boozeedoo

Hi this is my first post on th forum, but an important experience I thought I should share....

Having read about remapping my ECU across the forums, I decided to take the plunge and go for it. Not only did I want more power, but I also wanted an increase in MPG. I looked at several companies, but due to recomendation from several other sources, decided to go for B&W Chiptune (http://www.bwchiptune.co.uk/) which is based in Hounslow in south west London. Jason the proprietor was very helpful over the phone, and you can instantly tell that he knows his stuff - B&W chip tune specialise in BMW tuning, which certainly helped put my mind at ease!

So anyway, I booked the car in and Jason explained that it will normally take half a day to complete. I decided to wait while my car was worked on to see how its done.

Firtsly, Jason plugged in diagnostics computer to check the car for any faults. several minor faults came up, all pretty obscure things that you would never know about (I had the car into BMW the other week but they failed to clear -or mention- any of them!). Anyway, Jason explained that he would clear all my faults when the remap was complete, and check the car again afterwards to see if they reappeared - bonus!

Once the initial check was complete, Jason removed the ECU from the car. We talked about the various types of remap- he could remap it for best fuel economy, which would also give a modest Power gain, out and out power, which would reduce fuel economy slightly, and the one I went for(and which was recommended by Jason) - a good power increase coupled with a few extra mpg to boot.

The remapping process is what takes the bulk of the time - so if you hang around, take a paper or a book to read!

Once the custom remap was loaded onto the ECU, Jason then placed it back into the car and replaced all the parts, and then came the moment of truth. The kay went into the ignition, and he pressed the button....the car sprang into life immediately, which was something of a relief! Obviously at this stage all I wanted to do was get in the driving seat and take it for a spin to try and gauge the difference, however Jason said that he needed to run the car for a while to bed in the new settings, and re check the vehicle diagnostics. As expected the same minor faults came up, and this time Jason cleared them. The car was left plugged in for 30mins while it was running and no faults reappeared.

It was then time for the test drive. Jason took the wheel, and when he put his foot down the difference was instantly noticeable, not only was there a better kick of acceleration, but the car pulled through the gears with all the flat spots seemed to have disappeared! I was instantly chuffed and couldn't wait for my drive home.

Back a the workshop, Jason carried out one last diagnostics check to ensure there were no issues as a result of the test drive. This time the car showed all clear - all the faults were gone. It is testament to Jason that he will triple check his handywork to ensure that the car is leaving him with no problems, and he does it all in front of you so you are completely satisfied.

It is estimated that the remap has pushed the power up to around 210bhp from 163bhp(it feels like alot more!), with a couple of extra miles per gallon. I attempted to time my new 0-60 time, and as accurate as I could be it now seems to be around 7 seconds - I believe marginally under!
On the way to the workshop, I had reset my computer to see what I would get with regards to fuel economy. I stuck to the speed limit all the way there (a mixture of urban and motorway driving) and drove reasonably conservatively. when I arrived I had averaged just under 44mpg. Following the remap, I returned along exactly the same route(approx26miles) and this time my fuel economy was showing 51.3 mpg. I was astonished. I had never averaged over 50mpg before, and I just hope this is a sign of things to come! (not an exact method, but I was definately impressed)

If anyone is considering an ECU remap and is feeling uneasy at the perceived risk, then take my word for it, this will be the best money you will ever spend on your car - especially when it is someone as experienced as Jason doing the work.


Thanks Jason - one very happy customer!



For info my car is a 2006 520d M sport tourer.

Lancaster

Hi,

I'll be fitting a tdi tuning box to my 520d SE in a couple of days - it's the same engine as yours.

Is your car a lease car?

I'll jot down a short review of that experience when I'm done.

Glad it worked out for you.

Bteljuice

I have 520i, 2005, I6, 2.2L.

The main reason i got it is for the low fuel consuption, i would really like to remap my ECU like urs, but how do i know if they have it in Saudi Arabia?

What is the remaping called? can i do it to my car? would lovemore torque, more HP and most importantly MORE MPG.

boozeedoo

Hi many people refer to re-mapping the ECU simply as Tuning. You will need to find someone who has the right equipment to do this, as a normal mechanic would not usually have the tools - it needs a specialist computer to do it. The gains on a petrol engine (mpg wise anyway) would not be as good as for a turbo diesel, but you would still see some reasonable gains I would think. The best thing to do would be to search the internet for tuning specialists where you are, as there must be people all over the world who are in this business!

I have found a link as an example to show what could be achieved with your car if you can find a specialist where you live http://www.supertuning.co.uk/bmw-520...remap-225.html

Hope this helps

boozeedoo

Hi

The car is my own. I have heard varying reports with regards to tuning boxes, it will be interesting to see how you get on

k44ent

Can the 177bhp 520d be remapped??

KAF

They can all be remapped, improvement varies according to original mapping.

others recommended in the UK are DMS and e-maps

Dandle

Sounds good and Hounslow is just down the road from me. Out of interest how much did they charge you and what price difference has it made to your insurance. The insurance cost is the deciding factor really if I'm going to remap my car in the future.

timbob

Any update on insurance costs for a mapped 520d?

boozeedoo

The remap is pretty much undetectable - without removing the ecu and using specialist equipment, the remap cannot be identified - for all intents and purposes its the same car, looks the same, drives the same(unless you knew how it drove before), no extra parts, takes the same fuel and the value is the same. You would have more trouble if you had a 'tuning box' fitted for example, as it is a physical modification rather than an invisable 'software update'.

Each Insurer would be different, but mine doesn't cost me any more

I was quoted 390 for the remap out of interest, but did get a quote from a non BMW specialist for 330, and in relation to this Jason said he would do it for 350.