Has anyone ever done a comparison of the tunes for which one is better for the money or reliability? For the cost throwing a simple plug and play tune is one of the best mods you could do to these cars. I have the JCW exhaust with tune on my 2018 F55 Carbon (came on the edition from the factory) and I know that even though it's only like a 15hp boost the car is livelier than my wife's 2019 F57. Sounds better too even though she doesn't like to admit it. I would like more power myself but I better throw one on hers first.

 

Good thread... subscribed.

 

 

I'm a huge fan of tuning cars. I have JCW tune on my Mini and a Dinan Stage 1 (dealer installed) on my M240i. Both cars are still backed by factory or piggyback warranties. This is a big consideration for me. Purchasing cars and altering them where a mechanical issue may be refused by the manufacturer wasn't an appealing option.

I've read that diagnostics done at the dealership can reveal whether a tune was installed and/or removed. Debatable, but again, a gamble I'm not willing to take considering the cost of repairs due to a voided warranty.

That being said, w/ my Mini, after adding the JCW tune, I also added a set of new wheels and tires. Enkei RPF1 and Conti Extreme Perf DW tires. I eliminated 8 lbs of unsprung weight @ each wheel over the stock Tenacle 17" wheels and Hankook RF's. This one change netted me 11 more WHP and 11 more torque. Adding this to the tune really transformed the car w/o affecting the car's warranty.

In a comparison w/ a new 2018 JCW (back to back test drive w/ a salesman), we both agreed my car was actually quicker and more responsive than the JCW. The difference was quite noticeable.

If you plan to race competitively or track your car, then adding a piggyback or flash tune may make sense. However I find there is only so much power and performance one can use in normal driving irrespective of 0-jail times your car can post. Most times I'm rolling in traffic w/ the Toyotas, Hondas, Porsches and Corvettes. Factor in LE presence and opportunities to stretch the car legs are even more limited. I find most of my hooliganism is practiced between 0-speed limit (and even then with concern for the cop I don't see). When your car goes out of warranty, then you can do whatever you wish as repairs will on your dime anyway.

Of the Piggyback tunes, I agree w/ Vetsvette, that NM is probably the safest to install and use w/ the least reported issues. Again, you have to install and remove each time you visit the dealer.

As a matter of fact, my next Mini will have the wheels off my current Mini moved and will likely get a Dinan Stage 1 tune ($900 @ 1/2 the price of a factory JCW tune) which is covered by their piggyback warranty to the Mini 4 year 50K miles..

 

With the JCW tune on my car the OEM run flats cannot get traction so they have to go for sure. You make a very good point about swapping out the wheels and tires.

 

 

Regarding the "Butt Dyno" comment, "Justa" (pun) clarify a point, the WHP and Torque gains are measurable on a dyno. @ 8 lbs per wheel (32lbs overall) an 11 WHP and similar Torque gain was measured on a dyno when swapping wheels and tires. Overall the crank HP and Torque numbers do not change, but due to the reduced rolling resistance (if we want to call it that) the car actually produces more WHP and Torque w/ the lighter wheels an tires.. So there are significant measurable performance gain to be had w/o adding any additional mods to the motor.

Many dismiss this when deciding to swap out wheels and tires. Plenty of great looking wheels that act as boat anchors on your car. They look great but steal performance. The Eneki PF1 were the lightest 17's I could find through Tire Rack. Ordered the tire/wheel and TPMS as a set. There are less expensive alternatives out that that are lighter than the stock Mini 17's (but none lighter than the Enkei's netting me 32lb savings overall). In my research, I found a article where they did a test w/ a Camaro swapping out stock wheels and tires which saved 8 lbs per corner (exactly what the Enkei's and Conti's would save me) and dyno results netted 10+ WHP and 11 Wheel Torque after the swap (Torque is where the power is and why a JCW tuned Mini feels more powerful than the JCW - JCW tuned Mini makes more torque earlier in the powerband than the JCW). That test sealed the purchase for me.

The Dinan Sport does not carry any warranty that covers like their Stage 1 does (matching the 4/50K car manufacturers warranty) . So in effect it is the same (in that regard) to a Burger tune or NM power module or other piggyback plug in tuner. Stage 1 is $1399 + install, the Sport is somewhere south of $500.

I too find my M240i tune actually improved day to day driving. My car experienced a hesitation each time I started from a dead stop when it was stock. Not a huge hesitation, but a slight but noticeable "stumble". After the Dinan Stage 1, the first thing I noticed as pulled out the BMW dealership after the tune install was, "no hesitation at all". Gas mileage is still good (Avg 26+ all around)..Mini is @ 37 MPG all around.

Yes big fan of tunes and agree that once the warranty goes, a flash makes sense if more power is the goal. My situation allows me buy my cars and trade cars so I'm not w/o a factory bumper to bumper warranty during ownership. Next year I'll likely see my Mini go (will be out of warranty) , although I do dearly love that little thing. It's been visually modified to my taste and performs like a champ so there is some reluctance to part with it. Hoping the 2020 hardtop has an ZF 8 speed and a peppier stock motor (something north of 200 HP and a similar increase in the torque numbers would be wonderful), and would ease my reluctance to part with it.

 

Note that the Dinan Sport is only $300, not $500, and can be had used in the Marketplace forums here for $200. It really is a good bit of kit. The stock B46 engine feels like it runs out of breath fast; put in a Dinan Sport and the engine runs like it should.

I had it, liked it, but was still bitten by the power bug and sent my ECU to Bytetronik to unlock and flash. Holy moly did that ever unlock the engine's potential. Big big thumbs up.

 

Yes, I knew it was less than $500 hence my comment "South of" $500

 

The ZF 8HP is a longitudinal transmission, unless BMW really changes directions for Mini, they'll never use it. Might see a DCT though but just a switch from the 6 speed Aisin to the 8 speed is probably more likely. The X2 M35i should debut Q4 and give a preview of the new JCW engine.

 

Indeed it is. My concern was that someone would read it and think "almost $500", Which it's not. Close to half that -- a pretty big difference.

So now if a new member comes along and reads it, they will have precise information.

 

JB & Sprintbooster & 15 min install time. Buy them 2nd hand online.
ISAMIN

 

The Sprint Booster has fascinated me. All the videos I've seen (by real people after install) and "How it works" videos all look like the real deal. Even videos of 0-60 time show an increase w/ the Sprint Booster. Looks like a "Simple Simon" install too, one torx screw and plug it in. A buddy ordered a "Pedal Commander". I have not heard back from him. Pretty much the same deal as the Sprint Booster.

 

I have a 2016 F55 Carbon and for awhile I had a great set up while under warranty. JCW tune + NM piggyback + Sprint Booster. It was a blast and it made first gear useless, in a good way!! Since I have blown past the warranty mileage I have moved to an ECU tune by Mario, and the car is even more responsive, by leaps and bounds.

 

I just recently installed the EVOLVE flash on my 17 JCW, which is all done through the ECU (uses the same program as Bytronik). I now have my original stock ECU profile, and my tune (along with coding diagnostics) on a flash drive and my laptop, so I can swap back to stock when I take it to the dealership. There is a very minor possibility that they can detect when the ECU has been flashed, but that is normally only when you remove the top speed limit, raise the rev limit, or a couple of other things, which I did not opt for with my tune.The change has been dramatic, to say the least, and I am heading to the track this Sunday for a proper test, and getting it on a Dyno on Wedesday, as well. I will be sure to post the Dyno logs when I get them.

 

Do all these tunes work with an automatic?

 

yes, they should. Just ask the company you go with to make sure first

 

and nothing mentioned here qualifies as a tune.. they are all canned flash maps, no tuning was involved.. but carry on.

 

 

And your point is...?

I enjoy some pointless pedantry myself, but I try to at least make it useful or informative pedantry.

I open to suggestions of an alternate one-word term for "a canned flash map that does pretty much the same thing as a tune in the eyes of the average buyer".

 

 

I call it a flash. Short, and easy to differentiate from a tune.

 

 

Hey, I keep my canned flash tunes in my pedantry.

Wow that is so bad I'm even groaning as I typed it.

 

No I have not, and apparently if any one has done this, they have not found this thread.

It would be fascinating, but not cheap, nor without risk. To get the comparative dyno results across the current crop of solutions would require that someone like me (2018 Works, Dinan, 33k miles) offer up their vehicle repeatedly over a period of time and fund 5-10 dyno runs.

I wonder what would happen if I offered a framework such as this, requesting that those vendors quick to tout their solutions bring their own time, product, and a modest fee to create a certifiable "shoot out" from which comparative results could be created and shared.

Cheers,

Charlie