Remap query

[Johnnyb]

Strange question, but is it possible for an ECU to develop a fault when remapped? my mate just had his audi s3 done by APR and was delighted with the results, then about 2 weeks after his remap, he said it just didnt feel as quick, not by a huge margin, he said it felt like it had dropped 10bhp, i personally think he is just getting used to the power, as we all do with any car.

Am i right in thinking that if the ECU is faulty then the car wont run at all or it would definately feel like there is a problem?

Thanks

 

[Issac Hunt]

You'd normally notice there was a problem, either the management light would be on or the car would be running pretty roughly in most cases.

Your mate must be a ****** good driver if he can notice a 10BHP drop whilst driving on public roads!!

 

[Johnnyb]

Ha, to be honest he hardly knows anything about cars and always thinks there is a fault with anything he gets, he told me he thinks its because he took the car out the other night and thrashed it when the car was cold, i told him that the fact the remap is software means that the cold etc wouldnt affect it.

 

[Twizzler]

I think your friend means the engine may have been affected by thrashing it when cold, not the electronics.

 

[Johnnyb]

I think your friend means the engine may have been affected by thrashing it when cold, not the electronics.

No, he actually thinks it has done something to the remap or ECU, i told him if anything would have happened it would be the hardware not the software, and that the car would not be running properly.

If he was on this forum he would be a nightmare, im trying to keep him off

 

[Bong Water]

A remap is a remap, its either flashed or its not. You can get tempary remaps for trial purposes but if he handed cash over then it wont be the case!

TBH my mate has a Leon 20VT remapped and its a quick car, we often go for a drive and he will often say "car feels slower than usual" or on other nights he will say the exact opposite. He is just getting used to it IMO

 

[Amchlolor]

Your mate must be a ****** good driver if he can notice a 10BHP drop whilst driving on public roads!!

If the 10bhp was restricted purely to the top end, I'd agree.
If something's gone awry though, it's feasible the car feels 'flat' right through the rev range.

 

[Johnnyb]

Thats exactly what i think, cars never feel the exact same all the time, i usually only keep half a tank in my car, and the other day i filled it up and if felt significantly slower.

He should really have it dyno'd

 

[Bong Water]

@ bowfer

Eh?

BHP is peak power produced by the engine!?

This has nothing to do with BHP, you can go out on a crisp cold night and your car will love it, then the next night it could feel flat.

I would tell your mate not to worry, sounds like typical car paranoia to me, we all been there!

 

[Amchlolor]

@ bowfer

Eh?

BHP is peak power produced by the engine!?

You car produces BHP right through the range.
If it's 10bhp down on peak BHP, it could be losing the same 10bhp right through the range.

 

[Bong Water]

If a car is 200BHP, its not producing 200BHP at all times

I am sure you know what you are talking about, however I dont understand what you mean. The way I understand is that the 200BHP is produced at a certain point in the rev range and not all the way through

 

[Amchlolor]

If a car is 200BHP, its not producing 200BHP at all times

I am sure you know what you are talking about, however I dont understand what you mean. The way I understand is that the 200BHP is produced at a certain point in the rev range and not all the way through

You're talking about peak bhp, which is always the figure the maker quote.
Makes sense, as it's the highest figure.
If the driver is only missing 10bhp at peak, then he will be unlikely to notice.
However, your car make power all the way through it's rev range.
So at 2000rpm it will make 80bhp, at 4000rpm it will make 120bhp etc.etc.
If the car is dropping 10bhp right through the range, a driver is far more likely to notice that.

 

[Bong Water]

That makes more sense now!

However I still doubt its related to this guys paranoia isssues!

 

[boggysv]

Maybe it's just a bad tank of fuel or the warmer temps.

On the less optimistic side, it might even be a small boost leak (though that should come with a warning light).

Having said that, I've heard of people wondering where'd their APR remap go after fiddling with the cruise control stalk. Nothing a few minutes with the instruction manual couldnt fix.

 

[phantom]

I think his car is fine, some days your car will feel better/faster than others , it's normal!

p

 

[mikep]

If the ecu had gone into limp mode because of a fault it would feel like a brick was under the accelerator rather than on it. It's probably a case of him getting used to the power.

I had one customer who thought his car wasn't as quick as the original remap, I switched it off and let him drive it for 10 minutes then switched it back on again, he soon realised that nothing was wrong!

 

[DriveByShooters]

Remapped or not, you may notice a difference in "feel" of a car on a warmer day.
We drag race with 1100BHP and run 9.1 second quarters. On warm sunny days we struggle to run high 9's. Temperature really does play a important part in cars performance.

Why do you think cold air feeds are so widely used in the racing circle?:icon_thumright:

 

[Johnnyb]

Thanks for the posts,

Im gonna make him log on tonight and read this, hopefully he will stop moaning