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Thread: Need advice (performance chips?)

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    How can you tell they are 18" wheels?

    He's done one post on the forum, and the pics does't look that clear to me.
    I'm a rim and tire nerd


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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2022 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 40.1 mpg (US) ... 17.0 km/L ... 5.9 L/100 km ... 48.1 mpg (Imp)


  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by RedSnail View Post
    Found these plug in performance chips.

    https://performancechipsusa.com/coll...76785877547119

    https://performancechiprevamp.com/Mi...%7C%20%2459.99

    Anyone know someone who has used one of these?

    Just my opinion:

    These cars were designed for economy. A "chip tune" defeats its design goals and design principles.

    If you rather want a fast car, sell it or better don't buy it in the first place and consider getting something else!

  3. #13
    Senior Member Dirk Diggler's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RedSnail View Post
    Found these plug in performance chips.

    https://performancechipsusa.com/coll...76785877547119

    https://performancechiprevamp.com/Mi...%7C%20%2459.99

    Anyone know someone who has used one of these?
    Dude, just don't. It's either a rip off because it's fake or your going to destroy your cat converter/engine/CVT. Any Mirage you see that's been heavily modified for speed had a 4G23 engine dropped in it and paired with a stick shift, not a CVT.

  4. #14
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    Sonny & RedSnail - I admire your "want to" mindset about the Mirage. I "want to" as well. My "want to" is different, about increasing mpg, but it's not something I'm physically trying to do.

    But just wanted to say, hp is no secret really. It's about (as you probably know), fuel & air, plus timing of ignition & intake and exhaust.

    As I understand, the only thing these chips do on a normally aspirated engine is vary the ignition timing somewhat. Yet the factory engineers have advanced the timing so far to the point where any further advance has some level of trade-off. I'm sure they felt they took it as far advanced as what they feel is reliable.

    These chips might change the pedal to throttle aggression. Increasing the input on the throttle at the initial movements of the pedal.

    Adding any kind of "chip" I think would have to adjust (probably advance) the timing into a zone the engineers chose not to. That wouldn't make me feel comfortable. But to each his own.

    And even if that chip actually did add power, how much would it be? 5 or 6 hp? How much more than that could be expected from a 78 hp engine? It wouldn't be worth it (to me) for the tradeoff into a zone of what the engine engineers chose to avoid.

    Just my $0.02 worth ... let me know if you need change back!


    7milesout

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  5. #15
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    I agree that everyone has different wants/needs for their car. Mine are pretty modest compared to the more performance focused in the forum.

    As per the factory settings in a car, several decisions on the engineering are made NOT by the engineers but by accountants and others who have other interests in mind. I've had this confirmed to me but at least two seasoned engineers in the industry. So pushing a little more won't destroy the car as some may infer.

    Ex.
    One of my prior cars decades ago was a 96 Ford Escort LX (automatic). At the peak of the mods it had:
    1) Intake piping made from muffler grade piping customized from my local muffler shop that ran to the bottom of the car with a K&N cone filter that had an air funnel in front of it.
    2) Lowering springs on OEM rims.
    3) Pacesetter 4-2-1 headers (no cat).
    4) 2.25" exhaust from the headers to an Ultraflo muffler.
    5) Superchips module that plugged into the ECU.
    6) Plus some other cosmetic accessories.

    I ran that car hard throughout my ownership. Never had any issues with it. Ended up trading it in (once I put it back to OEM) in 2004-2005 for something with fewer miles.

  6. #16
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    I am one of those seasoned automotive engineers. Engineers have targets (cost, timing, testing, etc), that bean counters cannot even fathom. Most of the workers in the accounting part of an OEM, don't know their blinker lube from their muffler bearings. And would be even more lost trying to understand the finer points of making an engine work effectively over an engine lifespan.

    With that said, I'm not saying putting one of those modules on a car will result in the engine grenading. But there are tradeoffs. In my opinion it is not worth the tradeoffs for the tiny blip up on a dyno graph ... not on a STREET CAR, one with tiny horsepower to begin with. It wouldn't be worth the cost for the thing either.

    But I'm also saying, more power to ya! To each his own. It's a free country brother, I hope you do what you want to do, always.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  7. #17
    Senior Member klroger's Avatar
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    Dyno it & post the chart & then plug in the Chip & Dyno it again... I'm sure lots of us would like to see real world results. Please, do not use the ""Seat Of The Pants"" Dyno either... I always wonder how much of everyone's HP Gain is the physical "" Noise is Faster"" thinking, like I used to do to my Fathers old '80's Chev Van when we took the dog house off & turned the Air Filter lid over...Sure sounded like a Race Car, but it was still a 3/4 ton Chev Van


    I didn't know what to do, so I didn't do anything

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage GT 1.2 automatic: 37.3 mpg (US) ... 15.9 km/L ... 6.3 L/100 km ... 44.8 mpg (Imp)


  8. The Following User Says Thank You to klroger For This Useful Post:

    Fummins (04-05-2022)

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