Gearbox tuning
DSG, S tronic and ZF calibration so the box keeps up with the engine. On an automatic this is often the difference between a remap you can feel and one you cannot.
What will mine make?
Send the reg and we come back with the figures for your exact engine and a fixed price.
No obligation. We price it before anything is touched.
The torque limiter nobody mentions
An automatic gearbox has its own software, and that software contains a limit on how much torque it will accept. The figure is set by the manufacturer to protect the box.
Raise engine torque past it without touching the gearbox and one of two things happens: the box quietly pulls the engine back down, so you have paid for a remap you cannot feel, or it does not, and the clutch packs wear faster than they should.
What we change
The limiter, obviously. But also shift speed, clamping pressure and the points at which it changes up and down, so the box behaves like it was calibrated for the engine it now has.
Done properly the car feels sharper in a way that has nothing to do with power. Done badly it shifts harshly and wears. The difference is entirely in how conservatively the clamping pressure is set.
When you do not need it
On a manual, never — there is no gearbox software to change. On a mild remap where the engine stays inside the factory limiter, also no.
We check where your limiter sits before quoting. If your Stage 1 stays under it, we will tell you to save the £495.
Three steps, measured
Check the limiter
We read the gearbox software and find the factory torque ceiling before quoting anything.
Calibrate
Raised to suit the engine file, with shift points and clamping pressure set to match the new torque curve.
Road test
Driven properly, in every gear, under load and off throttle, before you collect it.
What £495 actually buys
Cars we have actually run
Six rows from our own records, all measured on the same dyno.
| Car | Power bhp | Torque Nm | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
Car Golf R DSG (DQ381) |
320 → 420 | 420 → 500 | +31% |
Car Audi S3 S tronic |
310 → 400 | 400 → 490 | +29% |
Car BMW M140i ZF8 |
340 → 430 | 500 → 620 | +26% |
Car BMW 335d ZF8 |
313 → 400 | 630 → 760 | +28% |
Car Skoda Octavia vRS DSG |
245 → 310 | 370 → 440 | +27% |
Car Audi A5 3.0 TDI |
218 → 280 | 500 → 600 | +28% |
Your car is in the same database. Put the registration in and the calculator shows its figures.
What will yours make?
Put the registration in. If we have had one of these on our dyno you will see what it actually made. If we have not, you will see the range that kind of engine usually gives, and we will say so.
Stage 1 · software only
Measured on our own dyno, standard hardware, same day.
Stage 2 · software plus hardware
Stage 2 depends entirely on which parts are on the car, so we will not publish a figure for it. Bring it in and we will measure what it makes first.
Every published figure came off our own four-wheel dyno. Vehicle details come from the DVSA record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Gearbox tuning questions
Do I need this with a Stage 1?
Only if your gearbox limiter sits below what the engine will now make. We check before quoting, and on a mild map the answer is often no.
Does it apply to manual cars?
No. A manual has no gearbox software to calibrate. The limit there is the clutch, which is a mechanical question.
Will it make the shifts harsh?
Not if the clamping pressure is set properly. Harsh shifting is a sign of a file written for a dyno number rather than for the car.
Is it reversible?
Yes, same as the engine file. The original calibration is archived and goes back free within 30 days.
Can it be done the same day as the remap?
Usually, yes. Allow a full morning for both rather than two hours.
Will it wear the box out?
Raising the limiter increases load, which is why we set pressure conservatively. Done properly the effect on life is small; done carelessly it is not.
Where we work
Software-only jobs we do at your address — driveway, office car park or yard. Anything that needs measuring comes to the unit, because a rolling road does not travel.
Tell us the job and we will say which one it is before you book.
Tell us the reg.
We will tell you the numbers.
Send the registration and what you want from the car. We come back with the figures for your exact engine and a fixed price, usually the same day.
0115 496 0177