So im tired of waiting for someone to come out with a good tune. I have read a bunch on the unichip and the goods and bad. i want to here your experience with it. is it worth getting or should i just wait?

 

lol, i posted similar topic, few months ago, not much answers, people either tell you to wait ( which personally im sick off , i want to push more PSI already ) and then there are lucky few who never had a problem with hteir unichip , but ofcourse majority will tell you to stay away from unichip due to problems you probably have red ( plugs, fault codes, etc) . i guess so far i have to be satisfied with the cake and wait patiently for the icing

 

Well, short answer is, no. Not in the United States.

The time is coming, and no matter how much you want a good tune now, you just have to wait. I know you hate this answer, but it is the truth. Spend $800 on a poorly functioning unit that doesn't take full advantage of the ECU, or wait for a fully unlocked ECU.

The harness is what was bad on the Unichip. If the tune was good, they would have just modified the harness and kept selling it. However, the tune just isn't all the R56 has to offer. Hopefully, when they say it will be released "later this year," they mean summertime, and not Christmas!

 

short answer....NO.....i have it and the issues never end

 

I have a unichip and never had problems with the second one I have received other than taking the engine a split second more to start. Power is smooth and no CELs. But I am one of the lucky few to receive one without problems. It depends how bad and how soon you want power, if you would get a unichip, don't forget, you can go to a local unichip tuner and get it more precisely tuned which is something I am going to do after I get my downpipe.
Honestly, I would say pull the trigger, after a year I am sure they have fixed the issues, if not, you can always exchange for a new one at no charge and get a refund if you are not satisfied (I believe).

 

My experiences with the Mini, aftermarket parts, and the Unichip, eventually drove me away from the Cooper.

Once I had decided to to find a better toy, the first thing I did was buy every book on tuning I could find, locate hardware I software to tune.

I am 6 months into the learning curve, in reflection I can say no way is a piggy back a good solution. Post processing of data and altering signals to "fool" an ECU is loaded gun.

A mild tune of the R56 such as the John Works is probably the only stable solution. There is OBD software and tools, but the Mini DME is a bit complex, or someone would have hacked it by now. The fact the current solutions require bench top writing means it still isn't a viable choice.

So either do a mild upgrade like the John Works, wait out the development of OBD tools, or do what I did, ditch the Mini and pickup something that can be tuned and the ECU can be easily adapted to modifications.

 

I've waited a year for it after finally calling it quits and just getting a chip, a "true ecu tune" can only give so much of a gain given a small turbocharger. Unichip offers a chip and mini-madness offers a flash which is putting out alittle more power over the unichip. I also forgot to mention the GIAC flash available, it all depends on what kind of route you would want that is EXISTENT and already has proven its gains.

 

I remember back in 2006 how some folks were making claims that the upcoming R56 S turbo was going to be a "Turner's wet dream". People were talking about "chipping" the Prince engine to get 300hp+ out of the car.

So nearly 3 years later, none of this has come true. BMW made sure to make the ECU nearly unhackable.

 

I'll be on my 5th harness from unichip whenever it arrives, maybe it will work...hahaha yea right

 

EEK!! It took my second one to work. That sucks, good luck to you!

I thought yours worked ? Whats wrong with it?

 

3rd one worked for a little, then issues with the plugs, then the replacement harness changed the performance, issues just never end....so still waiting for 5th one and we'll see how it goes lol

 

GIAC & Mini Madness are benchtop tunes, done by specific vendors as Mild tunes. Exactly what I said, not worth it. No ability for outside tuning, no tunes for upgrades just OTS.

OTS works for a limited set of engines, and is far from a tune. If that is what you want go with the John Cooper canned tune.

 

I went through about 5 sets of harnesses to get a good one (which i now have).

There is true tuning right around the corner. A guy in Hawaii is going to have the equipment arrive next week to do it and they've been doing it in Europe for awhile.

When my JCW arrives in about 7 weeks my unichip will be for sale.

p.s. You can't buy them new from Alta anymore.

 

Why not a JCW Stage 1 Kit?

 

GIAC blows ....they are more concentrated on 135/335 and new GTI/R32..... they have a program for r56, that is, early r56, pre february 08, supposobly BMW changed the ecu guts after february of 08 ( i happen to fall under that category) and their program/chip wont work....

 

Because a JCW Stage 1 is a very, very mild tune. Most people would say it just isn't worth the cash.

 

The GIAC reflash, are you talking about the one helix13s website? Giacusa.com doesn't even list a reflash for the R56, only the R53. Just checked my door jam, car was made 12/07 so I guess I'm good for a tune with them either way right?

 

yes, i forgot which company carries the GIAC reflash, but yes i think its Helix. yes, if you are pre feb 2008 production car then your the lucky dude

 

Buy it used!

 

Fernflex,

Do you the MAF in your cars down in Puerto Rico. I found out cars in Asia do not.

 

Here in Puerto Rico everything is US spec!

 

I can't wait until the R56 has some real tunning via OBDII it's hard waiting because I had a working Unichip and it was amazing.

 

what happen to it. and with the unichip can you make it not throw cels because of the catles dp

 

I had to sell the Unichip due to bad economic times LOL pretty much had to pay the rent and so I sold my catback and unichip. The difference is night and day with the Unichip on the car felt totally different.

 

like muuuch better?...like a sport button times what?..5, 10? Just trying to get the gist of it lol...looking into these types of things