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Performace ECU CHIP to increase gas mileage, horsepower, and performance??
Hello All,
I have done some research on ECU chips for the 2007 and 2008 s550 Mercedes. Unfortunately, i do not know or recognize any of these companies and i know when you change the engine configuration and tuning, that you need to go with a reputable company to avoid damage to your engine and other components. Has anyone used any of these performance chips to increase gas mileage, horsepower, etc.? I am looking to get one for my 2008 s550 4 matic and would like to be able to use it on my 2007 s550 RWD only in the long run if i decide to sell or garage my 2008 s550 4 matic due to almost having 200k miles.
QUESTION: Has anyone used or know of any good ECU performance chips that can increase my gas mileage and horsepower?
I am looking to use my car as a long-distance commuter and my 2007 RWD gets better gas mileage than my 4matic, but i am trying to keep miles low on the 2007 as it is barely over 100k. So, trying to find a way to increase gas mileage on 2008 and figured the chip upgrade would pay for itself in the long run saving gas and then i could keep my low mileage car lower and keep putting miles on my high mileage car, but freeway miles. What does everyone think?
Thanks for your time and knowledge.
Last edited by Com1ngInClutch; Jan 1, 2026 at 04:23 PM.
you get a smidge more around 2k - but most of it is in fiddling the weak TC clutch into locking up earlier and more often.... with a jarring bang
id you have $500 doing nothing and want to try, give it a go - if you think it will chnage your life it won't
a potentially better idea is to remap the throttle pedal with a box of junk - or try upsetting some of the stuff Merc left behind when they played - look for one about it by kevm14
How to improve gas mileage on the S550 4matic:
- Remove the 4-matic incl. transfer case and halfshafts (lots of work)
- When in automatic mode, regularly press the upshift button on the steering wheel while accelerating, it will upshift earlier that way.
- Replace wheels with 17" and 235/55R17 tires
- Remove the hood star (MB sells a badge to put in its place)
- Remove unneccesary weight (you decide what's neccesary)
How to improve gas mileage on the S550 4matic:
- Remove the 4-matic incl. transfer case and halfshafts (lots of work)
- When in automatic mode, regularly press the upshift button on the steering wheel while accelerating, it will upshift earlier that way.
- Replace wheels with 17" and 235/55R17 tires
- Remove the hood star (MB sells a badge to put in its place)
- Remove unneccesary weight (you decide what's neccesary)
I agree with all the above but you forgot one thing that will help the OP with the gas saving...
- Sell the S550 and buy a Toyota Camry
the best way to make a car go faster and be more economical - is to change the driver (for one that can) or learn to drive
no car needs a chip - as no car ever made used on a public road is on full throttle 100% of the time - until then the engine doesn't need touching - and the best way to be economical on fuel usage is to get to speed reasonably briskly, then maintain it - by great observation and anticipation of the lemmings in (or about to be in) the way
When driving by myself and setting the cruise control to 65 mph I can get 24-25 mpg at about 1,800 rpm. At 60 mph I can get over 26 mpg, but at both speeds it feels like a crawl!!
When driving by myself and setting the cruise control to 65 mph I can get 24-25 mpg at about 1,800 rpm. At 60 mph I can get over 26 mpg, but at both speeds it feels like a crawl!!
After 3-4 hours of 155mph; 100 feels like a crawl. That happened during peak covid on LONG drives on empty highways. Zero traffic on a straight road with 50 mile sightlines. Has never happened before or since. Nor has super unleaded been $1.59/gallon since.
I have done some research on ECU chips for the 2007 and 2008 s550 Mercedes. Unfortunately, i do not know or recognize any of these companies and i know when you change the engine configuration and tuning, that you need to go with a reputable company to avoid damage to your engine and other components. Has anyone used any of these performance chips to increase gas mileage, horsepower, etc.? I am looking to get one for my 2008 s550 4 matic and would like to be able to use it on my 2007 s550 RWD only in the long run if i decide to sell or garage my 2008 s550 4 matic due to almost having 200k miles.
QUESTION: Has anyone used or know of any good ECU performance chips that can increase my gas mileage and horsepower?
I am looking to use my car as a long-distance commuter and my 2007 RWD gets better gas mileage than my 4matic, but i am trying to keep miles low on the 2007 as it is barely over 100k. So, trying to find a way to increase gas mileage on 2008 and figured the chip upgrade would pay for itself in the long run saving gas and then i could keep my low mileage car lower and keep putting miles on my high mileage car, but freeway miles. What does everyone think?
Thanks for your time and knowledge.
If you don’t drive with heavy accelerations try to run a tank of 89 Oct gas. I have some good experience on a long highway drive with constant speed at 78 mph.
If you don’t drive with heavy accelerations try to run a tank of 89 Oct gas. I have some good experience on a long highway drive with constant speed at 78 mph.
I wish it had a decent instant fuel consumption display (updating around 2 seconds - any quicker is unusable for mpg testing) - AKA ford and the other halfwits at toyota - what I do is keep resetting the average display and it gets you something to use...
then get a low headwind, flat, smooth bit of road - (almost impossible where I drive) and always using cruise - you test what speed ranges work best for best mpg
Many cars manage great fuel use at 56 mph, my 221 as Arrie says above.... ends up doing its best consumption at higher speed then you'd expect, 78 mph will give better consumption than 65mph - strange but true, and its the same on my father's Merc tractor, that also favours speeds around 78 mph - but its becoming impossible to land as the slave masters have moved more and more roads to ave distance speed cam enforced zones to prove that democracy is well and truly dead
78mph will also be far healthier for the engine than ruining it at the too low revs you get at 65 mph
BMEP.... brake mean efective pressure - is the rev point on any given engine where the combustion pressures measured on a dyno is burning the fuel at the most optimal rate that engine can deliver - and is thus where you should get the best mpg possible
its often (based on ave engine design) around 2000 to 2600 rpm
but the reality is a few weird bits that shouldn't matter, might on the road bring small differences - but on today's flat as hell boring engines finding the point is harder, and on a turbo one with a managed 100% flat torque range, even harder to find - then add in wind resistance, tyre set up, gear ratios, torque converter lock up etc.....
I have been getting around 18 to 18.6 MPG over the 288 mile drive there and then reset on way back and its pretty much the same. Use cruise control to maintain a speed of 80 to 85. Seems slower makes me brake more or change lanes too much instead of cruising in the fast lane. I was reading that Colin Chapman thing and from what i get is that you can reduce the weight as well. I do take probably a lot of unused equipment, like extra clothing or just random stuff. Obviously streamlining my cargo would help with weight and thus improve gas MPG, but is there anything else that could be done to reduce weight that might potentially help with MPG that i do not need in the car?
Interesting take and I can see where this could go.
Well... You could swap all.the glass for perspex, gut the interior and fit a fixed carbon fibre race seat.
Remove all the wiring except the bare minimum lights and horn.
Dump the HVAC system. Remove the sunroof and replace with a carbon panel.
Just the seats would probably save 400lbs.
However turning it into a stripped out rally car kinda defeats the idea of an S Class. About all you can do is run a full load tyre pressures to minimise tyre drag and drive smoothly... Minimal acceleration or braking A defensive driving course would help with this as it teaches anticipation.
If you stress over a couple of mpg in a 4,000lb V8 car, then buy a Corolla or a diesel Jetta.
Yea that was kind of where i was at. You get the MPG because you sacrifice that for the extra comfort and speed. Appreciate the fun input though. It was a great picture to imagine taking all that out and replacing it all with plexiglass and carbon fiber. LOL.
no - the std map is designed to meet emission control and that's about it - it was never set up to allow the engine to operate at its best performance levels in all conditions - they also build in limited protection for nasty quality fuels and late servicing
if the ignition timing and fuelling is optimised for best running you will get better bang for your buck - but the gains are very small and as it drives nicer many tend to get carried away and the fuel saving gains disappear
where there's a turbo involved you can ruin a nice linear power curve - boost it to death and get significant power and torque gains - but often to the detriment of a vehicle that drives as nicely as it once did - faster but worse
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