Engine remapping

[Teutone]

What baffles me with this remapping and chipping engines is why don't the manufacturers do this from new if it is so good to have done , or do they think it is detrimental to the vehicle?

I have a friend who is clued up with engine management etc. He told me:

A) Manufacturer has to comply with emmission laws and variations between production engines.

B) As a manufacturer you have to keep it 110% save, not only 100% (there are some owners out there which don't care about how long their engine will function and just floor it all the time)

C) To achieve EURO 3 or 4 emmissions the engine has to be OVERfuelled in certain conditions. Sounds bizarre but it's the way they do it. This is mostly where the fuel savings come from (didn't understand all of his explanations but to cool / heat things up in the combustion process they overfuel in certain conditions to keep HC in check which creates some a lot of sud etc. hence we suddenly needed particle filters which nicely collect all the stuff just to dump it in one big load now and then when you floor it).

So basically they need to map an engine not for best possible economy and power, they have to comply with emmission laws

-If the chap who remaps your engine is good, he will not push it too far and just iron the little concessions out and raise the boost level and fueling a little bit (whic in the process is acutally making your emmission not compliant but in the UK nobody is checking this anyway)

-If the chap who remaps your engine is not very good, he may just set some safety parameters higher (i.e. max inlet air temperature) and risk some damage longterm.

Rule of thumb, if it smokes too much when you put your foot down, it could be not too good. Especially on full throttle. Loads of diesel injected --> high temperature --> melt melt.

It varies a lot from engine / manufacturer to the other.

Some manufactureres "detune" an engine to create a "smaller" engine for marketing reasons. Some cars/engines are physically completely similar but mapped different to create 2 different models.
So if you are the lucky one having the "smaller" engine version, all they do is to put the software of the "bigger" engine in your ECU (and maybe a little bit more) and job done!

But there is a lot more to it that I can't explain.

 

[Val54]

Simply put, if you use a plugin module to boost performance, then it will be obvious to any dealer that the manufacturer's spec has been changed. If you go down the remap route with a reputable firm, the software changes in the ecu will not be visible to the dealer as all the manufacturer's codes and error reports remain as original, so it is highly unlikely that a quality remap will figure as a cause in any accident or warranty claim. My experience is that insurers are not concerned with modest motorhome remaps, knowing that it is usually done to increase torque or mpg and not for top speed. Comfort didn't charge me anything but I know of others who ask for an administration fee £10-20. As for the manufacturer's position, Fiat currently produce the 2.3 unit in 110, 130 and 150 bhp variants achieved through tweaking the electronics not the engine or drivetrain components.

 

[yorkieowl]

Just don't have an accident then the ECU will retain all history and should anyone check your insurance declared invalid due to modifications

Alf

Wrong. We had our ducato 2.8JTD remapped about three years ago, we checked with insurance first to see if it made a difference to premiums etc, they said so long as you inform them it's fine, (Safeguard). We get 28mpg on average, but had it done as lacking slightly in power, now much better.

 

[Wooie1958]

Wrong. We had our ducato 2.8JTD remapped about three years ago, we checked with insurance first to see if it made a difference to premiums etc, they said so long as you inform them it's fine, (Safeguard). We get 28mpg on average, but had it done as lacking slightly in power, now much better.

Same experience here, i fitted one of these :- EXPERT ENGINE TUNING 6 years back now to our van a Boxer 2.8HDi ( same engine ).

Fully adjustable so you can alter it at will until you get the settings that suit " You " best, because everyone is different and drives differently.

Informed Insurance straight away and it didn`t alter the premium at all.

It is now much more relaxed to drive with no where near as many gear changes and it`s slightly better on the M.P.G.

 

[Deleted member 5816]

As you say your insurance said it WAS fine as long as you notify them as I stated so where was I wrong

Alf

Wrong. We had our ducato 2.8JTD remapped about three years ago, we checked with insurance first to see if it made a difference to premiums etc, they said so long as you inform them it's fine, (Safeguard). We get 28mpg on average, but had it done as lacking slightly in power, now much better.

 

[maxsdad]

engine chip

Rapido give an additional 3kg in vehicle weight for the Fiat 130 -150 bhp upgrade but no details of why. Maybe a bigger turbo or uprated components.

 

[BambiOwner]

What is re-mapping and would it do me any good to have it done.
I have a 54 Diesel 2.2 Peugeot when I drive her there is always plenty of power and when I drive up bird lip hill I have only ever had to change down to 3rd when there are lorries in front. I do not know the fuel comsumption because I have never bothered to check it all I do is put fuel in when the gauge goes below half full I am not rich but I have always lived by the saying if you can afford the wheels then you can afford the fuel but if by re-mapping I could save a little so that my wife can by some new stockings or some thing then I would be happy because she would be happy.

 

[666jw]

What is re-mapping and would it do me any good to have it done.
I have a 54 Diesel 2.2 Peugeot when I drive her there is always plenty of power and when I drive up bird lip hill I have only ever had to change down to 3rd when there are lorries in front. I do not know the fuel comsumption because I have never bothered to check it all I do is put fuel in when the gauge goes below half full I am not rich but I have always lived by the saying if you can afford the wheels then you can afford the fuel but if by re-mapping I could save a little so that my wife can by some new stockings or some thing then I would be happy because she would be happy.

I would also be a happy man, if my wife bought some stockings

 

[Val54]

"Rapido give an additional 3kg in vehicle weight for the Fiat 130 -150 bhp upgrade but no details of why. Maybe a bigger turbo or uprated components."

Not sure why the Rapido gains 3kg, the same upgrade on a Chausson does not change the kerb weight.

 

[rugbyken]

at the NEC the other week i asked the rep why they were listing the 2.3 as 150BHP when my present van was only 130BHP for a 2.3 its the way its set up now he said specially for the motorhome chassis, sounds as though they are chipping them now because thats wha my reading became after chipping, i understood at the time that a normal van engine is set up to run fully loaded or empty an optimum set up between both conditions , but since we are almost fully loaded most of the time they can set the timing to suit.

 

[mark61]

2.3 comes as a 110, 130 and 150 available in any body. Not just MH. The 150 differs because it has a variable geometry turbo, so its not just down to trickery with the ECU.

 

[waddington]

Remapping

Hi I was going to have my new Chausson Remapped, last summer the engine went bang, the engine had only done 2500 miles, the FIAT Dealer that did the repair said if it had been remapped FIAT would not have touched it and I would have had a Bill for around £10000.

 

[Teutone]

Hi I was going to have my new Chausson Remapped, last summer the engine went bang, the engine had only done 2500 miles, the FIAT Dealer that did the repair said if it had been remapped FIAT would not have touched it and I would have had a Bill for around £10000.

I think it doesn't need to be said that if you change anything on a vehicle under warranty, you will void it.

 

[David & Ann]

I am speaking as a person who has no knowledge about engines. This is how I see it from information given to me at the time of having my engine "Chipped".
I had my Fiat 2.8 JTD "chipped" some 3/4 years ago. It gives me an extra 30/35 BHP, great from moving up the gears and for hills/gradients. The chipping I had done was called a TUNIT external connection which can be removed at any time you wish. He set mine 7 on the dial. It runs great and climbs brilliantly. Now, it does not make your MH going any faster. It does not use extra gas/diesel or improves on consumption. The only advantage is that you shift up the gears faster (speed wise) and you have a lot more torque. The cost at the time was £ 350 (I think) ☺☺☺

 

[Goaskalys]

I have a 2ltr diesel engined Ford Tranny and once told at the Ford dealers that i couldn't get it remapped. Does anyone know if that's right, as I'd like to get the highest fuel consumption I can out of it. Not worried about boy racer performance!

 

[sparrks]

I have a 2ltr diesel engined Ford Tranny and once told at the Ford dealers that i couldn't get it remapped. Does anyone know if that's right, as I'd like to get the highest fuel consumption I can out of it. Not worried about boy racer performance!

or even the highest fuel economy

 

[Wooie1958]

I have a 2ltr diesel engined Ford Tranny and once told at the Ford dealers that i couldn't get it remapped. Does anyone know if that's right, as I'd like to get the highest fuel consumption I can out of it. Not worried about boy racer performance!

I have one of these :- Energy Tuning UK

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