VW approved engine remap?

I didn't know there was a water heater! What is it for?!
Standard aux diesel heater on all diesel Transporters that turns on automatically below 5C to bring the engine up to temperature quickly to lower cold start emissions. Standard spec allows no input from the driver. My Beach has the OEM upgrade to allow programming it to turn on and warm up the engine coolant and cabin while you're having your coffee. One very useful feature of this upgrade is that if you leave the Climatronic on Max/defrost when you turn the engine off, in the morning it will come on in the same mode and de-ice the windshield, as well as saving wear on the engine by avoiding cold startups. Since it uses coolant pumps and dashboard fans, it has high battery usage, and is not to be confused with the night air heater, mounted on the other side of the van, which is designed to use a minimum of leisure battery. I have them both, and use them both on winter outings.

6FADEDEF-C284-40A5-BC3A-8384F85AF6F3.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Standard aux diesel heater on all diesel Transporters that turns on automatically below 5C to bring the engine up to temperature quickly to lower cold start emissions. Standard spec allows no input from the driver. My Beach has the OEM upgrade to allow programming it to turn on and warm up the engine coolant and cabin while you're having your coffee. One very useful feature of this upgrade is that if you leave the Climatronic on Max/defrost when you turn the engine off, in the morning it will come on in the same mode and de-ice the windshield, as well as saving wear on the engine by avoiding cold startups. Since it uses coolant pumps and dashboard fans, it has high battery usage, and is not to be confused with the night air heater, mounted on the other side of the van, which is designed to use a minimum of leisure battery. I have them both, and use them both on winter outings.

View attachment 71576
What is the OEM upgrade called?
Operated via infotainment?
 
What is the OEM upgrade called?
Operated via infotainment?
On my 2014 MY it was called programmable auxiliary coolant heater upgrade. Obviously everything about the control panel has changed with the 6.1, so can't help you with how it's controlled. Also, my van is German spec. I've been told that in the UK the coolant upgrade was only available on the Beach, but not the Ocean. Some UK Ocean owners have fitted after market controllers.
 
Last edited:
Standard aux diesel heater on all diesel Transporters that turns on automatically below 5C to bring the engine up to temperature quickly to lower cold start emissions. Standard spec allows no input from the driver. My Beach has the OEM upgrade to allow programming it to turn on and warm up the engine coolant and cabin while you're having your coffee. One very useful feature of this upgrade is that if you leave the Climatronic on Max/defrost when you turn the engine off, in the morning it will come on in the same mode and de-ice the windshield, as well as saving wear on the engine by avoiding cold startups. Since it uses coolant pumps and dashboard fans, it has high battery usage, and is not to be confused with the night air heater, mounted on the other side of the van, which is designed to use a minimum of leisure battery. I have them both, and use them both on winter outings.

View attachment 71576
This standard Aux heater - so this operates at below 5 degrees, all of the time/automatically? So if you don’t use the vehicle for a few days/weeks over the winter it still warms the engine up all the time? Seems odd.
The “air heater” you mention is supplied by diesel too. Webasto or Eiberspacher are common makes, not sure which one is fitted to the VW?
 
This standard Aux heater - so this operates at below 5 degrees, all of the time/automatically? So if you don’t use the vehicle for a few days/weeks over the winter it still warms the engine up all the time? Seems odd.
The “air heater” you mention is supplied by diesel too. Webasto or Eiberspacher are common makes, not sure which one is fitted to the VW?
The standard aux coolant heater only operates when the ignition is turned on below 5C, so it can't preheat the motor, only speeds up getting to operating temperature once the motor is started in order to lower cold start emissions. The programable upgrade can be turned on without the engine running, either manually or set with the timer, in order to preheat the engine coolant, which is then used by the normal heating system with the engine off to preheat the cabin using the dashboard outlets.

You can tell which coolant heater and air heater you have fitted by looking at the labels attached to the the driver's door jamb.Screen Shot 2021-01-06 at 9.43.28 AM.png
 
Last edited:
This standard Aux heater - so this operates at below 5 degrees, all of the time/automatically? So if you don’t use the vehicle for a few days/weeks over the winter it still warms the engine up all the time? Seems odd.
The “air heater” you mention is supplied by diesel too. Webasto or Eiberspacher are common makes, not sure which one is fitted to the VW?
The coolant heater operates when you start the engine in an ambient temperature below 5 degrees.
A casual glance at the info panel inside of the drivers door shows what heaters are fitted, normally Webasto for the coolant and Eberspacher for the parking heater.
 
Hi MRR

i suspect they answer to your question is No.

the 150 engine is the same as the 102 etc, however the 199 / 204 engine is a totally different configuration.
most remaps work on increasing turbo boost / activity.
boosting a single turbo to run at 240 ps would severely stress the turbo and other component in the engine.
the boost pressure and additional temperatures generated would probably cause premature failure of components.
I doubt VW would honour a warranty of a severely tuned engine, however if you were looking to tune a 102 ps to 150 ps it could be argued that the remap was merely a change to the engine, allowing it to work within VWs own parameters, parameters that VW have themselves decided is the correct parameters for a range of engines.
The same could not be said for a 150 power unit increased, particularly to a massive 240 ps.
it is well recognise, that if you tune a standard power unit, whilst in Warranty you risk voiding that warranty, the above scenario with a retune of a lower power engine to a higher “ factory spec” could be argued with mild success, however 150 to 240 ps, I would suspect no success of a warranty claim relating to the engine snd drive train.

manufacturers set limits for their engines to give them (the manufacture) the best balance between power / emissions/ warranty claims.
setting aside the marketing of different power out puts for an identical engine (as discussed above) VW do not market / produce / sell a single turbo Transporter engine above 150 ps !
they employ a twin turbo system to achieve the greater performance whilst maintaining lower stresses on the power unit acvied by the twin turbo set up of the 199/ 201 / 204 or what ever tune they decide fits the emissions that month.
if you want monster performance from a 150 power unit, it can be done, but I would confidently suggest VW would be nowhere to be seen in a warranty Claim situation.

I know it’s not the answer you wanted to hear , but it is the best advice you will receive, for free, anywhere.
I’m not sure you’re right - at least according to my local VW dealer. I asked the mechanics whether there were any mechanical differences between the 150 Cali Ocean and the 199 (I was concerned about clutch differeetc). He said no. It was entirely a difference in software. When it comes to the difference between bi- and single turbos, the second turbo is smaller and is designed for low speed use to improve economy etc. I have a 150 and I’m considering taking the engine up to 180 or thereabouts when the warranty runs out in 18 months or so. Thoughts welcome from all and sundry!
 
I’m not sure you’re right - at least according to my local VW dealer. I asked the mechanics whether there were any mechanical differences between the 150 Cali Ocean and the 199 (I was concerned about clutch differeetc). He said no. It was entirely a difference in software. When it comes to the difference between bi- and single turbos, the second turbo is smaller and is designed for low speed use to improve economy etc. I have a 150 and I’m considering taking the engine up to 180 or thereabouts when the warranty runs out in 18 months or so. Thoughts welcome from all and sundry!
I would say don’t listen to your dealer. @Perfectos knows more
 
I’m not sure you’re right - at least according to my local VW dealer. I asked the mechanics whether there were any mechanical differences between the 150 Cali Ocean and the 199 (I was concerned about clutch differeetc). He said no. It was entirely a difference in software. When it comes to the difference between bi- and single turbos, the second turbo is smaller and is designed for low speed use to improve economy etc. I have a 150 and I’m considering taking the engine up to 180 or thereabouts when the warranty runs out in 18 months or so. Thoughts welcome from all and sundry!
For VW general opinion seems to be Pendle or Revo.

We have had 2 cars remapped (BMW 530d & a Freelander) in the past and covered 50,000miles in each with no issues. Gained fuel fuel economy and a smoother auto box.(didn’t jump down the gears as much).
 
Hi MRR

i suspect they answer to your question is No.

the 150 engine is the same as the 102 etc, however the 199 / 204 engine is a totally different configuration.
most remaps work on increasing turbo boost / activity.
boosting a single turbo to run at 240 ps would severely stress the turbo and other component in the engine.
the boost pressure and additional temperatures generated would probably cause premature failure of components.
I doubt VW would honour a warranty of a severely tuned engine, however if you were looking to tune a 102 ps to 150 ps it could be argued that the remap was merely a change to the engine, allowing it to work within VWs own parameters, parameters that VW have themselves decided is the correct parameters for a range of engines.
The same could not be said for a 150 power unit increased, particularly to a massive 240 ps.
it is well recognise, that if you tune a standard power unit, whilst in Warranty you risk voiding that warranty, the above scenario with a retune of a lower power engine to a higher “ factory spec” could be argued with mild success, however 150 to 240 ps, I would suspect no success of a warranty claim relating to the engine snd drive train.

manufacturers set limits for their engines to give them (the manufacture) the best balance between power / emissions/ warranty claims.
setting aside the marketing of different power out puts for an identical engine (as discussed above) VW do not market / produce / sell a single turbo Transporter engine above 150 ps !
they employ a twin turbo system to achieve the greater performance whilst maintaining lower stresses on the power unit acvied by the twin turbo set up of the 199/ 201 / 204 or what ever tune they decide fits the emissions that month.
if you want monster performance from a 150 power unit, it can be done, but I would confidently suggest VW would be nowhere to be seen in a warranty Claim situation.

I know it’s not the answer you wanted to hear , but it is the best advice you will receive, for free, anywhere.
Totally correct!
All reputable tuning shops would get you up to some 160-175BHP in this engine. Going over 200bhp is a dreamland zone.
So is one to expect VW to approve of it!
 
I thought we talked about a 150 going all the way to 240+ bhp. This is obviously a pure nativity. 204 (199 to be exact) getting 20% increase sounds plausible on the other hand.
Again, soft bump only for 150 bhp would get you up to 170 (165 more likely) bhp region. Going beyond would put a lot of strain on the engine without any doubts.
 
Our second hand T6 came with ABT chip fitted from new. I believe here (in Switzerland) the VW commercial dealers even offer it as an option when speccing a new van. We have the 204 ->240ps version. It drives very well, except from cold, when I lift my foot off the brake to crawl out of a parking space for example it quite often will stall. I haven't had much time in a non-remapped version, so I don't know if this issue is specifically as a result of the mapping.
 
Sounds more of a DSG not disengaging issue rather than engine map.
 
I remapped my old van from 102 to 666 and it went like the devil.
But seriously, never heard of under-warranty remapping. Sounds bogus. I know a guy who did 140 up to 190 remap of his T5 (he's a big kid), but I wonder what the point is. It's a van, a brilliant modern van, at the end of the day. 140 is great and responsive as it is.
 

VW California Club

Back
Top