Remapping is one of the recent and most favourite modifications of the car for most drivers. It increases the power and fuel economy of a car. Almost all cars, from turbo to non-turbo cars, are remapped to enhance their power. You can even get your vw golf mk4 v5 exhaust from the most professional team in the UK. But consider if you are buying a second-hand car, and you do not know if the car is remapped or not. When you buy a car without knowing that it is remapped, it is dangerous for you and your car’s insurance. I will tell you its repercussions on insurance later in the article, but first, let’s see how you can identify the remap in a car.
How to Find if a Car is Remapped?
Check a Sticker:
First of all, check for the visual evidence that tells you if a car has been remapped or not. Most car services paste a sticker of their company on ECU. Check your car’s ECU; if it has a sticker from a car services company, it means that it has been remapped. So, it is a very simple technique to find out if the car has been remapped or not. But what if you do not find any sticker on the ECU; you still suspect that your car is modified? to the next step.
If you cannot find a sticker on the ECU, you should take the car’s manual and start comparing the limits it shows and the rate of acceleration and performance of the car. If the range on your car is greater than the actual limit, then the car has been remapped. But in some cases, the difference in the figures is so little that you become confused when declaring a result. In such a case, you must head over to the next step.
Take It to a Car Expert:
If you fail to identify if your car has been remapped or not by the above-mentioned techniques, you must opt for the most reliable option: seeking help from a car expert. Take your car to car services and get it checked by an expert. The professionals will easily tell you if the settings are tweaked or not.Although you should opt for this option at first, since there is no harm in checking things on your own, you should carry out the first two steps first.
Effects of Remapping on Insurance:
In case you buy a second-hand car, and the former owner does not declare that it is remapped in the papers, it will be harmful to your car’s insurance. When you carry out any modification to the car, you have to first inform, and in some cases, ask permission for the modification. The definition of modification for any insurance isAny car that is altered from the factory settings.
When a car is modified without asking or informing the insurance company can result in an increase in the premium of the insurance or cancellation of the insurance. So, it is essential to find if a car has been remapped or not before buying a second-hand car.
Is Remapping Harmful?
Remapping is not harmful; it is just the thing that you as a buyer have the right to know everything about the car you are buying. The former owner should not conceal anything related to the car he is selling, especially when it can cause a problem for the new owner. So, what is remapping by the way? The Engine control unit(ECU) is considered the brain of a car. It controls, monitors, and regulates the performance of the engine. ECU works according to the specification set by the manufacturer while writing the software. The manufacturers intentionally keep the limit smaller than the capacity of the car. It means that the capacity can be brought to the optimal range with a little modification. Now that is where remapping comes into play. Remapping is a process of altering the software to boost the power of the car.
