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Introducing To ECU Remapping, What Is The Engine Control Unit?

Before the ECU Remapping, we have to say that the ECU or Engine Control Unit is an electronic device that manages all engine parameters. Most of the units are produced by Bosch, Magneti Marelli, Siemens, Delphi, and Delco IAW.

On What Vehicles Can We Make The ECU Remapping?

The units were introduced in vehicles around 1990, but until 2000 were utilized memories that could not be erased and reprogrammed. It was necessary to dismantle the unit and replace the memories. In the following years were introduced reprogrammable memories that have facilitated the work of re-mapping, allowing the programming via special tools. Those can read the original software of the vehicle and copy it to a computer without disassembling the unit. With the same procedure you can write the new software. The changes are instantaneous and in case of errors you can permanently block the functioning of the unit or damage the engine.

Which Parameters Will Be Changed After The ECU Remapping?

The main parameters that are modified are the injection time, the pressure of the fuel pump, ignition timing, the sensitivity of the accelerator pedal. Sometimes also the limits of the lambda probe, the turbo pressure, overboosts time, the command of the throttle and the rev limiter.

Why Change The Original Software?

The manufacturers produce vehicles to be marketed in different countries, with different limits on pollution, fuel, weather conditions, driving style and routes. To reduce costs in the design phase, the automakers produce a single engine that will be adjusted (and limited) by programming the control unit depending on the country where it will be marketed. Always leaving a margin of tolerance to not make the maximum capabilities of the engine. With the change of the control unit you can make gains in terms of power and consumption, reusing the tolerance margin left by the builders and adapting the software to the precise use of the client. Nowadays there are many vehicles on the market with the same displacement but with different powers, this well be a commercial gimmick to boost sales of the new models. It is a practical example of how the software of the control unit can increase or decrease the return of a motor. If the adjustment of the control unit is made with criterion, one can obtain increases in power and torque up to 25%, reducing fuel consumption up to 20% with increase of the duration of engine life.

What Defecets Can Be Corrected With The ECU Remapping?

• The car has covered many kilometers, and is not as efficient as when it was new?
• With the passage of time have you noticed an increase in consumption and a decrease in performance?
• The turbo starts working late and does not push as it should?
• Starting the engine comes out white smoke from the exhaust?
• The car takes too long in making a pass?
• The car has problems with the climbs?
• The accelerator pedal is not very sensitive?
• Are cautioned holes or irregularities during acceleration?
• You clogging problems with the diesel particulate filter?
• The engine will not start easily in cold or hot?
• The automatic transmission creates problems when you’re climbing causing continuous gear changes?
• You have problems with the EGR valve?
• You have installed a sports exhaust without catalytic converter and want to eliminate errors relating to Lambda sensors?
• Do you have a van with AdBlue system and want to reduce costs by eliminating the additive?
• Have you noticed an increase in oil during the oil change?
• You have a vehicle racing and want to eliminate the speed limiter?
• You have mounted a turbo increased or increased injectors?
• Want to exclude the operation of the flow meter?
• Want to exclude the Start & Stop system?

How DPF Works?

Its operation is to lock and maintain the exhaust gases to avoid atmospheric emissions. The engine control unit is able to calculate the state of the filter due to temperature and pressure sensors mounted before and after. When the filter is full, the temperatures and pressures of the filter increases dramatically, in this case, the controller starts the regeneration phase, it consists in modifying the original injection program by increasing the quantity of fuel to be injected that it will not be burned in the room combustion, then comes out of the engine and through the exhaust pipe up to the particulate filter, where high temperatures will provide to burn fuel and substances accumulated in the filter. The question that is not answered is: where do they go the substances contained in the fap when they are burned? and what happens chemically during regeneration? As the system can seem like a revolution in the automotive and environmental industry, we face some technical aspects that could make us change your mind on the efficiency of this system.

Is DPF Dangerous To Human Health?

The conservation of mass says, “Nothing is created, nothing lost, everything is transformed.” The particulate filter contains everything that is released by the combustion of the diesel, also including metal particles and carbonaceous coming from the engine. In an engine without fap, these substances are not large enough to be considered hazardous to human health because stopping in the upper respiratory tract, are unable to penetrate into the alveoli. In an engine provided with fap these substances are burned and the molecules that escape from the filter are much smaller than the original ones, they are therefore able to bypass the filters of the respiratory tract reaching the lungs easily. The molecules that escape from a vehicle without fap are defined in terms of size PM10 (microparticles), the maximum that can cause is asthma. The molecules which escapes from a vehicle with fap are defined PM2 (nanoparticles), they induce in tumors and are identical to those produced by incinerators. The definition of this filter as “green” is incorrect because this only occurs during standard filter conditions, it is therefore not considered everything that happens later in the regeneration phase. In big cities, after its introduction in 2007 or so, have been reported a staggering increase of diseases related to fine particles and larger global health authorities have recognized the particulate filter device as dangerous to human health, much more dangerous of the old catalytic converters (€ 3).

What Happens To The Injectors?

During the regeneration phase the injectors increase the frequency of their operation, often reaching the maximum limit imposed by the manufacturers. This causes an increase in temperature and an early wear than the standard life cycle.

What Happens To TurboChargers?

The turbines of vehicles equipped with fap are forced to work at higher temperatures and less clean condition because the fap blocks the exhaust gas and facilitates the formation of hazardous substances for the engine that thanks to the recirculation valve of the exhaust gas (second main cause of failure of modern diesel vehicles) will be reintroduced in the aspiration. So through the turbo and the intake manifold will pass several times dirty mixtures which damage the components of the turbo compressor and the pressure sensors present in the intake manifold.

You Save Fuel Removing The DPF?

It was verified that 7% of the fuel is used during the phase of regeneration of the filter, so it is easy to calculate the gains that you can get by excluding this system.

How Can I Exclude The DPF?

The Diesel Particulate Filter system can be disabled through programming of the control unit and the temperature and pressure probes will no longer be necessary. The part of the exhaust containing the filter must be compulsorily replaced with a straight tube (downpipe) or cut and emptied of its internal to then be preheated, so as to allow the exhaust gas to be discharged without obstruction. The vehicle will no longer no regeneration, leaving forever his original injection program and therefore consumption, ultimately in diagnosis we will be hidden all the parameters involved in the particulate filter. The exclusion of the fap is illegal for vehicles approved for road use.

How Can I Turn Off The DTC Error In ECU?

Our customers often ask us to remove the DTC error in the control unit that occur only occasionally and are difficult to diagnose, but do not create any problems to the vehicle. For this reason we offer the exclusion of any error in the control unit with Pxxxx code, so as to avoid the engine light on (MIL) and take time and money in the process of repairing the vehicle. The exclusion of one or all DTC error present in the vehicle does not solve any problems as power cuts or control unit in recovery, these if present, must be still resolved to return the vehicle to its original condition and after may be carried out the exclusion of the engine warning light.

What's The EGR Valve?

The EGR Valve (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) has been introduced in vehicles as a system to reduce the exhaust emissions. The operation consists of taking a quantity of the exhaust gas already burnt and re-introduce it in the intake manifold to be burned again so as to reduce pollution. From the theoretical point this system is a great innovation and excellent results are obtained, also the temperatures of the exhaust gases are reduced, of course, this system works well on a laboratory motor which must not travel hundreds of thousands of kilometers and is subject to a careful maintenance.

What Problems Leads The EGR Valve Over Time?

In the long run the gases reintroduced by the valve cause the formation of dirt and oil-carbon residues along the entire circuit which connects the discharge valve to the intake manifold, where inside there are pressure sensors which are often damaged by the presence of this substance that should not be there. The defects that occur on vehicles with problems EGR Valve may be the presence of exhaust smoke, loss of power, an irregular acceleration and engine light on.
Also this valve is responsible for the break of the turbine and early aging of the engine, as it is the only component that gives the possibility to the engine works in dirt, because it allows to reuse the exhaust gas instead of fresh air. Disabling the operation of the EGR valve motor would not have any kind of problems related to the formation of incrustations in the intake manifold and the turbo compressor. We believe the egr is the main cause of breakdown of vehicles with the diesel particulate filter.

Is It Better To Replace Or Disable It?

Replace the EGR valve with a new one is less convenient of exclusion by the control unit, the cost of a new egr parts and manpower outweigh the exclusion of the EGR system using electronics. Finally with a new valve the defect may occur again in the future, instead with the removal by mapping the problem is solved at the root, so that never more recur in the future. The exclusion of the EGR valve is illegal on vehicles approved for road use.

What's The Debimeter?

The debimeter is a mass air flow meter that measures the amount and the temperature of air entering the engine. Its operation is very important because it allows to correctly adjust the amount of fuel to be injected.

When Do You Need To Exclude The Debimeter?

Disabling the debimeter is almost always not recommended except in very special cases, for example on very elaborate car with turbocharged compressors increased, it may happen that the air flow sensor reaches the maximum voltage admitted by the control unit, sending her into error. This happens because the air quantity viewed exceeds the limits of construction of the flow meter, in this case it is appropriate to proceed with the exclusion of the flow meter via the ECU programming. With this modification, the car will no longer have any power limit and safety, it will also be possible to physically disconnect and remove the sensor and its wiring.

What's The First Lambda Sensor?

The Lambda Sensor is a sensor installed in the muffler that detects the amount of oxygen present in the exhaust gases.
In petrol engines its operation is essential because the control unit regulates the fuel mixture of the engine thanks to the values of the lambda probe. The power and the engine speed are managed by the butterfly, so the air is the main element to give or less power. The first lambda probe performs thousands of checks every second to avoid the carburation is fat (thus greater consumption and pollution), or is lean (high temperatures in the combustion chamber, engine failure). In petrol engines can not be excluded the first lambda probe. In diesel engine is the diesel the main element to give or less power, regardless of the quantity of air, in this case the lambda serves only as a limit for the pollution and can be safely handled or excluded.

What's The Second Lambda Sensor?

Between the first and second lambda sensor there is the catalytic converter. The second lambda probe serves as verification of the catalyst on the basis of the values readed from the first lambda probe. The control unit is able to verify the efficiency of the catalyst by comparing the data of the two lambda probes.

The ECU Is In Error After Installing A Sports Exhaust?

Sports exhausts are equipped with better performing catalysts than those of series or they can be completely free or direct, so no catalyst. In each of these cases it might occur the presence of errors in the control unit related to the lambda probe. To avoid this problem can be excluded the second lambda probe by the ECU programming.

What's The Speed Limit?

The speed limiter is a limit imposed in the controller software to ensure that the motor does not exceed a certain speed. This limit varies depending on the vehicle category and the country where it is marketed. In some circumstances, such as on vehicles race or corporate or private vehicles for private spaces, it may be asked to move or delete the speed limiter. With this change we can increase or decrease it, depending on the customer requirements.

What's Start And Stop System?

It is a system that automatically turns off and restarts the engine to reduce the time in which the engine is running and the car is stationary, so there is a reduction in fuel consumption and reduced pollutant emissions. This system is advantageous for those vehicles that are often waiting at traffic lights or in traffic jams. This feature is present in hybrid vehicles, but is also present in vehicles without an electric motor group. For non-hybrid vehicles (called micro hybrids), fuel economy stands typically around 10-15%. Given that some systems, such as the air conditioner and water pumps, are normally designed to operate connected to the motor with a belt, they must be redesigned to operate when the engine is off. Typically their operation is guaranteed by an electric motor.

Can I Turn Off Start & Stop System?

It is possible to disable the automatic start and stop with the ECU programming, this will allow the vehicle to remain in motion during breaks, and prevents on-off.

What Are The Flaps Valves?

The swirl valves (or flow control valves) are present in the intake manifold and are fairly widespread in modern engines. Their function is to regulate the amount of air-fuel mixture according to the engine speed and other factors, similar to that of the electronic throttle valve.

Can I Exclude Flaps Valves?

The swirl valves are quite delicate, many vehicles have problems that cause the malfunction and the error in the control unit. With this change, you can exclude the operation of swirl valves and save on a new unit and workmanship costs. The vehicle will not experience any abnormality, and the problem will not occur again in the future.

What's The AdBlue Tank?

The AdBlue is an additive contained in an additional tank necessary for the cleaning of the particulate filter for those vehicles that do not perform the regeneration by the addition of diesel fuel but with an extra injector mounted directly on the exhaust. The filter is cleaned by spraying the additive contained in Adblue Tank, burning the substances accumulated in the particulate filter.

Can I Save Costs Of The Additive In The AdBlue Tank?

With time is increased the number of vehicles using this system of regeneration, even if more efficiently and safely then the tradition system, the main problem are the very high costs. Each filled tank is fairly expensive, with this change you can delete the additive AdBlue and save costs.

How Does Automatic Transmission DSG Work?

The DSG comprises two of independent exchange units (one with the even gears and one with odd gears). For each gear change, the dual-clutch system allows the engine to be coupled with each of the two changes alternately through the “dual clutch”. The dual clutch transmission therefore allows an automatic transmission without any interruption of power. The gearbox is operated by means of so-called mechatronic module, to which the electronic control unit, the various sensors and the hydraulic control elements form a compact unit. The dual-clutch DSG gearbox has two driving modes: Normal and Sport mode. In the sport mode, the DSG door gears at the maximum speed and scale before, according to need. The gears can also be manually entered. Shift gears via paddles on the multifunction steering wheel Tiptronic is particularly sporty. The clutch engagement, however, always occurs in a completely automatic way.

What Are The Advantages Of Mapping DSG?

We recommend the modification of gearbox dsg after mapping of the engine control unit. With this change, you can further increase the torque, change the rev limiter, halving the time changed gear and activate the launch control.

How Many Types Of DSG Exist?

There are three types of DSG:

• The DSG 7-speed with dry clutches, engine with maximum torque of 250Nm.
• The DSG 6-speed with multi-plate clutches in oil bath, for a maximum of 350Nm torque motors.
• The DSG 7-speed with multi-plate clutches in oil bath, for a maximum of 600Nm torque motors.

What's The Throttle Valve Actuator?

The operation of the Throttle Valve Actuator (TVA), similar to that of the swirl valve, allows the motor to turn off without vibrate and helps the exhaust gases from the EGR valve to be reintroduced in the aspiration in the diesel engine because there is no vacuum in the intake conduit, and then the exhaust gases coming from egr need of the closure of this valve to be able to fall within the intake manifold.

I Have Errors With Throttle Valve Actuator, Can It Be Excluded?

The electronic Throttle Valve Actuator is a very delicate component. In case of breakage, the replacement and manpower exceed the price of an electronic exclusion by the control unit that solves the problem at source and prevent it from recurring in the future.

What's Launch Control?

To start a vehicle have to “play” with the gas and clutch. In a departure at maximum performance (for example in a drag race), it is likely to overdo it and be with the tires slipping loses traction and therefore precious seconds. The launch control is a system that allows you to keep fully open the throttle and up to speed by giving a simple command (such as releasing the brake or push a button) instead of managing the delicate balance of gas and clutch. The unit will take care of controlling the engine speed, the throttle opening and the clutch, monitoring slips of the 4 wheels. The launch control, unlike the manual start, allows for more power and acceleration because it unlocks some functions in the control unit which are normally switched off, for example, it allows you to increase the turbo pressure when the vehicle is stationary (impossible for an original vehicle) and to set a rev-limiter that is different than the original one will be active up to a certain speed (typically 30 km / h) to then return the original.

How To Activate Launch Control?

The launch control is activated using the remapping of the ECU. It is available for vehicles with manual and automatic transmission, in the cars of the VAG group (Audi, Volkswagen, Seat and Skoda) with DSG automatic transmission is activated with the gearshift programming.

What's The Torque Limit Control?

The torque limit control is a special function introduced in the latest generation of control units, for example Bosch EDC17, which detects the torque disproportionate increase over the original values of the mapping. In case of increase of performance following the mapping is required to remove this limit to avoid that the car goes into protection, drastically reducing the power or turning on errors on the framework.

How To Disable Torque Limit Control?

The torque control is excluded by the ECU programming, you will need to locate the instructions that activate this control and disable them, then you can increase the performance of the vehicles that will be with no limit and no error in the control unit. The major ECUs that have Torque Limit Contron are Bmw, Mercedes, Opel, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Kia, Land Rover, Citroen, Volvo, Peugeot, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar and others that are not listed below. Future ECU will surely have this limit. Although the list is not updated, please contact us to find out if we can rule out the torque limit control.

How Turbo Pressure Sensor Works?

The turbo pressure sensor is a sensor that provides a linear current from 0 to 5 volts according to the pressure that is exerted on its membrane. The sensors installed on vehicles are dimensioned (for cost savings by manufacturers) based on the maximum capabilities of the original turbo pressure. It can occur after a hard mapping (for example vehicles with larger turbo) that these sensors arrive at the maximum limit of pressure generating errors in the control unit. In these cases we proceed with the replacement of the sensor with one with higher capacity (for example, from 3 to 4 bar). This change necessarily requires the linearization of the sensor in the control unit, changing the sensor reference scale (volts / mbar) and allowing the controller to read the values correctly and avoid mistakes in the tachometer.

How To Adapt The ECU To A Different Pressure Sensor?

All reference tables of the sensors installed on the vehicle are written in the software of the control unit, so its replacement with others with different technical specifications requires the modification of the control unit, at the end the pressure readed by the diagnosis with the analog must be verified through a pressure gauge to make sure that the calculations are correct and that the unit works properly.

What's The Rev Limiter?

Unlike the launch control, the revlimit is a modification reserved for diesel vehicles that do not have the possibility to interrupt the current ignition (because devoid of spark plugs), by cutting off abruptly the injection of diesel, causing a sudden return of the laps engine and a particular noise, much to rename this change “popcorn rev limit“.

How To Enable Rev Limit?

The revlimit is activated through the remapping of the engine control unit. This change does not increase the performance of the vehicle, however, it is high demand because it has a choreographic effect considerable, especially used during the demonstrations or car meetings.