ARTICLE: How to Modify / Tune your car

hiran77 · 17th September 2014, 10:42

Hey there,

Thanks for the replies. I plan to go to RRP soon. They are currently busy with race preperations. Will be free after october first week.

Turbocharging is something i do not want to try currently. I plan to buy another car in a years time. untill then i do not want to turbocharge. I do not mind if there is some really realiable option available. RRP says ROCAM engine in stock form is not a good option for Turbo. :(

I was more keen to hear from Ford IKON owners who have modified there cars and can help me around.

Specifically regarding performance CAMS and Larger throttle bodies.

Also if any body has tried fitting a mondeo engine into IKON? Most online forums abroad say they are a direct fit?????

allien936 · 25th November 2014, 12:21

One of the important aspects of tuning a Diesel car is by tuning the diesel pump. I had gone to one of the Bosch service stations here in Navi Mumbai to ask for the same, and the service guy told me that he cannot even service it in the work shop as it is a Tdi engine and that cannot be serviced. Dos any BHPian here have an idea regarding this.? Is it true.? If no, then where it can be done.? and most important is, how much it will cost.? because if it is going to cost 15-20 K, then there is no point getting it done and instead i can put a tuning box, as it can be tuned easily for different traffic and road conditions.
Suggestions please..
Regards
Keep Revvin'

Turbo_asd · 13th January 2015, 19:40

Hi fellow BHPians,

Six months ago, my family added a spot of German class to our garage, purchasing a dark blue Volkswagen Polo. As I am the sole car enthusiast in the family, it took some time to convince my parents to look beyond the usual mainstream, boring hatches in the market today. The job of convincing was done quite well by me, and in fact exceeded my own expectations.

A petrol Polo was booked. The 1.2 MPI engine is capable of churning out 75 bhp and 110 nm of torque. I overlooked these puny figures as I was not quite worried about how it drove. Even though was fully aware that even a Brio made more power, I simply loved every other aspect too much to say 'no' to the car as a whole.

A couple of weeks after acquiring the car, my parent noticed the engine's extremely strained nature on slopes, ramps and the like. It gave an ugly growl and threatened to roll back down the slope if the driver was even minutely inattentive. The fuel efficiency we have been getting till date has been miserable-only recently broke the previous record with 10.2 kmpl last week using full tank method.

Mommy and daddy sure had some one to throw the blame on, didn't they?

We immediately brought up the issue with our VW dealer and after taking it on a short spin with us, he pompously concluded that the under-powered nature of the engine was due to the fact that there were only 3 cylinder under the hood, and deemed the behaviour of the engine as 'perfectly normal'!

I know that there is truth in his statement and must admit with great difficulty that my decision to force the Polo on my parents was not quite a perfect one.

Fast forward to six months of ownership and one fine day I bumped into an article about power enhancement. That really got my parents and me thinking. It wasn't long before I caught the modification bug!

As my research continued, the initial excitement wore off rapidly and turned into pure disappointment. The 1.2 MPI being a NA engine, could not gain much via remap or tuning box. We called up tune-o-tronics only to be told that the engine could be tuned to give a phenomenal 6 extra horsepower for 15000 odd rupees!

All hope was not lost however. A BHPian never gives up, right! I read about FFE's and turbo kits and CAI's, but it was all Greek to me. I realized that the 1.2 MPI certainly would not find a place in mods paradise. In case of any possibility that I discovered , I was quickly forced to remember that my dad is extremely skeptical of such modifications, and that he is insanely paranoid about voiding warranty.

I am really in a soup now. Definitely, additional performance has been given priority over warranty. For now, our target is a very reasonable and doable one;100bhp.

The following companies have been considered to carry out the required mods:

1. Red rooster performance: Seem quite promising but don't know about availability of parts for this particular engine. They have something called RRP PowerDRIVE. Worth it?

2. FRK racing: I have high hopes. I've heard of some good turbocharged Esteems coming out from there.

3. Tune-o-tronics: Only into remapping. Certainly won't work for us.

4. Pete's-Don't seem to care about owners of 1.2 MPI.

I haven't visited any as yet as I have not decided which mods need to be carried out.

Some of the products that might help:

1. Free flow exhaust

2. Performance air filter

3. Cold air intake

4. Turbocharging(?)

5. Engine swap.

An engine from the TSI family mated to a manual gearbox would be wonderful!

6. With great bhp must come good disk brakes, but I don't think I require it.

Can't think of any others. Do feel free to drop in your suggestions and which combo you think would work best. As it is visible that I am blissfully ignorant about the details about all these mods, any enlightenment from your side would be of great help. I would specifically like to know about the experiences of those using such products with NA engines like mine, if they show substantial results and maybe, if you like, tell me which of these void warranty.

Thanks,
Turbo_asd

Note to all: Though I am a teen writing about the engine, please do not be under the impression that I encourage or practise under-age driving in any way. All content has been compiled using feedback from my parent.

Technocrat · 14th January 2015, 21:31

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Modification & Accessories. Thanks for posting!

Samba · 14th January 2015, 21:47

I have read you whole post. Doing any mod job will hamper the warranty of your car. Plus reliability may be a concern too. At first you didn't bother about power but now you are looking for a decent 100bhp out put. You should have taken a thorough test drive before booking the car.Am not very sure how much the 3 cylinder mpi engine can be tuned for more power. Regarding Esteem, it has a very mod friendly 4 cylinder engine which can be tuned for higher bhp out put. Plus getting spares and other required parts for esteem will be easier and cheaper than the Polo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo_asd

5. Engine swap.

An engine from the TSI family mated to a manual gearbox would be wonderful!

Well your point number 5 is too good to be true.

But am not very sure about its practicality.

I, in your place would have exchanged the present car for a Polo GT Tsi or any other car charring out 100 bhp. That will be more reliable and i will not lose out on company warranty & reliability issues too.

aswin ajith · 14th January 2015, 22:00

I would suggest you exchange this car for one of the GT twins. You might lose some money while at it but I guess its a small price to pay because there is no point in driving and owning a car that does not make you happy and content.
Cheers!!

Turbo_asd · 14th January 2015, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samba

I have read you whole post. Doing any mod job will hamper the warranty of your car. Plus reliability may be a concern too. At first you didn't bother about power but now you are looking for a decent 100bhp out put. You should have taken a thorough test drive before booking the car.Am not very sure how much the 3 cylinder mpi engine can be tuned for more power.

I, in your place would have exchanged the present car for a Polo GT Tsi or any other car charring out 100 bhp. That will be more reliable and i will not lose out on company warranty too.

Thanks a ton Samba. Yes, I was quite certain that warranty would go for a toss.
Now reliability, that's something to worry about.

We did take a very thorough test drive of the car but for what ever reason, my parents thought the power to be adequate. As I have already mentioned, power was the least of my concerns at that time.

The GT TSI was way above our budget and we weren't looking for an automatic. Would have surely loved to procure the same.

Anyways, what's happened has happened, and there's no turning back the clock.
I'll see what I can do given the present situation without risking reliability. After all, every horsepower counts!

Thanks again for the help!

humyum · 14th January 2015, 22:12

Hey Turbo_asd, chuck all the thoughts about modifications and sell this car and look for something else. If you want mileage+fun to drive factor, try a Swift Diesel. Comes with the reliability of Maruti and its aftersales service. Even the current I20 Elite Diesel is very nice.

msaudf · 14th January 2015, 22:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo_asd

I haven't visited any as yet as I have not decided which mods need to be carried out.

Some of the products that might help:

1. Free flow exhaust

2. Performance air filter

3. Cold air intake

4. Turbocharging(?)

5. Engine swap.

An engine from the TSI family mated to a manual gearbox would be wonderful!

6. With great bhp must come good disk brakes, but I don't think I require it.

Can't think of any others. Do feel free to drop in your suggestions and which combo you think would work best.
Turbo_asd

Hi Turbo_asd,

When it comes with performance enhancement, you need to take it stage by stage. the reasons are several but a simple one is that you need to know the benefits of each and every component that is added to your car to enhance its performance. Take it from my personal experience and that I've seen in others that once you start modding your car theres no end to it. One thing will lead to the other, its always the case. so for you to enjoy doing that you need to take it one stage at a time. Another reason to maybe consider my suggestion is that you allow the engine get used to the higher stress and strain that its designed to take. I dont know if its a hype or actually true but giving a stock engine a sudden jolt of extra 10 to 15bhp would seem like over working the lump, simple metallurgy principles would seem apt here.

Some practical modifications that are possible for your Polo 1.2 MPI would be.
1. Cold air intake.
2. High Lift Camshaft
3. free flow exhaust
4. higher spec spark plug
5. ECU remap
6. Brake upgrade - drilled rotors, bigger calipers and pads.
7. Tyre upgrade.

But keep in mind that all these upgrades may seem to negatively impact your average fuel efficiency because you tend to get carried away with the extra oomph, but if you drive more sedately the figures will surprise you.

good luck and drive safe.

Turbo_asd · 14th January 2015, 22:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by aswin ajith

I would suggest you exchange this car for one of the GT twins. You might lose some money while at it but I guess its a small price to pay because there is no point in driving and owning a car that does not make you happy and content.
Cheers!!

Ah, I might have exaggerated the magnitude of the situation. The power is just about adequate ,but only just. Anyways, the gearshift is to die for apparently. My dad would never exchange a car half an year old, anyways, and has no interest in driving an automatic( GT TSI )
Just wondering what I could do given the car I've already got.
We are not unhappy with the car; far from it. We are just being a little power greedy

thanks for your suggestion.

aswin ajith · 14th January 2015, 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo_asd

Ah, I might have exaggerated the magnitude of the situation. The power is just about adequate ,but only just. Anyways, the gearshift is to die for apparently. My dad would never exchange a car half an year old, anyways, and has no interest in driving an automatic( GT TSI )
Just wondering what I could do given the car I've already got.
We are not unhappy with the car; far from it. We are just being a little power greedy

thanks for your suggestion.

In that case you may go forward with modifications already mentioned.
1 Fully synthetic engine oil (Mobil 1?)
2 Performance plugs (NGK)
3 Air filter (K&N,Green,BMC)
4 FFE (Automech, RRP)
5 Induction kit

These and some more should add some oomph to the 1.2MPI.

rpunwani · 15th January 2015, 12:21

We have a 2012 Polo 1.2 MPI Highline and I tend to agree with Turbo_asd that the car is underpowered when going up an incline from a stop or slow speed.

However - if the handbrake is engaged and the engine revved a bit, the Polo is perfectly capable of going up any incline.

The fuel average in the city is between 11 - 13 km/ltr but on the highways I have got as much as 18 km/ltr from Pune to Mumbai.

Turbo_asd · 15th January 2015, 13:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by rpunwani

We have a 2012 Polo 1.2 MPI Highline and I tend to agree with Turbo_asd that the car is underpowered when going up an incline from a stop or slow speed.

However - if the handbrake is engaged and the engine revved a bit, the Polo is perfectly capable of going up any incline.

The fuel average in the city is between 11 - 13 km/ltr but on the highways I have got as much as 18 km/ltr from Pune to Mumbai.

Thanks rpunwani. True, if the handbrake is engaged, the Polo can manage slopes. My parents are currently getting acquainted to the process as they are used to our i10 shooting up ramps and inclines with unmatched ease. It is obviously down to lighter kerb weight.

Anyways, we want the engine's power not just to be adequate, but slightly surplus to satisfy the enthusiast in us.

About the mileage, most Polo 1.2 MPI owners do report similar fuel efficiency to what you have posted. I wonder what the problem is in our case. It could be because of the uneconomical waste of petrol in our very famous (and frequent) Bangalore traffic jams.

rpunwani · 15th January 2015, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo_asd

About the mileage, most Polo 1.2 MPI owners do report similar fuel efficiency to what you have posted. I wonder what the problem is in our case. It could be because of the uneconomical waste of petrol in our very famous (and frequent) Bangalore traffic jams.

We also have traffic jams in Mumbai and this is the average that we have been getting since the last 3 years. If you drive with a light foot, the average increases by a fair margin.

IshaanIan · 15th January 2015, 14:44

I am going to be blunt and tell you that buying a 1.2 mpi Polo was really a bad decision BUT what's done is done and as long as you are willing to learn and be proactive about maintenance, things can be saved to an extent.
Being a 3 cylinder Polo known for its lack of power and aftermarket support, I wouldn't suggest too many modifications. Here are my recommendations. Have tried to explain everything concisely as well and do hope it all makes sense:

Have a well engineered and installed CAI (cold air intake) cold air means denser levels of oxygen which is always better for combustion. Let me again stress here that installation is very important; it is not about where it will fit but how well the piping is done and whether or not it is getting air from the coldest area in your engine bay.

Well made FFE (free flow exhaust) added to the better intake will mean enhanced overall breathing of your car. You can have one made that isn't too loud and have the glasswool changed at regular intervals.

Slightly lightened Flywheel will do wonders to you shift response and improve acceleration through the gears. All down to the lower rotating mass. (Do thorough research on this one and get it done by the best)

Forged Alloy wheels. The lighter unsprung weight will make your suspension's movements more effectively controlled. Also, lower rotational mass will allow you to benefit from nippier acceleration and improved braking performance as well.

To top it off, have the car remapped after all the mods are done especially after the intake and exhaust set to allow your car to fully benefit from the modifications as well as become more responsive. In the end, it is not about how much power you make in this case; it is about the engine's characteristics displayed on power and torque curves and how the car ultimately utilizes that power.

There really should not be any requirement for upgraded brake rotors with all this done, just better brake pads will do

All these modifications will probably add only 10-15 horses to your car but with the improved breathing performance, fine-tuned ecu map, lighter rotational mass of the flywheel and lighter rotational mass of the tyres as well as unsprung weight, your modified Polo will go faster than any other 85-90 bhp car in the same weight class

Cheers and good luck

PS: your lower fuel economy could be put down to Bangalore's height above sea level which severely (to an enthusiast) hampers a normally aspirated motor's performance

17th September 2014, 10:42	#211
hiran77 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: bangalore Posts: 72 Thanked: 66 Times	Re: ARTICLE: How to Modify / Tune your car Hey there, Thanks for the replies. I plan to go to RRP soon. They are currently busy with race preperations. Will be free after october first week. Turbocharging is something i do not want to try currently. I plan to buy another car in a years time. untill then i do not want to turbocharge. I do not mind if there is some really realiable option available. RRP says ROCAM engine in stock form is not a good option for Turbo. :( I was more keen to hear from Ford IKON owners who have modified there cars and can help me around. Specifically regarding performance CAMS and Larger throttle bodies. Also if any body has tried fitting a mondeo engine into IKON? Most online forums abroad say they are a direct fit?????
	() Thanks

25th November 2014, 12:21	#212
allien936 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Mississauga Posts: 107 Thanked: 134 Times View My Garage	Re: ARTICLE: How to Modify / Tune your car One of the important aspects of tuning a Diesel car is by tuning the diesel pump. I had gone to one of the Bosch service stations here in Navi Mumbai to ask for the same, and the service guy told me that he cannot even service it in the work shop as it is a Tdi engine and that cannot be serviced. Dos any BHPian here have an idea regarding this.? Is it true.? If no, then where it can be done.? and most important is, how much it will cost.? because if it is going to cost 15-20 K, then there is no point getting it done and instead i can put a tuning box, as it can be tuned easily for different traffic and road conditions. Suggestions please.. Regards Keep Revvin'
	() Thanks

13th January 2015, 19:40	#213
Turbo_asd BHPian Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Bangalore Posts: 111 Thanked: 95 Times	VW Polo 1.2 MPI- The modification struggle of 2015 Hi fellow BHPians, Six months ago, my family added a spot of German class to our garage, purchasing a dark blue Volkswagen Polo. As I am the sole car enthusiast in the family, it took some time to convince my parents to look beyond the usual mainstream, boring hatches in the market today. The job of convincing was done quite well by me, and in fact exceeded my own expectations. A petrol Polo was booked. The 1.2 MPI engine is capable of churning out 75 bhp and 110 nm of torque. I overlooked these puny figures as I was not quite worried about how it drove. Even though was fully aware that even a Brio made more power, I simply loved every other aspect too much to say 'no' to the car as a whole. A couple of weeks after acquiring the car, my parent noticed the engine's extremely strained nature on slopes, ramps and the like. It gave an ugly growl and threatened to roll back down the slope if the driver was even minutely inattentive. The fuel efficiency we have been getting till date has been miserable-only recently broke the previous record with 10.2 kmpl last week using full tank method. Mommy and daddy sure had some one to throw the blame on, didn't they? We immediately brought up the issue with our VW dealer and after taking it on a short spin with us, he pompously concluded that the under-powered nature of the engine was due to the fact that there were only 3 cylinder under the hood, and deemed the behaviour of the engine as 'perfectly normal'! I know that there is truth in his statement and must admit with great difficulty that my decision to force the Polo on my parents was not quite a perfect one. Fast forward to six months of ownership and one fine day I bumped into an article about power enhancement. That really got my parents and me thinking. It wasn't long before I caught the modification bug! As my research continued, the initial excitement wore off rapidly and turned into pure disappointment. The 1.2 MPI being a NA engine, could not gain much via remap or tuning box. We called up tune-o-tronics only to be told that the engine could be tuned to give a phenomenal 6 extra horsepower for 15000 odd rupees! All hope was not lost however. A BHPian never gives up, right! I read about FFE's and turbo kits and CAI's, but it was all Greek to me. I realized that the 1.2 MPI certainly would not find a place in mods paradise. In case of any possibility that I discovered , I was quickly forced to remember that my dad is extremely skeptical of such modifications, and that he is insanely paranoid about voiding warranty. I am really in a soup now. Definitely, additional performance has been given priority over warranty. For now, our target is a very reasonable and doable one;100bhp. The following companies have been considered to carry out the required mods: 1. Red rooster performance: Seem quite promising but don't know about availability of parts for this particular engine. They have something called RRP PowerDRIVE. Worth it? 2. FRK racing: I have high hopes. I've heard of some good turbocharged Esteems coming out from there. 3. Tune-o-tronics: Only into remapping. Certainly won't work for us. 4. Pete's-Don't seem to care about owners of 1.2 MPI. I haven't visited any as yet as I have not decided which mods need to be carried out. Some of the products that might help: 1. Free flow exhaust 2. Performance air filter 3. Cold air intake 4. Turbocharging(?) 5. Engine swap. An engine from the TSI family mated to a manual gearbox would be wonderful! 6. With great bhp must come good disk brakes, but I don't think I require it. Can't think of any others. Do feel free to drop in your suggestions and which combo you think would work best. As it is visible that I am blissfully ignorant about the details about all these mods, any enlightenment from your side would be of great help. I would specifically like to know about the experiences of those using such products with NA engines like mine, if they show substantial results and maybe, if you like, tell me which of these void warranty. Thanks, Turbo_asd Note to all: Though I am a teen writing about the engine, please do not be under the impression that I encourage or practise under-age driving in any way. All content has been compiled using feedback from my parent. Last edited by Turbo_asd : 14th January 2015 at 16:55.
	() Thanks

14th January 2015, 21:31	#214
Technocrat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: GTA Posts: 14,770 Thanked: 2,705 Times	Re: VW Polo 1.2 MPI- The modification struggle of 2015 Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Modification & Accessories. Thanks for posting!
	() Thanks

14th January 2015, 22:00	#216
aswin ajith BHPian Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: KL 39 Posts: 144 Thanked: 397 Times	Re: VW Polo 1.2 MPI- The modification struggle of 2015 I would suggest you exchange this car for one of the GT twins. You might lose some money while at it but I guess its a small price to pay because there is no point in driving and owning a car that does not make you happy and content. Cheers!!
	(2) Thanks

14th January 2015, 22:12	#218
humyum Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,825 Thanked: 5,851 Times	Re: VW Polo 1.2 MPI- The modification struggle of 2015 Hey Turbo_asd, chuck all the thoughts about modifications and sell this car and look for something else. If you want mileage+fun to drive factor, try a Swift Diesel. Comes with the reliability of Maruti and its aftersales service. Even the current I20 Elite Diesel is very nice.
	(1) Thanks

15th January 2015, 12:21	#222
rpunwani BHPian Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Mumbai Posts: 580 Thanked: 787 Times	Re: VW Polo 1.2 MPI- The modification struggle of 2015 We have a 2012 Polo 1.2 MPI Highline and I tend to agree with Turbo_asd that the car is underpowered when going up an incline from a stop or slow speed. However - if the handbrake is engaged and the engine revved a bit, the Polo is perfectly capable of going up any incline. The fuel average in the city is between 11 - 13 km/ltr but on the highways I have got as much as 18 km/ltr from Pune to Mumbai.
	() Thanks

15th January 2015, 14:44	#225
IshaanIan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Hyd Posts: 3,753 Thanked: 7,726 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (7)	Re: VW Polo 1.2 MPI- The modification struggle of 2015 I am going to be blunt and tell you that buying a 1.2 mpi Polo was really a bad decision BUT what's done is done and as long as you are willing to learn and be proactive about maintenance, things can be saved to an extent. Being a 3 cylinder Polo known for its lack of power and aftermarket support, I wouldn't suggest too many modifications. Here are my recommendations. Have tried to explain everything concisely as well and do hope it all makes sense: Have a well engineered and installed CAI (cold air intake) cold air means denser levels of oxygen which is always better for combustion. Let me again stress here that installation is very important; it is not about where it will fit but how well the piping is done and whether or not it is getting air from the coldest area in your engine bay. Well made FFE (free flow exhaust) added to the better intake will mean enhanced overall breathing of your car. You can have one made that isn't too loud and have the glasswool changed at regular intervals. Slightly lightened Flywheel will do wonders to you shift response and improve acceleration through the gears. All down to the lower rotating mass. (Do thorough research on this one and get it done by the best) Forged Alloy wheels. The lighter unsprung weight will make your suspension's movements more effectively controlled. Also, lower rotational mass will allow you to benefit from nippier acceleration and improved braking performance as well. To top it off, have the car remapped after all the mods are done especially after the intake and exhaust set to allow your car to fully benefit from the modifications as well as become more responsive. In the end, it is not about how much power you make in this case; it is about the engine's characteristics displayed on power and torque curves and how the car ultimately utilizes that power. There really should not be any requirement for upgraded brake rotors with all this done, just better brake pads will do All these modifications will probably add only 10-15 horses to your car but with the improved breathing performance, fine-tuned ecu map, lighter rotational mass of the flywheel and lighter rotational mass of the tyres as well as unsprung weight, your modified Polo will go faster than any other 85-90 bhp car in the same weight class Cheers and good luck PS: your lower fuel economy could be put down to Bangalore's height above sea level which severely (to an enthusiast) hampers a normally aspirated motor's performance Last edited by IshaanIan : 15th January 2015 at 15:02.
	(2) Thanks