All Things Mk5 > Performance Modifications

Dangers of re-mapping?

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Homer:
Hi I am thinking of getting this done but I wanted to know if there are any risks involved? One thing which puzzles me is why doesnt the car have those settings when it leaves the factory? Surely this would make more people want to buy the car in the first place? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

RedRobin:
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Hi and welcome to the forum, Homer.

When you are an enthusiast like everyone here it's very easy to forget all those other Golf and GTI buyers who simply aren't car enthusiasts. I know that's a bit sad regarding the very long 35-year tradition of the GTI but it's a fact. Plus the bottom line for every car manufacturer is sales and profit. So Volkswagen produce and market their cars to as wide an audience as possible and us enthusiasts are not the high percentage we can be forgiven for thinking we are.

In addition, there are numerous rules and regulations which very varied national territories impose as requirements for a car specification which VW have to meet. Also there too many people out there who hardly ever lift their bonnet and who scimp on maintenance and a manufacturer can't afford to gain a reputation for their products being unreliable.

The only dangers of remapping are if you do so to an extreme. The more you push the performance envelope the less reliable and prone to breakage a car will become. Production cars need to have a headroom tolerance - By remapping we lessen that tolerance. The trick is to do so without over compromising reliability and longevity.

A standard GTI is not a slow car and is plenty fast enough for many people. This forum though is a place where more performance orientated people gather.  

Homer:
Hi thanks for the reply, one thing you touched on, in terms of longevity of the engine- I only want to do a stage 1, do you think this will effect the longevity of my engine? Also do I need to upgrade anyting else if I have a stage 1 remap? Thanks

RedRobin:

--- Quote from: Homer on February 26, 2011, 05:02:18 pm ---
Hi thanks for the reply, one thing you touched on, in terms of longevity of the engine- I only want to do a stage 1, do you think this will effect the longevity of my engine? Also do I need to upgrade anyting else if I have a stage 1 remap? Thanks


--- End quote ---

....I ran a Stage1 Revo for a while (am now running Stage2 and will not go to Stage2+) and I also did many of my hardware mods like suspension and brakes and exhaust before I remapped.

To answer your question, longevity will be much more effected by your engine maintenance/servicing, but also how you drive it. Ragging while the engine/oil is still cold is a bad habit and so are long periods in the revs red zone. I oil-service mine every 10,000 miles and change plugs every 20,000, or should I say that others do it for me. That's more often than Volkswagen's recommendations but does contribute beneficially.

Also run a high octane fuel such as V-Power. VW strongly recommend doing so. You'll potentially lose much more money than you gain by saving on fuel costs. Most established good tuners write their remap code to suit V-Power octane.

If you ever decide to upgrade further to Stage2, be aware that you'll feel the need for improved brakes and handling mods. Modding is a slippery slope and folks here encourage you to spend your money! But Stage1 is a very noticeable improvement.

Which car do you have? GTI? Ed30? VRS?

berg:
Robin - out of interest why wont you go to stage 2+?

Also Robin, in another thread did you say you have tracked down a part number for the rear Ferodo Ds2500 via a lady @JKM? I cant find the thread it was in!

Cheers

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