What sort of vehicle do you have? If it has a turbo or supercharger then you can see substantial gains both on economy and performance. If it is naturally aspirated then you are not going to get great gains without serious modification of major components.

Who should I get to map my vehicle. There are a host of vehicle tuners out there that offer maps at a host of different prices. Remember, you generally get what you pay for. If it is cheap map then ask why, does it come with any guarantees, what insurance does the tuner offer, what is the aftercare like, is the tuner a member/certified by the IMI (Institute of the Motor Industry) and most importantly, where is the map coming from.

The majority of stage 1 and 2 vehicle re-maps are carried out and upgraded within the safe parameters of the vehicle. This is optimising the elements of the vehicle (mainly fuel and air flow) ensuring it is working as efficiently as possible to obtain the results you want. There are some elements to consider here though, if your vehicle has done 250k miles and only had 3 services in it lifetime then a upgraded map is probably not the right thing to do. Vehicles that have been well maintained and have full service histories should not experience any issues with an upgrade.

Here there are a lot of pro's and cons. Companies offering a bespoke or custom map can only back this up if they actually map your car on a dyno, if not it is just a map that has been developed for your specific type of vehicle, so cheap maps are probably developed without dyno testing working within generic parameters that work on other vehicle types. As a general rule stage 1 and 2 maps can give you a lot of gains without putting your vehicle through the stress of a dyno. A dyno will enable you to tweak certain elements based on your driving style, but will not really add a great deal more unless you are up to stage 3 and have consistent parameters, i.e. the vehicle being used only a race track where the conditions are consistent. A dyno can't predict driving patterns in slow moving traffic and also have the set up for open roads or racing. A dyno will also highlight any weak points in the vehicle and if they are exposed and going to break this will probably be the time. At Mr ECU we offer dynamometer mapping at Viezu premises with their experts, but would generally only recommend or use this method for race and performance vehicles at stage 3 level. Companies that have their own dyno machines offer you a strong element of trust as it adds credibility and experience to their service meaning the maps you are purchasing, even though not done on your vehicle will probably have been tried and tested and you will receive the optimum performance upgrade without putting your vehicle through a rigorous test.

These can be fun and safe if done correctly. Again, any reputable tuner will be able to tell you about the pro's and cons. A lot of manufacturers now have this map element built into their vehicles and you will hear them on a few of the performance VW, Audi, BMW and Mercedes vehicles. Stage 1 fun maps can be done within the safe parameters to ensure that it does not damage any of the vehicles components. If done incorrectly or without the correct advice be assured you will be replacing catalytic converters and other components shortly after and then fun becomes expensive.