Autothority vs. Steve Wong chip
 

First off let me start by saying I've heard nothing but good things about the Steve Wong chip, that being said I have a Autothority chip which was given to me for my 1987 911 and wanted to know if there was a big enough difference between the two to warrant spending the money for a chip from Steve I don't want to spend unnecessarily for just a 2-3 hp advantage with Steve's chip, I'd rather apply the money to a better exhaust upgrade, Thanks for any insight, Johnny O

you should ask lorenfb,

have fun.

:eek: :mad:

Subscribing to this thread with popcorn in hand.

If your planned "exhaust upgrade" reduces the backpressure you really should get a chip for that setup.
-Chris

No "movie night" with the family tonight Dan?

Something tells me this could prove to be more entertaining Jeremy. (plus Im stuck in the office doing paperwork) Now get Brads car done so I can come drive it!!! :D


Chris nailed it. Leave the stock chip in and then get a chip that works with the upgrades you have planned if you want to go the chip route. I have heard plenty of great things about Steve and I would think he would work with you on what you want.

I am at the same cross roads except my car was already modified by the PO with Autothority chip, headers/megaphones, cam regrind, etc...

Is the implication that the Autothority chip is for a "stock" set-up and the SW chip can be burned custom to your car's current status?

Thanks,
Dan

Steve will fix ya right up with what ya need. Don't even consider anything else.

Well,

I upgraded my exhaust, (Dansk dual out and Euro- Premuffler). and left the stock chip for a while. I wasn't too impressed. , Then I put an Authority chip on it and got more power (I think this chip runs fuel rich all times) but still I had lots of problems with idle speed. Then ordered S.Wongs Chip and that hit the nail. He sold me the optimized version for 93 octane fuel and that definetely made a difference. After that I still though that the top end speed could be improved and I did not like the smell on the exhaust with the premuffler. So I bough a GHL high flow Catalytic converter.

To make the story short that was the last time a messed with my exhaust, I love the setup and S. Wong Chip put your pants on the seat after you hit 4K RPMs.

Just to give you some input. Others may think different but I am just speaking from personal experience from my own experiments.

Ok, I think I'm somewhat qualified to answer this, seeing how I drove my 84 3.2L 911 for almost 2 years with an Autothority chip and have recently swapped it out for a 911Chips (Steve W) chip. I have a B&B header exhaust, K&N Cone filter, and pretty much stock engine other than that. Here are my observations.

1. The Autothority chip worked well. I can only compare to OE chips in other Carrera's because mine has had the Autothority chip since I got it, so my comparison there is not very significant.
2. My plugs and exhaust valves were a little more whitish than tan as I'd prefer with the Autothority. I would attribute that to the fact that the Autothority chip was probably mapped for the OE exhaust and intake, and switching to a header exhaust and (possibly) K&N Cone puts thru more air, causing a lean mixture. Or would the MAF sensor handle that?? Hmm…
3. My low-end torque was a bit lacking with the header exhaust, compared to the OE Exhaust. Steve's chip has restored much of that lost torque, I would assume a richer fuel map could be responsible.
4. I was experience some burbling and slight backfiring with the Autothority chip on decel. That also has gone away, now I'm getting a smooth hum on decel.
5. The car sounds smoother and feels stronger at all RPM ranges.
6. Improved idle stability. Steve uses a 4k mapping, the OE and Autothority chips only used 2k until 1987. A jumper change was required to utilize the DME's capacity of 4k, which Steve says is backwards-compatible if you want to put in a 2k chip later.
7. My Johnson is longer and thicker, and I'm scoring more with the ladies than ever.

Ok, so they're all pretty subjective (except #7, that is fact). But, my engine has not yet blown up, either. Bottom line for me was that Steve's chip is more tailored to my setup than the Autothority was, but I still think the Autothority provides much higher performance than the OE 84 chip does. I found a Bruce Anderson article in Up-Fixen Vol 7 (or was it 8?) where he talked about the conservative mappings on the 84-86 chips and how Porsche realized this and offered the same chip that the CS had for sale as an upgrade.

My car has 156k miles on it and many of those were using the Autothority chip, and I track the car, so it's not been babied. It runs very strongly, but has not been dyno'ed.

I'm sure I'll get picked apart by Loren on this one, and that's fine, I just wanted to offer up my personal (non-empirical) observations.


Craig

PS: My Autothority chip is available if anyone is interested
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1138399228.jpg

edit - omigod, I think I have just managed to throw in the 2 most contorversial upgrades Chips and K&N's. I will now add on the record that I do not and never have owned a Cool Collar SmileWavy

I would suggest that you go with the SW chip for now- then, when you save your dollars for the exhaust upgrade, contact Steve and he can customize it for your new set-up. He does have some kind of charge of that (i don't know amount) but he can tweak it for what you're running down the line. I don't know the Authority chip but I'm rolling an SW happily with no issues on my 88 coupe.

I just purchase a SW chip for my '86 with rebuilt 3.2 and backdated with SSI's. When I install it I will report the results. If the chip is crap I will tell you it is crap. If it does nothing, I will so report.

"Subscribing to this thread with popcorn in hand"

Now that"s funny.

Do your exhaust upgrade and then ask SW to burn you a custom chip for whatever exhaust/intake/octane/etc. you plan on running.

Autothority is an off the rack suit - SW chip is a tailored affair. Can't wait to see myself flamed for that bit.

Me to waiting That is! Really though syeve is a great guy. He has been very helpful and I have never even bought anything from him

No brainer.

With Wong, you can't go Wrong.
(Munch, crunch...hey is this Orville...?)

Toby,
Quit stirring the pot!:D

If chipping my car is Wong, I don't wanna be Wight....

:D

If you don't use Wong, you be smokin' a bong.....

I was going to wait to send in my results....but the timing looks right.
I have an RS replica weighing a little over 2200 lbs with a Motronic powered 3.2.
It runs SSI's, a larger throttle body, Pressler twin pipe sport exhaust, Carrera "sport" cams and until tonight, an Autothority chip geared for these types of mods.
I've had the Autothority chip for at least 6-7 years and it was a useful upgrade over the stock chip.

After reading post after post about Steve Wong's chip, I finally said "hell" or something along those lines....what have I got to lose, as Steve guarantees your satisfaction.
When it came time to install the chip, something was different on my DME board, so being uncomfortable with what needed to be done, I shot the entire DME down to Steve and he completed the install on my board quickly and cheaply.

Just installed the DME in my car tonight.
Of course if fired right up and idled great.
After a full warm up, out into the damp and rainy Portland evening I went.
I can simply say the difference between the Autothority chip and the Steve Wong chip is startling.
It pulls so strong and clean now, that it really surprised me a bit.
My car was always pretty quick due to the 3.2 and low weight, but now it enters into a different realm.
My buddies on the autocross circuit will not like my car this coming season.
It feels that fast and strong.
And like others have said: idles better, no backfiring on decel, on and on and on.
I can see no faults to the chip.
Except that I couldn't plug it into a 3.8 Varioram maybe.

I am very, very satisfied with Steve's chip, service and prices.
I don't really see how you can go wrong.
I wish I had done this years ago....the difference is that big.

I have a slightly used Autothority chip I WILL GIVE AWAY FREE to anyone who wants it. Serious.

OK...done extolling virtues.
Get it....or be left behind.
-Doug:D

ps.... I've been driving my car hard for those 6-7 years with the aftermarket chip, and never blew the car up....who would have thought?

I'm curious why is that people don't individually map their 911s on the dyno and instead rely on a generic chip?

First, what version of Autothority chips are we talking about for the 3.2L? There are about 3 versions out there and if you don't match them to your mod's you won't get optimum performance.

My Autothority chip was matched to the mods I had on the car.
Steve Wong chip still much superior in my opinion.

Maybe one day I will get the car on a dyno to map the chip more optimally.
That is not always easy or convenient.
I feel I am at least 85% of the way there.
The last 15% will be for another day after further intake mods are added to the engine.

Soon, grasshopper, very soon :)

Chips are evil.....do a search :)

Here are some dyno sheets comparing the AutoT chip for the MAF vs a custom Steve W chip. engine is a stock 3.2L, cat by pass and stock muffler.
The autot chip for the MAF had a rich A/F mixture. Steve got the mixture where it should be and flattened it out throughout the rpm range. My goal was to get the a/f ration corrected but also got some extra hp and tq. The car runs great at all rpms, idle, WOT all perfect. I give two thumbs up for Steve's custom chips vs the autot.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1138433577.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1138433592.jpg

Re: Autothority vs. Steve Wong chip
 

Can't actually answer what the HP difference would be for you. But I just recently switched from an Autothority chip to Steve's chip and there is a major difference between the 2 chips. IMHO

Low end responsiveness is much much better w/ Steve's chip and the power seems to be there all the way up to red line.
But when I had the Autothority chip in it seemed like it took more to build power, then @ 4500 rpm it felt like a turbo kicked in to red line.
I ended up using a friends LM-1 to show my A/F ratio's and as it turned out, I was running way too rich w/ the Autothority chip.
I am hoping to get out this weekend to run the LM-1 on the car w/Steve's chip in there to see the difference.

Overall I just wished I had changed to his chip much sooner,the car runs better and stronger than ever before. Steve is a great guy to deal w/

and he can always re-map the chip for you as you add parts.

That's what I did.
It took/cost two hours on the Dyno and another $15 for the chip.
For $450 I had a custom chip made specifically for my engine and fuel.
Location the Dyno Shop in El Cajon Ca.
Click here for a more info on my day at the wheel dyno.
Note the Air Fuel Ratio on the Dyno chart.


If you get an A/T chip you are stuck with what you get.
No remapping the chip. You should still put it on a wheel dyno to sure you don't have a lean condition.
If it's conservative and rich, then if the AFR were optimized you could have 10hp or more left in your engine.

S/W allows you to custom tailor your chip specifically to your engine, the process is time consuming and perhaps more expensive.
If you go for Steve's custom chip I think you could achieve the same results I did.
It isnt going to happen in two hours and it may cost more than $450.
If you want a custom S/W chip this is the process as I understand it.

1. Install SW chip $$.
2. Go to wheel dyno $.
3. Send results and chip back to SW.
4. S/W re-maps your chip and returns chip to you.
5. Go to wheel dyno $.
6. Is it optimized? Or do you repeat #3 through #5.

If you live in an area where the dyno operator can not write a chip for your 911 then this is a great way to get a perfect chip.

The red lines (Peak 306 hp) are the results from a chip made in 2 hours at the Dyno Shop in El Cajon Ca.
The blues lines are the results from a copied chip I had of unknown origin.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1138465806.jpg

I've been fortunate to spend time driving with Steve in the passenger seat with his emulator, LM-1 and laptop as well as with him next to me on the chassis dyno for both engine tuning and product testing.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1138470201.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1138470270.jpg


3.2L before with SW chip, Dansk pre-muffler and Dansk final muffler and 3.5L after with many mods and Steve's optimized chip. Notice the "flat line" a/f ratio in red?;) On the dyno, Steve coaxed 7 whp and 10 ft/lbs from our initial 3.5L run of 239 whp and 214 torque. Search in the archives and you can read all about it.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1138470718.gif

I am in a fortunate position that dyno time costs me next to nothing.;)

Ralph

Man, just when I thought I might close the gap..... :rolleyes:

Sigh :(

I've had two of SW's chips and they're both excellent. The first was good, the second was better and it passes CA smog. My brother drove my car pre-SW chip and then about six months later and he said "Whow, did you tune this thing up or what".

When I first went to Steve (he lives in the LA area) he pulled the DME box from under my seat and began desoldering jumper leads because its an ROW, all I could think was F(ck, I hope this guy knows what he's doing. But it runs so much better, its unbelievable. Gone is that mid range sluggish pull.

You've been OPTIMIZED.

Steve ranks up with the top respected doods in the biz -

Well I have stayed clear of all threads regarding Performance chips.
But I guess I have only one statement to make.

Hi my name is Tim and I have been running a SW chip for two years No regrets. Great product.

Hmmmmmm... 32 positive replies based on personal experience. How could any reasonable person argue with that? :cool:

Easy big fella. Didn't your momma ever talk to you about sleeping dogs?

You're lucky I didn't comment on your "Johnson" claims, Thrasher!

I think you're the only one who read thru all that and noticed the claims. Hey, when you buy a "Wong performance" chip, you should expect something down there! No offense, Steve!

Steve will make a chip for YOUR car, not one that is generic from some large company in the sky. If there is an issue or needs some fine tuning due to a new mod, Steve can do it, while the other guys could care less.

Support a Pelican!

JoeA