ECU and their tasks

Naturally, the rapid development of technology in the last 2 decades did remain outside of the car. Of course the automobile industry profits to a large degree from the new technologies, which result particularly in benefits to us the final consumers. We notice this most in high performance cars with low consumption, great handling and increased safety. Nowadays modern vehicles are equipped by the manufacturer almost exclusively with electronic engine management systems, whether it is directly for central injection (carburettor) or for a more effective multi-port injection system e.g. a Diesel direct injection with Common Rail process, with boost control.

The most important development in this area is the electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU is responsible for the entire engine management and controls, steers and regulates all the important functions of the vehicle. This is done by considering the respective load condition of the engine in conjunction with the rpm and environmental conditions (outside temperature, atmospheric pressure, engine temperature, etc.). All of this is done by the collection of the operating and driving data by appropriate probes and sensors, which measure with high precision for example: pressures, temperatures, rpm, speed and air masses. Then the ECU processes the values with all fixed characteristic diagrams and criteria for injection, ignition, boost and Lambda, which are stored in a chip (EPROM). Thus, for example, the best ignition time and optimal amount of fuel to be injected, for a suitable boost, can constantly be calculated based upon the load condition and the environment parameters.

This data is now optimized by ChipTuning, i.e. the characteristic diagrams for injection (with petrol engines also ignition) and boost control are measured together, and evaluated over the entire speed range, and changed by a dedicated computer programme, against the load and rpm in the tolerance range. This is done such that the maximum performance and the maximum torque, under consideration of the lifetime of the engine as well as the minimum fuel consumption, are both optimised compared to each other. Thus a higher engine performance, and additionally above all, a substantially higher torque, are reached. Performance and torque increases of between 20% and 40% are realisable with turbo engines, 8% and 12% with normal engines, whereby acceleration, agility and maximum speed are substantially improved. The engine becomes altogether more alive and stronger, whereas the lifetime, as well as the suitability for everyday use of the engine are impaired just as little with moderate Tuning. Responsible use and regular maintenance, as with the original engine, should be maintained.