Engine Chipped or Remapped Has it Improved your MPG

[enodreven]

Hi,

 

Have you had your motorhome Chipped or Remapped and has it improved your fuel consumption

[Don Madge]

After having the Van AAken smart Box fitted to my Timberland in April 2005

for £423 I decided to do a fuel consumption check on a 4200 mile trip around the Iberian Peninsula. We normally cruise at about 90/100 KPH (usually the van loaded to about 3300kgs) and with the cruise control set we found that we did not have to change down for the hills which we would have expected to have change down on before the box was fitted.

 

I tried to keep an accurate check when refuelling, It's difficult at times

when you are trying to fill the tank right to the brim. The 4200 miles on

the continent returned the following:-

 

Overall 33.08 MPG

 

Best 36.25 MPG

 

Worse 27.73 MPG

 

On a previous trip to France (1400 mile) before the Smart box was fitted our overall MPG was 30.34.

 

I must point out the smart box was fitted for convenience rather than fuel economy.

 

We consider the smart box money well spent. We use the van a lot (50,000 miles in four years) mainly on the continent.

 

I spoke to my insurers before the work went ahead and they were quite happy.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Don

 

[Tomo3090]

Don, does this type of modification affect your vehicle warranty? And though the insurance were OK with it, did they up your premium?

 

Thanks

[Don Madge]

Tomo3090 - 2008-05-30 7:44 PM

 

Don, does this type of modification affect your vehicle warranty? And though the insurance were OK with it, did they up your premium?

 

Thanks

 

I think the mod would affect the warranty if there was a problem. I had the box fitted when the van was just over two years old as the third year of the warranty is not worth the paper it's written on. The box can easily be removed in less than five minutes.

 

My insurers Comfort, Norwich Union did not want an extra premium.

 

Van Aaken are no longer in business, I think the way to go these days is engine remapping.

 

Don

[Mel E]

I had my engine remapped by TB Turbo to increase both power and torque by 20 to 25%. I always keep a running speadsheet of my fuel consumption and tend to refill when there's less than 100 miles to go (our Renault Master has a range of 730 miles when full) always to the brim.

 

My driving style has altered in only one respect: I change down from 5th and 6th gears much less frequently on hills. Otherwise I cruise at the same speeds as before.

 

The consumption has not altered one jot. But then I didn't expect it to - the re-mapping was done precisely to make driving on hills less tedious.

 

Mel E

====

[enodreven]

Hi,

 

Thank you Don and Mel E for the replies, I would be very grateful if some more people would add there findings as then we could get a better overall picture

 

The other point i would like to ask in the current economic situation, is it possible to remap or re chip with settings that would be directed to increasing the mpg rather than extra power and if it is possible just what would it do to the power ??

[degsy]

I have a Murvi Morello that is just under three years old. The base vehicle is the FIAT 2.3 Turbo Diesel which I think is slightly underpowered. So I am considering having the engine control unit re-mapped, re-chipped or whatever the right terminology is, to improve the power output and/or fuel consumption. I think I understand in principle what the remapping does but reading this and previous threads on topic there seems to be a number of ways of achieving it. Any advice would be welcome.

[Mike Parke]

Our first m'home was a 1.9TD Boxer 1997 model which we bought from new. We had it re-chipped at T.B. Turbo in 2006 and found the increase in performane much improved. I did not notice any major change +/- in fuel comsumption. We have since changed to a 2.2H.D.I Boxer Late 2006 model, not the new shape, and feel no need to get this model 'breathed on'.

[betsy]

Hello,

Whist I cannot compare "before" and "after" with my current "chipped" van (2003 2.8 Fiat Ducato based Hymer) and my last (1997 2.5 Ducato based Hymer) I hope my opinion/experience may be of some help. I too usually drive at 90/100kph and usually obtained about 28/30 MPG from my 2.5 Ducato. My current chipped Ducato rewards me with 30/32MPG and I certainly do not have to change down out of 5th gear nearly as much as I used to. The pick-up/acceleration of the chipped vehicle is very satisfying but I have had to make myself remember not to "enjoy" the more powerful engine too much! To do this reduces MPG. So if its economy your after with a chipped vehicle go easy on the accelerator pedal and you will almost certainly be rewarded.

Cheers

 

[Mel E]

Betsy,

 

Sorry, but you're comparing apples and pears! The newer engine, like all newer engines, is inherently more economical. So the 2 mpg improvement you're getting is almost certainly down to that, and not to the chipping.

 

I think those who have seen no detectable improvement in mpg are much nearer the mark. Many will see a worsening if they use the extra power to improve acceleration and drive genrally faster.

 

In answer to the question about chipping/remapping to improve mpg, the answer is that the engine is already set up to minimise exhaust output and achieve the best possible mpg. When you chip/re-map, you're generally accepting more power for worse emissions - after all, something has to give somewhere!

 

Mel E

====

[panagah]

I had my van remapped, its a 6 birth that was on a 2-0 fiat turbo based chasis. I had ours done merely for performance. I was sick of overtaking lorries going up hill only for them to come back up the inside of me when there was a hill climb involved in the overtake.

However my van now goes realy really well. It will cruise at 70+ if required and go much faster should I have to (irarely d0). When it comes to hills I rarely have to change gear and it puls up hill brilliantly.

The fuel economy has reduced!! or improved which ever way I look at it. When driving it like a car and using my right foot and cruising at 65-70 it uses more fuel returning around 20-22 mpg or even as little as 18mpg if late for a ferry. But if I drive at 55-60 I can now get 28-30mpg. Prior to remap i was getting 25 mpg regardless of how I appeared to drive it. The fact you have more power can lead you in to using it therefore decreasing mpg.

 

To clear up the terminology. A remap= Plugging in a lap top to the ecu unit via its port either inside or outside the van. Then using a different programme from the manufacturer standard one re computing the ECU chip (where programme is held) and bingo, The safest way IMO/ providing the programme your using is a decent one.

 

Chipping= Getting in to the ECU box where the chip is held, removing the old chip and placing in a completely new CHIP which has a different programme to the one manufactures chip. Problems occur if not soldered in correctly and by the fact you are actually disturbing the ECU. Essentially its the same as the remap but just a different way of getting the new programme in to the ECU.

 

Programme BOX, as spoke about above just a gizmo that is connected to the ECU that alters the programme in motion. Can be very good ones but also there are some really dodgy ones about especially in the early days, but there is some bad remappers out there to.

 

My insurance company were not interested in charging an extra premium. If you have it done, just increase the oil and filter changes to allow for extra engine tollerances. My remap is based on the same van being produced for a non eu country whereby stringent emmisiion targets are not required allowing fiat to use more power.

Hope this helps.

[bob b]

I too fitted the Van Aaken unit to my motorhome. The vehicle was powerful enough for me initially, then I started to tow a large motorbike on a heavy trailer.

Like most of the other responses, I just wanted to cruise along at 60 mph without resorting to the gearbox on a slight hill. I haven't monitored the fuel consumption, but it will obviously have increased due to the towing aspect.

 

On the other hand, when on site the motorhome stays put and I am out and about on the bike. So I'm probably "in front" on the fuel ! :-D

 

 

[argyler]

I had a Stienbauer P Box fitted to my 2.0HDI Peugeot powered Autocruise by Argyle Deisel Electrics in East Kilbride for £425. Immediate noticible increase in power. Goes up hills in one gear higher than before. Once you get over the urge to use the power for more welly and drive sensibly then there is a slight improvement in fuel consumption. It makes the vehicle much more pleasant to drive. Main reason over "chipping/re-mapping" is the ability to remove it in 5 minutes and to refit on another vehicle with the same injection type (Bosch in my case).

Awra best B-)

[averhamdave]

I have a 2007 Autotrail Apache 700SE using a 2.3 Fiat Multijet.

 

Despite the hype about the new 2.3 being more powerful than the old 2.8 (which it is) I didn't feel comfortable with the power - its a big van, tall overcab and on a 4000kg chassis. It was always working hard to be on top of its job.

 

At 7000 miles I had established that I was getting about 19mpg if I pushed it hard and about 22 if I took it steady.

 

At the Peterborough show I had Chelston do the "wow power" re-map. Cost £459 I think.

 

The difference is unbelievable! It is allegedly now about 155hp and it feels like it! I can drive everywhere now in 6th gear. It really does need to be a steephill to need to change down whereas before you were playing tunes on the box. It will pull from 40 in 6th, before you needed to be doing 55. It is so much more relaxing to drive and smoother running too.

 

Anyway the fuel consumption has moved up from 19/22mpg to 24mpg pushing and 27+ driving steadily, ie cruising at 55 to 60mph.

 

It will still take a long time to get the money back but that's not the whole issue, the van is not puffing so much and is now a pleasure to drive.