Tuning boxes question

[Excision]

This is a post specifically about tuning boxes, not remapping/ecu re-flashing.

 

As far as I can tell there are a few available for the diesel Octy 3s;

• DTUK
• TDI-Tuning
• Racechip
• Tuning Box
• DTE Systems
• Tuningkit

 

All seem to offer roughly similar gains for power and torque, but I think DTUK offers the most. Has anyone got knowledge or experience of comparing these boxes, with an opinion of which is best?

 

My interest is for one applied to the 148bhp TDi CR engine, but experiences with other engines would be useful to know too.

 

Thanks,

 

E.

[MarkyG82]

Can add Bluespark to the list. I one sitting in my boot but for a 150 tdi.  Good solid gains. Happy to answer any specific Q's on it.

[ChoonDoode]

I've a DTUK crd3+ in my vrs tdi and I'm happy with it. Only had error messages when I've run the car on the more 'extreme' plus settings on all three of the maps. Running all the maps on their standard form has kept the car happy. I've found the sport + setting to be a bit too lively, but I've been happy to swap between the sport and the eco setting. All the maps have the same horsepower gain, it just varies how soon / late in the rev range the increase in power is delivered.

 

Combined with the pedal box, it sets the car to how I'd have expected it to have been out the factory.

 

Hope that helps 

[JohnnyType2]

2 hours ago, tunedude said:

I've a DTUK crd3+ in my vrs tdi and I'm happy with it. Only had error messages when I've run the car on the more 'extreme' plus settings on all three of the maps. Running all the maps on their standard form has kept the car happy. I've found the sport + setting to be a bit too lively, but I've been happy to swap between the sport and the eco setting. All the maps have the same horsepower gain, it just varies how soon / late in the rev range the increase in power is delivered.

 

Combined with the pedal box, it sets the car to how I'd have expected it to have been out the factory.

 

Hope that helps 

 

same here, issue i had were fuel rail pressure drops due to the engine not getting fuel quick enough, i settled on map 3, 2+ as it never gave me any issues and the power/torque came in around 2.5K revs and pulled hard. I prefer the power/torque lower down the range but this leads to a lot of wheel spin. 

[ChoonDoode]

2 minutes ago, JohnnyType2 said:

 I prefer the power/torque lower down the range but this leads to a lot of wheel spin. 

 

That's why I spend most of the time in the eco setting on both the crd3 and the pedal box. It's ok having it in the sportier settings if you're on a run out somewhere, but it does cause a lot of potential launch wheelspin in the wet.

[Loopylil]

I`ve had a older TDI tuning one on my 2013 150ps Elegance diesel for some years now on a high setting without any issues,although i dropped it down a couple for the economy factor this year but now going to treat myself to a car change as a retirement present so mine will end up in the usual place.

[benterrier]

By fitting these tuning boxes are you reducing the life of the DPF's and GPF's. Are your cars out of warranty. 

[PetrolDave]

3 minutes ago, benterrier said:

By fitting these tuning boxes are you reducing the life of the DPF's and GPF's. Are your cars out of warranty. 

Evidence to backup that claim?

[benterrier]

18 minutes ago, PetrolDave said:

Evidence to backup that claim?

Not claiming anything just asking.......  (Are you reducing) 

[ChoonDoode]

41 minutes ago, benterrier said:

By fitting these tuning boxes are you reducing the life of the DPF's and GPF's. Are your cars out of warranty. 

 

Cant see why it would. Exhaust fumes going out the same way they would anyway. 

[benterrier]

13 minutes ago, tunedude said:

 

Cant see why it would. Exhaust fumes going out the same way they would anyway. 

Question answered.  Thanks. 

[Excision]

Thanks for the responses.

 

I Like the idea of the Racechip RS option, which gives decent gains for a sensible price. The others ones costing over £400 seem pricey and I am not looking to extract the maximum power/torque, with potential to cause engine issues.

 

Cheers,

 

E.

[themanwithnoaim]

15 hours ago, Excision said:

 

I Like the idea of the Racechip RS option, which gives decent gains for a sensible price.

Tuningboxes alter signals from sensors to ECU's whilst not rocket science, they all have their differences, what I'm saying is, they're not that easy to understand. For that reason alone I've always used DTUK, once you get through their thick northern accents, they're friendly, helpful, reassuring & generally humorous too, which helps lighten the mood when your car's not doing what it should.

 

Diesels with tuningboxes do get significantly affected by weather variations, first hard frost of the winter will see loads of posts about limp mode, it's just understanding what's happening & why. DTUK explain it quicker & easier as there always seems to be someone on-line

[Excision]

On 19/07/2019 at 22:55, MarkyG82 said:

Can add Bluespark to the list. I one sitting in my boot but for a 150 tdi.  Good solid gains. Happy to answer any specific Q's on it.

 

Which version did you go for? I see 2 options on their website, although gains don’t look too different.

 

thanks,

 

E.

[MarkyG82]

@Excision I got it second hand. It's the Bluespark pro plus boost. Links into the fuel and boost systems. From what I've seen its not as refined as the dtuk boxes but gives a good smooth addition.

[teescom09]

On 20/07/2019 at 10:39, tunedude said:

 

Cant see why it would. Exhaust fumes going out the same way they would anyway. 

True but soot will be dramatically higher, hence dpf filling will be more rapid. Result =  more regens. Before dpf’s fitting a box dramatically increased smoke under full throttle, especially if pushing max settings, only difference now is you cannot see it. 

 

How detrimental this is to dpf life is totally unknown. GPF I wouldn’t think an issue. 

[ChoonDoode]

49 minutes ago, teescom09 said:

True but soot will be dramatically higher, hence dpf filling will be more rapid. Result =  more regens. Before dpf’s fitting a box dramatically increased smoke under full throttle, especially if pushing max settings, only difference now is you cannot see it. 

 

How detrimental this is to dpf life is totally unknown. GPF I wouldn’t think an issue. 

 

I always thought both remaps and tuning boxes ran the fuelling a bit leaner rather than a bit richer

[Gizmo]

I can only comment on the DTUK box as that’s all I have tried from your list:

 

170CR Yeti, with the DTUK box on (tried all the settings with and without sensors plugged in ... at DTUK’s request over a couple of thousand miles).

 

The results... it over fuelled with the box fitted - a black tailpipe which it didn’t previously have and used a fair bit more fuel at a steady 70MPH on CC over a few 200 miles runs (Kent - Midlands - Newquay, with the box fitted and different settings used, then back to the Midlands with the sensor removed and finally back to Kent with the car back to standard (box removed) the car was brimmed at the end of each leg. 

We used about 4 MPG (actual calculated figures)  more when it was back to std that on any other leg of the journey, the tailpipe was also much cleaner with the box removed.

 

The car was then remapped (by Shark Performance) and drove better than when the DTUK box was fitted and the tailpipe stayed clean and an added bonus, it returned about 2 MPG more than when it was std! (6 MPG more than the DTUK box).

 

Oh and what DTUK fail to tell you is their ‘money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose’ doesn’t mention anything about the £50 re-stocking fee they will charge you!

 

So I couldn’t recommend them from my personal experience.

 

Edited 28 July, 2019 by Gizmo

[Excision]

Gizmo - thanks. Very informative.

 

E

 

[Excision]

Another thing I just released is that not all tuning boxes use the same number of channels (i.e. sensors) to modify power & torque. Some use 1, others 2 and some use 3 channels.

 

Presumably more is better?

 

As a minimum surely looking at boost and fuel is sensible?

 

E. 

[MarkyG82]

I don't think I'd touch a box that only looks at the fuel rail.  As you say, fuel and boost as a minimum.  The box I have id 2 channel.  I would have liked to see how a 3 channel setup works but I went remap instead.

[ChoonDoode]

20 hours ago, Excision said:

Another thing I just released is that not all tuning boxes use the same number of channels (i.e. sensors) to modify power & torque. Some use 1, others 2 and some use 3 channels.

 

Presumably more is better?

 

As a minimum surely looking at boost and fuel is sensible?

 

E. 

 

It's just more scope for adjustment to your own preference. The CRD3+ is a 3 channel box which you've 21 settings to choose from.