Can you map PURELY on the open road?
 

I'm in the process of putting together a power upgrade package for my 03 STI (looking to take it to about 350bhp or thereabouts). One of the tuning companies I've been speaking to has offered a competitive price on the right kind of components (headers, sports cat, exhaust, panel filter, uprated fuel pump, EcuTek remap etc), but it turns out that the only mapping they do is on the open road, with no rolling road mapping.

Now while I appreciate that RR mapping can't simulate the air flow and cooling characteristics that road mapping can, surely you need to at least start with some RR mapping a) to get a baseline, and b) to get some feel for what the toque/power curve looks like and therefore what parameters might need altering to optimise timing/fuelling etc. Only then would you go on to road mapping? Or am I missing something here :wonder:

Richard Bulmar did mine purely on roads as then he worked for TSL and they have never had their own RR.

he also did mine on rolling road.
rolling roads are easier but they cant replicate road conditions such as air flow and steep hills etc.

I guess if you have a base map that's quite close to begin with, you can go straight out and map on the road...

When Paul Blamire does his maps at Zen Performance (not sure how he does them for TSL) they are done entirely on the road. It's a bit hairy too, because you spend most of your time looking for feds/scameras - you can hit some VERY high speeds. If the mapper knows there stuff then they can start with a goodish "guess" map anyway, exactly what you'd get off a RR.


M

Andy Forrest did mine on the open road!

Andy F is mapping mine at the end of this month and its all done on the road, no RR in sight!

Pat at xtreme mapped my old wrx on the road.As suggested above abit of an adrenaline buzz when car's are looming.Realtime mapping:D

Bob Rawle did mine on the open road

:eek2:



well that's a shock to me too; image the look on the copper's face...

"oh sorry officer, we're just ... ah... erm 'fixing' the car.";) :norty:

"well you're still nicked!":nono:

Looks like my fears are unfounded then - if some of the best in the business use only open road mapping!

Cheers for all the feedback

I also live live in cumbria and took mine to steve cotton at garstang who mapped it on the road, couldent tell you what the mapping process was like as i just left the car with him, top job though :thumb:

I think mapping on the road is more beneficial - why? well you dont drive your cars on the rollers do you? forget maximum bhp figures - go with your seat of your pants.

Andy F mapped mine and did a great job:thumb:

You can always use 3rd or 4th to reduce speeds when mapping. Using 5th is just silly on public roads.

Mapping on dyno can be a good thing if you can hold a load site (as you can adjust parameters and see any increases/decreases in tourque/power). This NEEDS to be followed up by a session on the road though.

My car was mapped on the road by Bob Rawle, and its response is out of this world.