Car remapping explained

Car remapping or engine control unit remapping (ECU) is when you alter your car's ECU to improve its performance. It's a type of modification because you're changing the regular settings of your car's engine. Here's what you need to know about car remapping and how it can affect your insurance.

What is car remapping?

Car remapping or ECU remapping changes the performance of your car's engine. Before we dive into remapping, we need to explain the ECU. This is your car's onboard computer, which controls things like:

• Fuel injection
• Air intake
• Ignition timing

By modifying or remapping your car's onboard computer you can increase or decrease these things and potentially increase your car's power and torque. But it's not just about souping up your car. You can remap your car to improve its fuel efficiency and responsiveness.

Why should I remap my car?

That's up to you. If you notice your car's power isn't up to scratch, it could be worth looking at remapping your car.

You might want to remap your car if you're using it for high performance driving like rally driving or off roading.

Also, if a specialist remaps your car, it can improve its performance and fuel efficiency.

What are the benefits of car remapping?

If a specialist does your remapping, it can have a few benefits including:

• Improving your car's performance:  Your car could have more speed, power and torque after remapping. So it might be more responsive when driving up hills or overtaking for example.
• Improving your car's fuel efficiency: 'Eco-tuning' is a type of remapping. This is when your car is remapped to improve its miles per gallon (mpg).
• Improved towing: Because you can improve your car's power, towing becomes a lot easier.
• Better driving experience: Remapping your engine means you could have a smoother and quicker response from your car.

What are the disadvantages of remapping a car

There are some disadvantages of car remapping:

• It can affect your engine: If you're remapping your car to increase its performance, it can affect the engine. You might find that parts of your car wear out more quickly and need to be replaced.
• It could void your car's warranty: If something goes wrong with your car after you've remapped your engine, your car's warranty probably won't cover it. We'll talk about this in more detail later.
• The car might not meet emission standards: Some remapping can mean your car doesn't meet emissions standards, so you could fail your MOT.
• Could decrease your car's resale value: Car remapping for performance purposes could indicate engine wear and aggressive driving. Both of these affect the car's mechanics so potential buyers might be put off.
• It might cause software issues: If your remapping isn't done by a professional, you might find that your ECU is glitchy. Your engine's performance could be erratic or fail completely and your dashboard warning lights could come on randomly too.
• You might need to switch fuels: Because your car will have a higher performance, you might need to switch to a high-octane (or high-efficiency) fuel.
• You'll have to reset your custom settings every time you have a service: Car software is updated fairly frequently, so every time your ECU gets a maintenance service you might have to redo your custom settings.
• It could affect your car insurance: Remapping is essentially modifying your car, so you might need modified car insurance. This means your car insurance could be more expensive. We'll look at this in more detail shortly.

How much does it cost to remap a car?

Remapping costs vary depending on the car and its make and model. If you're interested in getting your car remapped, you can compare garages with us and get a quote. At a glance, you can expect to pay:

• £200–£400 for most vehicles.
• £500+ for high-performance or luxury cars.

According to FixMyCar, these are the average remapping costs for popular makes and models of car:

 *Figures taken from FixMyCar

Car insurance for remapped cars

It's pretty straightforward to get a car insurance quote with us for a remapped car. Here's how you do it:

• Enter your car's make and model
• Under 'further details' select 'yes' when you're asked 'does the car have any modifications?'
• We'll then ask you 'what modifications have been made to the car?', scroll to 'engine and transmission'
• Select the type of remapping that your car's had.

Does remapping affect car warranties?

Yes, remapping does affect your car's warranty. A warranty is a sort of manufacturer's guarantee to repair or replace any faulty parts. They usually last from 1-3 years.

If you remap your car, you're modifying the engine's software (ECU). This changes how the engine operates.

Modifying your car like this can push the engine to its limits and can cause more damage. The manufacturer wouldn't cover this under its warranty because the damage was due to the modification.

Does remapping affect my car insurance?

Yes, remapping can make your car insurance more expensive. As we mentioned, car remapping does count as a car modification.

Insurance is all about evaluating risk. And changing your car's original engine settings is quite risky. For example, upping your engine's power means you can accelerate more quickly.

So, in an insurer's eyes, you're more likely to get into an accident.

Car remapping could also cause your car more damage if it's not done correctly. All this could mean car insurance for a remapped car is more expensive.

FAQs

Is it safe to remap my car?

That depends on the make and model of your car and who's remapping it for you. You should always use a professional for your remapping. Check their reviews and make sure they're experienced.

Make sure your vehicle is suited to remapping too. If it's not and you go ahead with remapping it, it might be unsafe. If you've already remapped your car, you should think about getting your car regularly serviced.

This is because parts like your brakes and suspension are under more strain. This is particularly true if you've remapped your engine for higher performance.

Can any car be remapped?

No, not every car can be remapped. For example, you can't remap electric or hybrid vehicles. That's because their ECUs don't work in the same way as an internal combustion engine.

Every car is different. Some manufacturers use encrypted ECUs that are difficult to remap. You might find this with manufacturers like Tesla or Ferrari.

If your car is relatively modern, for example, post-2000, you should be able to remap your car. If your car's ECU is older than this, you probably can't remap it. 

Where can I remap my car?

You can get your car remapped by a professional tuning service or a garage that specialises in remapping. Here's a few options:

• Specialist tuning companies. There are some national remapping chains as well as performance specialists.
• Independent garages or car dealers.
• Mobile remapping services. These companies come to your home or work and remap your car.

Before you choose someone to remap your car, check their reviews. Use sites like Trustpilot or scour their Google reviews. Word of mouth recommendations are good too.

Does the company offer a warranty on their work? If they do, they might be worth considering as it means they could fix any problems that come up because of their remap.

Check their credentials. They should stick to regulations, for example, emission standards for MOTs. Any good remapping service should be certified by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI).

Ask questions. Check if the company can reverse the remap and if there are any potential risks. You should also ask about what improvements the remap could make to the car.

Make sure the work they're offering is customised to your car and not just a generic performance upgrade too.