Chip tuning the 451?

[WilyB]

Originally Posted by Evilution

There is very little difference in the USA and Euro smart when it comes to the engine,

Well 11.4:1 Euro engine compression ratio vs. 10:1 for us here is a not so little difference, particularly when you plan to supercharge an engine.

Originally Posted by Evilution

The price however would probably be in the region of $6000. Don't expect him to give up any info either, he is a secretive guy.

The price BIG quoted was more like ten grands (4,800 GBP) and I wish him good luck in finding somebody who would spend $10,000 to buy a cat in a bag.

I too am a secretive kind of guy, but I do have a bridge to sell in New York...

[Evilution]

Originally Posted by WilyB

Well 11.4:1 Euro engine compression ratio vs. 10:1 for us here is a not so little difference, particularly when you plan to supercharge an engine.

I disagree.
You actually have it better.

Our non turbo 451 indeed have a compression ratio of 11.4 : 1
But the Euro 84bhp turbo version (which has already been mapped to 127bhp) has a 10 : 1 compression ratio exactly the same as your N/A smarts.

[jwight]

Originally Posted by jmartinsmart

I'm not that interested in squeezing more HP out of my engine. The only "re-mapping" I would like to see is in the transmission shift points. Mine is always in such a rush to get to high gear I often find it bogging down. Even when I decide to take control and do some paddle shifting, that flippin' arrow is always saying "upshift - hurry, hurry - upshift".

Jeeze, let the engine breathe a little, get a few revs first, then upshift.

Am I the only one that feels this way?

Jim

Jim,

Don't know what all you've tried with the trans in Auto, but you can hold the upshifts all the way to the redline if you want to, simply through throttle pedal position. Doesn't require flooring it either; just try some more aggressive pedal positions until you get the upshifts you want. The transmission and computer are actually pretty fast learners.

[lowndex]

I believe all agree WORKS are experts at modifying Mitsubishi and associated ECU's. During the recent Infineon day with WORKS, I asked Sr. Engineer, Pete, for his opinion on a remap of the US 451. He stated the first hurdle to overcome is the US 451 uses a Bosche ECU unique to the Smart car. WORKS has not 'cracked' the particular Bosche ECU. I doubt anyone else has either. So, gaining access to the firmware, understanding the code functions and readying a custom remap will not be available anytime soon from WORKS.

Maybe WORKS knows the gains would be minimal. Maybe they have not even thoerized the matter. Either way, our best hope for a solid remap lies with WORKS and it's not on the 2008 calendar.

[VinceLA]

Doesn't pete used to work for Dinan? BMW had Bosch ECUs.

Also, the other bloke who might be able to crack Bosch ECUs is Jim Conforti. He released the standalone shark injectors for BMWs. DIY stuff. No need to send in ECU and wait for days to retrieve it.

[dbwill]

I'm wondering if Conforti would have any interest. My 95 was sharked and the product was good and service from Jim was also

[BobTheMad]

Easily! I have several friends with Honda VTX cruisers with 1800cc engines. Even my Shadow is only slightly smaller..

Odd note, My Shadow is actually longer (nose to tail) than the Smart is ... he he he

Originally Posted by lhoboy

Yeah, but most motorcycles now have larger displacement engines than the Smart.;)

[brian r]

Originally Posted by lowndex

WORKS has not 'cracked' the particular Bosche ECU. I doubt anyone else has either.

Austrian tuner Upsolute has massive experience with Bosch electronics and code. They have files for the early smarts but the 451 is on the back burner since it's a small market. And they only charge $350 USD. They have a network of dealers in the US and Canada.

http://www.upsolute.com/

Originally Posted by whalepirot

Typically, the mail order chips only change WOT (wide open throttle)

Not true today, unless you're buying junk, and there's a lot of it out there, particularly in the world of rice. Today's quality software looks at fuel trim, timing, and boost (with FI systems) at all rpm levels.

It's a real pain to wait, but if we keep our pants on, there will be decent and cost effective chiptuning for the 451. IMHO.

[jmartinsmart]

Originally Posted by jwight

Jim,

Don't know what all you've tried with the trans in Auto, but you can hold the upshifts all the way to the redline if you want to, simply through throttle pedal position. Doesn't require flooring it either; just try some more aggressive pedal positions until you get the upshifts you want. The transmission and computer are actually pretty fast learners.

I'm so interested in getting good mileage that I may be a little too light on the throttle. Let me ask you this... I keep reading that the transmission will "learn" my patterns, does that mean that if I drive it more aggressively for a while it will begin to shift more aggressively even in 'auto' mode?

All I really want it to do is shift a little later without having to dump my foot into it and lose any MPG advantage.

Jim

[dfielder]

Originally Posted by jwight

Jim,

Don't know what all you've tried with the trans in Auto, but you can hold the upshifts all the way to the redline if you want to, simply through throttle pedal position. Doesn't require flooring it either; just try some more aggressive pedal positions until you get the upshifts you want. The transmission and computer are actually pretty fast learners.

But don't then start a thread about getting bad gas mileage. The transmission is eager to shift up because that's what it takes to get high gas mileage. They are even programmed to let the engine lug a bit to avoid downshifting. I'm always surprised by the people who seem annoyed with the features that give them high gas mileage (light weight, small engine, quick shifts, narrow tires, etc).