Before diving in, if you’re unfamiliar with the Nitro OBD2 performance chip scam, it’s crucial to understand its origins. Quarkslab’s detailed reverse engineering analysis (https://blog.quarkslab.com/reverse-engineering-of-the-nitro-obd2.html) thoroughly exposes this deceptive product. We strongly recommend reviewing their findings to grasp the full context of these OBD2 tuning scams.
The NitroOBD scam, originating from China, has spawned countless imitations, distinguished only by color variations and rebranded logos. Unscrupulous sellers quickly recognized the profitability of marketing these simple LED blinkers as high-performance ‘tuners’, saturating online marketplaces. Our investigation focuses on the “Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip,” dissecting its claims and revealing its true nature. Understanding the Nitro OBD2 deception, as detailed in the quarkslab article, is essential to comprehending the broader scam ecosystem of which the Spitfire Tuning chip is a part. Numerous independent tests and articles have already debunked the Nitro OBD module as a complete fraud, and we encourage you to research these findings beyond our analysis.
Further reinforcing the Nitro-OBD light flasher scam narrative, numerous YouTube videos provide visual evidence and breakdowns of the original scam and its many iterations: 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, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytwlDVaFbec.
Reverse Engineering the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip OBD Tuner
This article delves into the reverse engineering and analysis of the “Spitfire Performance Chip,” aiming to definitively answer the question: Does it actually enhance vehicle performance, or is it another OBD2 tuning scam?
The Spitfire Performance Chip distinguishes itself with a smoky, colored case, attempting to appear unique. However, history reveals that many fraudulent performance chip scams employ superficially distinctive designs to mask their true nature. While a dedicated website for Spitfire Tuning is absent, the chip is readily available on platforms like eBay. The prevalence of chiptuning scams on eBay, a marketplace seemingly rife with misleading performance enhancement products, immediately raises red flags. A significant factor contributing to the proliferation of these scams is the manipulated feedback systems on such platforms, where negative reviews can be suppressed or altered, creating a false sense of product legitimacy. The eBay seller ‘spitfire_tuning’ exemplifies this issue.
Alt text: Screenshot of Spitfire Tuning eBay feedback showing overwhelmingly positive reviews with a suspiciously low negative feedback rate, hinting at potential manipulation.
The sheer volume of feedback, exceeding 1700, would statistically suggest a mix of positive, neutral, and negative reviews for a genuine product. Yet, the feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with only a solitary negative review initially visible. This anomaly strongly indicates feedback manipulation. Comparing this initial observation with a subsequent screenshot taken later reveals a disturbing trend: negative feedback is not only minimized but actively transformed into positive or neutral ratings.
Alt text: eBay feedback alteration example for Spitfire Tuning, showing a negative review changed to positive, highlighting dishonest seller practices and unreliable marketplace feedback.
The feedback in question was not merely changed in sentiment but also in content, morphing from a complaint about the chip failing to function to a vague statement about uncertain performance gains. This, coupled with the fleeting appearance of a new neutral feedback, underscores the unreliability of online marketplace reviews. Such manipulation tactics, whether through pressuring customers or leveraging platform mechanisms, are designed to protect high-revenue sellers at the expense of consumer trust.
***UPDATE***
Further investigation into the seller’s eBay feedback reinforces the conclusion that this feedback system is unreliable. A negative review from April 28, 2021, explicitly stating “traveled more than 300 km and there are no changes in the dynamics and fuel consumption,” was captured.
Alt text: Negative eBay buyer feedback for Spitfire Tuning on April 28, 2021, reporting no performance or fuel economy improvements after extensive use.
However, a screenshot taken just two days later, on April 30, 2021, reveals the complete removal of this negative feedback.
Spitfire Tuning Ebay Feedback 4-30-21
Alt text: Screenshot showing the complete disappearance of the negative Spitfire Tuning eBay feedback within two days, suggesting seller intervention and eBay’s role in removing valid customer complaints.
This swift deletion strongly suggests that sellers possess the means to have negative feedback removed, especially if buyers resist altering their reviews. The ephemeral nature of negative reviews on eBay, often disappearing within days, means most potential buyers remain unaware of these critical assessments. Ebay’s complicity in protecting sellers who generate substantial fees is evident. The broader implication is that online marketplaces are often unreliable sources for judging product quality, especially for performance enhancement devices.
Corroborating this feedback manipulation, numerous buyers have voiced complaints about the removal of their legitimate negative reviews by powerful eBay sellers, as evidenced in this eBay community forum: https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-Bidding-Buying/How-Powersellers-get-valid-negative-feedback-removed-And-how/td-p/23615552/page/6.
This issue is not confined to eBay; Amazon also grapples with widespread fake reviews, and instances of product pages displaying reviews irrelevant to the actual item are common.
Beyond the questionable eBay presence, information regarding the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip’s manufacturer or origin is conspicuously absent. To uncover the truth, a deeper examination of the module itself is necessary.
CASE / PACKAGING ANALYSIS
Alt text: Spitfire Tuning chip product packaging and module view, showing a slim box design unlike typical blister packs, prompting initial questions about legitimacy.
The Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip’s packaging deviates from the typical NitroOBD clear blister pack and the solid square boxes seen with other scam modules like the Powertune Engine Tuning module. Its slimmer, smaller box raises a fleeting question: Could this module be genuinely different?
While the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip adopts the familiar shape of previous light blinker scams, the crucial question remains: Does its internal functionality differ?
Examining the manufacturer’s performance claims reveals familiar patterns of exaggeration. The advertised horsepower gains, boasting an improbable +63HP increase on a Ford Mustang, align with the inflated claims characteristic of light blinker scam chips.
Alt text: Spitfire Tuning advertisement showcasing fabricated dyno results for a Ford Mustang, falsely claiming a 63HP gain, typical of performance chip scams.
Such outlandish power gains are immediately suspicious. Furthermore, the inclusion of a “guarantee” statement, common among these scams, raises skepticism. If the product genuinely delivered on its promises, the necessity of such a guarantee becomes questionable.
Alt text: Spitfire Tuning guarantee claim, a common tactic used by scam sellers to project legitimacy while offering little real protection to buyers.
Echoing previous scam chip tactics, the seller asserts that the Spitfire module is pre-programmed for the buyer’s specific vehicle.
Alt text: Spitfire Tuning marketing claim stating ‘custom programmed’ performance chip for individual vehicles, a deceptive tactic for a generic product.
This “custom programming” claim is immediately undermined by the simultaneous assertion of universal compatibility with all vehicles manufactured since 1996—a recurring red flag in the realm of OBD2 tuning scams.
Alt text: Spitfire Tuning’s contradictory claim of both custom programming and universal compatibility with all post-1996 vehicles, revealing a fundamental flaw in their marketing.
COST ANALYSIS
The Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip is priced at $58.49 on eBay. If it were a genuine performance enhancement module, this price point might be considered reasonable. However, given the mounting evidence, our suspicion leans heavily towards it being another iteration of the overpriced Nitro-obd light blinker scam, originating from China and worth only a fraction of the asking price. To confirm these suspicions, an internal examination of the module is essential.
INTERNAL ANALYSIS: CIRCUIT BOARD REVELATION
Upon acquiring and disassembling the Spitfire Tuning performance chip, our initial fears were immediately validated. The internal circuit board design was unmistakably familiar – the hallmark of the Nitro-obd light blinker scam.
Alt text: Top-down view of the Spitfire Tuning performance chip circuit board, revealing a simplistic design characteristic of OBD2 light blinker scams.
Direct comparison between the Spitfire Tuning circuit board and the notorious Nitro-obd light blinker scam board confirms their shared identity.
Alt text: Side-by-side comparison of Nitro OBD2 scam circuit board and Spitfire Tuning chip board, highlighting identical design and components, confirming Spitfire as another variant of the scam.
The sole discernible difference, beyond minor component repositioning, lies in the LED colors. The Nitro-obd scam chip typically employs red, red, and green LEDs, while the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip utilizes yellow, red, and red LEDs. This subtle alteration is a deceptive tactic to superficially differentiate it from the widely recognized Nitro-OBD scam.
Further scrutiny reveals that the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip circuit board closely resembles more recent scam chips, particularly the Thorton Chip scam. Comparison leaves no doubt – it’s essentially the same cheap, fraudulent product originating from China.
Alt text: Circuit board comparison of Spitfire Tuning and Thorton Performance Chips, demonstrating identical component layout and parts, proving they originate from the same Chinese manufacturer.
The boards are virtually indistinguishable, with identical components and placement, indicating a shared manufacturer in China. As previously established, the Thorton Chip scam (also known as the OBDII CAT chip) originates directly from China, with minimal effort even to alter packaging or chip design. The Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip mirrors the Thorton chip scam internally, even down to the LED light colors (orange, red, red) – only the external logo and plastic case are cosmetically modified. This reinforces the conclusion that it’s another cheaply produced light blinker, costing mere dollars.
The evidence overwhelmingly points to the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip being another iteration of the Nitro-obd light blinker scam. While previous Nitro-OBD scams utilized the PIC16F59 microprocessor, we investigated the microprocessor (MCU) within the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip.
Alt text: Microcontroller Unit (MCU) comparison between Nitro OBD scam module and Spitfire Tuning chip, both using the PIC16F59, confirming shared scam architecture.
As anticipated, the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip employs the same PIC16F59 microprocessor found in previous Nitro-obd light blinker scams. This isn’t surprising but further solidifies its fraudulent nature. This MCU possesses insufficient memory to store legitimate tuning maps, necessitating a far simpler program, such as a light blinker sequence. This discovery further undermines any credibility of the Spitfire chip as a genuine tuning device. The “spitfire” name is clearly not indicative of any performance “bliss.”
The Spitfire tuning performance chip shares identical components with the original Nitro-OBD scam chip. The seller’s claim of compatibility with all gasoline vehicles from 1996 onward further supports its universal, one-size-fits-all scam nature.
Based on this comprehensive analysis, it’s unequivocally clear that the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip is not what it purports to be. Our initial suspicions were accurate – it’s simply another rebranded light flasher scam, distinguished only by cosmetic variations in case color, LED lights, and logo.
To provide practical verification, we installed the Spitfire Tuning chip in our test vehicle and drove as instructed. The result was entirely predictable: no discernible performance changes whatsoever – only the expected blinking lights.
BENCH TEST: BLINK PATTERN CONFIRMATION
To definitively confirm that the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip’s internal programming mirrors that of verified Nitro OBD scams, we conducted a real-time bench test. We connected both the original Nitro OBD scam module and the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip to a 12V power supply and observed their LED blink patterns.
Alt text: Bench test comparison of Nitro OBD2 and Spitfire Tuning chips, visually demonstrating identical LED blinking patterns, proving shared programming and scam nature.
For visual confirmation of the identical blink patterns, the bench test video is available here: https://youtu.be/9leJ3cI7uuA.
Both the Nitro OBD tuning scam module and the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip exhibited precisely the same LED blink rate. This conclusive evidence confirms identical programming, blinking intervals, and ultimately, the same scam—albeit with minor cosmetic alterations.
CONCLUSION: SAVE YOUR MONEY
Our thorough research and testing definitively conclude that the Spitfire Tuning Performance Chip is merely another iteration of light-blinking scam devices, joining the ranks of NitroOBD and SuperOBD. Our initial assessment was correct: the Spitfire chip is utterly worthless. Don’t waste your hard-earned money on this product. You’d be better off investing in a bag of potato chips!
The Truth About Performance Chips
If, despite this overwhelming evidence, you still contemplate purchasing this product, consider this our final word:
Alt text: Image macro expressing disbelief and questioning the logic of considering purchasing a proven scam product like the Spitfire Tuning chip.
