The internet is awash with promises of easy horsepower and improved fuel economy, often delivered through simple plug-in devices. One such device, the Super OBD2 Chip Tuning Box, claims to remap your car’s ECU and boost performance. But does it live up to the hype, or is it just another scam preying on car enthusiasts? Before diving into our analysis of the SuperOBD performance chip, we highly recommend reviewing quarkslab’s detailed reverse engineering of the infamous Nitro OBD2 performance chip scam to understand the broader context of these deceptive devices: https://blog.quarkslab.com/reverse-engineering-of-the-nitro-obd2.html. This prior investigation sheds light on the tactics employed by manufacturers of these misleading products.
The Nitro OBD2 scam has been rampant online for years, spawning numerous imitations with different colors and branding. Understanding the Nitro OBD2 deception is crucial as we delve into the SuperOBD. This article will dissect the SuperOBD performance chip, revealing its inner workings and determining if it’s a legitimate performance enhancer or simply a rebranded version of the Nitro OBD2 hoax. To gain further insight into the Nitro-OBD scam and its various iterations, we encourage you to watch these revealing YouTube videos: 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.
SuperOBD2 Tuning Chip: Scam Analysis and Reverse Engineering
Our investigation focuses on reverse engineering and analyzing the “SuperOBD2 Tuning Chip” to ascertain whether it delivers on its advertised promises of performance enhancement.
The Amazon product description for the SuperOBD2 boasts impressive capabilities: “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.”
Despite these bold claims, online testimonials are divided, with some users reporting positive experiences while many others declare it a complete fabrication. To resolve this ambiguity, we decided to conduct our own reverse engineering analysis. One immediate red flag is the assertion that it “fits all cars from the year 1996.” Legitimate ECU tuning is typically vehicle-specific, tailored to the unique engine management system of each car model. A universal solution for such a wide range of vehicles raises serious doubts.
SuperOBD2 Performance Chip product listing on Amazon, highlighting its performance enhancement claims and ease of use.
Cost Discrepancies: Amazon vs. AliExpress
The SuperOBD2 Tuning Chip is listed on Amazon for approximately $35.94. However, further investigation on the Chinese wholesale website AliExpress reveals a significantly lower price point of just $1.97 when purchased directly from the manufacturer.
SuperOBD Tuning Box product page on AliExpress, showcasing the significantly reduced price compared to Amazon listings.
This massive price difference, coupled with the prominent “Nitro OBD” mention in the AliExpress product title, strongly suggests a connection to the Nitro OBD scam chips, which are also predominantly manufactured in China. The question then becomes: how closely related are the SuperOBD and Nitro OBD scams?
Packaging and Installation: Striking Similarities to Nitro OBD2 Scam
Often, the most revealing clues are hidden in plain sight. The SuperOBD chiptuning box comes in a simple paper box with installation instructions printed on the back.
SuperOBD packaging and installation instructions, displaying a straightforward plug-and-play process.
Pay close attention to the installation steps. Now, compare them to the installation steps provided for the notorious NitroOBD tuning chip scam. Do you notice any similarities?
Nitro OBD2 scam installation steps, revealing an almost identical procedure to the SuperOBD, raising immediate suspicion.
The installation procedures are nearly IDENTICAL. This striking resemblance immediately raises a red flag. As the saying goes, “If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…”
Internal Circuit Board Analysis: Identical to the Nitro OBD Scam
To delve deeper, we acquired a Super OBD2 OBDII Chiptuning box and disassembled its plastic casing. The internal components revealed a startling truth: the circuit board was virtually identical to that of the confirmed Nitro OBD scam chip.
The circuit board of the verified Nitro OBD scam chip, as analyzed by manocao (mhhauto.com forum):
Analysis of a Nitro OBD circuit board, highlighting its simplistic design and basic components.
The circuit board from the SUPER OBD2 Tuning Box we examined:
Bottom view of the SUPER OBD2 circuit board, showing a striking similarity in layout and components to the Nitro OBD.
Detailed internal analysis of the Super OBD2 circuit board, confirming the identical component selection and arrangement as the Nitro OBD scam.
Both circuit boards feature three surface-mounted LEDs, a diode purportedly for “circuit protection,” and a 5V surface-mounted voltage regulator. Of particular concern is the presence of the PIC16F59 microcontroller chip, previously identified in numerous exposés of the Nitro OBD tuning box scam. The PIC16F59, manufactured by Microchip, a US-based company, has a minuscule memory capacity of only 3KB.
PIC16F59 microcontroller specifications, emphasizing its limited 3KB memory capacity, insufficient for storing полноценные vehicle ECU maps.
This meager memory size is woefully inadequate to store the complex vehicle map tables required for genuine ECU remapping, as claimed by the manufacturer. Legitimate vehicle maps typically range from 512KB upwards, depending on the vehicle’s make, model, and configuration. More information on ECU tuning file formats can be found here: https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/69265/ecu-tune-file-formats.
While the PIC16F59’s limited memory precludes it from holding vehicle map data, it is perfectly capable of executing a simple LED flashing routine. This aligns precisely with the confirmed functionality of the NITRO OBD – a mere light flasher. These observations strongly indicate that the SUPER OBD2 OBDII Chiptuning Box is simply another iteration of the NITRO OBD light flasher scam, albeit with the addition of a reset button – a purely cosmetic upgrade. The manufacturer even draws a direct comparison to its predecessor, the Nitro OBD Tuning box:
Aliexpress product comparison highlighting the addition of a reset button on the SuperOBD, a superficial change masking the underlying scam.
Real-World Testing and LED Blink Analysis: Confirming the Scam
To validate our findings, we installed the Super OBDII Box in a vehicle and drove it for approximately three weeks, meticulously tracking fuel consumption and performance across multiple refueling cycles. Our observations revealed absolutely no discernible difference in fuel economy, performance, or any other aspect of vehicle behavior.
To further solidify the conclusion that the microprocessor’s programming is identical to the Nitro OBD scam, we powered both modules using a 12V power supply on a bench and meticulously compared the blink intervals of their LEDs.
Side-by-side blink test comparison of Nitro OBD (left) and SuperOBD (right), visually demonstrating identical LED flashing patterns.
Watch the blink test video here: https://youtu.be/NzdWdQw2UpQ
Remarkably, both the Nitro OBD tuning scam (left) and the SUPER OBD2 Tuning Box (right) exhibited EXACTLY the same LED blinking interval. Identical circuit board components, identical blinking patterns – the evidence overwhelmingly confirms that the SuperOBD is simply a rebranded Nitro OBD scam.
Conclusion: Super OBD2 – Just Another Nitro OBD Scam
Our comprehensive research and testing definitively conclude that the SUPER OBDII OBD2 Chiptuning Box is nothing more than a repackaged Nitro OBD scam. It’s a decorative light blinker masquerading as a performance enhancer. Don’t waste your hard-earned money on this elaborate light show!
Different circuit board versions of the same core scam have also surfaced, as shown in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB810U7j77k.
If, despite this overwhelming evidence, you are still contemplating purchasing this product, we can only offer this final, exasperated response:
