Do you dream of a more efficient car? Then you should know that there are many ways to modify your vehicle to get the best performance.

Alert: car mods cause a drop in the car value, and sometimes they are not legal.

1. Wheels

Before thinking of any fancy mod, you should first change your wheels. You can upgrade your rims to more cool ones that express your personality.

We change tires and rims for different reasons. This could be for more stability, or to be compatible with weather changes, it may simply be a desire or just a matter of aesthetics.

If you live in a cold area, you better always keep a spare in your trunk for harsh weather.

On the other hand, if you live in a country where it is sunny most of the year, it is better to change your tires now and then.

For example, if you want to sell any car in Dubai, the first thing a buyer will ask you about is the last time you have changed your tires and how much you take care of your rims.

2. Turbocompressor

You can replace many auto parts yourself, even a turbo, and save a lot of money.

In general, when a turbo hisses, the vehicle suffers a significant loss of power and excessive oil engine consumption.

Be careful, these symptoms can be due to other problems. In general, you will notice the following:

• Speeding up is very difficult.
• There may be black smoke or blue smoke, although this is not always the case.
• You can always notice an abnormal noise in your car.

3. Additional power box

The additional box, once connected correctly, has an optimization role on the “mapping” of the vehicle to improve the efficiency of the injection into the engine.

It only acts on two parts of the engine: the computer and the injector.

When you want to improve the performance of your vehicle, there are several solutions.

The fitting of an additional box is one of them:

• It increases engine power
• Improves acceleration pick-up
• Allows faster turbo triggering.
• Can even reduce fuel consumption by up to 15%

Driving is then more pleasant!

An engine reprogramming is also one of the solutions. However, it is definitive since you can very easily remove an additional box to return to the original configuration of the vehicle (and therefore reuse it if you change your car, for example). It is also less expensive than engine reprogramming.

4. Changing air filter

When you have a clogged air filter, your car slows down and does not run smoothly.

Changing the air filter is important if you want to keep a vehicle in good condition.

Generally, manufacturers recommend changing the air filter once a year or every 20,000 km. Note that if you are driving mainly in town or on dusty roads, it is better to replace this equipment even more often or, at least, to check its condition frequently.

When checking the air filter of your vehicle, you can clean it with a vacuum cleaner or a canister using compressed air.

5. Installing direct intake kit

Engine efficiency is directly related to the amount of air that enters its cylinders. The greater the airflow, the better the combustion and engine performance.

However, the original paper airbox and filter stand in the way of air. Therefore, it affects engine performance.

Fitting a direct intake kit (KAD) will eliminate the original airbox and filter, improve airflow and reduce pressure drop. It will also (in many cases) reduce the distance between the air inlet and the engine for a slight boost in low-end power.

6. Larger air exhaust system

A faulty exhaust system often causes injection problems or engine fouling. Current systems make extensive use of signals from the oxygen sensors inside to adjust the air/fuel mixture.  So, the loss of exhaust can affect the engine performance.

On the other hand, enlarging your exhaust system allows more airflow to the car, thus better engine performance.

7. Reprograming ECU (engine control unit)

It is possible to boost the power and torque of your car thanks to an operation called engine reprogramming, which is different from the additional unit.

Without touching any mechanical part, this involves upgrading the software of the injection control electronic unit.

Also called ECU (for Engine Control Unit), this computer manages the quantity of fuel injected into the engine and the pressure of the turbo.

8. Changing shock absorbers

Shock absorbers are essential, and you must change them when they are worn out and less efficient. In principle, you should realize this, because your vehicle will lose its comfort and handling.

However, as this change is gradual, it could go unnoticed. To avoid any problem, it’s better to check the shock absorbers every 20,000 kilometers (or every year) and change them every 80,000 kilometers.

9. Improving braking system

You can obtain the greatest gains in braking performance by increasing the size of the brake discs and calipers.

A larger disc provides more surface area for the brake pads to act on, with more friction to help slow the wheel down faster.

The larger calipers are not only designed to accommodate larger rotors but also provide a higher clamping force to the brake pads to make better use of the friction material.

10. Replacing spark plugs

Spark plugs have a lifespan of 30,000 to 120,000 km. you should check them every 30,000 km and pay attention to engine operation.

When a spark plug is defective or worn out, the engine continues to run but it misfires. Consequently, the car loses some of its power and over consumes fuel.

Muhamad Omari from CarWise.ae