sandya Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I am considering having my engine remaped by superchips,Peugeot boxer 330L 2.8 HDI,would anyone care to offer an opinion or any experience of this Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Snake oil ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasher Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Hi there, had my engine remapped Fiat 2.8 tdi by TB turbo they are in Lancaster Lancs. This made the motorhome faster through the gears with no increase in fuel consumption. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandya Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Thanks nasher looking more for economy than speed.Onefoot is the snake oil a fuel addative will it help Mp ;-) thanks both Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvin Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Hi, Had my 2008 2.3 litre motorhome remapped by Boostersuk, the engine is now much smoother and easier to drive, as regards economy if you use the extra performance which you will, the fuel will suffer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnerontheroad Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Remember to ask your insurance FIRST. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 This has been talked about at length both on this forum and many others. You will generally get the same opinions that are not particularly helpful. Snake oil, or extra wear on clutch and drive train, or the placebo effect, or why is it not done in the first place if it's so good, or it will invalidate your insurance,why don't fleet users have remaps for fuel economy by these firms, and so on and so on. I looked into it at great length and came to the conclusion I did. I would add that the best remap I have found is a very light right foot. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 The guy I drive lorries for p/t covers 10s of thousands of miles a week without a remap in sight and no way uses supermarket diesel . I think that speaks for itself ,but he has reduced his fleet insurance by having RoadHawk forward facing camara's installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Kelly58, You say no supermarket diesel being used. I had heard they don't put the additives in supermarket fuel, does it make a difference on MPG etc? Merle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dipsie Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 We had no less than four motorhomes, all 2.8 Ducatos rechipped by T B Turbos. They were very good, unfortunatly T B Turbos no longer exist. I never did hear what happened. We used to travel from Somerset to Lancaster, a fair journey, but worth it. When we were scratching our heads on who to use next, Steve at Essenjay, ( Fiat service dealer in Poole ) recommended trying a Tunit plug in system on our Burstner 821. The cost was about the same as we had been paying for the rechips so we thought lets try it. Well, it was as good as our previous 821 and the " plus " side of this is it could be transferred to another vehicle. When the 821 was sold the Tunit unit was fitted to our 2 . 3 X 250 Ducato, I was a little dissapointed with the performance increase so I rang Tunit and explained what I felt and where I wanted the torque they asked me to return the unit to them and they would do a download to reset it . All I paid for was the postage. When I recieved it back I plugged it in, hung our Toad on the back, a Seat 1 . 4 Arosa, and took it for a run, superb ! Now done 11,000 miles since fiting and the motorhome is really going well. Bernie T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Merle - 2012-02-18 7:28 PM Kelly58, You say no supermarket diesel being used. I had heard they don't put the additives in supermarket fuel, does it make a difference on MPG etc? Merle Hi Merle This subject has been on many previous threads also & generated much dissagreement. But the facts briefly are:- All Fuels (Petrol & Diesel) contain additives, some improve the Fuel Cetane rating, others improve the Lubricating capability of the Fuel, others help to keep the engine clean (reduce / eliminate carbon deposits) Another for Diesel is a CFPP, added in winter months to help keep Diesel flowing at lower temperatures. The differance between "Brand" Fuels (the Oil Industry Companies) & the Supermarkets / Independant retailers is the technology of the Additives. The Oil Companies fuels will have the latest technology, the Supermarkets / Independant retailers have the older generation technology. The Supermarkets / Independant retailers fuel specification will usually be in excess of the Minimum Specification, but not as far advanced as the Oil Companies own brand. The "Branded" Fuels MAY or MAY NOT give improved MPG. That is influenced more by the Driver. n.b I have yet to be convinced regarding the general motoring benefits of the "Premium" Grade Fuels, except for high performance vehicles. Regarding Kelly's comment, I guess many Lorry could not even access the Supermarket forecourts if they wanted too. HGV supply points at other Service Stations are normally not under the Canopy & are less restrictive for the exit turning space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Thanks for the info, I appreciate the best MPG improver will always be the right foot. I had heard or read an opinion that Shell, usually the dearest round our way, was the best for engine maintenance. Hence the question. When we are getting ripped off to such a degree with fuel prices it perhaps helps a little to understand the technicalities. Merle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Hi Sandy; slight OT take on this, but years ago I wrote to "Hi-Fi Answers magazine" and told them what I'd bought and what I was thinking of buying as my next upgrade, and they suggested that I just spend my money on buying music and enjoy it; and I didn't have a high end system. I've continued to do this for 30+ years!! So I guess I'm saying WHY? spend the money on diesel; or some ferries, and avoid the pitfalls described by others. cheers alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtree Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 The guy I drive lorries for p/t covers 10s of thousands of miles a week without a remap in sight and no way uses supermarket diesel . I think that speaks for itself ,but he has reduced his fleet insurance by having RoadHawk forward facing camara's installed. As far as I'am aware the truck industry doesn't pay duty on fuel that's why they don't bother with remaps or kick up s**t about the rising price of fuel any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derek pringle Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Hi Sandya, If you go ahead with this bear in mind any warranty issues that may arise if applicable. cheers derek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevina Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 Hi Sandy I'm with the ONLY responders with experience of this, namely nasher, melvin and dipsie, and my experience is exactly the same. I have a 2008 x250 with a wow remap which has made it even easier to drive than previously which is great as we do a lot of mountain driving but the fuel consumption has not improved (27.5 to 28.8 on a 7.4m 3.7t van). The engine runs smoother, there is a lot less gear changing and loads of power if required (but it will use more fuel). I believe the 2.8hdi engines like yours do benefit from improved mpg whereas the x250's do not seem to Would I have it again; Yes. It only cost me £200 and for all the years we will have it it's worth it for the performance even though I'd hoped for extra mpg. After all, a 3.0 litre engine with the same power as we now have would have cost hugely more and mpg would be worse. My insurance noted it but weren't interested (Safeguard). Fuel; I've tried premium 3 or 4 times and each time the mpg was WORSE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melvin Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 The main reason for remapping the motorhome is because we moved from the Midland to hilly Mid Wales. Prior to moving to Wales and remapping the motorhome was fine, however, adding a A Frame and a Toyota Aygo we noticed in Cornwall and up Birdlip Hill in Gloustershire we started to struggle (nearly 5 ton fully loaded). Moving to Wales with the twisty hills towing the Aygo we really started to struggle and decide to remap. Our intially remap by Boostersuk show no gain what so ever, Boosters remaped the motorhome again, apparently they forgot to lift the 2 Fiat torque settings. This time it did take and now performs as expected, it pulls well fully loaded in Cornwall and up Birlip Hill, in fact it overtakes white vanman. As regards fuel consumption there is no apparent change compared to pre remapping, I have tried supermarket fuels, BP regular and BP Ulimate no real diference, however, Shell regular it performs much better, and I hasten to add, better fuel consumption. After remapping your motorhome if done properly will perform much better, however, do not expect your motorhome to be transformed or fly as claimed by some, you will be disapointed, it is over 3 tons and about as aerodynamic as a barn door Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandya Posted February 19, 2012 Author Share Posted February 19, 2012 Thanks for your comments guys your input will help me to come to a decision Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 There's a recent MMM article (February 2012, pages 191/192) by Jonathan Lloyd on the possible benefits of using 'premium' diesel-fuel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Had the less than pleasant task of telling a motorhome owner today that his clutch has had it, slipping badly. Van is a 06 2.2 boxer based small coachbuilt but it has been remapped. Neighbouring garage is going to fit uprated clutch tomorrow but its a 7 hour job according to Autodata so costing close to £500. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 All I can tell you is that we have two friends who managed to blow up an engine in one case and the turbo in the other. To be fair it was when we were involved in model car racing all over the UK and Europe so they would have been pushing on a bit to put it mildly. The problem is that chipped engines in cars will be using the extra power for no more than a few seconds at a time. With a heavy unaerodynamic motor home up long hills and against strong head winds you will be using it for much longer periods. For my part I would never fit one. We are never in that much of a hurry and consider the power of our standard engine to be more than enough. Don't be under any illusion that if you do hit a problem you can remove the chip and claim under warranty. On modern engines with powerful computers the manufacturers are well aware of this and one of the first thing they do with engine warranty claims is to check to see if the engine has been chipped and be assured they can do just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nasher Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 The remap we had with TB turbo took the power from 128bhp to 156bhp, so if you use all the power eventually something will let go. 3.850kg is a heavy lump to pull, in our case Autotrail 696g. One of TB employees set up again in Lancaster but i don't know the phone no. The remap cost us £500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 nasher - 2012-02-22 11:39 PM The remap we had with TB turbo took the power from 128bhp to 156bhp, so if you use all the power eventually something will let go. 3.850kg is a heavy lump to pull, in our case Autotrail 696g. One of TB employees set up again in Lancaster but i don't know the phone no. The remap cost us £500. Mark Woods, who was TB Turbos’ workshop manager, operates C & M Auto Services, Lancaster. http://candmauto.co.uk/ Andrew Fletcher, who was a TB Turbos director and their remapping specialist, operates the Power4Economy company at Borwick, about 8 miles from Lancaster. http://www.power4economy.co.uk/ There will be instances where a motorhome proves to be seriously underpowered for the task it's being asked to perform. For example, if you've acquired a secondhand tandem rear-axle Auto-Trail model with a 2.3litre motor and wanted to tow a car behind it, upping the motor's power/torque would be almost a necessity. Otherwise, motorhome owners may want to ask themselves quite why they are looking for more oomph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 This seems a fairly balanced article - saves me typing what I think. Canot cit and past as article is a image. http://www.torquecars.com/tuning/remapping-ecu.php the main points are in there I want to high light...be prepared for some parts to wear out or fail quicker and main one is reduced service intervals. Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 What I would say is this. Motorhomes are heavy, even when unladen, relative to the humble light goods vehicles on which they are based. When laden, most are close the the maximum weight for which they have been designed. Few light commercial vehicles are continually operated so close to their design limits. In simple terms, this means that the mechanical stresses to which the chassis, but more importantly the power train, are subjected, are continually close to the limits foreseen by the design. So, even in "bog standard" motorhome guise, one is already "pushing the envelope". Then, we re-map the engine so that it gives greater economy, or greater torque, or greater power. In virtually all cases nothing else is altered: the brakes, turbo, cooling system, clutch, gearbox and lubricants remain as original. We do this to gain MPG, reduce gear changes in hilly country, or to get better acceleration, and possibly higher top speed. So, we now increase those already "envelope pushing" stresses by yet more. The result is that the machine works harder, and in so doing generates more heat, and that heat must be dissipated. So the cooling system works harder, and the oil runs hotter. During this process we will also work the clutch harder, so it will get hotter and wear quicker. It is probable this additional performance will translate to higher speeds, so the brakes will be worked harder, and consequently discs and pads will wear quicker. Will all this take a toll on the van? On a mild, windless day, on a flat road, with a reasonably aerodynamic low profile van, at moderate speed, probably not. But vans are for travel. Let's say you decide to cross the Channel and head off in early summer to cross the Alps or Pyrenees via some of the older, more picturesque passes, and you notice how flexible the re-mapped engine is, and how you can now storm the mountains in third gear where previously you needed second; or you start off south down an autostrada at 130kph where previously you might have been content at 110kph, or you find you are driving in mid afternoon and the temperature is in the high 30's C, and the aircon is going full-chat. Then you're adding to the "normal" stresses by unleashing that extra torque the whole way up to 2,000 metres or more, or the extra HP possibly for two or three hours on end on that autostrada, or trying to dissipate extra heat from the radiator and sump on that hot afternoon. Now you are taking the power train stresses to places the designers did not foresee in their design: your coolant will be hotter than usual, ditto the oil, which consequently will be thinning, and the clutch will be responding to your demands for it to transmit that extra power as you pull out of the hairpin, grab third, and put your foot down. So, will it now overheat, or will something break, or will the clutch slip? Again, because these are such robust little trucks, probably not - but by increasing the stresses you've definitely increased the chances of one or other happening, haven't you? So, it is a risk. If you sufficiently abuse the standard van you can have the same effects, it is just that the re-map will make the abuse feel effortless. If you are sensitive to the mechanicals, and disciplined in how you use the extra performance, you should be OK. But then, if you aren't going to use the advantages, why pay to get them? Nothing is for nothing and, sooner or later, possibly during the ownership of someone else, those extra performance pigeons will come home to roost in someone's bank balance. Remap? You can if you like, but I wouldn't. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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