PCR Performance Chip Review
With the increased popularity of vehicle performance chips, the PRC Performance Module caught my attention awhile back.
It has been a popular product among car enthusiasts because it came at a very affordable price. For that reason, I’ve decided to do some serious research and give you an honest PCR Performance chip review and opinion.
Here’s what my research uncovered about this device.
What Is the PCR Performance Chip?
The PCR Performance Chip is an electronic (not mechanical) vehicle enhancement that improves operating performance, responsiveness, and fuel consumption. It’s a small box with a circuit board that can wire to your car.
The Function of the PCR Performance Chip Revamp
The PCR Performance Chip Revamp is supposed to increase your vehicle’s power by deceiving the factory ECU or PCM to think that the air coming into the engine has a lower temperature.
When cooler and denser air enters the engine, more fuel must be added to compensate for the change. This will increase power output, which is what you would expect. While this may be true for older cars, newer ones have a different way of operating.
Namely, air and fuel mixture is predominantly rich in newer engines, especially in the higher RPM ranges. This means a new car has already been set in the factory to perform at its highest potential.
The optimal air-to-fuel ratio in higher RPMs is around 10.5-12.5:1, which is 10.5-12.5 times the mass of air to fuel.
If a richer air-to-fuel mixture is introduced to the engine, it may result in the car struggling to operate and misfiring. In the long term, this will decrease the engine’s power, mileage, and longevity.
This proves that placing a PCR Performance Chip in your car to increase its maximum power is ultimately useless in newer vehicles.
My Research of the PCR Performance Chip
Putting all the science and technical stuff on the side, I’ve decided to research the PCR Performance Chip Revamp.
Here’s what I’ve found about this device.
How the device performs when installed
According to my research, the chip on the outside looks like the real deal. It has mounting holes on each side and only two wires.
When installed, however, the chip doesn’t seem to alter anything about the car’s behavior, from engine power to fuel consumption.
What the inside of the device looks like
The inside of the device has only one chip loosely soldered to a circuit board. The entire circuit board is hot glued to the case, and the wires on the back aren’t even soldered to the chip.
After researching the lettering on the chip, I discovered that it is not a chip but a resistor pack. According to the manufacturer, each chip is programmed to fit the vehicle listed. How they program a resistor is beyond me – it appears to be a scam.
To back my findings, I searched online for other PCR Performance Chip reviews of people with similar experiences, and Bryan Hood’s video shares one similar to mine.
Benefits of Using a Real-Deal Performance Chip
I’ve added this section to the article to explain some benefits of using a high-end performance chip in your car.
Even though the results will be minor, you may still get a boost in performance in several areas:
Torque and power output enhancement
Many car owners choose to install performance chips because they expect a drastic increase in engine power and torque increase. Although this may be true for some older vehicles, for newer ones, the air-to-fuel mix ratio is already optimized when the car is manufactured.
There is also another critical factor to consider, and that is the air intake system of the car. Cars that are naturally aspirated and those that receive air through a turbocharger will significantly affect performance once a performance chip is installed.
That is because turbos provide higher power and torque delivery with the use of performance chips when compared to regular air intakes.
Prevent engine damage
High-end performance chips are helpful as they can help you monitor your car’s performance and detect any issues early on.
For example, when a performance chip detects an engine overheating, it immediately lowers the operation and power output levels, signaling an issue with the car.
Boost fuel economy
Because high-end performance chips help regulate air-to-fuel mixture on older vehicles, they can slightly boost fuel economy. This is the best benefit of installing a high-end performance chip.
Final Thoughts
I hope my PCR Performance chip review will be helpful and prevent you from making the mistake of purchasing this product.
A good indicator of a high-end performance chip is the manufacturer and the price. Good performance chips are priced anywhere from $300 and above. A legit performance chip I found with great reviews is the HP Tuners MPVI3.
