A guide to tuning your car

Electronic tuning of diesel engines has been known for almost a decade. Before that, there are limited scopes to improve performance tuning. With the introduction of electronic engine management, this has changed. It was now possible for tuners to take advantage of the excess air the diesel takes in through the air filters to throw out more fuel than is normally done. Following this, in the late 1990s, computer controlled motors were made which gave tuners much greater scope to improve motor efficiency.

Why tune up your car?

For keen drivers, it is quite attractive to extract additional performance from their vehicles. Diesel tuning aims to improve engine efficiency and improve normal driving conditions by ten to fifteen percent. With the cost of fuel rising with each passing day, there is a greater need to make your car economical by increasing its performance and improving torque.

Things to remember before tuning in

There are several cheap tuning programs available online. But not all of them are good, and your car may not be ready for a remap. Here are some of the important points to consider before adjusting your diesel:

• Before thinking about tuning, always check the health of your car. Check your engine, tires, suspension and more. In case you have any engine issues, be sure to fix them before you think about tuning up.
• Always do your research on fit so you know exactly what you’ll get, as many of these processes are irreversible.
• It is best to talk to tuning companies and judge them based on their answers. Compare their offers and then check their websites for customer reviews so you can be sure you’re choosing the right one.
• You should remove any service providers that make questionable claims and also those that seem unreliable.
• It is best to look for service providers who provide excellent after-sales service.
• Also, look for providers that offer insurance, as they will help you in case something goes wrong during the adjustment process.
• It is important to see your tuner face to face bringing your car to you and you can ask the appropriate questions about the performance of your car.

What type of tuning is the best?

Diesel electronic tuning involves modifying the electronic instructions that are sent to the different components of the engine. The chipping and tuning software rewrites the software changes written to the ECU using carefully developed modified programs that change the engine management instructions. You can also opt for plug and play packages that intercept standard ECU signals by placing a small electronics box between the ECU and key engine components. The effectiveness of these will vary depending on cost and the type of software being used.