Hi all,

What's the best way to go about doing a chip mod on my 996? What should I be looking for, how much, etc....?

Thanks.

 

It'll be pricey regardless, but worth it ONLY if you have other supporting mods (exhaust, intake, etc.) So it depends on how much you want to spend on an arguable performance gain. I have a Gemballa chip which probably isn't worth the price considering the gain but it goes with the rest of the car

 

As KAZ911 states, on a normally aspirated engine individual mods in and of themselves are rarely noticeable. To really feel a difference in the car you need to do the exhaust, intake, and ECU upgrades. The breathing capability of the engine is only as good as the weaked link. You can do these things individually over time but wouldn't really notice the transformation until the entire system is complete.

As for specific vendors, I've used GIAC in the past and was only marginally impressed but the price was more reasonable than some of the others. EVOMS.com has a reasonable product. Vividracing.com's softronic is another good option. You can check out their "power package" that includes everything too.

 

I have my car GIAC flashed. It was done for me as a promotional tool from a performance shop. Do I notice much difference? Not much. If I had paid for it myself, I would be slightly disappointed. I think if my car was a turbo...then I think I would possibly notice some difference with turbo lag, but since mine isn't, well, it was a promotional deal, so no complaints here. =) Best wishes!

 

radgirl,

As usual there are a million different ways you could go from here. If you would like some one on one time just do the PM thing and I will get you taken care of. Thanks.

Rod Z.

 

My 996 had the following engine mods when I ordered Fabspeed x-pipes and EVOMSit ECU upgrade:
-EVOMS intake
-IPD plenum
-FVD headers
-Fabspeed exhausts

When I received the parts I put in the ECU and went for a test drive before I fitted the X-pipes. I think there was a very noticeable improvement, seemed to pull better over the entire rev range and much better throttle response.

After I fitted the x-pipes I re-tested the car. First impressions were noticably stronger mid range. The mid range seemed so strong that that the top end seemed a little weak. I suspect that the car might have been running a little lean as I did not notice the usual rich running (petrol) smell after startup. After driving the car for a few hours the top end power is back and seems to match the mid range which is simply in a different class.

I would guess that the last two mods (x-pipes + ECU) gave a higher increase in power than the previous ones (intake, plenum, headers and exhausts).

 

I happen to like APR because you can change the files through the cruise control button. I heard of a story once that a guy in a B5 S4 got APR's free trial version and he went for a race against a modded SRT-4 but lost because the trail ran out. He called APR and got the unlock code after giving them a credit card number and had his chip unlocked. He went back and beat the neon. The cruise control switching thing they do is awesome. I would pick a company that does that.

 

I can attest to APR's chips since we have one on our Audi. Not only can you feel the huge difference, but you can easily measure it also by 0-60, by Gtechpro and by dyno. The problem for the 996 is that it's NON TURBO. Therefore, chips are going to be a complete waste of money and you will spend a lot of time "trying to find the supposed hp increase" through your butt dyno. ANY manufacturer claiming gobs of power on chip mod alone is plainly lying. If they only claim the minimal 5 hp or so, well, you can simply replicate that hp increase by being creative on how you use the dyno.

Your best bet is to put a supercharger or turbo in your 996... But at that point, why not trade up for a turbo instead?

 

You can adjust several variables to make the claimed power of most chips, 15-20 hp. For example timing, throttle body positing, fuel load. Its not as simple of a thing as it sounds to drop 10k + labor for a turbo or super kit when you're gonna end up spending half of the car's value.

A chip is a great way to get a little bit more out of the car but you SHOULD use it in conjunction with other mods.

Just get exhaust and a plenum for now, that should dent your pocket long enough before you have to worry about a chip. A chip for a 996 can and does make additional power, but its probably the worst bang for your buck.

 

I was going to say you're nuts, but I'm glad I kept reading to the last sentence...