I have continued to have stuttering acceleration between 2-3000 RPM despite 3 evaluations, new spark plugs, fuel system evaluation and cleaning and turning down my Dinan sport from race to sport+ to sport. It has been suggested to me that I may have a boost leak in the system. I know one can check for this at home , but I am not that mechanically inclined. What should boost leak testing cost? Thank you all in advance for your input.

 

I would completely remove the Dinan module first. Check how the car runs without it first. If the car runs fine without the Dinan module, you’ve saved yourself some headache. If the issue persists, and you’re still in warranty period, take it to the dealer.

 

it runs fine without the module, but shouldn't the system tolerate a minimal boost increase without skipping? lots of folks on here love their dinans and have no problems with them.

 

Since it runs fine without the Dinan module, then there is an issue with the Dinan module. The computer trickery that those modules perform can sometimes cause hiccups. Removing the module validates that there is nothing wrong with the car, and the module was causing a hiccup. I would suggest running the car without the module for a couple weeks to let the car settle itself down, then plugging it back in to see if the issue comes back.

A friend has an NM module plugged into his F56, then one day it started running rough, and he got a powertrain control fault and check engine light. He unplugged the module, and the car ran fine - no stutters, faults, or codes returned. After a month of running without the module, he plugged it back in, and its been running fine since.

 

Occam's razor
a scientific and philosophical rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities

Dinan failing is more common than a boost leak.
I had 2 Dinans that failed.

 

My Dinan also failed. I experienced all of the above issues. Gone, once Dinan unplugged. Looking to do the tune now.....

 

So, turned off the dinan and issues gone. next step?
I don't want to get another dinan, but are other plug in tuners more reliable, like the NM(which is mini-specific) or the Berger? Or should I just go with the VIP CAI and leave the boost alone?

 

I also had the Dinan unit go south. I've heard this is not unusual after awhile. Mine lasted about 3 years. I have now removed my ECM and sent it to Dinan to have it flashed. See this thread if you want to see a viable alternative.... BTW, I have not seen any write-ups on removing the unit from F54 Clubmans. I watched someone on Youtube remove one from a F56. It's not difficult, but is a little harder on the Clubman due to the ECM farther back against the firewall. I had to cut loose the strut brace above the battery in order to have enough room to get it out.

 

I thought I just read that Steve Dinan (now CarBahn Autoworks) has a mail-in ECU tune that gives somewhere north of 100hp/100tq over stock...can't seem to find it right now. May be worth a couple days downtime to send out your ECU. I know I am thinking of tossing my Dinan sport and sending mine in for this particular tune.

 

see the link in the post directly above yours.

 

Nope, that is Steve's former company, he now has a new shop: https://carbahnautoworks.com/

They don't seem to list a tune for Mini's on the website, but I remember the info I read was done on a Mini with I believe the B46 engine. Oh, I think I know where I read it...which is in a magazine back home...will report back later as I believe it is sitting on my coffee table (oh the slow brain waves these days!!).

 

I am suspecting I am getting brain fog in some sort of fashion. Paged through the magazines I thought I had read about the CarBahn flash tune and only thing I could dig up is an M8 Competition article that was fully tuned by CarBahn, but nothing Mini related. I am thinking I must have read the Dinan Cars flash tune info and somehow crossed my own wires after reading about Steve Dinan's new company and what they are putting out. Sorry for any confusion.

 

Brain fog. Is that like a Brain cramp? It's a b*tch getting old. BTW, I should get my ECU back early next week. I'll report my impressions once re-installed and driven.

 

 

See this post for my driving impressions.