ECU programming will improve power and torque figures, increase throttle response and widen the power-band, resulting in a more flexible engine and a much sharper drive.
Another major benefit of remapping is a reduction in fuel consumption. Extra torque at the bottom of the rev range requires less throttle input on acceleration and when maintaining steady speeds. The vehicle can also be driven in a higher gear at slower speeds, thus reducing revs, and this also applies to driving when fully loaded, towing or driving through elevation changes
The obvious question of course is: ‘Why don’t carmakers fine-tune their own ECU’s?’ Well, large manufacturers sell vehicles across various markets that have extreme climates, different tax/emission regulations and diverse fuel quality. They have to take all these factors in to consideration and therefore need to make substantial compromises in their tuning set-up. However, without facing such restrictions, we can safely optimize outputs thus unlocking engine potential.
ECU Remapping is a safe process. It is just allowing the engine to perform as it can and should do without the compromises.