How to Remap a Car's ECU to Save Fuel?



The desire for a better-performing car engine never gets old, especially among car enthusiasts. People search for the latest and better ways to upgrade their cars and other vehicles for efficient performance and a captivating and beautiful appearance. Remapping of a car's Engine Control Unit (ECU), also known as chipping, is one of such ways undertaken to enhance the engine activity of the vehicle.

What is ECU Remapping?

Analogous to the Central Processing Unit (CPU) of a computer, an Engine Control Unit (ECU) controls the behaviour of the car engine. Nowadays, almost all modern cars come with an ECU as the 
Audi ECU Remap
. It is the control unit that runs the software to operate an engine. This software is also referred to as the Map, a set of instructions written in the ECU. Now, if the Map in the ECU is replaced by a new one containing new software, then a lot more power can be extracted from the same engine, thus saving the fuel. This process of uploading a new map on the ECU is known as remapping, which increases the power and torque of the engine, and a much better drive can be experienced.

How to Remap an Engine Control Unit (ECU)?

As enlisted below, there are specific steps to remap a car's Engine Control Unit (ECU).

Creating a New Map

The first and the trickiest part of the whole process is to create the correct software file, that is, a map. Therefore, it is recommended to get it done by experienced professionals. Man big tuning companies invest millions to buy remapping equipment such as dyno, tuning tools, various sensors, computers, etc. Professional tuners then change the map parameters carefully one by one while monitoring the progress as well.

Testing the Tuned Map

Some tuners cut corners, look for fast and easy gains, and ignore the new Map's testing part. However, experienced tuners test the tuned Map in various conditions like varying climate and traffic conditions, and it also experiments with different drivers. All this might take time and money, but it is worth it.

Uploading the New Map

This part only requires a proper tool for reading and writing ECU files to be done at home. However, these ECU reading and writing tools are pretty pricey (around $4000), so it is not an excellent choice to purchase such costly tools when you can quickly get them done by professionals. However, if you are starting your own tuning business, then this investment is quite essential. Otherwise, it does not make any sense to buy them. Clone remapping tools are also available in the market, which cost a fraction of the original instrument. However, such clone tools are risky, and there are copious chances that you might end up destroying the whole of the ECU if something goes wrong. Moreover, they sometimes do not even offer complete functionality. Therefore these clone tools are not recommended.

Is There Any Effect of Remapping on Fuel Efficiency?

Well, remapping is used to increase power, and fuel consumption rises simultaneously to produce more energy. In this regard, there is no fuel efficiency. However, after the remapping of their car's ECU, some people have reported an improvement in fuel economy. This might be because the engine revs reduce when torque increases, so less fuel is consumed under usual driving conditions. Some companies offer such remaps, which have a significant effect on fuel efficiency. However, such remap failed to increase the power.

 

 

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