Owners of new cars, including those leased or purchased on credit, are often concerned about the risk of losing their warranty and the detection of chip tuning at the authorized service center during the inspection. Therefore, the choice falls on power boxes.

On the other hand, safe chip tuning is described as more professional compared to power boxes (which are often described as boxes with a resistor inside) - and that attracts like a magnet. Of course, there are some solutions on the market, for a few dollars each, which are actually copies of the old analog boxes from the 90s, and they will be on sale as long as there are customers, assume that the cheaper, the better.

Digital power boxes or chip tuning?

Professional digital power boxes of the latest generation are free from the drawbacks of the old analogue solutions - controlled by a fast processor, containing precise tuning maps for fuel doses and boost pressure, they guarantee stable engine operation, no negative impact on the life of the DPF / FAP and SCR systems.

It can be assumed that a good chip tuning will always give slightly more performance than a power box, but the difference with multichannel powerboxes (like our PowerBox Go and PowerBox Elite) is not large.

The best versions can be tuned on a dynometer just like a chip in the engine controller, or even controlled with an app via iPhone or Android.

Chip tuning and warranty

For logical reasons (desire for profit and protection against poor, amateur tuning) authorized service centers are allergic to any engine tuning and in case of detection will usually revoke the warranty on the engine and drivetrain. This does not mean, however, that car manufacturers shy away from chip tuning or power boxes - as much as they accept them - as long as they sell them themselves. "Pecunia non olet" - money doesn't stink.

Of course - chip tuning can be done professionally and be very hard to detect. However, the power box has one simple advantage - it plugs into the car based on the factory plugs. Hence, it can be removed (unplugged) from the car in a few minutes and the car will pass the check in at an authorized service center as absolutely factory-new. It is impossible to detect something that is not there.

Buying a power box online - pros and cons

This is a seemingly simple issue (store online here), but nevertheless needs to be clarified:

• Buying a power box online avoids installation costs, because the power box manufacturer assumes that you will install it yourself. The power box contains ready-made software for the engine (after all, you choose the exact car model and engine when you buy online) and will work without any tuning.
• Due to the variation in the production of cars and the differences in the technical condition depending on the mileage and the manner of use - it is impossible to make a perfect program in the power box for all copies of the car model. From there, there is an opportunity for fine-tuning. The basic one is to change the program in the power box (each of our power boxes contains several power levels, including both weaker and stronger than the standard one). If the car is new, efficient and well maintained - you can try to switch the power box to a program that gives a bit more horse power (but still within reason).
• Another method is to count on professionals. and bring your car to ECU Tunes and tune the power box on our 4WD Dyno. There are also a lot of companies that work with us, able to tune cars on the dynamometer. When choosing this option, the power box will be tuned on a dyno to the specific car. Of course, this entails the cost of tuner labor and dyno measurements.

Transferring the PowerBox to another car

This objective advantage gives the powerbox a certain advantage over chip tuning - after changing the wiring (and even while staying within one brand - probably even based on the existing cable system) - the powerbox can be transferred to another car. It will obviously require a program change and/or tuning to a different car, but you don't have to buy a new one. You can even transfer a powerbox from a diesel to a turbocharged car and vice versa. It's a measurable money saver - when you sell your old car, you take the powerbox out of it and use it in your new car.

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