Motorhome Engine Remapping (1 Viewer)

Jim

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In 2017 are people still getting motorhome engine remaps? I was asked the other day by someone with a new van who thought it was under-powered if I would recommend one. I couldn't say, I just relayed that I've read lots of stories about them, some swear by them, others swear at them as they buy a new clutch (is that the worst that can happen?)

If someone has a newish Fiat, Ford or Merc what advice would you give about remaps.
 

MC 55 FUN

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Buy a bespoke remap that reconfigures all of the applicable parameters, '' tuning boxes '' often only alter the fuel supply.

Superchips are an example of a reputable company.

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Enword

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We had our Bessacarr 2.8 remaped, before I thought it was very disappointing to drive, always stirring the box had to drop out of 5th at the mere whiff of an incline, after the remap it was a joy to drive, didn't drive it any faster just far more pleasurable driving.
 

MC 55 FUN

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As above, a properly remapped turbo diesel Moho will deliver more torque, resulting in better driveability with less frequent gear changes.
 

PeteH

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Jury, is out. It is for me, I`ve had enough Gearbox / Clutch issues on my X250, to want to put extra torque into an already POOR design.

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Xabia

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I have a 3.0 litre X250 based Hymer. Had it remapped by Wow Power, probably 4/5 years ago, very happy with the result, much more flexible and less gear changes. One thing I am careful about is to change down in advance of climbing the Pyrennees, or any other steep incline, so as not to,put too much load on the clutch.
 

The Nomad

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Personal view - Utterly not for me. Leave the lump as it is, and just enjoy chugging around Europe at a relaxed pace, knowing that I'm not subjecting engine, clutch, gearbox and transmission to greater torque stresses than the original engineers designed-in.

I've got other mechanical forms of transport that go very very fast if required; I'm happy to drive the MH at a relaxed pace. Going faster means drinking a lot more fuel, as the wind resistance takes over from rolling road resistance above about 55mph.
 
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Jim

Jim

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Thing is, a mate of mine swore that £100 magnets attached to his fuel line gave him increased MPG even after another mate had taken them off :) We'll never really know how many of the Re-mapping improvements are due to the placebo effect.

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Minxy

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Since 1996, had Elddis/Swift/Rapido/Rimor/Chausson MHs. Autocruise/Globecar PVCs/Compactline i-138
To be honest I've not had this done BUT if he's got a brand new MH I'd leave it as it is and let it 'bed' in first ... now that our camper has got over 15,000 miles on it, it has loosened up nicely and drives like a dream, even though it was good before, it's even better now.
 

skylinersi

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having been involved in remapping etc (even nitrous systems !) in cars, i can say without hesitation that any increase in torque or power WILL find the next weak link in the system, be it clutch, driveshafts, etc, and dont forget your brakes etc must be up to the increase too, im not saying moho's are the same, in terms of expected or realistic gains, but..................theres always the risk of pushing past the factory fitted (and cheapest option lets not forget) parts capability.

my two penneth worth, for what its worth...........

AND.........it will invalidate your warranty on new vehicles
 

Gorse Hill

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Not a prayer unless it's done by the designers, Fiat
To much too lose for a little more torque/speed, buy the right engine at the start, especially when buying new as you have the choice

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skylinersi

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and dont forget that ancillaries may be pushed as well, fuel pumps etc,

lets be honest the gains will be minimal, and which of us is likely to be off to santa pod to quarter mile our vans:cycle::Eeek:

edit: and yes, ive just checked to see if anyone has..................:rolleyes:
 

Silver-Fox

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Mapping not really comparable to magnets on the fuel line :)

As has been said the map needs to be vehicle specific to get the best out of it.

Diesel engines are well over engineered and providing your not looking to do drag racing all should be good (y)

Clutch problems can be down to driving style sometimes :)

I had a T5 remapped and it was a totally different thing to drive in a good way
 

Jaws

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Had Wow! tuning do our Miller (2.8 Ducato ).
The change was not what I expected. Went back to them. They removed their map and downloaded our original map.
Went away and contacted us a week later.
Arranged a new remap to be loaded.
Got the results I expected .. In fact well pleased, and the cost of the map was covered in less tan a year.
I spose it depends on many things.. For instance, if you do a. Outlet of thousand miles a year it def would not be worth it..
I kept a very comprehensive spread sheet for 16 months .. Once it got way past the point of positive fiscal return I admit I was not so diligent and to say the last 4 or 5 months were somewhat but by then it had more than paid for its self.
An aside was a little more power but I was not really interested in that

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Jun 10, 2010
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The difference to our previous 2.8jtd was no impressive that I said that I was going to do it to every future my.

However 6 years on our x250 3 litre just doesn't need it. There's rarely a hill that bothers it.

Jon
 

pappajohn

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I once watched an old school well respected tuning expert retune an old vauxhall cavalier sri 130 from standard 130bhp up to 165bhp on the dynamometer (rolling road).

Going really well for a couple of minutes, then a bang, lots of smoke and it became a 3 cylinder engine.
Customer wasnt best pleased but tough, he wanted it.

Any engine and drive train has its stress limits and sometimes the limits are exceeded
 

skylinersi

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I once watched an old school well respected tuning expert retune an old vauxhall cavalier sri 130 from standard 130bhp up to 165bhp on the dynamometer (rolling road).

Going really well for a couple of minutes, then a bang, lots of smoke and it became a 3 cylinder engine.
Customer wasnt best pleased but tough, he wanted it.

Any engine and drive train has its stress limits and sometimes the limits are exceeded


and if you fancy a laugh, have a look on you tube for 'rolling road fails', lots of bang for your buck:eek:

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Enword

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The difference to our previous 2.8jtd was no impressive that I said that I was going to do it to every future my.

However 6 years on our x250 3 litre just doesn't need it. There's rarely a hill that bothers it.

Jon
The same thing with our Sprinter(316 CDI) just no need to remap like the Fiat 2.8, the sprinter pulls 6th everywhere you'd expect it to.
 

dave newell

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I've seen two separate x244 2.8jtd Ducatos with weeping fuel rail connections, guess what, both had been remapped! The latest generation common rail fuel systems can deliver up to eight individually timed fuel injection events per cylinder per firing stroke. The fuel system makers and the motor manufacturers spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to create the fueling map. Do we really believe that someone with a laptop can really write a better map? I don't!!

D.
 

The Nomad

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Mapping not really comparable to magnets on the fuel line :)

As has been said the map needs to be vehicle specific to get the best out of it.

Diesel engines are well over engineered and providing your not looking to do drag racing all should be good (y)

Clutch problems can be down to driving style sometimes :)

I had a T5 remapped and it was a totally different thing to drive in a good way


I don't really understand your assertion that diesel engines are "well over engineered". I worked in international automotive and aerospace engineering companies for many many years and that simply is not a concept I ever recall hearing from any Design Engineer.

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eddie

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I know someone that was a Senior design engineer at Ford. Like @dave newell lvs says they spent hundreds of thousands sending vehicles out across Europe, to experience different altitudes, fuel quality, temperature, driving conditions, traffic flow

All fitted to the hilt with technology to work out the very best "mean averages" a balance between reliability, longevity and economy

Fiddle with one, screw up the others

Pump more fuel in? More power, and more risk of breakdown and catastrophic engine failure

I wouldn't dream of it in anything under manufacturers warranty personally

I am sure that the blokes and their laptops will have a different tale to tell at Peterborough.
 

andy63

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I've seen two separate x244 2.8jtd Ducatos with weeping fuel rail connections, guess what, both had been remapped! The latest generation common rail fuel systems can deliver up to eight individually timed fuel injection events per cylinder per firing stroke. The fuel system makers and the motor manufacturers spend hundreds of thousands of pounds to create the fueling map. Do we really believe that someone with a laptop can really write a better map? I don't!!

D.

I know someone that was a Senior design engineer at Ford. Like @dave newell lvs says they spent hundreds of thousands sending vehicles out across Europe, to experience different altitudes, fuel quality, temperature, driving conditions, traffic flow

All fitted to the hilt with technology to work out the very best "mean averages" a balance between reliability, longevity and economy

Fiddle with one, screw up the others

Pump more fuel in? More power, and more risk of breakdown and catastrophic engine failure

I wouldn't dream of it in anything under manufacturers warranty personally

I am sure that the blokes and their laptops will have a different tale to tell at Peterborough.

i hear everything you both say but my experience of remaps is that both vehicles I've had done over the years have felt so much more pleasurable to drive after been remapped..
a peugeot 307sw 90 hp taken to around 110hp with a different torque characteristic
and a mk 7 transit 140 hp taken to around 155 hp...
its not my imagination... they both drive better for the remap...
the peugeot is a 52 plate and though not mine now still going , and the transit has run fine with the map since 2010...
a remap can do other things for you as wells changing the drive characteristics... the transit has had its electronic egr function removed..
top end motors and bikes are been provided with switchable maps to alter their performance when required... I'm afraid i don't agree that the manufacturer always gets it right, and one size fits all...
of course it may cause problems and a lot has to do with the way vehicles are driven , but it can and does work for a lot of people...
andy

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eddie

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Hi Andy I do agree with what you say I'm not suggesting that I would never do it myself in fact my last European van I had mapped

Having had American RVs my new 3ltr Iveco seemed rather 'sluggish' so mapping was the only way to go

It made a bad situation tolerable

Obviously you have to tell your insurance company I wonder how many people do and are driving round and uninsured

I find now the 6.8 L V 10 Ford gives me sufficient power not to worry about it (y);):D2
 

andy63

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I find now the 6.8 L V 10 Ford gives me sufficient power not to worry about it
lol... that would do me as well if i could afford it...:LOL:
my mk 8 ford transit hasn't been done and drives well enough for me to possibly not bother.. or at least till its out of warranty..:D
andy
 

ambulancekidd

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Personal view - Utterly not for me. Leave the lump as it is, and just enjoy chugging around Europe at a relaxed pace, knowing that I'm not subjecting engine, clutch, gearbox and transmission to greater torque stresses than the original engineers designed-in.

I've got other mechanical forms of transport that go very very fast if required; I'm happy to drive the MH at a relaxed pace. Going faster means drinking a lot more fuel, as the wind resistance takes over from rolling road resistance above about 55mph.

We have a Mercedes diesel car with 265bhp & over 700Nm on tap, but I don't drive any quicker as a result of all that power. Me thinks what Jim's asking is an overview of peoples experiences? On the subject of opinions I do know that having extra grunt simply makes driving more pleasurable & hell knows on Britains busier roads driving pleasure is a rare beast, but would I have an engine remapped? No.

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