Basically i've just about gave in to the fact that i need one. But i've being doing my sums!

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Live Mapping
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£450 including vat (i was quoted) and its about 370 miles away. So thats 740 miles. Approx 2.5 tanks of fuel. 0.5 tank for tuning purposes. So 3 tanks of fuel £150 ish.

So all in just to get it done is around £600.

But it would cost £150 + alterations for repairs or changes.

So expensive.

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Unichip
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Around the same total price as the Live Mapping but its local to home at Dastek and i've been guaranteed a level of service aswell.

Only really the price of the alterations.

But better results seem to be comming from Live Mapping, however Unichip results havent been great because of the tuning company involved. Whereas i would be getting mines tuned at source, so to speak.

Anyone got any opinions on this?

Ross

So to clarify this for me. Does the Live Mapping show increased bhp gains over the unichip using the same car, rolling road in similar ambient conditions?

Oh no not again.It seems my last 100 posts have been about this topic. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />
Read my thread in the perfect touch day.
Personally i have heard alot of bad reports on the unichip.But it also depends on the tuner.Pt are the nuts at the live mapping.Theres nothing else to describe how good they are.I didnt have the best day there but the end result was what mattered and what a result.The drive home was like being in a different car.
Rob at Pt has fitted loads of unichips and alot of corrections to wiring that was done at pts.But in his opinion the live map is by far the best for the coupes.
The unichip is put simply a piggyback unit.All it does is trick the ecu ino doing what it wants.Dont get me wrong its a neat bit of kit but it can be troublesome on the coupes as the unichip and the ecu can fight each other as it seems.If your going to get a live map on the unichip you may as well spend less money and get a live map done on the ecu itself.I cannot stress how much the car has changed and would recommend to anyone.They do a daddy job so the travelling will be well worth it.

Unichip is proven as many on here have testified to over the last few years. Live mapping is still in it's infancy and whilst, on paper, it would seem the better route, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that a properly setup Unichip is inferior on cars pushing 360ish bhp.

And yes, I have a Unichip (with boost module), expertly setup by Owen Developments (alas they no longer support it <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> ). I have no experience of Perfect Touch as yet but I do know that Mark @ Owen Developments knows pretty much everything there is to know about the Unichip.

Johny, I dont know of any cases where the unichip and ECU fight each other on the coupe, if your talking about Nigels coupe then its seems it was the incorrect installation thats caused his ongoing problems.
Im quite sure you would have got exactly the same results and been equally as happy with your car if Rob had fitted a unichip.


Ross, at the end of the day they both do exactly the same thing, they adjust the fueling and ignition advance of your car and thats it, they just go about it different ways.

Its up to you to way up the pro's and cons of driving down south (dont forget your passport) it the rolling road operator that makes all the difference with mapping be it unichip or live map. Have you seen any results from your Dastek tuner ?

I know that they are the creator of the Unichip so are bound to be the best at tuning it due to the fact they created it. I have spoke to them on several occasions and although i have not actually used them as of yet, they have already provided me with lots of support.

Ross

Thats funny Jimbo,arent you having trouble with the unichip.And i was booked in at pt for the unichip and claudio said No we will do the leave map as we seem to be having a problem with the unichip.Also Rob said the unichip is something they would prefer not to do on the coupe.
But the jap tuners love them and have good results.But the difference in opinions on this topic are always apparent.I would like to test a car before and after using both methods as i am biased towards the live map due to my experience and others the unichip.

Johny you need to go back a fair few years to know how reliable and productive the Unichip has been on the 20vt coupé. I, like many others, ran the Unichip for 18 months without issue on a 360-390bhp setup which saw plenty of abuse <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I was the first to get a remap of the Bosch Motronic on larger injectors (440cc) because this was a lot cheaper than going standalone! So far so good, except the emissions.

I wasnt even born a few years ago.Like i said opinions vary.Some love them and some hate them.Just like me...Or is that all hate me.....
Anyway i think the bhp gains are more with the unichip but i would like to have the same car modded with the live and then the unichip.
In my head i dont like how the unichip works but its a touchy subject it seems.
I can only comment on my experiences and some others views.Hence the reason this is a forum and not a constant. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Before you guys kill each other <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> can someone please explain the difference between Unichip and Live mapping? If I understand it correctly Unichip is a piggyback system. But what is Live mapping? Is it a completely new chip that replaces my Gtec1?

Freddan

Unichip=piggy back chip, alters timing and values of phase sensor and MAF signal to adjust ignition and/or fuelling over the rev range.

Live mapping = changes the values of the ignition and advance on the EPROM itself inside the ECU, would replace the GTEC1 chip.

Only to add, is that the Unichip can run two spearate ignition maps, useful for those that run a dual ignition map for water injection etc

For cars running standard injectors, then there should be NO difference between the two as to results, it will all depend on the skill of the mapper and how much time they are prepared to map the car. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Joe

ps The live mapping is in its infancy, but ti appears that Rob is turning out to be a v.proficient mapper <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

You mean like FIAT are the best at servicing the coupe <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Guys,

You cannot compare Japanese ECUs with Bosch ECUs - they operate in completely different ways. Our ECUs are much more advanced in terms of adaption than Japanese equivalents. And that is what makes it a more difficult platform to run the unichip on top of.

If I were you I would go to Dastek as they are local.

As to whether or not you can get more power out of one or the other it all depends on whether Perfect Touch have frigged with the stock ECU sufficiently that the knock sensors do not act as sensitively, and so can get more out of it. Or else if your chosen Unichip mapper choses to override the knock circuit.

John

Ross - I would go to someone who's closer to you. Imagine if you had my misfortune and had to get your car recovered or had to leave it down there. That's a very long round trip on a train mate.

I'd agree - Dastek is the way to go given where you are.

Sensible. Cheaper remaps too.

I went the Live Map route as I happened to be in the area and had done "my last ever mod" <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> If I thought I was going to have a number of remaps, I think I would have gone for a UNICHIP, as there are lots of people who could do a remap. In my case, my mapping *might* have been screwed up by a boost leak and a 1" hole in my induction piping <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> ... showing the downside of using a tuner who is a little bit of a drive from where you live!

JohnS - I know the Coupe knock sensors are a bit sensitive, but isn't that a good thing? (assuming they're not being triggered by ordinary engine vibes)

I would have thought that softening the sensitivity might allow some knock, which can't be good

However, you clearly have more knowledge on this issue - what benefits (and risks) are there in dropping the sensitivity, and how far should it be adjusted?

Yeah the knock circuit is generally a very good thing.

If you were tuning a car without knock sensors you would advance until you start to hear pinking then back off the ignition advance by an arbitrary number of degrees. The standard knock circuit does the same thing except it backs the advance off a little more than a tuner might want to potentially. So if Perfect Touch have 'improved' it then it will still work fine, but just have a different threshold closer to det but still sufficiently far from the onset of det to be safe.

Hope that makes sense.

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

What you think then Nigel/John? Unichip?

Ross

Ross - for YOU the Unichip is the best solution

Why FOR ME?

Ross

Logistics... that's why FOR YOU <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Righty. Think its just as likely that i would get the same power?

Ross

personally given the recent dis agreements it appears that they are equally as good depending on your application.As i said before i would like a go in each.But one thing is for shore the jap cars cope with them very well but i would stick with the live map...As i know it works...But Flea has a quicker coupe and runs the unichip .So flip a coin and decide that way because all i am doing is arguing <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

No way, you'll get an extra 100bhp with the Unichip minus 80% for using Scottish air, +10% with a MAHA dyno, -20bhp because it's fooling the ecu which obviously takes offence, +30bhp because it's a TI car, and finally 320-350bhp because that's what you got <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I did run a Unichip but I don't now, I have the inaugural "bigger injector" live map <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Do you also have the 2.4

No it's 2 litre which packs a big punch <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> A 2.4 will be going down the live map route in the new year which should be good.

Does that mean i can have your current lump then.......I can give you a stock one for conversion if ya want i have got plenty in the shed. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/love.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />