►What is ‘Remapping’?
How is more power, higher torque, lower fuel consumption
– all this and a lot more – achievable by ’remapping’ tuning
only? Surely there must be a catch?
►Electronics in vehicle technology
Since the 80s, electronics in automotive applications
have become increasingly significant. Initially simple
functions were controlled by the Engine Control Units (ECUs)
and the electronics rarely intervened actively in
controlling other operations around the car. Fast
forward to a new car, and nearly all functions in a vehicle
are controlled or electronically supervised through
software. Therefore the engine management of a vehicle is
one of its most significant fields.
►Remapping your Car
With the power of a modern ECU, there are millions of
elements of data all making up the engine’s instructions (or
map) on how to perform in any given set of circumstances.
This map defines, amongst many other parameters, the
ignition timing, fuelling and boost pressure for all given
engine speeds, loads and even temperatures and quality of
fuel.
With the scale of global mass production of modern cars,
the standard mapping has to be a compromise. It has to
make certain ‘safe’ assumptions - for example, that the car
will be operating in the most severe global climatic
conditions, that it will be running on the worst fuel
available in the world, that it may not have been serviced
properly, that it may be running at 2000m or more above sea
level. And most of all, that the tolerances in every
component in the engine and every sensor will be at their
worst.
Of course, this is an over-cautious approach for the
majority of drivers. Our remapping process considers all of
these elements and ‘rebalances’ these assumptions. So,
with our contacts at the factory, we can safely assume that
your car will be running on European-quality fuel, that the
majority of your driving will be at the sort of altitudes
and climates that we experience in Europe, and that as an
enthusiastic driver, your car will be properly and regularly
serviced. And so we can remove some of these
compromises whilst keeping the safety precautions that will
always protect your car’s mechanical components. Thus, when
modification of the ECU’s software is carried out in a
responsible way, the components’ durability and the
vehicle’s suitability for daily use can be maintained
despite the increased efficiency and higher torque.
►Development of our Remaps
When we select an engine type to be modified, the
vehicle’s individual standard mapping is assessed in the
first instance. As every vehicle type shows small but
detailed differences, the standard data is collected
individually prior to development. Subsequently the various
engine characteristics and data are reprogrammed on the
dynamometer. In this environment the standard safety
mechanisms of the engine management (e.g. maximum admissible
boost pressure, overheating protection, knock control
system...) can be tested to extreme levels. In a practical
test drive the all-important driving characteristics are
checked by our test drivers and if necessary a re-adjustment
of the data version will be carried out to suit road
conditions. A prolonged road test is then carried out under
demanding conditions to prove the map’s suitability. If all
required specifications are fulfilled, the power upgrade
will be granted technical release.
►Is there any change in fuel consumption?
Fuel consumption is predominantly influenced by the
driver’s driving style and usage. This applies for remapped
vehicles as well as for standard cars. Anybody demanding
full engine power will notice increased fuel consumption.
However in practice our customers often report lower fuel
consumption after a remap. The explanation is that many
drivers do not alter their driving behaviour after their car
is remapped and thus the improved efficiency of the new
mapping allows the driver to achieve the desired performance
with less throttle. So, for example, a remapped car
takes less throttle to maintain a steady 70mph cruising
speed.
The durability of mechanical parts is dependent on the
design and conditions to which a part is subjected. As we
know from our work with the factory, many parts used in VAG
vehicles are designed in accordance with the
platform-sharing principle. For example this can mean that
the same gearbox is fitted in different vehicles and
engine-power outputs. Hence all components have a
significant over-engineering tolerance in order to ensure
that the factory can use these components safely in other
models, with different power outputs and weights. Our race
programme has proven the inherent over-engineering of the
VAG range in extreme conditions. What this means is
that every one of our Stage 1 and 2 range of remaps have
been proven to still operate within the usage range
determined by the engineers.
