Remap advise
Q Could you please advise me about having my vehicle remapped? I have a 2016 Ford Fiesta 1.0 Ecoboost and like the idea of having a bit more power, but I don’t want to do less miles per gallon. I have had three quotes which do vary a bit, the last person I asked said you need a rolling road to get an accurate figure.
The first quote I had stated that my 100PS would go to 160PS and my torque from 170 to 260. Two others said my PS would go from 100 to 145 and my torque from 170 to 240, so which are more accurate? Should
I be given any proof of their claim?
Two out of the three give a month – if
I am not happy in any way, they will put it back to the original. What sort of time does it take to do the work?
I am told it will run a lot better in many ways, or am I wasting my money? John Lawley
A I would say that you have a threecylinder 1.0-litre turbocharged engine which has been refined to give the maximum output for the minimum fuel consumption. The Ecosport version of your vehicle only has 125PS and as such I would be concerned how long the engine could cope with putting out 145 or even 160PS.
I would also say that extra power will always come at a cost and the fuel consumption will not be improved, if that were the case then the manufacturers would take these measures to meet the fuel consumption targets, they have been set. Another point to consider is that any modification will have to be mentioned to your insurance company and they may then decline the insurance or raise your premium significantly.
To truly measure any increase in power, the vehicle would need to be put on a rolling road with before and after testing under load. You have not mentioned where the quotes have come from or what methods are being suggested, and so it is difficult to comment directly, but some I would expect are simply a computer/laptop remap and most of these take less than an hour.
Personally, I cannot see how your Fiesta will run a lot better in many ways and I think the biggest difference with many of the remap options is due to the placebo effect. As the old saying goes you pay your money and take your choice – my choice would be to save my money.