Power chip - DTUK/DTE PDI Pulse Modulation System

[joe2006]

I haven’t been that keen on a chip but towing the van while trying to get reasonable economy has meant trying to stay in overdrive which can be very difficult and often too slow. I convinced myself during the last holiday to take the plunge but didn’t want to mess with rail pressure which meant an injector extender chip. This limits choices somewhat with Steinbauer being the most well known locally. Keen to have it fitted before Easter for a test run before the big trip later in the year I found that DTE also produce an extender chip and a company called Diesel Tuning U.K (DTUK) sell DTE chips. From what I understand, the DTUK chips sold for the Navara have the additional feature of user adjustability not available on the DTE unit. There are 4 maps and within each of these maps there are 7 power settings which add or subtract 25ms of injector duration up +/- 75ms.

Unlike the Steinbauer unit it does not connect to the TPS.

There is lots of information on: http://www.nissan-navara.net/index.php

This link explains best how the system works:
http://www.nissan-navara.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5243

If you read the numerous topics posted, the overwhelming consensus regarding these chips on the UK Navara website is positive.

Link to the DTUK website:
http://www.diesel-performance.co.uk/

Comments from Lindsay aka Northside 4x4 aka Diesel Tuner (10th post down) re DTE
http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/engine-drivetrain-55/very-interesting-find-diesel-smart-module-91349/

I ordered the chip on Thursday from the UK and it was received by me on Monday in country Victoria. Probably quicker than if I bought locally but a fair chance more costly if the unit needed to be returned for any reason.
Today was the first long run with the chip installed, albeit without the van in tow. Having only had it on the base setting, I am impressed with the unit so far. The Nav maintains speed on the hills where it would normally have slowed or changed down and is generally nicer to drive.

Customer service has been great. Emails have been responded to promptly, despite my dopey questions, and I also received discount as navara-asia forum member.

Needless to say that I have nothing to do with the company but always intended to report because of the limited information here regarding DTUK.

 

[happy john]

Good to hear your pleased Joe the chip transformed mine and no issues in 2 years you have about 2.4 tonne of van by the look of it makes mine look like a toy you will find it will stay in a higher gear towing perhaps consider an egt gauge for the large hill climbs.

 

[sparra04]

sounds like a good chip joe, good to see another injector extend chip on the market
thanks for the info and links
cheers

 

[Old.Tony]

That's the one thing that might make me consider a chip. Don't like extra rail pressure - CR pressures are dangerously high as it is.

Pulse extensions are not the easiest things to deal with from a management perspective, so the DTUK guys have done pretty well. From my understanding, the YD25 CR engine doesn't use a single pulse per combustion stroke, so these guys have obviously put some hours into R&D to get it right.

I'll wait for a few things:

1) How much does it cost?
2) How does it perform when towing, not only power-wise but in its ability to keep the car in top gear with the TCC locked?
3) What's the actual economy like when towing?
4) How does my own car perform at Easter when I drive it (unmodified) at a slower pace?

Answers to these will be paramount in my decision on whether or not to chip.

 

[happy john]

The next tug i get will have no chip ect i will buy one that produces the power i need from the factory and that will be 4 years away so i am stuck in prison my 22 is just under 160hp at the wheels stock was 87hp how long it lasts who knows i feel that little donk is above it's limits when towing i drive like grandpa anyway.

 

[joe2006]

Tony, the delivered cost was a little more than 1/3rd the current price of the popular Austrian (the place near Germany ) chip.

Will report back on 2) and 3) after Easter although we are only doing about 250ks each way. Last time we took that route it was howling a gale on the return journey so consumption was hideously high. Providing all is relatively calm it should be enough to compare with my average.

I will see how it pans out before considering any adjustment to the unit.

HJ. Thanks and you are not far off the mark. re weight. Tare was 2,220kg before the extra battery and solar panels. With full tanks, fridge full of the little ladies booze and other assorted bits, travel weight is probably closer to 2.7t.

Sparra, I was hoping that the information may provide an option. It's just that you really don't hear much about the DTE product in Aust.

 

[Tappet]

Not looking for a chip myself as I don't tow anything but good info there Joe.

Thanks

 

[glennm]

Probably had mine 12 months or so. Has made an enormous difference in general driveability. A light right foot is only ever required. I also drive like a grandpa but the kids tell me they are very impressed with the improved performance. I do not tow often and when i do it is only a camper trailer. As for fuel economy i haven't really done a comparo however with the bigger tyres and all the extra weight of the mods (i have a steel canopy now too) i use 10l/100ks for combined highway and around town. Cost me $500 aus delivered.

 

[joe2006]

Probably had mine 12 months or so. Has made an enormous difference in general driveability. A light right foot is only ever required. I also drive like a grandpa but the kids tell me they are very impressed with the improved performance. I do not tow often and when i do it is only a camper trailer. As for fuel economy i haven't really done a comparo however with the bigger tyres and all the extra weight of the mods (i have a steel canopy now too) i use 10l/100ks for combined highway and around town. Cost me $500 aus delivered.

Glad you are happy with it.

Mine was a bit over $100 more than that but the exchange rate has shat itself in the last 12 months or so. Still pretty good value though.

Have you changed it from the base setting?

 

[glennm]

Yeah i did Joe but i am at a loss to remember what it is. I know it is plus 30 on i think setting 2. I did change the setting a short while back and didn't notice any difference however when the timing chain was done Paul took it for a run and said it went like the clappers from 4000 but lacked some torque lower down. Too high for this old fart so i put it back to where i had it. I remember trying to set it at a level that would give me low down torque. Did you download the details of the various settings from web? I bought at the right time as far as the exchange rate goes but yes still great value now.

 

[camo.b]

Very glad this is getting talked about..seems everyone in the u.k has one and loves it..might have to invest in one soon so i can ditch the rail chip

 

[joe2006]

Glenn, I haven't seen anything specifically about the various settings on the DTUK site but have found the information on the U.K Navara site quite helpful, specifically this link which is also listed in my first post above : http://www.nissan-navara.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5243

From what I gather, map 4 is often a good one for autos but I think I will leave it be for a while as I am a little paranoid about the DPF. I realise that this doesn't apply to you.

However like you, I would prefer max torque down low in the range.

P.S I should have also said that the instructions that came with the unit refer to how the various changes to the settings are made.

 

[glennm]

Glenn, I haven't seen anything specifically about the various settings on the DTUK site but have found the information on the U.K Navara site quite helpful, specifically this link which is also listed in my first post above : http://www.nissan-navara.net/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5243

From what I gather, map 4 is often a good one for autos but I think I will leave it be for a while as I am a little paranoid about the DPF. I realise that this doesn't apply to you.

However like you, I would prefer max torque down low in the range.

Cool will be interested to see what you eventually settle on.

 

[ourd40]

Will be watching this thread with intrest, Im keen to get a chip but not so keen on upping rail pressures like a lot of people..

 

[batcho]

Just fitted mine last night and im impressed. Started on the stock setting and had less smoke than standard. Changed to map 4 now and Only get a slight puff of smoke on firt press of the accelerator in first gear.

Goes great, so much smoother from 1000-1500rpm. i can now take off in second again with 33's. Total price was 590 landed

 

[batcho]

For anyone interested im now running map 3 on the chip and it goes great egts are barely higher than before and much smoother to drive

 

[Old.Tony]

Okay Joe, a week has passed since the trip, how'd it go?

 

[joe2006]

I wanted to wait until this weekend after driving solo again, following which I would send a PM. Anyway will post here but with the combination of early starts and being so verbose, I will leave the details until tomorrow

I will briefly say that the results for such a short trip towing were a little inconclusive. At a guess the fuel consumption was about the same but I am travelling roughly 10kph faster.

 

[Old.Tony]

That's not very encouraging. Okay I'll wait for the rest of the info - if I'm going to sell the expense to the wife, it's not going to be won on "we can go 10km/h faster!".

Chip Tuning's claim of 90% torque increase (taking my peak torque up to 760Nm is far more appealing. Whether that's actually achievable without wringing the little 2.5L engine's neck is another thing!

 

[joe2006]

Despite initial reservations about changing maps too soon, though I would give map 2 a try. It gives more injector duration than map 1 low down in the rev range but from just over 3000rpm offer less duration than map 1. I couldn't really find anyone spruiking the benefits of map 2 so tried it with trepidation. Maybe because I had planted the seed in my mind but while I found acceleration in overdrive quite good, possibly imagined a little hesitation? I towed a float a with one horse aboard, with map 2.

Map 3 is a big fat map so thought I would give that a miss.

Map 4 is claimed by a lot of people to be good for autos and map 4 @0 is said to be very similar to Map 1 +1, so map 4 @0 it was for our caravanning sojourn.

Distance ended up only 220ks each way. Very little wind and for the most part flat terrain. Had done the same trip twice before and while I had calculated consumption figures at the time, it was before purchasing the Ultragauge and I wasn't keeping records at the time. I do recall that on both prior occasions the Nav would barely get into overdrive and I was quite disappointed with fuel consumption. Admittedly on the last occasion on the journey home, it was blowing a gale and fuel consumption was accordingly quite horrendous.

So for this most recent trip with Dtuk set on map 4, for a large part, comfortably cruising 90kph plus while in overdrive. At one stage, looked across at the wife, smiled and winked, and said "this is the life". No not really, but it was hard wiping the smile from my face and I was actually considering setting the cruise control which was previously not possible because the transmission would immediately drop out of overdrive.

Getting closer to the destination and on the way home, I found it harder to maintain overdrive, although think(??) it is because of the newly found expectation of higher cruising speed.

Thought I would test driving solo, just to make sure that the unit was functioning properly before posting the results. Sure enough the vehicle is still accelerating up hills that would previously cause it to slow down.

Consumption was 19.2lph to destination and 20.8lph return. The figures don't mean much other than to say that the previous high pre-chip was 25.5lph and low of 13.2 with approximately 18lph average.

The trip was nowhere near long enough to give a proper indication of fuel consumption. Even driving solo I am unsure of the effect on consumption. While it sounds like a cliché, if the power is available, you will use it. I find myself driving faster and the vehicle much more pleasant to drive.

The real test will be later in the year when we will do around 20,000ks towing.

Is it worth the money?

On paper the unit gives a very similar power increase as the popular Austrian injector chip (you can yodel that) at about a third the cost. That chip claims up to 20% increase in power and torque. I always figured that the gains would be noticeable but not earth shattering. So far my towing experience has been pretty much as expected. Happy that I didn't fork out the $1,800 bucks for that yodelling chip though.

There are still lots of adjustment available if I am game although think I will err on the side of caution. I will say that the old girl will light up the tyres on take off now

Finally there has been no noticeable difference in engine temperature according to the Ultragauge.

Now get me one of them 760Nm chips.