Advice on Vito 111 Remapping Back to Standard Please

[StuartMB]

I have a 2017 WDF447 111 Vito 1.6.

I bought it a few months ago, one owner, 35k miles. However, it smokes under load and between gear changes and doesn't run right on the motorway. I popped it in the German "specialist" garage near work. They decided someone had removed the innards of the DPF and remapped it in the past, and that is why. It shows no fault codes relating to the DPF or much else. My plan was to put a new DPF on, have the map put back to standard, and go from there. This seemed beyond them.

So I put it in Dronsfields, who know what they are doing and have a Star machine. They confirmed the previous diagnosis but said the remap could only be overwritten if there is a newer version of the software available, which there currently isn't. The only other option would be to change the ECU, which is expensive and they are back order with no ETA anyway. It seems just putting the original map back on it isn't something the Star machine can do. They suggested selling or PXing it as fixing it may be prohibitively expensive.

So I am here to ask the good folk of the forum for advice on this. Is there a 'back door' way the original map can be restored? Is a new ECU the only answer? People sell used ECUs on eBay, someone must be able to reprogramme them. Looking on Google, every man and his dog seems to do remapping, and I have no way of knowing who might be competent and who might not be. My first instinct was to return it to standard, but I am not particularly bothered if I have a DPF or not, I just want a van that runs right and doesn't smoke under load or when you are giving it some wellie.

Can anyone advise on the best course of action, please?

 

[alexanderfoti]

If we can find stock version from the engine ecu, we can do it (not using STAR). They are correct in that start will offer a software update, only if a newer version is available.

We can do it remotely if you are happy to send us the ECU.

If you send me a picture of the ECU Label, I can tell you if we can, feel free to PM Me.

 

[StuartMB]

Thanks, Alexander, I appreciate the offer and I shall send that info to you when I get it back later in the week (it's having some brake discs and other jobs while there).

My query with that route is when I plug it back in, as it's sans DPF innards, is it going to throw up a bunch of faults, go into limp mode, or not start? If that is a possibility, I may need to do that in conjunction with them, ie, take it out there and give it back to them to refit and fix subsequent faults.

Reading the forum here, in another topic, I saw DC Remapping in Warrington recommended. Might it be another route to have it remapped by someone better than who did it originally and solve the problem that way? I don't know why someone would have had it done in the first place unless the 1.6 CDI is known to be gutless? The van does go like stink now, but up a hill, or otherwise under load, it looks like I'm coal rolling.

 

[alexanderfoti]

It shouldn't smoke much with a proper re-map. It will always have some visible smoke under some circumstances when the DPF has been removed.
With the DPF fitted, it should have no visible smoke at all.

If you re-install the DPF without doing anything with the ECU, it will not flag anything up, but will block the new DPF very quickly. Depending on how they have removed the DPF sensor, plugging it back in may cause a fault code.
It will not prevent it from starting and driving.

Re-tuning it may be an option, but we would return it back to standard before tuning it again as you never know (without looking at everything) what the previous guy/girl has done.