ECU engine re-mapping

[stuartholmes]

Does anyone have experience of getting their engine re-mapped?

I had my Smart car done ten years ago and loved the results but a campervan's needs are different. I got the Smart re-mapped for more power & torque but for the campervan (a 2010 diesel Ducato) I'd be more after fuel economy while (at minimum) not losing power or torque.

Anybody done that & if so got recommendations?

 

[stuartholmes]

On a vehicle of your age I'd just DIY a generic map with an MPPS cable via your OBD port. I've used this company very successfully on an Alfa Spider and a Fiat 500.

ECU Files Fiat Ducato 2.3 JTDM 130hp

ECU files Fiat Ducato 2.3 JTDM 130hp

www.ecumap.com

'..vehicle my age..' that would be something like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/23470300...d=link&campid=5338547443&toolid=20001&mkevt=1


But really, I'm interested that the age of the 'van makes a difference. I wouldn't dispute that but gan you explain the reasoning there please.

 

[stuartholmes]

An engine map is a compromise with a few unknown variables, fuel quality, driving manner desired engine longevity etc etc, white van man might want half a million miles up hill and down dale on cheap fuel, we tend to molly coddle our vans and keep them well maintained running on decent fuel, I think the remappers are just using best case to up the performance but of course this puts more stress on the drive train so don't abuse it would be my view. three litre diesels can be taken to 300 or 400 BHP but something has to give and that would ultimately be longevity in my view.

Thanks, that's among my concerns & is why extra power & torque are, for me, incidental to improved fuel economy. Which in turn is why I'm interested in people's experience of fuel saving on a big engined Ducato.

 

[stuartholmes]

I had our van remapped with a Quantum remap 5 years ago which gave good all-round improvements to the drivability and last year I fitted an EGR blanking plate which improved the low down grunt no end.

I wonder whether the re-map needs re-doing after the blanking plate....?

 

[funflair]

Thanks, that's among my concerns & is why extra power & torque are, for me, incidental to improved fuel economy. Which in turn is why I'm interested in people's experience of fuel saving on a big engined Ducato.

Most reports I have read say that there is an improvement in fuel consumption but I am sure it depends a bit on how you use/drive it? Stick a trailer on the back and drive it like you stole it and it had to use more fuel to give all that power you are demanding, drive it sensibly and enjoy the better engine response and better fuel efficiency.

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[stuartholmes]

My opinion is that the introduction of stricter emission controls especially now with the new Euro 6 regs has choked the life out of all these city delivery vans.
They must have fitted such restrictive DPF exhausts that that they are having to turn up the power at the cost of MPG.
Most Ducato now leave the factory with a140Hp but they have stopped supplying the 160/180 Hp models - I suspect because of the clutch.
The larger Hp models are only available with the ZF auto gearbox with no clutch.

IMO - No amount of remapping is going to improve these Euro 6 engines

My Ducato is Euro 6 & has no problem keeping up with normally driven cars, even loaded & up hills.
So if I get a re-map it needs to be with specific evidence & refund guarantee if no economy gains I guess... Wonder who offers that.

 

[stuartholmes]

Most reports I have read say that there is an improvement in fuel consumption but I am sure it depends a bit on how you use/drive it? Stick a trailer on the back and drive it like you stole it and it had to use more fuel to give all that power you are demanding, drive it sensibly and enjoy the better engine response and better fuel efficiency.

I think I drive 'sensibly' anyway, fuel-savingly at least. Not done too many trips since buying our current 'van but consumption out of town is in the low-mid 30s, nearly as good as my wife's A2 turbo. ☺

 

[funflair]

My Ducato is Euro 6 & has no problem keeping up with normally driven cars, even loaded & up hills.
So if I get a re-map it needs to be with specific evidence & refund guarantee if no economy gains I guess... Wonder who offers that.

I think Quantum do something like 30 day money back, check their web site

 

[Two on Tour]

The best remap for fuel economy I have had on our van is my boy racer brain.
We used to travel at about 65mph on motorways and dual carriages and was getting about 23 or 24 mpg, but I have mellowed and now set the cruise control to 57 to just outrun the HGV's and now I'm getting averaging 31-32 mpg.

 

[Stealaway]

My Ducato is Euro 6 & has no problem keeping up with normally driven cars, even loaded & up hills.
So if I get a re-map it needs to be with specific evidence & refund guarantee if no economy gains I guess... Wonder who offers that.

My new130 Hp engine was fine really but I do get less MPG with this engine than I did with my euro 5 engine.
I did drive the van, with the tuner, immediately after the tune and it was a bit more responsive and certainly ran smoother.
It was only on our next tour to France that I could fully evaluate it and decided that I wouldn't bother again.

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[SpeedyDux]

Most reports I have read say that there is an improvement in fuel consumption but I am sure it depends a bit on how you use/drive it? Stick a trailer on the back and drive it like you stole it and it had to use more fuel to give all that power you are demanding, drive it sensibly and enjoy the better engine response and better fuel efficiency.

The improvement in mpg is probably the benefit of staying in 6th gear more of the time thanks to stronger torque. That obviously applies to ComfortMatics as well as manuals.

Fewer gear changes makes driving feel more relaxed.

 

[Trevor Wbm]

It always intrigues me why a top manufacturer that is trying to present their vehicles in the best way can’t compete with a guy that turns up on your doorstep with a laptop ? The emperors new clothes maybe ?
Phil

By way of discussion, not challenge .. the manufacturers churn out chassis and vans for commercial use, which typically involves high daily mileage and a mix of running empty and loaded. (We've got a 2020 Boxer where I volunteer that's got the same mileage as my 2004 one). MoHo's typically do much lower mileage, are a parked up for weeks or months at a time and always loaded when running. Consensus seems to be that it pays to change cam belts and waterpumps much much earlier than when specified by the manufacturer because of the typical useage pattern, so maybe it's possible that, were it practical and economically viable, manufacturers might configure them differently?

 

[Steve and Denise]

On our way back I will try to keep it below 60 just to do a comparison on mpg as I don’t normally drive much over that so will keep a record of fuel and mileage.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Had my van done last year by Quantum.
Chap came around my house, van has gone from 210bhp to about 250, van pulls so much better from standing start and is not up and down the gears when trying to maintain a set speed.
MPG if a few more but thats just a Brucie Bonus

Same chap came and did my SQ5 up to 450BHP, makes it a bit livelier

 

[stuartholmes]

Had my van done last year by Quantum.
Chap came around my house, van has gone from 210bhp to about 250, van pulls so much better from standing start and is not up and down the gears when trying to maintain a set speed.
MPG if a few more but thats just a Brucie Bonus

Same chap came and did my SQ5 up to 450BHP, makes it a bit livelier

Somebody told me the SQ5 is more or less a re-badged Maserati Levante. I think I might get a roof tent & forget the 'van.

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

Somebody told me the SQ5 is more or less a re-badged Maserati Levante. I think I might get a roof tent & forget the 'van.

Don’t think the payload will be very good

 

[stuartholmes]

Don’t think the payload will be very good

Also tricky when you want the toilet at 3am but whoever gets everything they want?

 

[Terry242]

Another one for Quantum.
I had mine done over 5yrs ago when it was new and had only 250 miles on the clock, it has now done about 23k and I have had a absolutely no issues.
They had a stall at one of the shows and he came to the van, hooked up a laptop and was there for about 45mins. A show price of £250 against normal price of, I think £300.
In standard form, the van was 130 and they quoted an increase to 158bhp. Of course without a rolling road, you can only go on road feel. I don't drive it like I stole it but there was a big difference on the hills.
In terms of mpg, I don't know that it's made much difference either way. I probably drive it a little faster now than when I first had it, I used to sit at 55-60 and I know sit at 60-65mph.
But as a reference, last September we travelled from S Wales to Stranraer, around the top half of and then back home. Averaged 32mpg.

Terry

 

[L' Hobo]

Fewer gear changes makes driving feel more relaxed.

This remark has always intrigued me because, unless one is infirm or stuck in traffic for hours, does the number of gearchanges really make a difference?
I know I have been a 'professional' driver (of one kind or another) most of my life but, to me, my leg and arm just do it automatically when it's needed and I don't even think about it.

Bit like breathing?

Do drivers really find this stressful?

 

[SpeedyDux]

This remark has always intrigued me because, unless one is infirm or stuck in traffic for hours, does the number of gearchanges really make a difference?
I know I have been a 'professional' driver (of one kind or another) most of my life but, to me, my leg and arm just do it automatically when it's needed and I don't even think about it.

Bit like breathing?

It does to me. I am an amateur driver. My knee hurts after too many clutch pedal presses.

I want my MH journeys to end with me arriving relaxed and not too tired before pitching up, then walking in search of pub food and a pint of ale.

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[L' Hobo]

It does to me. I am an amateur driver. My knee hurts after too many clutch pedal presses.

I want my MH journeys to end with me arriving relaxed and not too tired before pitching up, then walking in search of pub food and a pint of ale.

To a degree, I can understand what your saying, I know every year when I used to go ski-ing, I found muscles that I had not used for 8months, but I thought, now we have mostly hydraulic clutches and not the old cable or rod type, clutch use should be fairly easy, interesting?

 

[dunnah01]

'..vehicle my age..' that would be something like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/23470300...d=link&campid=5338547443&toolid=20001&mkevt=1


But really, I'm interested that the age of the 'van makes a difference. I wouldn't dispute that but gan you explain the reasoning there please.

Your 2010 van will probably be similar to my 2011 Euro IV without DPF, a simple alteration to the torque limits in that section of the map and an EGR delete is all that can really be done without mechanical changes, but it's also a proven map and openly available online. You can't dial in an improvement in mpg but you can safely request a bit more torque lower down the rev range so driveability is improved. It is this driveability change that can improve mpg by changing how you end up driving the van, lower revs at gear changes etc.. to use less fuel.

 

[stuartholmes]

This remark has always intrigued me because, unless one is infirm or stuck in traffic for hours, does the number of gearchanges really make a difference?
I know I have been a 'professional' driver (of one kind or another) most of my life but, to me, my leg and arm just do it automatically when it's needed and I don't even think about it.

Bit like breathing?

Do drivers really find this stressful?

Only feel the stress when going back to manual after driving around in the wife's automatic between 'holidays'.

(Incidentally, my wife was opposed to choosing an automatic for her current car because she 'liked changing gear'. It took me about a month to persuade her to my thinking and about a week of driving it for her to say I was right. )

 

[Thornebt]

Above it mentions a 2010 van without DPF. Does anyone know if my 2010 Autosleeper with Peugeot 2.2 engine would have a DPF?

 

[donkey]

Above it mentions a 2010 van without DPF. Does anyone know if my 2010 Autosleeper with Peugeot 2.2 engine would have a DPF?

You will know. If it has an Adblu filler then it has a DPF.

Geoff

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[stuartholmes]

You will know. If it has an Adblu filler then it has a DPF.

Geoff

Isn't adblu for the tolet?

 

[Two on Tour]

You will know. If it has an Adblu filler then it has a DPF.

Geoff

I thought that Peugeot did not introduce adblu to the Boxer until the Euro 6 2litre Blue HDI engines in 2015 although they started fitting DPF to the 2010 Euro 5 vans.

 

[dunnah01]

Above it mentions a 2010 van without DPF. Does anyone know if my 2010 Autosleeper with Peugeot 2.2 engine would have a DPF?

It will probably be a 2009 Euro IV engine without dpf but fairly easy to check underneath

 

[IRHP]

This remark has always intrigued me because, unless one is infirm or stuck in traffic for hours, does the number of gearchanges really make a difference?
I know I have been a 'professional' driver (of one kind or another) most of my life but, to me, my leg and arm just do it automatically when it's needed and I don't even think about it.

Bit like breathing?

Do drivers really find this stressful?

Me too, another one is it feels smoother , do they mean less gear changes because nothing has changed with regards to revs versus speed in a particular gear. Some seem loathed to use the gears as they should, I remember reading about someone who said they have an imaginary red line of 1800rpm on a Fiat 2.3. And don't like to go above that. Good luck driving the A38 with that mindset