# Remap Horror Stories?



## A3 Sport (Oct 23, 2010)

Hi guys, 

Im thinking of remapping my car, because the gains are rather large for my particular engine. 

Im a bit sad about my car though, and don't want it coming to any harm! Has anyone had any horror stories with regards to remapping a car? Im not stupid when I drive my car hard though, its always fully warmed up (oil and water) and even then its not hitting the rev limiter or anything stupid! 

Im just worried about whether there will be any extra strain caused on any components, the tuning place (Awesome GTI) said that it would be fine, but I want other peoples opinions too?

Has anyone had any horror stories when it comes to having a car remapped?

Thanks


----------



## nick3814 (Dec 31, 2010)

Hi, I had this query with my Renaultsport 250 just made sure I did my home work and used the most reputable company for my car who have never had any problems ever, as far as I could establish.

My advise would be make sure it's a custom map for your car, not one of these plug in generic ones.

No doubt there will be plenty of horror stories out there but not with a reputable company and with sensible gains.

My map took mine from 262bhp to 308 and torque to 460nm, it's superb. I wouldn't take it any further as I feel this is a safe limit, not to mention I don't boot it all the time anyway, plus mpg has improved to, happy days😎


----------



## danwel (Feb 18, 2007)

As long as you go to a reputable source and have done your homework you'll be fine. Best thing to do is read up on the owners club website as they're usually pretty knowledgable


----------



## VAG-hag (May 14, 2012)

What engine is it? the main part under extra stress is the clutch so as long as you use your new power sympathetically it will be sound. If it was an older car you may want to change the clutch while you are at it but if its not gone far then dont worry. Gearboxes in vag cars are generally up to more than the job they are given. 

If its a dsg I'd do some more digging as I dont know about them.


----------



## R5 MEE (Oct 14, 2011)

If its the 2.0 TDI 140 engine its the same as mine. remapped (chippeduk) at 6000 miles 190ish bhp now on 57000 miles no problems. Still possible to get 60mpg on long trips or high 40's if you're chasing big bmw's
Clutch still going with a little slipping if really pushing it.
The engine will be under more strain as your asking it to cope with higher revs,speeds and in my case a heavy right foot
as for tuners 1 someone local
2 reputation
3 watch your speed
4 ENJOY


----------



## R7KY D (Feb 16, 2010)

Someone reputable with a reputable history in tuning cars and not just a computer programmer


----------



## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Obviously if remapped the car will be under more strain when you use the extra power and torque. 

However I doubt you will drive flat out that often so it will only be under increased loads for a small amount of time. 

Some of the remaps are pretty aggressive with big hikes in boost pressure. 

You can't expect a turbo to be working much harder and last as long.


----------



## putzie (Mar 19, 2012)

as long as your engine is in good condition there isnt usually any problems , when there is problems it usually down to your car having a problem before that you didnt know about or did but ignored , bit like a human really , if its used to doing exercise/ driven fairly hard without problems then the remap/the extra exercise isnt a problem where as if its not healthy then it brings that problem to light , bit like a middle aged bloke who eat kebabs every day and sits on the sofa watching tv 24/7 , if you asked him to run up the road it wouldnt be long before there was a problem lol


----------



## DMcG (Oct 25, 2012)

As above do your research before picking a tuner and use the power to overtake / make progress rather than torque to prolong clutch life e.g change down from 6th on motorway to overtake or accelerate rather than putting your foot down from low revs etc. most tuners will check the engine is in good health prior to mapping anyway so you should be fine. Do it!


----------



## MK1Campaign (Mar 27, 2007)

A3 Sport said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Im thinking of remapping my car, because the gains are rather large for my particular engine.
> 
> ...


What car is it?


----------



## Edstrung (Apr 6, 2009)

If you went back street, something like this could happen...






But anywhere that is responsible and experienced that shoudln't happen 

My car is about to hit 130k, just gotta clean out the EGR and perhaps blank it off, then rebuild turbo so the actuator is moving freely, then remap time. I'm not expecting a horror story, just I have to play catch up as it's not a brand new car. Many of the parts I buy come from Awesome and for VAG they are quite reputable, but no idea on remapping :thumb:

Good luck, and enjoy


----------



## RichardM (Mar 1, 2009)

If it is the VW/Audi 2.0 TDI then you have little to worry about. I got my dad to remap his Passat 3 years ago and he's had no problems and the gains really are noticeable. As others have said just choose someone who has been recommended to do it.


----------



## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

MK1Campaign said:


> What car is it?


Looking through his recent posts it as an Audi TT of some description.

I also notice that the majority of his posts are new threads and he rarely posts in the thread again.


----------



## xJay1337 (Jul 20, 2012)

There are absolutely no issues with any of the VW/Audi range of turbocharged petrols or diesels with a remap.
Infact most are fine till over and above stage 2 levels of tuning.

The 2.0 140 engines for ex are basically the same as the 170*, just the turbo is different slightly but not massively so can take the power.
My experience from people who question "will it break my car" is that they always err on the side of caution because they are silly! 

So just do it.. awesome will probably just put a Revo map on it which will be alright..


----------



## DJ X-Ray (Sep 2, 2012)

Sigh..Reminds me of my liquid yellow S3..That was one rapid whip,re-mapped to-the-max..As stated above just find a reputable firm and it'll be fine..


----------



## A3 Sport (Oct 23, 2010)

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the replies. The car in question is a 12 Plate Audi TT 1.8TFSI S Line with around 5k on the clock.

Okay well, it was Awesome GTI that I spoke to with regards to a remap and it was going to be a Revo map that they were thinking of putting on the car. I spoke to one of the guys there, and they said that my car should be fine, as it shares a lot of components (I think it was drivetrain, turbo etc - I stand to be corrected though if someone with more knowledge wishes to correct me!) with the 2.0TFSI engine, which is used in the Mk5 Golf GTi and Golf GTi Edition 30, and was designed to run stock at 230bhp. Mine would be remapped to 220bhp.

Its not the power thats the concern though. My concern is the clutch. My car now has 184lbs/ft of torque. The Golf Edition 30 has 222lbs/ft of torque, and when mine is remapped it will have 275lbs/ft. Im not a retard with the clutch, I mean for instance, I dont burn it out by poor driving parking up, ride it, or accelerate from 30mph in 6th and cause unnecessary strain... but I do like to have a play up the higher end of the rev range every now and then when its fully warmed up.

Once again, thanks for the replies so far, they have been good to read. Its just that its my baby, its cost me a considerable amount of money 6 months ago, and its extremely well looked after, but the temptation of having the extra power when I want to have some fun is really appealing. Its just that I dont want to harm it, or abuse it...



Kerr said:


> I also notice that the majority of his posts are new threads and he rarely posts in the thread again.


Not sure I see your point?

Hope you keep the replies coming.. they're good to read!

Dan


----------



## ivor (Sep 24, 2008)

What I would be interested in is what is the standard boost and how are they increasing it and what pressure will it be running, as has been said find someone reputable and try to go to a few car club meetings as you will often find out more there than any forum. I know of a company that tunes skylines and has a good rep publicly but away from forums they have a really bad history of blowing engines and fudging figures the reason they keep their reputation is that they have enough financial backing to sue any forum for slander/liable etc etc


----------



## R5 MEE (Oct 14, 2011)

R5 MEE said:


> If its the 2.0 TDI 140 engine its the same as mine. remapped (chippeduk) at 6000 miles 190ish bhp now on 57000 miles no problems. Still possible to get 60mpg on long trips or high 40's if you're chasing big bmw's
> Clutch still going with a little slipping if really pushing it.
> The engine will be under more strain as your asking it to cope with higher revs,speeds and in my case a heavy right foot
> as for tuners 1 someone local
> ...


EDIT By far the best advice for a completely different car/engine. I wont guess again promise:wall::wall:


----------



## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

What are the stock figures for your car OP? 180bhp and 184lb ft? That's quite a big torque claim from the mapped car - my vRS mapped to 284 lb ft from about 202 stock so perhaps not that different. Interesting Awesome are recommending Revo over APR and their own software.


----------



## Will_G (Jan 23, 2012)

Sorry to hijack your thread a little but after remap what kind of insurance increase do people see?


----------



## andy665 (Nov 1, 2005)

Strange that when it comes to remaps virtually everyone talks about BHP gains and there is no reference to drivability

I recently had my GTV V6 remapped by Alfatune - Gus makes no power gain claims whatsoever but does talk about how much nicer it is to drive, no peaks and troughs in the power delivery etc. 

The car is probably producing more power now but the important thing to me is that its a much nicer car to drive 

I once had a new Leon Cupra and that was remapped (by a company with a good reputation and it was not a generic map), yes the dyno showed a noticeable improvement in power but the thing was a pig to drive afterwards

I'll take improved drivability over "pub talk" power gains every single time


----------



## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

A3 Sport said:


> Im a bit sad about my car though, and don't want it coming to any harm!


Not sad at all mate, I'm exactly the same and one of the reasons I never jumped at the chance to re-map my Megane 225.

The only horror story I heard regarding those was a chap who had his re-mapped with the map for Euro III engine without realising his had the newer Euro IV, car wouldn't start and Renault had to flash the ECU back to a standard map.

He feigned ignorance and they did it under warranty.

I'd imagine any form of tuning would put additional strain on the components of the car so if it were me I'd go for a map that has been tried and tested by lots of people. I wouldn't want to be the first to give it a try, I'd want people to have done lots of driving on that map before 'risking' my car with it.



andy665 said:


> trange that when it comes to remaps virtually everyone talks about BHP gains and there is no reference to drivability


I think a lot of people get wrapped up in the power figures, especially with turbo charged engines where you can see a 20-40bhp gain with nothing more than software.

A few of the Twingo RS owners have had re-maps done and their power figures haven't changed much but the way the car drives has. Car revs more smoothly, torque comes in lower down etc. May only be 5bhp more but makes the car better to drive, I'm all for that haha.


----------



## should_do_more (Apr 30, 2008)

Will_G said:


> Sorry to hijack your thread a little but after remap what kind of insurance increase do people see?


Massive.

I looked in to getting my golf 140 mapped. There was a limit of 20bhp and after that insurers wouldn't touch it, including specialists, and this was for a good post code, locked up, tracker etc. no matter what I did it was uninsurable.

I went down the air filter and exhaust route, made a difference but not huge.

If you take it too far you will not get insurance, something to remember. The remap people I have spoken too say they don't get involved, customer liability etc which is fair enough.

I gave up, not saying it can't be done, but personally if I were you, do what I did and check the afters first. Also a lot of these remaps can be deleted if the car software is updated at service time. And they don't always tell you they are updating it, why would they? I don't fancy your warranty claims if you tell them not to.

I was up fr it but it just proved too much of a pita to do legally. Others I am sure have done so, would be interested to hear from them.


----------



## A3 Sport (Oct 23, 2010)

My car standard is 160bhp and 184lbs/ft. 
Yes the gains are rather large but that's why I'm tempted. My engine gets a really good review with regards to performance gains.

I've had a look on forums and not read anywhere that the car becomes a pig. Sadly, I've even looked at the power curve for the car and it follows the same pattern when it's remapped as it does standard, just with more power.

Dan


----------



## silverblack (Jan 23, 2011)

How does it affect the warranty on the car ?


----------



## Hasan1 (Jul 1, 2011)

If its a vw or Audi you can get a revo chip fitted and your warranty should not be affected the good thing about a revo chip for a bit more money you get a part with it that you can plug into your self and Change the settings to hat fule you have in the car and even put it back to standard


----------



## should_do_more (Apr 30, 2008)

My experience has been hard getting any warranty claims done regardless!

I don't know if they can tell if things have been fiddled with, I heard yes but not certain. If something big and bad happens and they trace it back to the remap, for example your clutch goes or whatever, then I doubt as you have put the car under duress outside if its manufactured tolerance that you'll have much luck.

As I said, I looked in to it but gave up as it just blurs so many things that I wasn't comfortable doing it in case anything happened and my insurance, warranty or car reliability was in question.


----------



## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

Will_G said:


> Sorry to hijack your thread a little but after remap what kind of insurance increase do people see?


It depends very much on your insurer. My policy with all mods declared comes out at less what the previous mainstream insurer wanted for a standard car. Cover also has a few things includes that I removed from the previous policy to cut costs. I can go to Stage 2+ with no extra cost or admin fee.



andy665 said:


> Strange that when it comes to remaps virtually everyone talks about BHP gains and there is no reference to drivability


This and I find this varies greatly with the massive choice of maps. My previous car gained very little power but was a much better drive as a result of the map.



A3 Sport said:


> My car standard is 160bhp and 184lbs/ft.
> Yes the gains are rather large but that's why I'm tempted. My engine gets a really good review with regards to performance gains.
> 
> I've had a look on forums and not read anywhere that the car becomes a pig. Sadly, I've even looked at the power curve for the car and it follows the same pattern when it's remapped as it does standard, just with more power.
> ...


I'd be really interested to see if this engine gets anywhere near 220 bhp with software alone. I know ITG had some results from one of their CAIs and a map which took it over 230bhp but the CAI added more power than even they expected.


----------



## minimadgriff (Jul 8, 2007)

A reputable tuner will know how to get the best from your car without making it unsafe or taking it too far. You will always find horror stories on the net but more often than not you find it is down to a car issue rather than a good tuner at fault. 

Whenever we have a car in for mapping the car is road tested, logged and dyno'd to make sure everything is ok. If we pick up on anything that is amiss or looks like it could be a problem we advise the customer on what needs to be fixed or if they should even go ahead with remap. 

Obviously you can't always tell if your turbo, clutch or a coil pack is going to fail weeks down the line as they may be just on the edge of their useable life but don't show this when they are in for mapping.

As for turbo's and clutches failing. These in good working order will cope absolutley fine with a good remap. One of the biggest killers of clutches/flywheels is because people labour the engine i.e accelarating hard at low rpm in a gear that is too high. 

As your car is so new you shouldn't need to worry about parts being past their best and mapped cars compoments can last as long as a standard car. Shauns Octavia VRS (06 plate) has been mapped from new and now on nearly 150k with the original clutch and turbo! We even have some customers with well over 200k on their mapped cars, with original clutches and turbos. Obviously you do have cars at the other end of the scale too though. 

With reference to warranty, the VAG dealers as of last year became capable of telling if a car was mapped or not, before this they couldn't actually tell. Flash count could even be reset when mapping so that wasn't even a give away. As for if it affects the warranty, this depends entirely on the dealer, some are ok with it and some arn't. We actually remap new and used cars for some local dealers. They are obviously ok with it. 

With your car being so new it is more than likely the ECU will have to come out and be bench flashed to get around the security. Just make sure whoever does it replaces the secuirty bolts and seals the ECU correctly. Although if the dealer took the ECU apart, they will be able to tell it has been worked on. 

The 1.8TFSi is a great engine for tuning potential. They do get excellent gains, the 120/160bhp model is a de-tuned 180bhp, so when they are mapped it goes up to the same power as a mapped 180! Hence why the gains are so big. It is a massive transformation. REVO that you have been recommended and are looking at getting is a good remap for this model (hence why we offer REVO along side our own mapping) REVO is priced at £449 + vat (20% off if you have it done by the 15th) and if you want the unit to turn the map on and off like mentioned above this is a further £149 + vat. 

As somone said above it isn't all about figure gains (especially with N/A cars) when mapping it is about improved drivability too but unfortunately some people just can't get their head round that. R32's get about 12-15bhp, RS4's 20-25bhp but the difference in the way they drive is great! 

Same as when a car might only gain for example 20bhp/20 lbft peak power but can get 50-60bhp/50-60 lbft low down/mid range, which is where you want the power in day to day driving, no point having a huge jump in bhp at the end of the rev range as how many people drive their cars that high up the revs on the road?

If it helps put your mind at rest, we map anything from 60 to 100+ cars a month (mainly ours and some REVO) So mapping can't be too bad :thumb:

p.s Sorry I got abit carried away there and waffled on abit!


----------



## MK1Campaign (Mar 27, 2007)

A3 Sport said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Thanks for the replies. The car in question is a 12 Plate Audi TT 1.8TFSI S Line with around 5k on the clock.
> 
> ...


I'd recommend R-Tech in Hinckley then. I found the Revo a bit vicious on my old Cupra R. These are the kind of things that hurt clutches if that's what your worried about. R Tech will do you a custom map and tune it to suit your needs. They have a very good reputation and people travel from as far as Scotland to go there.


----------



## should_do_more (Apr 30, 2008)

Forgot to mention, Ben was very helpful, as he has been above, about the remap thing.

The lack of insurance is what stopped me, otherwise I'd be using AMD. I've been there, spoken to the guys, and its a good example of how it's done properly.

Just to be clear, I would love to do it, just unable to resolve the cost afterwards from my side. I would be looking at proper places that, like AMD, deal with race cars and the like.


----------



## Tricky Red (Mar 3, 2007)

Shark Performance is excellent for remaps


----------



## VAG-hag (May 14, 2012)

should_do_more said:


> Massive.
> 
> I looked in to getting my golf 140 mapped. There was a limit of 20bhp and after that insurers wouldn't touch it, including specialists, and this was for a good post code, locked up, tracker etc. no matter what I did it was uninsurable.
> .


Seriously? Which specialists did you try?


----------



## should_do_more (Apr 30, 2008)

Was a year ago now so can't remember off the top of my head. There were a few sponsoring this place and a few I got from car mags and the web.

I got one quote which was 2k+ with lads of restrictions and 2k mileage limit a year.

I will see if I can find my notes but they were all decent named places claiming to specialise in modified cars. I got bored trying.


----------



## should_do_more (Apr 30, 2008)

Oh bear in mind I'm 40. Full NCB and no points. And the car is a 2008 Golf.


----------



## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Will_G said:


> Sorry to hijack your thread a little but after remap what kind of insurance increase do people see?


Like all insurance quotes, it varies greatly between companies.

Some won't touch you, some big hikes and many only take small amounts.



silverblack said:


> How does it affect the warranty on the car ?


If you remap your car your warranty is invalid. It says so in your owners manual. They usually will honour parts not affected by the extra power and torque, but anything remotely connected they have the perfect opportunity to refuse a claim.

Many dealers will turn a blind eye to it when under manufacturers warranty as they do the work and still get paid by the manufacturer.

It is work many can't afford to turn down. There is some that won't get involved as I'm sure the manufacturer wouldn't be amused if they caught a dealer doing so.

The problem with owning a BMW is now BMW force the dealers to connect up the car to a computer to prove the car hasn't been mapped.

They are easily detected now.


----------



## craigeh123 (Dec 26, 2011)

id have a look to see if audi themeselves do a remap . my boss has a ew volvo - theres an official tuning box and map for that , my father in law has a new focus again theres a map for that and because they are official so to speak the warranty stays intact


----------



## heavyd (Jun 11, 2006)

If you're going to remap it, stick with the likes of revo, apr or r-tech.
Mine is running an extra 127bhp over standard and is fine, revo remap.
My last car was running an extra 60bhp with revo with no issues aswell.
If they do take the ecu out. Make sure they replace the security bolts, which can be bought from the vag dealers anyway.


----------



## CGRD (Jan 9, 2013)

I've had many cars mapped successfully, particularly successfully a 335d with massive gains.

However I have had one horror story, my ecu was fried by a mapping company who I went to. They blamed it on their software having just upgraded their operating system to a new version of windows. I had to have my ecu replaced, they paid for everything, but a major inconvenience!!

Be careful and make sure you go to a reputable place. I've always found the best way to find out is through recommendations on owner forums.


----------



## nick3814 (Dec 31, 2010)

A3 Sport said:


> Hi mate, no I think you're getting my engine mixed up with the old 1781cc 1.8T. My mum has this engine in her car, and its completely different. Mines a 1.8TFSI 1798cc, its a completely different engine, different turbo, different drivertrain etc.
> 
> This engine, from what Ive read had poor gains from a remap.
> 1.8T +30-50 bhp gain +25-35 lbft torque gain
> ...


As I understand it mate, they'll only find it if they go looking for it! If you end up having to take it in for some warrant work they'll concentrate on whatever it is that needs doing, not go hunting for other things.

Like I said I um'd and ah'd over my RS for months, then changed the exhaust and had the stage 1, it was quick before, now it's just amazing. Definitely worth doing, don't worry about it, just enjoy it😎


----------



## Hasan1 (Jul 1, 2011)

A3 Sport said:


> Hi mate, no I think you're getting my engine mixed up with the old 1781cc 1.8T. My mum has this engine in her car, and its completely different. Mines a 1.8TFSI 1798cc, its a completely different engine, different turbo, different drivertrain etc.
> 
> This engine, from what Ive read had poor gains from a remap.
> 1.8T +30-50 bhp gain +25-35 lbft torque gain
> ...


Give Audi a call and ask them my mate did and was told that his warranty would not be affected if he had a revo chip fitted


----------



## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

CGRD said:


> Be careful and make sure you go to a reputable place. I've always found the best way to find out is through recommendations on owner forums.


Not always - I went to one place to have my car mapped based on a recommendation, it was a terrible map - a bodged version of Revo by the feel of it, written by a bloke who I believe was an ex-Revo salesman. Likewise you'll see plenty of recommendations for one particular tuner on a car-specific forum - doesn't mean they're any good, there are as many people who won't shop around and don't know the difference between a good and a bad map.



A3 Sport said:


> This engine, from what Ive read had poor gains from a remap.
> 1.8T +30-50 bhp gain +25-35 lbft torque gain
> 1.8TFSi +60 bhp gain +90 lbft torque gain
> 
> (Thats directly from Revo's site)


As Jay has said, the 180 had a mild tune but theoretically the 150 and 180bhp versions are the same, just with different factory maps so should remap to the same peak figures - which can give the 150 +50bhp (and the 180 maybe only +20 - 30 bhp). A Revo map will (as in used to) give you a big kick up the **** when the torque kicked in, which probably made it feel very aggressive and fast.


----------



## VAG-hag (May 14, 2012)

should_do_more said:


> Was a year ago now so can't remember off the top of my head. There were a few sponsoring this place and a few I got from car mags and the web.
> 
> I got one quote which was 2k+ with lads of restrictions and 2k mileage limit a year.
> 
> I will see if I can find my notes but they were all decent named places claiming to specialise in modified cars. I got bored trying.


I know what you mean some "specialists" are not so great.

I called performace direct for a quote on my 17 year old Corrado but they would not touch it as I had changed the cams! Performance?? pah!! :lol:

To anyone wanting quotes for mapped cars I have in the past used:

Greenlight
Adrian Flux
Brentacre - especially good if you are going for big BHP from memory.


----------



## MK1Campaign (Mar 27, 2007)

Hasan1 said:


> Give Audi a call and ask them my mate did and was told that his warranty would not be affected if he had a revo chip fitted


Yes if you call an Audi dealer that happens to sell Revo. If you called Audi UK they would tell you categorically no. VAG dealer software now has an option where they can report mapped cars to VAG UK.


----------

