7.3 Tuner vs. Chip

A tuner can make adjustments to the fuel/air mixture, ignition timing, or boost pressure. A performance chip can make similar adjustments, but it is designed to work with an aftermarket exhaust system. Both devices are intended for off-road use only. Both devices may have “off” switches in case you need to return your truck or car back to its original specifications.

A chip will typically have more features than a tuner. It may have multiple settings instead of just one setting like with a tuner. Chips will often have more features since they are interacting with an aftermarket exhaust system and not just the engine alone. Tuners and chips are not the same things, but they do accomplish similar things.

A 7.3 Powerstroke chip looks very similar to a tuner but it does not have the additional features of a tuner like EGT, Boost, and Trans temp gauges.

What are tuner chips?

A tuner chip is the same as a performance chip. A tuner chip is a fuel controller or ECU chip that is used on turbocharged vehicles to get more performance.

Performance chips are used to create more power for your vehicle’s engine by improving the efficiency of the fuel mixture entering your engine. Your vehicle’s engine management computer (ECU) controls how much fuel enters your engine and therefore how much power it has.

Most car manufacturers design their engines to be slightly inefficient so they can produce lower-end torque which makes the vehicle easier to drive in city conditions.

The downside of this is that you lose out on some of the high-end power because of this “smoothing” effect.

This is where a performance chip comes in handy! You can control how much fuel enters your engine, thus maximizing its power output while still being able to regulate the amount of power at lower levels for increased safety.

Are tuner chips illegal?

Tuner chips have been around for decades and have been used as much to improve fuel economy as they have to boost power. They’ve never been illegal (except a few states) even though they are outside of factory specifications because the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) can’t take them to court for patent infringement or copyright infringement since tuner chips aren’t protected by patents or copyrights.

Note: CARB-approved tunes are still legal whereas non-CARB-approved cars modification tunes are illegal.

Tuners and chips are basically just electronic reprogramming devices with no proprietary secrets or intellectual property and can be made by anyone. But tuners don’t always work on all systems, so it’s hard to generalize about what kind of performance chip will work on your vehicle.

What is the difference between a 7.3 tuner and a chip?

A 7.3 Powerstroke custom tuning on a vehicle can adjust the engine’s performance without any permanent changes to the engine. A chip is also a device that can be installed on a vehicle to adjust the engine’s performance without any permanent changes to the engine.

Performance chips and tuners change the way a vehicle’s onboard computer functions to make it run better and more efficiently.

Surprisingly, a chip is another name for an engine tuner. It retunes the power settings of your engine by changing the stock fuel, timing, and boost pressures. A tuner is different from a chip because it only changes one parameter at a time. It will have multiple features to change parameters like your speedometer, pyrometer, boost gauge, and screen displays but does not directly change the timing or fuel curves as a chip does.

Tuners do not increase horsepower or torque, so if you’re looking to boost your vehicle’s power, these don’t do that. The main benefit of tuning is improved fuel efficiency and improved emissions, but there are many other benefits too.

Tuners don’t burn out catalytic converters because they don’t put out any extra power. Since it only adds power when you need it instead of all the time, tuning can actually extend the life of your vehicle by preventing unnecessary wear and tear.

The only potential problem is that a tuner is technically illegal in some states. Some states allow them while others ban them completely. It just depends on your state’s laws and regulations.

How much HP does a tuned 7.3 Powerstroke have?

The amount of HP that you can get out of your engine depends on if you have stock or aftermarket parts. If you have stock parts then you can expect to gain around 10-15bhp from a chip tuning kit. If you have aftermarket parts then you can expect to gain 20-30bhp from a chip tuning kit. This depends on the quality of your parts though, so make sure they are top-notch quality parts.

How can I get better gas mileage in my 7.3 Powerstroke?

One way to improve your gas mileage is by installing a 4-inch exhaust system and replacing your stock muffler with an aftermarket exhaust muffler that has no catalytic converter in it.

Is a performance chip or tuner better?

A car tuner is a small device that plugs into your vehicle’s engine management system, usually via the diagnostic port under the dash, and remaps some of the software. The idea is to give you more power and better gas mileage by adjusting things like ignition timing and fuel mixture.

> Read also: What Does Tuning an ECU Do and Does ECU Tuning Really Work? <

 

How can I get better gas mileage in my 7.3 Powerstroke?

Tuning chips are small devices that can be inserted into a vehicle’s onboard computer (often referred to as an ECU). They are used to alter the engine’s power output and fuel efficiency by increasing the flow of fuel and/or altering timing. Tuning chips are relatively easy to use and quite inexpensive compared to other tuning methods. It is possible for a do-it-yourselfer to install one without much difficulty. However, because they affect your car’s emissions system, they are considered modified devices by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which means they are subject to federal regulation.

Can you tune 7.3 Powerstroke?

Tuners will not only re-program your stock computer, but they will also add a chip that gives you more fuel flow, spark timing, and sometimes even an intercooler. Yes, a tuned 7.3 Powerstroke can have 8-9 horsepower and up to 200 foot-pounds of torque added to it by using just a tuner and re-programming the stock computer. There are several chips out there for the 7.3 Powerstroke that do not require any tuning or remapping from a tuner.

Last Words

Tuners and chips both do roughly the same thing – they alter how your car runs. However, tuners are mechanical devices that screw onto the intake manifold or throttle body of your car, while chips are electronic devices that go inside your car’s computer. Tuners and chips can also be used for different engine types – not all tuners work on all cars, but chips can be used on pretty much anything with a computer.