Last year I picked up an '06 R52 S with 100k miles. On this new-to-me car, I replaced everything in the pulley train - ATI crank pulley, replacement tensioner. 17% pulley, and belt. Notably - that pulley had a very "meh" effect where it should have been at least a little extra kick in the pants.
More notably - I always suspected it was missing power, based on the butt dyno comparison to my similar 180 hp '17 Civic Sport hatchback. Especially in the midrange it felt laggy, and suspiciously the idle exhaust had a very rich smell. I made some posts here, suspecting a boost leak - thought maybe the bypass valve so I bought a Detroit Tuned one, along with a bunch of "make it reliable" parts known-to-break, putting them on the shelf until I could tear apart the other side of the motor.

Also - when autocrossing, people kept telling me "you need to accelerate more aggressively", thinking I wasn't flooring it - which I was. One of the MINI crew at the autocross suggested a Pedal Commander type throttle tuner, so I picked one up... but it turns out that was just masking the problem. But I mention it because I do have one (not that brand).

Finally this spring, I DID tear apart the intake box side of the motor. Took the whole front end of the car off, Front-end Service Mode "plus" (even took the radiator off). AND - I think I found THE problem!!!!
...and also I installed the new bypass valve and these uprated injectors from this thread/post, and my reliability parts (like a new thermostat and aluminum thermostat housing) and a few other parts I usually am more of a "scientific method" kind of guy (one part at a time, and see what happens before moving on!) but because of the FESM deep disassembly I did it all while I had it apart - and it worked out.

"The problem" (I think) - there's a vacuum hose that goes from the passenger side (US) intercooler manifold to the fuel pressure regulator. When I removed the intercooler, I found it just hanging, disconnected - it slipped off the bottom of the fuel pressure regulator. Totally disconnected.
I feel like if the fuel pressure regulator wasn't regulating because the vacuum wasn't hooked up - that also might have explained the rich smell at idle, the lagging midrange - according to this YouTube video, this vacuum hose slipping off (they show it at the other end, at the manifold) makes for about a 50hp-60hp loss!

Well at any rate - I now have a 17% pulley and new uprated injectors, and a cone K&N filter - AND the car feels SO much better, with that damn vacuum hose hooked up! (I don't think the problem was the bypass valve but that's also upgraded now).

After getting the car back together, making an immediate observation of it feeling better - I finally worked up my courage to drive it a little aggressively - not as aggressively as I'll need to during autocross (which I've already missed the first two events of the season, but I threw a P0172 "System too rich" code today. I cleared it with my code reader, we'll see if it comes back - but it makes me ask (especially with the injectors):
Am I already in a state where I'd benefit from a tune of some sort?

I've read somewhere (on here) last year, that there's the possibility of doing a "remote tune" - but I forget who. And I don't know what hardware is required to actually do it. Seems important.

Can someone advise (even if it's just pointing me to the threads where the info is) on whether I"d benefit from a tune to make this run optimally and reliably? I'm not looking to push the power to the limits, just keep it fun.
Thoughts? Hardware? Remote tuner? Suggestions?
Huge thanks in advance.

 

revolution mini had a remote tune package, Jan is really good at tuning mini's. He did mine. You just tell him the mods you have done and he will email you the tune.

 

If the flash loader used for an RMW tool is still the same, make sure you get a new one and not a used one. The Dimsport tuners (the loader itself) are locked to a single VIN upon first use and can only be reset by Dimsport, or maybe by one of their authorized dealers. The last I remember, the charge was around $200-250 to reset one.

I’ve seen many used ones for sale and I don’t remember seeing this mentioned in any of of the ads. They look like a good deal until you factor in the the high $$$ reset charge and the hassle of finding someone who can reset it.

 

The one they gave me was brand new. Yes they are locked once the tune is uploaded. If they would send out a used tuner for 650$ that's pretty shady if you ask me, I would have been mad lol..

 

I was referring to trying to save some $$ buy buying a used loader from the marketplace. I’ve seen these for sale several times on here and most aren’t aware that they’re VIN locked.

 

OH, hahah I read your post like you got a used one from RMW and had to get it unlocked to use it.

 

Well that's definitely a good thing to know!
I like the sound of this Revolutionary one, sounds reasonable and there's at least one satisfied customer - any reasons anyone has not to go with that one?
Or alternative suggestions to compare?

I see in the "other threads" below this, some titles like "should I load the ______ tune" that makes me think there's some version of tuner that lets you download tunes from some library of tunes somewhere and try different ones out - is that true?

 

A tune can make all the difference. Contact "adriancl" on this forum for a remote tune. He's tuned a ton of owners' Minis, including mine. I gained 17hp from his tune and a switch to 380cc injectors. Made a BIG difference.

 

Does yours have the same Audi TT injectors that I installed, by chance?

 

Yes.