Remapping

[Milo]

I have always been aware of the ability to remap modern cars but have learned a lot more about it since joining TSN.

My question is, if it is so simple to do (basically electronic tuning) and it produces the power and torque benefits it seems to, why don't the manufacturers make the engine management systems like that in the first place?

If a bit tinkering can produce say 30 bhp and 15% more torque, surely they would save money by making a smaller/less powerful engine in the first place but with a "remapped" style engine management system thus giving it the some power and torque as before.

It seems odd that in this age of cost cutting, manufacturer's produce engines they know with a little electronic tweaking can be made to be more powerful and torquier (is that a word).

Or am I missing something fundamental here?

[NewNiceMrMe]

Stress, it's all about stress.

They don't want them to break down all the time and the trade-off is that you're inevitably impacting on stress on engine wear with such changes - generally.

They'd have more warranty claims than you could shake a service manager at...

[NeilB]

Didn't Audi declare the warrenty null and void on the TT's with DSG's that were chipped as they had a tended to spit the cogs out all over the motorway?

[theduisbergkid]

I was originally dubious about chipping, but now my GTi is out of manufacturers warranty, I have considered chipping it from 150 to 180 or maybe 225 bhp, but I don't drive it hard anyway and don't do many miles. I think you'd be daft to do it with a new motor given the warranty implications if nothing else...

[Bradmax57]

[ QUOTE ]

I was originally dubious about chipping, but now my GTi is out of manufacturers warranty, I have considered chipping it from 150 to 180 or maybe 225 bhp, but I don't drive it hard anyway and don't do many miles. I think you'd be daft to do it with a new motor given the warranty implications if nothing else...

[/ QUOTE ]

wouldn't you need a lot more than just a chip to take it from 150 > 225

[GCab]

Milo, as I understand it, the other thing is that the tuning is done individually for the tolerance of each inidivual engine. If you go to a reputable place they seem to spend a fair while on each car (I'm not sure I'd trust a plug-in tuning box delivered by post, with you car sight unseen).

So you're talking about adding hours of labour and testing per car - in clothing terms it's like M&S offering to hand-adjust every suit they sell for your shoulder width and waist (not just adjusting the trouser hems for you).

For a volume product it makes much more sense to go for the average and churn 'em out at a performance level which you can guarantee to be safe on every chassis-number you turn off the production line.

Also I assume the 'sporty' variants *are* factory-remapped, so there may be some niche marketing involved too - if every Seat with a 1.8T engine was tuned to maximum potential, you might not buy a Cupra R.

[Milo]

Seems like I was missing something fundamental!

I see what people are getting at - stress your safety critical components to 50% capacity and the chance of failure is very slim. Stress them to 75% and the risk of failures increase.

I'm not considering engine mods personally but was just curious

[Sparky]

I was told by many people that it's because of emissions/pollution laws or whatever they are called and therefore they are sent across to the UK detuned.

BMW told me that Germany have far stricter laws about stuff like that and so as to get their cars past the tests, they are sort of detuned, or just not optimised for performance.

[lenny007]

Nah, as it's been said, purely for reducing stress levels in the engine in order to make it more durable. Regarding emissions and mpg, i'm under the impression that certain remaps can improve both.

Regarding VW's 1.8T, it seems to be also a accountanting / marketing based decision as far as i'm aware. By offering the same units in various outputs, it's all to do with reducing component costs and also being able to offer either the "Lower Performance" variant for a certain price and insurance bracket and the "Higher Performance" for another. Plus it allows VAG the chance to restrict certain outputs for certain brands.

Offer a 225bhp Skoda up against a 225bhp Golf on the same floorpan and chassis and give someone the choice and most likely £4K in your pocket, it's a different proposition to when the 180bhp is the range topper.