This is a Chipyourcar Performance Chip review / analysis and comparison to the many other chips we have reviewed so far. The Chipyourcar Performance Chip is available directly via the eBay https://www.ebay.com
If you are looking for a REAL Chipyourcar Performance chip Review, then this is for you! Don’t believe the reviews on any manufacturer’s website without checking into the product first yourself. Let’s take a look:
Company Profile
The manufacturer is a company called ‘chipyourcar’, according to the packaging. Their website offers these chips exclusively, three power stages: 1, 2, and 3, at ridiculous prices. The website is suspicious also, in that it allows you to select the vehicle to find performance chips for. They have vehicle options that do not exist, like a 12-cylinder Acura vehicle for example. This is suspicious, as most performance chip scams claim to fit all vehicles.
Cost
The cost on the website at the time of this review, was $64.99 USD for Stage 1, claiming 20+HP gains, $139.99 for Stage 2, claiming 40+HP gains, and $209.99 for Stage 3, claiming 60+HP gains. The cost is again a very suspicious factor to us, as we already suspect what is inside each of these modules.
Product Appearance
The OBD tuner module comes in the same color, yellow (pictured), but the website claims there are three different power stages. We did not want to take their word for it, so we purchased one of each for testing.
As for the appearance, we are already smell a scam – just look at the similarities to this ECU Chiptuning Box which sells for $7 on Aliexpress:
The instructions claim basically the same thing that the NitroOBD scam did – to have vehicle programming onboard to allow the device to optimize the vehicle performance when connected to the OBD port.
From their website:
“1. Make sure your car key is pulled out of the ignition
2. Find your OBD2/ Diagnostic port typically under your dashboard and plug in the chip.
3. Insert your key into the ignition and turn key to the accessory position to where your dash lights illuminate. If vehicle is equipped with ignition button,press ignition button with foot off the brake to access the accessory position.
4. Wait roughly 5-10 seconds for the chip to communicate with your ECU. Once chip-to-ECU connection is successful lights on chip front will flash rapidly.
5. Start vehicle.
6. Press and hold reset button located on the front of the performance chip face roughly 5 seconds to start programming the ECU. The Performance Chip stays plugged into the OBD2 port.
7. Drive as usual a minimum of 50 total miles to complete the software download. (You do not need to drive all 50 miles consecutively.)”
Once again, this is the same install procedure that the NitroOBD scam provided, although the Chipyourcar only claims to need 50 miles to adjust to the vehicle. Let’s see what it actually does.
Internal Analysis
After removing the cover of each of the three modules – big surprise – we were not really surprised to find the old familiar circuit board, just rearranged, for those of you who were with us for the NitroOBD scam:
The circuit board is built around, once again, the PIC16F59 IC, although the location of the reset button has been rearranged. There is a cable connecting the reset button on the cover to the PCB, for easy use and to make it appear as a new design. Like with the NitroOBD scam chips, if one pulls the datasheet for the PIC16F59 IC, we can see from the manufacturer, Microchip, that this chip has a maximum program memory size of 3KB:
From several searches, we verified that ECU maps for a vehicle will be at least 20KB in size or larger PER MAP! This is way too large for the PIC16F59 IC to contain. So, if this is the case, there are no genuine vehicle maps onboard this module. What can be stored in such a small sized space then? We have our own suspicions.
Operation
We connected each of the three Chipyourcar modules as shown in the instructions to our 2012 BMW 530i 3.0L L6 and the three lights began to blink, eerily in the exact same sequence as the NitroOBD chip did.
We followed the instructions and drove at least 50+ miles as requested to give it the benefit of the doubt, and…… nothing. No power increase, no fuel economy increase. There is NO WAY we obtained 20, 40 or higher gains. We did, however, see a neat light show!
Analysis
It is clear from our analysis so far that the Chipyourcar Performance Module, like so many others, is nothing but a different colored NitroOBD chip with a modified circular reset button on the case! It does not have the physical memory on the chip to hold real vehicle ECU maps. 3KB of memory IS large enough for a light blinker program however, and we believe this is exactly what it truly is – a blinker in a newer yellow colored case. The circuit appears to monitor the pins from the OBD port and the small microprocessor blinks the lights when activity is detected, giving the appearance of the chip’s operation. While some users online claim to have seen small gains in pickup or fuel economy, we believe this is due to either the placebo effect or other vehicle / environmental factors. While we did not get any error codes set by our Thunderbolt Performance Chips, others on the internet claim it does nothing.
The second issue is that there are SEVERAL bad customer experiences with this website posted on the web – please do your research before purchasing from this company – if the reviews are to be believed, you will have a very low chance of getting your money back once you fall for this scam!
Company Response
We sent the following message to the company before completing this review, and received this response.
Our message to the company:
Hello,
We are an automotive performance chip review group and saw your performance chip website. We have a few questions about your product:
1) Can you assure us this is not a NitroOBD scam? If so, why does the PCB inside look EXACTLY like the Nitro OBD chip?
2) Do you have any real-world proof of your performance?
Thanks for helping us to gather more information about your product for buyers on the net!
Company’s response:
We agree – they do not have any relation to Nitro company-wise, but product-wise, it is identical, inside and out. They mentioned, ‘all chips that plug into the OBD2 port have the same shape’ – actually, only the SCAM chips have this same shape case. As for their claims the chips are dyno proven, we saw no evidence of this. Claiming that the tunes may be purchased from another local shop in Minnesota is a dead giveaway, because from our board analysis, we already know the chip is not capable of holding even one tune – just a light blinker script. At least they tried…
Conclusion
From our research and review, it is our opinion that the Chipyourcar Performance Chip is another scam, albeit one of the most expensive ones. It may also cause ECU damage, as reported by some users of the NitroOBD scam chip on the net, so we suggest avoiding it at all costs. There are MANY bad reviews on the net about never getting a refund from this company, getting the run-around, etc. Beware of a company that redesigns the outside of a $3 Nitro OBD chip and sells it to you for $209.99. It is a nice light show at best, damaging at worst. You will DEFINITELY want to pass on this one!
| Average Horsepower (HP) Gain: | |
| Average Torque (TQ) Gain: | |
| Average Miles Per Gallon (MPG) Gain: | |
| Company Communication: | |
| Processing Speed: | |
| Total Rating |
Update
Some people just don’t know when to stop. Take a look at our recent comments page and see if you believe any of these ‘reviews’:
Wow, so many reviews from the same IP address and just over the course of a few minutes! Looks like someone isn’t happy that there is a truthful review site that actually tells the truth and can’t be bought off! Here is proof that it is actually someone from chipyourcar.com trying to do damage control:
Same IP – same writing style – same time frame – same fake names. Want more proof that these fake reviews were submitted by chipyourcar.com? Remember the email they sent claiming that they had nothing to do with nitro? Take a look at the IP address it was sent from:
The sender of the email just so happens to have the exact same IP address as these fake comments. Hmm..
As you can see for yourself, this company simply has the NitroOBD chip printed with their logo and shipped to customers. It does not and cannot work – it is a scam light blinker. It is not a ‘chip’ at all. If they are willing to try to post this many fake reviews on our site, then you can rest assured that 90% if not all of the reviews on their site are fakes as well. Come on – a ’50 year mechanic’? Don’t make us laugh. Your product is garbage – stop trying to scam people!!
Yes, it is a scam! Have you ever tried to return a “Chipyourcar”?
Good luck with that attempt. They have an answer for every case an it is never their product!
I owned a 2003 VW GOLF TDI. I could (on occasion average 52 MPG) I know how drive a VW TDI. I have tested for a year and there is NO IMPROVEMENT AT ALL!
They tell me I am the except and blame it on my good driving skills, bullshit!
Wow!
Thanks for your review.
I almost ordered one but decided to look some more for reviews of this product.
Keep up the good work.
Didn’t do a damn thing. They started yelling at me after the 6th call, 3 to tech support to supposedly reset the chip and 3 to get a refund. Devon stated a refund or replacement was no problem. I chose the refund. Still waiting. When I call I get someone telling me they can’t hear me. Another asks me if I have a dyno. I reported them to the BBB and filed a dispute of the charge with my bank for my credit card. STAY AWAY!!!!!
THIS IS A TOTAL SCAM. How are you going to get a 60hp gain from a 125 hp 4 cylinder 1.8L nissan?
I filed a complaint with the BBB in Minnesota on 9/3/2020 after I called about my refund and was very rudely spoken to by Cale, I believe.
I was spoken over by a very loud insulting tone that they could fix the issue as the chip wasn’t communicating with my cars system.
We made 3 attempts already to reset the chip with NO improvement or change to the vehicle’s performance. He acted as though he wouldn’t be giving me a refund and stated the problem could have been fixed and I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. I don’t argue with anyone or disrespect them and avoid all confrontations if possible.
I ended the conversation by telling him that I was filing a complaint with the BBB and calling my bank to dispute the charge on my credit card and I rudely hung up while he was still rambling.
He stated he refunded my money and stated it may take up to 10 days to show up on my account. I called my bank and that statement he made actually had fact, according to my bank.
On 9/4/2020 @ 9:56 am I received a call from Cale and he was speaking to me in a nice tone and told me my review was hurting him as well as the filing of the complaint with the BBB.
He wanted me to remove the review and told me he had already refunded my money when he received the chip for return beforehand, which had no fact based on my emails received by the company.
I told him when I received my money, I would remove the complaint and the bad review and had to rudely hang up on him again as during this conversation I was basically called a liar and my statements weren’t true and it was going from nice at the beginning, to another episode as the previous conversation with me being loudly spoken over to me rudely hanging up.
On 9/4/2020 @ 10:04 am I received an email dated 9/4/2020, showing me an invoice dated 9/4/2020 that a refund had been made.
On 9/5/2020 I called my bank and a credit of $229.99 was in my account.
Amazing the results you get when you call the right people. I was prepared to hire a Lawyer in Minnesota to handle this case over a $229.99 refund if I couldn’t resolve the issue. I didn’t care if it cost me $1k to get my $229.99, it was the principle.
So for anyone that buys this product and gets no results or improvement to the performance of your vehicle, which you won’t, I recommend handling things as I did.
I don’t appreciate being told what I wrote wasn’t true, which it was, and basically being called a liar by a company representative, or owner.
For that reason and the false claims made by a company, this review stays so that others don’t go through what I did. Don’t waste your money on this product, it does nothing. I’m an experienced drag racer and a high performance motor builder.
I’m 57 and was raised during the old muscle car era and my buddies and I found it hard to believe that you could get a 60 hp 5 mpg increase by using a chip on a 4cylinder 125hp 1.8 liter Nissan so we had to try it.
SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!!
These statements are totally correct and are made to the best of my knowledge.
Sincerely,
Thomas L Heestand
Get a real chip and do your regualr bolt on and fuel system up grade., If you have the time and money. Play with the cams too..
Oh my,
I see these reviews. I so happened to be waiting for the arrival of my Stage 3 Chip Your Car module. After seeing the reviews, I’m not sure if I want to plug in the device at all.
One blogger stated this product has caused damage. I can’t risk plugging it in. I don’t want ECU damage. How can I know what is true vs. lie?
This is kind of disappointing
I know what you mean, it is always hard to find truth in sellers. That is exactly why we made this forum. And soon more performance chip reviews to come.
I bought this chip a while back for my Mini R50. I should have know better. It a P.O.S.. Do not waste your money. Get a proper tune. If its to good to be true. Well you know the rest.
Hi. Do you know of any legit chips that help with mpg? I have a 2011 Honda Pilot which gets 17/23. The Odyssey which is the same engine gets 19/28. Is there any way to get the mpg of the Odyssey?
Thanks for your time
We have many chips we have reviewed and produce fuel gains but as fuel savings as a target we have found the Dragonworks brands Tornado Eco-Flex Fuel Saver targets fuel economy as a main priority.
The chip does not improve miles per gallon. I actually lost .2 mpg.
Devin at chipyourcar said they make no guarantees about mileage- really not what their web implies.
Now they are trying to say I’m not a real customer. These guys are a scam! Save your 209.00 bucks. When asked to back up their 100% satisfaction is when they are saying im not a real customer. My step is to post them on my YouTube channel and file a complaint with the BBB.
I HATE BEING RIPPED OFF!!!
I bought one of these chips earlier today, I believed what the customer comments said. Now I’m waiting for a Rip-off chip/box that doesn’t work . Man I feel like I’ve been suckered. No fool like an old fool.
Avoid this product!!!! Finally went to the bank to get my refund because they need to follow VISA rules when they accept that form of payment.
The staff [Guy on a cellphone] is annoying and tries to string you along. I had a copy of all my texts as ammo for my bank.
Avoid! Avoid! BUYER BEWARE!!
Unfortunately I didn’t read this review prior to purchasing the stage 4 chip. However I was skeptical so I ran “Car Scanner Pro” (csp) for a few day prior to the chip’s arrival. After following the installation process I turned on csp and drove the 150 miles they now say it takes. There was absolutely no change whatsoever to my mpg or hp. I drive an 06 Honda Ridgeline with a 255hp vtec motor. The most hp I recorded was 248. The mpg averaged 20 which is what I was getting prior to the install. As you say, I did see a light show. After my last communication with them they told me to “tell whoever I wanted, whatever I wanted.” So I promptly filed a scam report with the BBB and came here to leave my review. I am considering filing a class action suite against them; you know they have scammed many people who haven’t said a thing. Because they do business through the mail they are also subject to mail fraud. I’m going to look into that next. They claim to be a “Veteran Owned” company. I have a hard time believing that, I just don’t see a veteran ripping off other vets at this magnitude. These guys need to be stopped!
I am very disappointed in myself for being so stupid to believe that you can gain 60 H. P. By putting something in my truck in 60 seconds. I am a dam good mechanic and as you all know the car manufacturers have made things almost impossible for the average Person to work on there own car or truck. But I am very loyal and proud and great full to anyone who serves this country. The Chip My Car advertised that it was a small family run business started by someone who served this once great country. I was hooked like a hatchery fed rainbow trout. I was so caught up by the veteran and his small family start up business I no longer had the brain to brake an egg. I am not worried about the money I spent I am just flat out disappointed by the way he put across the add. Anyway the product is bogus but the add is absolutely wrong and disappointing.