Diesel Tuning Boxes

[PeterE320Cdi]

I have read with interest the various posts about diesel tuning and have a couple of questions.

Am I crazy to be thinking of buying a tuning box for a 6 year old car thats done 140k miles, should I just go and had over a few thousand pounds now to the engine rebuilder

Assumming that I am not nuts and that the superb Mercedes engines can take it even with this mileage which tuning box is best. They seem to vary greatly in price from resistors at £5 to analogue boxes at £200 to digital boxes at £300 +

I assume the digital ones are the way to go but is there much difference between them?

The ones I have found so far:
Carlsson £899
http://www.carlssonwheels.co.uk/c_tronic.pdf
PSI powerbox £387 http://www.dieselchiptuning.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=581
CRD £249
http://www.mrhoot.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TBMB005
POWERKILCK £329
http://www.dieselbox.co.uk/8.html
VanAaken £???
http://www.vanaaken.com/europe/index.asp?select1=Mercedes+Benz+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++&select2=E320+CDI++2000-+197+%28Bhp%29++++++++++++++++++++++
CR £160
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TUNING-BOX-MERCEDES-COMMON-RAIL-CAR-VAN_W0QQitemZ8054380483QQcategoryZ32094QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

They all make the same claims, except carlsson which I believe reprograms the service computer to reduce service intervals in line with driving style. If the others dont do this do you need to service the car more often then indicated?

Any input/advice greatfully received.

 

[PeterE320Cdi]

And heres a £10 example

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/15BHP-Power-Mod-Chip-Mercedes-A-C-E-S-SL-Class-190-230_W0QQitemZ8055539983QQcategoryZ32094QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Richard W]

I wouldn't touch the resistor based boxes as they simply over-fuel. The digital boxes are far better and in my experience, don't have any long term effects (15k miles on a C220 and more on a Golf).

In all the forum debates I've read I've never seen a (good!) box reported to cause any problems, the main debate has been whether a re-map is better. The simple answer is that a re-map will give smoother power, but a good box will be close.

Box suppliers that I trust and have heard to be good are:

Van Aaken
DMS (supplied my Alpin unit)
Bromleys (supplied my Tunit)
Box System (Danish)
Tuning Box

Comments will come about things like EGT and turbos, but the main thing to look at when buying one of these boxes is a TuV certification. That means it's been through the German 'approval' system for tuning/modifying products and they should be much safer to use than one without.

HTH