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Vehicle Tuning Considerations

We love to provide all of our customers with a quality result at a fair price. A happy customer makes us happy.

When it comes to tuning and performance enhancement in general, there are many variables that can affect the quality of the tune, or require attention to get a satisfactory result. For this reason, we have developed a list of considerations to think about prior to having your vehicle tuned.

We suggest contacting us if you have any specific questions.

What are the limitations of your ECU?

Factory ECUs are typically a great option for standard, mild and moderately modified road vehicles. They are designed to use factory engine sensors, so these must be in good usable condition, fit for the purpose of producing more power. PBMS recommend upgrading to modern aftermarket engine management for high power  or motorsport use.

Aftermarket ECUs also need to be fit for purpose. Many older units are slow and unreliable when a quality result is desired. On the other hand, some modern vehicles have highly complex electrical systems that require advanced engine management systems so the rest of the vehicle can maintain correct function.a

Is your maintenance up to date?

It’s important your maintenance is kept up to date to look after the engine and reduce issues on the dyno. PBMS can help with all servicing needs.

Will it effect any vehicle warranty or insurance policy you have?

Please check this with your policy providers prior to making a booking.

Is your engine (and vehicle as a whole) in good, usable condition?

To get the most out of your vehicle, in a safe and reliable manner; the whole car needs to be in good working order. If you need anything attended to, the PBMS team are more than happy to help.

Is your fuel pump up to the task?

We often find that an ageing fuel pump doesn’t perform well enough to provide fuelling for a standard power level, let alone for more power. Check with the PBMS team to ensure your your fuel pump is up to your power requirement, even if it’s already upgraded.

Are the factory air flow and MAP sensors good for what you want?

These sensors typically work well for standard system air-flow and factory boost levels, however more power and boost means more air into the engine. This can require a larger air flow meter (or housing) and higher reading MAP sensor.

Are your injectors large enough to support the power level you’re after?

Like the air flow meter, bigger injectors are often needed to support higher power levels. Quality and design of larger injectors also play an important role in vehicle reliability, drivability and power. PBMS recommend against using decapped injectors and recommend ensuring your ECU is compatible with injectors before fitting.

Do you have a suitable bung in your exhaust to fit an O2 sensor for tuning?

To accurately tune any car, we need to monitor the air/fuel ratio of exhaust gases. We like to have access to an O2 bung after a turbo and before any catalytic convertor, whilst being able to keep any factory sensors in place.

Once you have more power, do your suspension and brakes need to be improved?

‘Power is nothing without control’, so you may want to improve the handling and braking capacity of our vehicle to match the new found power.

Tyres

In the same vein as suspension and brakes, it’s important for a safe vehicle to have quality tyres for good control. Additionally, a vehicle must have safe tyres for PBMS to run your vehicle on our dyno, and complete a post-tune test drive.

Are you going to use the vehicle for Motorsport or at a racetrack?

This will alter the way we tune and prepare the vehicle, and may also prompt further recommendations for safety and reliability. Please let the PBMS team know when making your booking.

We suggest contacting us if you have any specific questions.