Tuning A Diesel.

[Mike169]

I have been reading about what i believe is called mapping, basically a different ECU that claims to increase bhp, torque, better economy and they are about £300. If just buying a new box does this why doesn't Toyota fit them as standard or as an optional extra and if you are tempted to fit one of these uprated boxes does it invalidate your warranty, also do you get louder diesel knock, just curious?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Parts King sells tuning kits for Toyota diesels - http://www.lindoptoyota.co.uk/diesel-performance-chip-kits.html - send him a PM if interested.

[Mistermena]

Also take a look at the Tunit box! Very good indeed but expensive at £485 new. You can pick up then used for between £40-£120 off eBay...

[CharlieFarlie]

I have been reading about what i believe is called mapping, basically a different ECU that claims to increase bhp, torque, better economy and they are about £300. If just buying a new box does this why doesn't Toyota fit them as standard or as an optional extra and if you are tempted to fit one of these uprated boxes does it invalidate your warranty, also do you get louder diesel knock, just curious?

The Toyota ECU is a Denso which is impossible to re map.. So a flash tune or re map is not possible as no one has yet been able to crack the denso ECU....

Lindop do a piggy back box which simply plugs into the existing loom under your bonnet. This makes taking it off very easy indeed as it will invalidate your warranty in the event of a claim. Once removed I'm sure the Dealers cannot tell it has been there..

Manufacturer's have to work within certain parameters such as emissions and drive by noise tests and all sorts of silly stuff our governments demand .. Without all that clap trap they would give us the real deal and it would not be necessary for us to add expensive tuning kit.. But legislation demands it so there it is.

No extra diesel knock on my car.

Lindop box will add torque power and up you MPG.. I have run one for over 25K miles now and believe its the best coin I have spent on my car. Plus I can remove it and sell it when I change cars shortly...

PM Kingo on here. He is the parts guru at Lindop Toyota.

[Mike169]

http://www.lindoptoyota.co.uk/diesel-performance-chip-kits.html

Good morning Charlie, is this the place you suggest to use? I'm just looking for the PM Kingo name on this site but can't see it.

Cheers Buddy, well it will be beer time in 4 hours lol, Mike.

[Big Kev]

His name is Kingo, Mike, not PM Kingo, at least not yet.......only Downing Street he knows is the one where he downs pies and real ale.

Like Charlie, I ran a Lindop Chip on my SR180, and am seriously considerising one for my year old SR.......VERY GOOD KIT.

[Parts-King]

One is here............PM Kingo, I like it, it has a certain ring to it :D:

Manufacturers make engines that go into cars worldwide, they build in huge tolerences so they can be used in all sorts of places, cold / hot spec countries, altitude etc, thats why your engine is not tuned to its peak. Fitting a tuning box smoothes out the torque curve and gives you far better drivability, the torque is spread over the whole rev band

PM the PM for more details by clicking on the image on the left and choose "send message"

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Kingo

[CharlieFarlie]

Mike.. The salubrious one has made an appearance so you now have the contact point......

The best thing about these boxes that the figures do not portray is the driveability that comes with them.. There are no peaks or dips in the power delivery just smooth firm power that is a head and shoulders above the standard car. The need to change down the box is less and that is where I think the extra MPG comes from.. Just a far more pleasant delivery all across the range and a nicer car to drive.....

For the high mileage driver they are a great investment on MPG alone.. I reckon my one has been in place for around 25.000 miles now so must have paid its rent by now...

[Parts-King]

Mike.. The salubrious one has made an appearance so you now have the contact point......

Yer..........working a frigging Saturday

Mr Unheardof

[FROSTYBALLS]

Just noticed a TOC member has a tuning box for sale - http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/151930-rav43-tuning-box/#entry1292253 - don't know whether its OK for yours though. Might be worth a private message.

[glorydad]

Hi fellow Ravvers (or is it Ravers?) as you can see I have a 2013 Invincible 2.2 Auto. I would like to ask what effect the chip might have on an automatic? Does it have the same benefits as on the stick shift? How much MPG will it save? I have worked it out for how long I intend to keep that it will benefit me financially if it will do a 5% saving, is that in the right ball-park? Would you take it off before every service? The car drives well, as is,(especially in "Sport") does it make it even better?

Definitely tempted.

[CharlieFarlie]

Auto will always in the Rav4 use more fuel... As the tuning device is working with the engine I would imagine the gains to be pro rata.. Engine power and torque would be lifted just the same and MPG would rise the same but eroded slightly by the heavier consumption of the auto box... Hope that makes sense ?

When I upgrade the first thing I buy for the SR auto I'm looking for will be a Lindop tuning box... The auto needs one to help its lower MPG.........

[glorydad]

Thanks for the reply Charlie.

I am aware that autos will be more thirsty due to the drag/slip of the torque converter in the RAV's case. I wouldn't go back to a manual now despite this. the RAV is great in auto. But let me elaborate on what I was thinking.

This may sound nerdy but here goes....... If the ECU determines the way the engine and gearbox work as a team and is set up for the factory settings of the engine will adding the chip on an auto upset the mapping giving less of a benefit than with the manual where the driver will adjust his style for the changed torque curve? Or does the chip change the auto's response "automatically" with its own remap? Therefore is the % fuel saving different between manual and auto? Or is the preceding gobbledygook?

I will be pleased to hear any thoughts.

[CharlieFarlie]

MMmmmm Confusing ...But I would think its the other way around.... IE the gearbox ECU will respond to the power delivery and respond accordingly....

I would bet a fair wedge that the gains will be pro rata to the manual transmission equipped cars

Say a manual does 40 to a gallon and the increase is 6 MPG a gain of 6 then

Say the auto does 35 and the increase is maybe 5 then a gain of 5

Im making this about as clear as mud but I think you will understand my barmy way of putting it.........

Either way there sure as eggs are eggs will be appreciable gains..

At the risk of repeating myself the gains are not just about power and torque its about the driveability of the car.. Just the way we would have been given the car if Toyota were not tied to the apron strings of EU legislation..

[glorydad]

Ah,...I see what you mean. What you are saying seems sensible and less barmy than you think. I take the point about driveability, that is something that can't be easily quantified. When I get back from holiday I think I will give it a punt because I will gain over the time I plan to keep it. Lovely car.

One last question though, how do insurance companies view this, I presume you must tell them?

Thanks again for the advice.

[guys got a new one]

What about the TDI Tuning boxes are they any good?.

[Mistermena]

Steinbauer is the best of the best.

[Uncle Buck]

What about the TDI Tuning boxes are they any good?.

Got one of these myself - MPG gains are very low to be honest, but the engine is even smoother & pulls from 1500 rpm no problem. Response is better too, with less lag so I feel it's been worth having. As for overtaking, well it's easy ! :)

[152bobby]

At nearly a grand a pop, I'd expect miracles with the Steinbauer boxes !!!!!!!!!!!

[Parts-King]

I can do two pieces of kit for an automatic

1: Chip kit

2: Autoflash for the auto box

The autoflash removes some of the pre-programmed torque limits and sharpens up the shift. I had a customer recently with a V8 LC, his problem was when towing, the G/box would constantly shift from top gear, dropping a gear then up down up down like a fiddlers elbow. The autoflash AND chip transformed the car, read his testimonial at the bottom end of the page here

http://www.lindoptoyota.co.uk/diesel-performance-chip-kits.html

[Mistermena]

At nearly a grand a pop, I'd expect miracles with the Steinbauer boxes !!!!!!!!!!!

There was a guy on here a while back that was selling one for the T180. I bought it off him for £120 I think. That was an amazing box of tricks.