My Testimony for Terry of TS Autos specifically and the 160 Remap and the75andztclub.

[jon cee]

My Testimony for Terry of TS Autos specifically and the 160 Remap and the75andztclub.co.uk in general

Well , I wasn't sure where to put this post, was going to put it under 'what i did with my car today' , but I thought it wouldn't do it justice... I thought this deserved a thread of its own.... so here goes....

In short, (but in the trend of ‘short cuts often taking longer than normal’, lol)

On Saturday (2nd december 2023) in sub zero temperatures (-5), I went and visited ‘The wizard of the West Mids’, Terry of TS auto's for a 160 REMAP and Pre REMAP Service to make sure everything is ready for the REMAP... and WOW, did he work some magic, He went far beyond what I was expecting and has re-sparked a fire in my 2003 MG ZT-T. (and my faith in both my car and mechanics in general)

(on a quick side note, A big 'Thank You' also needs to go out to 'Arctic', who put me on to Terry. Being in the midlands myself, I asked arctic about doing the remap cos he was the nearest, but sadly he doesn’t have a T4 anymore, so he put me on to Terry. I approached Arctic for the Remap first, not just because he was nearest to me, but because of his prolific and amazing guides he has produced for many topics and troubles on this forum, so I just knew my car would be in good hands with arctic, from the threads here on the75andztclub.co.uk)

Pre amble : (the DO I or DON’T I, get a Remap ? )
Well , if anyone has noticed my other posts on the forum, you'll know my car means alot to me, but its now 20 years old, and starting to cost a small fortune in up keep.

After spending a ‘fairly excessive few quid’ the last few years, on essential MOT repairs and other upkeep, (enabled only thanks to a few quid in the kitty from 'two cat N - none fault' 'write offs')

I was considering the 160 remap after stumbling across it, while looking for repair tips and mods, for various issues ... since it seemed to have some noticeable loss of power. Which I had put down to just being an old car over with over 100,000 miles on the clock. And none of the numerous mechanics who have worked on it over the years, had noticed anything untowards.

but to be honest, i wondered if my car would be capable of handling the ReMap ....

I think I was like most people, who think of REMAPS as ‘Boy racers, trying to FORCE more power out of an engine, than the engine, running gear and other components were designed to give, take or handle.’ – and hence could cause more damage than good. So I was hesitant to say the least. Not to mention my dad, who previously owned and loved the car before I took ownership, who was plainly against me doing the remap.

Having experienced alot of mechanics out there, who are only too willing to take our money for upgrades and repairs, regardless of wether the car would be up to it, need it, or worth it.... I looked through alot of feeds here on the75andztclub.co.ukabout the ReMap , and noticed two main things ...
1. Some people care about the cars, and wont do the remap unless they feel the engine, EGR, pumps and filters, etc, are up to the job ...
2. Terry's name kept popping up as someone who is trusted by the ‘the75andztclub.co.uk’community as someone who cares about the cars more than he cares about money ... always a good sign, for an owner on a budget.

(I initially approached Arctic about the remap, because I have seen and used his numerous posts and guides, and knew he was someone who cared about the cars, but sadly, he couldnt do my remap, but when he recommended Terry, it helped my confidence)

I remember one post I came across in particular which someone recommended Terry as 'the only person he would trust with his rover’ ... and another post that quoted ‘the 160 remap….its like the Automatics are built for the remap’ ….
So those posts combined with arctics recommendation , made me take the leap of faith ...

SO .... here we go (I lied when i said long story short, lol)

So I texted Terry about doing the REMAP , just to get a Price so I could think more about it...

first thing he asked was ‘what work had been done?’... (i guess so he could work out wether he thought the engine would be up to the job, he asked 'has the egr been cleaned or bypassed, inlet manifold cleaned, PCV, oil filter, fuel pumps, etc etc’ ..
this alone let me know, he isn’t a guy who is going to just take your money and do the remap regardless, he wanted to get a feel of whether he thought the remap might do more damage than good.)

Told him the EGR etc was untouched since I've owned it (and my dad before me) ... but I had a full service kit ready to fit myself, since I had already read you can’t do the remap without a few bits of maintenance and checks.
Terry then offered to fit the Full service kit, using the parts I had bought, for an amazingly generous price. Suggesting I could clean the EGR and Inlet Manifold, while he fitted the service kit …
So we agreed to a price and which parts I would supply, etc

so at this point, the list of jobs Terry had agreed to take on was as follows…

• Engine Oil change (oil supplied)
• Fit new Oil Filter (supplied)
• Fit new Fuel Filter (supplied)
• Fit new Pollen Filter (supplied)
• Fit new Air Filter (supplied)
• Auto Gearbox Oil Change (ATF-U supplied) (Double Flush)
• 160 Remap – if he thought the car would be upto it after inspection.
• I would clean the EGR and inlet manifold under his guidance and supervision, while he fitted the service kit.

On the Day I texted him about 8am to double check he still wanted to do the work in the sub zero temperatures which had closed in. He confirmed and said he was already waiting for me, lol .... (they dont make mechanics like this anymore!)

I got there about 10:15, after battling through the country roads with now frozen screen wash, and a now noticeable lack of heat from the passenger side…(heater matrix obviously blocked)

Was greeted with a smile, and then the wizard got his all seeing eye out, lol

Straight away, terry was spotting things that needed addressing.

After taking the front bumper off, it took Terry a whole 5 seconds, to notice the probable loss of power was due to a leaking Intercooler seal … not only did this make me feel silly, but made me wonder why the multitude of other mechanics who have done work on my car, MOT’d my car, etc, had never noticed what was obvious to terry.

Upon plugging in the T4, terry checked the various tech specs, and measurements, fault codes, etc … the primary concern seemed to be the in tank fuel pump being up to the job , and while he said its fine, it seems to be giving a slightly low reading, meaning it may be getting lazy, so something to keep an eye on for the future. But still good to go.

Then came the first snag to the plan … taking off the under tray … one of the previous mechanics had fitted a none standard nut and bolt to one of the undertray connection points, which had rusted solid … meaning Terry had to wrestle with it for a bit, angle grind a few bits but victory was had in the end ..

He then went about carrying out the fitting of all the service bits, including showing me the easy way to change the pollen filter, without having to remove the whole front panel and windscreen wipers …


Got me to Hoover the PLENUM area of the , what looked like a forest of leaves and seeds and nuts, … How the hell the plenum drain was still dry, is beyond me … but it was nice and bone dry in there. But after seeing how many leaves and how much debris gets in there, Its now on my ‘to check monthly list’ I guess I was just lucky the spider webs had stopped the leaves from blocking the drain.

while he then went about fixing the unplanned problem of the Intercooler leak.
and fitting the other parts of the service kit … Terry showed me how to remove and clean the EGR, and inlet manifold…(and the importance of not losing a nut in the engine bay area, which can turn into a whole new mission of its own, to retrieve. Apparently no long reach magnets, or wire will help you retrieve a lost nut down by the alternator, and you can’t leave it there bouncing around, because of the potential damage it could cause)

From watching him work, you can just tell, Terry could work his way around these cars blindfolded and with one hand tied behind his back.

So after Terry did his thing, and the new apprentice Arthur, ‘Arthur Job’ finished his bit cleaning the EGR and inlet manifold … yes, I was so focused on cleaning the inlet manifold ports, I forgot to clean the main end port where the EGR fits, lol … DOH!
(the method for which was to scrape out as much of the carbon crud, using a screw driver or plastic spatula, then scrub the remaining bits off it with a toothbrush and diesel, then a final clean with brake cleaner fluid… then suck out any diesel and bits from the engine ports, and blow out the inlet manifold with an air compressor – leaving any diesel in the ports or inlet manifold, may risk causing diesel run on, and we don’t want that !)

Terry then needed retapped the sump plug, because who ever did the previous oil change had over tightened it, and missed out fitting a washer !!!! , so the thread had gotten a bit mashed up.

So once the service had been done and all cleaning.

Terry then had the pleasure of now refitting the undertray, with none original clips which I supplied for the front edge to bumper, and rusted mounting holes for the other fixing points, which he supplied new plastic push nuts for.

Then we were ready for the ReMap … Now Terry was happy the car would be capable and was ready for it…

Important to note here, is that Terry had gone far and beyond the list of jobs originally agreed to, in sub zero temperatures, and yet without so much as a single grunt or moan.

So On To the 160 remap …. OMFG … !!!!! talk about ‘release the Beast’ … ITS AMAZING !!!

My only regret is we never test drove the car between Terry fixing the Intercooler leak, and having the remap. so I cant really say exactly how much of the FANTASTIC IMPROVEMENT, is from the intercooler being fixed and how much is from the Remap…. But wow , it feels and drives like a whole new car.

Combined with the auto gearbox oil change, which now gives a whole new smooth feel to every gear change, if you can feel it at all.

Kudos needs to go out to everyone involved in this magic spell of giggery pokery and what ever wizardry is involved in the remapping... And for anyone worried about it possibly stressing the engine or anything else … rest assured, you can feel it, in the responsive pedal, the smooth gear changes, and effortless take off … its not even stressing the engine or gearbox… it just feels like this engine should have left the factory like this this to begin with.

--------------------------------------------
Work still to be done :
Second flush of Auto Gear box
Fix Heater Matrix blockage
Fix radiator leak
Fit Gold Fan resistor
Fit Auxiliary Belt
Fit front windscreen end rubber bits


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Testimony for Terry of TS Autos specifically
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Its rare to find mechanics who are happy to let you watch over their work ,… most prefer you to sit in a wating room, out of view of the mechanic bay, so you cant see how they are hacking and slashing at your pride and joy …. let alone those who will explain everything they are doing and why, and explain to you, ways you can do things yourself, and things you need to keep an eye on for the future…

it was a real pleasure watching and helping Terry work on my car . I learned more about my car in a few hours with terry than I could have from a £3,000 college course …. Terry really knows his stuff, and really cares about these cars … I can’t recommend terry enough … if he spots something wrong, he will tell you what and why, and most small things he fixes for free as a matter of pride and passion.

If I was forced to find some sort of criticism, it would only be to say, he is a bit of a purist, he likes using orginal parts where possible and you will soon learn this a positive, not a negative … being a rover engineer himself, he appreciates more than most, the millions of pounds that went into research, design and development of all the parts, which resulted in some parts and components ‘being how they turned out to be’… ‘for NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- good reasons’… which I now agree with.
So as foolish as I felt at times, for buying aftermarket bits and pieces, like sump plugs with magnets in, and none original under tray clips, etc … terry is gentle in his approach and happy to explain why they aren’t ‘the best solution’ even if they aren’t un-suitable … and why the originals were designed like they were.

my only tip would be, don’t get him started on the many mods suggested on forums … some he is for, some against … lol


I cant name names, ‘cos ive been sworn to secrecy’ ; vow of ‘omerta’ lol , but terry gave me a little bit of history about the remap , and I feel a secret shout out is needed … to all involved in the remap … ‘its amazing’ … so under priced considering the difference it makes and so sad to know these engines have this much un tapped potential without pushing or stretching the envelope … The guys who made this remap happen, deserve much more credit and far more sales …
To Owners considering the Remap… I would just say, just make sure it’s done by people who care about the cars, like Terry, who make sure the engines are ready and capable of handling them … Kudos!!!
to everyone who owns a 160 remap-ABLE car …. Get it done!!! your car deserves it, and you deserve it … its like owning a NEW car!

[Slaya]

Thanks for the write-up. We've been thinking of getting our diesel mapped out of curiosity more than anything.


I already like how the diesel cruises fairly effortlessly, but it seems to lack a bit of power low down. Ours has 159,000 miles on it and will no doubt need some work before it can be mapped - in tank pump for a start...


Glad to hear the map has improved your performance. I think you may have persuaded me to get it done



Cheers
Darren

[jon cee]

Mine is the MG ZT-T 2.0 CDTI + AUTOMATIC ... 120,000 miles on the clock. and honestly, the REMAP has transformed it.
I notice you are in coventry, TS autos is not far away, just the other side of Birmingham, by Bridgnorth . I can't recommend him enough ... and it will be an awesome drive home after visiting the wizard .
something i forgot to put in my review is the immediate and obvious improved MPG ,
I reset the trip computer when i left terrys, and I've been pretty heavy on the pedal since getting this new power (just to test it of course), and its averaging 39 mpg (before, it was averaging 29 mpg but did have the intercooler leak) ... pretty sure when the novelty wears off, and i take off my lead boots, i could possibly get over 45 mpg ?
Pretty sure a trip to terry to check out the fuel pump, would also give him the chance to look over the car and advise on its suitability for the Remap.
give him a a call ... or google 'TS AUTOS, munslow' 07792 050283
(as other posts have said, dont be put off by the derelict garage on google maps, thats not his, he lives in the house behind the garage)

[Rogue]

I had the map done some 50k miles ago and it has made the car drive like it should have always been.. Fuel consumption has not suffered at all and the extra torque makes it a pleasure to drive.. I have no reservation recommending getting it done

[Slaya]

Thanks for the info! My neighbours are going to hate me if we decide to keep the diesel, we're already hogging too many spaces...



We only bought the CDTi for my son's commute to work and he easily hit 45-50mpg, but he's since moved jobs to about a mile away from where he lives.....so we no longer use it often - but it was such a good buy for a silly, low ebay bid, I'm finding it hard to part with, even though it needs some mechanical and body work.

[jon cee]

Originally Posted by Slaya

I'm finding it hard to part with, even though it needs some mechanical and body work.

Give terry a call ... I'm not sure if he deals with body work, but he will get her running mechanically sound. and if he waves his magic remap wand, i can guarantee it wont be your sons car anymore, youll want it instead lol

[jon cee]

got an important update to this thread ....
today i put her into sports mode, for the first time since having the remap and other jobs done ..... OMG .... It's an ANIMAL !!!!! won't be doing that again for a while. lol ....
that was scary .... FUN, but damn scary... lmao It's now official ... the 'S' mode now stands for SCARY, not Sports mode ...

[trikey]

Originally Posted by Rogue

I had the map done some 50k miles ago and it has made the car drive like it should have always been.. Fuel consumption has not suffered at all and the extra torque makes it a pleasure to drive.. I have no reservation recommending getting it done

Has it been 50k already!!! Wow!!

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

[Rogue]

Originally Posted by trikey

Has it been 50k already!!! Wow!!

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

Yes mate... She was just shy of 150k and now just under 205k, best part of 6 years ago as well