Chipping a Blue Efficiency

[pierpp]

Hi

I am thinking of getting my E350 CDi BE (2010) chipped. I know there are various manufacturers out there doing perfomance chips. Has anyone had this done on such a new model? How does it affect the MB warranty? Worth doing or not? I hear the fuel economy is improved too...?

 

[ronka30]

Hi

I am thinking of getting my E350 CDi BE (2010) chipped. I know there are various manufacturers out there doing perfomance chips. Has anyone had this done on such a new model? How does it affect the MB warranty? Worth doing or not? I hear the fuel economy is improved too...?

"Chiptuning" kit for cdi also produces mercedes benz

 

[pierpp]

"Chiptuning" kit for cdi also produces mercedes benz

Yes, but I beleive its just Brabus that MB do/approve. However I understand their chip for my car is nearly £2500 and DTUK and Superchips charge around £500...a huge difference. If I fitted either of the latter, would that invalitate my MB warranty...that what I need to know!

 

[d w124]

As you already know,only the brabus one is known to mercedes.Any other chip would invalitate your warranty

 

[blondebier]

Aside from the warranty consideration you've got to look at what your potential gains are going to be here.

I don't think the fuel economy will be improved by a significant margin alone to justify paying £500 let alone £2.5k. That's a heck of a lot of diesel... for a few MPG gain ?

How far would you have to drive to break even?

I think the main factor that you should base your decision on will be the performance gain. Is x BHP gain really going to be worth the money? Are you really going to notice it and use it?

I think if the extra power made the car significantly better, MB would have made it like that in the first place.

 

[fuzzer]

I think the main factor that you should base your decision on will be the performance gain. Is x BHP gain really going to be worth the money? Are you really going to notice it and use it?

I think if the extra power made the car significantly better, MB would have made it like that in the first place.

Yes , brabus Diesel chipping is noticable.

 

[blondebier]

Yes , brabus Diesel chipping is noticable.

Absolutely. I'm sure it transforms the car.

 

[pierpp]

I dont think £500 is too much to pay for an extra 30-40 bhp and a claimed 10-20% increase in fuel economy. I dont mind paying that for a bit of extra oomph and if I get an extra 3-5mpg !!

The purpose of having it fitted is more for the performance gain so am not concerned about getting my money back in fuel savings.

I wonder if anyone else has had their MB chipped by a "non MB authorised dealer" if there car is less than 3 years old and how and if its affected their MB warranty and servicing?

 

[blondebier]

Have a look at this thread : http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/87102-angel-tuning-group-remap-saturday-1st-may.html

 

[raymont]

MB warranty will be void for anything that could be affected by the changes, i.e. all the drivetrain, engine management etc. I guess things like windscreen wipers, trim etc. will be covered as it’s hard to argue they are affected by the change.

Your insurance will also be void if you don’t tell your insurance company the change. If you do tell them they might want more money or decline to cover you at all. So ask first.

The changes can be detected, so don't believe any claims that they cannot.

 

[clk270]

If anyone rewrites the ecu software maps, then potentially the flash count of the ecu changes - i think Revo claim not to alter the flash count, maybe ??

If you make a claim then the delaership may check the software itself or the flash count. For simple warranty claims like an injector you would probably get away with it, but if the engine was terminal you can bet MB would look hard at the ecu to check all was as it should be. If you get a single map write over by a tuning company, bear in mond that MB may update the software itself during a service, overwriting any modded map already installed. So you have to go back to the tuning companmy to reinstall again (normally at a cost, and possibly a decent journey away).

Flash rewrite devices are available which allow you to swap from normal to tuned maps via the diagnostic socket - again these may alter the flash count, and Revo don't actually give you back the factory map originally on your ecu, but a generic map they have from another car plus their modded map.

DTUK tuning box - not detectable, as you can remove for any dealer visits. Their simpler box with single connection (maybe not abvaialble for the BE models), basically fools the common rail pressure sensor voltage back to the ecu, with different offsets applied based on the map chosen (normally 4 installed) and the engine revs. These do work and can be fitted and removed in 5 minutes. I've had one on my Golf CR TDI for 6 months now, and its made the car more responsive to drive. The indicated mpg has improved by about 10%, but actual brim to brim calculations says its probably dropped a touch but then you do use the extra oomph !

DTUK latest box uses up to three connections (normally fuel rail pressure, cam position sensor and turbo pressure) - gives a lot more control for the modified maps, but these can be a pain to fit, dependent upon where the sensors are located (i'd need to put my Golf on a hoist and remove undertrays etc).

Andrew at DTUK is very helpful, he sent me all the plots of the various maps and how they modded the fuel pressure voltage signal so i could choose the best map for me. They operate a 14 day no quibble refund, so you basically have a trial period, which no-one else gives on their product in your car. The DTUK boxes use the German DTE box, but software written in the UK by Andrew.


Now don't think for one minute that a tuning box is the bees knees of tuning, it isn't. A proper remp from a knowledgeable company with your car ona rolling road will give better results as they can alter more parameters. But, if like me, you want a solution that the dealer won't know about in the event of a big warranty claim, and are happy with a mild and not the maximum increase, then the tuning box route is still about the only avenue that you can have some faith won't be detectable.

You should of course inform your insurance company, and they may well load your premium by 10% or more !

 

[TomC]

Has anyone fitted a DTUK box to their MB? They are not too far from me and I am considering paying them a visit so wondered if anyone had any direct MB experience of them?