ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR TUNING PRODUCTS.
How does it work, is it digital?
For
the CR ranges, they
digitally remap the fuel pressure sensor signal in real time, increasing
the amount of fuel injected to produce more power and torque from as low as
1200rpm.(depending upon engine). The VD & PD modules also use digital
technology, but achieve the results by different methods.
What is the difference between analogue and digital tuning
boxes?
Older
boxes and most costing under £100 are analogue and tend to have a single
adjusting screw or knob. These suffer from a major drawback - the adjustment
alters the fuelling across the whole rev range. For example, if you use a
setting which gives a very good low down and midrange increase, the engine then
cuts out at high rpm (above say 3500rpm). If you turn it down so this doesn't
happen, you lose the low down improvements.
How do your modules differ from analogue and other digital tuning boxes?
Our digital mapping technology is far superior because it gives finer & more precise control and enables the fuelling at both the low/mid and mid/high rev ranges to adjusted separately. With some digital boxes, you have to specify when ordering what 'map' you want installed. So there is only one map available to you without taking back to a dealer for reprogramming. You could think of ours as having 9 maps built-in where others only have the one.
Why should I choose a tuning box over a remapped (chipped) ecu?
A remap involves downloading new fuel maps into the engine ecu via the diagnostic port under the dash or in some cases (particularly with very recent diesels), the ecu has to be removed, opened and the rom chip reprogrammed directly by connecting to pins on the circuit board. On older diesels the chip has to be unsoldered and a socket fitted for the new 'chip'. Hence the origin of the term 'chipped'!
REMAP: Not adjustable, not transferable, can be lost if dealer does a routine ecu update during servicing, possibly (definitely on recent models) detectable by the dealer, more costly (£250-500+) & often less effective at low rpm on common rail engines, broken seal on the ecu if opened. Maybe more effective at higher rpm than some tuning boxes, but how often do you use high rpm (3.5-4k) ?
Our plug-in modules: Plug-in fitting, adjustable, removable for warranty and servicing, transferable, better value, often better performance at low to mid rpm with superb torque.
Tuning box suppliers and remapping companies are arch rivals and each will often denounce the others products. Remaps boost torque by increasing the injection duration, whilst tuning boxes increase the pressure. Each is a means to an end and its not true to say one is better than the other. You must make up your own mind which to opt for. Some owners have actually installed both and this will give very big increases on torque and power so you need to keep in mind any possible effect upon reliability, though this very much depends upon how you drive!
Will my fuel consumption decrease?
Most owners find their vehicles' fuel consumption is reduced by between 5 and 15%. Some do better, some get no reduction, very few get less mpg. Those getting the same or no reduction tend to fall into one of three categories: a) they drive their diesel like a petrol - too many revs and too much gearchanging, b) are very gentle drivers who stick to 50-60mph, or c) use the enhanced performance frequently but still achieve the same mpg as the standard vehicle, thereby having the best of both worlds!
Another tuning company told me some tuning boxes just dump fuel into the engine giving worse mpg and emissions. Is this the case with yours?
If fuel was crudely dumped into the engine the excess would easily be detectable as black smoke in the exhaust. This is the classic sign of an over fuelled diesel engine and is not something that happens with the Turbotune provided your engine is in good working order and properly serviced and maintained. (eg clean air filter, clean & fully functioning exhaust gas recirculation valve and crank case ventilation system, no leaks in the intercooler hoses) Finally, if the fuel consumption is reduced, the CO2 emissions will be too since the C in CO2 comes from the fuel!
Someone told me the turbo boost pressure is increased by their tuning box. Does yours do this?
Yes and no! On some engines the extra fuel helps the turbo spin up creating a modest but beneficial increase in boost pressure at low rpm. But the maximum boost pressure is still regulated by the ecu and/or wastegate. So the Turbotune doesn't increase maximum boost or alter it directly. If other companies claim theirs does, then they are misleading you unless theirs also connects to the boost pressure sensor.
Another tuning company told me the timing is altered by their tuning box. Does yours do this?
Again, yes & no! Because the accelerator pedal will somewhat higher up at a steady speed with the module fitted than without it, the engine ecu interprets this a a lighter load and slightly alters the timing and other parameters such as pre & post injection, exhaust gas recirculation & boost pressure etc to improve engine efficiency. This is one factor in reducing the fuel consumption. If other companies claim theirs does, then they are misleading you unless theirs also connects to the crankshaft position sensor.
How easy is it to connect - can I fit it myself?
It just plugs in with no wires to cut or join, taking about 5minutes. The VP versions usually need 2 wires connecting to the injection pump with scotchloks or crimps.
Will it affect my insurance?
You
should inform your insurance company. The vast majority of owners find that only
a small premium increase was charged and often none at all. In the rare event of
your insurer declining to cover it, Adrian Flux will, and usually will beat
your existing premium as well. (adrianflux.co.uk) Tesco seem to charge depending
upon the % increase, for example one owner was quote £30 for upto 10% and £40
for upto 20%.
Does
it work with automatic gearboxes?
Can I transfer it to another vehicle?
Yes, though if it is completely different make and model, a new cable & firmware update may be required but the cost is minimal (~£20).
Why do you not quote bhp & torque figures?
Many tuning companies play the numbers game, either outdoing each other or quoting identical figures in copycat fashion.
Other companies have been forced to withdraw some of their modules, e.g. Mondeo ones, because their claimed BHP figure cannot be achieved. The engine simply goes into LOS (limited operating strategy) mode and flashes the glow plug light. Indeed I have heard from one dyno operator that a very expensive German common rail module did exactly this on a Focus TDCi.
Another big company has been investigated by trading standards when the claimed increases could not be achieved by several customers.
We aim to give the best performance that can be achieved but the results will vary from engine to engine and the measured power will also vary from one dyno to another.
A 5% variation between two dynos for example, means the same engine will show 150bhp or 157.5bhp. Which is right? Both are & neither are. You'd need to take the average of readings from several dynos if you were that bothered. Instead just look for the difference with and without the module.
Quite often you'll see impressive figures quotes by other companies but they will apply to one particular vehicle. Its also possible other modifications were present but not disclosed which may partly account for the results. In other words they are not necessarily TYPICAL. Where we quote figures these apply to the vehicle we tested and show what is possible but no guarantee of similar results with your vehicle is given.
The main reason why you should take dyno figures with a pinch of salt is that a rolling road dyno can only measure bhp and torque at the road wheel. To ESTIMATE the engine (flywheel) bhp a calculation is done to ESTIMATE all the numerous losses between tyre contact patch and the flywheel. Its far from unusual to find this correction factor to be deliberately overestimated to produce an impressive flywheel figure. The only figures relevant are 'before' and 'after' readings from your own vehicle done on the same dyno on the same day. Even then, heatsoak will affect subsequent readings so you need to re-measure the 'before' figure to check by how much.
Why should I buy from you, your prices seem too good to be true?
There are few UK companies making tuning products, with the vast majority selling on bought in products sourced from Europe and often rebadged. There is nothing wrong with this but buying in a product and adding your own mark up means the price will be higher. Also resellers seldom have the technical expertise and knowledge to adequately support the products they sell. Indeed one company doesn't know the difference between microprocessor clock frequency and sample rate and others are claiming theirs alters things it can't because it doesn't connect to the appropriate sensors.
By designing, developing, assembling & marketing our own unique products, we can pass on the savings to our customers by selling direct and we also have the technical expertise to fully support them. We also save money on packaging, advertising, websites and don't need flash premises or smarmy salesmen, nor do we drive around in £50K vehicles. You don't need Interest free credit with or low prices. (nothings for free...)Do you give a money back guarantee?
Yes. All tuning modules are supplied with a 30day money back guarantee - the 'evaluation period'. If you aren't happy with what it does for your vehicle, then return it at your own expense for a full refund. See our
terms of business for full details. We recommend that you fit the module for the first 20days, trying various settings if you wish. Then remove or switch it off for the remaining 10 days. If you don't feel that your vehicle is better with it fitted, then return it post paid. Goods returned more than a day or two outside the 30days from date of purchase will not be eligible for any refund, either in whole or part.How long is the warranty and is it transferable?
The modules have a 5year transferable warranty. You must provide proof of purchase in order to claim for a repair under warranty. You should also advise the new owner to contact us so we can update our records or we will be unable to accept future warranty claims.
ANOTHER COMPANY PROVIDES AN ENGINE & TRANSMISSION WARRANTY, WHY DON'T YOU?
We spoke to our insurers about this and they told us that they can provide this but it would actually by worthless simply because no insurance company in their right mind will unconditionally cover any parts. They will simply look at the age, mileage and service history and then reduce any repair costs accordingly. They won't pay for service items like clutches, injectors, maf sensors, HP pump etc in any case. In essence, if your vehicle is out of warranty, you'd be most unlikley to get any significant sum out of them and if the mileage was over about 80k, probably nothing at all. Even companies like Warranty Direct have been known to dismiss a claim for auto gearbox failure after just 80k miles because they said it was past its service life.
We suspect that the warranties on offer are actually a profit boosting ploy. For example if we charged £100 more and put this into a separate account, after 1000 sales, we'd have £100k in the account. We'd happily pay out a few thou to shut the occasional unhappy customer up and pocket the rest!
(C) ENERGY TUNING LTD 2008/9/10