Focus Mk1 Diesel Tuning discussion

[alistairolsen]

Ok, trying to chips a diesel we all know in many cases there are fairly large gains to be had. Having a look around the internet it's really hard to know who to trust. There is a lot of this kind of thing: http://www.chipexpress.com/diesel-tu...i-kit-451.html Now just looking at the plugs Im inclined to say it goes inline with one of the sensors rather than being a piggy back ecu or anything worthwhile? This sounds more like a piggyback ecu one might have seen on petrol engines not so long ago.. http://www.torqtec.com/?ma=operation And finally Stu et al (and no one else Ive been able to find) offer a chip fitting service akin to the chip tuning I was aware of from petrols years ago: http://www.evolutionchips.co.uk/chipsearch.asp My question is has anyone had any experience with any of the above, are the external boxes just like the ebay resistor mods or are they more like a proper piggyback ecu? Which brands do people recommend? Cheers

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[mozzy]

all i did to mone was a cheapo ebay tuning box, it took it up to 128 bhp and 222lb/ft, i can post graphs if you like

[alistairolsen]

Graphs would be great. Can you remember what the brand name was? What happened to the fuel consumption?

[mozzy]

notthe best pics, got 45 mpg combined and 52 after. it pulled like a train through all gears pissed over a standard rs turbo, this is the one i had iirc
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Focus-1-6...item3ca946954a

basically you are just putting a inline switch to up the fuel pressure, you have an adjustment screw which means you can play with it until it suits you best

[alistairolsen]

Did you start with the 115bhp model?

Are the graphs before/ after?

[DanW@FastFord]

I'd be inclined to opt for a 'proper' remap, either of the Evolution chips variety, or from the likes of Superchips, rather than an eBay widget.

[PKA]

Superchips or Celtic Tunning Dont think you will get big power from these you will get 140bhp thats it if you are lucky.

If want power get a VAG more gains cheaper too.

[Glenn.]

very interesting. Me and the wife have been thinking about a focus diesel cause my wife will be starting a new job soon and she will be doing more miles.

[AlexF]

Evochips is the way to go

The plug in boxes are nothing but trouble.

[mozzy]

i only got the tuning box as it was a 2nd hjand Ł20 bargain, a proper remap will be better but the head is to old school and will give 150bhp with a remap, decat , exhaust and filter and even with that 150 will be pushing it. mine was the 113 bhp (115 ps) so only 15bhp increase but the extra torque made a hell of a difference, used to put it in 3rd at 30mph and floor it and it would pin me in the seat and just fly. I also had a citroen c4 vts 2.0 hsi with 138 b hp the focus would just about keep up with that but i had the c4 remapped in the end and that gave 169 bhp (31 bhp increase) and 287lb/ft that thing was awesome and would easily nail my st170 from 30-130.

the graphs are all after, i should have scanned them really but it was in 2007 and lost them now unfortunatly lol.

the focus tdci is a great car but not a performance car. I have seen a mondeo sttdci go from 155 bhp to 202 bhp and 288lb/ft with a remap and decat.

[mozzy]

Originally Posted by AlexF

Evochips is the way to go

The plug in boxes are nothing but trouble.

they are fine if the adjustment screw is set right, turn it up to much and could get problems mine did 47k whilst i had the car and never had 1 problem, but as it was in 2007 diesel tuning was a bit thin on the ground, alot more options around now, tuning box for quick diy power hike or remap for proper safe power hike, after all so much as i had no issues with mine i have heard of people having to much fuel pressure from them and issues arrising

[GUZZLER]

Originally Posted by PKA

Superchips or Celtic Tunning Dont think you will get big power from these you will get 140bhp thats it if you are lucky.

If want power get a VAG more gains cheaper too.

true, my golf is 210bhp 315lbs/ft (1.9PD) when i get round to uprating the clutch i'll put a hybrid turbo, exhaust etc on & some mapping, should see 230bhp without injector mods
we have a 2.0 140 PD at work, that runs an S3 cooler & hybid for 235bhp 280lbs/ft

[PKA]

Originally Posted by GUZZLER

true, my golf is 210bhp 315lbs/ft (1.9PD) when i get round to uprating the clutch i'll put a hybrid turbo, exhaust etc on & some mapping, should see 230bhp without injector mods
we have a 2.0 140 PD at work, that runs an S3 cooler & hybid for 235bhp 280lbs/ft

any yours is till going strong

Honest for a fast Tdi go VAG

[DanW@FastFord]

Originally Posted by mozzy

a proper remap will be better but the head is to old school and will give 150bhp with a remap, decat , exhaust and filter

Sounds more than a tad optimistic to me!

[alistairolsen]

Originally Posted by GUZZLER

true, my golf is 210bhp 315lbs/ft (1.9PD) when i get round to uprating the clutch i'll put a hybrid turbo, exhaust etc on & some mapping, should see 230bhp without injector mods
we have a 2.0 140 PD at work, that runs an S3 cooler & hybid for 235bhp 280lbs/ft

What model/year of golf is that? I assume its the late 150bhp model?

[GUZZLER]

Originally Posted by alistairolsen

What model/year of golf is that? I assume its the late 150bhp model?

correct, its an '02 PD150.

[PeterRST]

Originally Posted by GUZZLER

true, my golf is 210bhp 315lbs/ft (1.9PD) when i get round to uprating the clutch i'll put a hybrid turbo, exhaust etc on & some mapping, should see 230bhp without injector mods
we have a 2.0 140 PD at work, that runs an S3 cooler & hybid for 235bhp 280lbs/ft

Jesus! How many MPG do you get out of that.... And with MPG I mean miles per gearbox!

[alistairolsen]

Originally Posted by GUZZLER

correct, its an '02 PD150.

I'd love one but no can do, both purchase price and insurance group are too high at the moment

[RSricRS]

had my focus tdci sport remapped at msd and drove away with a big smile, not sure on what to do next power wise.

[mozzy]

Originally Posted by DanW@FastFord

Sounds more than a tad optimistic to me!

I actually meant as in the head wont allow much more than about 150 bhp but even with those mods i doubt it will give more than 135 to 140 bhp, I Know when i was in the ffoc a lad had had porting and polishing to the head and some fancy trickery to the turbo which i was always told it was not possible on the variable vein turbo but he was adament it had something done to it i cant remember what he said it was though, even with the turbo and the head porting etc he was getting just 149 bhp but that was back in 2007.

reason i said 150 though was just a ball park figure assuming diesel tuning has advanced a bit since back then, I started the blue silicone bellow hose for the intercooler craze in the ffoc (i heard a few people had them but knowone in the ffoc), a few people asked about silicone hoses and were even getting quotes from samco to have them specially made for a group buy then i stumbled across the ones in the pic on forge motorsports website, i measured the intercooler pipes and took pot luck and luckilly they fitted and were a great improvement over fords crap ones that leaked boost badly, once i got them and posted about them on the forum, forge sold out in a week lol so if anyone wants the silicone boost hoses try forges websites, i am sure some companys are making the proper kits now though but been 3 years since i looked.


also i remember there was a modification people were doing to bring on the transient overboost sooner or in all gears or something along those lines i think it was a throttle pedal mod but may be wrong like i said been 3 years since i had that car.

[MalteseFalcon]

Where can I get a DEcat for my Focus TDCI year 03?
What are the differences between a tdci 100 and a tdci 115? I have a Focus Ghia 100 and My Bro got a Focus TDCI sport and that extra 15 bhp really makes a difference!

Thanks

[sbartekpol]

100 and 115 1.8 TDCi of Focus mk1 difference was only ECU map. 115 version was introduced first and after some months 100 version. I do not believe Ford bother to work on new pistons, cylinder head, cams etc. The only thing perhaps: turbo? (but it was in general Garret 1749V having only some different series numbers), then even more: injectors and CommonRail Delphi parts are also the same. As real program modification of ECU shows the same results: both 100 and 115 are able to go to limit of 140, I state as above: there are no mechanical differences between them. If I am wrong, please correct. Thanks.

[sbartekpol]

Sorry for pic quality.

This was originally 100 version with rolled 108HP and 250Nm (184 lb/ft) before ECU map modification and 140HP and 330Nm (243 lb/ft) after mod. There was possibility to achieve more max momentum but Focus mk1 clutch is designed for about max 300Nm. Knowing that, it was decided to go with this curve as flat as possible for long daily drive... but after 15.000km (sth like 10k miles) - both clutch as well as DMF were damaged and have to be replaced...

[paceo]

Originally Posted by mozzy

notthe best pics, got 45 mpg combined and 52 after. it pulled like a train through all gears pissed over a standard rs turbo, this is the one i had iirc
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Focus-1-6...item3ca946954a

basically you are just putting a inline switch to up the fuel pressure, you have an adjustment screw which means you can play with it until it suits you best

i disagree, i have a bog standard fiesta rs turbo and a focus tdci 115 chipped with bluefin, but the fiesta is still quicker

but put the focus and fiesta in 4th gear at 30mph and the focus eats it.

[MalteseFalcon]

Why are the turbos on the focus so crap? I used to think better about Garret turbos! I had a P100 turbo fitted to my old escort 1.6 diesel running 14psi for 55,000 miles and the turbo was 2nd hand! it never let me down and it could be easy repaired with a kit. The turbo on my focus came to pieces after 58,000 miles and I had to change it complete with the manifold , spent more than 650 for the new unit!! luckily I changed it my self! Planning to chip it, decat and K&N filter now as I like to have some extra horses

[scottiborland]

i got a mk2 1.8 tdci focus, and i thinking about modifiying for some more power!! but unsure on what things to start with, as i havent got alot of money to throw at it, was looking for simple, cost effective, ways of cranking up the power!! as anyone got any ideas, of what i could do??

[paceo]

Originally Posted by scottiborland

i got a mk2 1.8 tdci focus, and i thinking about modifiying for some more power!! but unsure on what things to start with, as i havent got alot of money to throw at it, was looking for simple, cost effective, ways of cranking up the power!! as anyone got any ideas, of what i could do??

bluefin and a air filter thats about all you can do.

[PKA]

100% Correct, changing other parts are not worth it. just a remap and it will be fine.

[martysmartie]

Evo chips if it were me, Stu who is a partner is a mod on this site, there are alot of chips out there that do nothing more just just up the boost, a proper map will also advance the injection timing. Diesel engines give excellent gains on both power and economy WHEN tuned correctly!

With Diesels it's the torque produced where the benefit is more so than the power.

Martin

[zippyobrien]

On my uncles ( tdci sport mk1) its got a filter, hybrid turbo, home made front mount and a chip and that's 160 bhp