Think of how a diesel makes power, your detonating the fuel air mix by putting it under pressure, more simplistic tuning boxes will simply up the pressure.
I'd have an ECU remap over a tuning box TBH but it isnt an option with my punto (atm), yes they work but they are not as cleaver/in harmony with the car as what a remap would be. The components inside could be a simply PIC which TBH isnt expesensive really, so it could be possibly to make this kit with a small profit, the suspect green silicone does make me wonder though, as there could be an Ne555 chip inside
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A remap alters all fuelling/pressure/turbo engagement/others parameters inline with other sensors etc (TPS etc) within the standard ECU map so everything is delivered smoothly and consistently throughout the powerband, also a map is not fighting the ECU (so to speak), ever seen a diesel puff off black smoke? - that's overfueling.
Most boxes mainly only increases rail pressure and alters the burning cycle (length and fuel quantity), yes they have a few extra settings.
I have seen some very poor tuning boxes and some half decent ones on a dyno (added before and after), i admit some but not all work. Since a lot of people don't put their car on a dyno i think this really really needs to be done.
Some boxes will not producing smoke as you probably haven't wacked up the setting and you are running a nice mixture. Some ECU's are learning ECU's thus it gets more complicated (IIRC the punto is a bosch MDC16), then there's partial throttle and full throttle maps. Interesting as i was looking at this on ebay, the sellers hasn't got back to me yet but I've asked him alsorts of involving/technical questions so thats maybe why
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With the box you need to think is it running safe? that is something you cannot possibly gauge without a dyno. Its all well getting power, for example if you push the fuelling/pressure etc you get more power but you can possibly melt/break engine components etc with high temperatures, in several scenarios.
When you dyno the car, you attach various sensors to the engine and insert bungs in the tailpipe to measure the fuel ratio, unless you have a wideband etc gauge on your car. But still without monitoring you cannot possibly know if its running in a safe state.
You can not also listen for problems which you think could be there, sometimes the car will go into limp mode thus you know there is a problem .
If a tuning company is worth its salt they will and will always use a dyno, to acquire a delta and thus tune the car within safe parameters.
An example with petrol engines is pushing timing which equals more power, but advancing too much (sailing close to the wind) introducing detonation then the engine blows up or you melt a piston due to too hot combustion temperatures.
When i tuned my car, that was around 7 hours in one day i could have easily blew up the engine, it was running unsafe in some areas. In summary there are some good boxes out there but they are generally more expensive and are close to an ECU remap but not as a good IMO.
If i put a tuning box on my car i wouldn't dream of not putting on the dyno. TMC why is your box better and what parameters do you adjust? - as im interested in purchasing one.
CHeers
