# What is this Smart Box?



## frenchfancy

Forgive me for being so dim technically (it's a woman thing) but what is a Smart Box, how does it work, and more importantly how much, and what are the benefits. (i am only expecting tech minded males to reply. Thankyou for your patience!!!!!


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## 89555

frenchfancy
As a mere male I am looking forward to replies on this thread you have introduced


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## Rapide561

*Smart box*

Hi

As an equally mere minded male, who just happens to be dim technically, I am sat here with baited breath!

Rapide561 & Oscar


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## klubnomad

From the Van AAken website

Many modern turbo diesel engines are primarily controlled by an ECU. Since the introduction of electronic diesel injection systems some time ago, the way has been opened for electronic performance upgrades.
The ECU is a small computer. Many modern vehicles now have more processing power than Apollo 11 - the craft used in the first moon landing. Inside the ECU can be information on all aspects of the vehicle, from simple data such as model, year and engine type to more complex data relating to the exact time in the engine cycle that injection is to begin and the quantity of fuel to be injected. 

Changing information is received from engine management sensors such as throttle position, air flow and engine speed. The ECU uses this information to determine optimum values for how much fuel to inject. To do this the ECU compares the received information to large areas of pre-determined reference data stored within a chip on the circuit board. These areas of data are known as memory maps. As the inputs are constantly changing during driving, so are the values returned from these memory maps, meaning that the settings for fuel injection and timing will remain appropriate to any particular driving situation. The van Aaken SmartBox™ is a performance-enhancing additional control unit for electronically regulated Diesel engines. The van Aaken SmartBox™ intercepts the signals that go between the ECU and the engine, altering the values as they are transmitted. It is these alterations which give the significant increases in performance that the van Aaken SmartBox™ provides.


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## Raine

hi, its a box that fits to the engine to allow it to work to its full potential( yep they chain it down actually cause it to run underpower -unbelievable and i don't know why they do) like putting clogs on a race horse!!! anyway the box is great, might void your warranty, check, might increase your insurance , check, WILL INCREASE your overall perfomance, we even have accelaration in 5th, would highly recommend it, and you can get 20% discount by being a mhf'ster!!! i know cos we got one, and i got the 20%!!! :lol: retail discount :lol: ! for the club well if you dont ask ya don't get.
READ AGAIN GT, MIGHT VOID YOUR WARRANTY, CHECK!


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## 88724

Hi FF

It is as stated above a very nifty little device, many insurance companies do not even charge a higher premium.

But however there is one teensy little fly in the ointment, that all the above answers have ommited, Its also a small device that renders your warranty totally invalid (if you tell them that its fitted)


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## Scotjimland

I echo Raine's comments, why do Fiat not fit or tune the engine in the first place ? or does this device push the engine past it's design limits.. thereby shortening the life of the engine and or transmission. ? 
Raine also mentioned better acceleration even in 5th gear... is this not going increase the likelihood of fifth gear failure, an already known weakness of the Fiat box?


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## PugBoxter

I fitted one to a 2.0L boxer, when i first fitted it I was expecting the difference to be very subtle, however as soon as I pulled off the the drive and put my foot down it was Woooow, amazing transformation.

Before you really had to have the throttle rammed on the floor to make any progress, if say you were in a line of traffic and the speed of that line suddenly picked up I'd floor the throttle and wait for the speed to pick up, now you just flex your foot a bit and adjust your speed instantly.
I hardly ever put the throttle right down now, there just isn't any need.

The same with hills, before I'd be throttle to the floor and changing right down the box to try and not hold everyone up, now I hardly notice the hills, it's just like driving an ordinary car.

It's just so so much more fun to drive and very relaxing, I've managed to get 34mpg on a long steady run before I never really saw much over 25mpg.

It is a lot of money for what is basically just a black box, but worth every penny for me, just a shame the manufacturer couldn't make them like that as standard.

Stuart.


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## C7KEN

Ok Rasine is obviously delighted with her smart box and rightly so, I've been involved with tuned engines for 47years, started with rally cars, then racing sports cars then saloons now mainly motocross bikes but in between time I had a love of off road driving with Landrovers, I had 3 Discoveries 2 TDI and 1 TD5 obviously the non electronic TDI motors could not be chipped so I altered the racks on the fuel pumps and this gave much more power, with the TD5 I bought a (smart box) or rather remapping box as it is which changed the mapping of the fuel delivery and gave me another 25bhp, now to get a diesel to go faster you increase turbo pressure or you give it more fuel and in all three of my Landrovers fuel consumption increased but I did use the extra power so this was acceptable so to those that think they will get more MPG with a chip it will only happen if you drive to make it happen IE no foot to the floor stuff cause it will only pile the fuel in and come out the back as black smoke, to those that may doubt what I say watch truck racing and witness the black smoke pouring out, its not that they try do do this it's because they richen the motors to raise the power and not all the fuel combusts


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## frenchfancy

*Smart Box*

Thanks GUYS for the info will pass it on to other half.


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## guzzijim

Reading the last contribution re. black smoke from racing trucks, I was worried about smoke emissions rising after chipping my 2.8 HDI Peugeot, should not have worried they are now lower than before I had the chip fitted. Cruising in 5th gear is now a pleasure even when towing our car and if you don’t boot it you should get more MPG, I do.


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## 95818

Hello 

were can i get one from??


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## klubnomad

lue said:


> Hello
> 
> were can i get one from??


Earwig O

http://www.vanaaken.com/europe/index.asp?pagename=smartbox

Dave


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## 95818

Thanks just purchased one for my 2.0 fiat £377  i will let you know once i have fitted it what diffrence it made


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## 95818

*oh my*

Well it arrived today fitted it in about 20 min its a dodal :lol:

So to the bisiness part what was the diffrence. :!: :!: :?: :?: :idea:

OH MY GOD :tomcat: It was like driving a jet plane. A totaly diffrent van im gob smacked :crazyeyes: i test drove the 2.3 yesterday so i had a comparison and i would say it pulled just as good if not better than the 2.3 i test drove at white arches. If you have a 2.0 and wished you got a 2.3 then this is the box for you....

Happy Days


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## PugBoxter

Glad you're impressed, I've left 2.8 vans with mine, after a bit you get used to it. Would hate to have to go back to a standard 2.0.
Mine is still very flat below 2000rpm off boost, like when trying to pull onto a roundabout in second when 1st is really a bit low or when doing a hill start.


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## 98530

Most performance tuners will be able to sell you something similar, it's known as chipping in the trade, the guy across the road from me has one on his diesel people carrier, and his MH.

All he does is replace the performance chip with the factory supplied one when he takes either in for a service.

Words of warning though, fuel consumption may or may not be reduced, and there is a risk of blowing the engine earlier than normal as it is working harder than designed for. Turbo's also seem to dislike chipping for long periods of time..... That said the difference in performance can be quite striking!


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## 95818

It works differently than chipping much differently. This is to do with fuel. 

Its a box that sits between the injectors and the ECU. and has no detrimental effect on the engine as this is were most vans are restricted.


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## 88724

Hi Lue

Quote Lue *"Its a box that sits between the injectors and the ECU. and has no detrimental effect on the engine as this is were most vans are restricted."*

Bunkem!, this presupposes that Manufacturers restrict their engines needlessly? why would they do that?

More HP means more strain, particularly on the known weak 5th gear


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## DABurleigh

http://www.vanaaken.com/europe/index.asp?pagename=smartbox

You can claim that's all bunkum too, George, but it got a sale from me 

Dave


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## 88844

They are deliberately chipped to a performance level to accommodate infrequent and poor servicing and low grade fuel sometimes containing impurities. Not common in this country but Fiat British!


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## 88724

Hi Dave

Thats sales blurb and obviously inaccurate, there is so much bull in there you could grow crops. Many of the statements made there are ilogical, if you apply a modicum of thought to them.

This line is so funny

Vehicle Manufacturers have some of the best Technicians and Engineers around - _*but they are working to goals that are different from ours and so the discerning driver loses out. *_

It even contradicts itself worse than a 5 year old

*Fuelling is often decreased to the point of destroying part-throttle driving in an attempt to improve fuel economy figures measured in accordance with Government testing procedures. *

and yet these vehicle manufacturers with their fantastic techs and engineers have missed the simplist way to increase fuel economy and in a way that will enhance the performance Torque and driveability for the descerning driver, all without compromising the reliability of the engine.

Its a common scheister trick to promote the "opposition" but show "why" they would not do it the best way

I could literally hear the sincere American voice over reading that blurb to me and Imagine the Psuedo science "line" tests have shown BS BS as tested at Laboratoire Garnier, ooooh Denon

Apply a little thought to each line what is it telling you? what are they carefully ommiting, what is implied rather than said?

The page is Adspeak and was designed to get your sale, so in that way it was successful, but as a kind of logical reason to buy the unit, its sadly lacking in reality.


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## 98530

Ah well that's just my lack of knowledge showing. Personally I wouldn't like to mess about with the engine settings to much, but it's everyones choice.


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## des

I fitted one to my previous motorhome - 2.8 peugeot. made a huge difference. didn't even know i had a car on the back! no impact on mpg. however, i did burn out a clutch, and wonder if the increased torque was responsible? or just my bad driving? this happened after i got stuck in an awkward situation on a narrow road on a sharp bend by a hill with the car on the back!!! should have taken the car off, but didn't. in any case, cost me £600. (better than the £1200 quoted by main dealer).


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## 95818

They are just fantastic My fuel economy has improved which I was most pleased about after our fist trip out last weekend. :lol: 

So impressed.


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## 88724

Hi Lue

I must be missing something here, but

You say your fuel economy as improved, compared to what? as its your first trip out surely you have nothing to compare it too?


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## 88785

I would think it was their first trip since having their Smart box fitted, not their first ever trip.


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## 88724

No speaka de english

sorry is from Barcelona


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## 2point

Logic, must be based on facts, not opinion?

FUEL CONSUMPTION TEST (Directive 80/1268/EEC as amended by 2004/3/EC)

The new test has been agreed internationally and provides results that are more representative of actual average on-road fuel consumption than previous tests. There are two parts: an urban and an extra-urban cycle. The test cycle is the same as that used to determine the official exhaust emission classification for the model of vehicle in question.


The cars tested have to be run in and must have been driven for at least 1,800 miles (3,000 kilometres) before testing.

Urban cycle

The urban test cycle is carried out in a laboratory at an ambient temperature of 20°C to 30°C on a rolling road from a cold start, i.e. the engine has not run for several hours. The cycle consists of a series of accelerations, steady speeds, decelerations and idling. Maximum speed is 31 mph (50 km/h), average speed 12 mph (19 km/h) and the distance covered is 2.5 miles (4 km). The cycle is shown as Part One in the diagram below.

Extra-urban cycle

This cycle is conducted immediately following the urban cycle and consists of roughly half steady-speed driving and the remainder accelerations, decelerations, and some idling. Maximum speed is 75 mph (120 km/h), average speed is 39 mph (63 km/h) and the distance covered is 4.3 miles (7 km). The cycle is shown as Part Two in the diagram below.

Combined Fuel Consumption Figure

The combined figure presented is for the urban and the extra-urban cycle together. It is therefore an average of the two parts of the test, weighted by the distances covered in each part.

HOW REPRESENTATIVE OF REAL LIFE DRIVING ARE THE STANDARD TESTS? 

Because of the need to maintain strict comparability of results achieved by the standard tests they cannot be fully representative of real life driving conditions. Firstly, it is obviously not practicable to test each individual new car; thus only one production car is tested as being representative of the model and may therefore produce a better or worse result than another similar vehicle. Secondly, there are infinite variations in driving styles and in road, car and weather conditions, all of which can have a bearing on the results achieved. For these reasons the fuel consumption achieved on the road is unlikely to be the same as the official test results.


So, 

Fact 1: MPG figures are lab based and repeatable.

Fact 2: The figures are not fully representative of actual driving conditions.

As these figures are used to compare as a diferentiator between products it is logical that the manus will wish to maximise these figures(fact). It doesn't take much imagination to extrapolate this to determine that mid throttle/pre boost fuel supply will be at an 'ideal' level for fuel economy within these fixed boundary tests(with a leway to allow for useability on the road). For the discerning driver this may not be the optimal for performance in real road driving conditions. 

The graduation of response than the Smartbox supplies allows for another variable to be introduced to the fuel caculation, as you are aware this is complex so actual fuel economy may be better or worse depending on this and other associated factors.


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## 88724

Hi 2 point

They would only optimise the one vehicle going for testing, not hobble every vehicle they ever make.

Why not do it the way smartbox does? then in theory everyone wins, or maybe there is more to this than meets the eye?, after all according to smartbox advertising blurb the _*Vehicle Manufacturers have some of the best Technicians and Engineers around*_ except when it comes to setting engines up it seems........................


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## 2point

To optimise one for testing and the rest for market would be illegal under the homologation legislation.

I worked for Peugeot for 6 years (sad news that the Ryton plant is to close) so have a fair understanding of the motor industry.

Comprimise, not everyone will maintain their vehicle to the highest standards, they try to minimise their exposure to failure by detuning to an 'acceptable' level. The Fiat engine is available in two power standards, the Smartbox appears to raise the performance of the UK model to the other model available trhoughout Europe.

I have already explained that the engines are set to fulfil a specific test that does not fully replicated road conditions, that is not a refelection of the ability, or lack of it, of the engineers. They are fulfilling a KPI, Van A are fulfilling a different KPI.


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## 95818

You can increase the BHP and the torque even higher but then you can encounter problems.

Its the same as my motorcycle it has its engine mapping to work werever its sold to take into consideration altitude which will effect the air intake.

I had it re mapped for the uk giving me more power all 12BHP of it and it ran much smoother as well.


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## 88724

Hi 2 Point

_*
To optimise one for testing and the rest for market would be illegal under the homologation legislation.*_

Yes and Lancia did produce 500 Stratos's to gain homologation  If you get my drift


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## 2point

As did Ford with the RS200. The Homologation was raised from 5 to 200. Then again to 500, this gave birth to the RS500.

Every one of those cars would be identical. Not one and the other 4,199,499 being lower specced versions.

Ford etc gave up with these special models when the hom. levels were raised to the 000,s, it wasn't worth their while trying to legally cheat the 'production car' status.

------------------

I've not had a problem with the performance of the van at the moment to justify a smartbox, I've got the 5th geear that sits at 3000rpm at 70. I'm quite comfortable at 55 to 70 so far.

If I could guarentee a 4mpg improvement over the 26mpg I get at the moment I would be interested (+15% mpg)

I would recoup my investment in 600 gallons time, at 18,000 miles. Not a bad return. Having a large overcab I'm not sure the variables that affect mpg would change that much, the biggest factor is still the aerodynamics of the luton.


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## 88724

Hi 

2 Point it was mmeant to be a subtle Joke, "everyone" knew they didnt make the required number , worse was to follow later they virtually gave away the "production" models

I cant see any manufacturer providing a run in car for economy testing that they have not tweaked, imagine ford who worked out that the claims for people burning to death due to faulty fuel tank arrangement would cost less than changing the production to safe fuel tank and actually noted the decision at a board meeting

anyway this is stretching the pont to far


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## 2point

*It even contradicts itself worse than a 5 year old*

BTW George, your signature is in direct conflict with the terms and conditions of posting material on this forum -

7. Submission of Content on this Web Site
By providing any Content to our web site:
(a) you agree to grant to us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, non-exclusive right and license (including any moral rights or other necessary rights) to use, display, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, distribute, perform, promote, archive, translate, and to create derivative works and compilations, in whole or in part. Such license will apply with respect to any form, media, technology known or later developed;
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## 88724

Hi 2 point

Probably should be a different thread, so I have started another (below link) rather than take this thread Off topic.

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-120488.html#120488


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## 2point

No problem George, I just found it strange that anyone would want to copyright their forum posts.

I don't agree that any 'rights' would be broken, as all posts and information is personally posted, not stolen from other sources.


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## 96523

Text edited out by mods.


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