In short
A Stage 1 is an ECU remap that only changes the software in the engine ECU of a standard car: turbo boost pressure, fuel quantity, torque limiters and, on petrol engines, ignition timing. No parts are changed and the emissions control systems keep working. We always start from a copy of the original software, which is what lets you go back to stock. What each engine gains depends on the engine and its condition, and we tell you before we start. Our remaps start from from €200 + VAT (€242 including VAT); we do them at our workshop in Alcalá de Henares or wherever your car is, within the Community of Madrid.
What exactly changes in a Stage 1
The engine ECU (engine control unit) decides, thousands of times a second, how much fuel to inject, how much turbo boost to ask for and how much torque to allow depending on the gear, the temperature and how far you press the accelerator. At the factory, those values are set with a wide margin, because the same engine is sold in countries with different fuels, extreme climates and owners who never change the oil. A Stage 1 uses part of that margin on your specific car, without changing any parts.
| What gets adjusted | What for | What we keep an eye on |
|---|---|---|
| Boost pressure (turbo) | More air in the cylinder and more torque in the mid-range | That the turbo works within what it can handle as standard |
| Injection quantity and timing | Burning that extra air cleanly | Exhaust temperature and no smoke appearing |
| Torque limiters | Letting the engine deliver its torque in more gears and across more of the rev range | What the standard clutch and gearbox can take |
| Ignition timing (petrol) | Getting more out of each combustion | Knock: the ECU still corrects if it detects it |
| Throttle response | Making the car react sooner when you press the pedal | That it stays progressive and easy to control |
What a Stage 1 does not do: it doesn't remove the particulate filter, the EGR or the AdBlue, and it doesn't switch off engine protections. The emissions control systems keep working exactly as they do as standard. If someone offers you a "Stage 1" that includes switching any of them off, it's no longer a Stage 1: it's a delete, with different legal consequences.
Which cars it's worth doing on
Stage 1 gives its best results on turbocharged engines, diesel or petrol, because the margin lies in the turbo boost pressure. On a naturally aspirated engine the gain is small and often not worth it: if that's your case, we'll tell you before charging you anything.
What we ask of the car before we start
- Engine
- Turbo, in good condition and with no abnormal oil consumption
- Maintenance
- Up to date (oil, filters, spark plugs on petrol engines)
- Faults
- No warning lights on and no fault codes pending
- Clutch and gearbox
- No slipping or jerking
- Emissions control
- Particulate filter and EGR working properly
When we'll tell you no
A good Stage 1 starts with knowing when not to do it. These are the cases where we'll recommend waiting or doing something else first:
- The clutch is already slipping. With more torque, what is a mild symptom today becomes a problem within weeks. Clutch first.
- There are unresolved faults. An air mass meter that misreads, a turbo with play or a leaking injector aren't fixed by remapping: they're hidden for a while and then come back worse.
- The particulate filter is at its limit or the EGR is dirty. A more demanding map with a half-blocked DPF (diesel particulate filter) speeds up the problem. The right thing is to diagnose it and sort it out first.
- The car is under warranty and you don't want to risk the manufacturer turning down a repair.
- You need the car to be road-legal and you're not going to legalise the modification. We explain this further down.
- The engine is naturally aspirated and you want to feel a clear difference: a Stage 1 won't give you that here.
How we do it, step by step
Diagnostics before touching anything
we read the fault codes from all the control units and check everything listed in the previous section. If something isn't right, we tell you and stop there.
Reading and copying the original
we read the engine ECU through the diagnostic port or, if that model requires it, by removing it. We copy the complete original file, which is your ticket back to stock.
Developing the file for your engine
we work on the map in WinOLS with our EVC WinOLS licence (verifiable at evc.de). We don't load a generic downloaded file: we start from the exact software in your ECU.
Writing and checks
we write the modified file, check that the ECU logs no faults and test the car while monitoring boost pressure, temperatures and corrections.
Handover
we explain what has been changed and give you the invoice describing the work, plus the document of the work carried out.
Stage 1 compared with the other options
| Option | What changes | Parts | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Engine ECU software | None | Standard car looking for more pull and response |
| Stage 2 | Software adapted to upgraded parts | Intake, intercooler, exhaust… | Anyone who has fitted or is going to fit parts |
| Eco | Software focused on low-down torque and fuel economy | None | Daily driving, vans, high mileage |
| Power module (add-on control unit) | A box that alters the sensor signals | A module is added | A different technique: it alters what the sensors read instead of adjusting the map, so the ECU works with falsified data |
If your car has an automatic or DSG gearbox, the engine Stage 1 may need to go together with an adjustment to the TCU (transmission control unit). We check this during diagnostics.
Legality, ITV and insurance
There are no shortcuts here and we'd rather you knew beforehand:
- If the remap changes data shown on the ITV card, such as power output, it is a vehicle modification (reforma). Modifications are processed under the Real Decreto 866/2010 (Spain's regulation on vehicle modifications) and the Manual de Reformas de Vehículos (the official vehicle modifications manual), with a report from a technical service and the workshop certificate, and they are inspected at the ITV. If you want to legalise your Stage 1, we issue the workshop certificate ourselves: the full procedure is in legality, ITV and insurance.
- The Traffic Act (art. 12.7 of the RDL 6/2015) does not allow you to drive a vehicle that has undergone an unauthorised major modification.
- The Insurance Contracts Act (arts. 10 to 12) requires you to tell your insurer about circumstances that increase the risk. If you don't, the insurer can reduce or refuse the payout in the event of a claim.
A properly done Stage 1 keeps all the emissions control systems, so the car still passes the ITV emissions tests as it would as standard. But that doesn't change any of the above. You'll find the detail, with links to the regulations, in legality, ITV and insurance.
How much it costs
Our remaps start from from €200 + VAT (€242 including VAT). The price for your car depends on:
- How that ECU is read: through the diagnostic port is quicker than if it has to be removed and opened.
- Whether the gearbox also needs work on automatic cars with a torque limit.
- Whether we come to you at your home, your garage or your business.
We give you a fixed price before we start, based on make, model, engine and year. You can ask for it on WhatsApp or through the quote form, and see the rest of our prices on prices.
At our workshop or wherever your car is
You can bring it to our workshop in Alcalá de Henares (Ronda de la Pescadería, 24, bajo, 28801 Alcalá de Henares (Madrid)) or we can come to your home, your garage or your business anywhere in the Community of Madrid. If your model's ECU has to be removed to be read, we'll tell you whether it's better to do it at the workshop. More detail in mobile service.
Send us the make, model, engine and year. We'll tell you whether your car is a good candidate, what you can expect and the price, before touching anything.
Official sources
- Royal Decree 866/2010 regulating the processing of vehicle modifications (BOE, Spain's official gazette)
- Royal Legislative Decree 6/2015, Spain's Traffic, Motor Vehicle and Road Safety Act, art. 12.7 (BOE, Spain's official gazette)
- Law 50/1980 on Insurance Contracts, arts. 10 to 12 (BOE, Spain's official gazette)
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