To chip or not to chip?

Hello everyone I'm actually new here and starting off I have a serious question to ask. I have a 2010 Toyota Tacoma and a friend of mine had suggested to me that I should install a super chip. I looked up a chip known as the bullydog gt tuner(40450). It adds 25 hp and 30 ft.-lbs of torque which seemed pretty great. However, after researching I read an article on how superchips shorten the life span of the engine and transmission. Now I'm actually curious on how great the chip really is. Is it true that it can wear the engine quicker? Would I be wasting money? Is it worth it? I would love to know, thank you and have a great day!

 

dont do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! only REAL power upgrade for these trucks is a supercharger.


btw, welcome to the forum

 

Personally, all the research I've done regarding "chips" is that they are useless and a waste of money. Honestly you would be better off with spending that money on a different mod. I'll see if I can't find the articles I read.

-J

 

First off it's nice to have you here. We always appreciate new members.

Secondly, we ALSO appreciate new people to use the search function on the right so we don't get the same 20 questions that have already been answered every time someone joins. A tip I picked up was to use very few specific keywords (chip, performance) and search by title only for best results.

Third, you'll have to get used to some of the other members' sense of humor. It tends to get us off topic at times and for some reason everyone seems to eat popcorn in every thread.

Lastly, the consensus is that there's little to no danger in chipping a Tacoma... because they don't work. In fact, the only real way to gain HP is by installing a supercharger that is offered stock by Toyota , or possibly a snorkel(forced air). Anything else is just snake oil. Up to and including: CAIs(unless SC'd), K&N filters, Chips, vortex air coolers, fuel additives, fancy spark plugs, etc.

 

I'd be very skeptical of magical chips giving you x-more hp. I've seen a few posters who have them and claimed gains, yet its all anecdotal - nobody I've seen has a before and after dyno to prove it.

 

Go check out the performance section. They have Dyno testing comparing performance mods over several different trucks.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGtImIP6j3A

 

I don't think he's talking about those "ebay chips" that add 500hp. The Superchips I had on my Dakota really worked. I ran it on the performance setting and could really feel the difference. Not sure if they make a model for the Tacoma.

 

Right...

 

Why would some random company be able to better tune an engine than the Multi Billion dollar company who drops millions if not billions on R&D that made it?

 

No, it doesn't.

 

Because the random company (and FWFIW, Bullydog DOES know what they're doing) doesn't have to care about emissions or transmission lifespan... Toyota does.

 

Doesn't Bullydog primarily tune diesels? I thought diesels were generally much easier to tune than gassers because they can take way more boost than is used stock or something?

 

Good tactic for using the search thing!!

That all depends on the ECU I imagine. Some Toyota ECU's can't be reflashed (7th gen Celica for example) I guess Toyota did this to save money (I'm not sure, just what I read).

But the general statment about chips is they're a waste of money. Some "tuner cars" such as Civic's use a "chip" but it's more like a piggyback making the ECU somewhat tunable.

I believe the Taco ECU has some sort of learning capibility? So it learns how you drive, CAI's, exhausts, etc. and adjusts accordingly. No need for a tune.

I'm not saying you should expect huge gains from CAI's or exhaust's but you'll sound faster

 

Waste of money!

 

Unless you are running a turbo, I don't see how a chip would produce a noticeable improvement. Don't do it.

 

S/C is the way to go with these trucks anyways