Yes please… but what happens when you alter the factory settings, or ‘map’ on your van’s on-board computer? Grant Wyness explores options from VW’s original settings, vs. a quick remap from a laptop, to the full Superchips treatment…

The art of diesel tuning (remapping) is to make the engine

fuel-efficient and as powerful as it can be. For diesels,

power means fuel. Accelerating your van onto the

motorway or overtaking, usually requires everything the

engine can muster and so consumes lots of fuel. The amount of gear

changes made and engine revs reached at those times determines

overall fuel consumption. The quicker we get to cruising speed, the

better.

So you might reasonably ask: ‘Surely VW would’ve already provided

the best tuning possible - why would I need a remap?’ Well, there

are other influences at play, and real-time drivability is a secondary

concern to any auto giants’ other considerations (which seldom

incorporate your grin-factor or fuel bill).

by: GRANT WYNESS

More Power Sir? tech tiMe

Dyno teSteD ecU MaP ShootoUt!

contenDer 1: in the BeGinninG there waS Vw

The not-so boring bits: The map (programme) stored on your

van’s ECU is a set of instructions that makes your engine do a whole

host of things very quickly; how much fuel and air is to be squirted

into the engine at any given moment, or telling the turbocharger

when and how long to give its magical high-pressure boost.

VW makes sure these ‘power curves’, are as smooth as possible. but

they’re seldom as big or high as they could be.

The engine in a typical 2007 T5 for example, is likely to be a generic

VW/Audi/Seat/Skoda unit, capable, if pushed, of around 170HP. My

wife’s Skoda Fabia has one and it’s the same 1.9 TDi ‘Pumpe Düse’

engine in my T5; yet hers comes with a 105HP map as standard

and my van came mapped as an 83HP ‘power’ plant. Hmm, my van

is twice the size and weighs 1800kg in its underpants. So what’s

occurring here?

Here are a few of the official reasons, via my own interpretation, for

the apparent discrepancies:

1. When you’re selling hundreds of thousands of identical

engines that are geared-up and used in infinitely different

ways, in all corners of the globe, fuel standardisation or

quality is a big issue. A variety of conservative ‘maps’ help

take this into account. (Though not so relevant in the UK as

we have arguably the cleanest diesel around).

2. Horsepower can affect personal road taxation charges in

different countries.

3. Insurance premiums can be lower on smaller horsepowered

vehicles (though I question the long term logic here, as

under-powering a heavy van will leave it exposed to

other risks).

4. Vehicle warranty: an under stressed engine will potentially

develop less mechanical problems – so this is the big deal for

a mega multinational company.

www.vwvibe.com 19

20 www.vwvibe.com

contenDer 3: GettinG the JoB Done riGhtPower-to-the-people: Grey areas and half measures are not

how I roll though and this remap was hanging over my head.

I needed a solution, so called into Alan Jeffery Motorsport in

Plymouth, seeking an elegant solution.

Alan’s son, Martyn, explained how the Superchips Company

and their unique bluefin ECU read/write device, would return

personal control over my engine’s power management, when it

suited. Martyn then offered to do a head-to-head on the dyno

(rolling road) so I could see exactly the differences between a

VW factory map, the Laptop Man map, and a full Superchips

map.

The bluefin device arrived by post with a set of clear

instructions. because the original VW map was wiped by Laptop

Man, the Superchips team sourced a genuine VW map and

loaded it onto their bluefin device, complete with their specially

modified version via my computer. It took only moments

through the USb port.

After multiple runs on the dyno and two quick uploads

through the van’s ObD (on-board diagnostics) port, the truth

was revealed. The original VW map was actually giving more

than factory stated (normal apparently). Martyn said the mobile

‘quick fix’ from-a-laptop offering was a very crude map indeed

and clearly not delivering the 115HP that’d been suggested.

The Superchips result staggered me. I thought I’d come away,

at best, with something that was smoother to drive. However,

their tried and thoroughly tested map took my van to another

performance dimension altogether, a complete transformation!

Significantly, with this system, there was also no increased

insurance premium either.

Another great benefit is that if I change van in the future, I’m

now able to swap maps at will with the bluefin device. If you

have a new car under warranty, you can even swap maps before

its service (not that I’m condoning such behaviour of course).

On some newer model VWs, the bluefin is also the only way to

bypass the manufacturer’s anti-tuning protection.

by the way, the Superchips Company has been providing

successful ECU remaps since 1977 and is the only official tuning

partner to Volkswagen Racing UK.

Need we say more?!

20 www.vwvibe.com

contenDer 2: not aLL reMaPS are the SaMe

Electronic subterfuge: Not long after buying my ex-Chips Away T5,

I knew something had to be done; having a moped pass you up a hill

isn’t funny. I was initially reluctant to mess with my insurance status

over a seemingly mythical improvement. I lasted two months before

hitting the Internet to find a fix.

I soon found an ad reading:

‘Trained Diesel mechanic will travel to your home and

increase the performance, and economy of your car - £250’.

Cool, I’ll have some of that!

The man, let’s call him ‘Laptop Man’, was an affable chap and came

with excellent testimonials. The mapping process took about two

hours, as he had to download a suitable map from somewhere…

borrowing my Wi-Fi. He reckoned the map would give me about

115HP. The test drive was a special moment; the van felt like a rocket

ship. And that seemed to be that…

Since then though, several other inevitable questions arose, adding a

different angle to the benefits of ‘quick fix’ remaps… such as:

• What happens when I go for a main dealer service and they

reset the ECU to factory?

• What if I sell the van and the buyer might be hit with a big

premium on a remapped van… do I tell them?

• At renewal time, the insurance company asked me by how

much had the HP increased. I didn’t have a clue and it bugged

me. The insurance law is clear in stating that the owner of

a second-hand vehicle is responsible for being fully aware of

any modification.

www.vwvibe.com 21

tech tiMe

SUPERCHIPS BLUEFIN - THE REAL DEAL!

VW’s TIMID TOTALS - WE CAN DO BETTER!

‘LAPTOP MAN’ - ALL BLUSTER, NO MUSTER!

theSe chiPS Don’t Lie!

SUPerchiPS – 01280 816781• For VW Transporters, it’s £399 inc’ VAT for the bluefin and map – delivery extra – prices vary for other makes and models.

• bluefin is available for over 22 makes and over 700 models of vehicle.

• besides the performance upgrade, you can rea-sonably expect to save a tank or so of fuel over a year.

• Superchips maps can be delivered through the ObD port on most VW, Seat, Audi, Skoda, and bentley models on previously locked ECUs

• by visiting the www.superchips.co.uk or www.mybluefin.co.uk websites, you can see within seconds if there is a map for your van or car.

• Superchips will email you with an update if improvements are discovered.

• On some bluefin devices, there are inbuilt fea-tures to allow you to read diagnostic faults, immobilise and re-mobilise your engine.

• Twelve month free map transfer to a new prin-ciple vehicle if selling - £225 for a new map thereafter.

the SUPerchiPS reSULt StaGGereD Me… their trieD anD thoroUGhLy teSteD MaP tooK My Van to another PerForMance DiMenSion aLtoGether, a coMPLete tranSForMation!

www.enGinetUner.co.UKAlan Jeffery and son, Martyn

Plymouth’s rolling road engine tuning specialists –

01752 345880

• Decades of hands-on old school engine tuning

experience.

• Also specialists in Japanese performance cars.

• Superchips bluefin distributor and all round knowl

edgeable blokes on all things oily.