Upgraded ECU - DIY tweaking

[NeoVR]

So im looking to fulfil a boyhood dream of mine in owning a TVR.
Im quite interested in the 450 thats currently for sale https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/12053871 - This car has had Emerald and stealth cam installed by Kits and Classics in the last couple of years by a previous owner. - I understand that the emerald removes quite a few of the common "weak points" of the RV8 as well as a bit more power and drivability.

Having some previous experience with aftermarket ECUs - running an Adaptronic on a SC'ed MX5 - which gave the useful ability to plug a laptop in and see what the engine is doing and tweak if anything is needed.
Does the Emerald system still provide this? - would I be voiding some kind of warranty with Kits and Classics as they set it up? - Is this kind of thing even needed on a well mapped motor?

[nawarne]

NeoVR said:

So im looking to fulfil a boyhood dream of mine in owning a TVR.
Im quite interested in the 450 thats currently for sale https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/12053871 - This car has had Emerald and stealth cam installed by Kits and Classics in the last couple of years by a previous owner. - I understand that the emerald removes quite a few of the common "weak points" of the RV8 as well as a bit more power and drivability.

Having some previous experience with aftermarket ECUs - running an Adaptronic on a SC'ed MX5 - which gave the useful ability to plug a laptop in and see what the engine is doing and tweak if anything is needed.
Does the Emerald system still provide this? - would I be voiding some kind of warranty with Kits and Classics as they set it up? - Is this kind of thing even needed on a well mapped motor?

Why not speak to Joolz at Kits & Classics?
He's very approachable, will give you a straight answer to all your Q's above.
I would say that if the car is not being sold by Kits & Classics, then any warranty will be solely with the vendor.

Nick

[Paulprior]

Also joolz at kits and classics has a very good reputation for set up, most people would not bother trying to improve on that ?

[magpies]

+1 for Joolz

ring or email - nice chap to talk to.

[R8FUN]

Paulprior said:

Also joolz at kits and classics has a very good reputation for set up, most people would not bother trying to improve on that ?

Seconded - top Guy.

[Belle427]

You shouldn’t really need to tweak anything on a well set up map, if you did ever need to do anything it’s best left in the hands of people that know the system inside out.

[spitfire4v8]

If you need to tweak anything then it's really easy .. you can download the software from the emerald site and have a play yourself, or you can take it to any of the hundreds of mappers in the UK who are familiar with emerald ecus .. in fact you will be hard pressed to find a mapper who has not seen an emerald. The ecu is not locked in any way, you are free to make any changes you need. Who owned the car originally do you know?

[Zener]

Not familiar with the Emerald software but if you have the option of taking a snap-shot/back-up of your tune config I suggest you do , this way if you make a mess you can just reload K&C's hard work I would suggest minor changes only

[NeoVR]

spitfire4v8 said:

If you need to tweak anything then it's really easy .. you can download the software from the emerald site and have a play yourself, or you can take it to any of the hundreds of mappers in the UK who are familiar with emerald ecus .. in fact you will be hard pressed to find a mapper who has not seen an emerald. The ecu is not locked in any way, you are free to make any changes you need. Who owned the car originally do you know?

Thanks. Im not planning to make any mapping changes as thats best left to the professionals, but having access to the ecu can be useful for diagnostics if required.

I dont have the details to hand, but highlights show it was at K&C twice in 2019 - Feb for the Emerald install, and again in November for a Stealth cam and bigger throttle body and remap.