Drove from the SoCal coast up through mountains up in Yosemite in 100 degree weather then down into the Central California Valley and the up over Interstate 5 and down into the Los Angeles basin all the way to the Pacific Coast at sea level where I live. Dinan in Sport+, 91 pump gas from various stations along the way, no hiccups, no codes, fantastic power in the higher elevations and smooth as silk in Sport mode, from zero altitude up to over 6,000 ft.

I'm sure any of these boxes at +3psi will give reliable satisfaction.

 

Had it for a year before it started to throw codes. Is you MINI a F56? Your name is All4? My driveway is at 6,500 ft above sea level and we are in a valley. Wish it would work but as MINI can identify the code "boost" error, I felt it was not worth the possible problems with the warranty and turbo. A drive at 6,000 below sea level would cause errors as well...perhaps, in the future in LA, you can let us know.

 

It would seem that the extra boost provided by the module would be a plus at higher altitudes. That's one of the reasons aircraft like the P-38 were fitted with turbochargers. So they could stuff enough atmosphere into the combustion chambers for them to perform well at high altitude.

 

LOL. F54 with B46/48? Not sure which. The 189HP variety.

Many of us have considered buying property up in the foothills, so we can continue to have oceanfront homes when the big one comes or when the last arctic ice melts. Maybe next year. I'm just afraid folks up in the hill country might laugh if I put a boat dock in front of my mountain cabin.

 

Depends how much slack was left in the stock tune. Say stock is 14psi, the turbo maxes out at 19psi, and your tune ups the boost to 17psi. Now you only have 2psi left to account for elevation where previously you had 5psi.

 

This is, in all seriousness, most interesting. So, for a year, at your high altitude, no codes. WHAT HAS CHANGED? That's what I'd want to know.
Tuning box malfunction?
Bad sensor?
DME Update creating conflict with the tuning box that wasn't there before?
Other electro-mechanical malfunction not related to the tuning box but the added boost from the tuning box is forcing the malfunction to the surface?

The point is, if removing the tuning box eliminates EVIDENCE of the issue, has the problem been solved or is it just concealed because higher boost pressures aren't triggering the problem?

I would reach out to the tuning box tech people first and describe what you've experienced. I would also remove the tuning box and have my MINI dealer tell me what caused the codes. I'd want to know what is different than it was for the entire prior year.

What would be tickling in the back of my mind is, if there is some other issue lurking in the weeds, when will it emerge as a real problem? After the warranty ends? Will I have a failure and be stuck by the roadside on a dark and stormy night? Until I knew WHY, I wouldn't be satisfied . Just me.

Keep us posted, please.

 

Main question..................

 

Could be the module, NM said they would replace it, out of warranty for $100+. Thought about it but after discussing it with the SA( the two dealerships in the state-both over 6,000 ft) they have seen the codes thrown quite a bit, regardless of module brand. Mine happened after sitting a day and at startup it threw the code. And if you take it in to be reset, MINI/BMW has a record of it.


Maybe SCCA would have some info about the Pike's Peak runs and what they use.


The biggest difference with the JCW tune is the gas pedal response which seems is twice as fast and is coded. I made a major error when I ordered my wife's in 2013, a Coupe, a non-turbo. It is really a dog at this altitude. Take it to sea level and it is a lot faster-like our 2003 was at lower altitude.

 

SFMCS, where in the Rocky Mountain High Desert are you? I'm in Louisville, CO, about 5,300 feet altitude.

 

We are NE of ABQ, NM.
Sangres to the right, Jemez to the left, stuck in the middle again. We're next to the movie ranches and the roads were built for MINIs.

 

I love this new world. "Send us your old box and $100 and we'll send you a new one to see if that 'fixes' the unknown problem."

As opposed to, "send us the box and we'll test it to determine if there's a malfunction with our product that is causing your car to throw codes."

 

Yes, strange answer................

 

They said that the would check out my unit and if it was bad (out of warranty) they could replace it for a discounted price. Bottom line is that NM stands behind their products-for my situation I just do not want to mess with any more electronic add ons.
A couple of years ago (just got my MCS) we were in Durango, CO at their best hotel. walking back from dinner, 6 Porsches (new models I never saw before) showed up in the parking lot and a driver (and later found out) an engineer got out of the cars and covered them with custom covers. All were speaking German. Talked to the hotel manager and he told me that they were testing and the high end manufacturers came through quite often (probably Telluride also). Makes sense-US mountains and roads must be different from European ones. That is another reason I went with the factory tune.

 

Thanks for the clarification. Jerry at NM is indeed a stand up guy.

 

Finally, I'm now looking after the Dinantronics Elite...................
Not because I want more power, but because it seems to be a more complete solution, acting on several areas.
Okay, it's more expensive ( but, fortunately, I can afford it ).
Okay, it's a bit longer to install ( but 3 connectors instead of one, to unplugged/plugged is not a big deal ).
And, above all, I think I will be more confident about the reliability of the hole system

 

I have heard that one can stack the JCW Mini S tune, and either Dinan or NM. That true folks? Keep them on lower settings, and combo works great? I have JCW tune, like it, wanted to stack with one of the boxes. Comments?

 

NM on low works great with the JCW tune. Many here have been running that combo for years with zero issues. Dyno's really really well in comparison to a car with just NM box.

 

I've been running that combo for almost two years and am extremely happy with it.

 

My 2 cents:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post4338736

 

Thanks for all the great feedback. In addition to a Dinan Elite, will look at NM serious. Looks like long term success with the JCW/NM stack..

 

Price...Performance...Function...Ease of Removal??? The NM Module has been great!!! That and the addition of the WaveTrac LSD has transformed my 2019 JCW into a completely different Mini...