What's so special about a remap?

[bazibbo]

So how good is a remap?

No, really; will it take me to the top of the class, stop people kicking sand in my face on a beach, make me more attractive to the opporsite sex ... etc etc

I've just bought a Leon Cupra tdi and could only manage a day until slinging my cheap and nasty 50 quid tuning box on it. WOW, it certainly moves (ok so it smokes embarassingly!) but I knew it would as I had ithe box on my 130tdi bora for 2 years.

So back to the issue... is a remap so much better? I already get upwards of 185 bhp (even a 25% increase should do that, based on a safe guess at 150bhp), so if a remap gets me similar power, how can it be better.

I appreciate the remaps a more elegant answer, I know my cheap and nasty resister in a box is a bit inprecise(?) I know it splutters a bit at tickover but can someone tell me the real difference, the feel, the driveability etc. I know what a remap does, technically. I know how my cheepo works too.

I do actually fancy a remap, however I need to justify the cost verses my cheepo box. It ain't just about power, I know people are dangling 200bhp in front of me, it's more about how I'd feel if the only difference is less smoke and a £350 hole in my pocket..

help..

and this took me ages to type

 

[traumapat]

not sure mate as never tried the box way.

lots of chat on here about remap graphs and how the power comes in and when.

i dont think td boys get smoke to the level you have with yours.

id ring a respected tuner and ask what they think?

how exactly does your box work?

 

[devonutopia]

It's worth it - just trust me.

 

[Sisson]

Seconded....

 

[devonutopia]

I'm trying to think of a real world illustration of it.

OK, how about - You go to Comet, and see a nicish looking Alba CD player. Take it home, it plays CDs, it sounds OK and you're happy. [tenuous bit] However the CD player interferes with other electronics in the house and cuts in to your wireless internet, and suddenly your boiler stops running quite as well (this is your car... lol)

Now, go back to Comet, and spy that pretty sexy looking Kenwood separates system.... Boy, it costs a fair bit eh? But you lash out on it anyway. Get it home and set it up, and WOW, the music quality is amazing! Your Tom Jones CDs never sounded so good! [tenuous bit] The system actually doubles your wireless internet speed, and makes your boiler more efficient on gas, but yet it boils up a bathload of water in half the time. 5 years down the line and the Kenny is still going strong.

Get the picture?

 

[timbotdi]

I had a standard PD115 not so long ago... I put a 'tuning box' on it and was impressed... I then got Revo (with a pointless money back guarantee), and could not get the smile off my face...

And then I found out about Allard... D'oh! ;o)

In short, yes yes yes yes... I paid £500 for mine, and it was more than worth it then.

T
T

 

[bazibbo]

Ta Guys

I think I'll be sorting one out soonish, I think i'll go for the best driving option and loose 5 or 10 bhp off the top line, i'll talk to the pros.

I'll start saving for a clutch too, although I'll wait till the existing one's on its way out.

Future plans, 230 ponies sound about the ideal for a useable everyday family car. I see that both Jabba and Allard can get me there for reasonable cost, although the wife + 2 will have other plans.

Traumapat, the cheepo boxes simply trick the ecu into pouring more fuel in to the engine, nasty but quite a bang per buck.

 

[Cubix]

I am not sure that the gains figures that you are quoting are achievable with a tuning box alone. 175bhp maybe. I don't know a great deal about tuning boxes in all honesty BUT I do know that they are limited by the fact that they only control the fuelling and the amount of it. This is why they result in a smokey car a lot of the times.

A remap will control the fuelling but also a few other parameters centered around the boosting and turbo unit. Peak boost. Part load boost envelope, smoke limiter to name a few.

A remap is definitely the way to go for a car like yours. A 150bhp will easily go to 195-200BHP on a remap with the torque envelope set to how you want to drive on a custom map. My recommendations are to have a smooth and progressive torque graph and no standing starts at the lights to protect your clutch.

 

[Johnsey]

A tuning box will just overfuel where as a remap will alter the boost too. There's so much info on here about remaps vs tuning boxes plus more info than you could digest in one evening on the different remaps available (Revo, Forge, Custom Code etc etc). Take your pick and enjoy

 

[traumapat]

Ta Guys

I think I'll be sorting one out soonish, I think i'll go for the best driving option and loose 5 or 10 bhp off the top line, i'll talk to the pros.

I'll start saving for a clutch too, although I'll wait till the existing one's on its way out.

Future plans, 230 ponies sound about the ideal for a useable everyday family car. I see that both Jabba and Allard can get me there for reasonable cost, although the wife + 2 will have other plans.

Traumapat, the cheepo boxes simply trick the ecu into pouring more fuel in to the engine, nasty but quite a bang per buck.

sounds like a plan. tell the wife + 2 it`ll help the mpg..


i take it the box tells the ecu theres more 02 going in... so it increases fueling?

be intresting seeing what difference you feel when its mapped.

 

[golisago]

So how good is a remap?

No, really; will it take me to the top of the class, stop people kicking sand in my face on a beach, make me more attractive to the opporsite sex ... etc etc

and this took me ages to type

YES................IT WILL BE YOU WHO WILL BE WEARING THE SIZE TWELVES!!

 

[Sisson]

if your aiming for 230bhp, dont waste money on the map yet.

sort out turbo, injectors clutch etc first then remap last.

or do it all in one go.

 

[bazibbo]

Budget limitations stopped me doing the whole lot at once, shame, but...


Already sorted it!

Went to see Pete at Bell's Autos this morning and got the remap done.

Top bloke.

In some ways I wish I hadn't used the cheap box, because the gain would have felt incredible over standard. But still excellent results.

First impressions, compared to cheepo box. Smooth, we were a cautious clutch wise so Pete didn't go for all out power, and the result is a great dollop of smooth power. In fact initially I didn't really appreciate the pulling power untill overtaking and romping around on the roads I know.

I'm well happy with the results, a grown up conversion (well I'm knocking on!) no loud pipes or neon. Can't wait to see how it fares against the opposition.

Oh, and no smoke.

 

[traumapat]

nice one mate.

glad your happy. bet your engine loves you

 

[bazibbo]

Yup.

Though I rekon my tyres won't.

And the other half keeps looking daggers at me..

 

[timbotdi]

Excellent schtuff mate!

If you drive it hard, then the 2WD & silly torque can make for short tyre life... My 'record', for want of a better phrase, is just under 5000 miles! ;o)

T

 

[The yellow bird]

I only had mine remapped a few days ago and i can say its worth it alot more power through the rev range, and the power i have at mid-range is great , go for it mate you wont regret doing it. makes me smile everytime i drive mine now.

 

[AwesomeSarah]

Glad you like it
I tried a tuning box on my Fabia 100PD
Was good to start with , but nothing major
Then I got a remap , simply to help with MPG of course
I got extra mpg and loads more
I love my remap and definately reccomend remap over tuning box as the smiles are greater
Sarah

 

[Husbandofstinky]

I would dearly love to go down the remap route, but even though my 04 PD150 Cupra's paid for (£300 plus per month saved), my wife who is on maternity pay and obviously my new born daughter are crucifying me on the cash front - basically I'm pretty skint at the mo.

I bought a £20 box off ebay for a quick cheap bang a couple of weeks ago and have not plugged it in yet - still a bit dubious about the whole thing as I know it's not the right thing to do. However feedback from these suppliers are always very positive - for £20 hardly surprising. I don't know whether to plug it into 'til the spring then remap or just hold fire and do without.

By about March cash will not be too tight as a small endowment finishes (nothing to do with the mortgage) and my wife will be back to work again - dropping from take home of £1800 per month to just over £300 per month has been very hard! (I know this is less than SMP due to her pension deduction at the full rate).

March is the time when things should be ok. However, I have also promised myself to change my aging 929 blade to an 06 one! (about £3500k to change).

One final thing - insurance. How much damage does a remap motor tend to do to a premium - 20% increase? (mines currently £280 fc - clean licence, max ncb and old duffer (35!)) Where do people tend to go to for quotes - local broker?

 

[S3 AKR]

I wouldn't trust a £20 resistor in a box mate. You are gonna get no more than you pay for and possibly a whole loada heart ache and wallet opening for repairs!

My Mrs is also on maternity pay and my car is paid for same as you but now I have kids I ain't gonna do what my mate did last year and leave them behind whilst I go and get killed on a bike. Put your bike cash away and spend a little on the proper remap (and clutch!).