Diesel tuning box

Smoggy

I'm just looking around and see that there are diesel tuning box and remapping, such as :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-Accord-i-CDTi-Performance-Tuning-Chip-Box-/260542713169?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3ca98e4d51

and

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-Golf-V-1-9-TDI-105-Tuning-Box-Chip-Diesel-Remap-/250545669196?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a55af844c

my questions are :

1.) has anyone used them ?
2.) do they produce the results stated ?
3.) how do they impact insurance ?

Performance and economy - it sounds too good ... where's the negative ? excessive strain on the engine ? burns through tyres ? increases c02 output and damages exhaust ?

Owen

Smoggy wrote: »

1.) has anyone used them ?

For all of 2 weeks.

Smoggy wrote: »

2.) do they produce the results stated ?

They just constantly overfuel the engine. It's a very crude way of getting more power, but will cost you on fuel economy, and runs the risk of damaging the engine when trying to compress more fuel in the cylinder.

Smoggy wrote: »

3.) how do they impact insurance ?

Like any performance modification, if you don't tell your Insurer, you're effectively uninsured.

A good remap is a much better option.

sentient_6

It's physically imposible to see an increase in performance & economy at the same time. Think of them as the inverse of one another. Also there's a million & 1 threads on this with the general concenus being a remap.

Smoggy

thanks guys, one to avoid it sounds like.

Gumbo

Smoggy wrote: »

I'm just looking around and see that there are diesel tuning box and remapping, such as :

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-Accord-i-CDTi-Performance-Tuning-Chip-Box-/260542713169?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3ca98e4d51

and

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-Golf-V-1-9-TDI-105-Tuning-Box-Chip-Diesel-Remap-/250545669196?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a55af844c

my questions are :

1.) has anyone used them ?
2.) do they produce the results stated ?
3.) how do they impact insurance ?

Performance and economy - it sounds too good ... where's the negative ? excessive strain on the engine ? burns through tyres ? increases c02 output and damages exhaust ?

to put it simply, do not buy from ebay unless your buying a well known brand for your car, and even at that, there are fakes out there.

theres a few cars nowadays that cannot be remapped, the accord and the avensis spring to mind.

i would recommend you go somewhere like Martin Tracey in Westward Engineering in Enfield and he will supply and fit a genuine tuning box to suit your car, he will let you drive it for 30 mins and then decide if you want to keep it or not, thats what i done a few years back in a D4D avensis.

theres possibly more places that offer this around, but i would recommend Martin.

Edit - OP, what car you looking to get done? you have linked to boxes for a Golf and an accord???

Smoggy

the boxes were just examples , I would been looking at a civic 2.2 ctdi

sentient_6

Smoggy wrote: »

thanks guys, one to avoid it sounds like.

The boxes ya but a remap is one to consisder by all means. I've had it done to my sonata & saw an increase of about 37 BHP. It made it RESONABLY nicer & responsive to drive, at the end of the day your still driving a diesel.

But thats losing anything up to 100km's off a tank of fuel though depending on how you drive it. Seen no noticable issue with the few things you mentioned: tires fine, engine, clutch, exhaust etc are still in one piece after nearly a year. The only little tiny thing that annoyed me was the trip computer is now off a bit.

Gumbo

Smoggy wrote: »

the boxes were just examples , I would been looking at a civic 2.2 ctdi

IIRC they cannot be remapped so you need a piggyback ECU similar to the Tuning Box or similar but recoginised brand.

i would give some of the genuine tuning houses a call to see whats on offer such as Westward Eng, Superchips, etc etc

edit - from searching Civic Info Forum, a remap seems to be available for the 140bhp engine.

would also consider www.autoremap.ie or Joe Power at TDR (formally chippedire) if they do these cars.

Smoggy

sentient_6 wrote: »

The boxes ya but a remap is one to consisder by all means. I've had it done to my sonata & saw an increase of about 37 BHP. It made it RESONABLY nicer & responsive to drive, at the end of the day your still driving a diesel.

But thats losing anything up to 100km's off a tank of fuel though depending on how you drive it. Seen no noticable issue with the few things you mentioned: tires fine, engine, clutch, exhaust etc are still in one piece after nearly a year. The only little tiny thing that annoyed me was the trip computer is now off a bit.

The cars BHP is OK out of the box, I was looking at better performance AND fuel economy. But this sounds like a pipe dream.

Smoggy

kceire wrote: »

IIRC they cannot be remapped so you need a piggyback ECU similar to the Tuning Box or similar but recoginised brand.

i would give some of the genuine tuning houses a call to see whats on offer such as Westward Eng, Superchips, etc etc

edit - from searching Civic Info Forum, a remap seems to be available for the 140bhp engine.

would also consider www.autoremap.ie or Joe Power at TDR (formally chippedire) if they do these cars.

kceire - Thanks for the info, they will make good reading.

sentient_6

Smoggy wrote: »

The cars BHP is OK out of the box, I was looking at better performance AND fuel economy. But this sounds like a pipe dream.

Ya far as know any companies out there offering remapping for increased economy will be tunning down the BHP. Id say leave it as is so.