Increase Milage chips

[guido0136]

I've seen on e-bay these aftermarket add-on chips that will increase fuel milage.

Has any one installed one of these, and do they actually work? It just sounds to good to be true.

Thank you,

G.

[shorod]

They don't work. Think about it, if a $0.02 resistor would improve horsepower and fuel economy, the manufacturers would readily spend the money to help them meet the fuel economy requirements (CAFE/CARB). These "chips" are typically just simple passive resistors that byplass the intake air temperature sensor to make the PCM think the intake air is a certain temp, so the PCM uses a fuel and timing curve according to the lookup table for that intake air temp. This is probably grossly oversimplified, but basically what happens. The PCM is not being allowed to function as designed and quite often optimized. If the bogus fuel curve causes the engine to run too lean, it can burn valves and pistons. If it runs too rich, then your performance and fuel economy suffers, not to mention the potential damage to the catalytic converters, O2 sensors, and emissions.

Save your money.

-Rod

[guido0136]

That's what I thought - I was just looking for ways to improve fuel milage.

Thanks Rod.

[shorod]

A tune up and cylinder decarb would be money better spent than money for the "chip."

-Rod

[TeamExploder]

Try some seafoam that helps a little bit.