DPChip what setting do people use, for those who have a DPChip

[simong Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close simong]

Hi, I have a 2014 GXL D4D 3.0L auto and just had a new DPChip fitted (model DP31 M4). There are three groups of settings (coarse - red led, medium - orange led, fine - green led), and within each group there are three settings, so a possible nine settings, with the default setting being coarse (all this has come from the manual).

I was just heading home from the installer and the prado went into limp home mode. It was set on orange+2, so setting five of a possible nine.

I have set it to setting three (after resetting the engine warning light) and it seems to be running fine. From my earlier reading though, I thought setting five would be about right, and that is what the installer thought.

My question is 'what settings are you guys using, those of you who have a DPChip'.

cheers
Simon

[Rusty62 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rusty62]

If it was me, knowing what i do now i would place any tuning chip on a 3.0 Toyota motor very carefully in the bin.
Reason, two out of the two Prado's in our family have had injector fail / tuning chip engine failures. Both times when a long way from home.

Now unless the chip you have does not alter the common rail pressure. The increase in pressure in the rail makes the injectors fail early and the over fueling starts resulting in excess temperate in the piston with the end result - piston fail.

This is my opinion only.

But when it was in i was very impressed with the performance increase and fuel economy reduction. I had a Tunit Chip and brothers was a Roo Chip.

[kayde Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close kayde]

Hey simong
I have the same chip that I just fitted to my 2013 GXL.
I haven't had any dramas yet but mine is on the red setting.
I spoke to someone from berrima who are agents and this is what they told me...
Basically all the 3 settings are the same tune , red , orange , green.
The minor adjustments are just different in each zone , eg red with one is one course adjustment so one green adjustment is a fine adjustment.
Hope that makes sense.
I have mine on the standard red course setting , I'm waiting for my exhaust to arrive ?

Have you got a bigger exhaust fitted ?
I have heard that without an exhaust you should just keep it in a standard tune only as you may create excessive heat.

I'm happy with mine at the moment but the exhaust will make it better and I will then go up one on the red or 2 on the orange , that's what was recommend to me

[simong Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close simong]

hi Kayde, that is exactly the information I was after, thanks mate.

I rang Berrima Diesel and they were helpful and suggested using the red setting, so I am at red+1 (red+3 gave me a limp home mode on the second day of using it). All seems to be working fine at red+1 and while I didn't expect it, my fuel economy (on the trip computer) has gotten better. I'm happy with the increased torque for towing, which is what I was after.

I don't have a larger exhaust, I thought the Prado had a 2.5" as stock, which seems pretty good, what size are you going to ? I was thinking of a free flowing muffler, just not sure what brand or who to fit it.

cheers
Simon

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

Ditching the stock muffler and replacing it with a straight through made more difference than the DTRONIC chip because it dropped the EGT by about 70-80C, hence you can use the power of the chip without burning the pistons. It matters not what HP the chip will allow the donk to produce, the (terminal) limiting factor is when you burn your engine.

[simong Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close simong]

t303, you seem to have had an experience burning your engine with a chip, can you share that experience ?, ie: what engine, what chip, how long it was installed prior to it burning your engine, how many kms on your vehicle, what model prado and what year.
I appreciate you sharing your unfortunate experience of burning your engine while using a chip.
cheers
Simon

[kayde Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close kayde]

Hey simon
Glad you got it sorted out.
From what I've been told you should be able to to go up another pip if you get an exhaust or a free flow set up.
From what I have read the chip with standard exhaust can cause excessive heat issues with the engine.
I'm sure if you went straight through it would do the same , allowing the heat from the back pressure to get out quickly.
I got my chip and exhaust as a package from berrima, it's 3in with high flow , as it was a package from them I assume that's what they recommend and they would know better than most as the have been in the game for a long time.
I'm just waiting for my exhaust I can't wait to fit it and put the chip up 1.....or 2 ��

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

t303, you seem to have had an experience burning your engine with a chip, can you share that experience ?, ie: what engine, what chip, how long it was installed prior to it burning your engine, how many kms on your vehicle, what model prado and what year.
I appreciate you sharing your unfortunate experience of burning your engine while using a chip.
cheers
Simon

02 KZJ95 with 120k on it at the time. I haven't blown an engine, just cracked a head after the boost hit 14+psi while I was dialling in a boost controller. I can't say what EGT it hit, but prolonged high EGT is what will eventually affect the metallurgy in both pistons and head. The temp/time equation for failure cannot be predicted unless someone (and it ain't gonna be me!) tests one to destruction, so I operate conservatively at 10-11psi boost, max 720C EGT measured at turbine inlet and max 100C coolant temp at the exit of the cyl head. Without proper instrumentation you are clueless as to what conditions your combustion chamber is seeing. EGT, boost and coolant temp I regard as a minimum, I also have oil pressure and coolant level alarm. IMHO you can't dial in a chip (nor, apparently, a boost controller ) unless you have the data to see if you are harming your engine. A dyno will tell you what power/tq you are making, but can't tell you what is going on inside. I don't think EGT even features in the OBDII data stream on later vehicles. As I said, the biggest difference was replacing the stock muffler, I used to cruise (towing 2T caravan) at about 600C EGT, now it sits closer to 500C and I can roll over hills in 4th that used to require an early downshift due high EGT. You can't use the extra fuel a chip supplies unless you can get the air in there to burn it with (ie the exhaust gases out). It's up to the individual, but I won't gamble my engine for a few extra ponies. Personally, I would forget the 3" system (heard a lot of people say they lost mid torque, which is just what you don't want for normal driving/towing at 2000-2300rpm ), spend $300 to replace the muffler and the rest for some basic instrumentation so you can use your chip to it's max (safe) capability.
cheers
Steve
ps replacement muffler was a Redback sports unit. About $330 fitted.

[simong Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close simong]

Hi Steve, thanks for your advise, I am organizing to have a high flow muffler fitted, I will discuss with them the redback sports unit.
cheers
Simon

[davo94 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close davo94]

My advice on rail chips is get your money back and get a piggy back Ecu the controls injector duration and boost. Rail chips just add fuel pressure hence the check engine light.

[simong Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close simong]

hi davo94, this is pretty much what a dpchip does, it is downstream of the ECU, so retains all of the standard engine management and safety features, it adjusts injector duration and rail pressure (but no higher than standard factory range). I guess turbo boost will increase slightly naturally due to increased combustion, as a result of the chip.

I take your point re: the check engine light coming on, the installer set the unit too high, now I have it at the right setting, it is working fine.

I'll have a redback straight through large performance muffler fitted this friday to reduce back pressure and reduce EGT as recommended by some people on here, and i'll be good to go.

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

One thing to mention about the muffler, you may well get a drone through the exhaust and a bit of a nice roar when the boost gets up, but it is not much louder than the A/T tyres I'm running.

[ejukated Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ejukated]

Is everyone talking about upgrading the mid or rear muffler?

[simong Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close simong]

There is a catalytic converter at the front (mid) and a large muffler at the rear, we are talking about the large muffler at the rear.
From what I have been reading, changing it to a high flow or straight through will reduce back pressure and as a result reduce exhaust gas temperatures (EGT).

The DPChip website says you don't have to change the exhaust, but as a precaution, I am having mine changed out this week to assist in reducing the EGT.

From what I have been reading, changing just the muffler gives pretty much the same benefit as changing the entire exhaust, so that is why I am just changing the muffler.

[davo94 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close davo94]

hi davo94, this is pretty much what a dpchip does, it is downstream of the ECU, so retains all of the standard engine management and safety features, it adjusts injector duration and rail pressure (but no higher than standard factory range). I guess turbo boost will increase slightly naturally due to increased combustion, as a result of the chip.

I take your point re: the check engine light coming on, the installer set the unit too high, now I have it at the right setting, it is working fine.

I'll have a redback straight through large performance muffler fitted this friday to reduce back pressure and reduce EGT as recommended by some people on here, and i'll be good to go.

Good to hear that the dp now does injectors. All the DPchips I have seen just do rail. It may be worth looking into a Voltage clamp for the map sensor to adjust boost pressure to assist in burning the excess fuel off. Some creative google searching will help you understand what I'm saying.