It isn't working, return it for a new one or money back. As has been said before, it is blatantly obvious when it is working.

 

Well I installed mine yesterday. My butt dyno doesn't feel much of a difference, but it is smoother. The gauge barely goes past 240 hp. But I have not gotten on to the highway of past 4th gear. Also, on the part of the guage that is supposed to display the HP and tq number (at the bottom) it doesn't work.

 

Hm - well these reviews are leading me to think I'll pass on this.
50hp is not a TON with a heavy car - it's the increase in TQ that you would feel more. They advertise almost 90ft/tq increase which I'd think you should feel.
These CM's aren't THAT heavy.
You should also feel the improvements in the lower gears so not getting past 4th gear is no reason for not feeling a bump.
Is there any way you can deactivate it - go for a drive, then re-activate it and go for a drive to see if you are just accustomed to it?
These tunes are not going to be mind boggling different but anyone with any windshield time driving a stock version I'd think would notice the difference.

 

Ok, so I think I have been a little harsh. It's not like my 400 wheel HP STI, but today, I was in 3rd gear, doing about 35 down the street steadily accelerating. Then all of a sudden, the car just took off! So I did what any other self respecting leadfooted New Yorker...I floored it. I was impressed. It was a blast. Nice smooth pull. I need more road!

Yes, I am pleased with it, and if I had to do it again, I would still buy it. I love still having my warranty.

 

 

So how much "pull" did you feel. I feel there is a SLIGHT bump in power but nothing as to what I was lead to believe in reading about this unit. I had no illusions of this turning into my Stage III S4 but a CM with close to 250HP and an added 90fp/tq, I certainly expected something more than what I'm feeling. I'm hoping the unit is just defective because what I'm experiencing is NOT worth the $ spent. Is there anyone near Bergen County, NJ that has a working unit or has experience with these? I'd love to compare to see if my expectations are just too high.

Thanks everybody!

Dave

 

 

Has anyone noticed that the Hp and Tq numbers at the bottom of the gauge always say 0, even though the gauge moves? or is it just me?

 

***UPDATE***
Ok so apparently I had a faulty unit. Dinan sent a new one and all I can say is WOW! This is not like my old Stage III S4 but it's definitely comparable to my Stage I S4. Not as fast as the Audi but similar in how different the car feels. This is a completely different car now. First gear has a BIG power burst once you get into boost. 2nd gear is very similar but I feel where the Dinan shines is in 3rd and 4th. Both gears just keep pulling and pulling. My initial disappointment with the Elite has been completely reversed. Dinan has knocked it out of the park with this unit. I'm glad it was just a faulty unit and not something that was just underperforming my expectations. If anyone is still on the bubble, pop it! This thing is awesome!!!

 

How did you determine that it was a faulty unit?

 

I didn't. Mini figured it out. It went back twice and was never right. I think they said they figured out that the boost in the Elite was not reading correctly. There would be a slight increase in boost but it wouldn't hold. Basically you never felt any pull. They replaced the unit and now it pulls hard and the boost is strong and holds through the shift.

 

Glad to hear it worked out for the best!

 

Yeah, that sounds about right.

The elite reads a couple of values to essentially fool the ecu to throw additional pressure at the cylinders - this is why the "huge" hit when boost comes on. Keep it in powerband, and the boost will delight with the tuner compared to stock. At the end of the day, the engine ought to remain reliable with proper maintenance given how tiny the compressor actually is. I do recommend keeping sensors clean and changing oil more frequently... also note you might find a bit more gas smell in your spent oil. Glad you got it figured out!