Guest Post: Enhancing the Performance of Your Vehicle

All of us would like our vehicles to perform a little better. Whether you drive a clapped out old banger or a top-of-the-line supercar, there’s a lot to be said for more power, optimised performance and efficient fuel consumption. Unfortunately, many of the modifications which can be made to a vehicle to enhance its performance are either incredibly expensive, or possibly illegal.

However there is one amazingly affordable, and perfectly permissible, way to enhance the performance of your vehicle. The process is known as ECU (Engine Control Unit) Remapping, and has the potential to unlock the hidden capabilities of your car without the need for extra gadgets or modified parts.

ECU Remapping
Ecu remapping is the process by which manufacturer’s restrictions can be lifted from your vehicle. For those of you who are not in the know, it’s actually pretty common practice for manufacturers to limit the performance of the vehicles they produce, in order to make allowances for sub-standard fuels and irregular servicing, as well as to comply with legislative guidelines.

All vehicles have an ECU, which controls many of the different process in your vehicle. It basically acts as the onboard computer, dealing with parameters for things like how much fuel and air are mixed together. For each function it performs, it stores a map of data. It is these data maps which are reconfigured during remapping, which can take as little time as half an hour to complete.

The Benefits of ECU Remapping
ECU remapping allows a vehicle to perform as it was originally intended to do, and often results in the vehicle displaying better power, performance and fuel consumption.

After your car has been remapped, you should notice the difference straight away. But remember, performance restriction was put in place to allow for drivers who don’t look after their vehicles properly. So if your vehicle undergoes ECU remapping, make sure that you take your car in for regular maintenance and always use the right type of fuel. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a costly repair bill that will outweigh any of the benefits which your ECU remap conferred.

ECU remapping can only be performed by someone who knows exactly what they’re doing, so unless you have a good working knowledge of the complicated bits of a car’s engine, it’s best to leave this one to the professionals.