Frequently
Asked Questions
Q:
Guarantee Statement
A: Satisfaction is always 100% guaranteed and
if it doesn't work out for you for any reason,
just return the chip within 30 days for a full refund, no questions
asked. Special ordered custom built chip programs excluded. If you discover any problem with the quality
or operation of your chip, immediately contact
customer service orders@911chips.com or call us.
Q: What are the shipping rates?
A: Shipping and handling for chips is a flat rate $7.00 throughout the U.S and $25 outside the U.S. including countries in Europe, Asia, South America, and and Australia. Chips shipped outside the U.S. are sent in a nondescript envelope with a minimal customs value for rapid delivery. Larger items such as suspension components are more and will be indicated during checkout.
For express shipping, FedEx is typically used, with a tracking number
provided to U.S. packages prior to shipment. If
you ever have a specific inquiry as to the method
of delivery, please contact orders@911chips.com
Q: What is the return policy?
A: For hard parts such as suspension components,
you may return any item within 30 days in its
unopened, original packaging for a full credit,
minus shipping charges. If the product is defective we
will provide you with a same item exchange, and
we will pay the shipping. Chips are provided with
a full lifetime guarantee to the original purchaser
against defects.
Q: How long does it take to process an order?
A: Typically, most orders are processed within
48 hours. Typically we do our best to ship
it out the following day. Customized chips typically
take a few days longer and an estimated time frame
can be provided upon inquiry. All weekend orders,
will be batched on Monday, or the next business
day, in the event of a national holiday.
Q: Do you ship world wide?
A: Yes. We ship to the United States, all of its
territories, to APO and FPO addresses, Europe,
Asia, and Latin American countries.
Q: I purchased a chip for one configuration a while back, and would like to change to another.
A: For the original customer, you may have your chip reprogrammed from one standard configuration to another for $150 plus s/h. Custom chips are excluded.
Q: Can I install my chip before completing my planned modifications?
A: Absolutely. The differences between the chip configurations are to primarily optimize power and response for each particular setup. The chip typically makes over 75% of the performance gains to the car's hp, torque, and response characteristic over any exhaust modification, so you can install the chip now and enjoy all the potential power your car has to offer, and install your mechanical modifications at your convenience.
Q:
What are the design objectives of the 911Chips performance
chips?
All
911Chips performance chips are programmed with
three primary objectives in order of importance:
1.
Reliability
2.
Maximum performance, response, and power
3.
Good fuel efficiency at cruise and light loads
Our
chips have been designed to produce the maximum
power and response available from your car by
optimizing the fuel and ignition tables to each
owner's particular engine configuration and requirements.
A very extensive matrix of chip programs has been
developed customized to a large combination of
intake and exhaust modifications, including sport
mufflers, europremufflers, SSIs/headers, ExtrudeHoning,
91 or 93 octane, 95 or 98 RON octane, race fuel, high heat climates, rev
limiters etc. This custom tailoring philosophy
as opposed to one size fits all, ensures the maximum
potential from an owner's car and is the reason
to the success everyone raves about. In addition,
the proprietary coding in our chips is the reason
for the dramatic change in throttle response and
low and midrange torque that you will not find
elsewhere. For reliability, the chips are erred
on the side of safety for high stress conditions
such as on the track and 91 octane fuel.
As
objective 3 above has no bearing on objective
2, we leave the low load fuel regions factory
so that you will continue to enjoy factory fuel
economy and emissions while putting around town,
or cruising on the highway. In addition, the ignition
tables are optimized to improve the efficiency
of the engine with the use of premium fuel. Feedback
from customers have reported an average increase
of 50 miles per tankful in highway fuel efficiency
over the stock chip.
Q:
Will
my car pass my state's smog test?
A:
While meeting emissions has never been an objective
of our chip to prevent any compromises in meeting
maximum performance objectives, meeting objective
3 of our design philosophy above just happens
to produce an emissions compliant exhaust because
the air/fuel ratios have not changed to affect
a stringent emissions test such as the stringent
California 15 and 25 mph rolling dyno test because
we are in a low load region of the fuel maps.
Also since Motronics just happens to be a system
that functions much better and more efficiently
with closed loop feedback from an oxygen sensor,
the chips are designed to take advantage of it
in those cars that are so equipped. This means
that whether you are smog testing on a dyno, or
steadily cruising on the highway, the O2 sensor
will still function to keep your mixture in check.
In addition, the idle fuel and ignition maps are
left factory. In a state such as California with very stringent emissions limits, although most cars pass emission testing without problem, swapping back to the stock chip and reinstalling the catalytic converter is recommended and will help to provide additional passing margin.
The following are the emissions
results from a completely stock 87 Carrera 3.2
in Texas, except with the addition of a Dansk
sport muffler and a 911Chips performance chip.
As you can see, the emissions actually reads lower
than average, and in fact, the CO of 0.01% measures
about 60-90 times less than the standard limit, and at least 10 times
less than the factory chip which typically measures
between 0.13 to 0.18%! This is not uncommon as
it has been reported by several owners around
the U.S. that our performance chips have actually
have tested cleaner than their previous tests
with the factory software!
Click
for full emissions test report
Q:
How much power can I expect with your chip?
A:
You can expect a 6-8% increase in horsepower and
torque throughout the powerband on to redline,
with a 10-20% increase in part throttle torque,
horsepower and engine efficiency. Horsepower increases
are approximately 12-16 hp and 20 lbs of torque
through the powerband, with regions such as at 6500 with a 25-35 hp gain. The lag and delay currently experienced below 4000 rpm will be gone, with power coming on as soon as 1500 rpm and pulling hard all the way to the rev limit, providing much improved everyday drivability,
throttle response and low and mid end torque. With more modifications
to your motor, greater gains can be expected as
the stock chip becomes more of a hindrance - as
much as 20 hp with polished intake runners and
a sport exhaust. At full throttle, the Motronic
DME ignores all sensor inputs and injects no more
fuel than has been factory preprogrammed for a
stock motor. Modifications to the exhaust and
induction system become a fruitless exercise without
ignition mapping optimization and adequate fuel
compensation, and fuel equals power. Since each
chip is specifically tailored to meet each customer's
specification and configuration, expect the maximum
power derivable over a one size fits all chip
solution. Expect at least a 0.5 second reduction
in both your 0-60 and ¼ mile acceleration
times.
Q: I want more power, all my engine can deliver. Is this possible
A:
You may wish to consider having a chip customized to your motor either from your dyno data, or mapped on a dyno. We have done countless cars this way, including many class winning track vehicles who are probably kicking your butt! 
See the custom chip page for more information.
Q:
Aren't
all chips the same?
A:
No. While some might tell you otherwise, the truth
is like human personalities, not all chips are created equal.
Some will run too rich overtaxing the cat, contaminating
the O2 sensor, eventually causing idle stability
problems, a smoky exhaust, poor fuel efficiency,
and diluted motor oil. Others are either too lean
in critical areas or too aggressive with their
ignition timing maps, causing damaging predetonation.
Most all of them are programmed for a stock motor
and any modifications such as to the exhaust or
intake will most likely cause a lean running condition
and dangerous predetonation at high rpm loads,
and certainly reduce the predetonation safety
margin.
While
it seems easy for a programmer to punch in some
fuel and ignition values in the simple full throttle
map, extensive reworking of the much more complex
part throttle maps is what makes all the difference
in torque and response, as that is where the majority
of us spend at least 95% of our time. Many other
chips only only remap the full throttle maps which
does nothing for everyday driveability, torque,
and fuel efficiency. Our chips are developed by
911 owners in conjunction with the countless feedback
of many 911 owners to refine the best chips available.
Testing includes extensive dyno tuning, track testing, and air/fuel exhaust measurements
under real world conditions on while on the road
with wideband sensor exhaust analysis.
Q:
What are the rev limits set at, and are there any drawbacks to changing it?
A:
For the 964s and 993s, the rev limit is kept stock at 6800 RPM, where we believe is the proper limit for an internally stock motor. For the 3.2 Carreras, the rev limiter is revised by about 240 rpm, from the stock 6520 limit to about 6760. Raising the limits higher than this are only by special request, and recommended only concurrently with internal modifications that properly support the higher limits.
Raising the rev limiter does not change the power curve or increase the
peak hp of a motor as maximum power on most 911 motors are achieved around 6000 rpm. For the 3.2s however while the
hp of the stock chip falls considerably after
5900 rpm, the power curve of the revised chip
provides usable hp that extends considerably past this point with typically a new hp peak at 6200 with a 16 hp gain and often a 25-35 hp gain at 6500 rpm. The car will seemingly pull nonstop to the rev limit while the stock chip just runs out of steam. This may be of benefit to those
who track their vehicles and would like additional operating margin before bumping the rev
limiter as they approach their next turn, where it is too late to upshift, and too early to brake.
For years now, many performance chips have set
slightly higher rev limiters without any adverse
effects reported. As a side note, in 1988, Porsche offered the 911 with option M637 (the Club Sport) with a revised limiter to 6840. However, a customer may request whatever
limit he or she feels most comfortable with, including
the stock limit. Just add a short note in the message window during the order process of your preference.
Q:
How
difficult is it to install the chip, and do I have
to remove the seat?
A:
Removing the DME from under the driver's seat
is a very simple procedure and you do not have
to remove the seat. With a 10mm deep socket and a ratchet
wrench, it should take a first timer no longer
than 15 minutes to remove the DME, swap the chips,
and reinstall the box, even faster the second
time around. Detailed instructions are included
to assist you in your installation.
Q:
Do
you program a new chip or do I send in my old one
for reprogramming?
A:
You are programmed a new chip, you keep your old
one as a backup.
Q:
My
car is an '87, how do I know whether I have a 24
or 28 pin chip?
A:
1987 was a transitional year when Porsche was
in the process of changing from a 24-pin chip
over to a 28 pin one. The only way to find out
is to open your DME and count the pin legs on
your current chip. It is typical black rectangular
chip with a factory matte foil sticker on top
with a sequence of numbers reading something like
1267355xxx. Visit the chip installation instructions section for the full guide on the removal and installation of a chip.
You can also download the printable installation
guides here to assist you in opening the DME:
Download 84-89 3.2 Instructions
Download 89-94 964 Instructions
Download 94-98 993 Instructions
(You
may need Adobe Acrobat reader - click here to
download - It's free) 
