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How to tune a car engine for power or economy

Let’s take a look at ways to tune a car engine and what exactly we mean by engine tuning.

First up we have to accept that there are many different types of engines.

We can only cover generic theory in this article on how to tune a car and suggest if you want more specific advice you sign up to our car forums where our helpful and friendly members will assist you further.

What is brake fade and what causes brake fade?

This phenomenon known as brake fade can be quite unexpected and lethal and I would hazard a guess that 1 in 4 cars are likely to experience brake fade to some degree. Brake fade manifests itself by a spongy feel on the pedal and little or no braking force. Do not confuse brake fade with bad brakes or a mechanical fault as it applies to brake systems in relatively good condition.

Suspension settings, lowering and stiffening

On the track your priority is fast cornering and suspension plays a large part in this. Track conditions are quite forgiving and you can make some compromises like using hard suspension and lowering the car for optimum aerodynamics and a low centre of gravity.

This works well because tracks are fairly flat and you do not have a carrier bag full of eggs in the car from your return trip to the supermarket.

Remaps for diesel engines

Our members frequently talk about their latest mods and power figures. Many of our members have remapped their diesel engines and boast of more power, better economy and unchanged reliability.

But do the claims live up to reality? What sort of power figures can you get from a diesel remap? Diesels have really come so far in a very short time.

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