For many years the principle of petrol engines hasn't changed.
For many years the principle of petrol engines hasn’t changed.
An engine works and gets power when fuel and air are injected into the cylinders. For petrol engine to operate smoothly and efficiently, the fuel and air need to be properly mixed and injected at the right moment. Then, the pressure is put on pistons which make crankshaft turn and the force is applied to vehicle wheels through clutch and gearbox which, finally, makes the vehicle move.
A contemporary engine is computer dependent. An electronic engine control unit (ECU) is a computer which decides about the adjustment of the amount of air and fuel and ignition. ECU is strictly programmed by a manufacturer who uses value charts of so called “maps” to establish the work of elements of injection and air units, gearbox or traction control. On average, the memory of ECU consists of hundreds of such “maps” and thousands of separate values. Thanks to suitable data change in “maps” there is a change in the work of mechanical elements. Before any change of electronic values is made in the engine by means of suitable tools, the vehicle has to be tested on an engine test stand. The engine test stand is a facility used to characterize and test engines. It allows engine operation in different operating regimes and offers measurement of several physical variables associated with the engine operation. After thorough data analysis further steps are taken. If the condition of a drive unit is satisfactory, the correction of original data can be made. Once the changes in ECU are made, the vehicle is retested on the engine test stand in order to check new parameters of the drive unit.
Truck chiptuning means changes in ECU software. The aim of software modification is to raise the power of the engine/engine torque, that is, to increase the engine’s efficiency but, what’s most important, to reduce fuel consumption.
The work of the engine gets much better after software modification. Firstly, the maximum engine torque appears at lower engine revolutions than established by a producer. This results in greater engine flexibility. Secondly, drivers who know their vehicles well can easily notice the decrease in fuel consumption. In case of trucks it’s usually 2-3 liters for every 100 km on the road. Finally, there’s about 10% to 20% raise of the engine power and the maximum engine torque. These are the parameters responsible for speeding up and the ability to cope with hilly road.
Truck chiptuning characteristics:
- better truck performance and driving fluency
- more power
- greater driving dynamics
- greater km coverage
- no increase in harmful gas emission – EURO norms are retained
- no influence on engine durability
- decrease in fuel consumption – 5-3l / 100km (in some cases even 4.5l)
- raise of the engine power, increase of engine torque
- more safety while overtaking
The main purpose of chiptuning is, however, to adjust the truck to meet individual needs of a driver.
