Chip Tuning

[AlanandCaz]

Went to the Caravan & Motorhome show in Bristol yesterday and picket up a leaflet on Remapping & Chip Tuning. It says you get 15-25% extra power and 8-15% improved MPG.

We are getting a new and slightly heavier van in about 5 weeks and thought it might be of use.

Also not sure how this would stand with the insurance.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Chrisbee]

Yeh, right! Makes you wonder why the car maker didn't fit one when they launched the car. 8-15% improvement in fuel comsumption PLUS 15-25% extra power, just think how their adverts would have read.

If you DO believe the leaflet and have one fitted make sure you tell the insurance company (and start saving up for a new clutch/gearbox).

 

[xtrailman]

And engine, drive shafts, differential?

 

[Glenn_5132962]

Most of these just fool the ecu into over fueling. You get more power but if you use it then you wont get better mpg. Cant have something for nothing. Because the ecu is being tricked, the fuel computer is also thrown out & can report much more mpg than the car is really achieving.

 

[Dave_374330759]

Probably invalidate your warranty as well.

 

[mcghee]

here's what you need

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140318922902#description

 

[mick_5041113]

you could consider buying my '05 Honda CR-V 2.2 CDTi. It is the best tow car I have ever had. I tow a Senator Vermont and get 32 mpg towing (44 mpg solo). It has loads of torque and power - you would not be disappointed. It can be yours for

 

[brenda_374246826]

Hi

We had our seat alhambra remapped from a 90 bhp to 115 because we were looking for extra power while towing. 2 months later the turbo went and thankfully was replaced under warranty. However the turbo has gone again 18 months later, its a 2006 model and unfortunately not covered under warranty.

Of course Seat will not commit that it was to do with the remapping (it was done in their garage at a cost of 400 euro)

We are so diappointed to have to get another turbo, will we be faced with the same problem in another 18 months??

Dont get your car chipped - its just not worth it..

 

[Chris_374224489]

I have a relative who did this. Two turbos in two years. It might not be the fault of increasing the work the turbo was being asked to do or it just might be.

 

[Guest]

Like many things in this world there are 'truths, half truths and just lies'.

You really need to look at your tow vehicle carefully before you decide whether to go down this route. It is true that trying to squeeze more power out of an engine can do it harm. However, it is also true that manufacturer's often de-tune vehicles for particular markets and sales. For example if they are trying to push economy on a particular model type, they de-tune the engine so they can show wonderful fuel figures. Another model of the same type can be not de-tuned and show more power, but higher fuel consumption.

My own tow car is such an example and was sold alongside a higher rated model, but the engines are exactly the same, it is only the ECU that has been changed. There are no markings whatsoever to distinguish the 2. I can easily change mine to the higher output, but as mentioned I would have to inform my insurance Company to be completely legal, although whether anyone would ever check the mapping is a big question.

I have not bothered to do so as the improvement for me is minimal, and while I am not towing I get better fuel consumption.

If there is an owner's Club for your towcar then they will possibly be able to advise on what you can, and cannot do to your particular vehicle. Somebody has probably already been down that route.

 

[brenda_374246826]

Hi Scotch lad

Can you clarify something for me?

We have an 85% match according to towsafe with our seat alhambra and bailey bretagne. However they did not need to know what bhp the car was. It was assumed that the car had a bhp of 115 even though it was a 90. When I pointed this out I was told it made no difference to the towing capability, is this correct?

Afer the remap and up until the turbo went we felt there was an improvement. After the turbo replaced we went back to square 1. I am so confused and upset because the part costs 1200 euro and thats before labour.

Sorry for going on a bit!

Thanks , Brenda

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Brenda

It is unwise to 100% trust the third party tow guide sites. We know from this forum that there are some significant errors and omissions in thier data bases,and there is no simple way to know which is right or wrong.

With regard to the differences between the 90 and 115BHP not being apparent onthe web site, It may be that both models tow equally well, and the power difference may not make a significant difference under towing conditions. - Or it cold be they do not have the data in their database.

 

[ScouseIan]

Hi Alan

I assume we are talking about a diesel here.

I once had BMW 330d and I had it 'chipped'. In this case it was a reprogram and did not actually get a replacement ECU. I don't know if that type of thing is standard now as this is back in 2001. Anyway, I did get an improvement in performance when I was 'going for it' but I also got an improvement in fuel when I was 'poodling along'.

99% of insurance companies will not touch you with a barge pole or if they do will want 300-400 extra per year. You may as well sell up and/or buy a more powerful car in the first place.

One thing that did worry me was that after 10 months I was getting a 'thud' from what felt like the driveshaft (right between the seats) when I went from 'foot to the floor' to 'normal', ie overtaking. I wonder if this was due to the fact that the 330d was the most powerful model in the 3-series range and maybe the driveshaft and/or gearbox could not cope with an increase in Torque. Maybe chipping a 325d or 320d would have been safer.

Regards

Ian R

 

[Chrisbee]

Hi Scotch lad

Can you clarify something for me?

We have an 85% match according to towsafe with our seat alhambra and bailey bretagne. However they did not need to know what bhp the car was. It was assumed that the car had a bhp of 115 even though it was a 90. When I pointed this out I was told it made no difference to the towing capability, is this correct?

Afer the remap and up until the turbo went we felt there was an improvement. After the turbo replaced we went back to square 1. I am so confused and upset because the part costs 1200 euro and thats before labour.

Sorry for going on a bit!

Thanks , Brenda

Hi Brenda, The 85% match is a weight ratio, it has nothing to do with the power of the car. Perhaps the 90 & 110 is the same engine with a differently mapped ECU, therefore 85% of the kerb weight will be the same for both cars.

The manufacturer's quoted towing figure is based on various things including, but not confined to, the strenght of the towbar fixing points.

 

[Guest]

Brenda,

From looking at Bailey's reviews the Bretagne weighs in at 1483 kg fully loaded. That in my opinion is pushing it a bit for a tow vehicle with only 90 BHP, although a diesel will certainly have better torque. Curiously when I look at Seat's page they do not list a 90 BHP model but list both a petrol and a diesel 115 BHP models. They do not show any maximum towing weights for any models unfortunately.

The weight of the Alhambra is not an issue as it is plenty, it is just that the total weight is a lot for a relatively small engine to lug about. The 140 BHP models would undoubtedly do much better. It is also possible that re-chipping has pushed up the power curve but also pushed the torque higher up the rev band, which is not going to help towing.

I am sorry but I cannot offer much more. Did you explain to the Company doing the re-chipping what you wanted it for, as they may have assumed you just wanted more power for solo driving. The requirement to replace the turbo is not a nice one, but they are expensive bits. It is possible it was on theway out anyway, and your re-chipping just accelerated things. Getting a new turbo may fix things for you.

 

[seth1]

hello,i agree with scotch lad on this.There can be two identical power units with different output ratings just due to the fact a different calibration file has been flash programmed in to the ECM,this effects the EPROM storage unit only(CHIP),This and one more storage unit contained in the ECM (RAM)are adjustable.The ECM contains three storage units plus a microprocesser,this microprocesser reiceves data from these storage units via a binary code,the binary code is what is adjusted.

The problem is these adjustments made by outside parties are not the same as the factory developed calibration files.They are known as a generic file.In other words whats good for one

is good for another,but this doesnt work when its been tested on a 10k engine,then your 90k engine is flashed with the same datafile.

Claims of torque being moved lower down for towing is a good idea if it works,being a gear up helps to, but this is straining the drivetrain.and more worring creating turbo overspeed leading to boost problems,i,e derate situations on long climbs.

i would suggest leave alone or get a larger car.after all would you let a strainger in your home and adjust your pc settings?

 

[brenda_374246826]

Thanks for getting back to me. When you say we are pushing it a bit with the 90 bhp do you mean towing will be a struggle or the car with this bhp is not able to perform competantly?

For some reason in Rep Ireland you can buy a 90bhp alhambra. This was not an issue when we bought it in early 2006 because owning or towing a caravan was not an issue (oh how my life has changed for the better since then!)

Brenda