Chip removal question

[ultravorx]

Hey whats up guys, i just got my Jet chip in the mail from Joe, (thanks for the great deal!) And i had a question about removing it. If i bring my car to the dealer, do i need to remove the negative battery terminal, or can i simply unplug the chip, then re plug it back in when i get the car back. Just a question in case it needs a dealer visit. Thanks
Frank

P.s. The Jetchip actually helps out a lot with the shifting points and firmness, it has MUCH more pep on the highway too, im very happy with this. I will eventually get a superchip or the Reinhart chip when i eventually change out my gears, until then, the jetchip works for me!

[Murader03]

Can't tell you about the Jet chip, but my DR Chip stays in at all times. Haven't had any problem concerning the dealer. To be safe, if you so desire to remove it, then (I would) disconnect the battery.

[joflewbyu2]

ultravorx, yes - remove the battery cable when installing or removing the chip. This is per jetchip instructions. glad your enjoying the chip.

[martyo]

IMO, no need to disconnect the battery. Just turn the key off and remove the chip.

That's the way it has been done at the dyno tunes I have been to with the "Big Guns" a/k/a Dennis and Jerry and I didn't see or experience any problems.

[RF Overlord]

I think both martyo and jo-alphabet are correct.

I, too, have watched Pete and Jerry just unplug chips and re-install them without disconnecting the battery...BUT...

...that may only apply to the kind of chips that Dennis and FordChip use...if Jet Chip specified to disco the battery, there may be some reason to do so with the brand of chip THEY use...better to be safe...

Bear in mind that your car may run or idle funny for a short time after the battery disco/reco cycle...this is OK...nothing to panic about...once the chip is back in, you'll be good to go soon...

[Pat]

I think both martyo and jo-alphabet are correct.

Bear in mind that your car may run or idle funny for a short time after the battery disco/reco cycle...this is OK...nothing to panic about...once the chip is back in, you'll be good to go soon...
I'm glad you mentioned that. I was studing my Mercury GM shop manual and it discusses the subject of when the negative terminal of the battery is removed for more than a few minutes the Keep Alive Memory (KAM) which stores the adaptive factors used by the EEC to compensate for wear/tear and component tolerances is "cleared". One has to complete serveral driving cycles to regain the adaptive values and thus the car may run or idle poorly during this period.

I guess it's just common knowledge since I've never read anything about it on this site.

[CRUZTAKER]

To reiterate.....

We pull our chips at a dyno tune as many as a dozen times and swap back and forth while making changes. There is no need to pull your battery cable.

Battery cable disconnect is advised while removing the entire EEC however.

If it makes you comfortable to remove the chip when going to the dealer, do so.;)

[David Morton]

Yeah, all that bull about disconnecting the battery everytime you do anything electrical steams me up pretty hot! After all, the total of ten seconds I spend grabbing the 10mm wrench, loosening the nut, pulling the cable off, and then after I'm done another ten seconds (!), putting the cable back on, grabbing the 10mm wrench, tightening the nut, again, all just satisfy some dimwit lawyer type and his bullcrap disclaimer about disconnecting the battery, that's twenty friggin' seconds!

I'm a busy man. :P

Sorry about the rant, but when I was young and in a hurry like that, I was lucky enough to be in Auto Mechanics School and see the kid that had worked in his dads car shop since he'd cut his teeth, burn a customers car down to the ground...:(

...because he knew better than to waste his time disconnecting batteries.

I'm not saying you'll catch the car on fire but, if the chipmaker says so, why not?

Actually what's more important in this case is to take the static discharge prevention measures, like putting the alligator clip ground lead from the car to your scrotum, which is why there's not many female high-tech mechanics. :D

No sparks!

[Smokie]

Do you have to disconnect the battery, no. Should you make sure that you are grounded to car chassis, yes. Could you fry your chip from a static build up created by rubbing your feet on carpet....hell yes. You can do it the wrong way 1000 times and nothing goes wrong...all it takes is one time to fry the chip. Very easy to ground yourself, before you touch the chip, touch any bare metal or screw under dash...how hard is that.:D

[BillyGman]

I think a better question might be, is there really any advantage in removing the chip anyway? It's my understanding that even if you remove the chip, the dealer's equipment will alert them to the fact that you had a chip in there before. Please correct me on that if you know it to be false. But if that's the case, then there's no real need to remove it. When I go to the dealer, I just let the service manager know that I have a chip in the car, and I ask him to warn the mechanic not to re-flash the computer or change the settings. I also tape a note over the diagnostic port for the mechanic to see informing him of this incase he doesn't get the message from the service manager.


And Frank, I've already spoken to the new service manager at the Ford of Branford dealer about modifications, and he claimed that he doesn't have a problem w/that as long as I bring the car to them for some routine maintenance now and then. I'm assuming that's where you'll go since he told me that he remebers your Marauder being there, and that you now work right down the street from there (he especially remembered your camera in the back of your car).