remapping is it worth it? (1 Viewer)

Khizzie

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Hi I am tempted to have my Peugeot boxer 2.8 hdi 2005 auto cruise engine remapped , has anyone had this done and was it worth the cash layout, ? I am looking for a little more economy but would like extra power not ness speed. Roy
 

Hollyberry

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Please can someone in the know answer your question and give a quick explanation of what remapping is? I've read of vans having it done but no idea what it means!
 
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"Remapping" is reprogramming the engine's management computer to change things like turbo boost pressure, amount of fuel injected and injection timing.

This means without making any physical "mechanical" changes to the engine, one can change an engine's economy and power output and power delivery characteristics.

It's most commonly done to boost power but unless the transmission (especially the clutch) is capable of handling the extra power, you risk burning out your clutch prematurely.

Some vehicles are more prone to this than others. Many reprogrammers seem happy to take your money without warning you of potential problems.

You should also tell your insurance company that your vehicle is now modified.

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Forestboy

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In a word no it's not worth it.
We had a £250.00 remap done by WOW on 2.8 JTD and it cost us at least £2000 in clutch repairs and eventual removal. Plus no support from WOW whatsoever refused to even discuss it.
Plenty more power but less mpg.

If you must do it find a specialist who design the remap for your vehicle rather than someone selling a one fits all product.
This was the most expensive mistake I've made on a motorhome .
Be careful . (y)
 
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A good honest answer above, sorry about your troubles Forestboy, but nice of you to warn others here now

I am sceptical of a lot of expensive 'improvements' and IMOH people who have spent loads of their money don't want to admit they got it wrong, they will convince themselves things are better than before the spend

With remaps, I do wonder how many are resold without the information being passed on to the new owner, particularly if traded in, then possibly driving with insurance issues if they have not been informed
 

andy63

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well ive posted on subject before and everyone has own opinions , but as mentioned above if its done by a reputable company and not just one of the generic cheap maps it can do just what you want... no connection with either of these but give celtic tuning a call and vantuner (martin) has a very good reputation on the ford transit forum.
ta andy

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Hollyberry

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"Remapping" is reprogramming the engine's management computer to change things like turbo boost pressure, amount of fuel injected and injection timing.

This means without making any physical "mechanical" changes to the engine, one can change an engine's economy and power output and power delivery characteristics.

It's most commonly done to boost power but unless the transmission (especially the clutch) is capable of handling the extra power, you risk burning out your clutch prematurely.

Some vehicles are more prone to this than others. Many reprogrammers seem happy to take your money without warning you of potential problems.

You should also tell your insurance company that your vehicle is now modified.
Thanks for the explanation. Now at least I know what it means.
 

injebreck99

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I have answered this before for other posts, I had our Bolero remapped last year at a cost of just under£300, I now get approx 3-4 mpg more overall, more torque from 3rd gear upwards, and best of all the engine is now much more smoother and quieter than before.
The van is now much easier and more enjoyable to drive, with no effect on the clutch. Make sure you use a reputable company though.
 
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Khizzie

Khizzie

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Thanks all for your very useful inputs, on balance I think I will go ahead and will have it properly remapped (not chipped) by black code ,they seem to have good reviews and have been in business some time ..rgds Roy

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Clive

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I had my 2.8JTD done at Peterborough on a special for £149. Best money I've spent on the van. All the flat spots gone, less changing gear, much less noise and vibration, made it a real pleasure to drive. Did it improve my MPG, well between this year in France and last year, 1 mpg, so not worth it on that count.
The most surprising one for me is it goes up on the ramps so much easier than before (y)
 
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Khizzie

Khizzie

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That's a hellava good price Clive. Best I have been offered was £250 at Newbury motorhome show , but black code is a little more ,but they do have a years guarantee on your engine ..
 

Clive

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That's a hellava good price Clive. Best I have been offered was £250 at Newbury motorhome show , but black code is a little more ,but they do have a years guarantee on your engine ..

Can't think of their name right now but they are at most shows, it was a special deal they had from the company who provide the mapping, they had 20 at that price instead of their usual £299, I know they did it again at Newbury.

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longdog

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I thought about it for my Ace Adventurer with the 2.3 Fiat Multijet motor, I couldn't decide between a tuning box or remapping. Eventually I went with the tuning box from DTUK who also gave me a £60 discount on it.

I told them I wanted more low and middle range grunt, (as opposed to outright power), and better fuel consumption.

Was it worth it? Yes and no. I am not sure it is cost effective but I did get what I asked for and my fuel consumption has improved by 3 - 4 mpg so in that respect I am happy.

With the DTUK tuning box, it comes set to a default setting for your particular motor and you can alter the settings for more or less power. The other plus is that you can transfer the unit to other vehicles and DTUK will reprogrammed it and supply you with the correct leads if you do this, so in that respect, it is cost effective and as future proof as these things are.
 
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Khizzie

Khizzie

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Can't think of their name right now but they are at most shows, it was a special deal they had from the company who provide the mapping, they had 20 at that price instead of their usual £299, I know they did it again at Newbury.

I think that/was TDI at Newbury they quoted me £250 as a special ,but because I had a canopy problem after that huge rain/windstorm I couldn't take up the offer ..
 

DBK

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My instincts with remapping are if it really is that good why aren't the manufacturers getting it right the first time? 3 to 4 mpg better? Really? Fleet operators would give their right arm for that sort of economy improvement.

As an example Ford had 200 engineers working on the development of their 1.0 eco-boost engine at a cost of hundreds of millions, is it likely some small outfit can produce better software to run the engine?

But, at the risk of contradicting myself, I am sure engines can be re-mapped to produce more power but only at the expense of emissions and/or economy. It is the more power and better economy I find hard to believe. If it could be done the manufacturers would be doing it. Also claims from owners are, at the risk of upsetting people, very hard to substantiate. If you spend money on something which you think will give you something better then it usually does, but is it really or is it that you drive differently? :):):)

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Ed Excel

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The usual response to 'why don't the manufacturers get it right in the first place' is, they are selling a product that has to work under extremely variable conditions ie wide ranging ambients, levels of maintenance, different styles of driving, unknown periods of use, many different uses, etc and it has to work whatever the conditions are.

I'm also sceptical about multiple improvements after 'tuning'; perpetual motion comes to mind. I'm sure a few miles/gallon can be saved, as anyone who's tweaked an SU will know, but increased power output as well mmmmmmm.

PN. It was Viezu Technologies, Bromsgrove that worked with BT to achieve improved fuel consumption for some of their fleet.

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PP Bear

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I'd love to do it on my 2.8JTD, but I've heard of and read so many people who have had to replace their clutches prematurely :(

I've also had people tell me and have read posts on Fun, that sing the praises of a re-mapping, telling of how much better they are, only to re-post at a later date, that their clutches have started to slip too and then eventually have failed :(

Think I'll stick with standard :)
 

tambo

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I had all 7 of my vw t4 campers remapped all increased bhp from 102 to 140 which gave increased performance and increased fuel economy the vans are actually 140 bhp in Germany and are detuned for the British market i also decatted them as a diesel doesn't require the cat and made no difference to mot etc but a 5bhp increase and I also blanked off the exhaust gas return valve so only burns clean fuel instead of recycled

All made a big difference and I'm planning to do the same to my Fiat lump at some point
 

andy63

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im sure some motorcycles are supplied with switchable engine ecu mapping as standard and most probably some top end cars as well though I m not sure on that..... I reckon it will become more common in future.

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Ed Excel

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And that's just what BT have done, increased the performance within the vehicle design parameters. If VW produce the T4 with 140bhp then you would expect it to be a viable upgrade. Power increases above manufacturers limits may not be wise.
 
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I had all 7 of my vw t4 campers remapped all increased bhp from 102 to 140 which gave increased performance and increased fuel economy the vans are actually 140 bhp in Germany and are detuned for the British market i also decatted them as a diesel doesn't require the cat and made no difference to mot etc but a 5bhp increase and I also blanked off the exhaust gas return valve so only burns clean fuel instead of recycled

All made a big difference and I'm planning to do the same to my Fiat lump at some point

Hmm, how does that square with section 7.1 of the MOT testers manual?

Reason for rejection.
3. A catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard

Just curious.
 

tambo

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Hmm, how does that square with section 7.1 of the MOT testers manual?

Reason for rejection.
3. A catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard

Just curious.

If the exhaust is complete with no leaks and it passes the emissions that's all that's required for mot

On the vw you can buy a front exhaust pipe new with no cat fitted which is what I did each time

I forgot to add my daily driver at the minute is a vw passat cc highline which has also been decatted egr blanked and remapped from 170 bhp to 215bhp from 1 year old it goes to vw themselves for mot and service it's now 5 years old and has straight passed mot each time :)

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DuxDeluxe

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The above MOT change was quite recent - SIL is a vehicle tester and if he sees a vehicle that on visual inspection is known to have a Cat and does not then it is simply a fail.
 

MikeD

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BT who have one of the largest fleets in Europe remap all their vans.

"BT Fleet

Save up to 15% on your fuel bill
Following the success of deploying engine remapping across BT’s van fleet to reduce fuel and CO2 emissions, we are delighted to make this available for all vehicles.

So whether you drive a Fiesta or BMW, BT Fleet is confident we could reduce your fuel bills by up to 15%. With remaps starting from just £300 including VAT, it could payback within 6 months.

Booking is simple:

  • Call 0843 176 0940
  • We will check if your vehicle can be remapped and agree the price
  • Book an appointment at your work, home address or you can come to a BT Fleet garage
  • Your vehicle will be mapped for better fuel consumption and/or performance and we take payment
  • After a week, we will call you to make sure you are fully satisfied with your purchase
Each engine remapping comes with an insurance-backed guarantee and retains all original settings on file, so you have complete peace of mind. So call us now on 0843 176 0940 to start saving money on your vehicle’s fuel bills."

This is BT's claims from their website. (y)
 
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If the exhaust is complete with no leaks and it passes the emissions that's all that's required for mot

On the vw you can buy a front exhaust pipe new with no cat fitted which is what I did each time

I forgot to add my daily driver at the minute is a vw passat cc highline which has also been decatted egr blanked and remapped from 170 bhp to 215bhp from 1 year old it goes to vw themselves for mot and service it's now 5 years old and has straight passed mot each time :)

The above MOT change was quite recent - SIL is a vehicle tester and if he sees a vehicle that on visual inspection is known to have a Cat and does not then it is simply a fail.

Tambo, do let us know how your next MOT goes. ;)

Whatever the rules were in the past, they do seem pretty unambiguous now. If a cat was fitted as standard, it must now be present at MOT. Of course I doubt that testing will require them to look *inside* the cat....

Tim

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tambo

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Tambo, do let us know how your next MOT goes. ;)

Whatever the rules were in the past, they do seem pretty unambiguous now. If a cat was fitted as standard, it must now be present at MOT. Of course I doubt that testing will require them to look *inside* the cat....

Tim
My car was mot'd in June straight pass by specialist cars vw dealer.

If there's a pipe that's been welded or shows where a cat has been removed that's a different story but the pipe has been replaced with a decatted straight pipe readily available from many a vehicle modifiers. And as I said never a problem

Incidentally I am a mechanic by trade ....despite now being a joiner/shopfitter....i do all my own maintenance and have been building modified vehicles for over 2 decades.....This isn't anything new
 

tambo

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The above MOT change was quite recent - SIL is a vehicle tester and if he sees a vehicle that on visual inspection is known to have a Cat and does not then it is simply a fail.

The mot requires anything fitted to the vehicle to work and to pass legal requirements ie a smoke test which is all a diesel requires ...if there's no cat fitted the exhaust doesn't leak and it passes the smoke test then it's legal and if simply failed by someone thinking it should have a cat it can be appealed

Many many cases of this on the vw t4 forum .....i doubt there's many vw vans in the UK these day that still have a cat and are standard bhp :)
 
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My instincts with remapping are if it really is that good why aren't the manufacturers getting it right the first time? 3 to 4 mpg better? Really? Fleet operators would give their right arm for that sort of economy improvement.

As an example Ford had 200 engineers working on the development of their 1.0 eco-boost engine at a cost of hundreds of millions, is it likely some small outfit can produce better software to run the engine?

But, at the risk of contradicting myself, I am sure engines can be re-mapped to produce more power but only at the expense of emissions and/or economy. It is the more power and better economy I find hard to believe. If it could be done the manufacturers would be doing it. Also claims from owners are, at the risk of upsetting people, very hard to substantiate. If you spend money on something which you think will give you something better then it usually does, but is it really or is it that you drive differently? :):):)
There is room for improvement but only because the manufacturer produces his mapping to suit every one of a particular engine and not for each individual engine. He also turns out a map that will work for every fuel type in every country in which the vehicle will be sold and for every operating condition that will met by the vehicle. A good re-mapping company will optimise the map for our sort of use and for the fuel available in the UK / EU.

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