Unichip tuner??

Afternoon! yesterday I discovered my tundra has a unichip tuner... I've never heard of them and can't find a whole lot of info. has anyone used these? it is hooked up so all I can assume is that it has a custom tune on it but I don't know. I've never driven a stock tundra so I wouldn't be able to compare it either.

it's a FLEX 5.7 lifted on 35s with a cold air intake and a MBRP true dual exhaust that I just installed. it also has a plug that's disconnected that's labeled COMM. I assume it plugs into a computer maybe since I can't find where it would plug into.

any insight would be appreciated thanks!

 

https://www.unichip.us/toyota/

 

I have on one on my dealer installed supercharged truck. I called unichip to get more info on my setup. It is a "box" tune, as in not custom. From what was told to me, it is a piggyback off of the original ecu, they change timing and fuel. Check under your dash you may have a toggle switch. The wiring to the switch with have similar text as your "COMM" wire. The switch is so you have ability to toggle between maps. I asked why have two maps, response was, since its a box tune they didnt know where the end user was going be located (Pressure altitude), and what fuel octane(91-94) they would have available. SO, "0" setting is conservative tune (which I'm assuming is for High pressure altitude/Lower octane. And "I" setting is a more aggressive tune with a change in timing for locations with lower pressure altitude and higher fuel octane.

If anyone else has a unchip, or more understanding/experience with the system please chime in. I'd like to see more end user experience, not just what I heard from the manufacture.

 

I can't find any sort of ON/OFF switch or anything but I did find this chewed up plug under the driver seat. I traced it through the firewall and it connects directly to the unit. I live at ~8000 feet and I've been running 85 octane. hopefully it's on a stock tune... I've gotten a mass air flow sensor engine code a couple times but that's only on long interstate drives and I've gotten it in southern Nevada so I don't think it's related. I cleaned the MAF but it came back. doesn't come on for regular daily driving just long trips.

seems like most people that have these also have a blower from what I've seen. thanks for the insight!

 

The Unichip hijacks the voltage signal coming from the crank sensor and the mass air meter. It takes that voltage and manipulates it into a higher or a lower reading that what it really is then feeds this false reading back to he ecu in hopes of the ecu then providing extra power and driveability.

OR

in the case of the supercharged trucks it does the above but it does so to richen up AFr and retard timing to keep the engine safe with compressed air being shoved down its throat.

The issue I’ve had with Unichip and other piggybacks on our 5.7’s is that if you ‘change’ those signals too far out of range, the ecu isn’t a sucker. It’s constantly cross referencing the signals from ALL sensors. It doesn’t just blindly ‘take a sensors word for it’. In other words, if you change the signal too far the ecu will get pissed abd throw a code.

Some very common codes with Unichip is
Po101
Po102

mass air meter codes


For NA, if you like how it drives with this device hooked up, and there’s no weird driveability issues. Keep it. It’s fine.

But for the fella with the supercharged truck, that should be removed and a real tune installed. The ecu uses the mass air meter for more than just afr. It uses the crank sensor for more than just ignition timing. Manipulating these sensor signals on an ecu that knows the new signals are wrong is dangerous. It also makes it shift funny too.

 

This is good info, thanks. When I contacted unichip they were very vague on there answers, even tho I was probing them for more details. My truck does have some slow weird shifts, unless I put it in tow mode. Would you recommend hp tuner or a standalone ecu like haltech?
And if you don't mind sharing, if you've done the removal of an unichip, is it as easy as remove and allow the tuner to do his thing, or are there parts that need to be replace once the unichip is removed?

 

It’s been so long I don’t remember, I’ve removed a few. I’ve installed a couple. We’re talking over a decade ago when this was the only option.

I would recommend a tuner whom uses VFtuner.

 

Removal of the unit is as simple as following the harness and disconnecting the sensor intercept harness from the OE sensors and reconnecting the factory connector back to the respective sensor. Most are pretty straight forward, but the crank angle sensor can be a bit of a chore to get to.

Any of the retailers on this map would be happy to assist you in getting a proper calibration once the UniChip is removed.
https://overlandtailor.com/retailer-locations/

Best,
Justin