Tuning boxes (1 Viewer)

injebreck99

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I am thinking of upgrading my Bolero 130 engine with a plug in tuning box, would like to spend about £300, mainly to achieve better torque and mpg, I don't want a remap, what experiences have people had with plug in tuning boxes, and more importantly, which ones to avoid, any recommendations please.
 

aba

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personally you would be better off with a remap from wow.

yes the plug in boxes do get more power but by telling the ecu that things aren't as they really are by manipulating the engine management and associated sensors.

whereas a remap can tell the management system to do different things as certain conditions arise
 

jhorsf

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get a remap but budget for a new clutch for when you prematurely wear out the old one
 

TheBig1

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dont forget to remove any plug in tuning box before you get the van MOTed, as it is now a failure if the tester sees one fitted
 

haganap

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get a remap but budget for a new clutch for when you prematurely wear out the old one

I would rather have the unproven clutch scenario than the ridiculously underpowered van I started with. My remap with again unproven 2 clutches in its lifetime will still be cheaper than te 3-0l version :Smile: and my mileage is now up to 27 mpg brim to brim from 21 mpg and I kid you not now tested over 2000 miles.

Op listen to what aba said, leave a torq. Box well alone

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Techno

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I am thinking of upgrading my Bolero 130 engine with a plug in tuning box, would like to spend about £300, mainly to achieve better torque and mpg, I don't want a remap, what experiences have people had with plug in tuning boxes, and more importantly, which ones to avoid, any recommendations please.

I'm contemplating the cheaper of these for mine BUT the dearer one sounds like what you're looking for DO read the full info on it :thumb:
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The CRTD2 Diesel Tuning Box from TDI-Tuning is an advanced Micro-Processor Controlled, Digitally Programmed, Multi-Mapped electronic tuning system. Currently our flagship product, this device has been designed and engineered to meet the requirements of your every driving style. Vehicles fitted with a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) are no trouble for this system, as the CRTD2 boasts high performance processors, which are used to enable real-time processing without affecting the internal protection function. Delivered pre-programmed with our latest software to suit your exact model and pre-loaded with 32 maps to choose from, this discrete state of the art device packs a lot of punch! The CRTD2 can be adjusted yourself if you wish by means of simply moving a series of jumpers on the back of the tuning box to select one of the 32 fuel map programs which takes seconds to complete. Adjustment is a key design feature of the CRTD2 to ensure you have full flexibility over the power gains you achieve. However this is completely optional as the system is dispatched fully configured. Manufactured exclusively for TDI-Tuning and encased in our own anodised aluminium, durable weather resistant housing, this system is as strong as it is powerful.
Before this system was developed, we asked thousands of our customers from all around the world, what they would like to see in their next generation of TDI-Tuning Diesel Tuning Box. Well we are pleased to say that we have listened, and we have delivered! Because the CRTD2 is effectively a computer, our software programmers have complete flexibility on how they program each vehicle map. This Diesel Tuning Box is so flexible, we can even re-program your system for you whenever you change your vehicle in the future.
Installation and removal is exceptionally straight forward. This system has been engineered to ensure that even customers with no mechanical experience can install this system themselves in under 5 minutes. To make things even easier, this system is completely "Plug & Play" ensuring there are absolutely no cables to be cut. We also only use Genuine OEM connectors to guarantee easy installation. View the video further down the page to see just how quick and easy installation is.
All TDI-Tuning Diesel Tuning Boxes come with a full 14 Day Money Back Guarantee and a 3 Year Warranty against manufacturing defects. Full English easy to follow Installation Instructions are provided, and every system is backed up by our 24/7 support.
Each CRTD2 system also carries intelligent Fuel Saving software. Below you will see figures relating to your Fuel Efficiency improvements.
 
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injebreck99

injebreck99

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More confused than ever now, why do remaps affect clutches, I've never worn a cluch out in 40 years of motoring and biking, who is this wow firm anyway ??
 

Geoffers

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dont forget to remove any plug in tuning box before you get the van MOTed, as it is now a failure if the tester sees one fitted

Leicester MOT centre tested our van last week with a energy tuning box fitted , fixed in view on the engine cover , no problem.
As regards the box, they work well. we only switch ours on when required,i.e. towing the toad. Other wise we leave it off.:thumb:

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hilldweller

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More confused than ever now, why do remaps affect clutches, I've never worn a cluch out in 40 years of motoring and biking, who is this wow firm anyway ??

MH clutches are pretty marginal and not covered by warranty from new.

So boost the torque a good bit, put an unsympathetic plonker in it and you can destroy a clutch almost instantly.

If I hit the throttle on ours before the clutch is fully home it will slip, but it's done 40K miles now and does not slip when driven properly. It also spins it's wheels quite easily in third.
 

haganap

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More confused than ever now, why do remaps affect clutches, I've never worn a cluch out in 40 years of motoring and biking, who is this wow firm anyway ??

They don't , just some people say they do that's my experience and lost count of the amount of vehicles I have had done and 3 motorhomes


However some people seem to think they do.

Speak to wow tuning they are sponsors on here. Forget all the gumpth on the boxes they work completely different to a map , do some research on them away fom the people selling them and you will find out why and how boxes work. It really is unclean

Also have a . Look at the other threads on here there Is plenty of arguments Surrounding mapping . Just don't get a cheap eBay one

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haganap

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MH clutches are pretty marginal and not covered by warranty from new.

So boost the torque a good bit, put an unsympathetic plonker in it and you can destroy a clutch almost instantly.

If I hit the throttle on ours before the clutch is fully home it will slip, but it's done 40K miles now and does not slip when driven properly. It also spins it's wheels quite easily in third.

Interesting mine started to slip whilst towing the toad and had nearly 50 k on it and was mapped at 12k was much heavier than yours and spent the first 12k towing all the time down to Spain.
So further evidence that the clutch was not effected by the remap :Smile:

Oh and spent all of it time weighed in at 4-5 ton
 

656

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I had a Van Aakin box fitted to my 2.3 JTD. Bloody great!! Had the van remapped by WOW and noticed a bit of a difference over the box but, not a great deal. I still have the box somewhere, I think its for sale in the classifieds!!!
 

Jaws

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I got our first one ( before having the WOW! Tuning remap done ) from Torquing of Cats.

Excellent bit of kit with a superb customer service back up.
Sadly they seem to be pricing them selves out of the market somewhat nowadays
We paid £240 at a show for ours.. And it gave us an extra 3 mpg from memory

I know it MORE than paid for its self in the first year we had it

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TheBig1

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Leicester MOT centre tested our van last week with a energy tuning box fitted , fixed in view on the engine cover , no problem.
As regards the box, they work well. we only switch ours on when required,i.e. towing the toad. Other wise we leave it off.:thumb:


There are to be some changes to the MOT test from 1st January 2012
which are being introduced in response to European Commission Directive 2010/48/EU of the 5th July 2010 and which will effect those with aftermarket HID headlights and remapped ECUs:

4.1.4 Compliance with requirements:
(a) Lamp, emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements
(b) Products on lens or light source which obviously reduce light intensity or change emitted colour
© Light source and lamp not compatible

4.1.5. Levelling devices (where mandatory):
(a) Device not operating.
(b) Manual device cannot be operated from driver’s seat.

4.1.6 Headlamp cleaning device (where mandatory):
Device not operating.

For anyone with a remap, section 6.1.9 may be relevant.

6.1.9 Engine performance:
(a) Control unit illegal modified.
(b) Illegal engine modification.

(by 'illegal', it is assumed that they mean changed/programmed differently from OEM specifications)


There will also be a new check on the general condition of the wiring:


4.11. Electrical wiring
(a) Wiring insecure or not adequately secured.
(b) Wiring deteriorated.
© Damaged or deteriorated insulation

and on the function of airbag and seat belt pre-tensioner systems:

7.1.4. Safety belt Pre-tensioners:
Pre-tensioner obviously missing or not suitable with the vehicle.

7.1.5. Airbag:
(a) Airbags obviously missing or not suitable with the vehicle.
(b) Airbag obviously non-operative.

7.1.6. SRS Systems:
SRS MIL indicates any kind of failure of the system.

Originally Posted by VOSA
The car/light goods vehicle MOT test is about to change – the European Commission has changed the Directive that covers it. We take a look at when these changes are likely to come into effect and what they mean for MOT testers.
Britain has been testing vehicles under the MOT scheme for 50 years now. Last year, the European Directive covering the MOT test was updated and revised by a modern version called 2009/40/ EC. This was then updated by 2010/48/EU, which was ratified on 5 July this year.
The new Directive keeps the EU minimum 4-2-2 test frequency but adds a number of new elements to the British MOT test. The Directive anticipates all test changes being in place by 1 January 2012, and a common European approach to test certificates in place by 1 January 2014. So what is VOSA doing to introduce the changes?
In terms of test frequency, in mid-July the coalition government confirmed that it intends ‘to look at the issue of MOT test frequencies later this year’. VOSA contributed statistical data to inform the last review in 2008, and we expect that our computer system and the data you have entered will be utilised again in much the same way.
We expect to hear more details of the government’s review proposals later in the year.
As far as changes to the test content are concerned, VOSA has already been analysing the requirements of the new Directive and working out how to implement them. We started this earlier in the year by talking with representatives of the MOT trade at our regular Trade User Group and VTS Council meetings. Both VOSA and the Department for Transport (DfT) are keen to ensure that any changes to the test are introduced in as practical a way as possible, keeping the burden on the trade to a minimum and ideally keeping the changes cost neutral.
In many cases, the changes shouldn’t necessarily lead to an increase in average test times. A good example is the malfunction indicator lamps on the dashboard that indicate defective electronic power steering, electronic stability control and secondary restraint systems. Testers already check the dashboard for other lamps, so no extra time would be required for this addition to the test.
Electrical wiring and batteries are now included in the test’s scope, but testers already check the vehicle structure where wiring is secured – often along the same routes as other testable items, such as brake pipes in the engine compartment. So again, this doesn’t look like an additional burden on the tester. In the pre-computerisation days, testers often (wrongly) failed vehicles for insecure batteries, so they must have been looking at them then! Now, it means that when we implement the new Directive, vehicles can legitimately fail for battery insecurity, for no extra tester effort.
Other items – such as headlamp bulb and unit incompatibility, headlamp levelling devices and illegal engine ‘chipping’ – will need further thought before we can get a workable solution for MOT stations.
Some of the new items may require extra effort on the part of the tester – when we know for sure what that is we’ll be talking again with our trade and DfT colleagues to work out what the impact will be.
The common EU test certificate should be relatively easy to achieve – the only data that the Directive expects and that we don’t currently provide is the symbol for the vehicle’s country of origin. Probably 99% of vehicles tested will have
‘UK’ entered here, but if you do test vehicles with a foreign plate, you will need to enter the correct country symbol. We may even be able to make this change earlier if there is a convenient opportunity.
The MOT trade can rest assured that VOSA is working closely with you to introduce any new elements as efficiently and effectively as possible, with the minimum of fuss. Just as importantly, we are also working closely with Siemens to ensure that any system changes due on New Year’s Eve 2011 go smoothly! We should know more by the time the MOT seminars take place – come along and ask the experts.


as borrowed from http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f16/n...-hids-tuning-boxes-become-illegal-130920.html
 

Geo

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That document is someones interpretation of the real document.
A good many of the proposed changes have not taken place.

Item 6.1.9 (in Red) has certainly not been adopted and will not be for a good few years yet.
Whilst it is true the EU has demanded these changes it has not come up with a reliable method of inspection, and VOSA have no intension of enforcement untill it does,
For MoT purposes it remains perfectly exceptable to fit and use tune boxes of all types and of course re mapping.
Geo
 

haganap

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We've been here so many times re illegal changes at mot. There is no way that a garage will invest te 10s of 1000s of pounds required for testing equipment and do you really think that after spending millions o pounds developing an engine management programme they are going to give it to Charlie at you local garage to compare it to the map you have? There are 10s of thousands of maps, not a chance ofi being identified in a normal mot.
A box o course can be seen

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TheBig1

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I am very happy if the point has not been adopted, but the information regarding it coming in is a hot topic for god knows how many uk car forums in the uk. Geo any idea where we can get a written copy of the actual VOSA rules that came in this year?
 

Geo

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We've been here so many times re illegal changes at mot. There is no way that a garage will invest te 10s of 1000s of pounds required for testing equipment and do you really think that after spending millions o pounds developing an engine management programme they are going to give it to Charlie at you local garage to compare it to the map you have? There are 10s of thousands of maps, not a chance ofi being identified in a normal mot.
A box o course can be seen
Paul it may turn out a lot simpler than you imagine
We already have the technoligy and information emmissions wise for every vehicle on the road.
What vosa could do is tighten down the leeway either side of what is normal to a stricter limit
The result may be a fail for being outside those limits, I ,We,Vosa would care not wether its caused by a fault, or a tune it box, or remap
Its simply failed,
That of course would be a kneejerk rection and VOSA is striving to get a fool proof system in place and will shelve plans till they do:thumb:
G

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Techno

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A box can be removed in 5 mins BUT I would leave it on and remove it for the re test if it failed
 

Geo

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I am very happy if the point has not been adopted, but the information regarding it coming in is a hot topic for god knows how many uk car forums in the uk. Geo any idea where we can get a written copy of the actual VOSA rules that came in this year?
HERE
Download or Browse Inspection manuals for class 3/4/5/7 vehicles (Pic of Van and car)
You can get Adobe here to if you dont have it
There has not been a seperate list of the new rules that have been adopted,you have to read the lot
The list was published and withdrawn as incorrect at least twice not seen a newer one yet
G
 

Techno

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From the bumf on the cheaper unit for my boxer £154.99 I should go from getting 466 miles to the tank (30mpg) to at least a further 60miles at 4mpg or 90miles at 6mpg plus 24% more power :Eeek:
I can verify the claimed MPG with ease as I know I average 30 so perhaps I should buy and try? money back guarantee Mmmmm I wonder

I considered the dearer one with 32 mapping choices but I dont have a particulate filter and a further 6% more power is not really worth nearly twice the price.

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haganap

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Paul it may turn out a lot simpler than you imagine
We already have the technoligy and information emmissions wise for every vehicle on the road.
What vosa could do is tighten down the leeway either side of what is normal to a stricter limit
The result may be a fail for being outside those limits, I ,We,Vosa would care not wether its caused by a fault, or a tune it box, or remap
Its simply failed,
That of course would be a kneejerk rection and VOSA is striving to get a fool proof system in place and will shelve plans till they do:thumb:
G

but surely that would not take in to account a ducato with a more worn engine with spaceship milage against my 10k 3 year old van?
the older a van gets the more different it will be in regards its emissions, the actual technology gives a variance unless im mistaken? it says this is the law, your emission are here and inside, not what map have you fitted etc.

Many cars as you will of course know are exactly the same but with a differing map, ie a fiesta 1.6 L versus the much sought after fiesta special edition more BHP 1.6 Carlos fandango ghia.
The engine is in fact the same yet they are mapped different, how will the emissions differ?

the only way to do it would be to analyse every map that goes through your workshop and compare it with the factory standard one, I don't believe that is simple or should I say yes it may be simple, but 1) are the manufactures going to want to give anyone this information and what sort of /cost of computer system would be to install.
 

Geo

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but surely that would not take in to account a ducato with a more worn engine with spaceship milage against my 10k 3 year old van?
the older a van gets the more different it will be in regards its emissions, the actual technology gives a variance unless im mistaken? it says this is the law, your emission are here and inside, not what map have you fitted etc.

Many cars as you will of course know are exactly the same but with a differing map, ie a fiesta 1.6 L versus the much sought after fiesta special edition more BHP 1.6 Carlos fandango ghia.
The engine is in fact the same yet they are mapped different, how will the emissions differ?

the only way to do it would be to analyse every map that goes through your workshop and compare it with the factory standard one, I don't believe that is simple or should I say yes it may be simple, but 1) are the manufactures going to want to give anyone this information and what sort of /cost of computer system would be to install.
The manf will be forced to supply map info if reqd, most MoT stations already have equipment both PC and diagnostic interigators
A simple gadget would look for a manf signature in the map thats all, yes they will copy the signature and fake it im sure if they can find it
But it will be very well protected, and if the signature isnt present it could well be a fail regardless of emmissions output
we are of course just guessing at what may be done but all MoT Stations will have to purchase whatever VOSA come up with or cease testing simples, it wont cost VOSA a penny thats for sure, and the fee will go up to cover our costs so guess who pays:Doh:
 

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