[Suraj25]

Okay, so last December was the 2nd birthday of my pocket rocket and my hands were really itching to 'enhance' the car in some way. Being a young petrol head, it was quite obvious that this 'enhancement' would be to make it go faster. As some of you might already know, I already burnt my fingers once when I tried to get the car remapped by TOT. This was around 1.5 years ago, when the car was just 6 months old. I don't want to waste too much time ranting about that experience but to sum it up, my car became slower after the remap.
The TOT team tried 3-4 maps but none of them actually made the car faster. I was disappointed but the TOT folks returned the money after I told them I would not like to experiment anymore. After this experience I lost hope in Indian tuners and decided that I will only stick to reputed tuning houses who actually spend a lot of time testing their maps. So I decided to use the car in its stock form for a few years...
Skip to Dec 2017, the itch was back and I had heard good things about the Supechips remap for the Abarth. Planned to drive to Mumbai during the Christmas holidays but this plan flopped too as the Superchips guys in their home country were on leave for Christmas as well. While all this was happening, Dr. Naren asked me to try Wolfmoto as they had remapped a few Abarths. Since I had some free time, decided to give it a shot.
Spoke to Rajiv from Wolf about the remap and he didn't promise any extraordinary gain or huge figures but just said that the power and torque would go up a bit and drive ability would improve. Spoke to him for 10-15 minutes and was impressed with his honesty. Also, I didn't have to pay him unless I was liked the map.
A few days later the car was remapped. I was on a mix of 97 and 91 octane as I had filled up 97 when I still had a few lts of 91 left. Initially I didn't feel any difference and I though I got myself into the same trap that I did 1.5 years ago. Reported the same to Rajiv and even he was confused, so he dropped by after a week for some testing. He agreed that the map was not performing like it should but the readings (boost, etc) from OBD were normal. Both of us were super confused now. He gave me the option to either switch back to stock or he asked if i could fill fuel from a different bunk and try again. I decided to give it another try with different fuel as I wasn't going to lose anything by trying.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Rajiv gave me 3 switchable maps with increasing levels of aggressiveness based on fuel quality. So Map 1 was for regular fuel, 2 was for 97 and 3 was a more aggressive map for 97. We tried all the 3 and results were weirdly the same- not satisfactory.
In the midst of all this I had to travel outside the country for a week and my brother was using the car (running regular 91 octane). I had switched to the stock map before leaving. After I returned from the trip, during one of the daily errands, I decided to switch to Map 2 to see if some magic had taken place during my absence. 1st gear felt normal and as I switched to second and floored the A pedal.... i almost had an accident. It was a narrow road and car just torque steered like crazy. It pulled so hard to the right that the car would have run over the pavement if I hadn't reacted faster. This kind of wheel spin was normal only in 1st gear and though 2nd pulled well in stock, the car never spun its wheels. I was shocked (in a good way) and decided to try the higher gears. The drive ability had improved as it pulled well from lower RPMs and I could stick to higher gears even in Bangalore traffic. I did not have to downshift to 2nd for overtakes in city and could easily manage in 3rd as it pulled well even from 30 kph. Mentioned the same to Rajiv and he was happy that I was happy. My faith in Indian tuners was back!
Paid Rajiv after a few days when he was in Bangalore so effectively I had the map with me for a month before I paid for it. Map 1 wasn't very effective so I used map 2 with regular fuel and results were good. Rajiv then removed map 1 and replaced it with a more aggressive map for 97 octane. So let me just summarize the maps I ended up with finally:
a. Stock
b. Map1 (previously map2) which i use with regular petrol
c. Map2 (previouly map3) which is supposed to work well with 97
d. Map3 (new map after removing old map1) which is a more aggressive map for 97 and might run best with 99

On a recent highway drive I also noticed that 5th pulls better than before as well. The in gear acceleration timings have definitely improved in all gears. Overall I'm extremely happy with the remap but I still haven't tested Map 2 and 3 with higher octane fuel as I find map 1 to be more than enough for the city and highways. However, will test them out soon to see how much crazier it can get.
One more thing i have noticed is that the performance drops a bit once the car spends some time in traffic or if outside temp is high. This is pretty annoying but it is more of a hardware problem. Its due to high IATs as fiat have decided to give this car a puny intercooler for some reason. An intercooler upgrade would sort this issue. Maybe this will be my next ugrade.

Btw, 2 random pics from the recent Abarth drive that took place on Republic day:





My car is the one without stripes.

Also, though I have explained with remap experience with some drama, please note that the car hasn't turned into some VRS killer after the remap. It is still a humble 1.4 and the remap has maybe reduced the performance gap between the Abarth and Octy 1.8 TSI (stock) at most.

Cheers!

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by Suraj25

The TOT team tried 3-4 maps but none of them actually made the car faster. I was disappointed but the TOT folks returned the money after I told them I would not like to experiment anymore.

Tuning a petrol car is not that easy. Diesel cars, any tuner can make more power. Petrol is very sensitive to fuel. More fuel doesn't mean more power always here. A tuner who really knows what he is doing could tailor good maps for turbo petrol. Happy that you did not let TOT to experiment more on your car.

After this experience I lost hope in Indian tuners and decided that I will only stick to reputed tuning houses

Choose the tuner based on the car which you are going to remap.

While all this was happening, Dr. Naren asked me to try Wolfmoto as they had remapped a few Abarths.

My friend in Chennai had got his Abarth remapped by Wolf Moto. He was running Map 3 and Speed 97. He texted me saying car has become a beast and too difficult to control. Hence, I suggested you the same.

A few days later the car was remapped. I was on a mix of 97 and 91 octane as I had filled up 97 when I still had a few lts of 91 left.

This is the culprit.

1st gear felt normal and as I switched to second and floored the A pedal.... i almost had an accident.

Hahaha!! Wolf surprised you.

Mentioned the same to Rajiv and he was happy that I was happy. My faith in Indian tuners was back!

Stock Abarth Punto does 0-100 in 9.3-9.5 seconds. I am very interested to know the timing of your car. Thanks to Wolf switchable maps, you have the advantage of using map 3 and Speed 97 / HP 99. Would you beat my 7.9 seconds 0-100 timing (Wolfed S-Cross 1.6) ?

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by Suraj25

One more thing i have noticed is that the performance drops a bit once the car spends some time in traffic or if outside temp is high. This is pretty annoying but it is more of a hardware problem. Its due to high IATs as fiat have decided to give this car a puny intercooler for some reason. An intercooler upgrade would sort this issue. Maybe this will be my next ugrade.

This is a known issue in 1.4 TJET. I believe it would be little more prominent after remap. There are few performance intercoolers available. They are expensive, but it should be worth.

Airtec Motorsport

http://www.airtec-cooling.co.uk/prod...t-intercooler/

Forge Motorsport

https://www.forgemotorsport.com/Fron...uct--1000.html

You can also upgrade the intake. Forge intake looks good.

http://racecarinc.com/products/Forge...T%252djet.html

[chase_nt]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

So for nearly Rs 5500, I got my oil changed, oil filter replaced, air filter replaced, wheel alignment and balancing which I think is pretty fair.

Fuel efficiency has been a constant 9.2kpl in the city and 7.7kpl on the highway.

Really happy that you went in for the Abarth Punto though in the beginning after your official review you had a different opinion. My opinions about the quirks of the car have changed having owned it for close to 2 years now. The Abarth Punto is not a car that you just slip into for the first time and feel comfortable. Its a car that grows around you and ultimately you end up getting used to the quirks after which no other car will be able to satisfy you (not unless you end up spending some big bucks). The cost of servicing is just too good. I used to be ripped off by VW for servicing my sparingly used GT and they'd charge me Rs 8500 (this was 3 years ago) just for the oil change, air filter and pollen filter change . Where as my recent 2 year service of the Abarth which included a complete fluid change along with oil change, fuel/air/pollen filter and spark plug change cost me the same amount. The lowest fuel efficiency i have seen on the MID was 6.9 km/l after a few kms of pedal to metal driving. On a recent trip to the ghats (which was exhilarating thanks to the superlative handling of the Abarth) i saw 7.7 km/l.

Originally Posted by Suraj25

I forgot to mention that Rajiv gave me 3 switchable maps with increasing levels of aggressiveness based on fuel quality.

This kind of wheel spin was normal only in 1st gear and though 2nd pulled well in stock, the car never spun its wheels.

One more thing i have noticed is that the performance drops a bit once the car spends some time in traffic or if outside temp is high. This is pretty annoying but it is more of a hardware problem. Its due to high IATs as fiat have decided to give this car a puny intercooler for some reason. An intercooler upgrade would sort this issue. Maybe this will be my next ugrade.

How do you switch between the various maps? Is there some sort of switch or do you have to use the OBD port? I used to experience slight torque steer and wheel spin on flooring the accelerator in second gear however this has become more pronounced now after i switched from regular 91 octane fuel to 99 octane. I've been using 99 octane fuel since December last year. I've always wondered why the car feels more sprightly and faster for the first few minutes of driving her despite allowing the car to idle and reach optimum temperature before taking off. Thanks for clarifying this.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by chase_nt

How do you switch between the various maps? Is there some sort of switch or do you have to use the OBD port?

Let me answer this. I have driven Suraj's car few weeks back .

There is no additional hardware or switch. The trigger point for switching maps is A pedal. Wolf has implemented the switchable maps code in software itself.

How to switch?

1. Turn the key into ignition mode.

2. Press A pedal, the map indication will be shown in Tachometer.

3. Press A pedal again to switch maps.

4. Start the car using selected map.

Note : There is no need to switch every time. The car will start with previously selected map as standard.

Map 0 : Stock
Map 1 : 91 Octane
Map 2 : 97 Octane
Map 3 : 99 Octane

Map Switching in Linea T Jet (similar in Abarth Punto)

https://youtu.be/-YkMB0PsVvs

[chase_nt]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Let me answer this. I have driven Suraj's car few weeks back . There is no additional hardware or switch.

Wow, that's just amazing. Its a very seem less way of switching between maps. The fact that you can just revert back to the stock map (if needed) or switch to the other maps depending on which sort of fuel you use is just alluring. There are instances where you go out of town and can't get your hands on 97 or 99 octane fuel and are forced to use the regular 91 octane petrol and this will be very handy in such scenarios. I can't lie but after reading your post i am tempted to remap my car although i would really like to keep it stock

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by chase_nt

Wow, that's just amazing. Its a very seem less way of switching between maps.

True. This is fully indigenous solution developed by Wolf Moto for Fiat cars.

The fact that you can just revert back to the stock map (if needed) or switch to the other maps There are instances where you go out of town and can't get your hands on 97 or 99 octane fuel and are forced to use the regular 91 octane petrol and this will be very handy in such scenarios.

Yes. Switchable maps for turbo petrol cars for different octane ratings are very practical too. Without any hardware mods, you can enjoy better performance by using higher octane fuel and map specially tailored for the same.

I can't lie but after reading your post i am tempted to remap my car although i would really like to keep it stock

Abarth Punto is very good as stock. But, once you experience the remap madness, stock feels boring .

[sandeepmohan]

I second the results after having experienced Keroo's Linea. For me difference was felt right away. The lag had reduced and the biggest highlight for me was the top end. I'm not a drag racer. I just want the engine to sound good while you are thrashing it and this is what the remap does well more than anything else. The pace of acceleration used to drop on my 2011 Linea after 160kmph and the engine did not like going beyond 5000rpm. With the remap, the engine feels nowhere stressed at 6000rpm, even with the seriously flawed IC and intake design. The car keeps accelerating even in 5th and it is does seem that you can achieve the claimed top speed much faster.

As Kedar's experiments have uncovered the poor design of the IC, it is also down to the excessively long turbo plumbing and poor location of the air intake. The piping is actually top quality. The problem is that it runs so long and in a area where there is excessive heat generated. Even with the after market IC, it is rather odd that by the time the air reaches the engine, the temperature has gone up. It seems an overly complicated intake system.

I may not have understood this earlier but the IC being inefficient was something I discovered in just few days of owning the car. I had observed a mild engine shudder during idle and in very hot conditions. It was enough for my father to notice it too. I left it at that as I was pretty sure that Fiat Service cannot solve the problem as to them, that occasional shudder was probably normal. While out on the highway, everything was fine. It is when you were moving in chok a block traffic you felt the engine was starved of something. Can't tell really. More than the IC, the location of the air intake is probably the biggest problem and there is little you can do about it. Its at a location where there is only hot air circulating.

I also believe the intake location was a very India specific thing. Maybe to keep dust low but the air filter is overly restrictive too, if you look at the design so that should take care of dust. The Multi Jet has a nice and almost ram air intake system. For the T Jet, they went and stuck it behind the headlamp assembly. A location where there is no way for cool air to reach.

It baffles me how Fiat can screw up like this. Deriving optimum performance is nothing new to them considering they had access to engineers from Alfa Romeo and Ferrari.

The only saving grace is that this being a engine that is sold globally, there are options if you must fiddle around the mechanical bits.

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Abarth Punto is very good as stock. But, once you experience the remap madness, stock feels boring .

Have you timed the runs by any chance? Stock vs the remapped Abarth? I'm really interested to know what are the gains in terms of real world numbers and not merely power/torque ratings.

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Have you timed the runs by any chance? Stock vs the remapped Abarth? I'm really interested to know what are the gains in terms of real world numbers and not merely power/torque ratings.

I am also very interested to time the car. I did not have any standard equipment like V box or G tech that day. For comparison sake without any driver errors, it's best to time in gear acceleration, say 30-130 kmph in 3 rd gear would give an idea about entire power band.

[Waspune]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

It was indeed a strut mounting that was rusted, which was causing the sound.

That's great to know. It seems to be a perennial problem with the Punto but the good thing is that the spare costs are not expensive.

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Landmark workshop, Andheri, got both the front ones replaced under warranty. Speaking of which, am very happy with the Fiat service. Strangely, after reading several experiences, I kinda had no hopes from Fiat, leave aside Landmark. However, my experiences in dealing with them have been very pleasant. Firstly, getting an appointment at my preferred date and time hasn't been a problem (even if the notice is as short as 15 hours). Then, the staff, especially the SA who I've dealt with since day 1 named Asif Khan, has been very prompt and efficient in getting all the work done.

The fiat service is actually not that bad. The problem lies in the expertise which at times is required. For normal service you shouldn't have issues. But for the expertise you have Pune.

Originally Posted by S2!!!

In other news, a Pune cop recently stopped me for having dark tints. Well, I told him that it comes as is from the factory since this is a completely imported car. He looked hard, admired the car a bit and then let me go That's probably an advantage of having such a rare car.

Well that is the exclusivity that you get from fiat, more so with the Abarth.

Originally Posted by S2!!!

As far as the car is concerned, it still turns my head every single time I park it. It still puts a huge smile on my face every time I floor it. And it still turns heads on the road, and I love it! Unfortunately, I haven't driven it as much as I'd have liked and completed only 11,000km in my 9 months of ownership, due to the nature of my work. Fuel efficiency has been a constant 9.2kpl in the city and 7.7kpl on the highway. No it isn't a typo...it's just a mental little car! 0-100kph is a whisker over 9 seconds. Still don't get how I get 7.7kpl on the highway?

The Italians made sure that you won't stop admiring the car until you get rid of her. Regarding the FE, it seems that you like flooring the abarth all the time, in fact that's the way to drive this mental car. But that doesn't mean that it can't return respectable figures. You just need to be steady with the A pedal and you would get good FE on the highway, but then you will have to resist a lot. I know a couple of friends who extract great FE on their abarths when they want to.

Originally Posted by S2!!!

I'm really waiting to start upgrading the performance. Can't seem to find the time.

I would recommend you to invest in a bigger and more efficient intercooler first and then think of the power bump. A better intercooler would help the engine and turbo in maintaining lower IAT which would negate the effect of the stock air intake which due to its wrong placement pumps in warmer air at times. This would also give you more power and more consistent power.

[S2!!!]

Since this thread is so inactive, I'm sharing some pictures from a recent Abarth meet in Mumbai. Almost a third of the Abarth population in Mumbai showed up

[ts1506]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Since this thread is so inactive, I'm sharing some pictures from a recent Abarth meet in Mumbai. Almost a third of the Abarth population in Mumbai showed up

Attachment 1740460

Which model is the red car in between ? Looks hot

[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by ts1506

Which model is the red car in between ? Looks hot

That's a rare Maserati Biturbo from the '80s - a distant Italian relative of the Abarth Punto

Ohh and she sounds sweet too

[Overlander]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

I am also very interested to time the car. I did not have any standard equipment like V box or G tech that day. For comparison sake without any driver errors, it's best to time in gear acceleration, say 30-130 kmph in 3 rd gear would give an idea about entire power band.

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Have you timed the runs by any chance? Stock vs the remapped Abarth? I'm really interested to know what are the gains in terms of real world numbers and not merely power/torque ratings.

Kind of a noob question (as should be pretty evident from my status), since the FPT C510 gearbox is rated till 206nm; how do you think these purported remaps are going to get handled? Or basically, the other way around.

I would assume that remapping on the stock figures to help with the bottom-end should be the way to go; unless the gearbox can take that kind of peak loads.