Viewing: a4 2.0tdi cab remap???

**jasio1978** · 03-10-2010, 11:56 AM

Please can you help convince my brother that he should remap his car.
He recentley bought a an a4 tdi, 138bhp. The car is very nice, smart and sporty looking but im trying to convince him that a remap would give him a little extra power, and make the car even more enjoyable to own.
The problem is, that he has spent alot of money buying the car, 57reg, and having no knowledge of cars, mechanics, or engineering, cant get his head around the fact that it wont have any adverse effect on the vehicle, or value and reliabillity. Can you all help me prove this otherwise. Because the truth is...
I know he really wants too.

Thank you all.

***HDi fun*** · 03-10-2010, 12:43 PM

Pretty much all remap specialists will offer a 14 day refund if you don't like the results.

Reliability will be fine - just do the sensible thing and keep up with the service schedule.

As with ANY turbocharged engine - don't switch off until it's had a minute or two to cool off.

**jasio1978** · 03-10-2010, 04:01 PM

Thank you Paul. I understand his apprehension, hell be the first to admit his knowledge is limeted, and there for unsure. Being a familly man too, was concerned about running costs too. Do all remaps, within reason, improve fuel econ, when driven sensibley?

***HDi fun*** · 03-10-2010, 04:29 PM

I am a family man and my MPG improved with the performance map in place. Approx 4mpg extra. The driving style is the single biggest contributor to fuel consumption.

Think of it as an optimised map, which is what it is really.

The factory map is a 'one size fits all job' designed to accomodate just about everything:-

poor quality fuel in 3rd world countries;
neglectful ownership;
brutal driving etc. to name just a few.

I also think that many makers deliberately undertune their diesel models simply to make some space in the market for competitively priced petrol alternatives.

***HDi fun*** · 03-10-2010, 04:29 PM

I am a family man and my MPG improved with the performance map in place. Approx 4mpg extra. The driving style is the single biggest contributor to fuel consumption.

Think of it as an optimised map, which is what it is really.

The factory map is a 'one size fits all job' designed to accomodate just about everything:-

poor quality fuel in 3rd world countries;
neglectful ownership;
brutal driving etc. to name just a few.

I also think that many makers deliberately undertune their diesel models simply to make some space in the market for their own similarly priced petrol alternatives.

**jarrus** · 03-10-2010, 08:48 PM

I agree with Paul on this,

A remap shouldn't harm the car in any way (if done properly),

Something to consider though, the more modern Audi TDI's (like your brothers) uses common rail injection, nothing new about that but it is fairly new the VAG family as they have been relying on there PD systems for many years now, but what is new is that these new generation of engines have a new generation of ECU's in them designed by bosch, now the problem tuners have been having is that they can be a pain to be remapped due to how sophisticated they are, after they have been cracked then the new software will load into them and then after a few miles of spirited driving the ECU will notice that the engine is producing more torque than was originally intended so then the ecu will reduce the torque output by means of lowering the boost and retarding the injection timing,

That's last I heard on those but I'm sure someone has thought of a work around by now because VAG had to map them in the first place so there work surely must be able to be undone because I dare say that other car manufactures are now using these ECU's,

So my advise is that you need to find someone who has actually done a few of these engines before with no adverse affects,
I'm sure Celtic has sorted it out by now but I'd still call them up and check and I'm sure that they will be able to answer any questions that you or your brother might have on the subject,

Brett

***HDi fun*** · 03-10-2010, 09:23 PM

The common rail VW TDi engines have been around since 2004 so there's been plenty of time for the tuners to sort the problem. The Bosch EDC16 and its interface are well known now in the tuning fraternity.

The ECU cannot possibly measure torque output so that won't be a problem. Why would rolling roads be necessary if they could??

The only thing that might throw a few tuners will be the particle filter but Celtic dealt with my 406 (01/02 model year) which was thus equipped and that was back in 2006. This used the EDC15 family ECU and it's not too dissimilar to the EDC16.

However, if your choice of tuning company has no idea what a particle filter is then drive away quickly.

Do, however, AVOID tuning boxes, and extra especially so with DPF equipped cars.

A tuning box, no matter how sophisticated (and some are very good now) will not be able to determine the ECU's decision to regenerate the filter and will disrupt the process.

**jarrus** · 03-10-2010, 09:43 PM

I know, but they tended to be the bigger engines or the SUV type cars that had them and the "normal" range still had the PD engines,

I think the newer CR engines have a different bosch ecu, and I think it just scenes an increase in turning force,

I'm sure I have heard about these problems, but like you said I'm sure they have been worked around by now...

***HDi fun*** · 03-10-2010, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarrus

I know, but they tended to be the bigger engines or the SUV type cars that had them and the "normal" range still had the PD engines,

I think the newer CR engines have a different bosch ecu, and I think it just scenes an increase in turning force,

I'm sure I have heard about these problems, but like you said I'm sure they have been worked around by now...

The EDC16 was used in both the PD and CR engines. Earlier PDs used the EDC15 unit.

The PD system was VAG's earlier attempt at truly lively four cylinder diesel engines and it worked. The problem with the PD injection system is that the injectors are integral to the cylinder head and are driven via the camshaft belt. This meade for very short cam belt change intervals and made those changes very expensive.

There's no way to measure torque, which is, exactly as you say, nothing more than turning force, without mounting the car on a rolling road.

The VAG CR diesels are fine to tune and have ample 'slack' in the factory tuning parameters.

**jasio1978** · 04-10-2010, 09:00 AM

Thank you Brett and Paul for your help.
A bit of knowledge always helps. Bruvs based in kent, but often comes to see me in the westcountry, so i think ill get him to speak to celtic, ref the points you have raised, and the we can think about getting it booked in. It is true to say that alot of people speak highly of them, and i myself have my car booked in for the 15 oct. Cant wait.
If your not a person with much understanding of the modern engine, and/ or motor vehicle, the thought of just plugging into an ecu for a few mins to give you such a big power gain can be hard to understand. especially if your doing it on something you saved and spent hard on.
Cheers fella's.
Jan.

**jarrus** · 05-10-2010, 08:00 PM

Tell us how it turns out as well