10. Bad remaps

Remapping is a procedure where the fuelling, timing and boost parameters of your car’s ECU are altered to provide more power from the engine. It’s a very safe process when carried out by a professional, who will examine the engine for faults before beginning the process of updating the car’s electronic brain with software tweaks designed to keep the turbocharger within its tolerances. Unfortunately, as well there being many unscrupulous ‘cowboy’ mappers out there, many cheap, poorly manufactured remaps are freely available. These programs often increase power by simply upping boost levels and nothing more, a change which can cause overboosting (among other potentially damaging issues) and damage your car’s engine as a whole.

How to prevent it

When selecting a tuner to alter your Porsche’s ECU, make sure you’ve researched and checked feedback from previous customers. Also try and speak with the tuner to see if they suggest any supporting modifications to achieve the best results. And remember, as well as a way to gain more power, a remap is fundamental to how well your car drives and how reliable it is, so don’t be tempted to go with whoever offers the most gains for the least money. It’s also worth giving your car a health check before booking it in for a remap — any faults will need to be fixed before a safe and suitable software update can be applied.