4 ms·

Parts in the engine can only take so much speed, heat, power, etc. before they fail. Sure you could push out a slightly higher performance tune but at some poi

by tdicola 12y ago

Parts in the engine can only take so much speed, heat, power, etc. before they fail. Sure you could push out a slightly higher performance tune but at some point you're going to need to get into the engine and upgrade moving parts like pistons, camshafts, fuel injectors, cooling system, etc. Also transmissions can only take so much power before they have to be upgraded too. It wouldn't make any sense to ship an economy car with a sports car transmission because you might juice up the power with an update later. Not to mention only upgrading power is no fun at all if you don't upgrade the brakes and suspension. All the power in the world does nothing if you can't put it down on the pavement or can't stop before hitting a wall.

threeseed 12y ago
Slightly higher performance tune ? ECU remaps and similar devices can add significant performance improvements typically around 30% more torque and power. Car manufacturers generally aim for their cars to be mostly identical regardless of the country they are sold. Hence they are often targeting lowest common denominator country emissions levels. And I've done ECU remaps before. You definitely do NOT need to upgrade brakes and suspension. Example: http://www.bluesparkautomotive.com http://www.bluesparkautomotive.com
- maxerickson 12y ago
  I'm sure that some overall improvement is possible, but those gains are often going to come at the expense of reliability or emissions compliance. (Which I think you acknowledge in your second paragraph, just seems worth it to be explicit about it)
  - threeseed 12y ago
    Those improvements aren't just possible they are what you get. Enthusiasts have been using these system for decades (?) with almost every type of car imaginable. And your issues about reliability/emissions aren't necessarily true (spend time on any car forum and you will see better rebuttals to these issues). It isn't necessarily true for reliability since engines are often reused between models/manufacturers and so safe mappings are known. And yes you may exceed emissions regulations but not necessarily. Again manufacturers aim to sell the same car in multiple countries and so depending on how relaxed your country is your car may still be legal with increased emissions. Think about this. If these devices were so bad why do most insurance companies when you tell them about it either (a) don't increase premiums or (b) do so with a negligible increase. It's because they are never the cause for safety or reliability issues. Car companies use engine power as a key product differentiator.
    - maxerickson 12y ago
      By I'm sure that some overall improvement is possible, I meant some performance increase with no downside, not that the existing profiles were maxed out.
    - lttlrck 12y ago
      Why would an insurance company care about the remaining lifetime of your engine?or reduced economy? The off the shelf tunes are really only effective on turbocharged engines and are rooted in overboosting - that's a very cheap way to increase performance and it has longevity, emmissions and economy impact. It may if may not be significant but it is there. Manufacturers would be utterly foolish to experument like that in mass market cars.
      - DanBC 12y ago
        Why would an insurance company care if you change the colour of your vehicle? They (t least, in England) do, and this is for a pure colour change, not for "colour change after an accident" or "colour change after vandalism" or "colour change to a colour that is riskier for accidents".
        lmm 12y ago
        Because car colour has a measurable correlation with the chance of getting into an accident.
        DanBC 12y ago
        Again, this was purely about change of colour, not changing to a colour more likely to have an accident. It doesn't matter what colour your car is, nor what colour you change it to, when you change the car colour your insurance premiums go up.
        lmm 12y ago
        Point, but I suspect it's the same reason even so - they've found a measurable correlation between people changing their car colour and accident rates.

by tdicola 12y ago

threeseed 12y ago

Slightly higher performance tune ? ECU remaps and similar devices can add significant performance improvements typically around 30% more torque and power. Car manufacturers generally aim for their cars to be mostly identical regardless of the country they are sold. Hence they are often targeting lowest common denominator country emissions levels. And I've done ECU remaps before. You definitely do NOT need to upgrade brakes and suspension. Example: http://www.bluesparkautomotive.com http://www.bluesparkautomotive.com

maxerickson 12y ago
I'm sure that some overall improvement is possible, but those gains are often going to come at the expense of reliability or emissions compliance. (Which I think you acknowledge in your second paragraph, just seems worth it to be explicit about it)
- threeseed 12y ago
  Those improvements aren't just possible they are what you get. Enthusiasts have been using these system for decades (?) with almost every type of car imaginable. And your issues about reliability/emissions aren't necessarily true (spend time on any car forum and you will see better rebuttals to these issues). It isn't necessarily true for reliability since engines are often reused between models/manufacturers and so safe mappings are known. And yes you may exceed emissions regulations but not necessarily. Again manufacturers aim to sell the same car in multiple countries and so depending on how relaxed your country is your car may still be legal with increased emissions. Think about this. If these devices were so bad why do most insurance companies when you tell them about it either (a) don't increase premiums or (b) do so with a negligible increase. It's because they are never the cause for safety or reliability issues. Car companies use engine power as a key product differentiator.
  - maxerickson 12y ago
    By I'm sure that some overall improvement is possible, I meant some performance increase with no downside, not that the existing profiles were maxed out.
  - lttlrck 12y ago
    Why would an insurance company care about the remaining lifetime of your engine?or reduced economy? The off the shelf tunes are really only effective on turbocharged engines and are rooted in overboosting - that's a very cheap way to increase performance and it has longevity, emmissions and economy impact. It may if may not be significant but it is there. Manufacturers would be utterly foolish to experument like that in mass market cars.
    - DanBC 12y ago
      Why would an insurance company care if you change the colour of your vehicle? They (t least, in England) do, and this is for a pure colour change, not for "colour change after an accident" or "colour change after vandalism" or "colour change to a colour that is riskier for accidents".
      - lmm 12y ago
        Because car colour has a measurable correlation with the chance of getting into an accident.
        DanBC 12y ago
        Again, this was purely about change of colour, not changing to a colour more likely to have an accident. It doesn't matter what colour your car is, nor what colour you change it to, when you change the car colour your insurance premiums go up.
        lmm 12y ago
        Point, but I suspect it's the same reason even so - they've found a measurable correlation between people changing their car colour and accident rates.