JDM PROm Performance Chip Module

From our Analysis:

From our research and review, it is our opinion that the JDM PROm Performance Chip Module Works! You will DEFINITELY want to try this!

Works!

Company Profile

The manufacturer is a company called JDM Performance. They are based in the USA and have been in the tuning market for several years, giving them more weight than previously reviewed products.

Their website, performancechiptuning.com, jdmperformancechip.com or eBay.

The JDM PROm Performance Chip Module offers this and several other versions of their OBD and other performance products. The direct product page is here:

https://www.performancechiptuning.com/brands/JDM.html

The case and design are unique, so it will be interesting to see what this chip actually does.

From the jdmperformancechip.com website:

“JDM PRO Chips remap the timing of the ignition to give you greater throttle response. These mapping specifications will optimize performance increase fuel economy and deliver maximum horsepower otherwise restricted by factory settings. Our microprocessor controlled tuning Chips contain engine-specific dynamic “maps” that are placed in the unit’s memory. The “maps” are all dynamometer tested and proven to give a very noticeable increase in performance. This intelligent feature gives the unit the ability to work in sync with your engine, providing economy or power depending on your driving requirements..”

Cost

The cost on the website at the time of this review was $289.99 USD for the JDM PROm Performance Chip Module, and $199.95 on eBay, which claims to provide enhanced pickup, power, and engine performance enhancements.

This price is a bit higher than any chip we have reviewed so far. Hopefully, it warrants better performance than most of the previous chips.

Product Appearance

The JDM ProM chip comes in two versions, the blue version, and the white version with a flexible OBD cable for fitment to the OBD port.

Installation steps were fairly straightforward:

“Step 1: Locate your OBD2 port.

Step 2: Insert stage 1 into your vehicle’s port while the vehicle is in off position.

Step 3: Insert vehicle key and turn the vehicle switch one position (or press your start button) without starting the vehicle. Your dash gauges will turn on. The JDM PROm Performance Chip Module needs about 5-10 seconds in this stage to transmit data from your vehicle’s ECU. After 10 seconds, you can start the vehicle normally.

Step 4: Once your vehicle is started for the first time, the JDM PROm Performance Chip Module begins a learning process. This process involves gathering data from your onboard computer and transmitting overrides to your ECU for performance and fuel economy improvements. Results can take up to 2 weeks of normal driving to fully complete. ”

Sounds more believable than most previous modules we tested

– Let’s see if it works.

Internal Analysis

First, the board shape itself is unique. – we see a much more complex circuit board than most of the performance chips- A large IC with a JDM-USA Rev. 6.0 label on it and a voltage regulator.

JDM-ProM-Performance-Chip-Module-Blue-Model-with-OBD-Plug-blue

First of all, we see the 4-pin ISP single road for programming – it suggests the chip is programmed before assembly, which means it’s custom programmed for a specific vehicle. it has a 20mhz Resonator which is more accurate than the lower cost internal oscillators so it cannot be another light scam chip.

JDM-ProM-Performance-Chip-Module-PCB-Board-Internal

The large IC chip is of primary interest to us. The chip may seem to be physically larger than any we have seen so far in our reviews and after doing several tests such as Program Memory type, CAN protocol, Program Max Memory Size, and Max CPU Speed after all test have made we determine the Chip installed it’s a JDM/Microchip version of the PIC18F4580 (CAN Bus and CAN FD Bus ) with 32KB of Programming Memory verified through our lab tests.

JDM-ProM-Performance-Chip-Module-Inside-IC

JDM-ProM-Performance-Chip-Module-IC-PIC18F4580

We examined the OBD connections from the connector to the circuit board and the following nine pins are connected: 2,4,5,6,7,10,14,15,16.

Let’s check the OBD protocols and which pins they require:

From this chart, we see the following protocols and which pins must be present for them to be used:

CAN – 4, 6, 14, 16

PWM -2, 4, 5, 10, 16

VPW – 2, 4, 5, 16

ISO – 4, 5, 7, 16

So we can conclude from this that the JDM PROm Performance Chip Module:

HAS all OBD connections to the CAN protocol

HAS all OBD connections for the PWM protocol

HAS all OBD connections for the ISO protocol

HAS all OBD connections for the VPW protocol

From these connections, the JDM PROm Performance Chip Module does have the capability to interface to any of these protocols. According to the product information, the company claims it is custom programmed for use with only one vehicle. For use on another vehicle, it must be reprogrammed.

Operation

We connected the JDM PROm Performance Chip Module to our BMW 3 Series 2003 3.0L as instructed and the lights came on as expected:

For about 1 week we drove a few miles and did notice a definite improvement in throttle response and pick up power and extra torque. In addition, the idle and overall handling of the engine did seem to be smoother. We tested in a large run and noticed we had gained almost 2MPG on fuel economy.

Analysis

It is clear from our analysis so far that the JDM PROm Performance Chip Module is capable of delivering real gains and is a good choice for those seeking a general tuning solution.

Company Response

We sent the following message to the company before completing this review and received this response.

Our message to the company:

Hello,

We are an automotive performance chip review group and saw your performance chip listing. We have a few questions about your product:

1) Can you assure us this is not a scam?
2) Do you have any real-world proof?

Company’s response:

We did receive this prompt response and they provided many references for proof of their product’s vehicle enhancement. We are impressed with the straightforward answers they provided.

Conclusion

From our research and review, it is our opinion that the JDM PROm Performance Chip Module Works! You will DEFINITELY want to try this

Where to buy?

Did you own this product? Rate it &nbspHERE&nbsp and help other buyers!

January 14, 2018October 17, 2018

VP15 Volo Chip

Volo VP15 Performance Chip

From our Analysis:

From our research and review, it is our opinion that the Volo VP15 Performance Chip may work only on some vehicles from 1996 to 2004 due the Lack of CANbus support.

Today almost every new European car comes with a CAN bus system.

Passed

Company Profile

The manufacturer is a company called Volo Performance, according to the packaging.

Their websites,

www.volochip.tw / www.voloperformance.com

offers these and earlier versions of their chips. They are based in Taiwan and have been in the tuning market for several years, giving them more weight than previously reviewed products

Cost

The cost on the website at the time of this review was $129.95 USD for the Volo VP15 module, which claims to provide enhanced pickup, power, and engine performance enhancements.

The cost is an average price point. We purchased one from the website for testing.

Product Appearance

The OBD performance module comes in the clear case shown above, with a flexible OBD cable for fitment to the OBD port.

The install steps are fairly straightforward:

“1) Install software to your PC laptop or computer and run setup.exe ( Will does not work on Mac’s, PC Only)

2) Program your chip. Start V-link and insert the provided cable in the Volo and your USB port. Follow instructions to fine tune your chip, to your specific car, year make, model.

3) Start your car and warm up your engine, before plugging in the OBD 2 port connector.

4) Plug the Volo VP15 into your car’s under dash 16 pin OBD2 port. Press the RESET button, once the car is hot and idling. Wait till the calibration light show calms down, before driving. (about a minute or 2)

5) DRIVE Your Volo chip is self-learning and will continue to adjust itself to your driving style over time.

ENJOY the gas savings and more pick up than before.”

Sounds different than previous modules we tested – Let’s see if it works.

Internal Analysis

After removing the cover of the module, we see a much more complex circuit board than the previous chips – a newer PIC chip by Microchip with an onboard USB driver, dual voltage regulators, and a 20MHz crystal, as opposed to the 4MHz ones in all the previous light blinker scams. So far, this board appears to have the capability to do what they say it does:

The IC on the Volo VP15 PCB it’s a newer generation Microchip 18F4550, but this IC has no CAN controller, also the VP15 circuit got no CAN line driver.

From datasheet we can see:

So far, this board appears to “possibly” have the capability to do what is claimed:

We examined the OBD connections from the connector to the circuit board and the following nine pins are connected: 2,4,5,6,7,10,14,15,16.

Let’s check the OBD protocols and which pins they require:

From this chart, we can see the following protocols and which pins must be present for them to be used:

CAN – 4, 6, 14, 16

PWM -2, 4, 5, 10, 16

VPW – 2, 4, 5, 16

ISO – 4, 5, 7, 16

So we can conclude from this that the Volo VP15 module:

Is MISSING PIN 14 – IS NOT CAN CAPABLE

HAS all OBD connections for the PWM protocol

HAS all OBD connections for the ISO protocol

HAS all OBD connections for the VPW protocol

The vast majority use CAN or ISO protocol.

– even if the chip were somehow able to produce some magic, the pins needed for most vehicles they claim it works with are not even connected to the circuit board! However, the two most important pins, 4 and 16, which supply GND and +12V to power the light blinker ARE there 😉

Operation

We connected the Volo VP15 Performance Chip Module to our BMW 3 Series 2003 3.0L as instructed and the lights came on as expected:

We followed the instructions, connected it to the software and programmed it for the vehicle year, make, model and mode desired. We drove 200 miles and we noticed a small improvement in throttle response and pick up power. After a few tanks, we also noticed an improvement of almost 1MPG on our BMW 3 Series 2003 3.0L. Definitely some improvement! The VP15 allows three modes of tuning, Max power gain, Mix of Power gain and Fuel economy, and Gas saver mode. We chose the middle mode, and so far, it has made few changes to both.

Analysis

It is clear from our analysis so far, that the Volo VP15 Performance Chip is a good choice for vehicles models from 1996 to 2007

Company Response

We sent the following message to the company before completing this review and received this response.

Our message to the company:

Hello,

We are an automotive performance chip review group and saw your performance chip. We have a few questions about your product:

1) Can you assure us this is not a NitroOBD light blinker scam?
2) Do you have any real-world proof of your performance?

Thanks for helping us to gather more information about your product for buyers on the net!

Company’s response:

10-16-2018 UPDATE: Finally they answered

Conclusion

From our research and review, it is our opinion that the Volo VP15 Performance Chip may work only on some vehicles from 1996 to 2004 due the Lack of CANbus support.

Today almost every new European car comes with a CAN bus system.

Where to buy?

Did you own this product? Rate it &nbspHERE&nbsp and help other buyers!

January 14, 2018October 16, 2018

InstantHP Performance Chip

InstantHP Performance Chip

From our Analysis:

From our research and review, it is our opinion that the InstantHP module performance chip is a scam. It may also cause ECU damage, as reported by some users on the net, so we suggest avoiding it at all costs. It is a nice light show at best, damaging at worst. You want to pass on this one!

Scam!

Company Profile

The manufacturer is an unknown company located at instanthp.com, but we already have our suspicions on this product’s origin due to its shape and color. A direct link to the product page is here:

http://instanthp.com/#buy

Cost

The cost at the time of this review was $59USD. This price is very suspicious, as no genuine tuning product can be manufactured this cheaply.

Product Appearance

The OBD tuner modules come in one color, yellow, and claim to “instantly add more power and torque”. It claims to fit “all vehicles 1999 and newer”. This also is a BIG red flag – one size fits all claims are almost always a scam.

The product instructions are almost IDENTICAL to that of the Yellow NitroOBD2 scam.

Internal Analysis

We purchased a module for analysis and looked inside:

InstantHP-Performance-Chip-OBD-Circuit-Board

The circuit board is built around a PIC16F59 IC, and the board looks exactly like the NitroOBD board below:

Right away we see a problem here, because if one pulls the datasheet for the PIC16F59 IC, we can see from the manufacturer, Microchip, that this chip has a maximum program memory size of 3KB:

From several searches, we verified that ECU maps for a vehicle will be at least 20KB or larger PER MAP! This is way too large for the PIC16F59 IC to contain. So, if this is the case, there are no genuine vehicle maps onboard the module. What can be stored in such a small 3KB sized space then? We have our own suspicion.

Operation

We connected the InstantHP module to our 2012 BMW 530i 3.0L L6 as shown in the instruction sheet and lights began to blink, in EXACTLY the same pattern as the NitroOBD2 scam chips. We followed the instructions and drove at least 200+ miles to give it the benefit of the doubt, and…… nothing. No power increase, no mileage increase. We did, however, see a neat light show!

Analysis

It is clear from our analysis so far that the InstantHP module does not have the physical capacity to hold real vehicle ECU maps. 3KB of memory IS large enough for a light blinker program, however, and we believe this is exactly what it truly is – an overpriced light blinker. The circuit appears to monitor the pins from the OBD port and the small microprocessor blinks the lights when activity is detected, giving the appearance of the chip’s operation. While some users online claim to have seen small gains in pickup or fuel economy, we believe this is due to either the placebo effect or other vehicles / environmental factors. While we did not get any error codes set by our InstantHP module, others claim it does set error codes, and if so, this is a major red flag.

The second issue is the claim that it fits SEVERAL different vehicles – this is not possible, even for one vehicle, with such a small 3KB program capacity.

The third issue is that the same circuit is used in the NitroOBD scam, giving us more evidence to support the conclusion that this is a light blinker scam.

Conclusion

Where to buy?

Did you own this product? Rate it &nbspHERE&nbsp and help other buyers!

January 14, 2018October 16, 2018

Gearboxx Performance Engine Tuner Chip

Gearboxx Performance Engine Tuner Chip

From our Analysis:

From our research and review, it is our opinion that the Gearboxx Performance Engine Tuner module is a fuel saver Chip and will not cause ECU damage.

Passed

Company Profile

The manufacturer is a company called “gearboxx‘’, according to the packaging. Their website, gearboxxperformance.com offers the ‘Gearboxx Performance Chips’ .

The product shape looks almost identical to the Quicktune chips and Nitro OBD light blinker scams, so we are already very suspicious of this product. Let’s see what it actually does.

Cost

The cost at the time of this review on eBay for the Gearboxx Engine Performance Module was $68.44 USD. This price is too low to be a genuine performance chip.

Product Appearance

Gearboxx-Performance-Engine-Tuner-Chip-OBD-Cases-Diesel-Left-Gasoline-Right

The module comes in the two colors shown above – Yellow supposedly for Diesel engines and Purple supposedly for Gasoline engines.

As with most scam chips, the seller claims it fits numerous year vehicles – so it is obviously not custom programmed for a specific vehicle. This seller is somewhat sneaky about the listing – they list one chip for a specific vehicle model, but the description says it is compatible with all vehicles made after 1996 (these have an OBD2 port):

Gearboxx-Claims-to-fit-All-Vehicles-Made-after-1996-OBD

This claim is common with chip scams, as they always want the buyer to assume their vehicle is compatible with the module and provides the seller with a wider market of buyers. So far we do not see any evidence that the module is custom programmed, but further analysis will let us know for sure. If the module is just another light blinker – it would indeed work with all vehicles made after 1996 because all it needs to work is +12V and ground, which is in the same location on all vehicles made after 1996.

Another suspicious factor is the comparison by the seller of the Gearboxx module to other known scam chips, we have seen this on other scam chips websites like Viper and Sawyer Tuning :

Gearboxx-Product-Comparison-to-Scam-Chips-OBD

The seller’s description of the chip:

Gearboxx-Engine-Performance-Chip-Module-OBD

Does the Gearboxx engine performance chip module really do anything at all? Let’s find out.

Internal Analysis

We purchased one of these Gearboxx Engine Performance Chip modules from ebay and examined the inside of the module:

Gearboxx-Performance-Engine-Tuner-OBD-Circuit-Board-Assembly-PCB

When we removed the plastic top of the module, we saw the circuit board shown above. The module contains two boards. The lower one has only pin connections to the connector and the top board shown above is double-sided. We noticed there is a voltage regulator, a diode, some resistors and a capacitor on the top side of the board.

When we looked on the bottom side of the top PCB, we saw a familiar surface mount IC located on the rear side of the PCB.

Gearboxx-Performance-Engine-Tuner-Circuit-Board-SMD-IC-Bottom-Side-of-PCB

Further disassembly reveals the chip and components on the bottom side of the circuit board:

Gearboxx-Performance-Engine-Tuner-Circuit-Board-OBD-PCB-Bottom-Side

Note the ic chip is a PIC16F59 ic, commonly used inside previous scam light blinkers. Also note the 4MHz crystal oscillator at the top right of the PCB. This is also identical to previous scam chips we have reviewed.

Right away we see a problem here because if one pulls the datasheet for the PIC16F59 IC, we can see from the manufacturer, Microchip, that this chip has a maximum program memory size of 3KB:

From several searches, we verified that ECU maps for a vehicle will be at least 20KB or larger PER MAP! This is way too large for the PIC16F59 IC to contain. So, if this is the case, then there are no genuine vehicle maps onboard this chip. What can be stored in such a small 3KB sized space then? We have our own suspicions.

Another troubling fact is the uncanny similarity to the newer generation of Nitro OBD scam chips, the Super Nitro OBD Chip.

Operation

We connected the Gearboxx Performance Engine Tuner as instructed to our test vehicle. We ran at least two tanks of fuel with the module connected and noticed a minor enhanced response and power and some fuel savings, about 1MPG.

Analysis

The Gearboxx Performance Engine Tuner Module chip it’s a fuel saver, not a full Performance Chip but will help enough for the price. –The circuit board effectively communicates with the vehicle ECU.

Conclusion

From our research and review, it is our opinion that the Gearboxx Performance Engine Tuner module is a fuel saver Chip and will not cause ECU damage.

Where to buy?

Did you own this product? Rate it &nbspHERE&nbsp and help other buyers!

January 14, 2018October 16, 2018

Innovative Performance Chip

From our Analysis:

From our research and review, it is our opinion that the Innovative performance chip module is a dangerous IAT resistor scam. It may also cause ECU damage, so we suggest avoiding it at all costs. If there is a good side to it, it is the claim that the company offers a 100% money back guarantee. While this is a good thing, we would not suggest relying on this, to begin with – it is not a chip, but a resistor! You definitely want to pass on this one!

Scam!

Company Profile

The manufacturer is a company called “Innovative Performance Chips”, and their website is http://www.gainmpg.com. The product is also available on ebay.com. The direct link to the product page is here:

https://www.gainmpg.com/choose-vehicle

The chip we are reviewing is also referred to as an ‘IAT’ chip. Since this product has a somewhat unique case and design, it should be interesting to see what it actually does.

Cost

The cost at the time of this review on the website for the Innovative performance chip was $69.95 USD. This price is a little low to be a genuine performance chip. Hopefully the chip will produce better results than most of the previous scam chips we reviewed.

Product Appearance

Innovative Performance Chip OBD2 Package and Installation Kit

The module comes in the anodized black aluminum case shown above and includes the install guide and install kit, which consists of two wire clamps, an alcohol wipe, and a velcro adhesive. While the design looks impressive, we already have suspicions of what is actually inside the box. There are only two wires coming out of the chip, which is very common with dangerous IAT resistor scam chips.

From the gainmpg.com website:

“Whether your vehicle has a gasoline or diesel engine, an Innovative Performance Chip is the answer to today’s high fuel prices and all of us looking to squeeze that hidden power and fuel economy out of your vehicle! Our affordable performance chips easily install in less than 10 minutes and unlock your vehicles full potential, allowing you to safely gain up to +35 horsepower and up to +5 MPG in fuel mileage!

We strived to create the most high-quality product in every aspect, delivering you the most affordable product without sacrificing quality. All of our performance chips feature a high-end aluminum enclosure with an extremely durable, high-quality anodized finish available in an impressive range of colors. When you consider that Apple applies the same anodized finish to their aluminum iPhone 6, MacBook Air & MacBook Pro product lines, you can rest assured that you’ll be getting an extremely high-quality product. It’s a thousand tiny details that add up to something big.

With over 75,000 performance chips sold to customers on every continent, our performance chips are truly one of the most time-tested and proven products available on the market! Now you can get very similar results from an expensive power programmer for a fraction of the price – now that’s a cheap performance chip!”

We have some suspicions due to the fact most of the above claims deal with the case material and coating rather than the chip itself, but let’s look at the unit itself in further detail.

Internal Analysis

We purchased one of these modules from eBay and examined the inside of the module:

Innovative-Performance-Chip-OBD-PCB-Top-Side

We were immediately disappointed after unscrewing the aluminum end cap and sliding out the thin circuit board shown above. The circuit board itself was glued in with epoxy to prevent inspection, and the white residue of superglue can be seen all over the inside of the module. This does not suggest the best in quality so far. However, we will give it the benefit of the doubt and see what we observe.

One troubling thing we see upon closer examination is the fake traces connecting to the chip on the top side of the PCB. The connections appear to connect to the chip, but actually, they do not. They are drawn close to the chip but do not actually connect to it. The only two connections to the chip are the top left and bottom left (see photo below):

Innovative-Performance-Chip-OBD-Top-PCB-Fake-Connection-Traces

If we turn the board over, we see more unsoldered connections, essentially the same as the top – only two pins from the chip are even connected. Also, the pins are bent over the unsoldered solder pads, so some may connector may not, depending on if the module is shaken or moved – this is not something we would want to connect to a vehicle we care about:

Innovative-Performance-Chip-OBD-PCB-Bottom-Side

Essentially, we only have two connections to the chip, out of 16 total pins. This is odd, as a real microprocessor will always have many more than two connections. What is this chip if it is not a microprocessor? The answer is in plain sight. The ID engraved on the chip is “4116R LF 1-393”. Research on this part number returns the truth – it is not a microprocessor chip or a logic chip. It is a resistor pack:

innovative 4116R 1 393 Bourns Resistor Pack DataSheet

This explains why only the left two pins are connected! The ‘chip’ contains 8 isolated resistors as shown in the lower diagram above. The left two pins, 1 and 14, are the first 38K OHM resistor! So essentially what we have here is a circuit board with two wires and a 38K OHM resistor. This is just another dangerous IAT hack. We verified this by connecting an ohmmeter across the two wires:

innovative-Ohmmeter-Placed-Across-Two-chip-wires

This proves there is nothing but a 38K Ohm resistor connected to the two wires. The only reason they chose to use this resistor pack instead of a traditional resistor is to hopefully fool the user into thinking it is a real chip and not a resistor, but it is essentially the same:

innovative-Resistor-Pack-Contains-8-Resistors

How much does this resistor ‘chip’ cost? Wow – a .75 cent chip!

No wonder the website said the chip was cheap – it literally is – it is TOO cheap!

Operation

We connected the Innovative performance chip module as instructed to the IAT sensor in our test vehicle. The guide said to disconnect the battery and wait at least two hours for the vehicle to ‘reset’. This is another major red flag, but we did so. Upon reconnecting it and starting the engine, we immediately noticed rough idling, as well as a new error code being set. No improved power, just more issues! We immediately turned the vehicle off and removed the chip. After starting the vehicle again, the idle immediately returned to normal.

We followed the instructions to give it the benefit of the doubt, and…… nothing. No power increase, no mileage increase. We did, however, have a nice looking case under the hood!

Analysis

It is clear from our analysis so far that the Innovative Performance Chip module is nothing but a resistor and cannot hold real vehicle ECU maps. The circuit, like the numerous other IAT chip scams, connects across a sensor on the engine, telling the engine to alter the ratio of fuel going to the engine. While it may improve power on some engines, on others, like ours, it causes rough idling, and on others, it can cause ECU damage. We would not recommend it as IAT scams have been widely known to cause random vehicle issues.

Conclusion

Where to buy?

Did you own this product? Rate it &nbspHERE&nbsp and help other buyers!

No Title

October 8, 2018

it save me money and time

troy

September 15, 2018

I have had the (PerformanceChipName) in my Volvo c70 for 76k miles with no problems and gained estimated 25 horsepower with drop in filter and exhaust. Now I installed (PerformanceChipName) in my Equus 3 weeks ago, so far, no problem, enough power to break the wheels loose est. 27 lb. Of torque and 29 hp. Gain on a 385hp v8.?

Frankie

September 8, 2018

Keep up the good work

Beware, something tells me the scammers have seen this site…

Richard P.

Thanks for the honest information and work.

Collin Miller

September 7, 2018

You have saved me!

Enjoy your coffee!!!

Michael Smith