# Performance chip to give more horse power and better mpg **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** prelude, fuel-economy, honda\ **Created:** [November 11, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465 "2010-11-11T22:49:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lanedans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/898d66/32.png) [@lanedans](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lanedans)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/1 "2010-11-11T22:49:44Z")
On my 1997 Honda prelude the previouse owner put a gforce performance chip on this car which is suppose to give more HP and better MPG. Is this a good thing or bad thing for my car? ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/2 "2010-11-11T22:59:15Z")
Bad thing. From one review… Average HP and Torque Gain: 1/5 (For each vehicle tested we noticed a loss of 8-15 HP) Average MPG Gain: 1/5 (We notice huge losses in MPG. These varied from 3-10 MPG.) Cost of product: $69.00 NOTE: We did notice an engine knock after using this chip. We do not recommend this chip. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/3 "2010-11-11T22:59:41Z")
While some ‘chips’ (actually, a reprogramming of the engines computer) are worth it, a quick scan of their web site makes it obvious these are worthless, with outrageous claims made, and ‘chips’ available for every car under the sun at ‘amazing’ discounts. I’m certain it does no good. I don’t know if it does any harm. Worthwhile computer modifications require lots of work by a tuner, usually brand-specific, and fairly expensive. ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/4 "2010-11-11T23:04:19Z")
I suspect that this is just one of those that is really a resistor that you wire in across the IAT sensor to fool the computer into thinking the in coming air is a different temperature than it really is. ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/5 "2010-11-11T23:05:26Z")
Do you not think that if there was an easy gain of HP and/or MPG, that Honda’s engineers would have already programmed it into your car’s computer? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/6 "2010-11-11T23:13:33Z")
It is possible to program a chip to give your engine slightly more power, albeit at the likely cost of shorter engine life. It is also possible to program a chip that might allow your engine to provide slightly better gas mileage, with a probable loss of driveability. Unfortunately, these chips will not provide both benefits. Essentially–you get to pick one. Do you want slightly more power, or do you want a very slight improvement in gas mileage–both with their own inherent shortcomings? There is no such thing as a free lunch. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/7 "2010-11-11T23:37:18Z")
If he got it for free there is no problem on a 1997 car. If he paid for it my answer is no. If you bought the car that way, you are missing an expensive part. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2010, 11:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/8 "2010-11-11T23:57:43Z")
If it was that easy to really improve mileage and power, don’t you think Honda would have done it? I guess not, which is why you were smart enough to be skeptical and ask the question. ---
**Author:** ![andrew\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@andrew\_j](https://community.cartalk.com/u/andrew_j)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/9 "2010-11-12T01:52:20Z")
It is very difficult in a non-turbo engine to gain significant MPG or HP. Remove the chip or placebo. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/10 "2010-11-12T02:19:27Z")
and replace it with what?? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/11 "2010-11-12T15:06:04Z")
A lot of these are things that just plug into the OBDII port, so that kind could just be pulled. The pictures at the web site aren’t much help, they just show a generic integrated circuit. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/performance-chip-to-give-more-horse-power-and-better-mpg/57465/12 "2010-11-12T15:41:48Z")
and if they replaced the whole ECU just go to a junk yard and get an OEM one. You can often get them for under 50 bucks.