November 2023 - Reidy Remaps

In this article, we have covered information about mobile remapping, how it is carried out, its cost, and options. Moreover, this guide includes the advantages and disadvantages of mobile remapping and the importance of an insured mobile remap provider.

Understanding Mobile Remapping

Mobile remapping is the procedure of tuning the ECU (Engine Control Unit) at your home or workplace to get more engine power and torque. The ECU helps to control the overall functioning of a car’s engine, and its tuning helps to enhance the engine’s performance. This process does not involve making any physical or hardware changes in the car and can be completed within 1 to 2 hours, reducing the downtime.

There can be different reasons why people undertake mobile remapping, such as they might not feel comfortable taking their car to a workshop or they cannot wait for a prolonged time till the completion of car service. Moreover, some people do not trust garage business services and doubt their work quality. Thus, they prefer mobile remapping over other options.

How Mobile Remapping Is Carried Out?

The software-only remapping technicians perform the mobile remapping using a laptop and tuning equipment. During the process, the tuning files are directly imported from online calibration tools and uploaded to your car’s ECU. It is done to change the default settings and software of the ECU as built by the manufacturer with new software, which can be altered based on your specific requirements, following the legal limitations.

To overwrite the old ECU software, the tuning tool is connected to the vehicle via the OBD port, located under the car’s dashboard on the driver’s side. It is then linked to a master tuner to get a remap file for the vehicle, enabling the operative to upload it directly to the vehicle’s ECU through the OBD port. The master ECU technician then calibrates the file uploaded to the car’s ECU based on the displayed figures’ performance on the rolling road. It thus helps to ensure the quality of your car’s engine.

Files, however, are tested in a controlled environment at a facility on a dynamometer or rolling road before they are given to the remapping agents. After receiving the file, the master technicians make necessary adjustments to the tuning file to improve the engine performance and ensure fuel economy by altering the operational aspects of a vehicle. Thus, they ensure to limit the hardware modifications by maintaining the safety parameters of the vehicle to allow safe driving.

Cost of Mobile Remapping

The prices for mobile ECU remapping vary depending on your vehicle’s make, model, and tuning requirements and the distance to your location. However, the average cost of mobile remapping typically ranges from £285 to £500. It would be best if you did not opt for cheaper services as they can put your vehicle at risk later because of using clone tools for tuning the ECU.

Mobile Remapping Options

The following are the two mobile remapping options for your vehicle, each having its benefits:

Stage 1 Performance

Stage 1 remap is software-based based that involves the upgradation of your vehicle’s engine management system to improve fuel efficiency and performance without changing hardware. It involves alterations to the air-fuel mixture, ignition timing, and valve setting to provide more brake horsepower (BHP) and torque.

It enhances vehicle performance within safe parameters set according to the manufacturer’s limits. Based on your vehicle’s condition, it results in a 5 to 40% and 15 to 70% increase in Brake Horsepower and torque, respectively. Moreover, it can also transform the petrol and turbo diesel engines entirely by making ECU software upgrades.

Economy Remapping

Vehicle engine tuning allows efficient car operation with considerable fuel savings, improved performance, and reduced emissions. Economy remapping involves adjusting the pressure and timing of fuel delivery systems. It also improves torque lower down in the rev range to provide more power to your car for accelerating with the gears, achieving cruising speeds, and saving fuel consumption.

In this way, this process significantly impacts a vehicle’s fuel efficiency with 10 to 15% improvement due to the efficient working of the engine.

Is There Any Difference Between Mobile and In-House Remapping?

Mobile remapping is carried out by the same technicians using the same tools and techniques. That is why there is practically no difference between both, and you can choose any of the options based on your convenience and preference.

However, if you want an extensive stage 2 or stage 3 remap, you will have to drive your car to an in-house facility because it requires more specialised tools and techniques.

Advantages of Mobile Remapping

The following are some of the advantages of mobile remapping:

Improves the driving experience and provides extra power and torque while climbing.
Offers a reliable and safe method for tuning your car.
Improves the engine response with a better air-to-fuel ratio and the fuel efficiency.
Offers the option of tuning a wide range of cars, including those that are not commonly tuned.
Provides the option for reversal of the car’s remap, allowing you to install the original software settings on your vehicle.
Allows you to tune your car conveniently in your driveway or at your workplace, eliminating the requirement to take it to a garage.
Provides the option to re-program your vehicle by altering the airflow, fuel injection, and sensors by staying within the legal limitations.

Disadvantages of Car Remapping

There are some limitations and disadvantages of car remapping, which include:

Leads to non-approval of insurance coverage.
Causes the voiding of your car’s warranty after remapping.
Makes it difficult for you to adapt to the higher power initially.
Replaces the custom settings with continuous updates of car software.
Requires more servicing of your engine to keep it properly functioning.
Demands to add higher octane fuel to the car’s engine, which is costly to purchase.
Demands rewriting the ECU every time after getting maintenance services for your car.
Puts your car’s engine under stress and compromises its reliability, leading to potential failures.

Why Should You Choose an Insured Remap Provider?

Mobile ECU remapping involves the use of genuine and premium quality tools for the safe execution of the whole process. Therefore, getting mobile remapping services from an accredited and insured tuning provider is crucial. It protects the engine control unit’s software to maintain your vehicle’s health.

With an insured service provider, you can be sure they use efficient tools that do not rewrite the stock file back to the car, leaving it immobile and no insurance cover to accommodate the mistake. That’s why hiring an insured mobile remapping provider is important to avoid problems at any stage.