Remapping your car has the potential to provide many benefits to the performance of your vehicle, provided that it is done by a professional.
So, let’s look at the advantages of professional car remapping in Grays, along with some simple suggestions to help ensure you make the right choice for your vehicle.
What does ‘remapping’ mean?
The process of remapping a car, otherwise known as ‘chipping’, involves adjusting the microchip in the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) to change the manufacturer’s factory settings. The ECU is the computer in the car that controls the engine power, and is typically programmed to limit performance.
Car manufacturers limit the performance of cars for several reasons, including in order to lengthen the lifespan of the vehicle and comply with noise and emissions regulations; it also allows the manufacturer to release a faster model without having to use an entirely different engine. Thus, remapping your engine can increase power by an average of 20-35%.
Remapping isn’t very expensive, which can make it a quick and cost-effective way to allow your car to reach its full potential. Although the exact price will likely depend on the make and model of your car, remapping typically costs around £250 to £400.
6 potential benefits of remapping your vehicle
As long as it is done correctly, remapping can bring several improvements to your car’s system. Here are some of the ways a good-quality remap can potentially benefit your ride:
- A boost in speed and power
The classic, and most popular reason why people might get their car remapped is because it boosts both the speed and power of the car. This will be particularly evident when overtaking.
- Better fuel economy
Remapping your car can increase how many miles per gallon you can go, improving your overall fuel economy.
- Lower fuel costs
As your remapped car will now be able to do extra miles for every gallon of fuel, this means you will find yourself filling up your fuel tank less often, thus lowering your fuel costs.
- Greater environmental friendliness
In addition to lowering your fuel costs, better fuel economy reduces your carbon footprint, as you will be causing less pollution by driving your car.
- Sharpened control
After engine remapping, you should be able to feel that the ride feels smoother and easier, due to enhanced accelerator and engine response, and sharpened control.
- Extra power for towing
If you use your car for towing a heavy caravan or trailer, you may notice that your car has to work hard to climb or accelerate. However, remapping will give you extra power so your car will not have to work as hard when towing.
Some of the possible consequences of a poor engine remap
However, it’s not as simple as doing the job yourself. You must ensure your vehicle’s remap is done by a safe and responsible specialist. Once you have found an expert, most cars that are diesel or petrol can be remapped.
To illustrate just how important it is to use a trustworthy specialist, here are the risks associated with a bad remap:
- Increased wear and tear
Greater power can lead to a greater strain on the engine, and so major components like the brakes and clutch can suffer from increased wear and tear.
If your car’s remap is done incorrectly, this wear and tear can lead to you breaking down. However, if the task is handled by a professional, this will just mean you need to plan for getting your car serviced more frequently.
- Reduced car value
As it is a modification, remapping can also potentially reduce the value of your vehicle, and even more so if it is not done by a specialist.
- Voided warranty
Check the terms and conditions of your warranty. If you get a remap that isn’t approved by the dealership or the manufacturer, this could make your warranty void.
- An invalidated lease contract
Similarly, if you lease the car or have car finance, remapping the car can invalidate your lease contract.
- Your car insurance being affected
Some car insurance providers will not cover remapped vehicles at all, especially if the procedure hasn’t been done by a professional. If you find an insurer that does allow remapping, this process may still increase your car insurance premiums.
However, we would also urge you not to hide your car’s remap – you always need to tell your insurance provider that your vehicle’s engine has been remapped. Even though you can’t see it, remapping is considered a car modification. If you don’t tell your insurance provider that it is there, you may end up in serious trouble for hiding information.
So, before you remap your car, make sure you have considered all the pros and cons to this engine modification, and are prepared for everything that this could cause to happen in the future. And once you have it done, just enjoy the ride.
