Here at TDI Tuning we continue to see the rise in popularity of 4x4s with commercial users. This is due to them being the only vehicle capable of fulfilling a wide range of demanding functions whilst offering a good on road driving experience.

Improve Your 4x4 Pulling Power

Customers who come in for a Diesel tuning box typically use their vehicles for construction, tree surgery/landscape gardening, farming and transportation. Their load carrying space, towing capacity and the ability to cover a wide range of terrains makes them unmatched. But are there any shortcomings for these vehicles?

The first thing we usually hear from a commercial customer interested in a diesel tuning box is “I need more pulling power”. More often than not, when used for towing their 4x4 is also fully loaded with equipment, supplies or passengers. With this combination of a fully loaded vehicle and up to 3.5 tonnes of towing weight, torque is at a premium, particularly at those points where you need to quickly get from standstill to safe road speed.

 

Land Rover Defender 130 | Standard - 120 BHP / 360 NM | Tuned - 154 BHP / 432 NM

One local company BF Groundworks, were in this very situation when they asked us to tune their Land Rover Defender 130 which was mainly used to pull a mini digger. Covering a lot of miles each week for various contracting jobs they were finding that they were regularly looking for more low down pulling power when running onto Motorways, joining fast roads and climbing steep hills. We fitted one of our single channel CRTD2’s which improved its torque delivery so that towing became more relaxing with less down changing and driving became safer where delivery was more instant and effective at lower revs.

 

Release The Hidden Power In Your Pick-Up

Another comment we hear quite regularly is that “it doesn’t seem as quick as the old one” as often, despite a claimed power increase, newer models can put down less power and torque at the wheels than the model it superseded due to the use of various emission controls and  transmission features.  An example of this is the Navara owned by Sam from CDA Property Services. He came in for a Twin Channel CRTD2 Tuning box as he felt it had less performance than his previous 2 older models. After fitting he instantly noticed improved low down response and general drivability on his test drive with one of our fitters.

 

Nissan Navara | Standard - 187 BHP / 450 NM | Tuned - 247 BHP / 536 NM

Tuning boxes are particularly popular with Navara owners as in order to remap a Navara ECU, it has to be removed from the vehicle, cut open and have physical changes made to it before the remapping process can occur.  This is time consuming and invasive and more likely to be detected by a main dealer during servicing. The Tuning box is typically fitted in under 10 minutes and can be removed just as quickly before servicing and once removed is ECU traceless. Similarly the latest Toyota Hilux models cannot be remapped at all so a diesel tuning box is the only method available to improve performance and economy.

 

Improve Fuel Economy For 4x4s & Pick-Ups 

Economy is just as important for many users as they try and reduce the higher fuel costs of a 4x4 vs a 2wd vehicle.  Many customers have told us that they have never been able to achieve fuel economy figures claimed by the manufacturer.  The increased and improved torque delivery from a diesel tuning box will enable you to stay in your higher more fuel efficient gears for longer and, depending on use and driving style, can improve fuel economy by 4-6mpg.

The bottom line fuel bill improvements alone often warrant the investment in one of our Tuning Box systems but our customers have also found even more commercial benefits to their use. Increased power can allow for the pulling of increased loads meaning additional cars can be ferried for example per trip. Journeys not only cost less thanks to fuel savings but can be completed in quicker time due to better maintenance of constant motorway speeds or easier navigation of inclines which can bring substantial productivity benefits.

 

Interested To Know More?

If you would like to know more about how we can help increase the fuel economy of your 4x4 or pick-up whilst simultaneously increasing the available power and torque then get in touch with one of our customer advisors today. They will be happy to advise you on matters such as installation and pricing whilst ensuring you get the best product for your vehicle and engine.