It is definitely overboosting. It could definitely lead to catastrophic damage. Isn't that what all tunes do? The SVR overboosts the same engine compared to the V8 R or S. Racechip and a pulley dynos 559 WHP with my V8 S, so its not much more power than the SVR.

 

Not quite. Properly tuned engines are still monitoring actual parameters to ensure that conditions remain within tolerable limits. The RaceChip, however, is modifying sensor inputs to fool the ECU into a modified behavior. No assurance that safe parameters are being maintained.

 

Wanted to just post my experience with the RaceChip -- just installed it over the weekend. I purchased the RS model with the app functionality.

First the good news -- it was *really* easy to install. Took me about 30 min -- and I had no issues at all following their instructions.

The not so good news - I've been using/experimenting with the different race modes (mode 4, 5, and 6) that are pre-loaded into the device. I definitely notice a bit more power in the higher gears but the low end torque seems to me to be nearly the same as stock. I've emailed them to see if there's any additional tuning they can do to modify what I'm experiencing but at this point I'm not impressed enough to keep it -- I'm seriously considering taking advantage of their 30 day return policy. It just doesn't seem worth it for the "power" gains (or lack thereof) I've seen thus far.

 

I'm anxious to hear what they have to say as I am considering a RaceChip purchase. However, the gain I'm looking for is in acceleration, not top end pull. If no better 0-60 and 1/4 mile times, no interest here.
Please keep the forum informed. Thanks

 

Will do.

I'm a bit concerned about some of the comments in this thread about pushing/deceiving the car too much so I'll see what they say about modifications they can make remotely. I was ok with the pre-programmed modes since these were tested. But, if they send me modifications I wouldn't want them to push the limits too far (in the hopes of satisfying my need for lower end torque) and in turn cause damage.

It seems as if the other users of the Racechip in this thread were using it on the xkr -- not the F-type. So I'll be sure to tread carefully.

 

The SVR runs the same amount of boost as an FType R. We tested both files.

 

I've been running Racechip on my F-Type for a long time. Here is my car's stock dyno from a previous day overlaid on my addition of a supercharger pulley. For both of these runs I removed Racechip using the harness plug.


Here are two runs with the pulley and Racehip on Map 7 plotted on top of the pulley baseline.

 

So after much consideration and a little research, I will stay away from this RaceChip product and all other "piggyback" type of ECU products.

I googled "RaceChip blown engine" and came across quite a few threads on different manufacturer car forums.

I can't say what percentage of customers have had issues, but even if it is as low as 2-3%, it is not worth the trouble to me.

Interestingly, RaceChip seems to have been around for many years. However it does not seem too common as used on Jaguars.

I also found the following article (which is more than 15 years old), to be quite interesting...

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/13/t...new-chips.html

I will still follow this thread to see and evaluate the results that other Jaguar owners have with this product.

 

That's a smart move not to tune your Jaguar. It's not worth the risk, especially at our cars' prices.

 

The extra 40-60BHP that race chip gives Will not turn the car into a fire breathing monster

 

Where do the additional 25 horses come from?

 

I assume the same as the difference between the XKR and XKR-S, some fuel adjustments and raised torque limiters.

This is what the SVR press release says:

Changes to the engine’s calibration – adopted from the F-TYPE Project 7 – deliver power and torque ratings of 575HP and 516-lb.ft. of torque.
Enlarged air intakes in the front bumper, together with revised charge air coolers and redesigned hood vents, deliver corresponding improvements in cooling system performance and powertrain efficiency.

A new lightweight Inconel titanium exhaust system has been fitted as standard which withstands higher peak temperatures, reduces backpressure and eliminates 35-lbs (16kg) of mass from the vehicle.

To make the most of the increased engine output, the eight-speed ZF® Quickshift transmission has been recalibrated to reduce shift times and increase torque availability during launch.

 

Torque demand, is the simple answer. In practise there's a lot more tables than that to modify, but it's just not requesting all the available power. To get from 575 to 600 we do have to raise boost, but that can be done with the bypass valve settings, there's enough mechanical boost to get 600BHP before you have to change hardware.

 

So the difference is when running a RC the dangerous boost condition is unknown. With a flash tune the dangerous boost condition is known. Both would have heath monitoring running around that.

 

Any particular reason? Do they have known issues in cooler temps or mess with traction control?

Thanks in advance.

 

No none just i seldom use the car in the winter and use the van as roads tend to be worse then

 

Thanks for the response. Your initial statement gave me pause because I just started looking at these for my 2016 XF AWD and I'd hate to limit Winter traction (I live at altitude in Colorado). If I can just turn off the RC that's not a huge concern I guess.

I'd like to get a little more of the performance back that has been software limited on the 340hp 35t. Has anyone had good results with that particular engine + Racechip? Would I get closer to the 380-400hp these engines were designed to produce?

I'm still under warranty for another 2.5 years or I'd be looking at a VAP tune and some sort of aftermarket intake and exhaust.

 

Finally able to update my initial impressions. I did contact RC to find out if they could update the chip (via the App) since I wasn't noticing any improvement with the low end torque. They did update the chip -- which did help but not significantly enough for me to truly feel that the chip was worth it. I ultimately decided to trigger the 30 day return policy -- RaceChip was REALLY good about it -- they provided a pre-paid return label. I shipped the chip back and they have issued a full refund.

Overall (and please feel free to say "I told you so") I've concluded that the only / right way to improve the performance is to get the Velocity ECU tune plus the pulley. While the chip seemed like a good way to get the improved performance without the warranty risk, it really isn't enough of an improvement to be noticeable. The other part of this that was a bit annoying was the fact that I would have to 'turn on' the chip every time I started the car.

For those still curious about the RaceChip -- I gotta say their customer service is A+++ so if you decide to give it a shot, you do have their 30 day return policy to rely on.

 

Thanks for the write up. When you say you have to turn it on every time you start the car...does it lose the last setting each time it is powered down? It looks like some of the RC models you just set it with a screwdriver and forget it. Would you recommend that instead of the ones that require a phone app?

 

I was thinking this same thing but there are some benefits of having the app. The first is the ability to have them reprogram the chip if you have any issues. But the app also allows for a pre-programmed 2 minute warm up before the chip mode is engaged. I suppose the thinking is that it gives the engine some time to warm up. I have to think they put that option there for a reason but others might know more as to why there is a technical need for that 2 min. The last point is that if you got the non app version, you’d literally have to get out of the car to experiment with each mode - or to turn off the chip entirely. I hear your point about avoiding the need to “turn it on” after each start but I’m not sure that advantage outweighs the other issues noted above.