Upgrades: Chip or remap

[footlong]

Right folks, before anyone says it, i tried search and it didn't answer my questions. My MK3 Cupra R will be getting a remap or a chip once i'm back from my hols.
You speak to remappers they say a chip will fcuk the car up.
You speak to chippers and they say a remap will fcuk the car up.
opinions welcome, but anyone with experience of either or both would be most welcome.

 

[knotty]

chips will definately bugger it, serial port remapping is safe in the right conditions (for example revo doesnt change the original ecu software it takes a space beside it and works along with it.)

you will also notice a better ability to adapt the settings with serial port remapping compared to chips which are set, most remaps can be adjusted to suit the modifications your car has to get the best performance from it.

 

[Myki da Pyki]

Its pretty simple to see the answer to this by the amount of people that have got remaps compaired to chips.

Was it really worth starting a thread on it lmao

 

[footlong]

Yeah the most popular is defo the remap but it wouldn't mean the best for sure. I seem to be reading lots of "not boosting properly" issues of late. my car is my mode of transport along side my Motorcycle, but the bike sure aint practical! i could do without the loss of boost that some seem to suffer.

 

[Myki da Pyki]

99.9% of boost issues are absolutly nothing to do with the map itself so you certainly didnt read that on here

 

[footlong]

Also Myki, checked your pictures out, but i liked the headlights on the top picture. for sale?

 

[footlong]

Just wondering if the boost issues could have been instigated by remapping/modding. Maybe not then. I am no mechanic. does anyone you know actually use a chip on the 1.8t VAG or is it really so taboo?

 

[Myki da Pyki]

No mate lights went along time ago (thank god)

The only one i know of that has had a chip but recently changed to remap was "pky"

The chips produce far less power than a remap for basically the same money

Easy choice if you ask me

 

[knotty]

Yeah the most popular is defo the remap but it wouldn't mean the best for sure. I seem to be reading lots of "not boosting properly" issues of late. my car is my mode of transport along side my Motorcycle, but the bike sure aint practical! i could do without the loss of boost that some seem to suffer.

yea as mentioned along with remaps other things improve the quality of the gains, most of the standard hosing isnt made to stand the extra intake pressures so uprated hoses, intercooler, even the vacuum hoses on top seem to make a difference. but due to the amount of different components in the 1.8 20vt engines there is many possibilities of boost loss.

but in all honesty id rather have boost loss for those reasons than end up with a fried ECU from a "chip" gone wrong

 

[footlong]

Point well made. I was actually in favour of remap over chip but you know how it is, but the people you call to ask for advice try hard to sell their product, thats why i turned to you lot for advice.

 

[knotty]

Point well made. I was actually in favour of remap over chip but you know how it is, but the people you call to ask for advice try hard to sell their product, thats why i turned to you lot for advice.

worth the effort as its easier to locate faults and rectify them with the remap aswell & you can trial the revo remap for 5 hours aswell to see the basic difference.

 

[ian_cupra]

map evert time, chip isnt able to adapt as well to your mods etc....

 

[Robbie C]

If you ever saw the pic of someone's chip on here that was posted not to long ago that would quickly make your mind up for you. The quality, or rather lack of, of the soldering was disturbing.

I can't think of any one single advantage of a chip over a remap

 

[turboboy]

imo not worth remapping a cupra R! what do you gain 5/10bhp? it makes it a nicer drive due to the torque but that doesnt make you any faster when your really goin for it! it just burns out the tyres quicker! i use a revo 5hr thing and didnt feel it was anywere near enuff on top of what i already had!

would recomend it on a normal cupra tho as you gain so much more but not on my R!

 

[footlong]

Really? well that is interesting? so what you done with yours? i'm hearing various quotes from various mapping places quoting up to and around 210-215. These people spinning me a yarn? also i find the Cupra R lacks guts as standard, how sluggish is the Cupra?!?!?!?!?
I liked the drive, but even from the first time i ever drove my car, i thought "not as quick as i'd hoped".
Anyone else agree with whats been said about their Cupra R

 

[knotty]

the trial isnt the full whack of what you get and it all depends on what mods youve got done, for example revo stage 1 costs £466 then upgrading to stage 2 costs £50 but you require a few mods (FMIC, 4 bar FPR, induction kit & manifold/downpipe) it can easily push a cupra R a lot further but in my opinion the 156bhp cupra was better for modifying for power.

 

[Robbie C]

You'll never see 210-215 BHP from remapping a standard Cupra. 190 is more realistic if no other mods have been done. Bear in mind you'll also want an uprated dump valve (i.e. Forge 007P) as the standard bosch diaphrahm (sp?) valve isn't up to the job

 

[turboboy]

ok then i couild be wrong if the trial isnt 100%! im am quite hard to please tho! this being my 3rd cupra! 1st being 03s 234bhp 2nd ihi 330+bhp and now the R. i have all the bits and bobs like dv,blueflame,cai ect just on a standard map!

also why would they be able to push the R harder? also if thats the case why is the normal cupra better for "modifying for power"? they are the same just the R is mapped harder standard! im prob goin to go 03s again good power for a road car and as far as i can see its the only way your goin to notice any REAL difference in point to point speed over the standard map! this is all my own opinion

 

[Pky]

No mate lights went along time ago (thank god)

The only one i know of that has had a chip but recently changed to remap was "pky"

The chips produce far less power than a remap for basically the same money

Easy choice if you ask me

Hey Hey! I didnt have a 'chip' on the car before, it was actually a seral / bench 'remap' from a company called 'ch1pped UK'

After having my car remapped 4 times now, I can honestly say remapping is the way forward but dont do as i do and went to some 'cheap' place that will only balls your car up...

I've now had 4 maps on my car:

1: Ch1pped UK - 'Stage 1' Generic Map.... Got it from an Agent in Stoke on Trent for £250. Made no difference to the car and so the agent investigated some more and put another map on (number 2) (Was boosting to 8 - 10 psi). FYI - This was a bench remap as they couldnt connect to my ECU

2: 'Turbo Rabbit' - I can only presume this was a KO3s map due to my car always going into limp mode (not making enough boost according to vag com).. also Rev'd to 8K... kinda useless on my KO3 turbo. lol!. Once again, Bench remap... couldnt connect to ECU

3: Was referred to Ch1pped UK HQ after, who adives that a chip was wrong on my ECU and changed it *cough* bullsh1t *cough*... They then put there generic map on and i was boosting low again (10 psi) but was told that my boost gauge was shagged and it was ok... made '206 bhp' on there rr, High losses and after another RR run (at a diff place) was showing 160 bhp.. Once again, bench remap.. couldnt connect to ECU

4: After months of knowing it was a toss remap and knowing my boost gauge wasnt fooked (checked with VAG-COM as soon as i got it home) i had a read round and ive got Custom Code Stage 1 on my car. Feels awsome, power is great and so far no limp modes! woohoo!.. Remapped with ECU in place through the OBD port, as it should be. It went to PSI Tuning in Newcastle, Custom Code Agent and VAG specialist... really knew there shiz!

I think this shows remapping is the way to go... Its just choosing someone who knows what they are doing that is the key.

I think Revo, Custom Code or a P-Torque map are defo the way forward... good things written about all of them and they all seem to know what they are doing.

 

[footlong]

Myki- is that on a Cupra R or a standard Cupra that you noticed the difference? I'm starting to shy away from the idea of a remap as all that has been said so far for remapping my "R" is that its not worth it!
Is my money better off spent on a KO3s then?