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DervTech Tuning

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DervTech Tuning are performance tuning specialists, in Ellesmere Port, offering custom remaps on our chassis Dyno, for most makes and models of vehicles.
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DervTech are a performance tuning specialists based just outside of Manchester, in the North of England. We have gained a reputation for providing top class hardware and software tuning solutions for many makes and models of diesel or petrol vehicles. We write all our remaps ourselves, in the proper way (just like the original manufacturer would have!!) and don’t use cheap copies bought from eBay as many "tuners" do. Whether you are wanting a stage 1 tune for a totally standard car, stage 2 for a car with bolt on modifications or a stage 3 for those really bespoke cars – we can do them all! Couple this with the ability to turn off EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation valves) and DPF (diesel particulate filters) and enable those features such as hard cut (popcorn) rev limiters and launch control… we really are your one stop tuning shop! After years of playing with ECU’s and working on different cars, we were tuning our own, tuning our friends and then ultimately tuning friends of our friends. This is when DervTech was born!

05/11/2026

🔧 NOT ALWAYS PLAIN SAILING! 🔧

This JCW came to us for the fitting of a sports catalyst and our Stage 2 custom tuning. A fairly straightforward job however this one decided to throw a few challenges our way.

Once on the ramp we quickly discovered that the exhaust had been absolutely smothered in exhaust paste. What should have been a relatively straightforward removal became a rather frustrating job, with the excessive paste making it incredibly difficult to separate the exhaust components. Unfortunately this meant the fitment took almost twice as long as expected.

With the sports cat finally fitted, we moved on to replacing the spark plugs with our recommended NGK plugs, gapped to 0.5mm.

However when removing the existing aftermarket ignition coils, one completely fell apart. The tops of the remaining coils were also separating far too easily, which certainly didn't fill us with confidence. We weren't comfortable refitting them, so advised the customer to replace them with Bosch ignition coils instead.

After encountering two unexpected issues, we decided it would be sensible to carry out a full health check before proceeding any further. Thankfully everything else checked out fine and we were happy to move on to tuning.

Once on the dyno Chris began datalogging and quickly noticed that the fuel quality wasn't quite where we'd like it to be. We added a bottle of Lucas Oil Octane Booster to see whether improving the fuel's knock resistance would help and the difference in the logs was immediately noticeable!

With the car now running much happier, Chris could continue developing the custom Stage 2 calibration.

📊 Stock : 219.4HP - 302.9NM
📈 Stage 2 : 307.6HP - 447.9NM

This is exactly why we take the time to inspect, datalog and assess every car individually. Sometimes what looks like a simple job uncovers things that need addressing and we'd much rather spend the extra time getting everything right than overlook something that could cause problems further down the line.

2021 John Cooper Works Manual
___________________________
DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

04/11/2026

🏆 1 of 53 🏆

We've recently had the pleasure of working on a number of MINI JCW Challenges, and with only 53 ever made it's pretty crazy to think we actually had TWO of them in the workshop at the same time!

This one in particular was a lovely example with just 5,000 miles on the clock!

Now you'd might think a car with such low mileage would automatically be in perfect mechanical health, but that's not always the case. Cars that spend long periods sitting unused can develop their own issues, so mileage alone isn't necessarily an indication of condition.

Before carrying out any tuning we completed our comprehensive health check, including compression and cylinder leakage testing, to establish the condition of the engine and ensure everything was working as it should.

Once we were happy with the results and the car had been given the green light, we got cracking with the planned upgrades!

We supplied and fitted:

- NGK91469 spark plugs gapped to 0.5mm
- Direnza JCW intercooler
- Dinan intake resonator delete

and then of course carried out of custom tuning.

📊 Stock : 237.2HP - 360.0NM
📈 Stage 1 : 294.3HP - 421.2NM

JCW Challenge
___________________________
DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

03/11/2026

🔄 TRUE SWITCHABLE MAPPING IS HERE! 🔄

We've been keeping something pretty exciting under wraps here at DervTech and after years of research, development and testing, we're finally ready to share it!

Chris has successfully developed TRUE SWITCHABLE ECU MAPPING for pre-LCI manual MINI F-chassis models! With further platforms already in development.

SO WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY MEAN?

Imagine having FOUR completely different engine calibrations available in your Mini, all accessible from the driver's seat.

For example:

STOCK – A factory-style calibration for everyday driving.

SAFE MAP – A reduced performance calibration designed to operate with lower demands on the engine, ideal for occasions when maximum performance isn't required.

99 RON – Your usual custom performance calibration, optimised for premium fuel.

TRACK – A dedicated calibration developed for track use, focusing on consistent, progressive power delivery.

VALET MAP – A heavily restricted calibration that can limit engine performance, vehicle speed and RPM. Ideal for occasions when you're handing your keys over to someone else and want to restrict how the car can be driven.

And these are just examples! The idea is to offer different calibrations tailored to the individual driver and how they use their Mini.

AND HOW DO YOU SWITCH BETWEEN THEM?

By using your CLUTCH PEDAL, BRAKE PEDAL and the existing TOGGLE SWITCH!

No laptop. No phone. No plugging anything in. No repeatedly reflashing the ECU.

Just genuine ECU map switching, directly from the driver's seat!

BUT HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT TO OTHER SWITCHABLE MAPPING?

Switchable mapping itself isn't new. Platforms such as bootmod3 offer multi-map functionality on supported vehicles, but this capability hasn't traditionally been available for these particular Minis.

And here's the important part...

We're NOT simply changing throttle sensitivity through GREEN, MID and SPORT modes. We're NOT using a tuning box and we're NOT repeatedly flashing different tuning files.

We're switching between genuinely different ECU calibrations, with each map having its own defined characteristics.

WHAT HAPPENS TO GREEN, MID AND SPORT MODES?

Absolutely NOTHING!

They remain completely untouched and continue to function exactly as MINI intended, independently of whichever ECU calibration you've selected.

And importantly, all the usual factory-fitted engine protection strategies and safety features remain intact! Developing additional functionality doesn't mean removing the safeguards designed to protect your engine and its components.

THIS IS MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER REMAP.

This development has required a much deeper understanding of the engine management software, countless hours of research and a determination to introduce functionality that simply hasn't been readily available on this platform.

Anyone who knows Chris will know he's never been particularly interested in following what everyone else is doing. He wants to understand how things work, challenge limitations and find solutions where others might not have looked.

And this is exactly that.

Developed right here in our little workshop in Ellesmere Port.

FOUR MAPS. ONE MINI. COMPLETE CONTROL.

NOW WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

The examples above are only a handful of the possibilities we're exploring. We'd love to hear what YOU would find useful.

Is there a particular calibration or switchable feature you've always wanted for your Mini? Something for everyday driving, track days, different fuel grades or a completely different purpose?

We're genuinely interested in hearing your ideas and discussing what's technically possible, so get involved in the comments!

And we're not stopping here. Keep an eye out for updates on automatic gearbox compatibility and, hopefully, LCI switchable mapping in the future.

This is only the beginning.

___________________________

DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

03/11/2026

💀 Fuel Quality 💀

Over the last few months we've noticed something concerning when datalogging cars on the dyno, fuel quality!

Even some vehicles running on UK premium 99RON petrol aren't performing quite as we'd expect with more knock.

Something worth explaining is that 99RON doesn't mean ethanol free. RON is the fuel's octane rating, which indicates its resistance to engine knock. Most UK super unleaded is labelled E5, meaning it can contain up to 5% ethanol, whereas standard 95RON is generally E10, allowing up to 10%.

These are maximum permitted ethanol percentages, not necessarily what's actually in your tank. Ethanol itself isn't automatically bad for performance but fuel composition, octane quality and consistency all matter when we're calibrating an engine.

As we say time and time again 99RON is important even on a standard car. Whilst most standard can run on 95RON, that doesn't mean they should. When the ECU detects knock, it can pull ignition timing to protect the engine, reducing performance and efficiency.

The car arrived running on 95RON and during our initial logging we weren't happy. We added a bottle of Lucas Oil Octane Booster before continuing and the difference was noticeable before we'd even touched the calibration!

📊 Stock 95RON: 200.0HP – 283.4NM
📊 Stock & Octane Booster: 204.0HP – 308.4NM
📈 Stage 1: 276.4HP – 396.2NM

We advised the customer to use premium 99RON moving forward.

Premium fuel costs more at the pump but there's a reason we recommend it. Better knock resistance allows the engine to operate closer to its intended ignition timing, rather than constantly making corrections to protect itself.

Depending on the vehicle and driving conditions, it can also improve efficiency and fuel economy. More importantly it gives us a better foundation for safe, consistent performance.

And whilst we're not saying every tank of fuel is poor quality, we're certainly seeing enough inconsistencies during our testing to make it worth talking about.

Don't spend hundreds or thousands modifying your car and then try to save a few pounds filling it up! 💀

2015 Cooper S Manual
___________________________
DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

02/11/2026

🚗 113,000 Miles 🚗

This Mini came to us for custom engine and gearbox tuning. The owner made the sensible decision to book in for a full comprehensive health check beforehand.

With around 113,000 miles on the clock there were a few components we knew would be worth looking at, particularly the fuel injectors and ignition coils, which we recommended replacing if they hadn't been done previously.

Whilst removing the ignition coils and spark plugs to carry out the compression test, we noticed a couple of things.

Cylinder 4's spark plug was loose, resulting in combustion gases blowing past the plug and onto the ignition coil insulator. We also noticed signs of oxidation on the spark plug ceramics. These spark plugs had only recently been fitted by a MINI main dealer.

Onto the compression test and whilst the readings were slightly lower than we'd expect from a lower mileage engine, this isn't particularly unusual for something that's covered over 100,000 miles. More importantly compression was consistent across all four cylinders, with nothing else of concern identified.

With a fresh set of injectors, ignition coils and spark plugs fitted and the remainder of the comprehensive health check completed, it was time to get the car onto the dyno.

Chris carried out his usual datalogging and was pleased to see the engine running happily and efficiently with its new components. Everything was looking healthy, meaning we could confidently proceed with the custom engine and gearbox calibration.

📊 Stock: 232.1HP - 328.6NM
📈 Stage 1: 292.5HP - 404.0NM

This is exactly why we offer comprehensive health checks before tuning. It's not just about finding out whether an engine is capable of making more power. It's about identifying potential problems, understanding the condition of the engine and making sure we're starting with the healthiest possible platform.

Mileage alone doesn't determine whether a vehicle is suitable for tuning. Its mechanical condition, maintenance history and how it performs under load are far more important.

2016 John Cooper Works 6 Speed AUTO
___________________________

DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

26/10/2026

🔑 RESEARCH 🔑

This 2014 Cooper S came to us for custom tuning, it arrived fitted with Bosch spark plugs. This isn't a criticism of the customer or Bosch as a manufacturer. If you're searching online for replacement spark plugs, it's understandable to assume that anything listed as compatible with your vehicle will do the job. However just because a spark plug is suitable doesn't mean you should use it.

The NGK spark plugs we recommend would have cost just £12 more. A little research or a quick conversation with a specialist beforehand could have avoided purchasing parts that would ultimately need replacing. We don't expect every customer to understand spark plug heat ranges, electrode designs or ignition requirements. That's our job! But it's a good example of why choosing the correct components is so important.

Unfortunately the spark plugs were the least of our concerns.

The car was already tuned somewhere else. The customer had paid around £200 for a remap at a garage that hadn't even carried out road logging to check how the engine was behaving. Making 253.2HP and a whopping 462.9NM.

To put that into perspective, 400NM is what we would consider the absolute MAXIMUM for this particular gearbox. This car was producing almost 63NM MORE than that with peak torque arriving at just 2,829RPM.

That's an enormous amount of torque to be putting through a gearbox that was never designed to handle those figures, particularly so low in the rev range. Excessive torque places additional strain on the clutch, gearbox and drivetrain components. Aggressive torque delivery at low RPM can also create extremely high cylinder pressures, increasing stress on the engine itself.

And this is exactly why we always say peak figures mean absolutely nothing if the vehicle isn't operating safely.

Following our investigations, we had serious concerns about the calibration and were genuinely surprised the engine hadn't already suffered a catastrophic failure.

The decision was made to flash the ECU back to stock.

Unfortunately that wasn't the end of it. The vehicle also needed spark plugs, ignition coils and injectors.

With concerns that the engine may already have sustained damage from how it had been running, Chris made the decision to refuse to tune the vehicle. Not because we couldn't produce a better result but because we weren't prepared to put our name to an engine whose mechanical condition we couldn't confidently stand behind.

At this point there was a real possibility that the damage had already been done and adding more power would have been irresponsible.

We appreciate that everyone has a budget and we completely understand why a £200 remap might seem appealing compared with the cost of proper custom tuning.

But there's a reason. It's the time spent checking the vehicle, understanding the software, analysing datalogs, monitoring how the engine responds and making adjustments based on what the car actually needs. It's knowing the limitations of the engine, gearbox and supporting components, rather than simply requesting as much torque as possible. And sometimes it's making the decision to turn a customer away when we don't believe it's safe to proceed.

We would rather lose a booking than take someone's money knowing there's a significant risk of something going wrong.
___________________________

DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

22/10/2026

🚀 WE'VE CRACKED THE 7 SPEED DCT! 🚀

This has been a LONG time coming but after countless months of development, we've finally broken through one of the biggest limitations holding back the 7-speed DCT.

Last year Josh went to at Garage 34 to have a Dodson Motorsport upgraded clutch kit fitted to his DCT300 gearbox.

As many of you will know the 7-speed DCT has always been a limiting factor when tuning. Despite the engines being capable of producing considerably more torque, the gearbox restrictions have meant we've had to keep torque figures conservative.

With the upgraded clutch kit fitted Andy brought the car up to us to see whether Chris could push the gearbox further through software development. He got stuck into the software, determined to find out exactly what was holding the gearbox back.

And what a mission that turned out to be.

Buried deep within the German gearbox software was a torque limitation that proved incredibly difficult to identify and overcome. Anyone familiar with reverse engineering German automotive software will appreciate that it's certainly no straightforward task!

BUT WE'VE FINALLY DONE IT!

We've identified the limitation, developed the software to overcome it and completely transformed how this gearbox performs.

What was previously a laggy, torque restricted gearbox prone to overheating is now delivering incredibly quick shifts, substantially more torque and no overheating issues throughout our testing.

DervTech Stage 2 – Upgraded 7DCT300

🔥 326.2HP – 502.7NM 🔥

This has been a huge amount of work behind the scenes but it's exactly why we invest so much time into our own software development. We know we can do it, it just takes time.

We can now officially say that with the appropriate hardware upgrades and our developed gearbox software, the 7-speed DCT300 can surpass the torque restrictions that previously held it back.

A massive thank you to Josh for his patience throughout this process and to Andy at Garage 34 for his work on the mechanical side of this development.

21/10/2026

🥱 IT'S THE TUNE 🥱

One thing we've come to learn in this industry is that once a car has been tuned, the software can very quickly become the first thing blamed when something goes wrong.

Engine management light? it's the tune.
Car developed a misfire? it's the tune.
Mechanical issue? it's the tune

But.. a tuned car is still a car and cars develop faults. Sensors fail, ignition coils deteriorate, injectors develop issues, components wear out and mechanical problems arise. These things happen to completely standard vehicles every single day.

Of course tuning can contribute to problems if the calibration is incorrect, unsuitable for the hardware or if additional demands expose an existing weakness. We're certainly not suggesting that software can never be responsible. What we are saying is that a fault needs to be diagnosed, not assumed.

We spend a considerable amount of time investigating issues, analysing datalogs and understanding how the mechanical and software sides of a vehicle work together. There is a reason we carry out health checks, monitor parameters during tuning and sometimes refuse to continue until an underlying issue has been addressed.

We also regularly see vehicles that have been tuned elsewhere, where we're asked to investigate problems supposedly caused by the software. Sometimes the calibration is responsible, sometimes it's a mechanical fault and sometimes it's a combination of both. The important thing is having the evidence to establish which.

If you've had your vehicle tuned by us and genuinely believe an issue has developed as a result, please speak to us. Tell us what's happening. Send us the fault codes, diagnostic reports or any information another garage has provided. Let's have a conversation, investigate the concern and where necessary, arrange to get the vehicle back in so we can establish what's actually going on.

We ask that conclusions aren't drawn or claims made about our work, without the mechanical or software evidence to support them. Being told "it's because it's mapped" is not a diagnosis. A fault code alone doesn't necessarily identify the root cause and the presence of modified software doesn't automatically establish that it is responsible.

Good diagnostics should be based on testing, measurements and evidence, not assumptions.

We've worked incredibly hard to build DervTech's reputation around understanding the vehicles we work on, developing our own calibrations and taking the time to investigate things properly. We will always welcome a genuine conversation about a concern, whether the outcome points towards our software or something entirely unrelated. Because ultimately we're all working towards the same thing: a car that performs as it should, safely and reliably.

___________________________

DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

19/10/2026

🔵 The CURVE 🔵

The blue lines show just how much more performance is available throughout the rev range, not just at the top end.

From around 2,500RPM the difference in torque is already substantial, with the tuned car producing over 400Nm across a huge portion of the rev range.

And then there's the horsepower. The standard car doesn't reach its peak 227HP until 6,087RPM. With our Stage 1 calibration we're already producing approximately that much power by 3,900RPM, that's over 2,000RPM earlier.

This translates to stronger acceleration, improved mid-range performance and a car that pulls significantly harder without constantly needing to chase the redline and this is why we don't just chase peak numbers.

Our calibrations are developed to deliver usable performance across the rev range, with consideration given to how the engine delivers its power, not simply how impressive the final number looks on paper.

Every vehicle is checked, logged and calibrated on our dyno, because making more power is one thing but how that power is delivered is just as important.

It makes what it makes.

📊 Stock : 227.0HP - 313.3NM
📈 Stage 1 : 308.7HP - 427.3NM

2021 John Cooper Works / Manual
___________________________
DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

16/10/2026

🔧 INTRODUCING DERVTECH SERVICE KITS! 🔧

We're excited to announce that our service kits are now available to purchase through our online shop!

Keeping on top of your vehicle's maintenance is one of the most important things you can do, especially when running a tuned vehicle. We've put together service kits using products we know and trust, making it easier for you to get everything you need in one place.

What's included in our basic service kit?
- 5W-30 high-quality Lucas engine oil
- MANN oil filter (OEM quality)

Simply provide your vehicle registration when ordering and we'll ensure the correct oil filter is supplied for your vehicle.

You can customise your service kit with some of our most popular maintenance and performance products:

- Spark Plugs : Keep your ignition system performing as it should.

- If it's an F55/F56/F57 - DervTech ITG Panel Filter : A high-quality, reusable performance air filter that fits directly into your factory airbox.

Add any of our optional extras to your basic service kit and you'll automatically receive 10% off your order at checkout!

We recommend carrying out an oil and filter change at a maximum of every 8,000 miles.

Whether you're servicing your car at home or just getting everything ready for your next service, we've made it simple to order the products we use and recommend ourselves.

🛒 Available now : https://dervtech-tuning.myshopify.com

___________________________

DervTech Tuning
🏠 Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road, Ellesmere Port, CH653AN
📞 0161 706 0586
📧 [email protected]
💻 www.dervtech.com

Address

Unit 3, Brimoto Trading Estate, Rossbank Road
Ellesmere Port
CH653AN

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm
Saturday	8am - 6pm

Telephone

+441617060586

Website

https://www.dervtech.com/, https://dervtech-tuning.myshopify.com/

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