Many articles have been written about what chip tuning is, and you can find one of them on our website. Here, however, I will focus more on preparing the car properly for tuning so that we achieve good results on the dynamometer and ensure that the operation of such a vehicle is as safe and trouble-free as possible.

I often compare a car to a human because in many respects, especially when it comes to maintaining good condition, we act in a similar way. Just as a human needs regular check-ups to assess health and ensure that nothing is wrong, the same applies to cars. Service inspections were not invented just to take money from users. A car, like a living organism, should undergo regular inspections where the key mechanisms, parts, etc., are checked. Additionally, consumable fluids and filters need to be replaced. The manufacturer specifies when and what should be replaced, but while we can be sure that inspections are carried out correctly for new cars, it can be difficult to determine for cars with higher mileage or multiple owners. Therefore, especially in such cases, it is recommended to perform a comprehensive service and replace everything from A to Z.

How does this relate to tuning? In short, the increase in power also leads to increased stress on many car systems. Therefore, it is important that the most stressed systems are well prepared for what lies ahead. The biggest increase in stress occurs in the drivetrain and transmission systems, and then, due to the possibility of achieving higher/better accelerations, which require stronger/sharper braking, the braking system may not perform as well as in a standard car.

So where do we start the preparations for tuning?

First and foremost, we need to ask ourselves why we need it. Will the car still serve as a daily driver, with the power used sporadically? Do we need a powerful and fast car to cover distances quickly? Will the car be used on the track or just on the road? We need to determine the purpose and conditions in which the extra power will be used to prepare the car properly for power increase. Below are some examples of car use cases and what needs to be particularly considered when preparing the vehicle.

1. Regular daily driver needing more power/torque for occasional overtaking maneuvers.

This category includes almost 80-90% of all our customers. Some bought a car and were disappointed with the performance, others have used the car for a while and started to feel that something was missing, while others believe that the car needs a little refreshment because it's not worth spending money on other unknown problems... and there are probably a trillion other reasons, but they all have one thing in common – the cars are not "worn out," and the power is used occasionally. In such cases, the most important thing is to inspect and service the car. We need to check when certain parts and consumable fluids were last replaced, inspect the condition of the braking system – the quality of the fluid, discs/pads/brake hoses, and if anything raises our or the mechanic's doubts, it must be replaced, preferably with very good quality options from third parties or original parts, which in many cases are not much more expensive than third-party options. We recommend replacing pads and discs with sporty alternatives from manufacturers like DBA, Howk, etc.

2. Fast and powerful distance runner, designed to get us from point A to point B as quickly as possible. These are usually fast "hot hatches" like Golf R, Focus RS, Megane RS, etc.

Such cars are usually powerful from the factory and have braking systems adapted to high-speed braking, but that does not change the fact that these braking systems are not always ideal and as we want them. Fast and powerful cars are used more intensively, so the intervals between services must be shortened, and during each service, the braking system must be serviced every time. We recommend upgrading the braking system as much as possible, installing better and stronger discs and pads and replacing brake hoses with braided ones. Brake fluid must be replaced with a better quality sports fluid with a higher boiling point. It is important to remember that the "better" the brake fluid is and the more resistant it is to hard braking and high temperatures, the worse its resistance to aging will be compared to standard fluid. Therefore, it is extremely important to replace the brake fluid at least every season and always after the car has been idle and not used for longer than a month.

3. Cars for track driving. Here there is no need to write much, for users of such cars are the most conscious car owners. Most of them have crashed on the track or witnessed an accident and know perfectly well that all savings on service and parts can be fatal when breaking their own records. Because nothing is as annoying as not having brakes when you need to brake, or the engine exploding when accelerating out of the corner. Although standard cars on the track handle reasonably well, those that have had increased power may be difficult to drive without proper preparation. Firstly, the braking system must be in perfect condition. More efficient brakes, better brake fluid are basic, additionally, the cooling system for the brakes should be improved. Braided hoses are a "must-have." In addition, we recommend improving the cooling of the air intake by installing a more efficient intercooler, improving engine cooling, and modifying the exhaust system to ensure lower backpressure than standard. Routine service should be performed as often as possible, especially before increasing power, all filters and consumable fluids must be replaced. Everything I have written above is general.

You need to assess the situation yourself and think about how your car will be used and calculate how much you need to spend to do everything right from A to Z. If you are not sure what to do and how to prepare, you can write to us – we will tell you what needs to be done and what is recommended in your case.

Regardless of what you need the car for and how you plan to use it, be sure to check and prepare the drivetrain for tuning. We do not tune cars with diesel engines older than 15 years or gasoline engines older than 10 years. If the car has covered more than 150,000 km with a diesel engine or 100,000 km with a gasoline engine, and/or if it was purchased less than 6 months ago, before increasing power, you must go to a professional workshop/car service to check and potentially repair/replace parts/components such as:

1. Injection system (injectors, HPFP, LPFP)
2. Turbo
3. Bearings
4. Oil seals
5. Unclean
6. Crankshaft
7. Cylinder density
8. Cylinder compression ratio
9. Condition of DPF/catalys
10. Cleaning of the intercooler, and then checking the intake system for leaks
11. Check clutch and flywheel for vibrations/grinding, etc.

In addition, all consumable fluids and filters must be replaced. If the car has not been checked, or if it has been checked and there is a defect or part that needs to be replaced, unfortunately, we will not perform tuning. If you do not know which workshop to use to check your car, we can recommend one of the workshops we cooperate with.

For cars with mileage of less than 100,000 km for gasoline engines or 150,000 km for diesel engines, you can also use the check mentioned above, but it is not required by us. However, all cars must be checked and prepared for tuning in the way we recommend:

1. Diesel engines a) Fresh oil – we recommend changing the engine oil together with the oil filter, especially if more than 10,000 km have passed since the last change. b) Fresh air filter – especially if more than 10,000 km have passed since the last change. c) Fresh fuel filter – here we recommend ONLY original filters. d) The car must be fully fueled. e) Fresh gearbox oil if the last change was more than 40,000 km ago for DSG or 60,000 km ago for manual gearbox.

2. Gasoline engines a) Fresh oil – we recommend changing the engine oil together with the oil filter, especially if more than 8,000 km have passed since the last change. b) Fresh air filter – especially if more than 10,000 km have passed since the last change. c) New spark plugs – especially if more than 40,000 km have passed since the last change. d) New ignition coils – especially if more than 80,000 km have passed since the last change. e) New DV valve – new type of valve. f) New oil separator – especially if more than 50,000 km have passed since the last change. g) The car must be fully fueled. h) Fresh gearbox oil if the last change was more than 40,000 km ago for DSG or 60,000 km ago for manual gearbox.In addition, the following must be checked in all the above cases: a) Is the intake system functional – are there any hoses that are cracked, holes in the intercooler, and if all clamps hold tight. b) If the car goes into limp mode during hard acceleration and the computer limits power, you must first repair the fault causing the limp mode.