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 | What is an ECM upgrade / optimisation? |  |
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| What is an ECM upgrade / optimisation? |  |
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 | An ECM upgrade is the optimisation of the original manufacturer software in the engine management system which controls the engine. All car manufacturers mass produce the engines and due to many factors, the engines and the tuning are designed for relatively wide tolerances. These factors include coping with various fuel grades, extreme climate conditions, company car tax bands and insurance grouping, and of course the ability to withstand a certain level of abuse, neglect and lack of maintenance. A specialist tuner however can improve the efficiency of an engine by balancing and matching the various engine components and software more closely than is possible in volume production for the mass market. |
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| Why should I tune my car? | |
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| Why should I tune my car? | |
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| Essentially, tuning is all about extracting substantial gains in performance. However, the engine will not only be more powerful, but will also be more economical with the same driving style. Towing will also be much easier with the increase in torque. Driveability improves with fewer gear changes required, and the improved throttle response makes the car feel more responsive on the road. Tuning is often better value for money than upgrading to a more expensive model with higher power! |
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| For which cars is an ECM upgrade suitable? | |
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| For which cars is an ECM upgrade suitable? | |
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| Generally, any car equipped with an engine management system can be tuned, which includes both petrol and diesel engines. However, an ECM upgrade produces best results on turbocharged or supercharged engines. Raising the turbocharger or supercharger boost pressure allows for much higher gains in power to be achieved, when combined with the correct ignition timing and fueling adjustments. Normally aspirated (non-turbo) engines will only gain a significant improvement in power if the manufacturer also offers the same engine in a significantly detuned state by ECM software alone. Examples of these include the Mini One, which is a detuned Mini Cooper, and also the Volvo V70 140 hp, which is a detuned 170 hp version. |
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| Is it possible to tune an older car? | |
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| Is it possible to tune an older car? | |
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| Yes, an older car can be tuned as well, however it is important that the car has a reprogrammable engine management system. Furthermore, the car must be in good mechanical working order. See the question 'How must I supply the car'. It is unlikely that an older car will achieve anywhere near the quoted power figures due to possible engine wear and/or component wear. |
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| How is the ECM upgrade installed? | |
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| How is the ECM upgrade installed? | |
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| On most modern cars, the modified software is loaded into the engine management system via the OBD2 diagnosis port in the car, without even opening the bonnet. Loading the new software normally takes between 5 and 30 minutes. This can be done by Rica Engineering or by your local RICA dealer. Some older models sometimes require the original chip on the ECM to be removed, reprogrammed, and then replaced. Occasionally the ECM has to be bench flashed instead, which involes removing the ECM and reprogramming it on the bench. |
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| What parameters are actually changed? | |
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| What parameters are actually changed? | |
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| There are many parameters that need to be changed in the software and the amount of data that RICA changes depends on the ECM. The changes include (at the very minimum) fueling, ignition timing and boost pressure (for turbo cars), but many more changes are also made, for example the throttle response, torque limiters, rev and speed limiters etc. The ECMs actually contain thousands of variables and RICA has the specialist software and technical knowledge of all the various ECM types from Siemens, Denso, Bosch and Marelli in order to adjust all the parameters correctly and optimise the tuning for a balance of increased power, improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions. |
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| How much power do I gain? | |
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| How much power do I gain? | |
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| Power gains of 10-35% are normally possible with remapping alone. Sometimes, depending on the model, gains of up to 80% can be achieved such as with the factory detuned engines, but most cars gain approximately 15-20% with modified ECM software alone. The limitations are normally governed by the exhaust gas composition and the maximum load of the engine. RICA Engineering will always ensure that the engine continues to satisfy all legal emissions requirements after the modification of the engine management software. Contrary to popular belief, an ECM upgrade does not harm the engine and the engine life span will remain similar to that of a standard car. Sometimes engine wear can be reduced with an ECM upgrade because once tune, the engine does not need to be revved so high in order to achieve the same levels of performance as before tuning. |
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| Must I make any further modifications? | |
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| Must I make any further modifications? | |
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| With the RICA ECM upgrade, no other modifications are required. RICA Engineering ensures that the extra load on the engine and transmission falls within safe margins. It is recommended to install a clean air filter to maintain the maximum performance by allowing the engine to breathe a little better. A full exhaust system can also be beneficial for extra performance, however the ECM upgrade software would need to be adjusted in order to maximise the benefits of a full exhaust system. |
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| How must I supply the car? | |
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| How must I supply the car? | |
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| Before you tune your car, you must make sure that it is in good mechanical condition. Due to the increase in power and torque, if some components are worn or faulty, then a premature failure of that components may occur. This is especially true for older cars as a result of normal wear and tear or through lack of maintenance. Many mechanical problems can often be resolved while you wait. But this may not always be the case, and as a result it may not be possible to install the ECM upgrade if the vehicle is in poor condition. Your local garage should be able to ensure that the car is in excellent working order prior to undertaking any tuning work. |
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| What do I have to do after tuning? | |
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| What do I have to do after tuning? | |
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| All RICA ECM upgrades for petrol cars are optimised for use with 98 RON super unleaded for maximum performance. For diesel engines, special diesel fuel such as BP Ultimate or Shell V-Power is optional, but may improve performance under certain circumstances. Using low octane premium unleaded fuel will not allow your engine to achieve its maximum potential from the ECM upgrade. If you must use low octane fuel, you should not drive the car hard. Always use a high quality engine oil for maximum protection and reliability. You should also follow any other recommendations and specific advice about your car given to you by RICA Engineering or by your local RICA dealer. |
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| What further tuning is possible? | |
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| What further tuning is possible? | |
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| An ECM upgrade is often referred to as 'stage 1' tuning. However, further tuning is always possible. The sky is the limit and depends largely on your budget, but it is not always economically viable for every car. More power costs more money, and the cost of tuning often increases exponentially when trying to extract more power, so essentially the higher the level of tuning, the lower the value for money for the power you actually get, especially when compared to an ECM upgrade alone. Upgrading the mechanical components is normally required once the safe limits of software-only tuning are reached. Turbo petrol engines normally provide the easiest route for extracting more power, with various options available such as exhaust systems with a high-flow catalytic converter for reduced back pressure, high flow intake systems, and of course larger and more efficient turbochargers. When increasing the engine power above a certain level, it may be wise to consider a suitable suspension and brake upgrade to allow the power to be safely used to it's full potential on the road. |
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| How trustworthy are the RICA dyno results? | |
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| How trustworthy are the RICA dyno results? | |
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| The dyno (rolling road) that RICA Engineering uses is a state of the art MAHA LPS3000 4WD chassis dyno. MAHA has been established as the industry standard in rolling roads throughout Europe. The measurements are very accurate and all measurements taken are within a maximum tolerance of 2%. |
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| What about custom tuning? | |
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| What about custom tuning? | |
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| RICA is able to undertake custom tuning work for practically any modification. However, any RICA custom tuning must be carried out at the main RICA software development dyno facility in Wateringen, Netherlands. Please contact RICA Engineering direct on +31 174 226 806 for further information. |
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| What if I have any problems after the tuning? | |
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| What if I have any problems after the tuning? | |
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| Your RICA ECM upgrade software cannot change over time of its own accord. This is only possible if the software is overwritten by some other company or your local dealer. If the engine starts running poorly after a certain amount of time, then it cannot be the result of a sudden software fault, but will in fact be the result of a component defect. Any such problems must be diagnosed and resolved by the your local garage as soon as possible. Sometimes an ECM upgrade will not yield the expected increases in power and torque. This is normally the result of either component wear and tear or bad maintenance leading to components that cannot perform to the levels required for optimum engine performance.
If you need to check your engine performance on a rolling road, it is highly recommended that you go to a place that uses the same equipment as RICA Engineering, which is currently a MAHA LPS3000 and a suitably large cooling fan. This will minimise any variance in the results between the vast range of rolling roads available and will enable RICA to use the data much more easily to resolve your problem quickly. The better the data collected, the quicker a solution can be found. You should contact RICA Engineering for advice as to which engine parameters should be logged during the rolling road session. For the purposes of good diagnostics, ideally the minimum you need to collect are Power, Torque, Boost, AFR, Ignition, RPM, Ignition Retard, Air-Flow, Inlet Air Temperature and Ambient Conditions.
Occasionally your local dealer may need to install a manufacturer software update during routine service work. This may overwrite the RICA ECM upgrade and the performance of the car will return back to standard. In such cases, you don't pay for the RICA upgrade again, although a small labour charge or small update fee may be incurred at some dealers for the re-installation of the RICA upgrade. Wherever possible, RICA will upgrade the latest version of software in your car so that you also retain any manufacturer updates. |
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| How do I sync my old PPC unit? | |
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| How do I sync my old PPC unit? | |
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| The old PPC unit can be sync'ed and updated by downloading the PPC Sync application. Please click the link below to download it -
Download PPC Sync
Please note that access to the PPC web site is no longer supported. Only the sync functionality is supported using the PPC Sync application. |
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