Very nice! Yep they really are superb bang for buck. Great explanation as well.

My 40-60 in 4th is 3.7 with my current mods so shows these boxes basically take you to phase 1 for very little outlay

You should do 25-62 in 2nd if you have an auto as some people on here have posted their times for that run for p1 and p2 so will give you sometbjbg to compare to.

 

Very nice! Yep they really are superb bang for buck. Great explanation as well.

Thanks!

My 40-60 in 4th is 3.7 with my current mods so shows these boxes basically take you to phase 1 for very little outlay

That's good to know. The only other mod I have is the open axle back from AutoRicambi, which I doubt does a whole lot for performance. It's more of a sound mod

 

The Chipbox by Seletron is a simple power adder. On the 124, it connects to the Boost Absolute Pressure Sensor (Bosch 281002996, PREX1), Intake Manifold Pressure Sensor (Bosch 281006028, PREX2), and the wastegate solenoid (Pierburg valve). The box intercepts data from these sensors and manipulates it to produce more power.

I emailed Seletron asking them for more info on the box’s operation, and received this reply:

Based on this very high level explanation, I assume it just shoves more air into the engine and lets the ECU’s built in closed loop feedback do the adjustments.

Amusingly the packaging proudly touts that it is made in Italy, however the Chipbox itself sports a China Export mark.

The installation instructions are a bit simplistic. More details would have been nice, but I’ve resolved that issue for y’all with the video above. Overall the installation was easy. It took around 30-45 minutes, most of which was spent getting access to the Boost pressure sensor.

The good news is it did make a measurable difference in acceleration. I captured the 40-60mph, 60-80mph, and 80-100mph times while in 4th gear. This provided nice coverage of the rev range from 2400rpm to redline. Results posted below… It averaged a a 17% increase on the top end, which if we extrapolate from the factory horsepower of 160, gives us ~187hp. Not too bad for a few hundred dollars and 30 minutes of work.

That's a nice review. Well done. And I see you've found my weekend scooter therapy route!

 

Thanks! 1331 and 971?

 

So what I thought was a China Export mark is actually a European certification mark. They look very similar. Sneaky bastards...

 

Great review of the Chipbox. Auto Ricambi has been selling these for some time now and have had lots of good feedback on them. For the money, it is a good way to get a boost in performance without the hassles of flash tuning.

Add the Pedal Booster and things get even better from a fun point of view. These two products work really well together to make the car more fun.

If you are about shaving tenths of a second off of your times, go the flash tune route. if you just want to have more fun driving your Spider without the hassle and at a lower cost, this Seletron route is the way to go.

 

Very nice. This is the kind of thing I like to see. Glad the Chipbox is proving to worth the money.

 

Great video! very useful to see how to easily get to hat bottom sensor. Nice little bump!

 

I'm glad y'all enjoyed it!

 

Let’s make an intake video next, lol!

 

Nope, haven't gone past the dam on the scoot. 1331 runs a little fast for the little 250cc. It'll do it, but this rider gets pushed around too much in the wind at 70+ mph.

 

This product review really sets the gold standard on here. Got the visuals, manufacturer's feedback, and most importantly the quantitative data WITH baseline runs. Folks should take note. There's no reason to puff up a product unless you can produce something like this. Very impressive.

 

This product review really sets the gold standard on here.

Wow, thanks! I'll endeavor to keep the quality up

 

@DanB - Awesome review! I'm a happy ChipBox owner as well. Have you opened it up and played with the 2 dials to tune it further? I've been pretty happy with the default setting so I haven't touched it but I may get the itch if I get bored.

 

Have you opened it up and played with the 2 dials to tune it further? I've been pretty happy with the default setting so I haven't touched it but I may get the itch if I get bored.

I haven't yet, but I might in the future. I'll definitely make a video of what I find when I do.

 

The Chipbox by Seletron is a simple power adder. On the 124, it connects to the Boost Absolute Pressure Sensor (Bosch 281002996, PREX1), Intake Manifold Pressure Sensor (Bosch 281006028, PREX2), and the wastegate solenoid (Pierburg valve). The box intercepts data from these sensors and manipulates it to produce more power.

I emailed Seletron asking them for more info on the box’s operation, and received this reply:

Based on this very high level explanation, I assume it just shoves more air into the engine and lets the ECU’s built in closed loop feedback do the adjustments.

Amusingly the packaging proudly touts that it is made in Italy, however the Chipbox itself sports a China Export mark.

The installation instructions are a bit simplistic. More details would have been nice, but I’ve resolved that issue for y’all with the video above. Overall the installation was easy. It took around 30-45 minutes, most of which was spent getting access to the Boost pressure sensor.

The good news is it did make a measurable difference in acceleration. I captured the 40-60mph, 60-80mph, and 80-100mph times while in 4th gear. This provided nice coverage of the rev range from 2400rpm to redline. Results posted below… It averaged a a 17% increase on the top end, which if we extrapolate from the factory horsepower of 160, gives us ~187hp. Not too bad for a few hundred dollars and 30 minutes of work.

Just wanted to say thanks for the install video. Taking off the tire and well skirt makes all the difference in the world when it comes to connecting PREX1! My "fat meat hooks" thank you! 🤣

Love the Chip Box as well. Makes an already fun car even more of a blast.

Chris

 

Just wanted to say thanks for the install video. Taking off the tire and well skirt makes all the difference in the world when it comes to connecting PREX1! My "fat meat hooks" thank you! 🤣

Love the Chip Box as well. Makes an already fun car even more of a blast.

Chris

Giving up on the PREX1 install and paying $100 for a local auto place to install everything and neatly zip-tie wires and mount the ChipBox was the best money I've spent. Trying to do it myself caused me to fly into a rage that can't be measured in terms of money.

 

Normally I would be the same way. But with the tire and skirt off, I had it done in less than an hour from start to finish. And trust me, I'm as far from a mechanic as possible. Up next, the diverter valve.....

 

Great review, for sure!

Is there any reason to spend more for the Chipbox Connect, the Bluetooth version? Or is this more a set-and-forget thing?

 

The bluetooth version is great for connecting with the app and you can turn it on or off or adjust settings on the fly easily enough. Personally, if you don't plan to mess with it once installed, the non-bluetooth version is great and you can save some $$.

 

Great review! Question though, as I learn about cars and power (a world I hadn't considered before) -

I told my wife last night that I don't necessarily want to go faster (history of speeding tickets) , I just want to get to fast....faster. Sounds like the ChipBox is an option for this?

I have a 2107 Automatic Lusso (14k miles), without any other mods.

Thanks for your insights!

 

Great review! Question though, as I learn about cars and power (a world I hadn't considered before) -

I told my wife last night that I don't necessarily want to go faster (history of speeding tickets) , I just want to get to fast....faster. Sounds like the ChipBox is an option for this?

It'll definitely get you to the speed limit faster. It's up to you how much over you want to go

 

I dunno... I think some states prohibit devices like it, but it's not a problem in Texas.

The bypass plug is definitely useful if your car is having an issue. Eliminates the ChipBox during troubleshooting...

 

I have a Chipbox that I plan to get dyno data on as soon as I find a willing test subject locally. I want to directly compare my Tork Tuned Spider to a Chipbox Spider. My theory is that the Chipbox is 80% of the improvement at half the cost (almost).

 

Could you tell me the difference between a ChipBox and something like installing the GoodWin High Flow midpipe and dual exhaust (or any other similar brand)? Do they work independently, is it worth it to install both? Or does one usually install one or the other?

I am not going to do any track racing or anything. My 2017 Lusso is a daily driver. I am intrigued by getting up to speed faster, and to some degree having that loud roadster rumble.

Thanks for your insights!

 

They're completely independent.

 

Quick thought, how do the factory coils and plugs hold up with these mods? Is this a mild enough mod that you don't need to replace those components to avoid misfiring?

So many questions! Thanks.

 

Quick thought, how do the factory coils and plugs hold up with these mods? Is this a mild enough mod that you don't need to replace those components to avoid misfiring?

No issues with my factory coils so far. Still low mileage, tho. Whenever it's time to replace the plugs, I'll replace the coils with 4C coils however.

 

So looking over all of this - especially the sensor connections - apparently these boxes work by increasing boost pressure in a range of circumstances, at which point the OEM ECU software responds by modifying fueling and timing, and (presumably) safeguarding the engine from bad things like knock. How much extra boost is usually created, beyond normal parameters? My hoping-to-go-150,000 miles rods and bearings want to know.

 

Latest happy Spider owner with Chipbox installed (bluetooth version) on my 2018 manual Lusso. Very grateful to the video instructions and able to do it myself.

 

I have not seen any reversion is performance. Still a very happy ChipBox customer.

 

Thanks for the reply bud, great to hear. Can I ask how long / what mileage you've done with the ChipBox. TIA.

 

DanB, I noticed the chip box has 2 y connectors, what about the cam connection which is the very back and of the engine which no one likes to fiddle with it. I have the EC lite piggyback and has 3 y connectors. So I wonder how many HP does Chip Box give conpared the the EC piggyback.
I tell you it's a bit ch to do the cam connection. but feasable. LOL

 

DanB, I noticed the chip box has 2 y connectors, what about the cam connection which is the very back and of the engine which no one likes to fiddle with it. I have the EC lite piggyback and has 3 y connectors. So I wonder how many HP does Chip Box give conpared the the EC piggyback.
I tell you it's a bit ch to do the cam connection. but feasable. LOL

The Chipbox doesn't connect to the cam sensor. I saw about a 16% improvement with the Chipbox which I thought was pretty decent for the price and ease of install. I'm not sure if the other piggybacks would be any better or not.

 

Finally put the ChipBox on a dyno!

 

*Only 10 more HP and 18 pounds of torque? Going by the acceleration test numbers I would have guessed it's more than that. Was that tested at the stock setting? It would be great to see what it can do when it's dialed up some more. I'm seriously considering buying this thing...

 

Maybe this is why the Dyno numbers are weird ? https://www.124spider.org/threads/tuned-124-on-the-dyno.23034/

 

I love my ChipBox. Definitely feels like it adds more than 10 HP. It also really impacts gas efficiency. They recently did a software upgrade for their Android app. This broke connectivity for me Have to do some more testing to see if I can fix it.