Cars Chip Tuning / ECU Remapping
What is re-chipping?
The most difficult concept to grasp for most people is that re-chipping is merely
engine tuning, all thats being done is electronically rather than mechanically
(as in the old days of carburetters and distributors). A chip is simply an electronic
storage device which is located on a circuit board inside the E.C.U.(the Engine
Control Unit). The chip contains values in a binary form which the E.C.U's main
processor (another device on the same circuit board) can understand and use to
control the engine.
Each value inside the chip is held in its own separate position (known as an
'address'), and when a car is re-chipped, what we are basically doing is altering
the values at the groups of addresses that control fuelling, ignition timing
and on turbo engines, turbo boost. These are known as maps, hence the often-used
term 're-mapping'. It is these maps which we massage in order to tune the engine.
Naturally, this is a complex and skilled operation. It requires experienced
personnel who understand the hardware and software, and of course have the appropriate
electronics qualifications in order to understand the procedures. Nowadays the
technology is becoming even more complex. Gone are the days of the 28-pin plug
in chip, a simple 8-bit device. We've experienced the occasional wake-up calls
from chips soldered to the circuit board and with unusual sets of contents,
and have now moved into territory which is definitely not for the faint hearted.
Modern engines such as the V.A.G. 1.8T and Audi TT have E.C.U's with 16-bit
44-pin devices, surface-mounted to the circuit board. Not just new hardware
on the outside but also some mind-boggling software on the inside. Luckily,
Autoremap programmers have kept abreast of the technology, and the company has
invested heavily in state of the art mapping software.
How is it done?
The first job to do when a new E.C.U. type arrives at Autoremap is for the chip
content to be read and stored on a PC. Then, using a combination of in-house
software, in-depth experience of engine management software, and processor instruction
sets the maps of interest are identified. Our programmers then rewrite the map
contents to achieve the required results. The new chip content, complete with
necessary checksums is then programmed into a new chip.
Why re-chip at all?
E.C.U's (Engine Control Units) were first introduced back in the 1980's as a
supposedly more efficient method of controlling engine fuelling, ignition timing,
and emissions. The problem lies in the fact that all new cars have to undergo
'Type Approval', and part of this is getting the car through the 'Urban Driving
Cycle' tests. Remote from European driving conditions as they are (the tests
are based on a simulated trip around Los Angeles with the resulting noxious
gases collected in a bag for testing), car manufacturers had no option but to
comply. In order to meet the stringent requirements, engines are virtually detuned
to pass the test. As a result the car never performs as well as its mechanically
controlled counterpart, with hesitancy and flat spots thrown in for good measure.
This leaves masses of room for a creative engineer to re-tune for vastly improved
performance, and without infringing any emissions regulations.
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