PP Tuning in Louth checks the condition of an engine on its rolling road before it tunes it, and the workshop's latest jobs show why. A 2004 VW T5 camper was making 81bhp from an engine rated at 104bhp, and a VW T4 camper arrived with its settings already tampered with. Both were put right first, and PP Tuning's own measurements finished at 134bhp and 87bhp.
Most people go to a tuning workshop for the headline number. The workshop's recent blog posts are more interesting for what happened before the number. Two older VW vans, both heading for life as campers, needed problems found and fixed before any tuning made sense. Here is what PP Tuning found, and what it means if you are thinking about a remap.
A High-Mileage T5 That Was Giving Away Power
The T5 is a 2004 VW with the 104bhp 1.9 TDI engine, a five-speed manual gearbox and more than 250,000 miles on the clock. Its owner was converting it into a camper and had noticed it struggling as the extra weight went in. The van came to PP Tuning for a Pendle Performance remap.
Jason at the workshop started with health checks and data logging. The first figures were 81bhp and 201Nm of torque, well below what the engine should produce. Further checks found the cause: a throttle damper was limiting the throttle to 72%, so the driver was never getting the full response of the pedal.
Jason sorted the damper, restoring 100% throttle, and then carried out the remap. The final rolling road figures were 134bhp and 300Nm, a gain of 53bhp and 99Nm. PP Tuning is clear that the improvement came from the repair and the remap together, and says a remap on an engine that is already underperforming can hide a fault that ought to be fixed first.
A Camper From Dudley With Someone Else's Adjustments
The second van is a VW T4 1.9TD camper that made the journey from Dudley for a new stainless steel exhaust and an engine tune-up. The exhaust is made from Grade 304 stainless steel, runs from the downpipe back with a single rear exit, and took 15 minutes to fit.
The pre-tune checks on the MAHA rolling road turned up more. Someone had already been adjusting things under the bonnet. The fuel pump security protection had been removed, the turbo actuator had been tampered with, and the engine was idling at over 1,000rpm. Jason brought the idle speed down, set the actuator correctly and adjusted the throttle cable before any tuning began.
After about six runs on the rolling road, the T4 measured 87bhp and 182Nm. PP Tuning gives the original factory figures as 70bhp and 160Nm, which is a rise of 17bhp (24%) and 22Nm (14%). One detail is worth knowing if you own a T4: its mechanical diesel injection pump means it is tuned by mechanical adjustment, not by the ECU remap used on later TDI models.
What the Two Jobs Mean If You Want a Remap
The sensible expectation is that a good workshop looks at the vehicle before it changes anything. Data logging and a rolling road run show what the engine is really doing, and on an older van with an unknown history they can show what someone else has already changed. A remap cannot repair a mechanical fault, so a vehicle that is underperforming needs the cause found first.
Extra torque is useful in a camper, particularly on hills and with a loaded van. PP Tuning is also clear that it does not raise a vehicle's legal weight limits or its towing capacity. If you are comparing workshops, asking for before and after figures from a rolling road is a fair request.
Remapping Questions Answered by PP Tuning
PP Tuning has also published a set of answers to the questions drivers ask before booking a remap, and the main points are worth passing on. The workshop says remapping the software is legal, but removing a DPF, EGR valve or AdBlue system takes a vehicle off the road in the eyes of the law. It says a well-developed remap does not damage a healthy engine, although it can expose a problem that was already there.
On warranty, PP Tuning says a remap does not cancel a whole manufacturer warranty, but a dealer can refuse cover for engine, gearbox or turbo failures if they can show the remap was responsible. It also advises telling your insurer, because a remap counts as a modification. Those are the workshop's views, so check the terms of your own warranty and policy before you book. The guide also explains the difference between Stage 1, 2 and 3 remaps. A Stage 1 is software only, a Stage 2 needs supporting hardware, and a Stage 3 is built for the track.
More From PP Tuning
PP Tuning describes itself as an authorised Pendle Performance agent and builds each calibration around the individual vehicle. We have already covered its custom stainless steel exhaust for a 1972 Opel Manta and an earlier VW T5 camper remap. Its address, phone number and directions are on its inLouth page, and there is a full list of engine remapping businesses in Louth.
The full write-ups are on the PP Tuning blog: the VW T5 remap, the VW T4 exhaust and tune-up and the remapping questions guide. To discuss your own vehicle, call PP Tuning on 01507-611088.