2010 MN Auto Anyone try the Powerbox Nitro?

2010 MN Auto Anyone try the Powerbox Nitro?

Postby kevin on Fri Sep 01, 2023 5:23 pm

https://performaplus.com.au/product/pow ... processor/

I need more towing power ;) Already fitted a throttle controller and an auto-mate but can I have more pls sir!

My Bluetongue 15 hybrid van probably weighs around 2.4T wet so the Triton does struggle on steep hills e.g. Mt Victoria Pass in the Blue Mtns. On the coast and once I cross the ranges it's fine but does get embarrassing at times when fully laden semis overtake me on hills :lol:
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Re: 2010 MN Auto Anyone try the Powerbox Nitro?

Postby NowForThe5th on Sun Sep 17, 2023 11:45 am

Hmmm, I thought I'd already responded here, but obviously not.

There are essentially two kinds of chips. The cheaper ones are single function, mostly rail pressure but some control duration of the injector pulse. Then there are the good ones which monitor and control multiple signals including everything from manifold pressure to exhaust temperatures. These are almost the same as a reflashed tune, often better because you can have multiple tunes that you can use according to what you're doing.

The chip you linked is a single function unit that is sold for a very high price. Increasing rail pressure certainly works to improve performance in a diesel, but it's not the only thing and some have come unstuck with this kind of chip because it isn't a balanced solution. Just as an example, air fuel mixtures can become over rich and cause internal engine damage (often to pistons) or just bump EGTs so high that the car goes into limp mode to prevent further damage, something that could be very likely with long heavy pulls uphill. Of course, bigger exhausts just make the problem worse.

The better chips monitor and adjust all these things, so the likelihood of terminal damage is much lower. They are also tuned to a specific vehicle, on a dyno. The results can be astounding, and the tuner knows his craft, very effective at achieving the customers' needs.

But, they're comparatively expensive against the cheap, single function chips and there have been innumerable cases of "I want more performance but I don't want to pay the price".

Reality is that you get nothing, or worse, for nothing and the technology, plus multiple dyno runs to tune a good chip doesn't come cheap. Expect anywhere from $1500 to $3000.

Examples of good chips? Unichip and Chiptuning have good products and they can dyno individually, not just hand you a dyno results sheet for a tune developed on someone else's car. There are others, of course and there are still some very good chips in the secondhand market that can do pretty much the same thing.

What can you expect? For the single function chips increases in power and torque of around 20%. For multi-function chips power increases of around 35% are fairly common while torque can increase by around 45-50%. Vehicle specific tunes can give a lot more than these numbers. My 4M41 achieves 0-100km/h times of 7.0 seconds on a mid-range tune. That's only 0.6 seconds slower than the legendary GTHO Falcon, from a vehicle with a weight of 2.7 tonnes. It has more torque than an LS3 V8. That's all done with two Chip-It chips and an extreme performance tune can shave another 2 seconds off that 0-100km/h time.



kevin wrote:And now that last response was by using "POST A QUICK REPLY"; very strange!


Yes, we know. An intermittent problem in the forum software. Just use the "POST REPLY" button. Meanwhile I've deleted your test posts. We do have a sandbox for that.
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Re: 2010 MN Auto Anyone try the Powerbox Nitro?

Postby kevin on Sun Oct 22, 2023 12:49 pm

Finally - I have it connected - long story incl wrong instructions for my model. I've only driven around the neighbourhood so far but it certainly is a more "lively" vehicle especially when I also turn my existing throttle controller on to "ultimate".
There are two connections; rail pressure sensor and manifold pressure sensor. The rail pressure sensor connection was a bugger to remove as it is close to the firewall and you can only go by feel; reconnection was OK. But then trying to connect 2 now loose plugs to feed the Powerbox, again without being able to see them, was a real PIA! Connecting the manifold pressure sensor was a breeze as it is up high and very obvious - it's the only blue connector in the engine bay.

I don't need much more power and I'll update again after I've been towing.
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Re: 2010 MN Auto Anyone try the Powerbox Nitro?

Postby NowForThe5th on Mon Oct 23, 2023 8:54 pm

I'm curious.

It looked like you were asking for advice on the chip purchase. Then I told you that it wasn't much good which you completely ignored and purchased anyway.

Or was it a case of purchase justification? You'd already bought it and were looking for good answers to support your purchase decision. In this case, didn't get the response you were seeking but ignored it anyway.

Either way, it would have been nice if you'd come clean in the beginning.

Seat of the pants assessments are useless. What, exactly, is "more lively"? Post verified actual performance results or before and after dyno graphs.
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Re: 2010 MN Auto Anyone try the Powerbox Nitro?

Postby kevin on Thu Oct 26, 2023 9:16 am

I cannot ignore a response that was not given before I made a purchase; which I made on the 8th September. There were 400+ views of my question and not a single timely response (yes, I did check for a response before I made the purchase). Your response was 16 days after I asked the question.

As there was no response here or elsewhere on forums, and after researching reviews on the web, I decided to go ahead and give it a go (I am a senior admin on two other motoring sites, one with 180K+ members)

I'm not going to dyno anything and I am posting my experience simply for the information of others.

I hope that satisfies your curiosity and I certainly do not need justification for any of my purchases. ;)
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Re: 2010 MN Auto Anyone try the Powerbox Nitro?

Postby kevin on Fri Jan 19, 2024 6:00 pm

So a little update. In December I came up Mt Ousley with just the Powerbox on and no throttle controller just to see what would happen.

Last time I did this climb with the just the throttle controller my max speed was 60 and lowest about 30; it was struggling. In December my max speed was 80 and lowest was 60 so I'm quiet happy with that performance. Max temp was 108C but that soon settled once I reached the top.
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Re: 2010 MN Auto Anyone try the Powerbox Nitro?

Postby kevin on Mon Jan 22, 2024 5:28 pm

^ I did forget to mention that I was towing at the time ;)
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