What You Should Know About

Performance Chips on Chevys

If you’re a Chevy enthusiast, you probably like to make sure that your vehicle performs a step ahead of other makes on the road.  For some owners, that means buying the latest Chevy model and showing off its stock performance capabilities.  For others, that translates into physical performance part upgrades, with add-ons such as nitrous boosters and turbochargers than can keep a Chevy competitive against almost any competition.  More recently, however, many Chevrolet drivers are turning to Chevy performance chips, which modify the vehicle’s intake sensor and other systems in order to boost overall performance.  Below, we’ll go over what to keep in mind if you’re considering a performance computer chip add-on, so you can know what to expect prior to installation.

Installation Process

If you’re looking to avoid a lengthy installation process, then you’re in luck.  Unlike physical performance components that often take hours, even days of work to install, a performance chip generally takes under an hour to put into a vehicle.  The chip can be installed using only basic automotive tools, and more recent chips don’t require a resetting of the ECU in order to operate.  Most chips nowadays are also plug-and-play, so getting everything finished should be a breeze if you’re used to doing lots of mod work on your Chevy.

Classic Chevys

Performance chips can only be used on cars with working ECUs, and many cars before the 1980s did not contain this technology.  If your Chevy has an air intake sensor and an operational ECU, it can most likely utilize a performance chip.  If your Chevy predates that kind of technology, it will not be able to use a performance chip, and therefore physical performance-enhancing add-ons are the way to go.

Performance

If you’re seeking out the 400+ horsepower gains a turbocharger can provide your Chevrolet vehicle, then a performance chip only isn’t going to cut it.  But either alone or in conjunction with other performance parts, a chip can provide a substantial horsepower boost of up to 60 extra horsepower.  The performance computer chip can also improve a vehicle’s fuel economy, offering up to 4-7mpg in fuel savings, which can add up quite a bit over time.  These types of chip enhancements are perfect for those users looking for small but significant boosts that don’t take a lot of time to install and are quite inexpensive (especially compared to the thousands you would spend on a Chevy turbo kit).