The internet is awash with promises of easy horsepower gains and improved fuel economy, often delivered through simple plug-in devices marketed as OBD2 performance chips. Among these, the Super Obd2 Chip Tuning Box has emerged, claiming to magically remap your car’s ECU for enhanced performance. But does this device live up to the hype, or is it just another iteration of a well-known automotive scam? As experts at techcarusa.com, we’ve delved deep into the Super OBD2 to uncover the truth behind its claims, and what we found is strikingly familiar – and deeply concerning.
Before we proceed, it’s crucial to understand the landscape of OBD2 performance chip scams. Quarkslab’s detailed reverse engineering of the infamous Nitro OBD2 performance chip (https://blog.quarkslab.com/reverse-engineering-of-the-nitro-obd2.html) serves as essential background reading. This prior investigation exposed the Nitro OBD2 as a fraudulent device, and our analysis reveals a disturbing pattern of replication with the Super OBD2. Numerous videos on YouTube (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) further demonstrate the Nitro-OBD scam and its various guises.
Our focus here is the SuperOBD performance chip, dissecting its claims and internal workings to determine if it delivers genuine performance enhancement or is simply another deceptive product preying on unsuspecting car enthusiasts.
Decoding the Super OBD2 Sales Pitch
The Amazon product page for the SuperOBD2 Tuning Chip boldly proclaims: “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 remaping 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 remaping 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 makes several enticing promises: increased engine performance through ECU remapping, adaptation to driving habits, and universal compatibility with cars from 1996 onwards. However, seasoned automotive experts know that legitimate ECU tuning is far more complex and vehicle-specific. The claim of “fits all cars from 1996” immediately raises a red flag. Genuine performance tuning often requires custom adjustments tailored to the precise make, model, and engine configuration of a vehicle.
The Price Tells a Story: Amazon vs. Aliexpress
The SuperOBD2 Tuning Chip, as seen on Amazon, carries a price tag of $35.94. While not exorbitant, it’s a significant amount if it delivers on its performance promises. However, a quick search on Aliexpress, a popular online marketplace for overseas goods, reveals a drastically different price point. Directly from manufacturers in China, the Super OBD Tuning Box is available for as little as $1.97.
This massive price discrepancy is a major indicator of concern. Legitimate performance parts, especially those involving sophisticated ECU remapping, typically involve research, development, and quality manufacturing, justifying a higher price. A tuning device selling for under $2 is highly unlikely to contain the sophisticated technology needed for real ECU modifications.
Coupled with the knowledge that the Nitro OBD scam chips, and many similar fraudulent devices, originate from China, the low Aliexpress price and the “Nitro OBD” mention in some listings strongly suggest a connection between the Super OBD Box and the Nitro OBD scam network. But how deep does this connection run?
Packaging and Instructions: Déjà Vu of the Nitro OBD Scam
Often, subtle clues can reveal the true nature of a product. In the case of the SuperOBD chiptuning box, the packaging itself offers striking similarities to known scams. The device comes in a simple paper box with installation steps printed on the reverse side.
SuperOBD Box and Install Instructions
Take a close look at these installation steps. Now, compare them to the installation instructions of the notorious Nitro OBD2 tuning chip. Notice any similarities?
Nitro OBD2 Scam Install Steps
The installation procedures are almost identical. This near-perfect replication of install steps from a known scam product is a significant warning sign. As the saying goes, “If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…”
Internal Examination: Striking Resemblance to the Nitro OBD Fraud
To definitively determine the Super OBD2’s true nature, we acquired one of these OBDII chiptuning boxes and carefully disassembled its plastic casing. What we found inside was overwhelmingly familiar – it was virtually indistinguishable from the internal components of the verified Nitro OBD scam chip.
The circuit board of a confirmed Nitro OBD scam device, analyzed by experts:
And here’s the circuit board from the SUPER OBD2 Tuning Box we examined – the similarities are undeniable:
Both circuit boards feature three surface-mounted LEDs, a diode ostensibly for “circuit protection,” and a 5V surface-mounted voltage regulator. Most alarmingly, both utilize the PIC16F59 microcontroller chip. This chip, manufactured by Microchip, a US company, has a minuscule memory capacity of only 3KB.
This memory size is woefully inadequate to store the complex vehicle map data required for genuine ECU remapping. Legitimate vehicle maps typically range from 512KB upwards, depending on the vehicle’s complexity (https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/69265/ecu-tune-file-formats). While 3KB is insufficient for tuning, it’s more than enough to house a simple program to flash LEDs – exactly what the Nitro OBD has been proven to do.
The evidence strongly suggests the SUPER OBD2 OBDII Chiptuning Box is simply another iteration of the NITRO OBD light flasher scam, perhaps with a decorative reset button added for marketing appeal. The manufacturer even draws a direct comparison to the Nitro OBD Tuning box in their promotional materials:
Real-World Testing: Zero Performance Improvement
To validate our analysis, we put the Super OBDII Box to a real-world test. We installed it in a vehicle and drove for approximately three weeks, meticulously tracking fuel consumption and monitoring for any performance changes across multiple gas fill-ups. Our observations? Absolutely no discernible difference in fuel economy, performance, or any other aspect of vehicle behavior. This real-world experience further reinforces our conclusion that the device is ineffective at modifying vehicle performance.
The Blinking LED Test: Confirming the Scam
To definitively confirm that the programming within the Super OBD2’s microcontroller is identical to the Nitro OBD scam, we conducted a side-by-side LED blink test. We connected both the Super OBDII Box and a Nitro OBD module to a 12V power supply on a test bench and recorded the blink patterns of their LEDs.
Video of Blink Test: https://youtu.be/NzdWdQw2UpQ
The results were conclusive: both the Nitro OBD scam (left) and the SUPER OBD2 Tuning Box (right) exhibited identical LED blinking intervals! Identical circuit board components, identical LED blinking patterns – the evidence points unequivocally to the same underlying scam.
Conclusion: Super OBD2 – A Scam by Another Name
Our comprehensive research and testing lead to an inescapable conclusion: the SUPER OBDII OBD2 Chiptuning Box is nothing more than a rebranded Nitro OBD scam. It’s a deceptive device designed to mimic performance enhancement through meaningless flashing lights, preying on consumers seeking easy vehicle upgrades. It’s a “fun light blinker,” as the original article aptly puts it, and a “crappy tuner” in function.
Don’t be fooled by the enticing promises and slick marketing. Save your hard-earned money and avoid this expensive light show. For further examples of this scam in different circuit board variations, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB810U7j77k.
If, despite all the evidence presented, you are still considering purchasing this product, we can only offer this final, perhaps blunt, assessment:
