The engine in all modern vehicles is controlled electronically by an ECU, which is constantly processing formation received from a multitude of sensors. The engine’s fuelling, ignition timing, boost if applicable, torque values, etc, are all calibrated within the ECU code based on the conditions in which the vehicle is being used, its altitude, the quality of the fuel in its tank, and so on. Together with the sensor information the relevant tables, or ‘maps’, are used to keep the engine running at optimal performance – whether it is being asked to deliver high or low output.
ECUs are increasingly complex and every new generation that ECU manufacturers (typically BOSCH, Siemens, Delphi, Magnetti Marelli, Denso and others) produce requires a deeper understanding of the strategy that has been employed.
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When a manufacturer develops a new car they have to take into consideration all of the conditions it may be subjected to in all of the regions in which they intend to sell this model. This means instead of just optimising the ECU’s program or ‘map’ to deliver the best performance or the most fuel efficiency they have to make compromises to the map to take into account these potential differing operating conditions. These could include sub-standard fuels, extremes in temperature and altitude, differing emission laws and even the possibility that vehicle may not be serviced on a regular basis and in accordance with the manufacturers recommended instructions.
ECU remapping is taking a read from the ECU’s processing chip of the vehicles standard compromised map and adjusting various parameters within the map such as fuel pressure, boost pressure (on turbocharged applications) ignition advance and throttle pedal control amongst others to release the true performance from the engine. It is a completely safe process as it is just giving the engine the performance it should have had in the first place before all the compromises were applied to the original programming. Every engine will have its own unique map and by adjusting this we can fine tune the characteristics of the engine; unleashing more power and in many cases reduce fuel consumption too.
ECU programming will not only improve the engines power and torque figures, it will also sharpen the throttle response and widen the power-band. This will make the power delivery a lot more linear, which in turn will make the vehicle feel livelier to drive and the engine more flexible. Frequently, the vehicle’s power output is restricted by the manufacturer for no other reason than to ensure that it fits into a class to suit fleet buyers. As a driving enthusiast, you do not need or want such restrictions placed upon your vehicle’s ECU, so with a conversion you can benefit from the hidden power and torque locked away within your engine management system.
The other main benefit of remapping will be a reduction in fuel consumption. With the extra torque - especially at the bottom of the rev range - you will see a fuel saving as it will require less throttle input to maintain motorway speeds; you can drive in a higher gear at a slower speed; and the additional power is especially useful when fully laden, towing, or on gradients.
Many see the modern crop of Turbocharged diesels as the future of road car's chip tuning. Even in North America, a nation famed for its love of the petrol engine is starting to come around to the benefits of turbo diesel passenger cars in particular. These engines offer fantastic potential for reliable low cost tuning without removing any of the appeal of buying and running a turbo diesel powered vehicle, such as economy, reliability and longevity.
Turbocharged petrol engines have always been regarded as the sports flagship engine for good reason. They boast far higher power & torque figures than a non-turbocharged power-plant with similar displacement and are usually fitted to the manufacturer's flagship models. They are also ideal candidates for programming as the ECU also controls the wastegate (turbo boost pressure control).
Normally aspirated petrol engines aren’t the easiest to tune, can still benefit from a 10-15% power increase with added torque by careful reprogramming of various engine parameters. Fuel and ignition mapping can be fine-tuned, and on some engines the camshaft timing can also be subtly improved to gain power.
In many cases, after-market hardware such as free-flowing exhausts, high-flow air filters, and reprofiled camshafts can only be fully exploited to gain power once the ECU calibration has been altered to suit. The use of high-octane fuel can also be exploited by mapping for more ignition advance.
When we remap a vehicle, especially when fuel saving is the priority, we focus on improving low-end torque and widening the power delivery as far as possible.
The torque improvements lead to lower throttle openings at cruising speeds, when fully laden, or on a gradient. It also allows for the use of higher gears at slower speeds, and fewer gear changes overall.
These factors, combined with an adjustment in driving style to maximise the power characteristics, will see an improvement in in fuel consumption. On turbo diesel applications it can be as high as 20%.
We do not change any hardware in your vehicle, we just modify the operating parameters in the ECU’s program or ‘map’. In many cases the map stored on the ECU’s processor can be accessed via the on-board diagnostics port (OBD) in the vehicle, normally found under the dashboard. In some newer models the ECU will have to be removed from the vehicle and the casing opened, our technicians will then use specialist tools to read the original map straight from the processing chip.
The technician will then upload the original map to our map writing team who will adjust the parameters to maximise the performance, fuel economy or a clever blend of both. Depending on the vehicle and ECU type the chip tuning process can take under an hour and if at any time you wish to return your vehicles ECU to its original default settings, this can be done easily and free of charge as we always keep a copy of the original software as a backup.