Jet Chips and Your Car

One of several questions car enthusiasts ask about jet chips
and other performance chips is whether they are legal in all
states, provinces, etc. Well, I cant answer that question
for the rest of the world, but in the U.S. jet chips are
legal even in California, home of some of the strictest
automotive emission regulations in the world. As the saying
goes, As goes California, so goes the rest of the country,
or some variation on that theme! There is much more to jet
chips than the name implies. Lets take a look at this
remarkable aftermarket product and its impact on North
American drivers.

First of all, like the name Jeep which represents a
specific brand as well as a type of vehicle, Jet Chips is a
brand as well as a type of chip. Confused yet? Dont be.
Because the name is so easy to remember and the company
producing these chips is so well known, consumers have given
all performance chips the nickname jet chips. Kind of like
reaching for that box of Kleenex tissues even though the
label obviously says Marcal.

Secondly, jet chips will not cancel out your cars warranty.
Yes, if any aftermarket part damages the car or emissions
equipment, then you DO have a problem. The chance of that
happening with a jet chip is remote.

Thirdly, jet chips are emissions legal. As mentioned
previously, California which has the toughest emissions
control laws, accepts jet chips because they have no effect
on the emissions released from your car. Quite frankly, just
because your car will get better fuel mileage, more
horsepower, and better torque doesnt mean that it will emit
more pollution. A jet chip makes your engine work more
efficiently and an efficiently tuned engine doesnt over
pollute.

When shopping for a jet chip, you can buy the Jet Chip brand
or one of several other brands of performance chips. Some
manufacturers sell all new chips while others will take your
current chip, recalibrate it, and send it back to you.
Prices are all over the place, so shop around before
selecting a jet chip that is right for your car.

One final note: If you elect to go with a jet chip versus a
performance tuner, you will have to either remove the
dashboard or go underneath the hood to swap out the chip.
Not so with a performance tuner as all you have to do is
plug the tuner into your cars under dash diagnostic
connector, answer some simple yes/no questions, and before
you know it youre engine is super tuned. Of course, it all
depends on what make/model of car you drive as not all jet
chips and not all super tuners are made for every car out
there.

Copyright 2006 Matt Keegan, is The Auto Writer, who writes
about a variety of automotive products including Jet Chips
and other performance parts.