What is a remap file?
A remap file is a software file that contains an ECUs control map which governs how an ECU for an engine, generator or gearbox will perform under different circumstances.
There are a number of different ways of referring to a remap file that include mod-file, car map, chip tuning file, tuning file and engine remapping file to name a few.
How to upload a car remap file
To upload a car remap file you need a tuning tool (i.e. Autotuner, Magic Motorsport Flex, etc) that will connect to your vehicle’s OBD socket to read and write your vehicle’s files or you can connect directly to a car’s ECU either via the connectors on the ECU (BENCH) or by connecting directly to the specific parts of the ECU circuit board (BOOT).
What does a remap actually do?
When a remap file is uploaded to your car’s ECU it either modifies or replaces the manufacturers settings. You download the original ECU file, make the changes to it and then upload the new version of the file back to the ECU.
How can a car be remapped?
To be able to remap a car, it needs a car tuning specialist with a technical understanding of a car’s engine control unit (ECU), how to make adjustments to parameters and how this can be programmed without causing damage to your ECU. If you’re a tuning trade professional, VIEZU has a professional file writing service where our experienced team of file writers can safely make all of the desired modifications to the file for you.
How can I remap my car?
1. The best way for you to remap your car is to take your car to a professional tuner, make sure they have:
- A good reputation – Check out VIEZU’s reviews
- Lots of tuning experience
- Their work comes with a insurance backed guarantee
2. Secondly, you can remap your car by purchasing a personal tuning device. Explore our range of professional tuning devices including brands like:
These devices offer changeable tuning which is specifically designed for your vehicle with files that are written by a professional tuner.
3. Thirdly, you could buy an under bonnet tuning device, such as the JB4 box, or in some cases a pedal box that can alter the throttle response of your vehicle
What is needed to remap an ECU?
To remap your car you will need to have:
A laptop – You can use a Windows or Mac computer to tune your car. The best laptop to use for car tuning is one that has the following features and benefits:
- Good battery life – so you can move around easily without having to charge it
- Lightweight – so that it is easy to carry around
- Powerful processor – to load and run demanding remap software
- High SSD storage – to save and store remap files
- Multiple USB ports – so that you can connect tuning devices
A tuning device or cable that connects to the car’s diagnostic port to a laptop
If you’re a master tuner then you’ll need tuning software. If you’re a slave tuner you won’t need this and you will send your file to your tool master to do the editing for you.
A battery stabiliser
What’s the difference between a generic and custom car remap?
Generic Remap
A generic car remap is when a remap file has been written for a vehicle which is suitable to be transferred to other vehicles that have the same engine/electronics. This generic remap file works for a set number of circumstances, within safe parameters and will have been customised and tested for the car that it is intended for.
Custom Remap
A custom car remap is where a remap file is written by an experienced tuner to make changes to meet your specific vehicle, driving conditions, modification or driver requirements.
An experienced tuner will use a rolling road dyno which enables them to extract the highest possible level of performance within safe limits. It can provide a dyno print out that shows before and after parameter figures for changes to the power, emissions, torque and other parameters.
How do you know if a remap file is good?
A good remap file will give you positive expected outcomes that you defined for your tune.
What are the benefits of a good remap?
- Increased power – an increase of the amount of horsepower available to your engine
- Better torque – Means changing gears less frequently which creates a smoother drive as well as improved acceleration
- Fuel efficiency – is a byproduct of not needing to change gear as frequently
What determines a bad remap?
What determines a ‘bad remap’ is dependent on the goals and outcomes that you set.
For example:
- If the goal of your remap was to improve your vehicle’s performance and your vehicle after the remap is slow and sluggish then this can be the sign of a bad remap.
- There are cases where the goal of the remap is to limit performance, VIEZU offers tunes similar to a valet mode which achieves exactly this.
Remapping a vehicle to increase fuel consumption can be intentional. However, this is not typically the desired outcome, so poor fuel economy—where more fuel is used because the vehicle’s operating system is unbalanced—can be an indication that the remap has failed to accomplish its intended purpose.
- In some cases, it isn’t always evident on first inspection that a bad remap has been carried out, not unless there is visible physical damage to the ECU caused by water, by being dropped or or if in the process of connecting your vehicle the tuner has overloaded a circuit or damaged the casing.
- When a bad remap can be highlighted is when the vehicle is being driven through the driving experience:
For example:
- if a car’s components have been pushed beyond their mechanical limits or if the vehicle has been programmed poorly it can cause timing issues in the engine.
- If the ECU has been damaged it can cause the car to not start.
- A bad remap can cause severe damage to pistons, cylinders, turbos, DPFs, cats and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you tell if your car has been remapped?
The most reliable way to know if your car has been remapped is to connect a laptop or diagnostic tool to your car’s OBD (on-board diagnostics) port to read and compare the ECU settings against the manufacturers default settings to see if any modifications have been made. If unusual errors show this can also be an indication that modifications have been made.
How can VIEZU help you with remapping files?
VIEZU has the largest custom car tuning files service support team that is available 7 days a week. Remap files are custom written by experienced in-house car tuning engineers to align with your needs and wants from the tune.
With fast turnaround times and an easy pay-as-you-go service, find out more and order your tuning files today.
