Emissions standards
Vehicles must continue to meet the emissions requirements for their type. Government guidance states it can be an offence to use a vehicle on the road that has been modified so it no longer meets those standards. That is why we keep DPF, EGR and SCR/AdBlue systems in place on every road-going remap.
The MOT
The MOT includes emissions checks and, for diesels, a check that a DPF is present where one was fitted as standard. A missing factory-fitted DPF is a failure. Visible smoke of any colour from a DPF-equipped diesel can also be a failure. Warning lights for emissions systems may also be relevant.
Insurance
Declare a remap to your insurer and obtain acceptance. Our insurance and warranty guide explains why.
Deletes and “off-road” labels
Describing a road vehicle as “off-road only” does not make a delete lawful if the vehicle is used on the road. Our non-road emissions page explains our restrictions.
Using this guide
This guide is general and educational. Vehicles differ in their engines, control units, software and emissions equipment, and manufacturers' handbooks sometimes give specific instructions that take priority over general advice. If anything here conflicts with your handbook or a warning on your dashboard, follow the handbook and get the vehicle checked.
We do not use customer stories or invented figures in our guides. Where something depends on the individual vehicle, we say so.
How we approach legal remapping
Diagnosis comes before parts or software. We read stored fault codes, look at live data such as sensor readings, temperatures and pressures where the system makes them available, and ask how and when the problem appears. A warning light describes a symptom that the control unit has detected; it does not always name the part that has failed, so the fault code is the starting point of the investigation rather than the answer.
Once we understand the likely cause we explain the findings in plain language and discuss the sensible options, which might be a repair, a clean, a software update, a replacement part or simply a change in how the vehicle is used. You receive a quote for the agreed scope before further work goes ahead. We will not recommend removing an emissions system as a fix for a road vehicle.
What to send us before booking legal remapping
The quickest way to get useful advice is to send the registration and a short description by WhatsApp or through the quote form. Support and suitability vary by engine, gearbox, control unit and software version, so a registration lets us check the right information instead of guessing. Any estimate given remotely is provisional until the vehicle has been seen and the required checks are complete.
- 01Vehicle registration and approximate mileage
- 02Make, model and engine size, if known
- 03Any warning lights, messages, symptoms or fault codes
- 04Existing remaps, tuning boxes or hardware modifications
- 05How the vehicle is used — commuting, towing, short trips or heavy loads
- 06Whether the vehicle is currently in limp mode or will not start
Visiting the workshop for legal remapping
All work is carried out at our single workshop at Unit 2, Lancaster Works, Kingsbridge Road, Manchester M9 5SP. We do not run a mobile remapping service and we have no other branches, so every legal remapping enquiry is booked into the same Manchester workshop. Visits are by arrangement: please call or WhatsApp before travelling so we can confirm the vehicle, the time and what the visit will involve.
Access is through the black gate. Call when you arrive so we can let you in, then keep left towards the rear of the site. We are open Monday to Friday 8am–6pm and Saturday 8am–1pm, and closed on Sunday. If the vehicle is in limp mode, showing a serious warning or will not start, tell us before setting off so we can talk about whether it is sensible to drive it or whether transport should be arranged.