What Remapping a vehicle ECU can do for Performance or Economy.

Back

Remap Kings is the leading provider of remapping services in the UK. We’ve supplied thousands of remaps, and we have the experience to know when it is worth remapping your vehicle. This means that we know ECU remapping can have many benefits: then again, it probably shouldn’t surprise you that a remapping company is telling you that. The question is, is remapping worth it for you?

Unlike some of our competitors, we at Remap Kings believe that it is vital that our customers are able to make an informed decision. That’s why we’ve put together this blog so you can work out if getting a remap is worth it for you.

Checklist

• How many miles has your car done?
  If your car has done over 150,000 miles, then there’s a risk that a remap won’t be worth it. While you will see power gains, both in terms of torque and horsepower, by this stage in its life cycle, the vehicle will already have lost much of its initial power. This means that the power gains from your remap may not reach the original values for the vehicle.
  
• When was your car made?
  Not every car has an OBD port to plug into: this can make remapping the ECU very difficult. While all modern vehicles will have one, the same is not true for vehicles made before 2000.
• Is your vehicle still within manufacturer warranty?
  If you remap your vehicle and it is still within the manufacturer warranty, a remap may not be for you. In the event of any electronics fault, the first step taken by the producer of the vehicle will be to interrogate the ECU meaning they will likely be able to detect your remap. This means that the vehicle warranty will be voided.
  
• To your knowledge, has your vehicle ever had a remap or any other tuning conducted upon it in the past?
  If your vehicle has had a previous remap or other modifications made to it, we cannot remap it. This is because we do not know what the previous remap or modifications may have done, so the risk of something going wrong is increased.
  

Pros

Dead spots in acceleration reduced.

The biggest advantage of a remap is that it smooths out dead areas in your vehicle’s power curve. This ensures you will have an immediate response when you put your foot down. This will make driving more enjoyable and much safer, so if you’ve had experience of dead spots in your acceleration curve, we can’t recommend a remap strongly enough!

Increased power

Getting a remap will increase the horsepower available to your engine, all while staying well within safety margins. Vehicle manufacturers purposefully de-tune engines for marketing reasons, allowing them to create a range of differently powered models of the same vehicle. Our remap will simply allow the vehicle to access the power that the manufacturer has locked away and unleash the full potential of the engine.

Better torque

Not only will the horsepower of your vehicle increase, but so will the torque. This is where you’ll feel the true improvement. By increasing torque, the frequency of gear changes will be decreased, and the car will have improved acceleration. Combined with the removal of dead spots and the increased BHP values, it’ll feel like a far smoother and more enjoyable driving experience.

Increased fuel efficiency

A remap will potentially lead to an increase in fuel efficiency, assuming you do not change your overall driving style. This is because, due to the decrease in necessary gear changes, the vehicle will be able to maintain more efficient transfers of energy from combustion of fuel.

Cons

Can increase strain on your vehicle

Especially in older vehicles, the increase in power and torque can create problems in the drive train. This is because the improved values will be placing increased stress on the vehicle, and can increase the speed at which parts are worn down.

Some manufacturers are already highly tuning their cars

Some cars are already highly tuned, for instance Hondas. Because of this, a remap may only increase the power available to your car by a very small amount, potentially meaning a remap wouldn’t be worthwhile for that vehicle.

In some cars, it can be risky

Not every car can be remapped through the OBD port. This means that the ECU, the brain of your car, will have to be removed and physically modified. This can be done safely in a sterile environment, but when you’re out on the road like our team, it’s just not a good idea.

We hope that this checklist and guide have given you the answers you need to decide if a remap is worth it for you. If you have any questions or want to know more, please don’t hesitate to contact our team on 0800 061 4326 where we’re always happy to help!