Mercedes SLK World banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

Race Chip Tuning 250 CDI

50K views 95 replies 22 participants last post by  jetski jezz 
#1 ·
I have done some research into the ‘piggy back’ tuning kits and have purchased one for my 2014 250 CDI....A RaceChip Pro

http://www.racechip.com/chiptuning/mercedes/slk-class/r172/250-cdi-blueefficiency-150kw/index.php

It is reported that it will give up to 30% more BHP & Tourqe and save on fuel, so I will put it to the test tonight and publish the results if anyone is interested!
 
#2 ·
I have done some research into the ‘piggy back’ tuning kits and have purchased one for my 2014 250 CDI....A RaceChip Pro

http://www.racechip.com/chiptuning/mercedes/slk-class/r172/250-cdi-blueefficiency-150kw/index.php

It is reported that it will give up to 30% more BHP & Tourqe and save on fuel, so I will put it to the test tonight and publish the results if anyone is interested!
UPDATE
Have now installed the Race Chip Pro. Took approximately 10 mins and no tools needed. Came factory pre-set for the car, but as settings are adjustable I tweaked it up a bit using their pre-listed settings for better performance. The difference is AMAZING!:rb

Better acceleration
Definitely more power
No longer any flat spots or lag
Throttle is much more responsive

I did a 0-60 test (in S mode) which showed 5.7 secs. There is also still room for more performance adjustment but I have not tried this as yet. Also, I have not tested the fuel consumption as it is too soon but will report this later.
 
#6 ·
Hi Ian

I don't doubt your findings at all but can't really understand why MB don't map the engine in this way from the start. exactly what does this installation involve?

I take it you bought the middle one on the website

Kind regards

Rob
Yes I know what you mean, but MB and all others tune thier cars (to a happy medium) to suit all countries for tax, emmisions, power output, fuel quality, climate etc so there is quite a lot of untapped potential in all new engines. Don't forget also that they nearly all have top speed limiters also!!
 
#9 ·
Diesel engines are smoke limited when it comes to tuning for power. They also produce more NOx, which really can't be managed without a de-NOx or SCR catalyst. So MB have to tune the engine to meet Euro 5 limits, Racechips don't.

I'm assuming that the R172 oil burner has a DPF. If so, increasing boost and fuelling to get more power will increase the soot loading in the DPF.

As for better fuel economy AND more power, yeah right. Dream on!
 
#10 ·
All great comments but I am looking forward to hearing more from Ian....

Damn cheap 60 HP

I am sure fuel consumption will be a lot worse if the extra HP is,used but I guess if you drive it gently it may be possible to get even greater mpg

Generally chips seem to get a bad press.....from a waste of money, it's a scam.......to Ian's experience!!!!!

I have currently a CLS350 bout the grande edition which is chipped by MB To give more power than the standard 350..... That works for sure, but of course I am not sure what MB actually do

All very interesting

Anybody else fitted a race chip pro?

Regards

Rob
 
#11 ·
Good comments here, but I will try and clear a few things up. I agree there are some chip scammers out there like there is with everything you buy, some honest some not. I am fortunate to live in Newport Pagnell which is only 1 1/2 miles from MB (UK) Head Office in Milton Keynes, and therefore over time through my work have got to know a lot of their staff including senior engineers. The chip issue intrigued me having heard of some very positive comments by other MB owners, so I thought I would ask a few questions with ‘the people in the know’.

I was told by their engineers that if you want a chip that works, is proven, and is made to the required standard, then buy a Race Chip. No surprise then that they are made in Germany!? A lot of the guys who own their own Merc and do not drive a company one have this chip fitted. They also say the best notable gains are to be had from diesel engines.

I also asked the question about what effect it would have on engine components and of course my warranty. I am told that the engines are produced and tested to allow for a variation of mapping scenarios which give much increased power, but are effectively tuned down to suit various legislations in other countries, and most notably where the tax is defined by the Kw output. It is far too costly production wise to map every car specific to a country of shipment and legislation. There is of course a warranty issue if MB wants to be anal about it, but I am told its totally untraceable when removed for servicing etc. Also, you should ALWAYS tell your insurance company that you have one. I did and the premium remained the same J

Had mine fitted now for a few days with no issues at all...just a big smile. As for fuel consumption, yes you will use more if you always have your foot to the floor but driven sensibly you need less throttle and thus save on fuel. At the moment I do not have any figures, but when I do I will post them.

If anyone out there buys one for the SLK 250 then I will pass on the settings I currently use which are fine for me and seem to work very well.
 
#12 ·
Good comments here, but I will try and clear a few things up. I agree there are some chip scammers out there like there is with everything you buy, some honest some not. I am fortunate to live in Newport Pagnell which is only 1 1/2 miles from MB (UK) Head Office in Milton Keynes, and therefore over time through my work have got to know a lot of their staff including senior engineers. The chip issue intrigued me having heard of some very positive comments by other MB owners, so I thought I would ask a few questions with ‘the people in the know’.

I was told by their engineers that if you want a chip that works, is proven, and is made to the required standard, then buy a Race Chip. No surprise then that they are made in Germany!? A lot of the guys who own their own Merc and do not drive a company one have this chip fitted. They also say the best notable gains are to be had from diesel engines.

I also asked the question about what effect it would have on engine components and of course my warranty. I am told that the engines are produced and tested to allow for a variation of mapping scenarios which give much increased power, but are effectively tuned down to suit various legislations in other countries, and most notably where the tax is defined by the Kw output. It is far too costly production wise to map every car specific to a country of shipment and legislation. There is of course a warranty issue if MB wants to be anal about it, but I am told its totally untraceable when removed for servicing etc. Also, you should ALWAYS tell your insurance company that you have one. I did and the premium remained the same J

Had mine fitted now for a few days with no issues at all...just a big smile. As for fuel consumption, yes you will use more if you always have your foot to the floor but driven sensibly you need less throttle and thus save on fuel. At the moment I do not have any figures, but when I do I will post them.

If anyone out there buys one for the SLK 250 then I will pass on the settings I currently use which are fine for me and seem to work very well.
Sorry, forgot to mention.....The chip does not affect the Particulate Filter so I am told by one MB engineer who has had one fitted on his for the last two years.
 
#14 ·
Thanks Ian it sounds great and I will get one once I have had the car delivered...it's being built hopefully first week in June

Did you do lots of trials with different settings or just found one that suited you?

Cheers

Rob
Not really tested it up to the max yet as I only use it weekends when I can which is not enough! I will have a play at some point and let you know the result. I bet you counting the days now until yours arrives :) in this weather it's great!
 
#15 ·
I sure am Ian , you will know the day mine is delivered......it will be the start for 40 day and 40 nights of rain :)

I look forward to hearing more on racechip, can you mount it in such a way that you can adjust the settings without removing covers from slk?

Cheers

Rob
 
#16 ·
I sure am Ian , you will know the day mine is delivered......it will be the start for 40 day and 40 nights of rain :)

I look forward to hearing more on racechip, can you mount it in such a way that you can adjust the settings without removing covers from slk?

Cheers

Rob
Yes, I mounted mine to the left side of the engine bay so I can access/remove it without removing any covers etc, and for ease of use when tweaking it on test runs.
 
#24 ·
The short answer on NOx is no, or at least maybe.

NOx can be managed by exhaust aftertreatment systems, it just depends on the technology fitted to the car. Typically Diesel engine equipped cars have an oxidation only catalyst and often today also have a DPF. This deals with the unburned hydrocarbons, which is mainly the 'wet' parts of the particulates. It also deals with the little bit of CO that leaves the engine, which is really not much with diesel. With diesel, the exhaust has too much oxygen to create the reducing conditions to convert NOx to N2 and O2.

The DPF mops up the dry carbon particulates, well those big enough to see, i.e. say 10 microns plus.

Gasoline engines have a three-way catalyst which deals with, HC, CO and NOx. This works because the exhaust gas makeup is different, i.e. has much lower oxygen content.

NOx is also managed in Diesel engines by using exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR ). This is pretty common in modern diesels. Putting more soot through the EGR valve is bad news as it can depending on the design, cause the valve to stick. This happens more often than you might think and can be expensive to fix.

In the end, its your car, do what you want. But, I'd be surprised if the MB engineers screwed up the optimum calibration by 60PS or whatever Racechips are quoting..
 
#25 ·
I don't think there is any doubt that additional power/torque can be liberated from the CDi 250 motor. I run a hybrid turbo on my 1.9TDi Skoda Fabia and with supporting mods to the intercooling and injectors it makes 250bhp almost smoke free without a DPF so the bigger secondary turbo and injectors on the CDi 250 should be good for nearly 300bhp with the right mapping (theoretically).

No, the issue I have is with this particular tuning box. The video on the website shows a single connection to the 'common rail' which means they are reading and varying only fuelling. As there does not appear to be any power on that line and the video does not show any battery connection the 'ECU' cannot be externally powered so it must be a passive device.

A passive device connected only to the fuel rail sounds awfully like a resistor mod device in which case it will always be over-fuelling and the DPF will fill up or require regenerating very frequently and fail eventually.

The best tuning box on the market (other than MTMs CANBus one) has three connections - fuel rail, camshaft position sensor and boost sensor as well as being powered off the battery so it knows the engine revs andr camshaft setting and it can vary boost (air) and fuel simultaneously so it's not far off a proper remap. That won't screw up your DPF and it will Absolutely, definitely, get you 100Nm extra torque (peak) and 40 PS extra power (peak).

So, I've not got a problem with tuning boxes per se, I just have my concerns about the one the OP has hooked up.
 
#26 ·
This is all getting very 'techy'.....BIG YAWN. To try and answer some of the questions here though, the Race Chip intercepts the connection to the common rail with one connection. Looking at the internal parts of it there is a curcuit board (about two inches square) with a main processor and a number of other components including two adjustment pots.

The harness is long enough to site the box in a number of different places as preferred for access. It also comes with a blank plug to enable you to remove the chip and set back to standard settings within seconds provided you locate the device for easy access.

Yesterday I had an opportunity to test the fuel consumption on a 100 mile run 50 on motorway & 50 on A & B roads.

I blanked off the chip on way there:

Averaged 65-70mph on motorway (50 miles in E mode, roof up) = 61 mpg
Average on A & B roads (50 miles in S mode, roof down) = 45 mpg

Connected chip on the way back:

Averaged 65-70mph on motorway (50 miles in E mode, roof up) = 66 mpg
Average on A & B roads (50 miles in S mode, roof down) = 40 mpg

So the chip works well on long steady runs, but uses a fair bit more fuel stop starting & accelerating. As the car is economical anyway this is hardly a big deal, and the extra performance is definately worth it.
 
#27 ·
OK,

I have no idea what the chip is on the board but the only thing that box can vary is the fuelling. The box has no way of knowing what the revs are or the boost pressure so it's simply putting extra diesel in at a fixed proportion over whatever the ECU is asking for.

As it will be over-fuelling the car you will almost certainly get more particulates from the exhaust which will impact on the life of your DPF.

My advice would be to stop using that tuning box as I honestly think it is not a clever way of 'tuning' your engine.

It might be a bit of a yawn for you at the moment, but I'm genuinely only out to try and stop you damaging your car.

I notice that Race Chip sell 3 different models of their tuning box. I would suggest taking yours (the cheapest one?) back and buying the most expensive one which probably is a 3-sensor system and won't clog your DPF.

I've been tuning diesels for over 10 years and you really don't want to damage your DPF for the sake of who knows how much extra power.
 
#29 ·
OK,

I have no idea what the chip is on the board but the only thing that box can vary is the fuelling. The box has no way of knowing what the revs are or the boost pressure so it's simply putting extra diesel in at a fixed proportion over whatever the ECU is asking for.

As it will be over-fuelling the car you will almost certainly get more particulates from the exhaust which will impact on the life of your DPF.

My advice would be to stop using that tuning box as I honestly think it is not a clever way of 'tuning' your engine.

It might be a bit of a yawn for you at the moment, but I'm genuinely only out to try and stop you damaging your car.

I notice that Race Chip sell 3 different models of their tuning box. I would suggest taking yours (the cheapest one?) back and buying the most expensive one which probably is a 3-sensor system and won't clog your DPF.

I've been tuning diesels for over 10 years and you really don't want to damage your DPF for the sake of who knows how much extra power.
Thanks for the advice and concern. As mentioned before, some local MB mechanics have had these fitted for a couple of years and checked thier DPF's with no ill effects albeit on C & E class and not an SLK. They do an awful lot more miles than me as I only use mine weekends, so I'll keep it as any really long term effect (if any) will be owned by someone else down the line in future. As a point of interest though, I will try and get Race Chip to clarify the DPF issue and post it. The one I am using is the Pro 2 version....not the cheapest or most expensive.
 
#30 ·
Here is the email reply from Race Chip in relation to wja96 comments.

It is from Germany so the English is bad, and also does not say much but I will try and push for something more definitive.

Dear Sir,

many thanks for your request.

The cleaning of your DPF will stay. You will not have any problems, because our processor check the amount of that.

With other questions we are available to you with pleasure. Please don't delete the old messages, just because we can answer you faster then.

We hope this information was helpful for you.

Kind regards


Berkant Ersal
 
#34 ·
Hi Ian

Any more thoughts on MPG? do you think the poorer MPG on the B roads was cos you were driving more "spirited"?

have you fitted smart top ?

I'm still waiting for my SLK to come :-(

Rob
Hi Rob, on the A & B roads driving was was pretty much the same as going albeit heavier traffic, so the jury is still out. Maybe without the stop/starts the mpg may have been about the same?

Not fitted a smart top although this is very appealing. Having read the 'fitting instructions' on other threads it looks a bit tricky, and it kind of puts me off in case I break something in the process. Nothing worse than breaking some clips then having to try and buy them, and also the possibility of causing some annoying rattle afterwards! :(

Hopefully, the rain will stop in time for your delivery!....not long now.
 
#37 ·
I did one in 1:20 for the first time, constantly looking at the instructions and the follow-up instructions on this site.

It was actually pretty simple, so I can understand someone doing it in 30 minutes if they don't keep stopping to check what to do next. My second time would probably be 30-40 minutes, being ultra-cautious about everything.

The time goes in getting to the roof module, actually plugging in the smarttop is literally unplugging something, plugging something else in, so its all completely reversible, and really low risk of damaging anything
 
#40 ·
Apologies for the old thread resurrection.

It's just that I'm interested to see how Ian is getting on with his car and now it's a bit further down the line.

As my daily driver for the last couple of years I have had an SLK 250 CDI AMG, I ordered it is one of the crazy cheap lease deals that were out there at the time. There was no way I was convinced diesel 2 seater was going to be an enjoyable car.
As it happens I have really enjoyed ownership, it's been ideal to jump in and use all year round. So much so that when it went back in September I then started hunting lease websites trying to find a decent deal that matched my original.

I finally managed to find a deal that allowed me to factory order to my colour choice. It's being delivered to me tomorrow. It's another 250 cdi AMG. - A nice to get identical deal to last time, unbelievable how cheap the lease deals are.

I'm interesting getting a little bit more performance out of it so that it feels like a different car to last time. Nothing wrong with the power in the standard car, it's just that if the feel of the car is greatly improved by a simple plug-in modification I'm definitely up for that.

So if anyone has got any updated thoughts, or if Ian could provide his thought this much further down the line it would be really appreciated.
 
#43 ·
Please be aware that if your finance company is MB Finance you are not allowed to modify your car in any way and if they catch you they can terminate your lease and demand you pay for the perceived damage to their property. On the Mercedes Benz UK Owners Club forum there is a thread describing how this happened to someone with a CLS 250 CDi Sportbrake. Mercedes sent his employers a bill for £10,000 and demanded the car back. As he had modified his company car without permission, he was disciplined (but not sacked) by his employers and he obviously now doesn't gave a company car.

His Brabus tuning box was fitted by a Merecedes Benz dealer but he didn't have permission from Mercedes or his employers so when his car broke down the tuning box was mentioned on the warranty claim to Mercedes Benz and they came down on him like a tonne of bricks.
 
#41 ·
jetski,

Welcome to SLKWorld.com: The #1 Mercedes-Benz SLK Forum from Valrico, Florida!


Some tips to make your visit here more enjoyable:
If you haven’t, please use the 'search' feature at the top right of the page for your questions as they have probably been asked before. Remember, ‘Search’ is your friend.
If you wish to become PM (Private Message) capable, you need 15 posts. To get those 15 posts quickly, just go to the ‘New members introduce yourself here’ section and welcome enough new members to obtain your needed posts to PM.
Want to post a picture? Start a new thread or make a post, click ‘edit’, click on the ‘paper clip’ or ‘advanced’ and/or ‘manage attachments’ then ‘choose file’ then ‘upload’ and ‘submit’! If Iphone pics, you need to rename any additional pics as Iphone names its pics all the same, image.jpg.
Want to ‘like’ or thank’ someone’s comments? Use the ‘like’ button to the right or the ‘Thanks’ button, bottom right of any post you like. This saves you having to comment.
New members should be aware that the 'New Posts' link next to the 'Search' link top right of the info bar is a great way to see all of the posts you have missed since you were on the forum last. Remember to click 'mark forums read' under ‘quick links’ when you leave.
Post your vin in the Vehicle Datacard Request section to get a free datacard (options on your car). You must update your profile with vehicle info and your location and post an introduction first.
Also vote or enter our Ride of the Month competition: ROTM Submissions & Voting - Mercedes Benz SLK Forum

Thank you
Jeff
Moderator/Founding Member/Ride of the Month Coordinator
 
#44 ·
In the USA, aftermarket equipment for increasing the HP of your engine usually comes with the warning it is for off road or the race track only. The reason is it doesn't meet emission standards. Of course, many of the meat heads who buy it use it on the road. There are of course, tuners like Dinan associated with BMW who comply with the standards.

In the past, makers couldn't detect if a car had a chip installed then removed for a warranty claim. Today they have the programming in the chip and the computer to check if the ECU was ever tampered with. If your car is in warranty, don't screw with it. If you have a warranty issue of any kind except a safety one, your claim will be denied.

I'll give you an extreme example of when a claim was denied. A fellow replace the drain plug on his BMW with a Dimple Magnetic Drain Plug, and the dealer refused to work on the car due to being "modified".

Makers are tightening up on the scope of the warranty too. For example, BMW will no longer continue free maintenance to second owners in the warranty period.

Finally, if I wanted performance, I sure wouldn't buy a diesel. Incidentally, the cost of the chip would have bought a lot of fuel for the car.
 
#45 ·
Slk 350

The chip is as far as I am aware only for diesel models (assuming yours is petrol). With regard to some other comments about MB finance (or lease) not allowing modifications, you can remove the chip without trace in about two minutes (without tools) should you need to take to a dealer for servicing or breakdown at any point.

The ECU memory also shows no trace of it ever being there.
 
#49 ·
With regard to some other comments about MB finance (or lease) not allowing modifications, you can remove the chip without trace in about two minutes (without tools) should you need to take to a dealer for servicing or breakdown at any point.
I love this idea that your car breaks down on a dark, wet, night and your first priority has to be to get the tuning box unplugged. I presume that, on the basis you're hiding it from the dealer, you don't bother to tell your insurer either?

The ECU memory also shows no trace of it ever being there.
Not entirely true. The ECU logs errors. When it logs an error, it also stores the value that created the error. Tuning boxes cause the ECU to see impossibly high fuelling requests which generate an error and store the implausible value. One tuning box manufacturer now states that you not only have to remove the tuning box, you have to clear the implausible value errors. And then, of course, unless your engine bay is utterly spotless it will be very obvious from the clean connectors on a dirty engine, that someone has unplugged and reconnected cables under the bonnet.

The bottom-line on ANY modification is; if you can't afford to fix the car if it all goes Pete Tong, don't mod the car.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top