Remap - DMS vs Chiptek UK

[ACA_Chap]

Good post P_G

[VTEC_Killer]

Hi P_G

In all honestly I wasn't too bothered about exactly what bhp/torque figures I would get after a re-map because I've read many threads of people achieving different figures on identical cars

I've not had my car RR'd and don't really plan to; I may now have 160/170 or even 185 bhp but I guess I'll never know.

I used Angel Tuning because my brother had his MK IV Golf TDI remapped and they did a good job. The fact that they tuned a VAG car made it simple for me to use them knowing they have equipment to do so.

But I see where you are coming from and I would feel exactly the same if in the same situation; I wouldn't have gone to Angel tuning had they not tuned my brothers car.

Good luck in your search mate

Sheraz

[Golfer]

[ QUOTE ]

Did you used to have a 3.0TDI which was remapped John, or was that someone else?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep thatwas me 280BHP by superchips done outside my home.

[P_G]

How do you compare Superchips to the people that have done your current car?

[TDiAvant]

I think if I was going to get my car remapped then I would what R/R figures for before and after. I would also what my car to be check using a vag-com etc, after the remap to see if any faults appear with the engine.

[P_G]

I'm of the same opinion, especially considering my recent ECU exploits.

[adigraham]

Good reply P_G earlier, my decision came for the convenience and that others had given good feedback, i live near oxford so i could have spent £600+ and got RR before and after with amdtek but decided it wasnt worth the extra unless the angel or other option failed to help my car.

Good luck in whatever you decide and i look forward to a review of who you do use

[gizze]

A good tuner will read your ecu first, to find any faults, if there are any they will usually reset them and tell you to drive again for a few days to see if they come back again or not.

Rolling road really means nothing imho, you should not have to be thinking 'hmm, yeah it feels slightly better, there is definitely something extra there I think?' you should get in the car and go 'Holy Feck!!'

A decent remap makes the car like night and day, I have had a few done from various people and the most impressive was the DMS remap on teh 535d, it changed it from being a quick car to something absolutely barmy!!

The other thing is how smooth it is, my 535d when remapped was smoother than when in standard form, to me that is a good map. One of the REVO maps I had was...nothing, nothing, nothing, bang!! It all came in at around 2500rpm till 4000rpm and then started to trail off. Then another REVO map I had on my A6 was far better, just lots more from 1800rpm up to 4500rpm.

The other thing to ask is what do you get for your money??

You are sort of paying an insurance premium with DMS, if anything is refused warranty wise by your dealer on the grounds that they suspect it has been chipped, DMS will cover costs, even though you should expect extra wear on the clutch, gears etc. when adding more power and torque.

Also DMS have a very clever way of rolling back the ECU counter, everytime you flash the ECU (in a BMW anyway, not sure if it is teh same for all brands?) it counts it, so if you take the ECU in and they suspect it may have been chipped, all they can do at the dealer is drive it or compare the amount of flashes the ECU reads compared with the amount on their system, if they match you are pretty much safe. The only real way they can check is by sending the ecu back to Bosch.

Seriously though, I have never heard of a garage refuse warranty work, on my cars I have had work done and they know it is remapped, but why would they turn business away??

It is easy work, don't have to convince the customer it needs doing, they just do it and claim the money from the manufacturer.

Also DMS will come out and re-write the software if the map gets overwritten whilst in at the dealer, this happened to me when they messed up adding voice control to the 535d, Mike Copper from DMS sent someone all the way from Hampshire to Norfolk, a round trip of over 8 hours, just to get it back on again for me. At that point I knew it was the right choice for me.

[danksy]

A good reply gizze Sometimes cheapest isn't the best. I would go on personal recommendation, prior history you have as well as speaking direct to both parties to gauge their attitude.

At the end of the day you are quibbling of a couple of hundred quid on a car worth thousands

[wise_old_fart]

Do either give you a power figure for the car ie. rolling road or are they both flash and forget. If so I would go with the company who has the bigger insurance policy only joking. for £600 I would hope you get a power test as this is MTM AMD type prices and both proven the figures with rolling road time.

[ACA_Chap]

I've had a long chat with five or so chipping companies and the one that stands out is angel tuning.

They have had excellent results from the E320 cdi engine, check the ECU prior to flashing, offer a 14 day cooling off period, and will come out and re-flash the ECU if it gets overwritten at service etc.

I'll post the results in the new year. Fingers crossed it'll be a smooth progressive power band. Not too bothered about a rolling road - I'll know after driving it if it's been transformed or not.

[wcs_80]

Its important to do your homework.

Even talking to various companies can get confusing. Just because they have the gift of the gab, does not make them a good tuner.

Look at reviews, and see what customers have said about them

Some of our reviews are on the website at www.p-torque.co.uk

[ACA_Chap]

This thread's title seems a bit irrelevant now, but I'll stick the post here anyway.

At 11am this morning a grey fiat doblo with the inscription 'angel tuning - ECU remap specialists' pulled up outside. I braved the morning chill and full of anticipation went to meet the chap who would be transforming the lump in the E class.

Andy, who has worked for Mercedes as a Techie for the last 11 years, comes accross well. He's relaxed, personable and obviously knows his stuff. We went out for a test drive together prior to the remap, and he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the engine and no fault codes. I made him a cup of coffee and let him work his magic in the underground car park while I did some work upstairs.

2 hours flew by and Andy came up to invite me for to test out his work. We edged our way out in the black E class, looking like a taxi but safe in the knowledge that there was 600+NM hiding under the bonnet.

Immediatley I noticed the increased torque. It's incredible. We found a quiet little back street a floored the throttle. The back end slid out, the tyres screeched and the traction control lamp flickered all the way to 50mph.

Because I live in London it's difficult to assess just how much more power is there. I reserve full judgement until I get the thing on the motorway, but I have a feeling that the 50-90 time is going to be amazing.

So to add my 2p worth to the whole remapped ECU debate: from my (albeit limited) experience, if you're thinking about getting your car remapped make sure the tuner has got experience of your particular model and that you get a cooling-off period. Some people think rolling roads are a good idea, but IMO it's more about how the car drives.

[adigraham]

Good write up mate