Here at Diesel Performance Tune, we specialise in Diesel Tuning.
Increasing the “performance” of your Diesel Vehicle can have a number of interpretations, so we have put together a Diesel Tuning Guide to give you a bit more of an understanding, of Diesel Tuning.
Why tune your Diesel?
Our customers have 3 main reasons for tuning their 4WD, and the way this is done will vary depending on individual needs.
- Increased Power and Torque – Having higher torque allows for greater horsepower at lower rpm.
- Improved Fuel Economy – Diesel Tuning improves fuel economy, the more Torque you produce, the less throttle you use.
- Improved Drive-ability – After a Diesel Tune, the Drive-ability improves as we reduce turbo lag, which improves responsiveness.
From the beginning
When a new car/ 4WD is built, the manufacturer invests a huge amount of money testing and developing the engine to meet all sorts of criteria. These include power, fuel economy, emissions and the most important, cost.
Once an engine has been made, tested and tuned for all their criteria, it is then put in to the car/ 4WD. What a lot of people may not realise is almost all manufacturer’s use that engine in many different makes and models of vehicles around the world.
For example, the Ford 3.2 litre 5-cylinder engine used in the Ford Ranger, is also used in a Ford Transit, Ford Everest, Mazda BT-50, Jaguar, Land Rover and even a train. Vivarail use these engines to run their trains.
When these engines are put into all these different car’s/ 4WD’s, then they attach all different types of transmissions, exhaust systems, air intake systems, wheels and tyres, not to mention some of these will run different computers. Now you can start to see, there is no way any of these engines are tuned to their potential, as there are far too many variables for the manufacturer.
This is where Diesel Tuning, or ECU re-mapping comes in
How do you tune a Diesel?
We use specialised tuning equipment and software to re-program the vehicles computer. By making small adjustment to the vehicle’s computer, we can increase the Power and Torque of the engine, improve fuel economy and improve drive-ability.
These adjustments are different from vehicle to vehicle as every Diesel Tune, we do is customized to that vehicle. The adjustments can include a small turbo boost increase, fuel pressure adjustment, fuel injection timing or duration of injection and many more adjustments.
Once we have made adjustment to the ECU software, we carry out thorough tests on our 4-wheel drive Dyno. We monitor sensors and air/ fuel ratio on the Dyno, then make additional adjustments to the ECU software. Re-test and make any necessary fine-tune adjustments as required, this way we can ensure everything is running at its optimum for that vehicle.
With our World class tuning equipment, State-of-the art 4-wheel drive Dyno and our experienced Diesel Tuners, we ensure every vehicle we tune is kept with-in its safety parameters. The engine and ECU are kept with-in its safe and reliable limits and all warning lights and features still function as the manufacturer had intended.
The Power and Torque improvements after a Diesel Tune can be substantial. We would see a 4-wheel drive with a “minimum” of around 20% increasing in Power and Torque. Most 4-wheel drives would average around 35% more Power and Torque, whilst we do see many achieving over 40% more Power and Torque after Diesel Tuning.
To ensure these improvements are accurate, we give the customer a Dyno graph, showing the vehicle’s Power and Torque figures both before and after tuning.
Improved Fuel Economy
Fuel economy improvements are very common after a Diesel Tune.
To some people this just doesn’t make sense. They say, “how is it possible? You make more power and use less fuel”.
The fact is, we do put more fuel in, which produces more power. BUT, because we increase the Power and Torque of the engine, you require less throttle to get your 4WD up to speed and you require less throttle to maintain your speed. This results in using less fuel.
Improved Drive-ability
Diesel Tuning will improve the Drive-ability of your 4WD. When we fine tune your ECU software, match the air/ fuel ratio to turbo boost pressure, match this to your vehicles exhaust system and transmission, along with all the other things the manufacturer couldn’t match perfectly. You will find your 4WD, drives smoother, performs better and has much better acceleration.
The results! Once you have had your Diesel Tuned, you won’t turn back. You will ask yourself, why didn’t I do this sooner?
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