Tonight it occured to me the possibility that my car just might already have a chip installed. Of course, it's very unlikely, but a number of growing indicators make me think it just might.

I raced a friend in her 1997 c280 from a stoplight and i one by a fare margin up to 50 mph or so (about a carlenth). I know she was flooring it, I could hear her engine still rev in first gear when we were doing 40.

I could beat (barely though) a 1999 BMW 323is (friend used to have one) to 60 mph (BMW rated 7.2/1 seconds to sixty and Mercedes C280 8.3...[could this be because they are tested differently by different manufacturers?])

Another friend of mine has a Porsche boxster, 2001, 2.7 liter flat 6, rated by Porsche 0-60 @ 6.3 +/- (don't recall EXACT #), and he just barely beat me all the way up to 80 mph, and I had a passenger. He had the advantage up to about 60, about a car length or two, but then we were still the same (1-2 carlengths different) up to 80. I suppose this could be partly due to the fact that his stick shifting ability might not be as fast as the rating.

I am aware these are not tests in a test environment without test equipment and all, just rough ratings.

Anyway, I know that it's very unlikely that my car already has a chip, but is there anyway to tell? I can see the 3 modules under the hood, but don't know which one is the ECU (that's the one they tune, correct?). Even so, I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to tell. Is there anyway without taking it apart?

(I feel somewhat ignorant asking this question because it's probably just me getting amped over nothing, but that's why I have you all here. )

[Edited by David C Klasse on 06-13-2001 at 03:08 AM]

__________________
2006 E350 w/ 155k miles (Daily Driver)

Previous:
1993 300E 3.2L Sedan w/ close to about 300k miles
2003 E500 Brilliant Silver (Had 217k miles when totalled!)
1989 300E with 289,000 miles (had for <1 yr while in HI)
03 CLK 500 cabrio (Mom's)
2006 C230k (Dad's)
1999 S420 (Mom's/Dad's)
2000 C230k Sport sedans
2001 CLK320 Cabrio (Mom's)
1995 C280 My First Mercedes-Benz... (155k miles. EXCEPTIONAL AUTOMOBILE. Was Very hard to let go of!)