From the moment you complete your booking, we at Remap Kings are in the background starting the process. Our IMI trained technicians carry out pre-checks on your vehicle’s spec, so we know which is the best tool and process for your vehicle.
Upon arrival, after a little meet and greet, we get straight to work continuing the pre- checks, obtaining information on your vehicle’s history. We run a full diagnostic check on the ECU for any hidden faults that may not be showing on your dashboard.
Once this is completed and there are no engine faults that may hinder the remap we continue with the next step.
There are three different ways to complete a remap, the most common way for us to access a vehicle’s ECU is via On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) port; in obd mode 90% of the time we retrieve a full read of the ECU, the remaining 10% is known as a virtual read.
This is where specialised equipment is used to extract the important engine data from your ECU, this then enables a complete comparison to a vehicle.
The information is sent to our remapping team, back in the office who compare the data to an existing file previously created using a dyno. However in virtual read we cannot tell if a vehicle has previously been remapped and this is where we rely on your experience with the vehicle’s history. It’s important to remember that even if a vehicle has been remapped prior to your ownership, 99% of the time we will have a more up to date version, as our team at head office are constantly updating the files so that our customers receive the best remap possible.
Another option would be to remove the ECU and carry out a process referred to as ‘bench mode’. This requires removing the ECU without splitting the casing. This process enables direct contact with the ECU; this is not only good for us in the field but also great for our remapping team back in the office to build a bigger and better file. Bench mode is a fast and direct full read of your ECU using state of the art equipment.
The third and final way of remapping is called ‘boot mode’, this requires splitting the ecu apart to gain access to the PCB (the vehicle’s brain). Using a special frame to support the ECU and special pins or solder we can then start the extremely delicate process of boot mode. There is always a certain risk in doing this as one pin in the wrong place can render the ECU useless and cost thousands to replace.
To reduce as much risk as possible with boot mode, we don’t attempt this in the field as being out in the elements instead of inside an office is not the ideal place to carry out such a delicate procedure. Remap Kings do offer an office-based service where we remove your ECU and have this sent to our technical department; this process usually takes approximately 72 hours depending on the location, there is also an additional fee for this service.
