# Remapping or Booster chips



## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Not so much about which is best but please advise if you have an opinion or experience 2.3jtd or 2.8jtd in particular.

I was more wondering about the insurance side of it, I've not seen it discussed, and I wondered A, if anyone had informed their insurance company, & B, what it did the the premium.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

From discussions I have had with an expert in this area I know that car remapping cannot be seen unless diagnostic machinery is plugged in and an expert who knows what they are looking for, is checking. 

Not wishing to implicate myself in this so I'll speak of a friend who had their daily driver remapped and, based on this, decided to not tell their insurance so as to avoid all kinds of difficult to answer questions and potential risk to their insurance premiums :smile2:

Graham :smile2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Some have just a plug in chip, so I dare say any decent Insurance mechanic would know what it is, and they would likely know where to look for one, and I suppose it wouldn't be beyond them to have a laptop to check the ECU for changes either.

Has anyone bought insurance for the MoHo (not a car) then chipped it or had it remapped then informed the insurance company, if so what extra premium did they require if any?


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

Kev, I had my 2.8JTD remapped from 130 to 160, it made a very noticeable difference to torque at lower revs, and very driveable which is necessary with the 5 speed hi ratio top gear malarkey

why tell the insurance, they can't know, and all they would want to know for is to load the premium unnecessarily

it was an ECU reflash so no physical evidence of anything untoward

I have a plugin box if you want to give it a go, but all that does is overfuel it and so it's not quite the same as spending £300ish on a remap


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Sprinta said:


> Kev, I had my 2.8JTD remapped from 130 to 160, it made a very noticeable difference to torque at lower revs, and very driveable which is necessary with the 5 speed hi ratio top gear malarkey
> 
> why tell the insurance, they can't know, and all they would want to know for is to load the premium unnecessarily


If they ask if it has been modified, and you say no, then you are not insured basically, and yes, I think they would know, you may get away by saying it was fitted before you bought it, but would that suffice.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Sprinta said:


> why tell the insurance, they can't know, and all they would want to know for is to load the premium unnecessarily
> 
> *it was an ECU reflash so no physical evidence of anything untoward*


That is exactly my view and what I alluded to.

Graham :smile2:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

GMJ said:


> That is exactly my view and what I alluded to.
> 
> Graham :smile2:


But I reckon they can Graham, they just contact Fiat or whoever and ask for a the standard map data and compare, assuming they do not already have it on file.


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

It's a risk/reward situation for the owner and the insurers.

If you fit a remap and tell your insurers, you are legally covered by your full insurance.

If you don't tell them and it subsequently turns up as part of an accident investigation, you are likely to have your insurance revoked.

Not worth the risk in my view as the reward just isn't worth it.

If the engine isn't powerful enough, you bought the wrong van.

Peter


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## dalspa (Jul 1, 2008)

I agree with Peter on this one. If you don't inform the insurers of any change(s) then they could say that you are not covered. I fitted a plug in module to our first van (2.8jtd) and told my insurers that it didn't make it go any faster, but made it safer to drive as less gear changes etc. They did not increase the premiums. 
Why not ring your insurers and ask them, before fitting. Nothing to lose in asking.

DavidL


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Well I think that Peter and DavidL have just about more than covered it.

cabby


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Not really Phil, I was looking for someone who had reported the change, and got a figure of the premium change if any.


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## javea (Jun 8, 2007)

Kev_n_Liz said:


> Some have just a plug in chip, so I dare say any decent Insurance mechanic would know what it is, and they would likely know where to look for one, and I suppose it wouldn't be beyond them to have a laptop to check the ECU for changes either.
> 
> Has anyone bought insurance for the MoHo (not a car) then chipped it or had it remapped then informed the insurance company, if so what extra premium did they require if any?


I had my 3 litre Fiat remapped by Wow Power, as a retired insurance broker I knew I had to tell Comfort about it - no additional charge. Don't risk not advising your insurer, you could be in for big trouble if you don't.

Mike


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

To discover any POSSIBLE alteration to your engines ECU anyone will first need to suspect it had been done, secondly have the wherewithal (and desire) to interrogate that particular vehicles ECU, and thirdlY be able to PROVE that the CURRENT owner either knew of, or arranged for, the remap,

An awful lot of pieces would need to come together to enable anyone to be in a situation to prove anything. In my 30+ years I never ever ever heard of any police or insurance company even mentioning the possibility of a vehicles ECU ever having been tinkered with!

I had a 3 litre Fiat based Autotrail that had been remapped, it was such an "easy" drive because it had so much low down torque. Having said that I had to be very careful at low revs in a high gear because applying too much throttle would very quickly induce clutch slip!!!! Fuel consumption was pretty good as well, continental motorway and main rd use would return about 28mpg, which, for a four tonne lump I considered excellent. 

I think you will find that remapping a MH is like fitting a towbar as far as insurance companies are concerned, they like to know, but don't increase the premiums, their attitude being that you are hardly likely to have had it remapped in order you can drive it like you stole it as I have yet to find a MH that is a performance vehicle.

Andy


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## talogon (Aug 12, 2009)

Kev I had my 2.3jtd remapped by quantum, I told my insurers who were HMF at the time I think. They did not charge me any extra.
I thought the remap made the motorhome much nicer to drive, less gear changes on long hills etc. The only thing I did notice was if I got a bit heavy with the right boot I could get the clutch to slip.
I soon got used to it and was lighter with the size ten.
Brian


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## trek (May 1, 2005)

Friends had their 2.3 remapped and used cruise control , soon burnt out their clutch , which then through an incompetant mechanic who hadnt refitted the gear box drain plug properly resulted in a wrecked gearbox due to,lack of gearbox oil

All in all a very expensive remap !



My personal feelings are if these remaps are so good why dont the manufacturers set their engines up so?


After all the manufacturer has plenty of resources and expertise , yet some trust their pride and joy to a back street garage to remap it


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Clutch slip seem so to be happening a lot it seem with mapped and chipped vans, out Laika had been done and withing a week I had the clutch slipping, you just don't need to change down, but they definitely buggers clutches, thereafter I took the advice promoted on here, "it's still a hill, it's still a heavy van, Change down for hills" not sure why you'd need to map/chip a 3.0 though.


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