My UniChip Story....

[TundraBear]

I jumped in the group buy and picked up a UniChip last August. Installation was a breeze (thanks to the detailed instrucitons) and I was imagining the truck was faster. Was it the "new pair of shoes" or "baseball card in bicycle spokes" kiddie perception...I don't know.

I then participated in the recent ScanGaugeII group buy and was thinking that since the chip (and other mods) were already installed I don't have a good baseline. Well maybe that jinxed things.

Like I said, the chip has been in nearly a year and I have been using Chevron 89 octane since I got the truck. UniChip assured me that this was OK and advised to leave the chip in the "low octane" setting, which I did. A few months ago I noticed slight hesitation when gassing away from a stop sign. It usually occurred at 1/4 tank remaining. I thought it was my gas cap (see more on that over here), but maybe it was not.

Last Wednesday I filled up the tank at the same Chevron gas station that I always go to. Used a pump that I used before and put in 89 octane as normal. Then drove off to work with no worries. A few hours later, I packed up the truck and got ready to go out to the field, but it would not start.

It cranked as it should but it did not start. It even kept cranking after I let go of the key like in my other post! ScanGaugeII gave me P0102 and P0335, but a search in the Internet led me to believe that that was not the issue behind not being able to start the engine. Using an ohm meter, I checked the fuel pump relay but it was good. I disconnected the fuel line after the mini filter in the engine bay...no gas on turning the key. As a matter of fact, there wasn't any fuel even before that mini filter.

Of course, I had a million things to do including a 100 mile round trip scheduled for later that afternoon. I tucked my tail between my legs and called AAA for a tow. While waiting I realized that the dealer might find the UniChip and say that that was the cause of my problem(s) and not honor my warranty. So I grabbed a screw driver and took it out as quickly as I could. For the heck of it, I tried to start the truck and would you know it.....she started right up like normal. Needless to say, I cancelled the tow and went about my day. The 100 mile round trip went smooth and I just filled up the tank again this past Friday.

WTF??? This chip has been in for almost a year and now it does this? I just can't see what happened. Now I am wondering if the stalling and problems I experienced in the previous post is related to the chip.

I'm going to send an email to UniChip and see what they say, but wanted some feedback from you. Your thoughts please....

[chucks_truck]

It's hard to say, but since you got those weird codes, make me believe that the uni-chip decided to take a dump and so it sent out bad signals and so you got those codes.

And regarding the cranking over after letting off the key, that's a feature that all the 05-06's have that I discovered myself one day when my fingers slipped off the key. It startled me too!

Personally I wouldn't buy something to try to get more power out of the engineered stock ECU, but the temptation of more power is all ways fun, but I try to remember that everything is good as it is.

I'm glad you were able to get your truck operational after taking out the chip.
Have you noticed any difference now that the chip is out?

[GORILLA]

hi , i would try to put the unichip back in , and try it.
if it works maybe it wasn't the unichip at all.
or maybe there might be something wrong with it.
that is why i said to put it back in.

as far as the unichip if you just have the unichip & no extra mod's your increase's will be small.
also you need to have it custom tuned to gain the most.
but it's costly.
it could be something as simple as the wring harness wasn't snapped into place when you installed it.
it has to click into place. i'm not saying that ,that is what it was or is.
it could be many thing's. justy glad you got it up & running.
gorilla

[mytundrarocks]

My buddy Rich had a Juice Box in his Duramax that just stopped working one day while he was towing his 32' 5th wheel camper. He was in the high speed lane driving at 65-70 and it just died. Truck stopped running it was a big ole mess. He took the box out and everything was fine. He put it back in and a week later it did it again. Electronics are wierd. You can't always explain what happened. I would throw it back in and see what happens. At least you know where to start next time.

[tinik]

That is so true.

Sometimes you want more power and you get toys for your truck.
I bought used TRD SC for my truck. I've installed it and it ran great for about 4-5 months. After 4-5 months my ECU start to act weird.

At first I had my check engine light come on (and code keep coming up as throttle body position sensor). I've PM few fellow members here, who knows their stuff. They confirmed that throttle body need to be replaced. I've bought throttle body and replaced it (spend about $300 shipped from a wrecking yard). When I've installed it, my truck started to act up even more. It would stall at small bump on a road, sometime it would stall at idle (when I am sitting at light). And it would stall randomly (sometimes 6 times a day, and sometimes nothing for 2 weeks = weird). When my truck would stall, I can't restart my truck, I had to open my hood disconect throttle body, and then reconect it back again.

I had this problem for another 4 months. So now I have 2 throttle bodys and crappy running truck. My only option was - is to buy new ECU - $250 from wrecking yard. Later on slowly I start to blame TRD piggyback.

I was very dissapointed with TRD piggyback and decided to buy Unichip (SC application). I was searching all over google and other places where I could buy Unichip, and I've found Erik L. on other forum selling his (set up for 9psi)... I've bought Unichip from him, and bought 9psi pulley to see if anything would change. After removing TRD piggyback (about 2 hours and installing Unichip in its place), I decided to take my truck for a spin. Truck runs smooth, with no codes except no speed sensor found code (CEL). But I am fine with that. It took for ever to figure out that TRD piggyback caused all of those codes and made my truck to stall out.

Sorry for confusing long story.

[GORILLA]

hi, sadly our tundra's have the hardest ECU's to deal with. so many code's to get through. that is why most tuner shop's don't want to work on toyota's. i know it is toyota's way of saying we out last every other vehicle. but there are many of us, that always want more, no matter what we have.
if we run 14's, we want 13's. some of us, like power.
it's in our gene's.;-)
nothing last's forever, just like dvd's, etc. so i expect to buy another some day.
gorilla

[TundraBear]

thanks for the replies. i examined the unichip and it's components. nothing looks or smells bad so thats a plus.

the truck seems to run better and a bit more responsive at teh green light. i dunno. probably those new shoes feeling again. i plan on keeping the unichip out for a while to see how things get. the only mods i have are true flow intake and cat back.

[TundraBear]

Aight....another good customer service mark for UniChip. They sent me an RMA number this morning so they can give my chip a once over. That is very cool! I really like people that will work with you instead of taking the "we already got your money...go away" stand point.

[csawyer]

Originally Posted by mytundrarocks

My buddy Rich had a Juice Box in his Duramax that just stopped working one day while he was towing his 32' 5th wheel camper. He was in the high speed lane driving at 65-70 and it just died. Truck stopped running it was a big ole mess. He took the box out and everything was fine. He put it back in and a week later it did it again. Electronics are wierd. You can't always explain what happened. I would throw it back in and see what happens. At least you know where to start next time.

I had an aftermarket chip in a "91" Chevy with a highly modified 383 a few years ago. I also had a Jacobs Electronics ignition system in the truck. One day as I was accelerating up an onramp onto the interstate, the chip went haywire and caused something to happen to the ignition system. Fuel kept pumping, but no spark. Well, when it did spark, due to the power of the ignition system and the fact that the Jacobs setup lit up all 8 cylinders more quickly, it REALLY LIT UP. After sounding like a shotgun blast, all I saw was a bunch of metal shooting out the exhaust tips in the rear end--later discovered it was the baffles and internals from my mufflers. Fortunately, my engine builder had done his job and I was really lucky so that the motor itself stayed intact. Moral of the story, electronics are very strange in the way they work. So far, my Unichip has been great, but I sometimes can't help worrying about what will happen if it goes out...

Anyway, TundraBear glad to hear Unichip stood behind their product. Let us know how everything runs when you get it back together.

[TundraBear]

UniChip received my chip on the 31st of last month and all last week I have been in constant communication with one of their R/D guys. He mentioned that the chip had malfunctioned since he was unable to get a reading from it on their test bench, but that was a good thing because now he was able to map it to my truck's specific configuration as outlined below:

•2006 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4x2 Limited Edition
•Always use Chevron 89 octane (please map this as my LOW then 91 for HIGH)
•4.7L i-Force V8 w/ VVT-I Engine
•True Flow Sealed Air Intake Kit (True Flow Performance Air Filters, Cold Air Intakes, XDI Air Intakes, Premium Air Filters, Foam Air Filters)
•Ram Air tube from front fender directly to intake side of stock airbox (RamAirPerformance.Com!)
•Bassani Dual In / Dual Out X Chamber Muffler (similar to http://www.gibsonexhaust.com/images/cftmuffler2.jpg)
•QTEC Electronic Cutouts just before the muffler (QTP »)

I'll update once I get it installed. As of now, ScangaugeII tells me that I'm getting around 250hp @ 4000rpm on a freeway entrance that is approximately a quarter mile. I dunno if that means anything much....

[shawn74]

That's awesome that they are really taking an active stance on getting your chip squared away. To often companies seem to have a love'm and leave'm mentality. Once I get my mods done I plan on getting one. There is a group buy possibly starting here on the forum, but nobody seems to be getting on the band wagon. I may just have to get one on my own if people don't start showing interest. Thank you for relaying how things are going Bear!

[chucks_truck]

I agree with shawn, I'm glad that Unichip took it in and looked at it. It just goes to show that those kinds of acts can get a company more rep! Looking forward to the results.

[TundraBear]

FedEx delivered the chip on Thursday and I was able to get to installing it today. After plugging things in, the engine came on like normal. I let her idle for a while then shut the engine off. I then proceeded to work on drilling a rectangular hole in one of the spare buttons so I could mount the A/B (actually O/I) rocker switch. While at it I did played around with trying to get the Scanguage II to read ATF temp (it didn't). Oh yeah, I did some other work around the yard.

So at least an hour later, I decided to start her up and let her idle. Perhaps even a trip around the block. Well it would not start. I just get clicking. WTF??? I end up undoing everything and removing the chip but it still wont start. Just clicking. DOH! I left the key in the ignition and set to "ON". SGII tells me i have about 9.4volts on the battery, so it sounds like now I drained the battery.

So here I am, typing away while I got the charger on the battery. Hopefully I can get enough charge to start her up, plug the UniChip back in then go get a battery. I figured I could use a new battery after 33k miles. It's a convenient excuse to get an Optima or similar sealed system.

[TundraBear]

I ended up getting a Duralast Gold (750 cold, 935 crank, 130 reserve) and got to use the $20 that was stored on my Autozone card! The OEM battery leaked so the terminals were all coated white. I used a wire brush to get it all off then put those little felt thingys on the new posts. Voila! She started right up. I plugged the UniChip back in and she started again. Good deal & buttoned it all up.

On the way to the gas station today, I noticed low RPM. SGII had it around 600rpm at the stoplight. Mind you I've driven barely 3 miles or so since putting the battery and UniChip back in. When idling yesterday after the install, everything seemed fine. About a mile away from the gas station, the CEL came on. Error P0101 came up, but I cleared it. Then the engine died shortly thereafter while waiting my turn at the pump. Gassed up and drove around for 10-15 miles (including freeway) and idle at stoplight was closer to 1000rpm.

I figured the truck is just getting used to all the changes and will be ready to purr tomorrow for work!

[BT-22]

Good luck on getting it to work! I learned my lesson after dumping thousands into my 01 and getting 12MPG. When I got my 05 i swore off any major upgrades. I'm get'n the itch for an exhaust rumble again. I added 20" wheels on my truck and it killed my MPG by 2 MPG. Does anyone know if the ecu can be reflashed for 20" wheels?