ARTICLE: How to Modify / Tune your car

[Turbo_asd]

Thanks for the suggestions IshaanIan.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I am going to be blunt and tell you that buying a 1.2 mpi Polo was really a bad decision

Couldn't agree more. It is definitely a mistake to learn from.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

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.

I did not quite understand that one. My Polo already comes with alloys. Would they suffice, or are even lighter ones recommended?

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

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.

Exactly what we need. I really admire your ability to explain the most complicated of things to the dullest of people!

[NPV]

*This is for a friend who is an avid Team BHP reader, not a member yet.
He has a 5 year old first gen Swift Dzire Lxi (Petrol) that has done about 95K.
Having driven it around for 5 years extensively, he has had an enjoyable trouble-free ownership experience. He now intends to carry out some performance mods and keep the car at least for 2 more years before selling it.

Current list of mods he is thinking about are (purely based on what he has heard from friends, and is a bit confused too ):
1. K&N Air Filter
2. Free Flow Exhaust
3. ECU Remap/Chipping

*Neither my friend nor myself have much knowledge in the area of performance mods so requesting the experts to pitch in here with any suggestions/recommendations for stuff to soup up the vehicle as well as places to get the work done.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by NPV

Current list of mods he is thinking about are (purely based on what he has heard from friends, and is a bit confused too ):
1. K&N Air Filter
2. Free Flow Exhaust
3. ECU Remap/Chipping

Go for porting job on the cylinder heads, a full exhaust setup with headers, and a cold air intake (just a drop in OEM filter won't do the trick) once all this is done, he can have the car remapped. Be warned that remapping a normally aspirated petrol will not give huge gains if your friend is perceptive about the way his car drives he will notice the improvement in tractability of the motor with more toques served up lower down the rev-range because of the exhaust and remap (if he chooses his tune to be that way), stronger mid-range due to the intake and more power towards the redline due to the ported cylinder heads.

Cheers!

[SahilSawant]

Hello BHPians,

After driving an Innova for 4 years, bought a Grand i10 Asta(O) 1.2 Petrol, 3 months back.

The i10 is an excellent car. Excellent features, Good handling and very comfortable. The only problem I've faced is Power. I feel it lags at times in the mid range and I'm not getting the satisfaction after driving the Innova for so long(That's obvious)

So, I was thinking of adding some harmless performance mods. Harmless as in, I wouldn't want it to affect the mileage drastically. Kindly suggest me some mods which can help me give some boost and better acceleration.

Thanks in advance

[S2!!!]

Why don't you take a look at this thread and take tips from here: http://www.team-bhp.com/advice/how-modify-tune-your-car

The basic stage 1 modifications will not affect your fuel efficiency if you drive sanely. If anything, your F.E. will only improve.

I'm quite surprised when you say that you didn't like the mid-range punch of your Grand i10 petrol. Having owned the car for a year now, I actually think the mid-range is very good. There is a certain spike between ~1,900 and 4,000 RPM after which the power tapers.

[SahilSawant]

Thanks S2.

The problem is, acceleration lags till 3000 RPM and after that, I get a slight boost. It feels good when the boost kicks in, but it impacts the overall acceleration.

I think I'll get it checked with a Hyundai Service centre if you're saying there's a spike between 1900-4000 RPM

[reihem]

Dear All,

I performed a thread search for "toad" before posting this but didn't see any posts mentioning it. Has anyone here had any experience with TOAD for ecu tuning ? I was planning on purchasing their software and fooling around with my Ciaz Zxi AT. Would be great to interact with anyone who has used TOAD (or anything else you recommend) for amateur ECU tuning ?

http://www.totalcardiagnostics.com/toad/

[Detritus]

Hi people,
I bought an XUV500 in March, and was disappointed to see Mahindra launch an updated version just a couple months later.
Is it possible or advisable to install a sunroof on my version? Can the one on the new model be ported over? What would it cost?

[Nishit]

This is absolutely brilliant GTO. Super job on the article.

I was planning to venture into mods territory for my ANHC , will start with Stage 1 mods.

Can you recommend any good tuners in Mumbai ?
I would prefer to work with 1 tuner who can handle all performance mods for my car rather than getting it done from multiple tuners.

Please advice !!

[Nishit]

Originally Posted by tharian

A CAI or a performance filter is part of a Stage 1 mod. If you are going to get a CAI done on a stock engine with everything else stock, it will just make it howl.
Along with the performance filter, the exhaust needs to be done which is what make the engine breathe free. It is more about getting the engine to breathe free so its revs easier than actually a huge performance gain which is what usually people think of when they hear performance filter or CAI.

Hey Tharian , after reading your posts and every other post on this thread I really feel very confident about getting into 1st level mods on my ANHC. I love my car and that's the reason I want to be a 100% sure before i venture into this. I want to churn out some more power on mid range.

I want to get a CAI & FFE done with headers to begin with.

I really need yours and others help on a few things -

1. Performance Filter - K&N drop in filter / CAI - Which is better ? I have seen mixed reviews on both !! As I live in Mumbai the roads get very bad during monsoons with puddles everywhere, will this effect the CAI ?. Also if K&N can give me the same power as that of a CAI isn't is feasible and practical to go in for K&N only ?

2. FFE - Are Automech the best in mumbai for FFE on Honda City's ? Also if the CatCon is removed the emissions will go off the chart. Will this effect whenever I go to get my PUC done ? Is there a way of retaining the catcon ?

3. Both Performance Filter / CAI and FFE put together how much approx will it cost ? Any where can i get this done in Mumbai apart from Automech

Is there any other mods you you suggest for stage 1 ?

this is the 1st time I am getting a mod done !! Your advice and suggestions are the only source of primary info for me !! Requesting everybody to please guide me !!

[Nishit]

Originally Posted by GTO

[b][u]

STAGE ONE MODIFICATIONS

[==========

After reading your posts and every other post on this thread I really feel very confident about getting into 1st level mods on my ANHC. I love my car and that's the reason I want to be a 100% sure before i venture into this.

I want to get a Performance Air Filter/CAI & FFE done with headers to begin with to churn out some more power on low and mid range.

I really need yours and others help on a few things -

1. Performance Filter - K&N drop in filter / CAI - Which is better ? I have seen mixed reviews on both !! As I live in Mumbai the roads get very bad during monsoons with puddles everywhere, will this effect the CAI ?. Also if K&N can give me the same power as that of a CAI isn't is feasible and practical to go in for K&N only ?

2. FFE - Are Automech the best in mumbai for FFE on Honda City's ? Also if the CatCon is removed the emissions will go off the chart. Will this effect whenever I go to get my PUC done ? Is there a way of retaining the catcon ?

3. Both Performance Filter / CAI and FFE put together how much approx will it cost ? Any where can i get this done in Mumbai apart from Automech

Is there any other mods you you suggest for stage 1 ?

this is the 1st time I am getting a mod done !! Your advice and suggestions are the only source of primary info for me !! Requesting everybody to please guide me !!

[allien936]

Hello BHPians
i got a Cosworth CAI and an exhaust muffler with SS piping from DC sport, installed on my Skoda Fabia 1.4 Tdi. I am looking forward for further modification. The big question is should i go for an ECU remap or A race chip.
A race chip will allow me to do some real time changes in power and economy modes. But a remap will not give me such benefits, as the car will be running continuously at the same map. Unless, there are some tuners in the market that give me the option to toggle between different maps at the flick of a switch. Is this possible.?

[Prodigy07]

Hi All,

Can someone suggest a good end can for my Ertiga Petrol (1.4 VVT)?

I'm looking for an exhaust with a deep sound and not too loud.

[hsegoy33]

Can i get some modifications done to a TATA Venture to get more power as it feels very sluggish with even 2 people on a slope and also need to improve the braking?

[SuperMane]

Just came across this. Don't know if this is right place to post in. But this guy has tremendous amount of knowledge when it comes to tuning a car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bkDKqoGSdU