FOR SALE Performance EPROM chips for all years 500E / E500 (and S500/SL500 through 1995)

[600Eric]

Hey Dave if you have any left I'll take one too. Please just PM me with your PayPal info.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[gsxr]

PM sent. Thanks, Eric!

 

[600Eric]

PM sent. Thanks, Eric!

Thanks a lot Dave. I sure wish I would have found this thread before I spent all that money on the head work and port matching for my engine. You can't beat a 10% gain in both HP / TQ for only $50!

 

[gsxr]

In early 2022, eBay pulled the plug on all chip/tuner/etc sales:

"Hello w124performance,​

​

We had to remove your listing because it didn’t follow our Vehicle, parts, and accessories policy. Vehicles that sellers don’t own or those that don’t follow government import regulations, as well as certain parts and accessories, are not allowed.​

​

What activity didn't follow the policy:​

eBay now prohibits the sale of all tuners, devices or software that can modify vehicle performance, even if it does not remap the ECU or ECM or is described as diagnostic. This is to ensure compliance with our policy prohibiting products that defeat, bypass, or shut down emission control devices under our Vehicle Parts Policy. Thanks for your understanding."​

Click "Start Conversation" to contact me.

 

[500AMM]

He, he, that is nothing else than academic baloney to comfort the "green heads", in the same category as the world wide prohibition of plastic straws.

 

[maw1124]

Right... but drink all the bottled water you want... OK... eBay is busy f*cking up that business with higher fees and lower service level. Don't get me started.

maw

 

[gsxr]

Yeah, and now eBay will be reporting your gross sales to the IRS as well. That will be fun for taxes in January 2023.

 

[yao500e]

A chip for the 4.2L engines (400E/E420, 400SE/S420) is available on request; PM me for details. I'll start a separate thread for the 4.2L if needed.
===============================================================================

I recently had someone ask if I would sell copies of a 'performance' chip for the E500E LH module.
The word 'performance' is used loosely here... there is no power gain with only the chip swap, but there are a few side benefits:

• Increase engine rev limiter from ~6300rpm to ~6700rpm
• Rev limit is softer/smoother (stock is a harsh/bucking cutout at 6300rpm)
• Eliminates 155mph top speed governor
• Allows disabling the cold upshift delay*** without triggering CEL on USA models
• ***Note: This is not the same as first gear start - EPROM chips cannot enable FGS.

It's similar to the chip that JimF was selling here at $150 with wild claims of power gains. The chip was also seen here on eBay** for $120 ($108 on sale), minus the fancy printed label, before eBay cancelled all EPROM sales (see post #54 below). I wish I had thought to save the eBay listing before it was deleted forever. The power gains claimed by both sellers is greatly exaggerated (+10% to +18%!!) and totally false.

**Update 2022: eBay removed all products that modify engine performance, so that "eBay chip" is no longer available on eBay. I don't know if the seller is offering them elsewhere; they seem to have disappeared from eBay. Wish I had saved a screenshot of that page!​

This chip is for 5.0L engines (all years E500E, as well as 1993-95 500SL/SL500 and 1992-1995 500SEL/S500 with LH injection). Please note that the installation is not exactly "simple" as claimed in the eBay ad, it requires steady hands and extreme care to avoid damaging your LH module or the chips during R&R. If you have any experience with electronic components, it's a straightforward socketed EPROM swap, after removing the plastic cover (which is a PITA on the early modules, but easy on the late modules). <warning> If you've never done this stuff before I'd recommend finding a friend who has some experience with electronics. </warning>

Current pricing is $75 each delivered in USA, PayPal Friends & Family only (or bank wire, for international payments). Contact me for exact cost of shipping outside USA; most countries should be $20-$30 USD for First Class International Package (~$100 USD total to most countries). Priority or Express shipping cost is substantially higher.

If you want to buy a complete 1992 LH module with the chip pre-installed (stock chip would be included as well), I have a 1992 LH module available (which does provide a power gain). Click here for details. If you would like me to install the chip in your LH module, that is another option, email me if you'd like to discuss that.

Hello GSXR, I know Im many years late on this post...

Just want to comment that this chip may not increase PEAK HP and Torq but from your discription, it sure sounds like this chip probably helps achieving higher HP Torq EARLIER in the RPM range, which will make your car feel zippier and faster. More enjoyable drive.

So for the price, its a great mod.

 

[R129 UK]

Yeah, and now eBay will be reporting your gross sales to the IRS as well. That will be fun for taxes in January 2023.

eBay are starting to do that in the UK this tax year. What impact did it have in the US? Are people getting investigated for selling the contents of their shed or spare room?

 

[Markus-MD]

eBay are starting to do that in the UK this tax year. What impact did it have in the US? Are people getting investigated for selling the contents of their shed or spare room?

Here in Germany too.First Ebay Kleinanzeigen.But i think Ebay do this too

 

[JRVAULTS]

I just want to say THANK YOU!!! This chip made all the difference...like night and day. While it may not be that way for everyone...it certainly was for my car. You were super patient and walked me through exactly what to do. So thank you and I recommend this chip 100%. This is how a Mercedes is supposed to drive!!! So happy

 

[gsxr]

Glad it worked as expected - thanks for the update!!

 

[Funny Bunny]

Does such a thing exist for year 95+ ?

 

[gsxr]

Does such a thing exist for year 95+ ?

The EPROM will only work for LH-SFI engines, M119.97x with distributors.

For ME 1.0 engines, M119.98x with coil-on-plug, nope... no tuning of any kind is available. That ME 1.0 system was only used for 4 years in USA (1996-99).

 

[Funny Bunny]

ME sad

 

[yao500e]

I really believe a reprogrammed eprom chip for 93 octane gas only, slightly more rich Air Fuel ratio and a degree or so more aggressive ignition timing would unleast this M119 engine extra 15hp or so. come on! someone do it!

 

[500AMM]

I really believe a reprogrammed eprom chip for 93 octane gas only, slightly more rich Air Fuel ratio and a degree or so more aggressive ignition timing would unleast this M119 engine extra 15hp or so. come on! someone do it!

@yao500e - didn't you volunteer now..?

Altering the ignition timing is the challenge, I guess @gsxr can explain.

 

[gsxr]

I really believe a reprogrammed eprom chip for 93 octane gas only, slightly more rich Air Fuel ratio and a degree or so more aggressive ignition timing would unleast this M119 engine extra 15hp or so. come on! someone do it!

Altering the ignition timing is the challenge, I guess @gsxr can explain.

Yep... Arnt is correct. The ignition timing maps in the EZL are fixed and cannot be modified. We can select less aggressive timing via trim plugs, but there's no way to get more aggressive timing, with LH-SFI.

Only option would be a full aftermarket ECU, eliminating LH-SFI / EZL / E-GAS with unknown aftermarket stuff you have to dial in from scratch. That's a huge expense and effort, for maybe 15hp. Also, for reasons I'll never understand, 93 octane gas is pretty much unavailable at the pump in the western USA. All we get is 91 octane at pumps out here, with rare exceptions.

 

[R129 UK]

Is there a defined octane rating vs power curve?

In the UK we can get 99 octane basically everywhere - Tesco Momentum or Shell V Power etc.

 

[gsxr]

Is there a defined octane rating vs power curve?

No, the octane requirements vary with myriad variables, primarily compression ratio and max ignition advance. Reducing ignition advance allows using lower-octane fuel. That's why the EZL has trim plugs in case you are stuck somewhere that does not have "premium" gas available.

In the UK we can get 99 octane basically everywhere - Tesco Momentum or Shell V Power etc.

UK 99 octane is the RON rating. Here in the colonies we use R+M/2 ratings. It isn't clear how to directly correlate the two. Some online charts show UK 99 RON equivalent to 95 USA octane, which seems awfully high.

 

[Beater400E]

I just realized I have everything needed to A-B test real-world performance with the chip. I have multiple 92 LH modules and a chip. I could make some runs with a stock module and then swap it on the spot and run again, using my Racebox to track performance.

Once I get a couple little things fixed on my SL I may give that a shot.

 

[gsxr]

I just realized I have everything needed to A-B test real-world performance with the chip. I have multiple 92 LH modules and a chip. I could make some runs with a stock module and then swap it on the spot and run again, using my Racebox to track performance.

Once I get a couple little things fixed on my SL I may give that a shot.

Cool! Just to clarify... I'm expecting no difference in acceleration, or increased power. If you shift manually you can explore the higher rev limit but I'm not sure that will provide measurable differences in acceleration. The extra RPM does come in handy for road racing or autocross, where it could help avoid an upshift prior to a braking marker / cone.

 

[Beater400E]

Cool! Just to clarify... I'm expecting no difference in acceleration, or increased power. If you shift manually you can explore the higher rev limit but I'm not sure that will provide measurable differences in acceleration. The extra RPM does come in handy for road racing or autocross, where it could help avoid an upshift prior to a braking marker / cone.

That's exactly what I'm expecting. If I leave it in drive I expect the chip to do nothing, but there has been enough discussion about "maybe power under the curve is better," etc. etc. I figure a real world test may settle that.

My interest in the chip comes from the fact that I plan to swap cams and swap to a 6 speed manual, both of which would benefit from higher RPM capability.

 

[R129 UK]

No, the octane requirements vary with myriad variables, primarily compression ratio and max ignition advance. Reducing ignition advance allows using lower-octane fuel. That's why the EZL has trim plugs in case you are stuck somewhere that does not have "premium" gas available.



UK 99 octane is the RON rating. Here in the colonies we use R+M/2 ratings. It isn't clear how to directly correlate the two. Some online charts show UK 99 RON equivalent to 95 USA octane, which seems awfully high.

Correct, I should have stated the 99 is RON.

It is very good fuel though…

Regular Unleaded fuel here is 95 RON.

 

[gerryvz]

To convert RON (Research Octane Number) to US octane, you need to understand that the US uses the Anti-Knock Index (AKI), which is the average of RON and Motor Octane Number (MON); therefore, a 95 RON would roughly equate to a 91 octane rating in the US, meaning you would subtract around 4 points from the RON value to get the approximate US octane rating.

Here are some other rough AKI to RON conversions: 87 AKI = 91 RON, 91 AKI = 93 RON, 100 AKI = 104 RON, and 104 AKI = 108 RON.

US octane numbers vary depending on region - even a single brand of gas such as Chevron, Shell, BP, ARCO, etc.

Some parts of the US are maximum 91 octane at the pump; some regions are 92 octane (such as the US West Coast); and other places (such as where I live in Maryland) are 93 octane for "Super" gas. I don't know of anywhere in the US where Super gas is less than 91 octane. There are a few stations/regions where I have even seen 94 octane -- I believe at some select Sunoco stations.

93 US AKI octane is roughly equivalent to 98 RON.

Anything in the US behind 93 or perhaps 94 octane at the pump, would be considered racing gasoline, and would not typically be dispensed at a mainstream fuel station. There are some gas stations who do carry 100 or 102 octane racing gas, though NOT TYPICALLY at a pump. But there are a few.

The below photo is an anomaly / not typical, but in the US, one normally sees THREE types of gas at any station's pump.

"Regular" - ~87 AKI octane
"Mid-Grade" or "Plus" - ~89 octane
"Super" or "Premium" - 91-94 octane

 

[yao500e]

@yao500e - didn't you volunteer now..?

Altering the ignition timing is the challenge, I guess @gsxr can explain.

Hello @500AMM
i actually did review some documents and sat through a video training course on how its done. I am far from expert but it was darn interesting to watch. I wish i had the skills.

There is a shop in Maryland called "Speed Tuning". I called and spoke to the owner and chip tuner. His name is Oliver. He apparently does this work and has been for many many years now.

Would be a fun project.

 

[Beater400E]

I finally got around to A-B testing the chip. I'm using my 93 500SL with 2.65 gears and 31 inch tires. I have two 92 WOT LH modules. One is untouched factory original, and the other has new capacitors and the upgraded chip.

Obviously the capacitors won't affect performance, but I wanted to test whether the chip had any affect.

I made several runs with each, back to back on the same stretch of road, within about 10 minutes.

I'm using a Racebox Mini for telemetry.

Best 1/4 mile with the stock 92 WOT LH: 14.96 seconds @ 94.08 MPH.

Best run with the chip: 14.91 seconds @ 96.57 MPH.

The 2.5 MPH difference is something, but I think that is just variability in testing, not coming from the chip. It was hard to get a clean run, and I didn't want to attract too much attention making a dozen 100 MPH runs on public roads, even if it was the middle of nowhere.

I can confirm the rev limiter is higher and much smoother than on the stock chip, and I'm going to say there is no difference in power. It feels identical to the stock chip.

A better test would be some back to back dyno runs, but I'm too cheap for that.

 

[gerryvz]

The aftermarket chips that have been available (including RennTECH and others) for many years, have been tested by the @gsxr, myself and others. Myself, about 20 years ago ("back in the day") at the Friday night Portland International Raceway drag races.

I never found a material difference between stock and aftermarket/replacement chips in the LH units -- there is far more variability in times/speed provided by the equipment being run (for example drag tires), weight of the vehicle, and one's ability to properly time a launch and run. Engine temp (and ability to cool down somewhat between runs) is also a HUGE factor in dragstrip ETs.

I don't recall that anyone else has ever found a material difference (all other things being equal) with the LH chips. That said, there are some benefits, perhaps removal of the speed limiter? But in real world testing, nobody really sees these benefits.

For the LH E500E, you really only have TWO options to improve speed and power -- forced induction (a la a supercharger or nitrous-oxide - which was the route I took), or increased displacement. With a 100-HP shot of nitrous, my fastest timeslip I got was I believe 12.89 seconds at 108 MPH. Don't quote me on that, but I can certainly dredge up and post my timeslip that shows that time/speed. This was a full 20 years ago !!

Without NOS, I believe my fastest time was in the 14.1 second range, at 99 MPH, and I repeatably was able to achieve this. That wasn't the fastest time out there, as perhaps a couple of members were able to hit 14.0 and even in the 13.7, 8, 9 range, but I was always pleased with 14.1 as an amateur out having fun on a Friday.

 

[Tom_CAR-TECH]

A chip for the 4.2L engines (400E/E420, 400SE/S420) is available on request; PM me for details. I'll start a separate thread for the 4.2L if needed.
===============================================================================

Can you make a chip up to 400e 1992?

 

[gsxr]

Can you make a chip up to 400e 1992?

Yep, I can do this. Just need some time to sort it out. IIRC nobody has ever requested one so it's been low priority.

 

[Tom_CAR-TECH]

Yep, I can do this. Just need some time to sort it out. IIRC nobody has ever requested one so it's been low priority.

It's not an urgent matter, so I'm determined to get this chip and I can wait for it to be done