How we actually do it
Remapping itself is a (roughly) twenty minute job surrounded by the parts that matter. Here's the whole thing, in order.
1. We look at the car first
Before any software, the car goes up on the ramp. We're looking for the things that turn a good remap into an expensive week: perished or soft boost pipes, a carboned intake, an intercooler that's weeping, a turbo with play in it, an EGR on its way out, oil where oil shouldn't be.
On a diesel past about 80,000 miles, finding one of those is common rather than unusual. If we find something, you hear about it before we go any further, and sometimes the honest answer is to fix that first and come back.
2. We read and store your original file
Your factory map is read off the ECU and saved to our records before anything is written. That's what makes the whole thing reversible, and it's why we can put the car back to standard years later if you sell it, go back to a franchised dealer, or simply change your mind.
3. The map is matched to your exact vehicle
Not to your model, but to your specific engine, gearbox and ECU version. Two cars that look identical on a driveway can need very different files.
The calibrations come from Topgear Tuning, who develop and test them across the network rather than writing something from scratch on your driveway and hoping. That testing is the point: a file that has been proven on the same engine many times over is a considerably safer thing than one somebody wrote this morning.
4. Writing it to the car
Usually through the OBD port, occasionally by reading the ECU directly where the vehicle needs it. Battery support on throughout, because a voltage drop partway through writing an ECU is exactly the sort of problem nobody wants. This is the quick part.
5. Road test
We drive it before you do. Through the rev range, under load, watching that everything is behaving as it should and that no fault codes have appeared. If something isn't right, it comes back in rather than going out of the door.
6. We talk you through it
What's changed, what to expect in the first few hundred miles, and what to tell your insurer. Then it's yours. If anything feels off in the following weeks, ring us and bring it back.
STATE OF THE ART TUNING TECHNOLOGY
IT'S ALL IN THE TOOLS
We use dynamic and advanced remapping software and tools to read/write the data from your vehicle's ECU. This includes OBD programming, bench tuning and boot mode. We are fully trained in all of these methods.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I HAVE A REMAP?
The practice of remapping is to first read the ECU’s processor of a vehicle’s standard map and then to adjust various parameters within that map. As an example: fuel pressure, boost pressure (turbocharged engines) and ignition advance. When carried out correctly, this process will successfully unlock engine performance
CAN I SAVE FUEL?
Another major benefit of remapping is a reduction in fuel consumption. Extra torque at the bottom of the rev range requires less throttle input on acceleration and when maintaining steady speeds. The vehicle can also be driven in a higher gear at slower speeds, thus reducing revs, and this also applies to driving when fully loaded, towing or driving through elevation changes
GEARBOX TUNING
We can also tune automatic gearboxes via our clever tuning tools. This includes the DSG and S-tronic used in the VAG range. We can also tune BMW gearboxes, such as the ZF8
ADVANTAGES OF GEARBOX TUNING
Our custom written transmission upgrades are designed to improve gearbox shift speed, response and smoothness. This tuning option can include launch control, shift and torque limiter functions and setting adjustments to give the driver the best possible driving experience
SHIFT RESPONSE
Shift response can be improved by up to 20% and paddle-reaction-time by up to 40% (in Sport mode) which provides a smoother gear to gear transition – reduces clutch slip under full acceleration and helps protect the clutch from premature failure