Do Thorton Performance Chips Work? (Reviews + Install Guide)
Some people swear by it. With new gadgets like this, you will find both skeptical people and fanatics. The latter will swear that they have improved their mpg to miraculous heights while others do not see the same results. This chip is in that category.
The advertising is nice and the company makes some really great claims. However, the more horsepower you get, the more fuel you have to use so claiming you get better gas mileage at a higher HP is a bit confusing and contradictory.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about before you rush out and buy this miracle chip. There are more skeptics than there are fanatics and results will vary depending on your engine and driving style.
Does Thorton Chip Tuning Work?
When you get into modern technology for your vehicle, you really have to be careful. While Thornton seems to be a reputable company, there are many knockoffs of this technology that you may end up with something that only flashes a few lights and does nothing else.
According to their website, there are many happy customers who have reported great results in higher MOG as well as higher HP. Outside of their website, the answer is no it does not work.
One reason given was that it takes special equipment and trained personnel to alter the performance map in any given engine. It is impossible to do this ‘on the fly’ through a chip.
We are checking the website when we see claims by these review websites that say there are no dyno reports on the Thronton website. There isn’t and it is hard to comprehend that adding more fuel to the engine will increase your MPG.
The reality is the more fuel you add to get more HP, the lower the MPG as you are using more fuel not less. The other claim that has been refuted is that Thornton said that their chip works on every inline 4, 6, & 8 cylinder motor.
Since all engines are built differently, it is impossible to build one chip to handle all the differences and produce the same results. The company seems to have designed its chip and box to look exactly like a known SuperOBD scam chip.
That is a big red flag right there. Another is their claim that it will work on any engine no matter if it is a 4, 6, or 8-cylinder model. However, in their answer to this exact question, the company states “Be sure to select the correct Make, Model, and engine of your vehicle when purchasing.”
Either it is universal or it is not.
Is Thorton Chip Tuning Any Good?
If you listen to those people who make the claim that they got a boost in MPG and HP, then you would think that the chip is very good. However, those claims may only be results influenced by wishful and hopeful thinking as one does not want to feel like they have been scammed.
We are seeing a lot of red flags about this chip on their website. Their web pages are few in number and do not connect to any verifiable data done by objective third parties.
Another red flag is their review page. It is almost perfect as it registers a 4.9-star rating with 94% 5-star reviews and only 6% 4-star reviews. Nothing is that perfect and even Amazon records 1 and 2-star reviews even if they are questionable reviews.
But in looking at the review web page you would get the idea that this group of ‘engineers’ found a way to make the perfect product. Then there is this statement on the company’s home page- “drive to unleash hidden power!”
This is like saying use this code to unlock hidden messages in the Bible. Where is this hidden power and why can’t legitimate car makers find it and unleash it for their customers?
One would think that if there was hidden power in your engine, those carmakers would unleash it as it would bring them far more customers than they have right now.
Another red flag is why do all 3 levels of the chip look exactly the same? It is something worth investigating.
Reviews on Thorton Chip Tuning
The reviews you read will depend on which website you go to. If you only read the reviews on the Thorton website, you will feel so good that you won’t wait and order your chip before finishing the review page.
Those reviews are so sugary, you will get a few cavities in your teeth. When you go to actual review pages and one is found here and another is found here, you will find a totally different story.
Mixed reviews are found in this discussion forum. The Thorton website reminds us of the many MLM websites we have seen over the years. Lots of hype, lots of positive and unrealistic claims, and lots of flashy designs, graphs, etc.
Yet, no substance and no legitimate studies to back up their word. We have seen websites like this for many years and no one has ever produced any data that verify any claim the company or their onsite reviewers make about the performance of the product.
This is a big red flag as why should anyone take the word of the company that wants to make money off of you? They have to have more to prove their word is reliable and honest and this company does not provide it.
Then why would you take the word of reviewers on their website when those reviewers are only rehashing the same claims made by the company and nothing constructive or critical is said? It is all repetitive nonsense that the company has already said on its home page.
There is no sense to do either especially when the claims go against normal engineering facts.
How To Install a Thorton Chip
According to the company website, this is just a plug N play chip. You keep your engine off and plug it into the OBD2 port and it starts to work right away. Here is what the company has to say about this installation:
“Once our performance tuning chip is plugged into your OBD2 port it starts remapping your Electronic Control Unit(ECU).” “Our chip does not permanently change any factory settings. To change back simply unplug the tuning chip from the OBD2 port.”
“60 Second Installation. No Tools or Wiring are Needed. The Thorton Performance chip does not take any special skills to install.” This last one we will agree with as it probably does not take any special tools or skills to plug in a chip.
The other two statements, well, take them with a large grain of salt. One has to wonder why the automakers did not guard against this installation when they made their ECU units since it will make them look bad.
These chips are supposed to have been around for some time and using common sense one would think the automakers would either tap into this hidden power by now or stop third-party companies like Thorton from developing products to do what they do not do.
Thorton Chip Tuning Install Tips
As far as we can tell, the only tip you need is to make sure the engine is turned off before you plug in this chip. As you just read, you do not need special skills, special tools, or even special hand positions to install this chip.
It goes into the port like you would plug in a toaster to a wall outlet. The company says: “Tuning chip will adjust itself to your vehicle’s engine, and your driving habits and continues to remap the ECU for optimal performance and fuel consumption.”
We would like to know how it does that especially since this chip is not very large. Unfortunately, the company does not provide any data on how this chip is programmed to quickly change your ECU’s mapping and miraculously lets it return to default settings when you unplug it.
There is just too much missing in formation and other data to believe this chip is the miracle worker the company says it is. One person said- “There are lots of variables..... it depends on the engine, vehicle, and the goals of the intended tune.”
That is not what the company says about its product.
Some Final Words
If you want to try this chip out, start with the level one option. That way you will only lose $30. We say that because despite the advertised lifetime warranty, here is what the company says about returns- “Our policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately, we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.”
Order at your own risk because nothing smells right about this chip or company. It is more smoke and mirrors than anything else.
