Fensport Performance EcuTek ECU Remaps

[Keethos 842]

Luckily after getting my Xmas bonus early, on Tuesday 26th November, I messaged Adrian to see if he could squeeze me in (as I knew they were mega busy) to get my car remapped with an EcuTek on the road remap and also the purchasing and fitting of the Whiteline Positive Shift gearbox mount.  To my surprise, Adrian was able to squeeze me in not 3 days later, so on Friday 29th November, I wondered over to Fensport to have my mods done.

 

To my surprise, Musketeer also rocked up to get some work done (hopefully he'll jump on at some point and tell people about his mods), but my car was up on the ramps first and within 10 mins, the positive shifter was done and dusted, so then came the remap as Musketeer's car went up on the ramps.

 

Adrian was an absolute star when it came to the remap, explaining everything that he was doing, what parameters he was changing, what EcuTek are up to and how the software is developing.  He gave plenty of information to make sure that you understood what exactly you were paying for.  Not only that, but he made sure that the map was spot on, he would flash, test, tweak and re-test until he was 100% sure that both he and I were happy with the map (one of the main reasons I chose Adrian for the remap over other tuners, besides other customer recommendations, not to say other tuners don't do this but I knew Adrian definitely did it).

 

So once I had chosen how I wanted my 4 maps to be set up and laid out:

 

Map 1 = Full Performance + Launch Control + Flat Foot Shifting

 

Map 2 = Eco + RON95 (for when you're cruising on long commutes or you can't find decent fuel)

 

Map 3 = Full Performance + Launch Control + Flat Foot Shifting + Rev Matching

 

Map 4 = Full Performance (not really used)

 

Adrian flashed an existing map that he had already mapped with a similar car (courtesy of Jay as we both have Non Res Cobra Exhaust + CAT Delete + Drop in Air Filter) and we set off to get a log/test the map and to begin the on road remap rather than just sticking it on a Dyno and mapping in a simulated static environment.  The map was good and the car performed well and at this point, Adrian could have easily sent me on my way job done, but he's a perfectionist at heart, he's yet to see 2 cars that are exactly identical (even between complete stock cars) and could see areas on my map that could be improved.  So as we sat in a lay-by, Adrian started to work his magic to tweak the numbers, flashed the car again and off we went for another quick test.  Some areas improved, some areas didn't, so again, pulled over, more tweaks, another flash and off we went again.  This process continued on another 4 or 5 times until we were completely happy with the map, Adrian really had to work for his money this time round as we were on the road mapping for roughly 2 and a half hours.  The main issue was the fact that I was running Tesco Momentum RON99 fuel and Adrian has yet to tune a car running Momentum rather than Shell V Power or BP Optimax which are better fuels to run over the supermarket stuff, this meant that my map had to be tweaked with a bit more of a safety margin to suit that fuel.

 

NB> Subsequently, I've been told by an old friend now who works in the fuel industry that supermarket fuel is bad for cars if used for an extended period of time and can cause issues/damage, something about poor additives etc and Shell being the best fuel around, then BP etc.  Don't know how true or how accurate his info is but I think I'll play it safe and try and use Shell as much as possible, just a shame that there aren't enough Shell garages around me that are convenient.

 

So after a long days mapping and a jolly long chat with Musketeer and everyone at Fensport, I finally jumped into my car and drove home....sadly however, due to traffic, I wasn't really able to push the car but I could tell that the car was more urgent and would pull more than before.  Went out for a drive today and gave the car a bit more of a pacing and you can definitely feel the improvement.  The eco mode doesn't feel that much sluggish compared to full performance mode and the added toys are pretty cool, especially the flat foot shifting (where you plant your foot greater than 70% throttle, clutch down and the car will hold the revs while you change gear and release the clutch again).  Launch control I've not tried yet, might try and find a quiet road somewhere tomorrow to test it out and as for rev matching, it works well but only when you're really on it and when your revs are above 3000rpm.  You have to be above 3000rpm when you brake and then press the clutch, what happens then is that the car will blip the throttle for you to change gear and release the clutch again.  Not overly fussed about these 2 toys even though launch control is available in the very first map (map 1 which is the default after starting the car every time) as you can't use launch control unless you follow a set sequence/routine, and rev matching is only on map 3 as I tend to toe heel myself so won't really need it but I've got it there just in case.  I haven't really pushed the car hard enough yet to really tell how well the positive shift mount is working, while stationary or while pootling along, you won't really notice the improvement, but when driving a lil more swiftly/hastily, the car does seem to be changing gears more smoothly and does feel a lil more.....well......positive and more direct, not to say that stock was vague but with the mount, it just feels a lil better overall so far.

 

All in all, I'm very happy with Adrian and his work and would highly recommend him for any work especially an ECU remap.  And what's even more awesome about getting a remap from Adrian is that as EcuTek continue to unlock other areas for tuners to manipulate and tweak and as Adrian continues to play with the EcuTek to improve his or anyone else's map (or even if you weren't happy with the map that he has done for you), at any point, you can just let him know, pop on down and he'll update and tweak the map to include any new features or to suit your needs and he's always around for any questions and support.

 

I'll be sure to give another update once I've driven the car more and once I've had my car dyno'd to see how it's performing now.

[Lauren 2259]

Good stuff!

 

Must admit, I don't really see the point of launch control, rev matching and flat foot shifting, but it's the map of course that's important. Though I really need to ride in a car that's been remapped to see the difference I think. 

[Special K 442]

Great write-up, Keith. And it totally endorses my own opinion of Adrian. I agree with your friend's comments about supermarket fuel, I had to fill up with Texaco fuel on the way back from Spa and could immediately feel the change from Shell V-Power..

 

I'm now on my 47th map, courtesy of Adrian... last time he couldn't understand why it needed tweaking, I'd forgotten to tell him Dave had put a flat air filter in !!  Doh...

 

Spec K

[Pitman 188]

When you read the horror stories from so called tuners in the USA, we are indeed very lucky to have the caliber of people like Adrian here in the UK 

 

Great write up, Keith.

[GT86Jay 202]

The remap was one of the best things I had done. 

 

Totally agree with your comments regarding adrian and the details he went into. I really understood exactly what he was doing and as we drove around the roads of Chatteris I really felt that any other Tuner would have to go alot further to beat the satisfaction from Fensport! 

 

I've had my months >6 months now and few things i've worked out is.... you never really use Launch control or Rev Matching. But the Flat foot is good! Mainly because it's easy to do and does have great advantages. And feels great! 

 

Glad you're happy and got it done! How do you find the positive shift kit too? I really found it helped keep the car settled on high RPM gear changes.

[Lauren 2259]

I will be looking into this, though it'll be the new year now, December is an expensive month. I too wouldn't use anyone else but Adrian. 

[Fensport 76]

Huge thanks Keith and everyone for your positive comments 

 

The differences between cars / fuel / mods is quite astounding and proves there is no such thing as "one map fits all" .

 

Keithos car was quite different to Jays in the ignition side .... all down to different fuel ...

[Keethos 842]

Any time Adrian, it was a good day.

 

Jay, as I mentioned above, my experience with the positive shift kit so far is that it does seem to make a slight difference when pushing the car, it feels a bit more solid, a bit more assertive, almost like it locks into place now so it does become a lil stiffer but not notchy.  I've yet to properly use it in vain, looking forward to my next trackday where I can properly let rip and see what all these bit and bobs have done for me.

[Keethos 842]

Hi Adrian,

 

With the new updates to the ECUTek software, has there been anymore development on the cold start-up?  Car is getting more and more frosty in the morning which means I can't just start the car and set-off, I have to wait a minute or two with 2k rpm which I'm sure some neighbours aren't too happy about 

[Fensport 76]

Hi Adrian,

 

With the new updates to the ECUTek software, has there been anymore development on the cold start-up?  Car is getting more and more frosty in the morning which means I can't just start the car and set-off, I have to wait a minute or two with 2k rpm which I'm sure some neighbours aren't too happy about 

 

Hi Keethos, sorry I have been so busy with our new version turbo maps I haven't had time to sort the idle retard properly yet. I will get on to it next week

[Keethos 842]

No worries Adrian, I'm in no major rush at the moment anyways, just interested in what you were tweaking/developing with the new features for ECUTek.

[GT86Jay 202]

I'd also be very interested in the idle retard maps  

 

And the turbo maps... If i had turbo. 

[Fusion 13]

Nice write up! I'm booked in to see Adrian in mid-Feb to get my ECU done - can't wait!

 

To those who have already had this done: since I seem incapable of heel-toeing (and any attempts to practice evoke cries of protest from the missus re: jerky braking), the auto-blip was one of the features I am most keen for. So for those with experience of it, how effective is it in practice? And is it consistent or of more use between set rev bands? Also, I always expected the flat foot shifting to detract from the driving experience, but it seems to be well received - how does it enhance the experience?

[Keethos 842]

Awesome stuff dude! In terms of the flat foot shifting, I don't really use it day to day (even when I get a nice bit of clear road for a hoon) that much as like you say, it does detract a lil but mainly because in order to use it, you need to have your foot right down on the accelerator pedal (70% and above I think in order for it to work) which I don't typically use on public roads. However, I used it a lot today during the trackday which I found useful, I found it quicker to change gears, less work required as I try to concentrate staying on track etc but it also allowed for smoother gear changes as I tend to be a bit too quick to get off and on the gas pedal when changing gears which causes a bit of a jolty gear change if that makes sense. So I have this functionality set on all the time but don't use it unless I really plant my foot, you can have it not on by default if you wish, don't forget you get a couple of maps to play with that you can switch between so you can have Adrian stick the flat foot shifting on either none of the maps or some of the maps, your choice!

As for the toe heel functionality, I've rarely use it at all as I tend to do it myself so I can't remember 100% how it works, but I think you need to be above 3000 or 4000 rpm, your foot needs to be on the brakes and as you dip the clutch, the car auto rav matches. It can be handy for someone who can't toe heel very well but you do need to follow these strict rules to get it to work which means you'll only get to practice using it when you're pushing the car. You won't really be able to test this system out while driving normally. And again, you can have this on any map you wish, independent of the flat foot shifting and the launch control which I have still not used yet Hope this helps dude!

[rob275 1817]

the autoblip works fine, i used it at snetterton and every change was smooth as anything. Sorry for the half arsed reply im on my phone lol

[Lauren 2259]

I'd say take more time to learn to heel and toe properly. I wrote this article in 2003:

 

http://www.mr2.net/trackdayqueen/heelandtoe.htm

[Fusion 13]

Thanks for all your responses. Since I am out for a drive today, I may try and practice some heel-toeing off the back of Lauren's article. Though for clarification, when heel-toeing, when are you raising the clutch? - as you come out of the corner and are getting on the power or still in the braking zone?

 

If I can master heel-toeing before the map then I may leave auto-blip for Map 3 but if my inability continues, it will be straight onto Map 1! 

[Fensport 76]

Hi Fusion,

Don't worry we can demonstrate both manual heel and toe and auto blip for you on the day and then adjust the maps to suit you

Best regards

Adrian

[Fusion 13]

Even better! - cheers Adrian

[Lauren 2259]

The clutch pedal is raised the moment you have selected your next gear. Never, ever drive with the clutch down (known as coasting). 

[Fusion 13]

Thanks Lauren - your write-up worked a treat. I was trying the literal heel and toe approach with absolutely no success. Once I knew to just roll my foot onto the accelerator it was sorted and the rest just comes naturally. Much smoother and a lot safer than my attempts to brake>lift brake to downshift+rev match>re-apply brake that often saw me overspeeding into corners. If this forum gets a "how to" section I definitely think your guide should go there - I know most already know the technique but for those unfortunate individuals like myself who took the term "heel and toe" too literally, it is definitely a help! 

 

Bringing this thread back on topic: how is the mpg post map? On both performance and eco maps?

[Lauren 2259]

Ah, thanks very much, glad it helped. If I remember, I had that article published in an MR2 magazine in Australia many years ago, but yes, good idea about a 'how to'. 

 

I'd be interested to know any mpg differences post map. 

[Keethos 842]

It's probably already mentioned in Lauren's article but you typically only really want to be changing gears before the corner, so while your still in the braking zone....changing gears mid corner could unsettle the car and cause the car to jolt and loose traction....changing gears out of the corners and you lose precious acceleration time!  Dropping gears will also aid in slowing the vehicle down as you'll have engine braking occurring....so you should only really have the clutch pedal down momentarily as you change gears and be straight off it again, just like Lauren says, you don't want to be coasting.

 

I originally struggled to toe heel correct mainly because I tried to practice while driving normally which doesn't work very well in this car since the brake pedal is higher than the accelerator pedal, but when you are braking hard (which is when you'd usually toe heel anyways), the 2 pedals are more level and easier for you to roll your foot across.  I found that in my Clio, the pedals were closer together so I could brake with my big toe and accelerate with my little toe, but I find that sometimes awkward in the GT86 as they're a little wider apart and I'm worried I'd slip off one of the pedals, so I tend to brake with my toes, then when I need to blip the revs, I quickly swivel my heel and jab the accelerator pedal and swivel back again.

 

As for mpg readings, I'm typically getting a couple of MPG's more than before.  What I've found is that the Eco mode doesn't do much for MPG figures that much, it does give you slightly higher readings when cruising at say 60mph but otherwise its not a massive difference.  What it's mainly for if I understood this correctly is that it if you have to use normal RON95, then you can kick it into this ECO mode to utilise the petrol better.  Though now that ECUTek have opened up the throttle position maps, Adrian may be able to create an even more ECO ECO map, where he can limit the throttle more at certain speeds to minimise petrol use etc.

[Lauren 2259]

That's good to know, Keith.

[Keethos 842]

What might be worth noting to people who get their ECU remapped is that after the remap, you may find that there's a bit of a dead zone at the very start of the throttle travel where there's no response for a brief moment. If so, just give the accelerator pedal a couple of full presses while driving and it should sort this out. This wasn't mentioned to me while I was there or to some other people who'd had their ECU remaps from other tuners so thought I'd mention it here for people. Luckily I was chatting to Jay and he told me how to resolve this. Seems that after a remap, the ECU needs to relearn certain things!