Hello all, im not sure this is the correct place to post this but i have been looking around on different forums trying to find a place to bring mine and my buddy's R53's to get a tune. After some of the mods that we have done we are looking to get the most out of them. We live in CT and i am not sure where this could be done at. Whenever I have looked up "tuning a mini cooper" I get articles or threads about buying a plug and play chip. What is the best option? Thanks in advance!

-Burkee

 

What engine mods have you done?

 

Look for the next RMW tune in your area. They post here on NAM.
The other option would be to buy a "canned" tune from RMW.

Not sure if Manic has a tune for the R53, but there is a tuner in NJ if they do.

 

I have a 16% reduction pulley, a detroit tuned BPV, CAI and i am planning to get an exhaust before i get a tune, And thanks for the info Eddie!

 

You don't really need a tune for those mods, as the ECU will adapt.

 

MINIAC how long would you say it takes for the ECU to adapt? The only reason I ask I because my friend and i have both been experiencing a hesitation under hard acceleration, ive read that could be due to the belt tensioner (which im replacing this weekend) or because it needs a tune

 

What you are feeling might be timing pull...
A tune DOES HELP......
Mine was tuned in CT...
RMW seems to have a tune event in Norwich ct near the casino every year or two...
Think they can do remote tunes too....
The tune IMO is WELL WORTH the $350 or so...
On paper you might gain 20 HP or so...
But the tq gain was awesome on mine...
Made the car run smooth, better than factory....
And no worries about going lean...
Yes, the ecu CAN adapt a bit...on cruise and light throttle... The o2 sensor is active (actuall closed loop vs open loop to be tecnical i guess) and the fuel trims change to keep the motor happy...
BUT AT FULL THROTTLE, the engine reverts to it stored maps,....And this is when you can run a bit lean, the motor can see a bit of activity on the knock sensor, and pull the timing (different from the yo-yo some folks get).
The tune events tend to be the weekend before Jan of RMW is with his race teams at limerrock...
Think you missed it this year..but think the shop/dyno has the equipment to do a remote tune with Jan...
The name of the shop eludes me right now...but how many shops have a 4 wheel/2 Axel dyno in Norwich ct between downtown and the casino? Not many..lol.
Get a tune. You will be happy. The more different the car is from stock, the better the tune will be!!
Some gain lots, some just a bit..depends on the motors health....
I was at 180 on my S fully modded, no tune, with the stick exaust, but jcw380 injectors and a 17%.. ..left with just a bit over 200 HP to the wheels, more tq, better mpg, and no worries of burning a valve...

 

Awesome info Zippy! thanks for responding, I will definitely look into that next january, I would love some more torque!! haha

 

The nicest change was actually the two other things Jan/RMW will do by request....
The first is he can change the sensitivity of the gas pedal...so you negate the need for an item like a sprint-booster...this pays for HALF the tune cost...
It's not adjustable, but he adjusts it to get rid of the laggyness, and make it more like other cars...
The second thing is the dsc (if equipped) is made less aggressive....rather than cutting power to half, it cuts it just a fraction...and it seems too work better, and not leave you say "crap"....waiting for the light to quit flashing to get you HP back...Whil many unmodded folks keep the dsc off, once modded, it truely does what it should...so you can leave it on...and not even notice it....
To be honest... Just a pulley, exaust and intake is minor, but a tune CAN be a nice thing to have...it kinda completes your engine tuning, bringing it all together.

 

Very interesting Zippy, if you think a pulley, exhaust and intake are minor, what are some things that should be done before i get a tune so that i can get the most from it?