ECU tuning: Let's talk about real world results and risking warranty
 

Okay, I'm really close to taking the plunge and getting my a tune on my '13 MCS but I have a few questions for the peeps that have already been there, done that. I'm currently using a JB+ but I have already gotten bored and I'm ready for more.

1) One of the vendors tells me their tune should bring me a 40HP increase for roughly $900. ------> Is 40HP a pretty noticeable gain on these engines?

2) Of course my powertrain warranty also comes to mind. I'm very worried that Mini could tell me to take a hike if and when something on my car goes south thus taking a huge hit on my wallet. ------> what's the reality of something really going wrong? what kind of luck have other people had with tunes on their cars?

3) Should I upgrade the intercooler on my car?

-Any info/suggestions will be greatly appreciated. :)

Well,

I'm not sure what Mini is doing.. but I know VW, Subaru, and several other oems are red flagging cars with ECU flashes when they come in for work. This is a national move, your power train warranty will be void for the life of the car if its detected.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=723801

BMW can see such flashes if the need arrises... be aware.

Before someone where waves the Magnum Moss Act flag.. Go read up on it, its not a cover all to do as you wish with a new car that has a warranty..

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e60...u-flashes.html

Is also a very good thread.

I myself wouldn't do anything like that until after the warranty.. I just wouldn't chance it. I totally understand the thrill of squeezing as much power out of your motor as possible. But im not sure what the limits are of the N18. As far as 40hp gain...that's a big jump in my book. good luck!

I'm also using the JB+ but really want a tune. It looks like there might be flash tunes coming available for the N18, Manic and possibly Battle/DNA.

I'll sit back see how those pan out first though, I don't really want to be a beta tester.

40 HP would be very noticeable. That's about a 20-25% increase over stock.

I would recommend getting a bigger intercooler, it's helpful even with the JB+

If the JB+ gives you 20hp then 40hp.....

If warranty is a concern then don't do it. But if you're willing o put it on the line, like I am, then go for it with no regrets. NM tunes the N18 as does Renntech and so far there are barely any negative review on those. I'll be one of the beta tester for the Manic tune which starts tomorrow. My appointment is on Saturday and all are welcome to come by then at 11am to take a look if you are near Torrance, CA.
I've had my GTI tuned while is till had warranty on it, still did as I had to return it after the lease, and has been running strong for the 18'000 miles thati put on it with the tune (21'500 miles when it was given back) and VW didn't say anything a year and a half ago.
It's all up to the owner themselves if they want to risk it or not.

Big worry with a tune is blowing the motor. That is a real concern. If you take the risk then be prepared that your warranty will probably be voided. Now you could buy another ECU and have it flashed to your car and when you go in for service you take out the modded one and swap in the non-modded one. Risky either way so the best advice is to do some soul searching and write up the pros and cons. Good luck.

Do you have the supporting mods to go with your tune? Why not start there?

FMIC, DP, Exhaust, Intake

After you have those, then spend money on your tune. No point of re-turning your ECU everytime you do a minor upgrade.

Well, 40/179=0.22. I'd say 122% of original is a pretty noticeable gain. :)

Have you considered the JCW tuning kit, including JCW ECU flash? It won't put out as much power as a tuner's flash (about 200hp), but it has a warranty. It sounds to me like you don't want to risk blowing up your engine unless MINI will pay for the mistake. So why not their own power upgrade?

Or, trade your car on a factory JCW. More power than the tuning kit with (I have read) more robust crank/con rods/pistons to support that power. Then when warranty is over, use that headroom to let a tuner do something really crazy.

But quite seriously: if you are worried about the warranty, then you should not mod your engine.

Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go? :-)

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Well said :thumbsup:

Thanks for the good info. I've decided not to go this route just for the fear alone of losing the powertrain warranty. My local dealership charges outrageous labor rates just for doing the simplests things.

I couldn't imagine what the charge would be to replace a big ticket item like a turbo or worse yet an entire engine. It'd probably cost just as much to buy another Mini. lol

The more robust engine components on a JCW is a total Myth, I know people love the idea of something special but in reality it's a stock N18 engine with different programming and a larger turbo setup for higher boost.

If we really think about it, the core engine is incredibly durable when you consider all the extreme tuning owners do.

I could see Mini voiding your turbo and possibly your engine for having an aftermarket diverter valve.

Just keep in mind that you get used to a small power bump like a tune real quick. I remember feeling the small JB+ bump when installing it a couple of months ago, now frankly the car doesn't more special than it did when I picked it up new. I've had similar experience with previous tuned cars. Because you get used to the power you'll keep wanting more and the modding hobby can get expensive quick.

Try running without it for a few days. Same noise, but you're not going as fast. Then put it back on, squealing tires back :D

Thank you for the correction — I shall stop spreading that misinformation now. :-}

I'm curious now to know how far the N14 or N18 engines have been pushed. The R53 engines were insane — I recall regularly reading about those things bring pushed to 275+ hp without grenading. (But maybe I'm just as misinformed about that as I was about JCW engines.)

IDK about the n18 but the N14 JCW motor is not the same as the regular cooper s

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Does the jb+ leave a trace or etc in the ecu. Can it be detected by dealer.

no, as far as i know, the dealer has no way of the dealer seeing the JB+ as long as it's physically removed before the car is taken in for service.

What's different on the N14?

Unless something has changed the ECU retains a record of all parameters, amongst them are boost and RPM. If a tune either raises your RPM limit or ups the boost which are two of the more popular tuning mods then that record is there and the dealer can pull it out weather the tune is still in play or not .


This isn't to say if you roll in for a service they are going to throw a flag BUT if you come in with a problem with the drive train they will investigate and then you are at their mercy.

I also read hard to believe HP claims, but to know the numbers quoted would require a dyno, but no one ever seems to have it.

:thumbsup:

36k mile warranty...I went in 3 times.

15k miles oil change
warped hood scoop
30k? or was it 36k? I forget, but I went over 90miles on the warranty and they didn't even want to cover that for me, aholes.

Needless to say, warranty in my eyes was a nonfactor before and after modding. Never was given lip about mods when I went in and that's in strict CA.

Tune up and just have fun.