save on gas. Whenever we get out of this rough patch, things should be fine. They always have been.

[Quill]

The best way to make sure chips work is putting it on a dyno. If you put a large K&N filter and open your exhaust you might not see much improvement because it needs reprogrammed to match what you installed.

[safari kev]

jam a big screwdriver up the cat and gut it. doesnt cost you anything except buying a dust mask (highly highly recommended)
dont get a K&N air filter. they let in dirt and crap into your engine. plus they cost like $50. not worth it.

[JTalley]

jam a big screwdriver up the cat and gut it. doesnt cost you anything except buying a dust mask (highly highly recommended)
dont get a K&N air filter. they let in dirt and crap into your engine. plus they cost like $50. not worth it.

I used to have a few dust masks somewhere... I think I left them in a project Jeep I used to have that my dad took, but there might still be one here. How hard is it to gut it? Does it make it much louder? I was waiting to get a muffler before removing it, but if it gets better mileage afterwards... I guess it'll be worth it. Unless I get pulled over.