So I've been researching chips forever and finally decide to go with Unitronic. I found a local shop that is authorized from their site and went. After about an hour of waiting and hearing the guy on tech support with them he tells me MY chip can't be tuned because it doesn't have an immobilizer? He said that NO tuning company can upgrade MY chip. In order to do so I'd have to replace the chip with an upgradeable one. How come I've never seen a disclaimer on any site for certain 99's?
I really want to chip my 2.8.

 

im pretty sure you can, idk wat that guy was talkin about...

 

unitronic?

most 2.8ers have went with speedtuning. best bang (if any) for the buck.

 

unitronics lists the software for your specific car on their site so they do infact sell it.

most B5s dont have immobilizers, i dont know why that would matter. i think only 2001's and later do have one.

i think you might be confusing 'chip' and 'ECU'.
if you already have a chip from someone else, unitronics would obviously not touch someone elses software. if you meant 'ECU' instead of 'chip', if you swapped ECU's it could only be with identicle ECUs so that wouldnt even help.

 

Yeah, maybe I did mean ECU. He said another ECU would work because there are a bunch of different versions. Somehow mine was one of the few that could not be flashed. I just don't know how comfortable I feel about sending out my chip to GIAC or TAP and being without the car for a few days.

 

you could always buy a cheap backup ECU from the classifieds and get that chipped, then when you get it back sell your original one and get your money back, or keep it for backup.

 

I don't know about there, but in Norway, immob is standard on all A4s except 1996 models.. And perhaps they have a ROM update that includes immob features, that doesn't work if you don't have an immobilizer. I know dealers can program immob on / off in your ECU, but I think they do a complete ROM rewrite when they do it.

 

Thanks for the feedback. The guy at the shop says he'll shop around for a used ECU then flash THAT one and install it for me. So far no luck. Does anyone know if since GIAC solders to the board if theirs will work with my ECU? I know they separate years on the 2.8 30v at 98-99, then 00-01. Otherwise I'll call.

 

In Europe it became quite standard early on but in the US it was not and most B5 A4's never got Immob in their cars hence why so many get stolen.

 

I dont think any North American B5s have immob, my '01 doesn't for sure.