Is it true, some things I have heard about Ekotuning, that if the combine tech hooks their computer up for analysis, a person looses their "tune", and ECM goes back to stock? If true, kind of a waste of money, as I have my combine run through factory service each winter.
You do not lose the tune because a tech hooks up a laptop. In the event of a software update by the dealer, it will overwrite the current software in which case you will lose whatever was inside before the update. Most ECU software updates are released in order to fix or improve something related to engine performance so it's important and preferable to have those done. Software updates on newer machinery are common but within a few years they have pretty much figured things out and updates become less common. If you lose your Ekotune because of a software update, we will re-tune it at no cost (or very little cost) depending on when and where it was tuned. If you own a hand held programmer, it's just a matter of sending you new tunes via email including any changes the update addressed.
Other musings:
ECU remapping (or software tuning as it's often called) cannot be compared to any power modules or plug and play chips. Yes, it's true that when you purchase a chip for any given engine family it's often interchangeable with other pieces of equipment using the same engine. The advantages of a chip start and end there. If interchangeability is your main concern, then perhaps a chip or module is your best option. If you want power done right, consider the facts.
As FarmingSK pointed out, chips will indeed ramp up fuel delivery in order to produce more power. Sometimes very respectable power but the additional fuel is UN-metered. This means the ECU is requesting a certain volume of fuel to be delivered but has no clue the chip is adding to this request. You can judge for yourself if you think this is the healthiest choice for your engine or not but a couple of things are certain:
1) Fuel consumption information in the cab display will be not be accurate. This has been tested over and over again. If the description of chips below makes sense, you'll see why it cannot be accurate.
2) Other systems that rely on accurate fuel data will no longer calibrate correctly for absolute best performance . For example ivt,cvt or vario transmissions have a seperate controller (computer) which constantly communicates with the ECU in order to calculate the optimal range to be pulling in. Since ECU has no idea of additional fuel, it will continue to calculate stock torque and engine load conditions which means the transmission controller will assume the tractor is also stock. Some of you with chipped tractors running a powershift transmission might notice hard shifting, especially between ranges. This happens because fuel delivery is supposed to be derated for a split second between shifts. Of course the ECU thinks this is the case and results in a hard shift. There are other systems which rely on accurate fuel numbers as well. For example many modern systems do not have an actual EGT probe to measure exhaust gas temps but the ECU will calculate it based on other variables such as fuel rate, turbo boost etc. If calculated EGT gets too high, built in safety systems will throw a code and derate the engine. If you understand un-metered fuel, you can see why these calculations will also be inaccurate. This may not be a concern for you but at least now you know.
Let's take a quick look at how the two major types of chips on the market work:
A) Power modules or chips which do not raise rail pressure: These chips often plug into the ECU harness and have a simple theory of operation:
1) As the piston goes up in compression stroke, a couple of degrees before top dead center the ECU tells the injector to open for a certain period of time measured in milliseconds. In modern HPCR applications there could be multiple injections per stroke.
2) As the piston starts to go down in the combustion stroke(couple degrees PTDC), ECU tells the injector to close.
3) Chip intercepts this 'close' signal and hangs onto it for a moment. The actual signal it intercepts is the ground signal. ECU assumes injector is now closed but it is not.
4) After a period of time (adjustable by turning a knob or dial in the chip) the chip will release the intercepted ground signal and injector closes. As a result of extended injection open time (or injector pulsewidth as they call it) more fuel is delivered.
Can you spot any limitations with this method of increasing performance ? Consider this: Assuming you have two identical engines such as a FPT 8.7L factory set at 235hp vs an 8.7L set at 290hp then why is it that a chip cannot produce the same power out of the 235 as it does from a chipped 290 ? It must be noted that this parameter can also be adjusted with software without tricking the injector to behave this way because injection parameters are visible in the mapping and can be easily changed.
B) Rail pressure chips: Just as the name suggests, this type of chip raises fuel pressure in order to deliver more fuel. They plug into the rail pressure sensor and work like this:
1) ECU commands rail pressure to a certain psi and confirms this by receiving a signal from the rail pressure sensor.
2) Chip intercepts rail pressure signal from the sensor and feeds a false reading, up to 20% lower to the ECU
3) ECU interprets this to mean rail pressure is too low and commands injection pump to raise pressure.
4) That's it. Job done, more fuel = more power.
Of course similar limitations apply to this style of chip and as a result, they offer a fixed or slightly adjustable power gain but cannot get chip a 225hp engine to the same specs as a chipped 270hp engine. If they were to try raise rail pressure that much, it would trip the rail pressure relief valve, or cause injector related trouble codes. Again, rail pressure maps are visible in the tune. It's easy to raise pressure in the software without any trickery. In fact many amateur software tuners do just that but an experienced tuner will almost never touch rail pressure and if he does, it will still be within factory specs for the engine family.
Of course chips are who we compete against and this what makes a free market beautiful. Healthy competition gives consumers choice. Some people are very happy with their chip performance. We offer an alternative.
Thanks.