Chip tuning, service business - business ideas

Chip tuning is gaining popularity among motorists , especially among fans of fast driving. Chip tuning is a modification of the electronics built into the vehicle, during which the factory settings embedded in it (the so-called firmware or "firmware") are adjusted. Typically, this practice is applied to the engine control unit, but can sometimes be used to modify other electronic modules. The business idea of ​​providing chip tuning services to motorists is gaining popularity. Attempts to modify the car engine and reconfigure it to the individual preferences of the driver have been made since the beginning of the history of the automotive industry. The very first models of Ford cars already had a special ignition regulator that changed the ratio of fuel and air in the mixture injected into the cylinders. This, in turn, affected the ignition timing and the efficiency of the engine. Today, the car engine has changed a lot. Injection parameters are adjusted using computer programs that are stored in the electronic control unit (ECU, in English. ECU, engine control unit) of the car at the manufacturing plant. The control unit is otherwise called the controller. But if everything that is needed is already incorporated and optimised during the production of the machine, a natural question arises: why is chipping necessary?

Why do chip tuning? There are several reasons to change the factory settings: Increased engine power and overall performance of the car. Often, car companies consciously or unconsciously reduce their power, which can be corrected by chip tuning. Improving the fuel efficiency of transport . This is another most common goal of chip tuning. Fuel economy is achieved by making the engine respond to steering more clearly and, as a result, it maintains high traction at lower revs. Adaptation to certain types of fuel. Switching to certain (usually cheaper) grades of gasoline or LPG can have a dramatic effect on engine performance. Chip tuning helps to fix this problem. Adaptation of the car for non-standard modifications, such as supercharging and other tuning elements. Almost every such operation requires simultaneous flashing of automotive electronics. Removing software blocks, such as limiting the maximum speed. Why don't car manufacturers take care of these improvements themselves? As already mentioned, the operation of the engine is regulated by an electronic control unit, in which manufacturers put information about the optimal ignition timing, the amount of fuel supplied and other parameters that determine the maximum power. But sometimes companies themselves impose restrictions on motor power. Factors influencing such decisions may include: differences in the quality of fuel materials in different regions, the desire to increase engine life without regular technical inspections; concern for the environment and the desire to reduce the level of harmful emissions, following the standards for exhaust gases in a particular country; features of the climate and road conditions of a particular region; the desire to adjust the engine to the widest possible variety of driving styles of potential car owners; features of auto insurance, taxation of automakers and other financial reasons; reducing the maximum speed of the car in order to protect the driver and passengers. All this forces car companies to limit the power of the engines they produce, finding a compromise solution that will suit everyone. In this case, the engine power is deliberately suppressed at the level of the ECU software. It also happens that the designers make mistakes, unknowingly making flaws in the firmware. This can also be fixed with chip tuning.

ow is chip tuning done? This type of modification, in fact, expands the restrictions imposed on the engine and adjusts its mode of operation to the individual requirements of the driver, while still taking into account the conditions of the region of residence and the safety of the engine. Typically, this is a process that can be divided into three stages: Reading programs from the electronic control unit, if the masters producing the service do not have the original firmware. Correction of software settings and checksums for the parameters required by the car owner. Write the updated settings back to the ECU and test drive the car with the updated parameters. There are special interfaces and software for reading and writing controller programs. As a rule, they do not require any special knowledge and skills from the staff, which makes it easy to master chip tuning with minimal experience in working with electronics and cars. Most vehicles made in the 2000s and later have the ability to reprogram the controller without removing it from the vehicle. For older models, it may be necessary to disconnect the memory chip from the control unit. Some cars use the so-called BDM interface (from the English. Background Debug Mode - “background debugging mode”), which requires special tools. Most car services involved in chipping apply for software to special companies that edit the firmware of such devices. Checksum correction is the most difficult element of chip tuning, so it is often trusted to outsourced professionals. Such a person must not only master the specialised software used to recognize and change engine settings, but also understand the strengths and weaknesses of various motors in order to correctly edit them.

Financial aspects of chip tuning Today, all services that provide services for engine tuning and changing controller settings can be divided into three categories: Lone specialists . Their abilities vary considerably, as do their rates. But usually such a specialist does not charge too much money for his services: the lower price bar for such services is usually kept at the level of a couple of thousand dollars for processing one car. The effect of such tuning, again, depends on the skills of the master: someone can completely ruin the firmware, someone will achieve a softer ride without much performance improvement, and someone will tune the motor perfectly. Car services specialised in such services . In such a service, the client can be offered either their own firmware (usually of good quality), or software from a well-known company. The price of the services of such organisations is usually in the range of 10-30 thousand dollars and they work with a wide variety of car models. Official dealers . Sometimes the companies themselves involved in the sale of cars of a particular brand can provide services for their chip tuning. 

Such services are usually quite expensive - from 20 to 70 thousand dollars - but the quality is in line with expectations. A startup who decides to start flashing automotive software must decide for himself what niche he will occupy. In the first case, it is necessary to develop professional skills as soon as possible and work for your own prestige, gaining the trust of customers. In the second, financial support and connections with suppliers of automotive software will be needed. A well-performed chip tuning procedure allows the motorist not only to enjoy a smoother car ride at any engine speed, but also to save up to 20% more gasoline and increase traction up to 140% of the original, without reducing the engine life. Therefore, the demand for this service of chip tuning of the engine and the entire car will only increase in the coming years, this business idea is still quite relevant.