Are Tuning Boxes Safe?

[@AndrewSmith-sy7ws]

one thing i have come to learn is software tuners hate tuning boxes and will always bash on tuning boxes or hve something negative to say about them. i have had a tuning box from a local tuner in my 206kw (276hp) Golf 7R for the past 8 months now and all has been fine. First i ran the tuning box without a downpipe for a few months and my car made 238kw (319hp) and 488Nm at the wheels on the dyno. what i did notice however is in some instances at 3rd gear i would hit a flat spot on the power range after which the tuner recommended i install a downpipe as he believed the engine was not getting sufficient air and the sudden drop in power was actually the cars ECU protecting the engine. Modern engines have extensive safety settings in place from factory. After getting the downpipe the car pulls strong right through the rev range in every single gear and i am now making 247kw (331hp) and 528Nm at the wheels. Remember a tuning box is not a sh*tty tune that replaces your cars ECU way of thinking it is just a piggy back which rides on the cars original ECU meaning that your cars ECU still functions and still has its safety parameters in place to kick in at the sight of any problem it detects.

[@DriveTuneMedia]

They have their pluses and minuses. On the plus side they are using a map that was in the ECU from the factory ie its been tested, a lot. On the negative side they are using a factory map so there is potentially untapped power available which only a remap can access.

[@AndrewSmith-sy7ws]

@@DriveTuneMedia 100% correct 👌

[@redux1647]

i have a tuning box for a ford fiesta mkv na and seems to make a decent amount of power with the box and that is a bit sketch i think its running it lean it modifies the map signal/voltage that is all it does like a pot on the map sensor this isn't safe surely the car only has a map no maf fuel trims are s0 l0 under load it flutates + and minus but on average stays near 0 0

[@DriveTuneMedia]

If your OBD outputs the wideband lambda AFRs that would be a worth a look.