Loving the car as well everyone knows.

I tend to drive it map off most of the time, but changing the maps over when I want to. It seems like such a complicated process, am I really not doing any harm? I follow the instructions exactly but sometimes I end up with warning lights on the dash and have to do it over again.

Thanks in advance. I recognise that this mapped business is not something I can p1ss about with.

Why would you ever want to drive off map?!?

Control your fuel economy and speed with your right foot, not by switching maps on your ECU.

IMO the only reason you'd need/want to turn it off it to make a warrenty claim... leave it on.

Why would you ever want to drive off map?!?

Control your fuel economy and speed with your right foot' date=' not by switching maps on your ECU.[/quote']

Regardless of my driving have the map on means I loose about 7 miles to the gallon.

Also if I know the map is on, I am more likely to see what I can keep up with/beat which basically means breaking the law. Maybe it is all in my head but it seems to give me an over inflated sence of importance, and it is not what I need when I have 6 strikes and I am out.

I am not good on driving terminaology but:

Driving map off means the gears seem to have the same amount of 'ooomf' behind them and I am better at judging what how much accelerator I need to keep up. Map on and it is anyone's guess and I end up swinging around corners with the tyres squeling (I think it is the tyres??)

When I get better at driving the car I may well keep the map on, but for now turning it over a few times a week - does it do harm?

i personally dont have much experience with switchable maps but i would recomed having it either on or off for at least a week then switch it over for the same amount of time, so you can get a feel for the car.

another piece of advice is to get the car dynoed and the tourque curve to a nice positive curve this can be done by the ignition timings

E-E turn the map off and leave it off unless you are going on a track day, round town and general driving you reallyt don't need it on, particularly as your last car was a 1.3etc, jmho.

Map on and it is anyone's guess and I end up swinging around corners with the tyres squeling (I think it is the tyres??)

she does! i've witnessed it! and the brakes screaming too:eek: ... keep up the good work!!!

When I get better at driving the car I may well keep the map on' date=' but for now turning it over a few times a week - does it do harm?[/quote']

i thought you were very good at driving, you ceratinly handled mats octy very well, what i acutually mean is i wasn't scared like i am when some people drive!!

and as for your map changing thing... i have heard stories of parts of the map going missing during the transfer from the little dongle thing(revo etc) into the car diagnostics port. but so long as it works dont worry.....

I guess the ASR warning light problem has spooked you???

How about leaving the map on and after a week or two you'll be used to the power (you should do with the amount of miles your doing!). Perhaps the reason you drive it agressively when the map is on is because it's a novelty, then you switch it off and then back on and it's new thrill all over again! You may find that you can increase your MPG through driving the car with the map on and learning to drive it more efficently. I thought must people reported an increase in MPG with a remap.

Still can't get over how fast your car is!!!

driving the car with the map on and learning to drive it more efficently. I thought must people reported an increase in MPG with a remap.

Still can't get over how fast your car is!!!

Most of E-E's fuel ends up on her **** with the map on, no wonder mpg is down:rolleyes:

I saw the smoke it was producing yesterday but there again I only ever saw it being driven er..... enthusiastically! By the way I wasn't being rude, from my conversation with her yesterday I don't think E-E would find my comments derogitary to her driving ability (I think she proved those through Cheddar! ).

E-E might be worth PM'ing Decron I think he runs his one click all the time and does a huge amount of miles (1000 ish /week). So he should be able to advise on MPG.

A map will only ruin the car if you drive at Top speed anywhere

so be carefull at your private drag strip if it hits 130mph in less than a mile

My insurance went up when I notified them it was "mapped" so I'd never bother turning mine off as it would be throwing money away

Chris

edit

Loving the car as well everyone knows.

I tend to drive it map off most of the time' date=' but changing the maps over when I want to. It seems like such a complicated process, am I really not doing any harm? I follow the instructions exactly but sometimes I end up with warning lights on the dash and have to do it over again.

Thanks in advance. I recognise that this mapped business is not something I can p1ss about with.[/quote']

Hi Emily

My IT experience tells me that any eprom flashing can increase risk of problems. My driving knowledge tells me that by altering the throttle response of the car regularly, which is what you do when changing the map, you are giving yourself a variable control. It does one thing one day and something different the next. My advice would be to leave it on and learn to drive the car more subtley.

I imagine that driving the Felicia, you have got used to all or nothing throttle application. Take time to re learn throttle control and application, accelerator sense, speed / gear matching. Learn restraint. I went from owning fast cars to a string of Ford Fiesta 1.4 Zetecs when I first got mortgaged up in 1996. I drove these for a period of 3 years before getting hacked off with the lack of go and heading back to faster cars. When I first got back into faster stuff, I was flat out everywhere by habit. Had to go back to the IAM to get myself calmed down again.

As for fuel economy, drive it with restraint. Most remaps increase fuelling at part load, increasing efficiency, so driven no faster than the standard car, should give better MPG. I think most on here report improved MPG with remaps provided they stay mostly off the extra power.

Lastly, map on or off, you have a car that will go very quickly with a minimum of fuss and is therefore deceptive. For someone newish to driving, I would strongly recommend the local IAM or RoSPA group as an essential thing to do while you have time.

Chris

Chris

I am going to do that RoSPA thing very soon. Been talking it over with ScoobyChris and it seems like a good thing to do.

Yes driving a the new car is so much different that driving Vlad. I have to change gear a lot more. When I drove the DMR_Jones' octy yesterday, it was nice to not have to switch all the time, and I think I prefer it.

I guess the ASR warning light problem has spooked you???

Yes it has!!

Still can't get over how fast your car is!!!

Nor can I, that's the point.

Will - I have no idea what you are talking about, surely I wasn't driving?

Interesting you mention about shifting gears more often, I guess that's something you get used to driving a Derv engine. I know I found it odd driving Leon's 2.0 I was wanting to change gear at 4,000 rpm and had to tell myself there was plenty more revs yet!

On the Gorge run I was mainly in third with one downshift to second, but there again Leon and I were a lot slower than you guys! Had you been in the pub already by the time we got there??

I would agree with the EPROM comments, probably best to try and keep the number of reflashes to a minimum.

If you go the IAM route they used to do a discount for under 25's (making it about

To answer Em's original question: flash memory chips are usually rated for hundreds of thousands of re-write cycles. Even combined processor and memory chips are rated for 1000+ cycles - which would be turning the map on or off once a day, every day for three years. Provided the write cycle completes properly, I don't think using "weekday = off" and "weekend = on" settings would hurt.

To answer Em's original question: flash memory chips are usually rated for hundreds of thousands of re-write cycles. Even combined processor and memory chips are rated for 1000+ cycles - which would be turning the map on or off once a day, every day for three years. Provided the write cycle completes properly, I don't think using "weekday = off" and "weekend = on" settings would hurt.

most ecu's dont use non-volatile flash memory and they have a battery to back up the data. but the batteries last a very very long time. the map is normally stored on a 64k eeprom type chip which can be unsoldered and remove or replaced if they go wrong

To answer Em's original question: flash memory chips are usually rated for hundreds of thousands of re-write cycles. Even combined processor and memory chips are rated for 1000+ cycles - which would be turning the map on or off once a day, every day for three years. Provided the write cycle completes properly, I don't think using "weekday = off" and "weekend = on" settings would hurt.

Hi

Errors from the dongle connectors messing things up would be my primary concern. Only takes a bit of dirt to make an intermittent connection and all sorts of data errors can develop. Much better to learn to drive it gently. Most of the time;)

Chris

Chris

I am going to do that RoSPA thing very soon. Been talking it over with ScoobyChris and it seems like a good thing to do.

Yes driving a the new car is so much different that driving Vlad. I have to change gear a lot more. When I drove the DMR_Jones' octy yesterday' date=' it was nice to not have to switch all the time, and I think I prefer it.

[/quote']

Hi Emily

Diesels have a much shorter band of useful engine speed than petrol cars, so can need more gearchanges. Having said that, if you are driving the petrol car to its optimum, there would not be much difference. When doing your RoSPA, try not to scare your observer. vRS trim will show brown up quite badly.

Chris

I'm with chris on this, it's not the memory failing that'd worry me it's the ECU not actually receiving the data for one reason or another.

If you are talking about revo the switch does not load or unload the map it just gives a signal to the software to change.I change it alot just cuz I can

Hi Emily,

What type have map do you have, revo, amd 1 click, c code etc?

Best wishes

John

N.B My car will be up for sale in the next month I will keep the forum posted

"My insurance went up when I notified them it was "mapped" so I'd never bother turning mine off as it would be throwing money away"

good point! if you pay for it abuse it!