Fiat Stilo JTD - the remap story Part 1

[Hamish]

As some will know I've been running a Fiat Stilo JTD for the past three years. I've been 'playing with it (well, you have to don't you?!) and really handily a work course took me to Dorset.... even better for me the weekend before there was a rolling road day at Red Dot Racing, I've been itching to see what I'd get after an engine remap as somehow the engine has always felt like it could 'do better'. I was also fitting a GSR induction kit to help the turbo spool up quicker........ and for a smidgen more power/noise.
Anyhow.... arrived at Red Dot bright and early and met up with a Stilo Schumacher owner "Red Devil" who is a co-conspirator on other forums - here we are waiting to get in to Red Dot (mine being the silver one - obviously):
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/RedABZ1.jpg

After a wait we got in to the yard and waited for things to get ready. Red Dot do a hell a lot of performance motors and there was all sorts of machinery scattered about which I totally failed to take an pictures of, but here's one of the front of Red Dot:
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/Reddot.jpg

My car was on the rollers first to see what she'd got as standard:

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/Firstrunstandard.jpg

Results were better than expected - 120bhp standard instead of the 'book' 115bhp:

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/Stilorun1.jpg

More in part 2.

[Hamish]

Next task was to strip out the standard induction box and was a pig of a job, took bloody ages and if it hadn't been for some of the guys from Fiat Forum who gave up their time to help me out it would have taken a hell of a lot longer!
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/MRfixit.jpg
Pics of the car getting taken apart:
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/Takingthecarapart.jpg
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/Puttingitbacktogether.jpg

The GSR kit was then assembled and bunged in - looks quite nice in black IMHO:

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/GSRfitted2.jpg

[Hamish]

Next mission was to get it onto the rollers for second power run before remapping, results aren't too shabby at all:
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/Stilorun2.jpg
Peter who owns GSR was a busy guy that day, have a look at this for a loaded down Cinquecento:
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/Peterscinq.jpg
And the moment of truth after the remap:
http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb53/ABZSTILO/Red%20Dot%20Racing/Stilorun3.jpg
Car sounds awesome and goes like a dose of the runs off a teflon coated and polished shovel, a huge improvement over standard but maybe not the outright power gains that some expected I was, and am, quite happy with 155+

Have a listen to the final product:
http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q203/redstilo/th_AbzJtdwithGSRinductionafterRe-Map.jpg (http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q203/redstilo/?action=view&current=AbzJtdwithGSRinductionafterRe-Map.flv)

Worth it? OH YES INDEEDY!!

[rossocorsa]

that must be one relaxing car to drive now fantastic spread of power. Always half fancied a Stilo but in a test drive found the steering so light and lacking in feel it put me right off, unlike almost everyone else I hate the looks of the new Bravo the Stilo 3 door is so much nicer. I've gone for a car less well built than a Fiat now but with lots of 'character' MG TF it's easy to see why rover went bust strange mix of 70s and advanced technology I'm a right traitor! ......Except that volumex is still in the garage half finished

[Hamish]

that must be one relaxing car to drive now fantastic spread of power.

Oh yes - it's a revelation over standard, overtaking is super easy ;)


Always half fancied a Stilo but in a test drive found the steering so light and lacking in feel it put me right off,

The 'city' button wasn't turned on was it? Makes the steering all 'airy fairy' and horribly light :( Don't use that function myself and the standard steering (albeit with lowered/uprated suspension) is almost as good as the old VX :D


unlike almost everyone else I hate the looks of the new Bravo the Stilo 3 door is so much nicer.

Hear hear!


I've gone for a car less well built than a Fiat now but with lots of 'character' MG TF it's easy to see why rover went bust strange mix of 70s and advanced technology I'm a right traitor! ......Except that volumex is still in the garage half finished

When will the VX be done.......?!!!!

[rossocorsa]

no idea when the Vx will be finished never have time lost the will to do it a bit!! if it wasn't for good ol' Steve Thompson pushing me and helping nothing would ever get done. The MG despite only being 4 years old occupies as much time tinkering and fiddling as a classic great fun but very very quirky which doesn't help! So far about 90% of the known welding required had been done on the VX lots of new panels fitted, now has a 40dcnf but haven't been able to check it out yet as the petrol tank is still out will be changing the blower pulley as well before it is fired up! Stripping suspension etc new bearings, rear disc dirt guards, dampers (koni), strut top bearings, new front wishbones,beta boyz bushes etc.... one side well on its way can't get at the other side yet not enough space in the garage.

[andybeta]

Hamish,

How's your Stilo's clutch holding out with the increase in power after the remap?
The acceleration must be pretty addicitve providing the clutch can hold out. I guess flooring it in 4th at 30 mph too often can warm the clutch up?
The Fiat 1.9JTD Euro 3 is a nice engine to remap and by all accounts gives it the performance it always needed plus still being pretty eeeconomical. Has the economy suffered?

How about a remapped Alfa 156 2.4JTD as your next car or a Punto 1.9JTD which is pretty light.......?

Andybeta

[Hamish]

Hamish,

How's your Stilo's clutch holding out with the increase in power after the remap?
The acceleration must be pretty addicitve providing the clutch can hold out. I guess flooring it in 4th at 30 mph too often can warm the clutch up?


Now I was worried about the clutch as it's standad and as the car had done 59k miles when I had the mapping done.... but fingers crossed it's all fine so far, no slip what so ever! The acceleration is hugely addictive..... very VX like. Well, maybe a bit better?!!!


The Fiat 1.9JTD Euro 3 is a nice engine to remap and by all accounts gives it the performance it always needed plus still being pretty eeeconomical. Has the economy suffered?

I anticipated a drop.... but... you guessed it.... it's better by about 3mpg! I don't hang around (as DJ might attest to ;) ) but it's honestly getting more mpgs than before, get an average of 48.1mpg at the moment.


How about a remapped Alfa 156 2.4JTD as your next car or a Punto 1.9JTD which is pretty light.......?

Andybeta

Punto (possibly a Grande but it's a bit of a tarts cart) is out but I very nearly bought an Alfa 2.4JTD Sportwagon just before the Stilo came along. There's no doubt the 156 Sportwagon would be ideal for me and my fishing gear, but very few came with a sunroof and that's a must in my book, also the 2.4 isn't as capable handling wise as the Stilo. Fine for eating the miles but throw a few tricky bends at it and it's all over the place :(

But I've a big hankering for an Alfa GT........ ;)

Then again.... Lancia back in the UK 2009.... who knows!!!

[andybeta]

I should imagine it is considerably quicker than a VX and
certainly alot cheaper to run. Anyway I thought Red Dot were in Watford?
How much did the remap and rolling road cost?

Punto HLX 1.9JTD old style with a 150bhp remap is awesome. I drove one about 4 years ago.
It was so fast it was scary.

I thought the Alfa 156s were ok, but having not driven one myself don't know.

I have to say I think the best diesel units are BMW and then the VW TDi unit.
The Seat Ibiza with 170bhp and tonnes of torque is pretty rapid.

Andybeta

[Hamish]

Red Dot are indeed in Watford, passed by on my way to Dorset from Aberdeenshire ;)

Remap was £199 :D

[andybeta]

How's the remapped beast going?
Andybeta