Chiptuning my 1.3 Multijet ?

I have a 1.3 fiat 500 (diesel) and i'd like to chiptune it.

This company is charging €500 for a 25hp performance boost (100hp instead of 75) with 3 years of warranty.
This is also non-recognizable by Fiat, so my warranty with them won't be voided.

Any user experiences?
Is it worth it?
Will it screw up your car?

Firstly maps can be seen by the dealer. Although I believe only if they are looking for it.

A remap won't screw up your car unless it is a dodgey map. If the place has a good reputation then it should be fine. As is said by many the biggest threat to reliability is the driver.
So far on the forum we have one guy with a remapped 500 and a couple who have driven them. All seem very impressed with the results.

500 Euros doesn't seem too high especially with the warranty.

had mine done on saturday and maSsive improvement cost £250 for remap
a bit cheaper than 500 EUROS

how do you mean, the biggest threat is the driver?
do you need to be extra careful? how?

Extracting an extra 25bhp out of an engine will not kill it. Constantly driving with the car using the extra 25bhp will do it. Thats not to say you can't have a little fun, you just have to be a little sympathetic mechanically.

hm i see, but what's the point in getting the boost if you can't use it.
what would you say is 'regular use' with the re-map done?

i will be driving at constant speeds very often (when going to school) and i'll be driving in the city quite a lot too (quite slow) ... so i'll be safe, right?

That will be fine. Just don't thrash the balls off it everywhere.

It seems that the remapping of the std ecu @ £250 gets the but there is the question of warranty perhaps being voided. I have been looking at the DPT unit as tried by Quentin Wilson which costs £300 and which connects between the ecu and the common rail map sensor. The beauty of this system is that it can be removed in 10 minutes reverting to original settings without leaving any trace of having been fitted.

The figures quoted for the 500 1.3 multijet show BHP up to 104 and torque improves from 190 to 220.

This can be tweaked by the installer (or you can fit it yourself) to suit your individual driving needs, ie. power, driveability or efficiency in any combination.

As my main priority would be driveabillity I am not so much concerned with the 29 BHP increase but would like to know if the torque increase is as good as that on the remapped ECUs.

Thanks

There is only one way to find out: Get it on the rollers.

Adding 25bhp doesn't sound a lot, but its a 33% increase , so engine components will be under extra strain when you use the extra power. It will no doubt make the car a lot more lively and smooth out the power delivery somewhat but its always a compromise against longevity.

You also have to bear in mind any warranty claims may be affected if the dealer discovers a remapping. You also need to consider that come service time the delaer may install a revised fueling map from Fiat if the have made any updates - this will wipe your aftermarket remap, so your upgrade is lost.

Chip tuning boxes aren't ideal either - they are not bespoke to your car, only a general map for the model/engine combo. They do have the advantage that they can be removed and reinstalled come any dealer visits though.

Still, I wouldn't use a tuning box. The ECUs are getting more and more complex, which can result in long term problems.

The 25bhp increase is a quote, which might not even be 25bhp as most of the 1.3s are over the 75bhp anyway and the 1.3 come from factory with a higher power output.

Anyway, the strain on the engine components is not caused by the specific power output. It is the torque delivery that causes it.

Tuning box is tempting for several reasons

removable and re-sellable
won't get over-written by Fiat if there is a software recall/update
it is guaranteed

having said all that the result will not be optimal compared to a rolling road developed live map on your car to your personal taste

personally if i was getting a 500 Multijet I go the tuning box route

I am about to get a 1.3 multijet. Extra performance would be good, but we are generally buying for the superb fuel consumption.

Does either of the two methods offer an mpg improvement over the standard tuning when driven economically?

Also, I may be being a bit stupid here, but if you wanted performance wouldnt the 1.4 petrol have been the way to go?

They both do.

Probably, but as I state below it is not the performance increase that I am looking at but the driveability. This in turn equates to more mpg by virtue of less gearchanges and being able to use a taller gear at any given speed.

I hope you enjoy the new car, I have been very impressed so far with only minor niggles relating to the Blue+ME, mechanically no problems at all.

The Norwegian equivalent to the RAC did a test of powerboxes from a couple of renowned vendors (KCR and some other danish brand). What was interesting was that on the Huyindai SantaFe the ECU after a while learned that something was amiss, and actually decreased its power, it went from 155Hp original to 168Hp w/box to 149Hp w/box. The other car didn't get a power increase at all.

ECU remap is the only way to go - if only superchips got around to supplying us with a bluefin for it.

BTW: The 500 has 145 original torks, not 190.