SEE MY UPDATE IN THE LAST POST BY ME !!!!
My car has been being modded over the past 5 months of owning it. It came with some mods on it when I already bought it . my plans were to take the car on a race track for my 1st time other than 1/4 mile racing .
be for tuning the car was by all means driveable with my mods. It drove really well actually . it had a check engine light on for 2 codes p2096 and p0420 I believe . my mods were headers, catless pipe and pacesetter exhaust , cold air intake , 15% pulley and light weight crank , 380cc injectors , larger intercooler , msd wires ,coilpack and range colder ngk's , lsd differential , single disc clutch and a throttle controller .
like I said , it ran just decent be for and was decently fast . there were no major drivability issues. It once in awhile would idle a little rough but when I tapped the gas it would clear up and idle fine until driven again for awhile and then say if I'm at a stop light for along time it might idle again a little rough .
AFTER MY TUNE : the check engine light is off and no codes are present and the roughness at idle has completely gone away and the car is a way peppier. it makes more power in the mid to high range in any gear. It finally has a good 3rd gear pull , when I drop it in 3rd from 60mph it absolutely yanks pretty hard. Off the line too it is much much stronger . it actually can be put in 4th and have good passing power lol I could pass just fine in 5th now actually . im very impressed. I drove the car around at least 1000miles since the tune and I'm just very very very impressed . I waited so long to post results because I wanted to feel it out completely and see if any issues arose .
Adrian also was a huge help in helping me order the correct thing as well as setting up the program on my pc and all. Lol he remote connected to my pc and actually handled it all for me , what a FRICKEN gentleman he is and made the process so seamless . I was very nervous doing this as it is something I was completely unfamiliar with but he really made it easy.
now when I started looking into tuning and all my options . price point is the number one factor for me but I base it on price to quality . and that's where the problem was. A dyno tune and everything it needed for something like that was like 1000$ around when all was done and said . then there were mail out ecu tunes for 250-500$ but the gains from them were to be debated and what ones were proven to have hp and tq gains were very minimal and it was a one time file fits all kind of thing . so I kept looking and talking and reading .
then a member got in contact with me saying he just got a tune done by a member here named adriancl . this guys car already had a dinan tune and a few mods. Well after the tune from adriancl he had it dynod be for and after and it made like 10hp and 10tq more ontop of an already so called performance tune. AND THE PRICE WAS BY FAR THE BEST .
so I got in contact with adriancl and he advised me on everything I needed to purchase in order for him to do the tune . you need a laptop and to purchase a 60$ 0bd2 to laptop connector and pay for the tune depending on all you need done the price will vary. then you download the program and configure it for your windows system with the disc that comes with the connector . you need to give adriancl a full list of mods on your car so he can write you a tune. Then you down load your stock tune from your car and email it to Adrian then he mails you back a new one and you load it into your car from the laptop into the obd2 port and your good to go !
if your looking into tuning your ride I HIGHLY SUGGEST you pm adriancl , I'm very glad another member pointed me to him..
Good luck guys and fun wrenching !
I will post some videos of my car driving n running soon.

 

Hi, folks. I'm the "other member" mentioned in the post above. Adrian actually provided me with an upgraded, tuned ECU (MS5150) based on my current mods (15% pulley, 380cc injectors, one-ball exhaust, Dinan Stage 1 tune). I did a before and after dyno run and gained 18hp (not 10) with the new ECU. I'm now producing 222hp at the crank (193.5hp at the wheel). Like MiniManAdam above, I can't say enough good things about working with Adrian. He's really knowledgeable and extremely helpful. My MC40 was really fun to drive with my minimal mods but the reprogrammed ECU really woke it up. A fifth-gear pass at 70mph feels like a third-gear pull. Needless to say, I'm really impressed with the difference.

 

Sounds like a great tune. I wonder if I would get any benefits in my 06 slicktop, as I only have the pulley's done. (And will be needing a new exhaust soon)-- I'm in VA and they're very strict with the vehicle inspections.

Could one of you guys maybe PM me the info for this tuner?

 

PM adriancl , he will answer anything you need to know. He's the tuner. And as far as results..I guarantee you will be happy afterwards.. I forgot to mention I also had my redline raised alittle too which really helped i think , those few extra rpms really did help.

 

I took out the car today and really let it have it. I also took my buddy out who is no stranger to high hp cars and his quote " this little thing is a ****ing rocket " he was seriously impressed . Lol me too.
as I launch hard in 1st it raises the front end as I slam shift I to 2nd it barks the tires loud and as I hit 3red the front end raises again...its HILARIOUS actually the power the little 1.6l is making..

 

how can I contact Adrian?

 

Private message "adriancl" on this forum.

 

Adam,
So glad it worked out for you. Sounds like you couldn't be happier.

I've been considering doing the same.I have '06 S with CAI, 15% pulley and Borla exhaust. I'm actually pretty happy with the performance but that being said, I hate the thought of leaving HP on the table for want of a decent tune. I have to say I'm a pretty decent mechanic, but the computer changes elude me completely.
.
But any suggestions on other changes? I was thinking bumping the redline to 7000, and having the DSC set to "off" and switched for "on".
There's a shop with a dyno about 5 miles from my house and I'm planning on getting a baseline run first but just wondering what other changes I should consider.

One other mod I was considering was a Detroit Tuned bypass valve. I'm not getting any yoyo effect but I'm thinking having the boost kick in sooner would give better response even without a boost in HP.
My next thought would be a camshaft change but I'm not wedded to that and I'm not going racing any time soon.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
robj
Bargain $500 Mini

 

what's your budget ? guess it all depends on ur budget but feel free to pm me.

Heres my mod list now as far as power adders.
I have my redline at 7300 and it makes power all the way there.
17% pulley, better tensioner,3in custom cai, catless header and full exhaust , 550cc injectors , larger intercooler , msd coil and wires with range colder ngk's , throttle controller, lsd differential, custom tune by adrian and wider tires.. I absolutely LOOOOVE it more n more.lol...I cant forsee me driving any other kind of car for alooooooooong time either.
sure,not as fast as I'd like but its decently fast though. I do wish I would have got the 19% helix pulley though now so I would do that different which i very well may as soon as i buy an extra sc and get my racing seats n steering wheel in

heres a shorty of my build progress


https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/r50-r53-hatch-talk-2002-2006/347696-project-rice.html

There a huge debate and alot of wrong info as I personally tested both and seen what the numbers as far as iats went and the ebay asi larger intercooler is a great upgrade and keeps my car VERY cool. With my setup it's hard to imagine iats running any lower. I avg 10-13 only above ambient temp in city driving even and never see above 25 on along hard pulls and even then,the ic cools down VERY quickly. When you shut the car off and let it heaksoak even to 135degrees , driving in stop n go traffic for 3-4min takes it back down to 10-13 above ambient again , even in 95 degree weather the numbers are that and in cold weather are by far more respectable. In 65 or below it usually runs around 5-8 above ambient.. unless my gauges lie and for some reason are bias to the ic , it ROCKS !!!

 

Thanks Adam,

I was thinking more about the changes that can be made with computer mods more than hard parts. Is 7300 considered a safe redfine? I've read where people make their locks do this and that, and other changes along those lines.

Any hints on those types of changes made that I'm probably not thinking of. Anyone?

At 68 I'm not racing and my gross HP goals are far below what I may have been looking for many moons ago. My interest is more about response and brief acceleration on my local country roads. As far as hard parts, that's why I was thinking about the Detroit tuned bypass and also maybe the throttle controller.

But I was really more interested in hearing about other computer changes, other than the obvious performance changes.

Thanks to all,
rob

 

You have now more air flow from idle to rev limiter 7000rpm.
But your DME will use old values as reference when calculate the spark advance and fuel injected.As a result, you will not be able to use the extra amount of air properly.Self adapt it's a myth,the most important parameter is the amount of air, but which in the current situation cannot be used correctly.
After few software mods engine will run much smoother, more power and more torque in mid rev area.

 

Robj, PM Adrian and ask him about programming changes. He raised my redline to 7200 and also programmed the cooling fan to come on at a lesser temp because I live in Texas. He can auto-turn off your DSC as well, add pops and bangs, etc. Best to touch base and get his opinion based on your mods alone. My '04 runs a 15% pulley, 380cc injectors, CAI and a one-ball exhaust and I couldn't be happier with his work. You don't need extreme mechanical changes to get the benefit of a tune.

 

I couldn't be happier either !!!!
I just had adrian do a retune after I did a 17% pulley,larger intake and 550cc injectors..
Believe it or not ! My mileage has gone up about 5mpg no bull with the new set up vs the 15% and 380cc and puney sized intake...I'd have figured it would have lost mileage but I guess not so for once the claims of better gas mileage and power in the advertisements for the products for once was true..lol. not that I care but it's pretty cool to be pulling 39.8mpg CITY with avg speed of 29mph AND have power too when you need..fricken LOVE IT !

 

Adriancl,
Thanks so much for your input. Seems like everyone is more than happy with the work you do. One quick question. Will the Detroit tuned bypass valve affect the tune or should I do the tune after installing the valve? From what I've read it seems the valve merely allows the engine to see the boost sooner.

I have a shop with a dyno less then 5 miles from my house and I had an appointment 2 weeks ago but they had to cancel due to some last minute race car work.
I'm really curious abut a baseline for what I've done so far so I'll make another appointment.
I'll also need to line up some computer help on my end as I'm at a complete loss where that's concerned. The cable Adam posted, I'm assuming I will need that?
​​​​​​​Once I get my roll bar installed and everything else lined up I will definitely be in touch.
Please let me know how you think the Detroit tuned bypass valve will affect things and if you think I should make that modification prior to the tune.

Thanks again,
robj
Bargain $500 Mini

 

LOL... lookout fellas you’re getting close to going down the rabbit hole that so many of us have entered and enjoyed. These little rockets are so enjoyable to drive and once you start with the improvements the car just gets more and more fun to drive. I’ve owned 4 of them and the one I have now is pretty modified and a lot more fun to drive than when I first got it. The most fun of all the mods was the CAE shifter. The second is the TVS Supercharger. At 76 I should be satisfied but a new RMW head and Dominator cam are on the way.
My suggestion is be very thoughtful on what you are adding because you will want to add more when you see how the car responds. Enjoy the journey.

 

Hi,
Detroit bypass valve can only improve the engine run,nothing related with the DME tuned software.No need to retune the DME after Valve install.

 

As stated above, no tuning or retuning is required.

Chad
DT

 

Thanks Chad,
And also thanks again for your very quick response on my roll bar question. It's coming along.
rob jones

 

Anyone have any dyno data?

Cheers,

Charlie

 

ya...its in the 2nd post...pm member I'm sure he can provide you it.
btw in the 1/4 my car ran a 14.5 if that means anything.

 

if you are going off the car’s mpg reading, that is thrown off when you go with bigger injectors. Usually the cars mpg reading goes off injector pulse. With bigger injectors, they don’t come on as often, but you are using more fuel each time they “pulse”. Same thing used to happen in my Vr6 turbo with 440cc injectors. Mpg reading would show over 30mpg. It got maybe 15mpg In reality.

 

At Siemens sw, mpg use injectors pulse but have also a fuel mileage factor, to calculate the right mpg.Injector opening time is lower than stock 320cc or 380cc injectors, so not much difference on mpg from bord computer and real mpg.

 

really? That’s nice. So the car’s mpg remains accurate?

Also, I’d love to have you tune my car or get an “off the shelf” tune because I don’t really have any mods. Do you work with any shops that have a dyno in South FL?

 

Sorry, i'm from.Romania.

 

LOL. That’s a little far from FL. I was more thinking of a shop has helped with dynoing and datalogging to get you the info you need for the tune. I’m sure I could manage to figure out how to data log myself. I had a tuner in the past prefer data logging pulls on the street. Any insight on that?