Will it effect my insurance?

Different insurance companies have different views on this subject. However can they find out? This really is a different questions as if they could they would be remapping cars too.

How is it done?

 95% Of remapping is done through the OBD port of your vehicle, Every Vehicle has one after 2001.

On some vehicles the ECU needs to be removed to be programmed correctly.

How is this done?
On most vehicles the data is downloaded and edited via the OBD (diagnostic) port. On some vehicles the ecu needs to be removed from the vehicle to be successfully programmed.

Chip Tuning or Remapping?
There is a lot of confusion on what a "chip" or "remap" is... in the public domain anyway. As the word 'chipped' seems to be referred to a lot in this field. In the late 1980's and early 90's automotive ECU's still used standard UV or even bi-polar EPROMs/ROMs. To tune these early generation ECU's the chip (EPROM) would have to be removed and the data within read then modified / transferred to a virgin chip hence the word chip change... that lead to the word 'chipped' or "chip tuning". The term 'Remap' evolved into the public domain later as more informed people in the car tuning industry began to understand some of the technical terms used in electronic/data modification. Later ECU's and semi conductor technology with the advent of OBDII and EOBD platforms (you can read more about on board diagnostics by following the link) saw remote jack flashing 'serial programming', becoming common place allowing quick and easy firmware updates to occur. Remapping data within the chip or EPROM is one of the same thing as ecu remapping, it's just how and the name of the process that is performed which differs.

Can all vehicles be chipped/remapped?
No, not all vehicles can be remapped. However, most post '96 vehicles can be remapped if your application is not shown on this site please contact us. Some pre '96 vehicles can be chipped (programmed) in the same way as a remap but the extraction of ECU will have to be done.

Can my chip be returned to standard by the dealer?
Yes. The vehicle dealership has the ability to return your vehicle to stock settings by 're-flashing' your ECU through the OBD-II port. However, this is uncommon. Soft Tek offers re-installation of the performance software if this occurs.

Will the life of my engine be affected after the software upgrade has been fitted?
No. The software upgrade has been designed to run the optimum ignition timing and perfect air fuel ratio for maximum power. Damage occurs when the vehicles air/fuel ratio is too lean. This means that the cars piston is detonating because there is not enough fuel in comparison to the air in the cylinder. This results in valve wear and the possible breaking of pistons.
When you fit a Soft Tek performance chip you can feel safe in the knowledge that the upgrade for your call has been through extensive testing and development procedures ensuring that your car runs at optimum efficiency at the same time as being totally safe from damage.

Does Soft Tek dyno individual cars?
Our software engineers test all vehicles during the development phase to ensure full throttle power and response. Because all models carry identical software, it means that by dynoing our development cars, we are saving YOU time and money.
We can, however, dynamometer test your own car, for an additional cost , and we also require the car for a full day. Sometimes however, we do receive requests for up rated software for cars which our engineers haven't yet developed. In this situation we work closely with them to develop the software and we carry out the dyno and safety testing procedures as we have access to the vehicle.

How does Soft Tek develop their upgrades?
Soft Tek R&D for each model combines the combination of world leading, most up to date equipment with the best programmers having over 30 years of experience between them.
Our chosen sw engineers spend endless hours tuning each models of car to meet Soft Tek high standards. They spend their time tuning the car real time live and on a Dynamometer and real road. Real time tuning involves the tuner modifying the computers program via laptop whilst the pilot (driver) puts the vehicle through its paces. Dyno development involves the car being put onto a Dynamometer and tuning the car whilst under varying loads. In effect, the up-rated remap is maximizing the cars potential at all throttle positions at all load and RPM points, thus giving your car the optimum performance and providing you with the ultimate driving experience.

Is the sw upgrade effective as soon as it is installed, or does it take time to 'learn'?
Almost all late model (post 1996) European cars are fitted with either Bosch Motronic or Siemens electronic control units. These ECU's are the most sophisticated in the world.

These control units must conform to the government regulations for OBDII diagnostics. Part of the regulations require that the car measures the feedback from the air fuel ratio's using the oxygen sensors. The values as a result of the feedback are then stored in maps called 'long term fuel trim' and 'short term fuel trim'. These results are held in 'volatile' memory, and are lost when the software or chip is changed, or when power to the ECU is lost when the battery is drained or disconnected.

In addition to the fuel values above, the ignition is also monitored by the ECU, and the car has the ability to 'adapt' to changes in fuel quality by building a 'maximum allowable' ignition advance. Again, this data is stored in maps that are 'zeroed' back to neutral when the car is programmed with new software or the battery is disconnected.

In addition, the idle speed is also adaptive. The car stores the values to make idle speed adjustments in a map. Again, this information is lost when the software is installed.

The values that are stored in these maps take time to build, and they need to build these maps over different loads, and different RPM's. In the case of the idle maps, it requires both cold starts and hot starts to build.

Maximum power will not be achieved until the ignition and fuel maps are 'rebuilt' from driving, and this generally takes at least 5 hours of varied driving.

Cars that have significant modifications will require more time to learn, and will improve in performance after the car has fully adapted. Examples of modifications that have a significant effect on adaptation are modified air intakes and sports exhausts.

Do I need to modify my car in any way to suit the chip?

No, definitely not. Soft Tek upgrades are tuned to suit factory standard vehicles and do not require any modifications to be made to get the maximum potential from the chip. This means that there is no extra expense required from you to enjoy all of the Soft Tek upgrade benefits.

Do your figures relate to standard cars or cars with modifications?

The figures that we advertise relate to the standard vehicle. This way you can feel safe in the knowledge that the performance is made from the Soft Tek upgrade and not from any other modifications that have been made to the vehicle.

I have a high flow air intake fitted to my car, will the Soft Tek SW work with this?

A: We can tailor each software upgrade to suit any modifications made to the vehicle. Vehicles using more efficient intake (and exhaust) are programmed with separate tuning changes to take full advantage of these modifications.

We will ask each client if their are any modifications made to the vehicle in order to determine the most suitable program to install.

Do I have to use a higher grade of fuel, or can I run regular fuel?

For most car remaps, so long as your car is equipped with a knock sensor you can run regular fuel. However, to reach the maximum potential of the remap, premium grades of fuel must be used. For some vehicles we do not have a remap available for lower grades of fuel.
Older models may have performance left in them running regular fuel, however the improvements aren’t as great as running a remap suited to Premium grade fuels.
The advantage of having a knock sensor is that it stops the car from pinging/ detonating. This means that if you have a remap set up for Premium fuel but for some reason can’t access it, you can safely run standard unleaded without damaging your vehicle.

What will happen with fuel consumption after the Soft Tek upgrade has been installed?

This totally depends on your driving style. In most cases at full throttle you will use more fuel - that is a trade off for getting the maximum power. However, at part throttle, many models can achieve better fuel economy. This results because some models run rich at part throttle. When we tune the car, the optimum air/fuel ratio and spark at part throttle results in not only better response but better fuel economy as well. This means that you can enjoy the benefits of the software and feel safe in the knowledge that your fuel bill is not going to sky-rocket.