BW Auto Repairs Ltd

What is the purpose of performance remapping? BW Auto Repairs Ltd offer BMW performance remapping throughout Hayes and Edmonton. We look at the effects that a remap can have on a car and how engine remapping works.

What Is Engine Remapping?

Engine remapping is the process of installing fresh software on the vehicle's onboard computer. This is known as an Electronic Control Unit or ECU. Even in sports cars, the majority of engines do not operate to their maximum potential when they leave the factory.

ECUs limit engine performance to decrease fuel consumption, and emissions, and enhance reliability. Your vehicle's engine may also be restricted to provide a healthy balance of fuel consumption and performance under less-than-ideal conditions. A remap is used to liberate additional power from an engine by eliminating some of these constraints.

This Stage 1 offers improved performance, is completely dependable and often uses less fuel. A stage 2 custom remap expands on stage 1 by adding enhanced exhaust and/or inlet, for those that desire something more. On a petrol car, a stage 2 upgrade will usually consist of a full upgrade exhaust or cat back system and modified intake.

Typically, a stage 2 upgrade on a diesel vehicle will include a modified exhaust. Stage 3 advances the process by changing the engine's crucial components, such as the turbocharger and camshafts. While certain updated components, such as larger turbos, are needed to provide higher power outputs, other upgraded components are needed to assure dependability.

Manufacturers frequently use a bigger turbo and more injectors to create one basic block. They generate two unique power versions. Stage 3 typically results in an increase of 100 horsepower over the base vehicle.

What Effects Can A Remap Have?

A remap firm promises greater power and economy from your current vehicle for a fee. Changes to a car's engine control unit, or ECU, provide an extra performance boost. When your automobile left the manufacturer, it had the potential to travel faster and use less gasoline. However, automakers cannot optimise an engine for each market's optimal atmospheric circumstances.

Car manufacturers also place a great value on vehicle lifespan. As a result, manufacturers establish a middle ground, allowing engineering technicians to exploit the area in between. A remap will alter the fuel pressure and injection timings, improving performance, allowing you to cover more ground with less effort, and providing better fuel efficiency.

Changing the performance of your engine can, in turn, influence the conduct of a driver. Rather than pushing the engine to work harder to get the desired performance, it's possible to meet the same speeds with lower rpm and more gear changes.

An engine remap is one of the cheapest methods to boost performance, and the best thing is that no physical improvements are required. Improved engine performance and a smoother driving experience will make you feel as if you own a new car but without the expensive price tag.

With great power comes a great deal of stress on the engine, clutch, brakes, and tyres; as a result, you could experience constant issues and require more maintenance.

If you want to assist the car manage more power and save wear and tear, you may think about updating the clutch, suspension, brakes, tyres, and exhaust to a performance level. However, this is an expensive task and again counts as changes for your insurance provider to take into account.

If the vehicle is leased, alterations will either not be permitted or have to be undone before returning the vehicle. The assumption is that your fuel consumption will increase, not just because of the increase in power but also because of the change in driving style brought on by driving a car with more power.

You may remap it with that purpose in mind and modify your driving style if your objective is to increase fuel consumption. It's doubtful that your automobile will be much greener if all you desire is greater power and performance.

How Does Engine Remapping Work?

Remapping a vehicle replaces the manufacturer's default settings and software on the ECU with fresh software that can be modified to the owner's preferences (within legal limits). When a vehicle is remapped, the old software is overwritten when the customised software is put into the serial port (also known as an OBD port).

This basic capability has simplified the process of tuning a car and provided several opportunities for tuning experts and specialised ECU software developers. By altering the way the engine drives the automobile, remapping enables you to adjust your vehicle's performance. However, the effects of the ECU tuning depend on how the driver drives the modified car.

However, fuel economy may be boosted if the driver adjusts their driving practises to make advantage of the greater power and torque throughout the "rev range" and gear changes. The tuned car's efficiency is dependent on the driver's choice of driving techniques.

Speed and power can be boosted by remapping a car; in some instances, remappers claim to have raised horsepower by 30–40 bhp and torque by up to 80 nm. The engine of an automobile may also become more responsive, facilitating easier overtaking.

As a result, the driver may need to change gears less frequently, enabling them to manage circumstances that call for more torque without shifting to lower speeds.

What Are The Benefits Of Engine Remapping?

You gain greater torque when you remap. The rotating or twisting force about an axis is known as torque. It describes an engine's capacity for output, and a torque rise corresponds to an increase in acceleration.

When you put your foot down, torque - which enters at low rpm in diesel and turbo-petrol vehicles - gives you a nudge in the back. Following a remap, torque on these vehicles should rise by 20–30% and by about 5% on aspirated vehicles.

For quick and safe overtaking, more torque equates to greater acceleration and shorter in-gear periods. Remapping eliminates flat places for more even distribution of electricity. Remapping should be thought about if your car's delivery of power, rather than its overall lack of power, is what bothers you.

By removing flat spots from the equation, remapping will enable you to utilise your power at higher RPMs, resulting in smoother driving. Due to the greater torque produced at all RPMs, you won't need to apply as much throttle to accelerate and maintain speed. As a result, the weight may be moved by a vehicle's engine with less effort.

The outcome is improved fuel economy, and as a result of this service, our fleet clients have seen significant fuel savings. It goes without saying that if you continually apply the brakes, your fuel economy will decrease. This is because the vehicle's more power and torque will be fully used, resulting in higher fuel consumption.

Unlocking more torque with a remap will have a significant impact on the tow vehicle. You can haul a lot more weight with higher power without placing too much stress on the engine and transmission.

How Much Does It Cost To Remap An Engine?

A remap might cost as much or as little as you are prepared to spend, much like many performance increases.

Remaps occur in a variety of stages. The cheapest remaps are sometimes referred to as "stage 1" upgrades and involve minor reprogramming to improve performance; these often cost a few hundred pounds.

Stage 2 remaps may need a bit more engine work, often a new air filter and some exhaust system upgrades. These will raise the price of the update, which approaches or exceeds £1,000.

The worst remaps are those that are Stage 3 and higher - these combine with significant engine improvements, such as brand-new turbo systems and pistons, to give a car substantial performance. Consequently, these can set you back thousands of pounds.

Should I Remap My Car?

Since the beginning of automobiles, enthusiasts have improved their vehicles by modifying the engines. Modern methods of improving a car's performance include engine remapping, sometimes referred to as "chipping", which involves altering the onboard computer, also referred to as an electronic control unit, or ECU.

Remapping a vehicle can have dangers and drawbacks, like with other auto maintenance and changes. Therefore, it's important to consider them before deciding to move forward with the procedure.

First off, keep in mind that not all automobiles can be remapped, often because of their age. Cars built before 2000 are too old and lack the car remapping software required to maximise performance.

Depending on who you talk to, you can be given different kinds of engine tuning or remapping. For instance, there could be a fuel-efficient economy version available. Fewer gear changes and accelerator pedal action will result from the increase in torque, which will improve MPG and driveability.

Hardware modifications and replacement engine components, such as a new turbocharger, will be needed for more pricey performance-enhancing remaps.