by Jonathan » Sun May 15, 2005 5:22 pm
American cars typically get more out of ECUS because of the regulations put on them by the government, you can typically get a 8-10% power increase with many American cars because they're so choked down to begin with, plus the chips are cheaper. Then of course you can get more if you improve the exhaust (ESPECIALLY getting rid of cats) and intake. Basically it boils down to how tightly regulated the cars were, an aftermarket ECU upgrade optimizes fuel and timing tables, and with that comes better fuel mileage in the process assuming you can hold back the temptation to try out the power increase it gives. With cars like Hondas, they've pushed their small motors to near the maximum capabilities to begin with, you aren't going to see huge gains out of those cars without boost. They also aren't under tight regulation because their line of vehicles doesn't include large trucks and large SUVS, the EPA sets goals for a manufacturer based on the average fuel mileage across the entire line of vehicles instead of just a specific car.
American cars typically get more out of ECUS because of the regulations put on them by the government, you can typically get a 8-10% power increase with many American cars because they're so choked down to begin with, plus the chips are cheaper. Then of course you can get more if you improve the exhaust (ESPECIALLY getting rid of cats) and intake. Basically it boils down to how tightly regulated the cars were, an aftermarket ECU upgrade optimizes fuel and timing tables, and with that comes better fuel mileage in the process assuming you can hold back the temptation to try out the power increase it gives. With cars like Hondas, they've pushed their small motors to near the maximum capabilities to begin with, you aren't going to see huge gains out of those cars without boost. They also aren't under tight regulation because their line of vehicles doesn't include large trucks and large SUVS, the EPA sets goals for a manufacturer based on the average fuel mileage across the entire line of vehicles instead of just a specific car.