Installer remapping -v- tuning box setups , what is the better route?

[Charlie Farley]

Having done some more mods to my trust A4 B7 2.0tfsi Quattro avant (220 BUL) i'm thinking about a re-remap now to make the most of the fitted parts.
I had a stage one map a while back which was at a safe and reliable 250bhp , now it's time to revamp things a bit to make full use of the high flow cat etc.

Having read a fair few articles and discussion on the subject of installer remapping -v - tuning boxes there seems to be a lot going for the newer generation self install boxes, so I was hoping top get some more audi based feedback on what the format really is from an end user point of view.
I have been looking at the german company " Racechips " for a possible solution and they do seem to be a good option , moreso if one goes with the better spec ones.

I was looking at the racechip ultimate box , as below, any thoughts chaps on it or anyone using the setup themselves, any feedback would be great.

 

[Gazwould]

Up to 20% better MPG as it fools the ecu in how much fuel it's using .

 

[Charlie Farley]

fuel consumption doesn't really bother me to be honest, petrol is not cheap and my car drinks it anyway when driven properly...cough , cough ,wink wink..lol .
I am just looking for a good overall package that doesn't have to rely on installer mapping....nothing against it as the first remap i had done was that way but maybe there are other options to try that may work well such as tuning boxes.

 

[DieselJake]

The "good overall package" is a decent map, no other option.

 

[desertstorm]

As above, A map from somebody who knows what they are doing will give you the best result every time. The tuning boxes aren't even cheap. The ultimate box is the same price £350 that Rick charges for a stage 2 map.
http://www.unicornmotordevelopments.com/audi-remmaping-prices.html
Where you will get a custom map done on the dyno to fully utilise all the parts you have on the car.
It will be safe as well. How do you know what the box of tricks is doing, It only modifies sensor values such as boost and MAF readings. It can't affect ignition timing and this is where a lot of power is made on a petrol engine.

 

[desertstorm]

Have you actually looked at what the box connects to. As far as I can see only 2 sensor inputs probably boost sensor and either MAF or fuel pressure I would guess. Anyway with only connecting to two sensors how can this wonder box do so much ???.

 

[mrbubba]

DTUK do tuning boxes and get very very good results, pretty sure they are also part of this forum, as they have started developing for the new RS3 and posted a nice thread. Get in touch with them @ABYSS

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Tapatalk

 

[leshkin]

I've never been a fan of tuning boxes and based on what I've seen, the best results are always from a custom tune, that makes best use of your specific hardware and will almost always be the safer option.

The boxes are great if your car is still under warranty and you want to be able to easily remove it when the car is being serviced, but that is the only real plus that I can think of. No tuning box will ever be as good as a properly done custom map - I would love to see any tuning box maker prove otherwise.

 

[Gazwould]

What is custom ?

 

[leshkin]

What is custom ?

It's when the ECU software is modified in such a way as to work optimally in line with a specific car's hardware. Typically, a tuner would load a generic base map and keep tweaking it in order to get the most out of a given car.

This is different to more generic performance ECU software from companies like Superchips, Revo, APR, etc... These are designed to work with a specific hardware combination, or "stage", but are not matched specifically to a particular car. Some of these do offer some limited customisation either through an installer or a hardware module like Revo's SPS, but I wouldn't refer to them as custom.

 

[Gazwould]

Needs refraising , generic for std hardware and custom tune for hardware changes .

 

[leshkin]

Needs refraising , generic for std hardware and custom tune for hardware changes .

I would say that upgraded hardware maps are also generic as far as the generic stage of hardware goes. A revo map is very not custom, for example. You buy a Revo Stage 2+ map and it's designed to work with what is considered Stage 2+ hardware upgrade package by Revo. The same, generic stage 2+ map goes on all cars. There isn't really any customisation that goes into it, does it?

 

[Gazwould]

Indeed , or generic stage maps .

 

[Daniel1512]

Ive had both options on my q5 3.0tdi and a remap will give you better bhp and a smoother power delivery right through the rev range

The tunning box was ok but as others have said all it does is tricks the ecu and dumps loads of fuel in and once the ecu detects this it re adjusts it's self so the power dies very quick