Jet Chips and Your Car

Summary: Jet chips, like Kleenex and Jeep, is both a brand name and a product. Installing a jet chip can be a wise thing to do and put some well needed power underneath your hood.

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 can't 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. Let's 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? Don't 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 car's 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 doesn't mean that it will emit more pollution. A jet chip makes your engine work more efficiently and an efficiently tuned engine doesn't 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 car's under dash diagnostic connector, answer some simple yes/no questions, and before you know it you're 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.