Unapologetically rugged, reliable and fun to drive, Volkswagens typically balance raw brawn with solid German engineering principles. Models like the mk5 Golf GTI are firmly entrenched as national darlings - revered for their excellent handling and unparalleled grip while cars like the Tiguan are widely regarded as some of the most durable cars money can buy.
But most Volkswagens aren’t tuned for maximum performance. A German engineering company through-and-through, VW prefer to strike a balance between power and reliability; shipping the majority of their cars with engine management software that’s designed to artificially limit their performance.
This is a reasonable thing to do: Volkswagen need to ensure that their cars perform to their rated specifications in environments as varied as subtropical Southern China, South America and Eastern Europe. They also need to make sure that their cars run well on low-performance fuels and preserve the brand’s name for precision engineering in locations where - truth be told - servicing is an occasional endeavour.
But to the VW aficionado driving in Western Europe, these compromises come at the cost of your car’s potential. Put plainly, the overwhelming majority of Volkswagens would perform much better if they didn’t ship with standardised engine management software – and for those of us that do look after our vehicles, there’d be absolutely no decrease in overall reliability.
Historically, remapping has been seen as a ‘dark art’ practiced by petrol heads obsessed with squeezing every last drop of power out of their cars. But in recent years, appreciation for the process has grown - and the underlying technologies, remapping process is perfectly safe.
Replacement ECU ‘maps’ are written by seasoned technicians who test their software before its uploaded into your vehicle’s ECU. Good maps are also tailored to a specific VW variant and engine; ensuring that any tweaks are sympathetic to the real-world limitations of your hardware.
Remapping is a technical and exacting process, but the underlying principles are reasonably straightforward. Your Volkswagen’s engine is managed by a palm-sized computer called an electronic control unit or ECU.
This device is responsible for taking data from hundreds of different sensors scattered throughout your engine bay, and using it to make split-second decisions about the way your car is run. For example, it looks at things like your air/fuel ratio, camshaft speed and engine temperature and uses this information to set your ignition timing and fuel pressure.
By tweaking the software that runs your ECU, we can transform the way your engine runs: Widening your power band, improving your throttle response and altering your ignition timing to smooth out your power delivery and provide a substantial uptick in both power and torque.
You’ll also see less flat spots and more even power delivery, better top speeds and a more responsive drive. Not to mention better fuel economy for diesel engines.
As mentioned above, a good remap will be sympathetic to the limitations of your vehicle. Settings will be tweaked to ensure that any performance gained via your remap doesn’t come at the expense of reliability, and the technicians who write your map should make every effort to ensure that it doesn’t put too much strain on delicate parts.
Here at Avon Tuning, we hand-write our own remaps for every Volkswagen model variant and engine combo. Our file-writers operate out of a bespoke 5,000 sq. ft tuning HQ and we test every new map on a state-of-the-art Dimsport rolling road.
