PF Performance Chip?

Snake oil!!!

 

Send me $20 and I can get you the same improvement via remote programming of your Prius. Just send me the $20, then hold your cell phone next to the antenna on your Prius.



Tom

 

You know there's an App for that!

 

probably a resistor to hook up into temp sensor, so it could run leaner/richer (not sure which). guaranteed to increase emissions.

 

but i like how they are advertising them here on priuschat.

 

That is an insult to snake oil.

 

I for one think it'll do a great job! It'll lighten your wallet by at least 10 grams, thus reducing the amount of energy your car needs to when accelerating!

Heck, if you're carrying the $69 in pennies, that'd be a savings of 38 pounds! (Alternately, you could take your $69 to England, where it'd be a savings of £43.59. )

And yes, it does appear to be a resistor, given that it's a "2 wire installation" that connects to the intake air temperature sensor. Protip: you can buy resistors for less than a tenth of a penny each, in quantity.

 

The chip will probably mess up your emissions.

If you want to get better FE - learn how to hypermiling.
Hypermiling starting cost = your time and energy.
Hypermiling trades (travel time+driving effort) for increased fuel efficiency.
While YMMV - I've been able to increase my overall fe to 60 mpg
using hypermiling techniques.
If you have to buy a electronic gizmo then get a Scangauge2

 

Since they need plastic money, not paper, even this benefit is lost.

But, but, but, but, they show a 28-pin DIP. Do those 26 unconnected pins merely enhance the placebo effect?

 

They advertise the Chevy Camaro on this site too....
That doesn't mean it's going to save you gas.

Let's look at it like this.
Priuses are sold to people who like to save gas, right?
So much so that the MDF on my particular mount is.....shall we say "calibrated" so that the car is telling you that you're getting about 5 percent more than you really are.

Unfortunately, for the folks in Aichi that is...the EPA wants a little firmer data than that which the specious MDF supplies before they let you plant a sticker on the car saying that it will get more than the 50-mpg that the car is really supposed to get. Actually....it's misleading enough as it is given the winter MPG deltas that I'm seeing, but that's another matter. It's all relative, right?

OK...still with me?
Here's the question.
Why wouldn't Toyota simply buy this "wonder device", at volume pricing of course, and simply stick it in their car and put a big ole 51-MPG sticker on the window? Think of the engineering money that they would save!!! Heck...if things like this really worked as advertised, they'd be able to amp up a G3 to get 55-MPG!!!
So......why don't they do it????

Riiiiight,
You guessed it.

Cause it doesn't work that's why.
Same with the Tornado air intake and the molecular descrambler magnets, and all of the other daffy products out there that are very effective at separating desperate consumers from their money, but at best might not actually hurt your car otherwise.

Don't fall for it.
Toyota didn't.

 

Yup, there's a lot of R&D that goes into the programming for the ECM. Simply jumping the IAT sensor and sending a false signal will do 2 things. It'll screw up you emissions and set a code. The ECM does a lot of checks when you first power up and then runs continuous monitors while you drive. Anything out of the ordinary is picked up and can set a code.

It's like people who put custom exhaust systems on a Ferrari for better flow. It's a freaking high end sports car! Don't you think Ferrari thought of that?

 

well, maybe toyota doesn't want to buy it or license it from the manyfacturer. would danny allow them to advertise it if it didn't work? he's probably got one himself.