European rules on banning modded ECU's

[1animal1]

Hiya chaps!!

Long time

Hope you're all well

Note: I have posted this on the 8L part too to get a bigger picture from ASN members.

I have been speaking to a colleague who was going to have his car mapped, only to be told by a specialist 'I wouldn't bother, once the EU ruling comes in they will be illegal'.

He then went into how they will detect maps, by doing an emissions test and comparing to the cars original values.

Now several things here ring alarm bells, firstly don't cars emissions change with age? secondly, I can't possibly see them doing this on old cars given the sheer amount of vehicles that will be mapped and thirdly, I'm pretty certain an emissions test wouldn't be that conclusive would it?

The most important part is would they carry the ban to the UK (is it on the cards) - and how on earth would they detect such a map, it must effect emissions to a degree surely, other ways are going to be far too complicated for the average MOT tester (can't tell via standard OBD equipment unless they put something in newer cars programming)

cheers as always

T​

 

[audicruiser]

It could never be policed and would kill off an industry overnight. With the way the economic climate is at the moment I don't think that is a good idea.

Also not all "mapping" is done for performance gains. BT is currently remapping some of their vans to make them more efficient... Does that then mean that all BT vans would be illegal? I think not....

 

[essIII]

I'm pretty certain an emissions test wouldn't be that conclusive would it?
​

No. My S3 produces less emissions with it's remap and Milltek than it did as standard.

This supposed legislation is going to cover much more than remaps though - it's anything that wasn't standard fit on the car, so we're talking exhausts, wheels, air intakes, coilovers, dump valves etc..

I think it's been discussed elsewhere on these forums, but totally agree with Audicruiser about it killing off an industry - think about the impact on companies like Forge, H&R, AMD, Awesome GTI etc... Would be an awful idea to introduce this!

 

[1animal1]

Thanks guys - completely see the point about killing off the industry - overall as a piece of legislation, it doesn't seem ideal at all.

I suppose my main thing is, I just wondered how any possible check could be performed given the lack of OBD data

 

[moag]

Complete an utter balls. They've been talking about stuff like this for years, the latest rumour is that a car with ANY modifications will not pass MOT.

Bottom line is that the car modification industry is huge, and any new regulations restricting modifying cars would lead to huge job losses. Therefore its very very unlikely these regs will ever be passed.

WRT modified ECUs, testing via emissions could never be used as evidence that a car has been mapped. The only way to check would be to scan the ECU which is too time consuming and expensive. Also with most of the larger companies producing switchable maps there would still be obvious routes round it!

 

[1animal1]

Thanks Moag - I have also just had further confirmation on the other thread from Badger5 - saying that the emissions are no different mapped or not.

I thought this was rubbish - I just needed clarfication on the only possible way to check - emissions...

Thanks for everyones input

Tim

 

[Cruiser89]

At the end of the day it's another pointless piece of EU Beuacrats legislation.

Every new car that is bought can be specc'd with optional extras. How on earth could they create a database that covered every single car and what extras they had.

Plus what could count as a modificiation? Would retrofitting an optional extra such as light pack be classed as a modification?

As others have said, it would kill a massive industry overnight. Thousands of jobs would be lost. MOT stations would probs be expected to pay for training and extra equipment etc.

 

[1animal1]

yup appreciate what you're saying and agree to a large extent.

I'm not sure it's a massive industry when placed against hundreds maybe thousands more industries in the UK, so it still may be an option in my eyes - thats semantics though and I hope I'm wrong.

I just wanted to put the idea to bed, it wasn't an issue until my mate told me what this specialist had said.

 

[h5djr]

The proposal as it stands may well be a bit over the top and may get watered down, but German tuning companies manage to survive and prosper and they had this situation for many years. Probably this is why German tuning firms are so good. The thing is that these companies have to get the products and the services they offer approved by the TUV for the model of car. Once this is done anyone can buying the items and fit them to their own car or have the company carry out an approved upgrades without any further problems. What is does stop is 'cowboys' carrying out things to cars that should not be done on the grounds of safety or the environment.

Germany cars are, I think, subject to a TUV test every two years, but if the car is stopped by the police or involved in an accident and found to have items on the car that are not TUV approved they car be prosecuted.

 

[essIII]

Was chatting to my local VAG specialist last night, who's obviously been following this closely. Apparently when this legislation was first looked at in court around a month ago, it was pretty much rejected on the grounds that it is entirely illegal to say "only Audi are allowed to manufacture and supply parts for Audi cars."

I can use non-Apple accessories with my iPhone, or use a non-Microsoft controller with my Xbox because it is illegal for Microsoft or Apple to say otherwise - it's a free market at the end of the day.

 

[1animal1]

There's quite a few twists to this appearing - Interesting fact H5, the TUV part would make a lot of sense (although add a further premium to parts I'd imagine).

Ess, I guess it's interpretation at the moment without any solid grounding, somethings going to happen - we just don't know what.

Important thing is, theres most likely no way to check for maps via an emissions, that's all I'm worried about, otherwise I'm going to have to go looking for a switchable

 

[S3Alex]

Hopefully nothing along these lines will really happen,as it would wreck an entire industry worth a LOT of money,but with the EC and Brussels,you never know what will come next.