Can my engine be fitted with one of your tuning boxes?

The Synergy 1 and 2 are only suitable for common rail fuel injection systems. These are fitted to the majority of diesel engine from 1999/2000. Usually your car's model designation will tell you if it is common rail. Tdci, Dci, CDT, CDTi, CRDi, CDi, I-CDTi  - the C usually means it has common rail engine. 

Non common rail engines that have a rotary injection pump (VP30 or VP44) and have been phased out are: Vauxhall DTi, Ford TD-di eg Transit 2.4DI, Escort 11.8TDii,  MG Rover 25/45/Zr/Zs, 200/400/600, Freelander pre 1999, older VAG TDIs 

Many VW, Skoda, Audi, Seat Tdi-PD & Defender/Discovery TD5 use unit injectors (injectors with intergral high pressure pump driven from the camshaft) and are therefore non common rail as well.

How does it work, is it digital?

It digitally remaps the fuel pressure sensor signal in real time, increasing the amount of fuel injected to produce more power and torque from as low as 1500rpm.(depending upon engine)

What is the difference between analogue and digital tuning boxes?

Older boxes and most costing under £200 are analogue and tend to have a single adjusting screw or knob. These suffer from a major drawback - the adjustment alters the fuelling across the whole rev range.  For example, if you use a setting which gives a very good low down and midrange increase, the engine then cuts out at high rpm (above say 3500rpm). If you turn it down so this doesn't happen, you lose the low down improvements. 

How do the Synergy modules differ from analogue and other digital tuning boxes?

The Synergy 1 & 2's digital mapping technology is far superior because it gives finer & more precise control and enables the fuelling at both the low/mid and mid/high rev ranges to adjusted separately. With some digital boxes, you have to specify when ordering what 'map' you want installed. So there is only one map available to you without taking back to a dealer for reprogramming, unlike the Synergy which has 10 pre installed and easily selected by turning the rotary switch. 

Why should I choose a tuning box over a remapped (chipped) ecu?

A remap involves downloading new fuel maps into the engine ecu via the diagnostic port under the dash or in some cases (particularly with very recent diesels), the ecu has to be removed, opened and the rom chip reprogrammed directly by connecting to its pins.

REMAP: Not adjustable, not transferable, can be lost if dealer does a routine ecu update during servicing, possibly detectable by the dealer, more costly (£250-500+) & often less effective at low rpm on common rail engines, broken seal on the ecu if opened. Maybe more effective at higher rpm than some tuning boxes, but how often do you use high rpm (3.5-4k) ?

A remap/rechip is really the only option for non common rail engines (and petrol engines where the improved driveability and economy are often worthwhile)

SYNERGY: Easy diy fitting, adjustable, removable for warranty and servicing, transferable, optional dash switch, better value, often better performance at low to mid rpm with superb torque.

As you can see from the charts here, only above 3500rpm did a remap improve upon a Synergy 1 on a 2.2L Mondeo St TDCI.

Tuning box suppliers and remapping companies are arch rivals and each will often denounce the others products. Remaps boost torque by increasing the injection duration, whilst tuning boxes increase the pressure. Each is a means to an end and its not true to say one is better than the other. You must make up your own mind which to opt for. Some owners have actually installed both and this will give very big increases on torque and power so you need to keep in mind any possible effect upon reliability, though this very much depends upon how you drive! 

Another tuning company told me some tuning boxes just dump fuel into the engine giving worse mpg and emissions.

If fuel was crudely dumped into the engine the excess would easily be detectable as black smoke in the exhaust. This is the classic sign of an over fuelled diesel engine and is not something that happens with the Synergy provided your engine is in good working order and properly serviced and maintained. (eg clean air filter, clean & fully functioning exhaust gas recirculation valve and crank case ventilation system, no leaks in the intercooler hoses)

Another tuning company told me the turbo boost pressure is increased by tuning boxes.

All turbo diesel engines are fitted with a boost pressure senor ( manifold absolute pressure aka MAP sensor). The ecu uses this to either control or monitor the boost pressure. Therefore if this was to increase beyond what the ecu is programmed to allow either the fuel is reduced to prevent it or the engine warning light will illuminate and a fault code will be logged. Neither our X-type nor our Rover 75 has ever logged a boost pressure fault code (nor any others for that matter) and these vehicles feature two of the most common diesel engines - the BMW M47 and Ford Duratoq 2L tdci.

How easy is it to connect?

It just plugs in with no wires to cut or join, taking about 5minutes. INSTRUCTIONS ARE INCLUDED.

How do I adjust it?

No laptop nor even a screwdriver are needed to adjust it. There are 10 maps with details on the label and in the instructions, simply choose the one that suits your driving style. 

Will it affect reliability?

Its impossible to say because components wear out or can fail without warning at any time. However, with over 1500 modules sold in almost 3years, I have no evidence which shows that reliability is adversely affected. In any case, any tuning - whether by remap or any tuning box could affect reliability so in the event a failure did occur it would have done so regardless of the tuning product installed.

Will it affect my insurance?

You should inform your insurance company. The vast majority of owners find that only a small premium increase was charged and often none at all. In the rare event of your insurer declining to cover it, Adrian Flux will, and usually will beat your existing premium as well. (adrianflux.co.uk) Tesco seem to charge depending upon the % increase, for example one owner was quote £30 for upto 10% and £40 for upto 20%. 

Will it affect the fuel consumption?

This depends upon how often you use the extra performance and which setting you use. Most owners report improved mpg, but I feel it is misleading to claim improved economy as a selling point because there are too many factors over which I have no control.  

PLEASE NOTE. Your mpg computer may show improved mpg, but this is due to the way all these type of modules operate so don't be fooled, you need to use the brim to brim method. Beware that some companies could be using this over reading by the computer to claim big MPG improvements for their products.

Does it work with automatic gearboxes?

Yes, this is where the separately adjustable throttle sensitivity is of particular benefit. By choosing the appropriate setting the gearbox will change up a bit earlier and down later, helping the fuel consumption and reducing 'hunting'.

Can I transfer it to another vehicle?

Yes, though if it is completely different make and model, a new cable &  firmware update may be required but the cost is minimal (~£10).

Why do you not quote bhp & torque figures?

Many tuning companies play the numbers game, either outdoing each other or quoting identical figures in copycat fashion.

Other companies have been forced to withdraw some of their modules, e.g. Mondeo ones, because their claimed BHP figure cannot be achieved. The engine simply goes into LOS mode and flashes the glow plug light. Indeed I have heard from one dyno operator that a very expensive German common rail module did exactly this on a Focus TDCi.

So I aim to give the best performance that can be achieved but the results will vary from engine to engine and the measured power will also vary from one dyno to another. 

A 5% variation between two dynos for example, means the same engine will show 150bhp or 157.5bhp. Which is right? Both are & neither are. You'd need to take the average of readings from several dynos if you were that bothered.  Instead just look for the difference with and without the module.

The bottom line is, there is NO MAGIC trick which will enable one make of tuning box (regardless of price) to produce signficantly better bhp figures than another. Ultimately, it is the engine management system and injection components that determine how much extra fuel can be injected. Evidence is growing that for 2007/8 euro 5 emissions spec vehicles, the manufacturers have made it more difficult for owners to tune their engines and hence affect the emissons. This will mean that any tuning whether plug-in or remap will be limited in effectiveness.

Why should I buy from you, your prices seem too good to be true?

There are few companies making tuning products, with the vast majority selling on bought in products, often rebadged. There is nothing wrong with this but buying in a product and adding your own mark up means the price will be higher. Also resellers seldom have the technical expertise and knowledge to adequately support the products they sell. 

By designing, developing, assembling & marketing our own unique products, we can pass on the savings to our customers by selling direct and we also have the technical expertise to fully support them.

MORE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TUNING

MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR MAXIMISNG PERFORMANCE & ECONOMY & MORE ON REMAPPING

(C) Ronian Ltd 2008