Engine remaps. How to judge a good remap from a bad one.

A remap from a reputable company is a good thing. It is the cheap solutions that are the problem!

Remap – Good versus cheap

A good remap must be customised for only your engine. Although it will almost certainly be based on a professionally developed ‘blueprint’, it must also be subject to customisation that takes into account details that can only be discovered by the remapper analysing your existing ECU. Your ECU contains information about your existing map, but also other key data about your chassis number, software revisions, security information and many other details specific to your vehicle. Although your engine may appear to be identical to another model there can be differences you are unaware of.

A good remapper will only boost your power by an amount known to be safe for your engine and components such as the turbo-charger and fuel pump, as well as the drive-train. A good remapper will use only top quality hardware designed to protect your valuable ECU during the remap process. All the correct information such as VIN number, security codes will go back exactly the same as original, making the remap undetectable, as well as correctly identifying your vehicle through accurate VIN/chassis numbers etc if it is ever checked.

A poor remap will most likely be taken from a cheap CD full of remaps. It may have a map for a VW Golf 1.9TDi, for example, but nobody knows exactly what was done on the original remap. Did it boost power by 45hp when the engine should only safely be given an extra 30hp? Did it over-boost the turbo to achieve it? Does the hardware used by the cheap remapper have protection to keep your ECU safe during programming? Is it from a quality company or a cheap clone? Will your remap come back with your vehicle’s correct VIN number, security codes etc? The bottom line is that there is a reason a cheap remap is cheap. The question is - can you risk expensive engine damage, a failed ECU or incorrect vehicle ID and security data getting back onto your vehicle, all to save the hundred pounds extra you’d pay for a professional job?

How can I pick a good company for my remap?

Talk to the supplier. Ask them questions about their processes.

Are the maps customised? Ask how.

Whose equipment to they use? Look for answers like AlienTech, CMD or Optican.

Do they have an address or landline number?

Do they have a professional looking website?

Do they have product literature that shows they invest in their business?

Once you talk to the supplier and hear the quality of their answers to judge their knowledge, you should be able to judge the good from the bad from the ugly easily enough!

Paul Dunford is the author of this article on Remap. Find more information on Remapping here.