If you don't know how to drive or if you are afraid of opening up the hood of your car so you can tinker with the engine, you are in the right place. I started this blog because I don't want anyone to miss out on the fun of maintaining and driving their own auto. I am not a professional and I don't work in the automotive industry. However, for the past 10 years, I have been repairing and driving cars as I have travelled around Australia. I hope that the words I have written here will inspire you to get involved with your car.
If you've been running a diesel-engined vehicle for some time and have noticed a drop-off in performance, you may be wondering what's happening. In this case, there may be nothing specifically wrong with the motor, but you may nevertheless need to carry out some alterations to restore prior performance and chase the best efficiency. To do this, you should focus on the ECM and consider reprogramming, but what is this and what's involved?
Working On The Engine Control Module
The ECM (engine control module) is the nerve centre of your diesel engine. It is where all the electronic magic happens to coordinate various processes that need to take place when the engine is in motion. ECM reprogramming can make a substantial difference and help to get rid of any unwanted issues while cutting down on consumption and improving engine performance.
How Remapping Works
Reprogramming is also known as "remapping" and involves modifying how fuel is delivered to the engine. Technicians can achieve this by altering the fuel-to-air mixture, boosting pressures or modifying the timing of each injector. Doing so will help boost the pressure within each cylinder, leading to more efficient combustion. This creates a lot more torque and power, enabling the vehicle to perform more effectively.
Sometimes, remapping will shine a spotlight on a failure of some kind. For example, it may be necessary to replace the fuel injectors if they do not respond well to any remapping changes.
Reprogramming Under Way
To reprogram a diesel engine in this way, it will need to be connected to special tuning software. However, this needs to be done by an experienced technician. Otherwise, it can have the opposite effect, as the original settings are finely balanced. When you alter one area, you may need to do so in several other areas to avoid catastrophe. Errors made here may not have an immediate impact but could significantly cut down on the life of the engine in the long term.
Turning Over The Work To The Experts
So, if you want to diagnose the current issues with your diesel engine and make sure that your vehicle is remapped effectively, entrust the work to a diesel diagnostics technician. They will have the tools and the knowledge base and have performed this remapping work on similar vehicles in the past. They'll ensure that your vehicle performs better and drinks less diesel at the pump once they are done.