Racechip GTS Black Review #3 (unboxing/install video)

If you're having issues whatsoever, I'd contact their support. There may be a simple update.

Yeah there's another thread I started about the issue where I go more in detail.

Long story short, I uninstalled the chip, RaceChip sent me a software update, I took my car to the dealer for new spark plugs, and I've now decided to simply sell the chip.
 
Bummer it’s not taking well to tunes. For me I’m always on fence even with well proven tunes on well known platforms. Sketchy tunes on unknown platforms is for pioneers. I say this as a race car owner with lots of custom tuning experience. I’m not willing to risk $50 k car with all sorts of electronics, systems etc to unproven tune. I do hope they come out with something that doesn’t cause issues. I’d love a modest boost .
 
Bummer it’s not taking well to tunes. For me I’m always on fence even with well proven tunes on well known platforms. Sketchy tunes on unknown platforms is for pioneers. I say this as a race car owner with lots of custom tuning experience. I’m not willing to risk $50 k car with all sorts of electronics, systems etc to unproven tune. I do hope they come out with something that doesn’t cause issues. I’d love a modest boost .
I'm 1000+ miles and counting with no issue. However I have access to 93 octane.
 
______________________________
.....jealousy intensifies
Yeah sorry about that. Silver lining you at least know what the race mode feels like. It is really hard to explain to people. Hopefully another tuning option rears its head to get you there again.
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
Bummer it’s not taking well to tunes. For me I’m always on fence even with well proven tunes on well known platforms. Sketchy tunes on unknown platforms is for pioneers. I say this as a race car owner with lots of custom tuning experience. I’m not willing to risk $50 k car with all sorts of electronics, systems etc to unproven tune. I do hope they come out with something that doesn’t cause issues. I’d love a modest boost .
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet and suggest reading other threads about RaceChip and different tunes. Apparently this is the only reported issue with a RaceChip and was most likely caused by running the highest "Race" setting without 93+ octane fuel. Also some stock Stingers are having spark plug and coil issues which any tune would exaggerate. If Kia addresses those two occasional faults I'm sure the Stinger will prove a great base for many different levels of tunes.
 
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet and suggest reading other threads about RaceChip and different tunes. Apparently this is the only reported issue with a RaceChip and was most likely caused by running the highest "Race" setting without 93+ octane fuel. Also some stock Stingers are having spark plug and coil issues which any tune would exaggerate. If Kia addresses those two occasional faults I'm sure the Stinger will prove a great base for many different levels of tunes.

i don't know why this keeps going unnoticed and i've just given up now. it's sad seeing racechip get their rep tarnished for no reason.
 
i don't know why this keeps going unnoticed and i've just given up now. it's sad seeing racechip get their rep tarnished for no reason.

You'll notice the original comment never mentionned "RaceChip" but said "tunes". Which is true, it's a pretty widely known fact at this point that the stock spark plugs are s@#$ and every single piggyback chip that has been released so far has had issues with these plugs. I don't really know of anyone blaming RaceChip, we blame Kia, so I also wouldn't say RaceChip is getting their rep tarnished. For those upgrading/regapping plugs, great, here's hoping eventually Kia will release a TSB so we can all just get them replaced... but that may not happen.

What they could be doing a better job at right now is clarification. There are still a million questions coming a minute that have already been answered. Looking at RaceChip specifically, their website is still unclear about fuel octane and spark plugs, and they are still shipping the chips with the wrong instruction manual. I think the chip works great when it does, but people aren't getting the info they need.

I still have no idea why there isn't a megathread made for this yet where we can have all the information available. Alot of the misconceptions come from the fact that the info is spread through multiple threads, hell, multiple forums at this point.

But maybe that's just me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
This is all my opinion, worth what you paid...

We are all early adopters of the Stinger platform, there will be a learning curve. KIA built this performance car designed to be at the performance level that it was released. KIA said "premium recommended", but not required, yet did not require premium. Now the tuners know the buyers of their wares will want the most performance from their offerings, who wants to buy less than max? Every engine has it's own quirks, they are not all perfect clones as much as we want them to be. Tolerances are allowed by design. Parts come from bins. As assembled there will be tight parts and loose parts (due to allowed tolerances). Break in allows many of these parts to wear in, and some engines will have higher output, some lower. This is a fact of mass production, is a good system but not perfect.

Now, we come along and we want to push their design beyond it's release. I know if I buy a hotrod chip (or piggyback) I'm going to push it, gotta see what it will do. So now we are operating our vehicles beyond the design (as released). We are having failures of plugs that are being asked to do more than possible due to the huge gap (but the gap is mostly fine if user is stock and on good 93 premium). I know 99% of the vehicles I've owned that I consider performance have recommended premium, (our premium is 93 here). What if you use non-premium fuel? You probably will be ok, till you push things. Physics dictate things, not KIA. Or regap these plugs to a tighter gap to allow better leeway.

KIA has no desire to make this easy to push their warranteed engines to higher levels, why should they? Added power means added wear. We are going to find weaknesses, the weak links show themselves sooner or later (as we are finding with plugs).

The problems we are having should not be unexpected. There will be some failures in any mechanical piece of equipment, more when pushed. I applaud the companies offering us what we want, but we should realize everything comes at a cost. Failures are part of success. Mistakes happen also. We have a helluva starting platform, just wait if you don't want to have problems. These higher performance parts will take time for us to pick the best, till then we are the guinea pigs. Good luck all, we will get there.

Again, just my .02
 
I still have no idea why there isn't a megathread made for this yet where we can have all the information available. Alot of the misconceptions come from the fact that the info is spread through multiple threads, hell, multiple forums at this point.

But maybe that's just me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I added an explanation in following thread:
Spark Plug Advice

Please let me know if I can improve it.
 
From interior to exterior to high performance - everything you need for your Stinger awaits you...
i don't know why this keeps going unnoticed and i've just given up now. it's sad seeing racechip get their rep tarnished for no reason.
Agreed.
 
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