ESM Chips - Information & Help

[Exbury]

PM sent thanks. As the water pump is having to be reconditioned instead of replaced it looks like MOT is delayed by at least 10 days!

[ESM]

My old elanchips@dsl.pipex.com e.mail address has finally been killed by pipex (I left pipex some time ago). The e.mail listed on this site is up to date so if you need to contact me you know what to do.

[Elanlover]

Alan (or possibly others), after going the whole summer with your V5 chip on the shelf I found some time to install it on the weekend. And, for the first time ever, I got overboost and cutoff in Elysium mode It wasn't everytime - just one time in fact after doing a few runs. I had the V4 Everst in previously. Now, it was a bit cool here on the weekend (12C) and I'm wondering if its possible that the main reason I got overboost was due to the colder air. In other words, when summer returns again and the air is warmer, I'm hoping I won't see overboost at all. I'm not fond of the idea of taking the turbo out to port the wastegate if I don't have to. Do you think this theory about the cold air is plausible? Thanks!

[ESM]

I think, if you get fuel cut at all, you should avoid the mode concerned. I've had fuel cut during an overtaking manoeuvre and it didn't make me laugh out loud to suddenly have no power and then a 4000rpm rev limit on a short straight.... I guess cold air won't help but fluid dynamics in around the turbo/wastegate is the dominant factor.

If you have a catalyst fitted then boost creep fuel cut is unusual. The only other time I came across a catalysed car that suffered from this problem it was actually the result of a sticky wastegate. Note I say sticky rather than stuck, it can get to a point where it suffers from hysteresis but will still work i.e. instead of opening and closing at 0.5 bar (at the capsule) it will open at 0.6 (for example) and close at 0.4. This makes the boost regulation less smooth and prone to overboost events. Check you wastegate is nice and free before performing any major surgery.

If everything looks good with respect to the wastegate try and get some ES logs so I can diagnose the problem properly then I should be able to do a chip for you that'll avoid the issue.

[Elanlover]

Thanks Alan. I'd like to try to avoid porting the wastegate if possible only due to the effort involved. Especially now that I have all the new exhaust components all nicely bolted up. This is a Cali car with main cat (pre cat has been removed). Over the last few days the car has been hitting overboost now and then as I test it out. Too bad reall as I do like the slight improvement it delivers over the V4 Everest that was in there. Its getting very close to the time where the car gets put away for the winter so i don't know if I'll get time to do some scans with all the leaves to rake up, etc. It may have to wait until spring.

[abmunro]

Alan

You havew PM

Tony

[lotos]

ESM - in lieu of creating a new thread to ask about the best combo of mods, I am planning on using your chip in my California-spec Fed Elan, and wondering what the best combination to go with? (Intake, BOV, exhaust, etc). I obviously want to avoid the problem I'm reading about all over the upgrades' threads about boost creep. Can you provide a little insight for me? Much appreciated

[Enright]

I believe ESM's view is that filters such as K&Ns are less restrictive because they let more particles through, and so are worse for your engine.
I also believe he isn't a fan of big exhausts because they just induce boost creep, and the boost profile is fixed by the chip anyway.
His chips provide a wider safety margin which CAN sometimes be just enough to avoid boost creep, but it's not guaranteed. Porting the wastegate is the only surefire way of curing boost creep under hard acceleration caused by fitting a larger/less restrictive exhaust.
There are 2 schools of thought on BOVs - some say they provide relief from the stresses, and some say that they make it even worse.
You'll get a lot of conflicting opinions, which leads me to think that really you should just do what you want to.
Sorry if that doesn't help much, but it may well light the blue touchpaper to a good debate!

[lotos]

So, the intake is great, unless it's not. The chip is great, unless it's not. The exhaust is great, unless it's not. And the BOV is great, unless it's not. Everything is clear now

Any SAFE combination that won't drive me up a wall?

[dapinky]

So, the intake is great, unless it's not. The chip is great, unless it's not. The exhaust is great, unless it's not. And the BOV is great, unless it's not. Everything is clear now

Any SAFE combination that won't drive me up a wall?

The only SAFE 100% guaranteed option is to leave it how it left the factory

Most of us accept the slight downside that goes with each upside, and you are unlikely to go far wrong with a 2 1/4" exhaust, Everest chip and wastegate port.

Firstly, get the brakes working though!

The arguments for and against BOV and air filters are down to personal beliefs, I have one car with BOV and K&N filter, one without, but will fit them when i also fit the Piper exhaust, as i believe it maximises the air flow (but I'm sure someone will point out that I'm wrong, but that's the great thing about faith and belief - facts cannot change them!!!!)

[algirdas]

Dear Randy:

I think you are getting worked up over nothing at this point. Have you checked your barometric pressure lately? We live approximately one mile above sea-level and I think you are going to have to work awfully darned hard to get boost creep up here. I can't speak for Aurora, but I live right at 4,900 feet and it seems that five minutes from my house I am pushing 7,000.

I have a K&N filter, 2.25 inch PECO exhaust, BOV, ESM adjustable Elysium chip set at 6 out of 7 and both my main and pre-cats have been eliminated. Otherwise the car is stock save for upgraded plug wires, coils and the other usual suspects. I can thrash the car all I want and boost creep never rears its ugly little head from under my Calypso red bonnet. Mind you, the next time I am nosing around that end of the car and am bored, I will port the waste gate as a precautionary measure. It just makes good sense.

Unless you plan on driving long distances down to the low-altitude flatlands, I think you are pretty safe in making these changes and not concerning yourself with boost creep. Maybe it is less of an issue with my car (50,000 miles) than it is with a low mileage car such as yours. I'll defer to the brainiacs on that one.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[lotos]

That's why I posted - I am clueless on this topic, completely and utterly. I'm at 5,500 feet here in Aurora. If that means no boost creep, than HOORAY and I'll put that issue to bed for now. But - when you're unbolting the stock exhaust, isn't it relatively easy to get to the wastegate for porting at that time? I'm all for avoiding work, believe me.

and both my main and pre-cats have been eliminated

Does your car pass Air Care Colorado emissions like that?

[algirdas]

Dear Randy:

Taking off the exhaust doesn't really get one close to the waste gate. It might have been smarter for me to do it all at once, but then I would be without something to do while bored. This will probably be a wintertime project for me.

I lost the cats because I live in Larimer County and Larco was one of those front range counties that abolished emissions testing last year. My main cat had deteriorated so that it rattled and clogged up on hard acceleration. When I'm down in your neck of the woods and I run across one of those mobile drive by emissions testing stations, I just slip it into neutral, take my foot off of the gas and coast by with the engine at idle. No problems so far.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[lotos]

In Aurora we have to go to the dynomometer station every 2 years and do the full virtual-test-drive deal with sniffers on the tailpipe and a mirror under the car looking for the catalytic converter.... So it would probably behoove me to keep a cat in there. I'm contemplating the Piper exhaust setup with cat, and either going with their PCE or hollowing out the precat (not really sure if the PCE is any better?). Does an exhaust really help out in the power department in these cars? I'll definitely be doing like you and going for the Mountain chip and BOV if that affects the answer.

[algirdas]

Dear Randy:

I am of the opinion that a larger exhaust (as in 2.25 or 2.5 inch, but not greater than that) helps get more power out of the car. In my case I was dealing with a bad cat so it is hard for me to determine the benefit that came from getting rid of the clogged cat versus the bigger exhaust. Plus, aftermarket exhausts get rid of the squish that narrows the exhaust as it goes over a crossmember and add a flex section which cuts down on having the exhaust system crack.

The pre-cat is a horrible plug in the system. Hold up the ceramic insert to the light and barely any light gets through it. You might have to use an aftermarket exhaust and graft into it a main cat. Rumor has it that we should be able to pass emissions with one cat or the other.

Before you do anything, why don't you drive my car and see if the performance is what you are looking for? Plus, you may want to ask John Gardner to drive his daily driver because I think it has some sort of chip in it (I don't think it is an ESM chip) and a Lotus sport exhaust (or muffler-I forget which). That might help you gain some perspective on what these different upgrades do and don't do.

Sincerely,

Algirdas

[Doug]

lots of good advice for you, Randy!

my Elan passed the CA smog/emissions testing on the treadmill 2 or 3 times with no pre-cat and a new main cat. The pre-cat is for cold-start emissions as it heats up quickly being just past the turbo to become an effective catalyst rather quick. Once the system is hot the pre-cat is redundant and the main cat does all the work.

[ailwyn]

Unless you need to port the wastegate I would avoid it.

Because it can flow more air (~30% IIRC) the ECU cannot regulate the wastegate as well once ported so theoretically your boost accumulation(?) will be slowed.

[Doc Fizzix]

Hollowing out the pre-CAT is a very easy task but if your not to confident working on cars then getting the pre-CAT off takes a little more work that you probably want to do on your own. I have nitroman's PCE on my car now so my old hollowed out pre-CAT unit is available if you want to do a swap. As for boost-creep, you will not have a problem with the chip or any of the other upgrades you are doing for now, only if you put a larger diameter exhaust on the car will this be of any concern.

Best combination (IMHO) :

- Manual Boost Controller (MBC)
- Compressor bypass valve and Inlet pipe
- High Flow Inlet pipe with 3" Inlet K&N Filter

This is the best set-up that will give you great results for the money. If you do these, you will be more than happy

[Doc Fizzix]

Unless you need to port the wastegate I would avoid it.

Because it can flow more air (~30% IIRC) the ECU cannot regulate the wastegate as well once ported so theoretically your boost accumulation(?) will be slowed.

This is where the MBC really works nice, the MBC give your the control over your boost that the ECU can not do on its own. If you are using a MBC make sure to disconnect the boost control sensor so then the ECU has no control over the wastegate

[Enright]

But that's when you also bypass the safety features that the chip has to offer, such as it stopping you from being able to thrash it from cold.

I'd be surprised if anyone could notice the difference in performance during normal road driving from fitting a performance air filter or BOV. You'll certainly notice the difference of approx another 40BHP from one of Alan's chips, but as said previously - sort your brakes out first!
And as we'll all have to change our exhausts sooner or later, it makes sense to go for a larger less restrictive system. It may induce creep that's all, but then again an ESM chip may cure it. You just have to be aware of the possible consequence, and what is needed to cure it. And at least if it happens you've just had the 3 worst bolts loosened.

Well, I said it would spark a good debate!