Brendan Hughes

Or why does SN keep quiet about them?

I've been reading this forum for years, every time someone gets /thinks of a Seat/VW diesel it doesn't take long for a poster to add "Get it chipped ".

No-one says that about Fords - why not? Not suitable for it? Engines too fragile? OEM already mapped to the peak?

Say what you like about Fords, they do have fun chassis, and I don't see why people don't buy a Focus and chip it to get economy and still a bit of fun round corners occasionally.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I have wondered this, there are remaps out there but I think its just that the gains are comparatively small compared to the VW's etc.

Flatcapdriver

Cue frantic Googling to disprove OP's theory.



Brendan, dunno. However, whilst I'd agree with your point regarding Ford's handling I'd disagree (to some extent) with their diesel range which seem to suffer terminal understeer perhaps as a result of the additional weight in the front? At least on the hire cars I've had anyway.

NACRO

As far as the 2.2 155 diesel unit they use in the Mondeo goes you can get it remapped but ford themselves limit peak torque in first and second gears to preserve the clutch/gearbox. So much so that owners report them being dangerously sluggish to respond when accelerating away from junctions.

Remapping and tuning boxes for the whole TDCi, duratorque or whatever they call them range are widely available and in widespread use. I guess people just don't talk about them much. AFAIK the 2.2TDCi maps to 180bhp, the 130 to around 160 and the old 115 to 130ish.

Mondeo diesel does understeer like a bitch compared to the 1.8 petrol and is not as sweet handling. It still knocks a Vectra or Passat into touch though.

brickboy

Have got a new Mondeo 2.0 TDCi on order and it handles & rides really well, no understeer at all.

I was going to wait until the new twin-turbo motor comes out but no sign of it yet ...

NACRO

I have no idea about the new Mondeo, good to hear it handles better in your opinion. I like Ford cars because they bring driving pleasure to a mundane area of the market.
I can't think of a bad car they've made recently other than the 'Fusion'

brickboy

It's certainly miles ahead of my current Passat

On the original point about chipping, have been having a browse on the Ford forums the past few months. It seems that many people that've had a remap (usually Superchips Bluefin) are disappointed with the results, doesn't seem to be a lot of difference. Don't know why.

jonc

2.0 TDCI can be mapped from 138 standard to between 160-170bhp. However, I've heard stories of twisted and broken drive shafts on these units after a remap.

rob878

The St TDCI lump gets up to about 180bhp on a blue fin, the downside is the amount of soot it chucks out at the top end, it is a lot more than under normal tune. The limited torque can be a pain pulling away in a hurry out of junctions, as at first you get nothing so you floor it, then it gets rolling then lights up the front tires. So you get slow movement then some movement, then wheel spin, then it's off.

Still I would and probably will be getting another one next year. As for a diesel I haven't found anything yet that matches the spec and driving ability for the money. Though i am tempted by the D5 volvos particularly the cross country.

davyboy

Just an observation:

If you bought a Focus or Mondeo would understeer be important?

I've a DERV Signum and I am sure it understeers badly, however as I never bought it to drive enthusiastically, it matters not.

....still when I'm down the pub I'll say how badly it understeers to make me look macho and I know a little bit about cars.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Limiting torque in first is so lame, mine does it, since the remap it is much better, before it was ****, I like to choose when to destroy my gearbox !

NACRO

Oversteer is the 'macho' one and not everyone can afford to have a fun car and a hack. I put it to you that a 'Mundano' can actually provide a bit of fun for the enthusiastic but impecunious driver that's sadly lacking in old tripe like your Signum.

Still that theory doesn't allow you to flex your macho 'I know more than you, track meister' muscles does it?

davyboy

Old tripe

dazc2

They are tuned, just not talked about that much.

gallois

we did a pistonheads run back in the summer, my WRX, a few 200sx's, MR2 turbo, 2 tvr chimeras, lotus elise, monaro, integra typeR, and a diesel mondeo, although overtaking is not permitted on these runs, the mondeo proved incredibly difficult to keep up, and he stayed on the tail of the elise all the way, in all fairness, he was a a pretty good driver, (he was a bit cagey about his backround and the mods to the car, he only said that it was modded, we suspected he was quite at home on a track), although i fully understand that a good driver in an average car is better than an average driver in a good car, it still left quite a few of us gobsmacked, there is a link over on pistonheads somwhere about it.