320D remapped with P-Torque (Review)

Googlyamnesiac · 01-23-2010, 05:06 PM

As promised here's my review from P-Torque... (update at bottom following second visit)

First things first, the 6 hour round trip was certainly worth it (although I shaved off 30 minutes on the return journey!).

My remap wasn't without it's problems though (absolutely no fault of P-Torque!). After Will took my car for a road test and first dyno run he discovered that my car was peaking around 130bhp and not 163bhp. He diagnosed that this is likely a dodgy mass airflow meter and a remap might have to wait. I was hugely disappointed at this point, especially after the 3 hour drive :-(

With it been beyond lunch on a Saturday it wasn't likely that we would be able to get the part in time. This didn't stop Will and i can't thank him enough for the effort made calling local suppliers with the kind offer of also fitting the part for me before the remap took place (which would also have resulted in Will having to stay open later than normal). Despite best efforts one wasn't located. We then decided that it was best to save the remap until I had the part fitted. Big :-( had at this moment.

After a closer inspection of the dyno run it seemed that the car was getting to approx 3500rpm and then it stopped pulling. We decided to try the remap and see how it performed. After about 30 minutes I was able to give the car a test run. They have a nice long empty industrial estate street which I was able to give it a good flooring down (sticking to 30mph of course ;-) )

Wow, I can't explain the difference, it just pulls and pulls!! I can't imagine how it's going to feel when the mass airflow meter is changed. I normally don't exceed 3500rpm on a day to day basis anyway so the test was probably similar for me to if it was all fully working at higher revs.

I'm currenly using my cup holder as my sat nav holder. That's going to have to change. First set of traffic lights I pull away and send my tom tom onto the drivers seat, one bounce and into the rear of the car. No joke, I couldn't believe it! I actually had to pull up to sort it out! After a 2 1/2 hour drive home of constantly slowing down and pulling away my mpg ended up only 0.7mpg less than when I set off! FANTASTIC! Looking forward to trying it with a full tank over a week for my 60 mile a day motorway commute!

Anyone thinking about getting a remap done, I really can't recommend it enough. In hindsight I should have had this done first before all the other external mods! I imagine it's going to take a long while for the novelty to wear off.

A final dyno run wasn't performed as we agreed we would do this when I return after changing the faulty part. I will also probably be getting the mrs to drive her mini down for a remap too if I can convince her!.

The service from these guys is superb and the 3 hour journey was worth every second. Thanks for showing me the Audi R8 too! Wish the remap could make my car sound that gutsy!

Thanks again Will, I'll be in touch soon!

Mud · 01-23-2010, 05:44 PM

so what was the dyno result after the remap? Did it sort things out, or is it defo the MAS?

Silver Shadow · 01-23-2010, 05:46 PM

Sounds fantastic...

Was this all for the discounted January forum price of £245?

Googlyamnesiac · 01-23-2010, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mud

so what was the dyno result after the remap? Did it sort things out, or is it defo the MAS?

The final dyno run wasn't done until I sort out the underlying problems.

Googlyamnesiac · 01-23-2010, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver Shadow

Sounds fantastic...

Was this all for the discounted January forum price of £245?

yep yep :-) very pleased with the price given the performance increase i've got!

ElegantSpoon · 01-24-2010, 05:20 AM

Glad it went well! What a bargain price

MEGA · 01-24-2010, 10:52 AM

Little surprised that they mapped the car if there was problems with it actually though ? I know your glad they did! But still...

Googlyamnesiac · 01-24-2010, 02:57 PM

It was my decision ultimately. Will advised me it was best to wait but then we thought we would give it a go. Going back asap for a full dyno and check once problems resolved.

MEGA · 01-24-2010, 04:24 PM

Yeah fair play. Look forward to the dyno results once the car is running smooth!

Mine peaks at 212 bhp post map. The dude who did mine said they could have gone alot further with the turbo yet, but me with the horror stories I'd heard said not to risk it!

p-torque.co.uk · 01-25-2010, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idlerobbo

It was my decision ultimately. Will advised me it was best to wait but then we thought we would give it a go. Going back asap for a full dyno and check once problems resolved.

Thanks for the great feedback, will look forward to testing it when you return

p-torque.co.uk · 01-25-2010, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEGA

Yeah fair play. Look forward to the dyno results once the car is running smooth!

Mine peaks at 212 bhp post map. The dude who did mine said they could have gone alot further with the turbo yet, but me with the horror stories I'd heard said not to risk it!

You were right not to risk it...

If you have the 163hp model, then you are on limit as it is at 212hp. Not sure who your tuner is, but there is no more safe power to be had, never mind alot more!

MEGA · 01-25-2010, 10:30 AM

Agreed. What he said was that it was capable of more, not that I should do it / etc.

The car doesn't particularly smoke, so I think it could safely go a little further. What this does long term though? Hence why I didn't - anyway.

I trust my tuner highly and would recommend them to anyone. Besides anything else, as I put business their way, they knock £100 off the price for me.. (from 300 to 200).

Anyway I guess thats off topic

Quick question though buddy, unrelated really. We can take it to PM if you preferr...
I've always (before the map, and since it) struggled to get the car over 27mpg. Now most would say I drive like a terrorist.. But even on a motorway run, its very difficult to keep near the 40 mark. Do you think this points to a warped MAF sensor? Or something else? Or is just that the 163 isn't really that economical..

If I really push it on the gaps when I'm not stationary, the MPG can actually drop sub 20 over the average of the 15 mile journey...

First opinion?

Cheers

p-torque.co.uk · 01-25-2010, 10:44 AM

I would get your MAF logged... they are very common on this engine and can upset fuelling when they are failing.

The MAF adjusts fuel according to the volume of air thats being detected, so I'd say its worth having it checked.

Googlyamnesiac · 01-25-2010, 10:49 AM

I personally think there is something amiss there. My car has a suspected MAF problem and recently upgraded to 19" wheels with wider tyres and I still can't get it to drop below 44mpg on motorway runs.

MEGA · 01-25-2010, 11:54 AM

Motorway run = 100mph the whole way though..

Anyway. This confirms it. I have a service in 3000 miles, will make sure they look at the MAF sensor whilst they are down there.

Googlyamnesiac · 01-25-2010, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEGA

Motorway run = 100mph the whole way though..

I think you'll struggle to find any car that can pull 40+mpg at 100mph constant.

At that rate you won't have your license much longer either!

PeteJ · 01-25-2010, 04:05 PM

Sounds very interesting. I would love to have the 177BHP remapped however need to save the pennies at the moment. Sounds like a new car though!!

mikeysix · 01-25-2010, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MEGA

Motorway run = 100mph the whole way though..

Anyway. This confirms it. I have a service in 3000 miles, will make sure they look at the MAF sensor whilst they are down there.

I'd be interested to see your outcome on this too mate. I have a 163 running the evolve switch. Remapped it's amazing, they know what there doing imran and his team but since the map I've dropped at least 10mpg. My partner mainly uses it round the town for her and the wee 1 so never really do long runs during the week. I took the map off for a service 2 weeks ago incase dealer started to fiddle and standard the mpg's were creapin up again. It's remapped again and I've fitted 19's so it'll prob start dropping again.

Mikey

Mud · 01-25-2010, 05:10 PM

thats interesting Mike cos the mappers always sell their maps saying it improves MPG, and alot of people here have stated it does.

JLR1969 · 01-25-2010, 05:20 PM

The 177BHP engine must be a lot more improved over the 163BHP as I have a re-map to 215BHP and can average 55 MPG easily at 80mph on a constant motorway run.

Generally when its not -2 outside it will average 45+MPG combined. I know its not really a true test but at 65mpg on the motorway it will average 60+MPG easily.

mikeysix · 01-25-2010, 05:30 PM

I've wanted to take the car on a long run too see what it could. Some motorways and b roads to get a combined cycle. At the moment it's purely short runs around town so I don't expect it to be decent. 65mpg is tremendous!. It's currently at 31.7.

Googlyamnesiac · 03-22-2010, 05:08 PM

Well today I FINALLY got the MAF problem sorted. All in all I am over the moon. I managed to source a genuine MAF that had covered 100 miles for £30 off ebay (I wasn't optimistic that it would be genuine but sure enough it was and in the original packaging).

Anyway, since the remap the power has been gradually getting worse, not to mention MPG. So trudged to P-Torque today and had the part swapped over (just over an hours labour) and stuck on the dyno. I don't have a scanner but here are my results:

Motor Power: 207 hp @ 3557 rpm
Eng Torque: 341.4lb/ft @ 2411 rpm

The return drive home at a steady 80mph I averaged 53.2mpg, which I am absolutely delighted with. Previously on motorway runs I could only manage 42mpg so clearly the MAF was causing this too.

Thanks again Will, fantastic service, worth every penny and every second of the 3 hour drive.

01-23-2010, 05:06 PM	#1
Googlyamnesiac Captain 59 Rep 743 Posts Drives: 2013 F10 520D Join Date: May 2009 Location: Yorkshire, UK iTrader: (3)	320D remapped with P-Torque (Review) As promised here's my review from P-Torque... (update at bottom following second visit) First things first, the 6 hour round trip was certainly worth it (although I shaved off 30 minutes on the return journey!). My remap wasn't without it's problems though (absolutely no fault of P-Torque!). After Will took my car for a road test and first dyno run he discovered that my car was peaking around 130bhp and not 163bhp. He diagnosed that this is likely a dodgy mass airflow meter and a remap might have to wait. I was hugely disappointed at this point, especially after the 3 hour drive :-( With it been beyond lunch on a Saturday it wasn't likely that we would be able to get the part in time. This didn't stop Will and i can't thank him enough for the effort made calling local suppliers with the kind offer of also fitting the part for me before the remap took place (which would also have resulted in Will having to stay open later than normal). Despite best efforts one wasn't located. We then decided that it was best to save the remap until I had the part fitted. Big :-( had at this moment. After a closer inspection of the dyno run it seemed that the car was getting to approx 3500rpm and then it stopped pulling. We decided to try the remap and see how it performed. After about 30 minutes I was able to give the car a test run. They have a nice long empty industrial estate street which I was able to give it a good flooring down (sticking to 30mph of course ;-) ) Wow, I can't explain the difference, it just pulls and pulls!! I can't imagine how it's going to feel when the mass airflow meter is changed. I normally don't exceed 3500rpm on a day to day basis anyway so the test was probably similar for me to if it was all fully working at higher revs. I'm currenly using my cup holder as my sat nav holder. That's going to have to change. First set of traffic lights I pull away and send my tom tom onto the drivers seat, one bounce and into the rear of the car. No joke, I couldn't believe it! I actually had to pull up to sort it out! After a 2 1/2 hour drive home of constantly slowing down and pulling away my mpg ended up only 0.7mpg less than when I set off! FANTASTIC! Looking forward to trying it with a full tank over a week for my 60 mile a day motorway commute! Anyone thinking about getting a remap done, I really can't recommend it enough. In hindsight I should have had this done first before all the other external mods! I imagine it's going to take a long while for the novelty to wear off. A final dyno run wasn't performed as we agreed we would do this when I return after changing the faulty part. I will also probably be getting the mrs to drive her mini down for a remap too if I can convince her!. The service from these guys is superb and the 3 hour journey was worth every second. Thanks for showing me the Audi R8 too! Wish the remap could make my car sound that gutsy! Thanks again Will, I'll be in touch soon! Last edited by Googlyamnesiac; 03-22-2010 at 05:10 PM.. Reason: (update at bottom following second visit)
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01-23-2010, 05:44 PM	#2
Mud Captain 37 Rep 698 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: England iTrader: (0)	so what was the dyno result after the remap? Did it sort things out, or is it defo the MAS?
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01-23-2010, 05:46 PM	#3
Silver Shadow Second Lieutenant 6 Rep 234 Posts Drives: E90 325d M Sport LCI Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Lancashire iTrader: (0)	Sounds fantastic... Was this all for the discounted January forum price of £245? __________________ LCI E90 M Sport Auto ~ Titanium Silver ~ Black Dakota ~ Rear Tints ~ Heated Seats ~ Folding Mirrors ~ Bluetooth ~ Goodyear F1's ~
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01-24-2010, 05:20 AM	#6
ElegantSpoon There I was balls deep in a... 29 Rep 1,470 Posts Drives: BMW E90 320D Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Devon, UK iTrader: (0)	Glad it went well! What a bargain price __________________ BMW E90 320D Sapphire Black, Angel Eyes, BMW Performance Extras, Carbon Fabric Trim
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01-24-2010, 10:52 AM	#7
MEGA Dieseasal 204 Rep 6,881 Posts Drives: LCI E92 335d M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Harrow, London iTrader: (2)	Little surprised that they mapped the car if there was problems with it actually though ? I know your glad they did! But still... __________________ Previously: 2003 Peugeot 206 1.6 8v \| 2006 E90 320d M-Sport, 19" BBS CH, Full Ice-cold JL audio install, August 2010 Total BMW 6 page feature car. \| 2003 Nissan 350Z GT Coupe 286BHP Now:2010 E92 LCI 335d M-Sport
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01-24-2010, 02:57 PM	#8
Googlyamnesiac Captain 59 Rep 743 Posts Drives: 2013 F10 520D Join Date: May 2009 Location: Yorkshire, UK iTrader: (3)	It was my decision ultimately. Will advised me it was best to wait but then we thought we would give it a go. Going back asap for a full dyno and check once problems resolved.
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01-24-2010, 04:24 PM	#9
MEGA Dieseasal 204 Rep 6,881 Posts Drives: LCI E92 335d M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Harrow, London iTrader: (2)	Yeah fair play. Look forward to the dyno results once the car is running smooth! Mine peaks at 212 bhp post map. The dude who did mine said they could have gone alot further with the turbo yet, but me with the horror stories I'd heard said not to risk it! __________________ Previously: 2003 Peugeot 206 1.6 8v \| 2006 E90 320d M-Sport, 19" BBS CH, Full Ice-cold JL audio install, August 2010 Total BMW 6 page feature car. \| 2003 Nissan 350Z GT Coupe 286BHP Now:2010 E92 LCI 335d M-Sport
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01-25-2010, 10:30 AM	#12
MEGA Dieseasal 204 Rep 6,881 Posts Drives: LCI E92 335d M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Harrow, London iTrader: (2)	Agreed. What he said was that it was capable of more, not that I should do it / etc. The car doesn't particularly smoke, so I think it could safely go a little further. What this does long term though? Hence why I didn't - anyway. I trust my tuner highly and would recommend them to anyone. Besides anything else, as I put business their way, they knock £100 off the price for me.. (from 300 to 200). Anyway I guess thats off topic Quick question though buddy, unrelated really. We can take it to PM if you preferr... I've always (before the map, and since it) struggled to get the car over 27mpg. Now most would say I drive like a terrorist.. But even on a motorway run, its very difficult to keep near the 40 mark. Do you think this points to a warped MAF sensor? Or something else? Or is just that the 163 isn't really that economical.. If I really push it on the gaps when I'm not stationary, the MPG can actually drop sub 20 over the average of the 15 mile journey... First opinion? Cheers __________________ Previously: 2003 Peugeot 206 1.6 8v \| 2006 E90 320d M-Sport, 19" BBS CH, Full Ice-cold JL audio install, August 2010 Total BMW 6 page feature car. \| 2003 Nissan 350Z GT Coupe 286BHP Now:2010 E92 LCI 335d M-Sport
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01-25-2010, 10:44 AM	#13
p-torque.co.uk Private First Class 18 Rep 158 Posts Drives: Black/Carbon Audi R8 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: West Midlands iTrader: (0)	I would get your MAF logged... they are very common on this engine and can upset fuelling when they are failing. The MAF adjusts fuel according to the volume of air thats being detected, so I'd say its worth having it checked.
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01-25-2010, 10:49 AM	#14
Googlyamnesiac Captain 59 Rep 743 Posts Drives: 2013 F10 520D Join Date: May 2009 Location: Yorkshire, UK iTrader: (3)	I personally think there is something amiss there. My car has a suspected MAF problem and recently upgraded to 19" wheels with wider tyres and I still can't get it to drop below 44mpg on motorway runs.
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01-25-2010, 11:54 AM	#15
MEGA Dieseasal 204 Rep 6,881 Posts Drives: LCI E92 335d M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Harrow, London iTrader: (2)	Motorway run = 100mph the whole way though.. Anyway. This confirms it. I have a service in 3000 miles, will make sure they look at the MAF sensor whilst they are down there. __________________ Previously: 2003 Peugeot 206 1.6 8v \| 2006 E90 320d M-Sport, 19" BBS CH, Full Ice-cold JL audio install, August 2010 Total BMW 6 page feature car. \| 2003 Nissan 350Z GT Coupe 286BHP Now:2010 E92 LCI 335d M-Sport
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01-25-2010, 04:05 PM	#17
PeteJ Diesel Head 12 Rep 550 Posts Drives: 320d M Sport Convertible E93 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Edinburgh iTrader: (0)	Sounds very interesting. I would love to have the 177BHP remapped however need to save the pennies at the moment. Sounds like a new car though!!
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01-25-2010, 05:10 PM	#19
Mud Captain 37 Rep 698 Posts Drives: M4 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: England iTrader: (0)	thats interesting Mike cos the mappers always sell their maps saying it improves MPG, and alot of people here have stated it does.
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01-25-2010, 05:20 PM	#20
JLR1969 Major General 1882 Rep 7,000 Posts Drives: Kubota GR1600 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: England iTrader: (1)	The 177BHP engine must be a lot more improved over the 163BHP as I have a re-map to 215BHP and can average 55 MPG easily at 80mph on a constant motorway run. Generally when its not -2 outside it will average 45+MPG combined. I know its not really a true test but at 65mpg on the motorway it will average 60+MPG easily.
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01-25-2010, 05:30 PM	#21
mikeysix Lieutenant 25 Rep 482 Posts Drives: F30 318d m sport Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kirkcaldy iTrader: (1) Garage List 2007 e90 2.0d m sport [0.00]	I've wanted to take the car on a long run too see what it could. Some motorways and b roads to get a combined cycle. At the moment it's purely short runs around town so I don't expect it to be decent. 65mpg is tremendous!. It's currently at 31.7.
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03-22-2010, 05:08 PM	#22
Googlyamnesiac Captain 59 Rep 743 Posts Drives: 2013 F10 520D Join Date: May 2009 Location: Yorkshire, UK iTrader: (3)	Well today I FINALLY got the MAF problem sorted. All in all I am over the moon. I managed to source a genuine MAF that had covered 100 miles for £30 off ebay (I wasn't optimistic that it would be genuine but sure enough it was and in the original packaging). Anyway, since the remap the power has been gradually getting worse, not to mention MPG. So trudged to P-Torque today and had the part swapped over (just over an hours labour) and stuck on the dyno. I don't have a scanner but here are my results: Motor Power: 207 hp @ 3557 rpm Eng Torque: 341.4lb/ft @ 2411 rpm The return drive home at a steady 80mph I averaged 53.2mpg, which I am absolutely delighted with. Previously on motorway runs I could only manage 42mpg so clearly the MAF was causing this too. Thanks again Will, fantastic service, worth every penny and every second of the 3 hour drive.
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