The internet is awash with promises of easy horsepower and improved fuel economy, often delivered through simple plug-in devices marketed as OBD2 performance chips. Among these, the SuperOBD2 Performance Chip has garnered attention, claiming to remap your car’s ECU for enhanced performance. But does this device live up to the hype, or is it just another scam preying on car enthusiasts? If you’ve encountered the Nitro OBD2 scam, exposed by quarkslab’s reverse engineering, you’ll recognize a familiar pattern. Let’s delve into a detailed review of the SuperOBD performance chip and uncover the truth behind its bold claims.
Before we proceed, it’s crucial to understand the Nitro OBD2 scam, as thoroughly investigated by quarkslab. Their findings, available at https://blog.quarkslab.com/reverse-engineering-of-the-nitro-obd2.html, serve as a vital backdrop for our SuperOBD review. Numerous online resources, including YouTube videos such as https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgXwfBTKLGU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-l9ohTjvkw, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdoIjt2mMEQ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OIO1tJPEy8, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1OmGDE1FLA, and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytwlDVaFbec, have further demonstrated the Nitro-OBD module to be nothing more than a deceptive light flasher.
Our focus here is the SuperOBD2 Tuning Chip, often advertised with enticing promises. Let’s analyze if it truly enhances your vehicle’s performance or simply follows in the footsteps of the infamous Nitro OBD scam.
SuperOBD2 Claims: Performance Boost or Empty Promises?
The Amazon product description for the SuperOBD2 Tuning Chip boldly states: “Super OBD2 is a Plug & Drive Ready device to function the increasing the performance of engine. Super OBD2 is easy to install. Just plug it into the OBD2 connector of cars. Super OBD2 fits all car from the year of 1996. It works based OBD2 protocols as remapping the Car’s computer ECU. After driving 200 km road total, Super OBD2 adjusts itself to the car, according to the drivers’ habits and always keeps remapping the ECU to increase the performance of engine. What does Super OBD2 make? According to your driving habits, Super OBD2 makes new map in the car’s computer ECU to increase the performance of your car. As you driving much more KM/Mile, it renews the map.”
This description is riddled with red flags for anyone familiar with legitimate car tuning. The claim that it “fits all cars from the year of 1996” is immediately suspicious. Genuine ECU tuning is highly vehicle-specific, requiring custom maps tailored to the exact engine and modifications. A universal solution that works for every car from 1996 onwards is highly improbable.
SuperOBD2 Performance Chip advertised on Amazon, promising universal compatibility and increased engine performance.
Price Discrepancy: Amazon vs. AliExpress
The SuperOBD2 chip, as seen on Amazon, is priced around $35.94. However, a quick search on AliExpress, a popular online marketplace for goods sourced from China, reveals a dramatically different price point: just $1.97.
SuperOBD Performance Chip listed on AliExpress for a significantly lower price, hinting at its true manufacturing origin and value.
This vast price difference immediately raises concerns about the actual value and functionality of the SuperOBD2. Considering that the Nitro OBD scam chips also originated from China, the low AliExpress price strongly suggests a connection to similar deceptive products. The AliExpress listing even mentions “Nitro OBD” in its title, further solidifying these suspicions.
Packaging and Installation: Déjà Vu with Nitro OBD
Often, the most telling clues are right in front of us. The SuperOBD chiptuning box comes in a simple paper box with installation instructions printed on the back.
The packaging of the SuperOBD Performance Chip, featuring installation steps, closely resembles that of known scam devices.
Take a close look at these installation steps. Now, compare them to the installation instructions of the notorious Nitro OBD2 scam chip.
Installation steps for the Nitro OBD2 scam chip, strikingly similar to the SuperOBD, raising immediate red flags.
The installation procedures are almost identical. This striking similarity in packaging and instructions is a major indicator that the SuperOBD2 is closely related to, if not a direct copy of, the Nitro OBD scam. The old adage, “if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…”, certainly applies here.
Internal Circuitry: Identical to the Nitro OBD Scam
To get to the bottom of this, we acquired a SuperOBD2 OBDII Chiptuning box and carefully disassembled its plastic casing. What we found inside was virtually indistinguishable from the verified Nitro OBD scam chip.
Here’s a look at the circuit board of a confirmed Nitro OBD scam chip, courtesy of manocao from mhhauto.com (https://mhhauto.com/Thread-EcoOBD2-and-nitroOBD2-Good-or-Bad?page=2):
Circuit board analysis of a Nitro OBD scam chip, highlighting its simple design and basic components.
And here is the circuit board from the SuperOBD2 Tuning Box we examined – the resemblance is uncanny:
Bottom view of the SuperOBD2 Performance Chip circuit board, showing a near-identical layout to the Nitro OBD scam chip.
Detailed internal analysis of the SuperOBD2 circuit board, confirming the use of basic components and a simple design, mirroring the Nitro OBD scam.
Both circuit boards feature three surface mount LEDs, a diode (ostensibly for circuit protection), and a 5V surface-mounted voltage regulator. Most alarmingly, both utilize the PIC16F59 microcontroller chip, a component frequently highlighted in videos exposing the Nitro OBD scam.
The PIC16F59, manufactured by Microchip Technology, a US company, has a minuscule memory size of only 3KB.
Product specifications for the PIC16F59 microcontroller, revealing its limited 3KB memory capacity, insufficient for storing vehicle ECU maps.
This memory capacity is woefully inadequate to hold the complex vehicle map data required for genuine ECU remapping. Legitimate vehicle maps typically range from 512KB upwards, depending on the vehicle’s make, model, and configuration, as discussed in resources like https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/69265/ecu-tune-file-formats.
While 3KB is far too small for ECU maps, it is perfectly sufficient for storing a simple LED flashing routine. This aligns precisely with the findings that the NITRO OBD is nothing more than a light flasher. The evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the SUPER OBD2 OBDII Chiptuning Box is simply another iteration of the NITRO OBD scam, perhaps with the addition of a reset button for purely cosmetic purposes, as highlighted in the manufacturer’s own comparison on AliExpress:
Comparison image from AliExpress highlighting the “reset button” as a supposed upgrade, further linking SuperOBD to the Nitro OBD lineage.
Real-World Testing: No Performance Gains
To validate our findings, we connected the SuperOBDII Box to a vehicle and drove it for approximately three weeks. During this period, we meticulously tracked fuel consumption and monitored for any changes in vehicle performance. Despite the advertised claims, we observed absolutely no discernible difference in fuel economy, performance, or overall vehicle behavior.
Blink Test: Confirming Identical Programming
To further solidify the conclusion that the SuperOBD2 is a rebranded Nitro OBD scam, we conducted a blink test. We connected both the SuperOBD2 and a verified Nitro OBD module to a 12V power supply on a bench and meticulously observed the blink intervals of their LEDs.
Side-by-side blink test of Nitro OBD (left) and SuperOBD (right) modules, visually demonstrating identical LED blinking patterns.
The results, captured in this blink test video: https://youtu.be/NzdWdQw2UpQ, were conclusive. Both the Nitro OBD scam (left) and the SUPER OBD2 Tuning Box (right) exhibited EXACTLY the same LED blinking interval. Identical circuit boards, identical components, identical blinking patterns – the evidence points unequivocally to the same underlying scam.
Final Verdict: The SuperOBD2 is a Scam
Our comprehensive analysis, encompassing reverse engineering, component comparison, and real-world testing, definitively concludes that the SUPER OBDII OBD2 Chiptuning Box is nothing more than a rebranded Nitro OBD scam. It’s a flashy light blinker masquerading as a performance enhancer. Do not waste your hard-earned money on this expensive light show.
Be aware that different circuit board versions of this scam exist, as highlighted in videos like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB810U7j77k, but they all operate on the same deceptive principle.
If, after reviewing this evidence, you are still considering purchasing this product, we can only offer this final thought:
