#CAR TUNING MAGAZINE DRIVER#

When cars are developed engineers spend hours testing on and off track and in all kinds of conditions. Increased power can put more of a strain on a vehicle’s engine, clutch, brakes and tyres. Once your car has been remapped you may need to buy higher octane fuel, which is typically more expensive. Worse fuel economyĪn increase in engine power usually comes at the expense of higher fuel consumption.

#CAR TUNING MAGAZINE DRIVER#

This may not be such a concern if you driver an older vehicle out of warranty. If you choose to get an engine remap that isn’t approved by a manufacturer or approved dealership, your car warranty may be invalidated.

Related: 11 things which could invalidate your car insurance Warranty voided.

If they’re happy to continue insuring you to drive the vehicle, it may result in a higher premium and a policy change fee. Engine remapping: causes for concern Car insuranceĪs with any vehicle modification, you’ll have to declare engine remapping to your car insurance provider. So, remapping an engine can result in a horsepower boost, increased torque, improved fuel economy, better throttle response, smoother power delivery and safer overtaking, but it's not all good news. Normally aspirated (non turbo) petrol engines can still benefit from remapping, but the results are less impressive. Turbocharged engines – both petrol and diesel – are the perfect engines for chip tuning, and the process can also be used in vans and trucks. Some companies also offer automatic gearbox remapping, which increases shift response times, and alters the up-shift and down-shift points.

More expensive performance-enhancing remaps will probably require hardware upgrades and replacement engine parts, such as a new turbocharger. The increase in torque will mean fewer gear changes and accelerator pedal movement, thus improving MPG and driveability.

For instance, there might be an economy version designed to improve fuel efficiency. Types of remappingĭepending on who you approach, you're likely to be offered various types of remapping, or engine tuning. There will be an immediate improvement in the speed and power of a car and the engine will also be more responsive. It can take just minutes to overwrite an ECU's default settings with new ones programmed to enhance a car’s overall performance. OBD ports are also used to remap engines. These can be accessed via on-board diagnostic (OBD) ports which allow mechanics to connect a laptop to the ECU to analyse problems. Towards the end of the 20th Century, car makers started fitting ECU units to cars. It also enables manufacturers to launch economy and performance versions of the same model. This might be to extend the life of the car, to aid reliability or limit emissions. Remapping a car is a quick and relatively cost-effective process that involves adjusting (or replacing) microchips in a car’s ECU to overwrite the manufacturer’s factory settings.Īn ECU is set to limit a car’s performance capabilities. From the dawn of motoring, enthusiasts have boosted the performance of their cars by tuning engines, tweaking handling, and adding aerodynamic aids such as spoilersĮngine remapping, sometimes known as ‘chipping ’, is a modern way of increasing a car’s performance by modifying its onboard computer, which is known as an electronic control unit, or ECU.

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