Do-It-Yourself High Performance Car Mods

Tuning Computers

In a way, computerized controls can be easier to adjust than their mechanical counterparts. On a car like this, the ECU simply reads the signals from several sensors on the engine and decides when to add fuel and fire the spark. Retuning the computer is simply a matter of telling the computer a new set of rules for how to respond to the sensors.

Original ECUs do not always need adjustment. To some degree, these computers can make minor adjustments to the amount of fuel added to compensate for mods installed. Most factory ECUs can work with minor bolt-on mods such as headers or cold air intakes. The more mods you add, however, the further you push the computer into territory that the original engineers did not expect the computer ...