UniChip Performance Chip Engine Tuner
Jason | Mar 13, 2009 | Comments 17
Toyota does a few things differently than most of their competitors. While some of these differences are quite good (see industry leading quality and reliability for decades), some of these differences are, well, weird. Toyota doesn’t offer special orders, for instance. Toyota charges extra for floor mats on all of their vehicles (weird). Toyota also locks down their engine computer control systems making it almost impossible for aftermarket performance chip manufacturers to “crack” the codes and start playing with the motor’s performance settings.
Enter UniChip. Since Toyota locks their computer control systems, it’s hard (maybe impossible) to create an engine tuner (aka programmer) that will interface with the computer and change ignition timing, fuel delivery, etc. Jet, Superchips, and others don’t offer programmers for a lot of Toyotas because it’s just too expensive and/or difficult to crack the code and design one.
Unichip Performance Chip
UniChip bypasses the problem by interfacing with the signals that are passed to the engine control module (ECM). Rather than try to change the stock settings in the ECM, UniChip changes the signals that the ECM receives. By altering the input, UniChip “tricks” your Toyota’s ECM into producing more power.
There are a few advantages to this approach. First, since the stock settings are never changed, there’s no danger of permanently changing any important factory computer settings. Secondly, it’s very easy to disconnect the UniChip performance tuner when it’s time for service or warranty repairs. While it’s true that this tuner won’t effect your warranty, disconnecting it is the easiest way to bypass the conversation with your local Toyota dealer.
Plug and unplug with ease.
Each UniChip tuner is custom-tuned by UniChip at the factory before it’s shipped to you for installation. Colby, one of our readers, purchased a UniChip tuner from AutoAnything.com for his 08′ Tundra. After letting them know about his K&N air intake and his Magnaflow exhaust, UniChip custom programmed his tuner specifically for his truck and sent it to him. [Actually, there was a bit of a problem. AutoAnything messed up the order and sent Colby the wrong chip at first, but they were good about fixing it.]
In addition to custom programming with each order, UniChip’s system can be re-programed or further adjusted by a certified technician, typically found at your local dyno/tuning shop.
According to Colby, installation isn’t too bad. There was a problem with the directions – they mentioned an LED indicator that doesn’t exist on the unit. UniChip says that the instructions will be corrected.
As far as install time, UniChip says it can take as little as 15 minutes, but it might last a couple of hours depending on how easy it is to access your ECM and route the wiring.
In-dash module.
On/off switch.
UniChip promised Colby that a custom tune for his 08′ 4.7L Tundra with K&N intake and Magnaflow exhaust would add about 38 hp. While Colby hasn’t had a chance to dyno the truck yet, he definitely feels a difference. You can call him a satisfied customer.
Colby's 2008 Tundra.
UniChip performance tuners aren’t cheap – at least not at first glance. A good deal on one will be right around $600 (for the Tundra), making it one of the more expensive performance options we’ve reviewed. HOWEVER, if you take into consideration just how much horsepower you can add (figure 5-9% more horsepower on a stock vehicle), the UniChip might actually be the least expensive dollar-per-horsepower performance accessory you can buy for a Toyota.
Do you have any experience with the UniChip? Let us know your thoughts below.
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Filed Under: Toyota Tundra Accessories
gotta use premium fuel thats a major drag
Tmac if it helps with the added horsepower of mpg savings then it may as well be worth it. Time will tell. Then if it does as well as it’s advertised then I can see $600 for it. I haven’t got my income tax yet and it looks to be a good candidate.
ya id hafta see someone else do it and check out the mpg that it actually saves you.
Where are u and what does gas cost there ?
Cuz in vancouver the regular costs around 3.85 a gallon roughly converted.
It would hafta save me quite a bit to be worth it…….
Oohh mann I way cheaper than you. Right now unlead regular is $1.85 and premium is $2.05. I live just north of Jacksonville, Florida. If I go 15 miles north to the border of Georgia unlead is $1.73 and premium is $1.95. SO I go get the premium every other tank.
ouch we get f’ed…
great place to live honestly but cut the cost of living is ridiculous
tmac – Yikes! My hat’s off to you sir – driving a Tundra in a place where gas costs $4 is a major commitment. Hope that truck is doing everything you need it to!
well i need it for the job, its my baby but its also a work truck for sure and it gets the job done for sure.
i had 1700 hundred pounds of drywall in a month ago, and a couple of months ago i had 2400 hundred pounds of drywall mud in it, barely sagged the supension.
plus my work covers most of my mileage in fuel costs. just out of curiousity what does it cost for a fill up ?
I just filled up at an Exxon which was $1.99 per gallon premium. It cost $44 for 22 gallons. This was in Georgia.
if money isn’t an issue then I would definitely love to get one of this.
gasp gasp, choke choke….
are u f’in kidding me ??!!
44 bucks, not even in my dreams dude, last tank cost me 78 dollars in canadian play money
get this though when gas was at its highest last summer i filled up once for 110
Wow… I feel for you…. Man that’s high.
when ‘87 octane was close $4 a gallon here in orlando I had to fill up from almost completely empty after a 334 mile round trip towing a boat. When I say almost completely empty, i mean the gas light was on for the last 40 miles before i filled up. I didnt want to take the chance of running out of gas before getting to my house to I stopped at a 7-11 and filled up. At $3.97 a gallon it ran me $104.00 to fill up. I’m so glad its dropped back down to under $2/gal
Micky, the ad right next to the article claims its now only $379…. Is that not true for the Tundra? Why do you say its $600?
Never mind… I just realized that’s for Superchips….. I just assumed that since the article was about the unichip that the ad would be for there product….
and you all know what happens when you ASSUME……!
XZtreme I constantly make mistakes so it’s nothing to worry about.
is it true that you can have unichip custom tuned for lower-octane fuel? even a tune to mid-grade would help, money-wise. if you can lower the octane required, would the performance drop too much to justify the chip purchase in the first place? gas is going to go up, a lot, in the not so distant future.
Tex – I think so, but at that point I would guess that you start to lose a lot of the benefits of the uni-chip. The reason for the higher octane is that it allows more aggressive engine tuning while protecting against pinging and knocking. If you run regular, the engine’s knock sensor will basically counter-act the unichip at various times.