Supercharger chipping

[andyw]

Has anyone chipped their Kompressor on here?

I'm being quoted +40bhp by mercedesperformance.co.uk for about £935 which works out at £23 per bhp which I thought was reasonable considering other options

what are the risks of superchips - is 40bhp a bit optimistic? is it worth it? would I notice the difference in "real world" driving?

Cheers

Andy

 

[Deleted member 2227]

I think 40bhp would be possible on a turbo or kompressor car but not a normal car. You would certainly notice 40bhp and the car should be more driveable.

Are they proposing a Superchip Chip or another brand. Its just that Superchip didnt used to do the Kompressor cars. If it is a Superchip get a quote from Sanspeed in Bexleyheath and say you got their details here as you might get it cheaper!

 

[GrahamC230K]

Has anyone chipped their Kompressor on here?

I'm being quoted +40bhp by mercedesperformance.co.uk for about £935 which works out at £23 per bhp which I thought was reasonable considering other options

what are the risks of superchips - is 40bhp a bit optimistic? is it worth it? would I notice the difference in "real world" driving?

Cheers

Andy

I have spent a lot of time in the past and also again recently with the assistance of Will (another member).

I am interested in what they are quoting for. In fact, i might give them a call and get back to you. A chip alone won't get you 40BHP as I don't think on w202 oe w203's you can adjust the boost via the ECU.

What car is this for?

 

[andyw]

I have spent a lot of time in the past and also again recently with the assistance of Will (another member).

I am interested in what they are quoting for. In fact, i might give them a call and get back to you. A chip alone won't get you 40BHP as I don't think on w202 oe w203's you can adjust the boost via the ECU.

What car is this for?

Its for an 04 C200K Sport Coupe, would certainly be interested discussing your findings/opinions?

Andy

Edit - oops spelling!!

 

[OGiii]

From what I remember they can get 40bhp on the new 1.8 Kompressor engines because the same engine is now used across a broad range and is just 'tuned' by the chip to suit the performance Mercedes want from each vehicle i.e. some, mine being one, are not tuned as high as they could be.

When I enquired recently, Superchip didn't do one for the E200k so imagine it's the same for the C200K

I'd also looked at Upsolute who were recomended on here a while ago but they can't yet program via the ECU port so need to crack open the case to replace the chip.

I'd go for this if it was around the £300 mark but I think £900+ is a bit steep when what is involved is no more than port tuning of any car. OK results are better but still just a 10 minute plug in job.

Wonder if they'd do a 3 for 1 special

 

[andyw]

Andy

The ECU upgrade I have provided is different from that offered by Superchips who do not cover Kompressor models.

I forgot to mention that we can only carry out the ECU upgrade if your vehicle is a true C200K 2.0ltr. The 1.8 ltr engine cannot be reconfigured as yet due to a software issue.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards



Chet

Sales Department
Mercedes Performance


Reply just come through - looks like bad news for me

 

[OGiii]

You could try www.DMSAutomotive.co.uk Andy. They don't mention the C200K on thier site but when I spoke to them a couple of months ago they said they could do the E200K 1.8 for £795+VAT (+35bhp +40nm torque).

They told me they remap the ECU to use the full boost that the Kompressor is producing anyway, mainly between 2000 & 4000 rpm.

 

[buellwinkle]

To expect more than 10-15HP from a chip in a non-turbo car is unreliastic. The reason chips work so well on turboed cars is that they can control the eletronic wastegate and allow more boost, this would be impossible to control electronically on a supercharged or normally aspirated engine. Sometimes chip tuners will tweak the dyno and take some odd spike as the true gain, I've seen Upsolute do this on the C230K and claim 29HP but I was able to see the actual dyno and the gains averaged 3-5 HP except for this anomoly at 120 MPH for a split second it shot to 29HP. Dynos have a inherent errors, little spike and dips, the dyno software can smooth these out.

There's only one inexpensive thing that will give you decent gains and even then 40HP is unreliastic is a pulley kit that make the s/c spin faster and yield more boost.

To get a 40HP gain you are looking at serious internal engine mods and certainly more than £935.

 

[OGiii]

Normally I'd agree with you buellwinkle and I have to say that I am still sceptical.

But, if you take the C Class as the example, the C180K (143bhp), C200K (163bhp) and C230K (192bhp) all have the same 1.8 engine however they have different power output.

DMS and Mercedes Performance both suggested that the only difference was the programming on the chip.

I don’t know enough to argue for or against.

 

[marcos]

But, if you take the C Class as the example, the C180K (143bhp), C200K (163bhp) and C230K (192bhp) all have the same 1.8 engine however they have different power output.

How can the C230K have a 1.8 litre engine?

 

[sym]

How can the C230K have a 1.8 litre engine?

MB Marketing for you ! The latest C-Classes have sealed ECUs - with a little dial to twist inside which selects C180,C200, or C230 !

OK - we assume ( hope! ) that there are some other changes between the models as well - as well as the price difference, obviously !! - but its the same basic engine !

S.

 

[marcos]

That is just sooooo wrong.

Surely the old SLK 230 Kompressor was a 2.3litre and not a 1.8

 

[andyw]

That is just sooooo wrong.

Surely the old SLK 230 Kompressor was a 2.3litre and not a 1.8

that maybe so Marcos, but the current range are bascially the same car with cosmetic differences

oh and different states of "tune" to vary the power output, I believe the 230 has a different pulley but don't quote me on that

A

 

[kjay]

I spent a couple of months searching for the 'right' c class coupe and was after a c230k. Some of them are only 1.8 litre and not 2.3 as you would expect. Just like the 200k which I bought (because it is low milage and immaculate) which is 1.8 and not 2 litre! Like sym said - MB marketing.

Anyway, to my main point. I've been looking into to getting a bit more power from my 2003 (1.8 litre) C200k.
I've contacted a few companies offering ECU remaps and most seem to offer about a 20 bhp increase with remap alone, then there seems to be a difference of opinion about the next 10 - 20 bhp.
Belts/pullys will increase the boost but some say it's not good long term because the supercharger's spinning faster all the time. MRD Performance say a remap with a catback exhaust is the best way, which I can see the sense in. ( Think they quoted +40 bhp for about 950 quid )

I'm sure 20bhp will be a decent improvement for just a remap - 350 - 480 quid depending who does it.

Here are my concerns.
Have read a bit about the Sprintbooster and (please correct me if I'm wrong) it seems to just make the accelerator pedal more sensetive, making the engine seem more resposive.
In the same way could ECU remaping do the same?
Buellwinkle's comments have made me sceptical. A spike increase at 6,000 rpm is no use to anyone. what I want is to feel that extra grunt about 3/4000.
From experience of previous cars - turbos - that surge from lower rpm is normaly down to increase in boost.

Has anyone done this/these mods and what were the results?

Any input would be very much apreciated.

Thanks. Jay.

 

[Deleted member 2227]

I have had my car remapped by Upsolute and also tried Carlsson Filters and Brabus exhausts and filters. I also have sprintbooster fitted.

My conclusions are that chipping adds a little more driveability and perhaps a little more "smoothness" but thats all, talk of 20bhp, 30bhp even 40bhp is all rubbish. I have now had my remapped to the last w203 software issue and can't feel any difference.

Having tried 3 different airfilters.
K and N oils up your MAS causing it to fail. I had my car dynoed with a standard airfilter and a K and N and there was NO difference at all. The Carlsson one if just a french made K and N. I now run the OEM one but change it every year.

I have tried AMG and Brabus exhausts. Both added noise but NO power increase.

Sprintbooster. Is excellent it adds no BHP but makes the car feel much quicker through the gears.

I'll get my car dynoed some day with SB fitted and see how the torque line looks because it goes a lot better than it did without the SB.

The other M271 engine mods are headers (manifold) of which Kleeman makes a gorgeous looking one for £750. Unfortunately it discolours the first time you use it and therefore loses its looks and if you read the kleeman website it isn't liscensed for road use and is used at your risk. Other headers exist but I've not met anyone with one fitted.

Schrick (sp) make cams that give your engine more top end but less mid range and sometimes muck up your idle.

Several firms make pulley kits that the US forums seem to question the worth of. If they work then why are there always used sets available on ebay and US forums.

MKB do a pulley, intercooler, chip, filter kit for about £100,000.......

Which leaves Kleemans K Box which kids the kompressor it needs to be full on all the time and alledgedly adds 40bhp or so. I've never met anyone who fitted it (£750 ish) and US forums have people selling them...why?

I'd have your car well serviced, fitted with new and correct plugs not gold plated titanium turbo plugs, I'd get a new MB airfilter, fit Sprint booster and enjoy your nice reliable car. If that still isn't enough don't spend 000's on modding the engine in order to make it unsaleable just trade it for a 3.2 or an AMG.

HTH

An old experienced modder!

 

[Dieselman]

Which leaves Kleemans K Box which kids the kompressor it needs to be full on all the time and alledgedly adds 40bhp or so. I've never met anyone who fitted it (£750 ish) and US forums have people selling them...why?

Good point.

Surely the compressor is boosting at full boost when the engine is required to make full power anyway so it's hard to see how it can make any more power than standard.

 

[Deleted member 2227]

I think it keeps it spinning at all at all speeds so that even at lower revs it provides more boost then its supposed to.

 

[Dieselman]

I think it keeps it spinning at all at all speeds so that even at lower revs it provides more boost then its supposed to.

Which will increase torque across the rev range, but no more peak power as it will be at full boost then anyway.

Ps. I am in agreement with you, just explaining the effect.

 

[Deleted member 2227]

Yes that seems logical but they claim 50bhp increase on peak bhp which I dont understand. This is their performance ack for the M271
http://www.kleemann.dk/site/Main/performanceproducts/performancekits

 

[kjay]

Thanks R2D2, I apreciate your advice.

Am gonna research the sprintbooster now.

PS. Yeah, would love a 3.2. Guess I'll have to work a bit harder!!