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Brabus1408
Member
Good stuff! A professional remap makes all the difference, especially when carried out by someone who knows exactly how to get the most out of the engine.
In a diesel car, it's the torque figures that always interest me more, rather than bhp, as that's where the REAL FUN lies!
Does your car still have a DPF fitted? If it does and was built before the current legislations came in, you can legally remove it - and BOY does that make a difference!
Talk about unleashing the potential of your engine.... When I had that done on my 2008 C320 CDI (including a full turbo refurb). it made almost as much difference as the remap itself!!
Marco.
In a diesel car, it's the torque figures that always interest me more, rather than bhp, as that's where the REAL FUN lies!
Does your car still have a DPF fitted? If it does and was built before the current legislations came in, you can legally remove it - and BOY does that make a difference!
Talk about unleashing the potential of your engine.... When I had that done on my 2008 C320 CDI (including a full turbo refurb). it made almost as much difference as the remap itself!!
Marco.
Brabus1408
Member
Nope - not if it's done properly by qualified personnel.
All you're essentially doing is unleashing the latent potential of the engine, so the subsequent benefits to both performance and fuel economy derive from that, and trust me, are significant!
Marco.
All you're essentially doing is unleashing the latent potential of the engine, so the subsequent benefits to both performance and fuel economy derive from that, and trust me, are significant!
Marco.
I'll be surprised if MB update your software during service, don't think they ever bother even checking unless you ask them to.
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Out of curiosity, how much was the insurance premium increase for the additional 41 bhp?
Brabus1408
Member
Lol... The answer is to not to go to Mercedes in the first place, unless it's absolutely necessary!
Especially just for a service, and pay WAY over the odds for a job any decent qualified mechanic could do, for probably half the price!
Plus, in my experience, at dealerships, it's often kids who work on your car and don't do the job properly. I've had some really bad experiences, in that respect.
No, I have my car serviced by an independent specialist I can trust and who charges a fair price for his work, and with the type of car I've got, the job has to be done right, especially with respect to engine tuning.
Also, one of the best ways of maintaining your car properly is to build up a relationship/rapport with a good mechanic, so he gets to know your car inside out, and thus what's best for it
If you use a dealership, not only will you be paying over the odds, but chances are someone different will be working on it every time it goes in. The only worthwhile advantage of using dealerships is if you've bought a brand new car (or an almost new one) and want to show a Mercedes service history.
Otherwise, unless something needs done, which can only be carried out by Mercedes, you're simply wasting your money.
Marco.
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Cymruambyth
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Any decent/specialist company wouldn`t increase a premium for such a small gain. Always declare though. My ST standard was 225hp....with all the stage 2 stuff fitted plus the map it was 300hp...no increase.
Cymruambyth
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It doesn't have to be Mercedes that software update. Any indie that has Star hooked in to MB Germany can offer updates that have been created for the model in order to improve the engine operation in some way.
I've had my software updated by an Indie before and I was wondering if the process would interfere with the map.
Brabus1408
Member
Hi Steve,
BM Wizard in Oswestry: https://www.facebook.com/bmwizard/
He officially specialises in Beemers, but TBH he specialises in anything with a quality engine! He doesn't do 'ordinary' cars.
Kevin is a true expert (both in terms of traditional mechanics, and the high-tech software related stuff needed to work on modern engines), and his knowledge in those areas is second to none. Engine tuning and bespoke exhaust systems is his real specialty.
He's one of those guys who's a true enthusiast and loves working on nice cars, so it's not just a job to him. People travel for miles to use him for that reason, and because he's a really nice guy.
Honestly Steve, I couldn't recommend him highly enough!
Marco.
BM Wizard in Oswestry: https://www.facebook.com/bmwizard/
He officially specialises in Beemers, but TBH he specialises in anything with a quality engine! He doesn't do 'ordinary' cars.
Kevin is a true expert (both in terms of traditional mechanics, and the high-tech software related stuff needed to work on modern engines), and his knowledge in those areas is second to none. Engine tuning and bespoke exhaust systems is his real specialty.
He's one of those guys who's a true enthusiast and loves working on nice cars, so it's not just a job to him. People travel for miles to use him for that reason, and because he's a really nice guy.
Honestly Steve, I couldn't recommend him highly enough!
Marco.
Last edited:
Cymruambyth
Active Member
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Hi Steve,
BM Wizard in Oswestry: https://www.facebook.com/bmwizard/
He officially specialises in Beemers, but TBH he specialises in anything with a quality engine! He doesn't do 'ordinary' cars.
Kevin is a true expert (both in terms of traditional mechanics, and the high-tech software related stuff needed to work on modern engines), and his knowledge in those areas is second to none. Engine tuning and bespoke exhaust systems is his real specialty.
He's one of those guys who's a true enthusiast and loves working on nice cars, so it's not just a job to him. People travel for miles to use him for that reason, and because he's a really nice guy.
Honestly Steve, I couldn't recommend him highly enough!
Marco.
I was hoping for someone a bit more local but Oswestry isn`t too bad
Brabus1408
Member
I get that mate, but the reason why I go there (because as you know there are plenty of garages around here) is because he is *so* good.
Check out the feedback on his Facebook page...
If you want someone nearer home, I've also had good experiences with the lads at Bowling Bank:
https://www.facebook.com/BowlingBankGarage/
Had the engine Terracleaned there and a few other bits and pieces done, and the guys there are also very knowledgeable and friendly
Marco.
Check out the feedback on his Facebook page...
If you want someone nearer home, I've also had good experiences with the lads at Bowling Bank:
https://www.facebook.com/BowlingBankGarage/
Had the engine Terracleaned there and a few other bits and pieces done, and the guys there are also very knowledgeable and friendly
Marco.
Cymruambyth
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Sorry for the slight hijack Swd80
Who do you use Marco? I need someone decent for mine
Check my post out from yesterday about me remapping my E350 CDI
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sorry I didn't see any of the responses to my message. I didn't mean to ignore you all!
The map was done by EcoTech Performance in Buckley, North Wales. I contacted a few local places that were advertising they could do my particular car and while they were all advertising similar bhp gains, I did notice the quoted torque was different between them all.
What made me choose EcoTech though was that they do the whole service of rolling road before and after, and tweak the map to suit my car. It took a couple of goes to get it right (it was in for 2-3 hours) and was slightly longer than hoped as they had to remove the ECU.
Insurance wise it didn't make a great deal of difference. I was around 33 when I got it done and have a clean licence. I was paying £400/year fully comp. Adrian Flux and Sky Insurance were both around the same price.
I can't say there were any downsides. Some people talk about increased fuel economy but I'm not sure I saw that. I did notice that you need very little throttle to pick up speed now, but that just makes it easier to drive - I guess it's still using the same amount of fuel! It really brought the engine up to date - made it feel much more lively and modern.
The 0-60 time doesn't tell the whole story, although 5.5s is quick! It was more the 30-70 where it made a difference. Unfortunately I haven't logged that. Overtaking was an absolute breeze - if you saw a gap then you could take it.
My car was past main dealer servicing now, but if Mercedes touched the 'software' it would only be for the sat-nav etc. I doubt they'd go anywhere near the ECU.
The map was done by EcoTech Performance in Buckley, North Wales. I contacted a few local places that were advertising they could do my particular car and while they were all advertising similar bhp gains, I did notice the quoted torque was different between them all.
What made me choose EcoTech though was that they do the whole service of rolling road before and after, and tweak the map to suit my car. It took a couple of goes to get it right (it was in for 2-3 hours) and was slightly longer than hoped as they had to remove the ECU.
Insurance wise it didn't make a great deal of difference. I was around 33 when I got it done and have a clean licence. I was paying £400/year fully comp. Adrian Flux and Sky Insurance were both around the same price.
I can't say there were any downsides. Some people talk about increased fuel economy but I'm not sure I saw that. I did notice that you need very little throttle to pick up speed now, but that just makes it easier to drive - I guess it's still using the same amount of fuel! It really brought the engine up to date - made it feel much more lively and modern.
The 0-60 time doesn't tell the whole story, although 5.5s is quick! It was more the 30-70 where it made a difference. Unfortunately I haven't logged that. Overtaking was an absolute breeze - if you saw a gap then you could take it.
My car was past main dealer servicing now, but if Mercedes touched the 'software' it would only be for the sat-nav etc. I doubt they'd go anywhere near the ECU.
