FAQ's

HOW DOES REMAPPING WORK?

A vehicle ‘remap’ is basically the replacement of the manufacturer’s original software on the engine control unit, with new software and optimised instructions for improved overall performance. When we remap your car, the tuned software is programmed through the cars diagnostic (OBD) port. The original SW from the ECU would be read and backed up by our tuning hardware, safeguarding from any programming errors. The original software would then be replaced by an enhanced engine map, improving engine performance and in a lot of cases, also improving fuel economy.

WHY CHOOSE VEHICLE REMAPPING?

There are many reasons to choose vehicle remapping. Firstly, you will notice that your engine responds better when the accelerator is pressed. The overall torque and power will be noticeably increased throughout the rev range. Power delivery will be smoother making for a much safer and more enjoyable driving experience, which in turn also makes it easier and safer to overtake. During normal driving you will notice that your MPG is better which not only decreases the cost of fuel that you will have to pay, but it also minimizes your carbon foot print.

WHAT IS CHIP TUNING?

Vehicle diagnostics have come a long way in recent years, allowing different types of software to communicate with many different electronic aspects of a car. However the engine control unit wasn’t always programmable via the OBD (on-board diagnostics) socket. Most vehicles would have required the ECU to be removed and a specific microchip or Eprom removed from the circuit board inside for it to be reprogrammed, hence the name chip tuning. Chip tuning or ‘chipping’ has become less and less prevalent as, since 1996, OBD remapping has taken its place, enabling remapping to be done via the OBD port. We are able to work on all types of ECU, from the early EDC's requiring chip tuning, right the way through to modern MEDC17 locked tricore processor ECU's with tuner protection. We have a dedicated electronics workshop with state of the art soldering and programming equipment, so you can be sure your vehicle is in very safe hands.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF ECU REMAPPING?

Because of the process involved in ECU remapping, more fuel is going to be consumed in order to produce the increase in power. If the car is driven in an enthusiastic way, which is quite often the case after the remap has been carried out, then the fuel economy will not increase. If, however, the driver modifies their driving style to make the most of the increased power and torque throughout the rev range, then fuel economy will be increased. A good example of this could be that the improvement in torque produced by the engine after remapping, means the driver no longer has to drop down a gear to maintain speed on an incline, or may not have to change gear as frequently in traffic. All of these little things add up to an improvement in fuel economy. There are however some engines which are so restricted by the original manufactures software, that a remap specifically aimed at fuel saving can see improved performance, AS WELL as significantly more miles per tank of fuel. An example of one of the better responses from economy mapping is the FORD TRANSIT 2.2litre T260S 85bhp. This is a very common vehicle, and with an economy remap customers have reported 90-110 miles extra PER TANK!

WILL REMAPPING MY VEHICLE AFFECT MY WARRANTY?

In most cases, a manufacturer won’t be able to tell if your vehicle has been tuned. If however a manufacturer deems that the modification has caused a problem with a component of the vehicle, then that component will be excluded from the warranty coverage, rather than your whole warranty being void. Our remapping software is tested to the highest standard and will only increase the power of a vehicle to a safe level, without of course, pushing it beyond its limits. We are yet to have a customer suffer a mechanical breakdown due to the remapping process.