Engine re-mapping - Thoughts?

[LiE]

I think the Abt tuning box adds a level of confusion because in a lot of mainland European countries, Abt will effectively uphold the warranty instead - I didn't think this applied to the UK though.

ABT in the UK does have the option for cover when I last spoke to them, but not on all cars.

ABT offer an NSA warranty at an extra cost up to the first 3 years of the cars life.
They only offer a 3 year or 2 year warranty, unfortunately not a 1 year, which is what you have left.

So it aligns to your manufacturer warranty, unless like me you have 1 year left.

 

[LiE]

ECUs log quite a lot of info. They would be able tell if they looked hard enough.

Exactly.

 

[Feek]

My old 2000 diesel Focus was overclocked by a Van Aaken 'smart box' that gave me 25 extra horses and 40 extra torques. It was really noticeable and that wasn't a placebo because there was a physical switch that turned it on and off. When I was booting it, if I flicked the switch, I could instantly feel the increase.

Anyone following could tell it was on, it really threw clouds of black smoke out when I wellied it.

I've thought about getting my Mazda 6 remapped but I don't know if I can be bothered with that sort of thing any more. I'm sure I'd notice the difference but isn't one of the side effects of these that the MPG gets worse? If it's more powerful, surely it's going to use more juice?

 

[dlockers]

My old 2000 diesel Focus was overclocked by a Van Aaken 'smart box' that gave me 25 extra horses and 40 extra torques. It was really noticeable and that wasn't a placebo because there was a physical switch that turned it on and off. When I was booting it, if I flicked the switch, I could instantly feel the increase.

Anyone following could tell it was on, it really threw clouds of black smoke out when I wellied it.

I've thought about getting my Mazda 6 remapped but I don't know if I can be bothered with that sort of thing any more. I'm sure I'd notice the difference but isn't one of the side effects of these that the MPG gets worse? If it's more powerful, surely it's going to use more juice?

Depends on how you are using it. A lot of remaps increase mpg because the engine is doing 'less work' for the same fuel. Or something like that.

 

[Nasher]

MPG will go down. It might display a higher reading on the dash but apparently that goes out of sync when you change the fueling.

In a diesel the cat and DFP probably wont last as long either.

 

[andy_mk3]

In a diesel the cat and DFP probably wont last as long either.

If done properly it'll make no difference if smoke levels are kept reasonable.

 

[dlockers]

MPG will go down. It might display a higher reading on the dash but apparently that goes out of sync when you change the fueling.

In a diesel the cat and DFP probably wont last as long either.

Your first sentence is wrong. Your second sentence just doesn't make any sense. Your final sentence probably has some truth in it, although DPFs are normally toasted by not heating up often enough.

 

[Haggisman]

Like I've said, everyone to their own. Insurance companies are NOT stupid anymore and if they can get out of paying YOU vast quantities of insurance money they will (just like I would if I owned an insurance company). If they ask you if you're modifed and you say no and it's been remapped, and then they check post accident you will get ZERO payout. You lied, it's simple as that. They don't have to prove anything other than the car you said wasn't modified is and they are now in their right to not pay you a penny. I don't give a monkies about this conversation really. I'm covered lol and got guaranteed insurance values. if people want to lie, get on with it. A kit car is a kit car and you'd STILL have to tell whoever your insurance is what it is, engine, body blah blah and it'll be a specialist insurance company probably anyway.

The discussion isn't about putting aftermarket brake pads and different make to factory tyres, this is about going from original spec to a completely different spec... bigger wheels, uprated suspension, re-maps so lets so lets not be silly on what defines modified (WE ALL KNOW WHAT IS MODIFIED AND IF YOU DON@T GO AWAY), this is about remapping a car. Remapping makes a car faster, suspension will amend from factory settings, these are serious mods that they need to know about. They might not even be bothered and it makes ZERO difference... I've had my SRT8 remapped, uprated engine bay and CAI and they increased my insurance by £26 for the year... perfectly acceptible.

Everyone is always trying to get away with things nowadays, cutting corners, trying to lie and get ahead and advantage by being awkward and blantently lying and these people deserve everything they get, never telling the truth nowadays does my head in... all about me me me and how I can scam someone. Then those people will be the first people to whine and moan when they don't get a payout. Who cares if a 70 year old sold you a car with a remap, has nothing to do with what you're telling the insurance, your car, your responsbility. Know your car, and if you don't tough. Anyway, can't be bothered saying anything on this anymore as it's a mute point. Everyone can lie all they want and we can just wait for the threads "my insurance won't pay out because my cars remaped and I lied..."... it'll make a change of crappy threads like "if the car doesn't do 0-60 in 0.5s it's crap" rubbish lol

BTW, not having a go at you, just sick of liars everywhere trying to get something for free so all I'm saying is, if people don't tell the truth, just be ready to be raped by your insurance company, it's really simple. If some ***** hit me, and he was modified BUT ended up not being insured because he'd not declared his mods and i'm left out of pocket because of a liar, I'd take his head of lol. this is about EVERYONE not just the person who's on the con!

So if you bought a 2nd hand car, you'd know instantly if it had been remapped even if the previous owner didn't tell you?

 

[pugheaven]

So if you bought a 2nd hand car, you'd know instantly if it had been remapped even if the previous owner didn't tell you?

NOPE. No where did I say that.

 

[Haggisman]

NOPE. No where did I say that.

Calm down dear

Basically the whole post I quoted where you said multiple times that if you told your insurance co the car wasn't modified and it turns out it was then you must have lied to them:

If they ask you if you're modifed[sic] and you say no and it's been remapped, and then they check post accident you will get ZERO payout. You lied, it's simple as that.

WE ALL KNOW WHAT IS MODIFIED AND IF YOU DON@T[sic] GO AWAY

Everyone is always trying to get away with things nowadays, cutting corners, trying to lie and get ahead and advantage by being awkward and blantently[sic] lying

Who cares if a 70 year old sold you a car with a remap, has nothing to do with what you're telling the insurance, your car, your responsbility. Know your car, and if you don't tough.

if people don't tell the truth, just be ready to be raped by your insurance company

If you buy a car which has been remapped, but you've never driven one before so don't have anything to compare it to, and the previous owner didn't tell you it's been remapped (perfectly plausible they didn't even know themselves if a previous owner before them did it), then how exactly are you lying by not telling the insurance company it has been mapped

What a ridiculously naïve point of view to hold

 

[dlockers]

I think his point is... ignorance isn't bliss, and when you tick that box that says "no mods" and it transpires it "has mods"; the onus was on you to positively confirm it wasn't modded. Some **** and bull story about how you didn't know and the previous owner didn't know won't necessarily cut the mustard, as unfair as your hypothetical scenario may be.

 

[Haggisman]

Thankfully the insurance ombudsman show some common sense, and share my opinion on this, not his

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org...ints-deal/insurance/misrep-and-non-disclosure

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org...derinsurance-misrepresentation-non-disclosure

 

[dlockers]

I guess the attitude test would get applied here. Unfortunately a yobbo with a stickered up Cupra probably wouldn't be so lucky to get away with it

 

[Haggisman]

I guess the attitude test would get applied here. Unfortunately a yobbo with a stickered up Cupra probably wouldn't be so lucky to get away with it

Oh definitely, and with things like a bodykit, SS exhaust, lowered suspension etc. which are pretty obvious from a casual glance at the car when compared to stock I think you'd find it much hard to claim you weren't aware, but a remap is basically invisible unless you interrogate the ECU, or are familiar with how the car should drive and able to notice it is different. I don't think it's something reasonable for a layperson to know (or even consider checking) when buying an otherwise "normal" car.

 

[Nasher]

Thankfully the insurance ombudsman show some common sense, and share my opinion on this, not his

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org...ints-deal/insurance/misrep-and-non-disclosure

https://www.financial-ombudsman.org...derinsurance-misrepresentation-non-disclosure

Yep and aftermarket alloys are far more obvious than a remap.

 

[Howard]

I think his point is... ignorance isn't bliss, and when you tick that box that says "no mods" and it transpires it "has mods"; the onus was on you to positively confirm it wasn't modded. Some **** and bull story about how you didn't know and the previous owner didn't know won't necessarily cut the mustard, as unfair as your hypothetical scenario may be.

People who buy second hand cars don't get them reverse-engineered by a professional to determine whether or not they have been modified in any way which deviates from their factory-build specification. I reckon there are loads of people all over the UK driving around in remapped vehicles, while being blissfully unaware of this. Should the insurance company come down on them like a ton of bricks when they quite literally haven't got a clue? No. And the Ombudsman recognises this.

 

[Nasher]

Even if you put it on a dyno it's not always clear. Many cars produce more power than official figures as stock (see Yaris GR, Skyline, Supra). Some of the figures are comically understated.

There is also many ways to tune a car without actually increasing the peak power much. Unless you drive a known standard car and lightly tuned one back to back you probably won't be able to tell.

 

[Rroff]

Yep and aftermarket alloys are far more obvious than a remap.

Hmm something I hadn't thought about actually - I was contemplating getting a second set of alloys and tyres made up for my truck so I had the option of road and off-road/winter sets - didn't think about potential insurance implications for having a different set of alloys :s

 

[HoneyBadger]

Doesn’t insurance always state “to the best of my knowledge” kinda thing.

 

[theone8181]

Hmm something I hadn't thought about actually - I was contemplating getting a second set of alloys and tyres made up for my truck so I had the option of road and off-road/winter sets - didn't think about potential insurance implications for having a different set of alloys :s

If you get a set the same as what's on there, is it even a mod.