pavman Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 With the mileage I do in my Ranger I could use any help I can get on economy, I understand you can chip the engine management unit to increase MPG or is this a myth to sell some electrickery what about your insurance will that be a problem, what chips are out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 you do in theory need to tell your insurer but in practice lots can be unplugged and removed if the worst happened. They can give better economy and power but I would look at a few things first, like making sure tyres are well inflated and truck is serviced properly etc. My L200 had dropped to 28mpg or so but a service has pushed that straight back up to over 30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I once had a defender 90 TD5 as a loan car while mine was in the garage and it had been chipped. It was undrivable. The throttle was either ticking over or flat out and I can't believe that improved the economy. I would leave well alone if it was me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 the other issue with yours Pav is odds are it would invalidate the warranty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 They will infact increase the MPG if done correctly as most ECU/Chip upgrades smooth out the fuel map and take out the blips (sometimes these blips are actually put there on purpose to help manufacturers pass emmisions tests ect) the other thing is you need less boot to get the same power but most people wont see this part as they just like the new found power when the foot is down!! I had one in an Audi and it was a very good improvement and my friends Discovery was done by plugging in a laptop and then sending the fuel map via MSM messenger! for the best results get a reputable company to do it not the plug in gizmo boxes from ebay as they just tell the car it is running hotter than it is most of the time! Regards, Gixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixer1 Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 I once had a defender 90 TD5 as a loan car while mine was in the garage and it had been chipped. It was undrivable. The throttle was either ticking over or flat out and I can't believe that improved the economy. I would leave well alone if it was me This can be the case depending on the fuel map installed! ask to drive a similar car if possible! the other issue with yours Pav is odds are it would invalidate the warranty this is possible but as most are downloadable maps you would really have to know what you were looking for to know it had been remapped, and in most warranty situations they wouldn't check a fuel map... We used to see porsche's, Range rovers and Discoveries coming in with serious engine faults and i was never once witness to a fuel map being checked.. Regards, Gixer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam Posted February 8, 2011 Report Share Posted February 8, 2011 They will infact increase the MPG if done correctly as most ECU/Chip upgrades smooth out the fuel map and take out the blips (sometimes these blips are actually put there on purpose to help manufacturers pass emmisions tests ect) the other thing is you need less boot to get the same power but most people wont see this part as they just like the new found power when the foot is down!! I had one in an Audi and it was a very good improvement and my friends Discovery was done by plugging in a laptop and then sending the fuel map via MSM messenger! for the best results get a reputable company to do it not the plug in gizmo boxes from ebay as they just tell the car it is running hotter than it is most of the time! Regards, Gixer My 2.0TDi Audi Quattro was re-maped to 190bhp till the turbo blew (unrelated) after new turbo was fitted checking fault codes undone the re-map & it has went from 60/65mpg to 50ish. As soon as I get the timing belts replaced it will be getting hooked up to the laptop again :yp: :yp: :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksdad Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I can supply plug in digital tuning boxes for most common rail diesels These are simply plugged into the wiring loom and 'remap' the ECU. My Renault Master pulls like a train, will set off in 3rd, straight into 5th at 20 mph and will drive along at 30 doing about 800 rpm without any throttle :blink: They are switchable, so use full power when towing etc, or mid settings for better accelaration, I love it....only thing is, I love booting it everywhere, it is very fast but then that doesn't save fuel: if I just pootle around using low revs, I get much better Mpg than standard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Plug-ins are very crude adjustments of just three elements of engine management- they DO NOT 'remap' anything. PROPER remaps, by reputable engineering firms, make adjustments across the whole range of inputs and put less strain on other components. I say less because they still cause stresses to components which are then liable to fail. Turbos, exhaust manifolds, gearboxes, the list goes on. I've had both enhancements over the years and would NEVER have a plug-in 'box' again and I would seriously doubt I'd have a remap either. In terms of Land Rovers (my angle), they are designed to do a job from the factory and they do it well. Leave alone the idea of turning a fit-for-purpose lugger like a Defender into a Ferrari. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProteuS Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 changing the fueling can and indeed does provide reasonable fuel economy gains as fuel isn't being wasted to reduce emmisions (some big diesel trucks have an extra injector going down the exhaust putting fuel in purely to reduce the monitored "harmful" emissions. It is absolutely critical to get a good remap / chip from a reputable company. Otherwise it can be very much pot luck. The cheap units are basically little more than a resistor which tells the ecu to up the fuel across the board. It will increase power in some ranges but as is pretty obvious isn't the best solution. A well designed map should make a car much more drivable and if driven sensibly return a better economy. If possible speak to others who've fitted the same unit to the same vehicle. Finally as has been mentioned, simple stuff like tyre pressure / type and making sure the intercooler is clean etc can make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Plug-ins are very crude adjustments of just three elements of engine management- they DO NOT 'remap' anything. PROPER remaps, by reputable engineering firms, make adjustments across the whole range of inputs and put less strain on other components. This. Avoid any plug in ****, get it remapped by a reputable firm or don't bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I chipped my Defender. (Properly, not with a plug in box) My fuel consumption has gone up as I seem to floor it round and accelerate hard all the time now :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubble without a cause Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 I got a remap for my Disco 2, huge improvement in driveability and performace, but fuel economy???? :unsure: Maybe because it drives better and I boot it more, but it was about 27mpg before and it now gives 28mpg. I was told to expect around 3 mpg didn't happen. Would I get it done again was it worth £400 :look: you get a decent re-mapp for about £250ish. Lots of tuners to chose from, check out one of the offroad mags or google it. Good luck, hope you enjoy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksdad Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 This is the one I use, not just a resistor 'one fits all' box ! No black smoke when you accelerate like the cheapo boxes do http://www.energytuning.co.uk/ttcr.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
point and shoot Posted February 13, 2011 Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 I've got energytune on my jeep. Does the biz all round! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyR Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 a "friend" of mine used the bluefin from Superchips on his 3.0 TDi VW Touareg. Goes like a train and cured the odd 'cough' which was there before. Great thing is you can very easily revert to the factory standard settings if you want/need to. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 I used a plug-in chip when I had an L200 years ago. It made it better to drive but like the others said it made me just want to floor it everywhere. It also used to regularly blow the intercooler hoses off. I had to keep spare jubilee clips and a screwdriver in the glove box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harwoodandy Posted February 14, 2011 Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 Had my RR remapped professionaly by a warranted trader, based on research and recomendation. Transformed the performance and removed the annoying flat spots BUT, economy has taken a spanking, now does about 2 mpg less than previously but not because of being driven harder. Avoid the plug in boxes, from my experience they aren't worth it when a remap can be had for £300. I would have it done again without hesitation as it makes the car much more driveable and enjoyable - just don't expect the economy to increase Then again if you need economy perhaps the RR is not the right choice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldingsteve Posted February 16, 2011 Report Share Posted February 16, 2011 I recently parted company with my beloved RR p38 I had taken it to Jeremy ferns 6 yrs ago when I bought the car at 5 yrs old with 50,000 miles on the clock. I had the full "big power" conversion which includes chip, bigger intercooler and a few other bits and pieces and was a hefty £1300 to be done! It went from 24 mpg with a jump in power of about 80 bhp and a very smooth torque curve and would see 36 mpg on the motorway and 30-32 mpg for normal use. Although pricey the chip and intecoolre paid for themselves as I did a further 80,000 miles in the car and it wasva joy to drive. The untouched 2.5 litre diesel struggles a little with the weight of such a big car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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