Introduction:

Almost all cars on the road today will have an ECU or Electronic Control Unit; they are almost universal on cars with electronic ignition.

The ECU works like the brain of the car, controlling engine functions such as the air and fuel mixture or the timing. A modern road car is usually designed to be sold in multiple different environments, taking into account factors such as different qualities of petrol or diesel, varying service schedules, different emission controls, and different climates.

As a result, the ECU needs to be set up in a fairly generic way. Some manufacturers may even de-tune standard models, knowing they have a high-performance version in the pipeline that will need to show a clear performance advantage over the standard specification car.

So, as we can see, there is a lot of potential in an ECU remap, not only in terms of boosting performance but also in improvements to the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, as the increase in torque can lead to less frequent gear changes. Compared to the expense and trouble of mechanical tuning, ECU re-maps and tuning boxes are a cost-efficient way to achieve this.

A re-map is a similar concept to installing a new version of the operating system on your laptop or smartphone.

ECU remapping in Essex, the things to consider

While, unlike some mechanical tuning, an ECU remap is easily reversible, there are still some implications you should consider before you go ahead.

Keeping Warranty In Mind

If your car has any kind of warranty, either the manufacturer warranty or one purchased afterwards, then anything that changes the performance of the car is likely to invalidate it. So, to ensure your car can still avail of the warranty services, inform your insurance company about your ECU remapping plans.

Informing the Insurance Company

Insurance is another factor to consider, although this very much varies from one insurance company to another. Some will charge an extra premium, while others will not. Either way, you will need to check this before proceeding and to keep things street-legal, the insurance company must be informed before you take to the road after a remap.

Understanding the changes from an expert

It is also worth noting that while remapping or tuning boxes will no doubt improve the performance of a car, some cars benefit more than others, so it is worth speaking to an expert to get an idea of what you can expect from your particular make and model before going ahead, unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment.

ECU remapping in Essex – the benefits

Apart from the above caveats, there are clear advantages of an ECU remap or a tuning box, especially for those who want to get the best they can from their car. Urban rumours are heard that remaps and tuning boxes can put extra pressure on car parts causing unreliability, but any good remap or tuning box will work well within the parameters of standard car parts. Someone who has a hard-driving style will always cause extra pressure on parts, whether the car has been remapped or not!

Plug and Play tuning boxes, for example, can, in the case of some turbo-diesel engines, improve performance by as much as 30%.

So, decide wisely before you make up your mind about ECU remapping.