Just want to get an idea of everything I'd need to budget for, and what are the recommended basic remaps? I'm after a small increase in power and torque, and have no desire to go beyond a bit of subtle tweaking. How much extra could I expect to pay on my insurance? I'm 45 with a few years ncd so not in the highest risk category...

Forgot to also add what effect would this have on fuel consumption?

Just want to get an idea of everything I'd need to budget for, and what are the recommended basic remaps? I'm after a small increase in power and torque, and have no desire to go beyond a bit of subtle tweaking. How much extra could I expect to pay on my insurance? I'm 45 with a few years ncd so not in the highest risk category...

It varies

tuners charge different amounts, just research it well, its like most things in life, you get what you pay for. The best remap will be carried out with your car on a rolling road, that way they can also run the car up before mapping to make sure its achieveng the correct figure as std, that checks that everything else on the car is running properly. No point remapping a car thats already down on power because of another reason. These type of maps can be easily tweaked whilst on the rollers if you want anything specific. The orther end of the scale is the cheap bloke with a lap top who just loads up a map, this can lead to problems & you will have little come back if things go wrong, an established business is always keen to maintain its reputation. Tghere are several companies who you can find through doing a search on the site who many members have found excellent, Shark & Jabba are 2 that spring to mind.

Re Insurance check with your existing comp[any first as some wont entertain it & some charge a significant hike in premium, if yours falls into those categories then its best to wait until renewal is due before remapping, then if you have researched it well switch to one of the better companies, Adrian Flux & Chris Knott are both good brokers to talk to.

Steve you'd be best talking to someone like Ben at Shark Performance about this, they've got their own subforum here, he really is the remap guru and knows everything inside and out, and can give you a price. You list your car as a 2.0 VRS but it will matter what year it is, if its petrol or diesel etc.

Forgot to also add what effect would this have on fuel consumption?

Generally better when driven "normally" worse when pushed hard but overall unless you are a total lead foot you should be as good if not better than now.

The other think to watch is the torque figure, if pushed too high it can shorten clutch life. A decent tuner will know what sort of figures your car can take

the torque will only kill the clutch if your a crap driver IMO. My clutch never however needed replacing and i was stage 2+ for over half its life. if you keep the gears high and the revs low and try acelerating you will kill the clutch. keep the revs up and the gears low when you accelerate and the clutch will be fine

the torque will only kill the clutch if your a crap driver IMO. My clutch never however needed replacing and i was stage 2+ for over half its life. if you keep the gears high and the revs low and try acelerating you will kill the clutch. keep the revs up and the gears low when you accelerate and the clutch will be fine

Agreed how you drive has an effect but I said shorten the life, not kill it. The more load you put on something that relies of friction the quicker it wears out, its just a point to consider. Ive seen cars where people just wanted the max of everything & problems can follow, again a reputable tuner will know what the particular cars limits are & map to suit

I had a Mk1 octy 110 mapped to 165 bhp but kept the torque reosnable, I sold the car with 163000 miles on it (mapped at 8000) & still on the original clutch

not all "guys with a laptop" are bad. my car was done by a mobile ecu remapped who uses DNA tuning to do his maps and ive had no problems at all. doesn't matter where you go, there will always be people who have good and bad things to say.

It's a non starter. Chris knott couldn't get within £300 if my renewal quote, so am not going to pursue it for the time being.

Try Tesco insurance, they push up the excess and not the premium.

are tescos mod friendly?

laos try adrian flux, greenlight as they both specialize in modifications

It was an extra 60 on my premium when I had my cr mapped and no increase on that when I changed to my tsi with re map on the insurance from day 1. Excess 800 though!

are tescos mod friendly?

laos try adrian flux, greenlight as they both specialize in modifications

See above post, seemed pretty friendly to me

happy days, i wouldnt have even considered them as an option

I had an accident last November and they have been really good to deal with too.

Just tried Tesco - couldn't even get a quote! I hit parked car in the ice last winter (Jan 2010) which I think was the problem, even if it was a small dent and some scratches. Can get cover with current insurer, but it pushes the premium up by £220. I'll sleep on it, car is quick enough for the time being in standard guise.