I Want My Car Remapped – What’s Involved?

In recent years, car remapping has been the go-to modification for drivers wanting the power of a high-performance vehicle without the equivalent price tag. But what is remapping, and is it really worth it?

‘Remapping’ is another term (along with ‘chip tuning’ or ‘chipping’ for short) for alterations made to the car’s engine via the vehicle’s Electronic Control Unit (ECU). The ECU is the modern car’s on-board computer and controls engine functions. By rewriting the ECU’s settings, engine performance can be significantly improved in terms of speed, power, and responsiveness. Engine remapping, which involves modifying the car’s ECU with new software, is a common method used to unleash the engine’s maximum potential performance. At the factory, ECUs are typically programmed to limit the engine’s performance. However, with the help of engine remapping, these limitations can be overcome, allowing the car to achieve its full performance capabilities.

You might wonder why a vehicle doesn’t roll off the factory production line with its ECU mapped for maximum performance. The reasons include improve reliability, emissions, and fuel consumption but you can be fairly sure that most new cars won’t be performing right at the top of their game. And your older or used car isn’t likely to have had a remap during its lifetime, unless you were told about it when you purchased it.

Because car engines are told how to respond to driver commands by the ECU, petrolheads just love knowing that their vehicle will run exactly the way they want it following a remap. Straight away, you’ll notice the difference in terms of engine power, responsiveness, and overall performance. For enthusiasts, having a remap really is like driving a new car.

How do we remap a car?

At Mobile Eco Tuning we’re experts at remapping vehicles of all shapes and sizes, and with or without hardware upgrades. Before we start the engine remap, we perform a full diagnostic health check and we also offer a ‘rolling road’ dyno session to compare power output before and after the remap. Our software engineers create the maps that provide considerable improvements to horsepower and torque while making sure that the engine isn’t compromised in terms of safety. Our ECU remaps ensure smooth power delivery, wide powerband, crisp throttle response and superb driving experience. We can also customize our remaps on request.

Is it worth having a remap done?

Good question. An ECU remap doesn’t come without its challenges. It may not be suitable for all cars, particularly ones manufactured before 2000, when ECU technology was in its infancy. If your car is suitable, you will need to make sure it’s in good overall condition, with no serious diagnostic faults. It’s also a requirement that you tell your insurance company that your car has been modded…with the result that they may increase your premium.

It’s worth knowing all this before you start, and any reputable remapping outfit (like us, for example!) will give you plenty of info and advice. If you take the plunge and have a remap you can almost certainly experience improved ignition timing, better throttle and engine response, extra power and torque and a better air-to-fuel ratio.

If you want greater performance from your car and you’re sensible enough not to try to tinker with the ECU yourself (never a great idea!) it’s well worth contacting a professional tuner like us. We will give you the best advice out there and that, coupled with our state-of-the-art facilities, will guarantee you get the best remap on the market for your car’s current state. For more information contact us here or give us a call on 01934 644427.