Unichip finally installed :-)

[CMF_micra-man]

I finally got the 2nd hand Unichip that I purchased from the UK, installed and tuned in my car last week.

The following is my recollection of the events that unfolded over the past few weeks.

If you just want to know the results, go to the end of this posting now.

What a drama it was getting the wiring diagram information for the Micra from APS the Australian distributor of Unichip. Their initial reply was, "we don't have any information for that car". They never offered to investigate further and get back to me. I guess, as I was not buying a new unit they were not going to make any money from me so they were not interested in helping me. Interesting way of building up favorable brand recognition.

So, I emailed the manufacturer in South Africa who replied they never had the Micra in their country so they were unable to help me. They suggested I contact the local supplier APS. I replied I had contacted APS and they were no help.

So then I contacted the UK distributor who informed me, due to licensing constraints they were unable to supply me with the information I required and suggested I contact the manufacturer in South Africa or the local distributor APS.

I replied, I had already contacted both of these businesses and they were unable to help me. Could he possibly pass on the requested information to me. I would not tell anyone where I acquired it from. I knew he had the required information as the Micra is a car I know they tune in the UK with a unichip.

He replied he had passed on the requested information to head office. Head office informed me they had passed the information on to APS. I waited and did not hear from APS. I understood APS had my contact details.

I contacted APS and gave them the contact details of my preferred unichip tuner (TM Autosports in Tuggerah. They were the only Unichip tuner who sounded interested when I rang around looking for a tuner.). Could APS please forward the wiring details on to them.

APS replied back, the preferred tuner would have to contact APS directly and formally request the information.

Understandably, by this time my forehead was bruised from bashing it on my desk out of frustration at the lack customer service I perceived APS were giving me. Perhaps it was good customer service & I just have unrealistic expectations. Perhaps it was beyond this particular sales/customer service persons comprehension to take the initiative and pass on the requested information without being asked several times? This world is an amazing place.

Fear not, dear reader! This story does eventually have a happy ending after one more small drama.

That small drama being the wiring diagram colour codes not matching several of the colours in my wiring harness.

"No worries", Adam said, "I have the positive & negative. I can work the rest out from the information I have". Well work it out he did & 30 minutes later my car was driven on to the Dyno ready to be tuned.

My car has fairly basic modifications. The exhaust is a set of 4-2-1 extractors with a high flow cat, a 15” hotdog and a Lukey muffler in a press bent 2" system. The intake is a K&N filter in the standard airbox with 80mm pipe giving ram flow cold air from my bonnet scoop/vent.

Anyway, Adam at TM Autosports in Tuggerah did a fantastic job of wiring in and tuning the Unichip.

I got an 11% increase in power. Car feels as though it accelerates smoother and harder than before.

I also got an approximate 13% increase in fuel economy. This morning I got 17.43km/l, up from 15.3km/l on my last fill. Mostly city driving between Hornsby & North Sydney.

So after all the dramas, I'm very happy with the end result.

 

[CMF_Yom]

How much did it set you back in the end if you dont mind me asking?

 

[CMF_jamm'n]

what power (kw's at the wheels) did your car make with the uni-chip installed and tuned?????

 

[CMF_ayat]

my micra had a full janspeed exhaust system and hks induction kit, when i had my unichip fitted my car read 82bhp at the flywheel, and after it was reading 99bhp, again the difference wasnt great but the car was defiantely more responsive. i have a readout somewhere i will look at the wheels figure.

 

[CMF_Polar]

hmm but lots of other cars had 99bhp on the RR with the other mods you said and without the unichip. some have has 95bhp with just cat back and filter. shows how different figures can be.

 

[CMF_jamm'n]

forget flywheel dynos.
who cares what the power is at the flywheel?
i don't get it...

 

[CMF_Polar]

its impossible to forget when all cars are rated at the flywheel. i whish they were not though.

 

[CMF_jamm'n]

Polar WROTE:

"its impossible to forget when all cars are rated at the flywheel..

not ova here. most of the dynos that we use for tuning are chassis dynos. the only way to go i think:-D

 

[cisco]

All flywheel figures are "estimated" from measuring the figures at the wheels. You can do that here too, but some stupid dyno graphs include correction so they pretend to draw the entire graph as if it was at the flywheel. The only true way you can measure that is to remove the engine and put it on an engine dyno! Which obviously isn't practical. Hence the popularity of chassis dynos.

 

[CMF_Polar]

i mean all car manufacturers are flywheel quoted. which i expect is the same for you. so if you r comparin gyour cars output to another car you have to use fly figures.

 

[CMF_swiss n/a]

Polar WROTE:

"i mean all car manufacturers are flywheel quoted.

i think, this isnt really correct, the 350z for example isnt flywheel quoted. and i believ it isnt the only car...

 

[CMF_jamm'n]

ok ok.
now any dyno readout you see from an australian modified micra on this site, is the result from a chassis dyno.
so you can't compare yours, to ours.
Thats why i think its pointless.
And i mean who cares what the power is at the flywheel because after the power has moved its way thru the gearbox,driveshafts,hub,to the WHEELS, its all changed anyway.

from wikipedia

"A chassis dynamometer measures power from the engine through the wheels. The vehicle is parked on rollers which the car then turns and the output is measured. These dynos can be fixed or portable.

Because of frictional and mechanical losses in the various drivetrain components, the measured horsepower is generally 15-20 percent less than the brake horsepower measured at the crankshaft or flywheel on an engine dynamometer"

 

[CMF_Polar]

i dont care what my or other cars make on the flywheel. wheel figures are what i find interesting. uk power runs are given in wheel figures and fly figures.

 

[CMF_swiss n/a]

jamm'n WROTE:

" And i mean who cares what the power is at the flywheel because after the power has moved its way thru the gearbox,driveshafts,hub,to the WHEELS, its all changed anyway"

Yep, i think the same! and its less power for sure...

 

[CMF_Yom]

Polar WROTE:

"i dont care what my or other cars make on the flywheel. wheel figures are what i find interesting. uk power runs are given in wheel figures and fly figures.

Okay so why are you quoting bhp figures? Just wondering... brake horse power is flywheel power, aint it?

Polar WROTE:

"i mean all car manufacturers are flywheel quoted. which i expect is the same for you. so if you r comparin gyour cars output to another car you have to use fly figures.

Ahhh I see i think. Factory figures are given as @ flywheel outputs. Well don't forget there's different standards these are mesaured to, they change at different altitudes, different fuel quality etc. Factory figures are really only an estimation of what your car had standard. If you want a true idea of what sort of increase you're getting for your money you really should have the car dyno'ed standard, and after the mods, dynoed on the same machine with the same temperature/humidity and preferably the same operator. That way you can gauge the % increase in power, which is what we're really trying to achieve here I think.

 

[CMF_Polar]

definately. 1st thing i do when i get my new car is go on my local dyno to see what it is standard.

 

[CMF_55bhp is more than enough]

bhp is just another unit, like KW whether its flywheel or wheels. does it really matter whether you qoute at the fly or wheels. i prefer at the fly becuase it shows what your engine is making and surely that is the point. power at the fly isnt excatly estimated, the dyno can measure pretty acuratly power at the fly.

 

[CMF_Yom]

55bhp is more than enough WROTE:i prefer at the fly becuase it shows what your engine is making and surely that is the point. power at the fly isnt excatly estimated, the dyno can measure pretty acuratly power at the fly.

How?

Unless you pull the engine out and put it on an engine dyno, there is software calculating an approximate flywheel figure. This is inaccurate as the exact losses through the drivetrain cannot be accurately measured due to differences in gearset friction.

 

[CMF_jamm'n]

55bhp is more than enough WROTE:

"Does it really matter whether you qoute at the fly or wheels. i prefer at the fly becuase it shows what your engine is making and surely that is the point.

You don't drive around on your flywheel do you??? The point has already been made here. Take the time to read ALL posts if your interested in making a comment.

 

[CMF_makes]

Hi Micra-man,

Congratulations. The results from the Unichip are awesome !. With a 10%+ increase in power AND fuel economy it's all good...

I have seen advertisements about these before and thought it's all probably just "hype"... It's excellent to know they actually do make a significant difference in real life.

May I ask what type of unichip you have ?... Since reading your message have been looking at a few second-hand unichips... there seem to be a couple of types and I was advised by APS that "...we don't have the micra listed but just about every nissan there is uses the TYPE-A unichip.."

I am guessing you now use "premium" unleaded exclusively to get these results ?.

Thanks