I've seen a few people have posted that they've had some work done to their ECU. What kind of gains are you guys seeing and where are you getting it done?

Thanks.

 

I am curious to hear this as well, anyone ?!?

 

There are changes being done to the body computers. I don't know of anyone actually changing engine settings(yet) if that is what you are referring to. Check the Second Gen Modifications under Electrical if you are interested in make those type of changes.

 

To GeofferyM: I see under your profile footer, it says "lots of ECU mods..." what do u mean by that?

 

Wrong terminology. I changed it to reflect what I meant by that. Sorry if it got your hopes up.

 

The 2011 N18 ECU has not been cracked. Nobody in the USA is currently offering a tune to this MINI ECU.

Not on the CM and not on the MINI S.

The 2011 MINI JCW is running the N14 engine.

Alta with it's Cobb/AccessPort is working on the N18 ECU, it may take a few months if not a year.

So do not hold your breath.

Don

 

Wow, already wanting to mess with the ECU? Be careful people Remember, "warranty".

 

OK... I just think there's a ton of potential for the 1.8L turbo. With the right setup (ECU, exhaust, intake, etc.) the CMS could be a nasty little monkey... anyway, thanks for the replies.

 

You do realize it's a 1.6 and not a 1.8 right?

 

Yeah... I'm getting antsy waiting for my CMS to be delivered. Too much mod research going on... I gotta stop.

 

If you do research on "overmodding" you are just asking for future problems on a MINI .Don't fool with a good thing.... gentle modding ,yes,but extreme, NO

 

Actually yeah... I do all my research at overmodding.com. They have some great ideas. Jet engine mods, fire-out-the-tailpipe stuff, some Inspector Gadget goodies... Really?

I talk about ECU, exhaust and intake mods in a "modification" forum and I get "Don't go extreme now..."

Nice...

 

Everyone has an opinion, not a bad thing. Take all with a grain of salt or a water pill.

As you can see I am mildly modded on my 07, on the CM which is the wife's DD, we will proceed slower.

But I do want to see what MINI produces with the JCW kit for the CM ALL4. A couple of years down the road, it may get the Access Port treatment and some Cobra springs.

Mod if you like, personalize as needed. YMMV.

Don

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the JCW Stage 1 kit is on its way within the next six months.

I heard the JCW exhaust at the MINI wedding on one of the MINI USA CMs...WOW!

 

Is there a way to make basic mods like CAI, intercooler, charge and discharge pipes then have a technician with proper tuning equipment take the dyno and logs, send them to BMW and get a tune back. He could then upload the specs to his tuner, and then flash my ECU? I'm assuming if this is possible then it's all warrantied.

 

Bravo, assuming you are asking a real question here, and you don't know how OEM manufacturer brings a car to market --- the quick answer is a resounding no. The reason is all durability, emission and EPA testing and certification for the US market is done under a single ECU tune for a given model. If anything is changed, that model must be recertified with consideral expense - think millions to bring a new engine to market.

 

Yep. You'll be at the mercy of the aftermarket for any ECU tweaking.

Rest assured, if they find ECU tampering, you can potentially kiss part of the warranty goodbye. Of course, most of us don't care. We just flash it back before taking it in for service!

 

Yes it is a real question. My confusion was that the tech who installed my FMIC said mod ecu, and BMW all in about one breath. My current understanding after doing my homework is that he was actually meaning doing a dyno and using Autologic to get info from my ECU and getting BMW info back from Autologic. In talking to the technical people at Autologic personally, I further understand that the changes they make are transparent to the MINI dealer and the only downside is if MINI reflashes the ECU, then I'd have to go back to the mechanic and get reprogrammed.

And, yes I am fully versed in the warranty and BMW's reticence regarding almost any mod -- the risk I am willing to take. If it's a well built car then the warranty doesn't get used and what I've done and am planning to do, probably won't kill my engine unless I push it hard -- which I don't.

 

Sorry pet peeve of mine, but they cant just cancel your whole warranty, they can deny repair citing that the modification caused the malfunction (on specific issues), which you could then take to court (hones is on them to prove it I believe). In cases of ECU flashes/chipping (if found they are usually very well hidden by most co.) yes a lot can be blamed/linked to the mod., however in cases of CAI, modified exhaust, suspension, FMIC, brakes, etc., really very little can be linked to the modification. This is also very dependent on the dealership, as they are the ones making the initial call, so some don't care at all (short of a complete engine failure or etc.) others are very strict and love to try to scare unknowledgeable owners with terms like voiding warranty, its easy enough to go over their heads and call Mini USA, or have your lawyer give a call.

 

Yes, yes... It's a blanket statement.

I've had more modified cars in the last 10 years than I can count off-hand. I've gotten involved with the Magnusson-Moss Act twice with dealers who decided to go gung-ho on the warranty front. I've also extensively coded with EFILive, HPTuners, LS2Edit, etc. Among the LS1/LS2 crowd, I gained quite a name. Recently, I moved over to SRT8s, but that's behind me.

Bottom line, I was really putting that out there for an inexperienced user that already had made an assumption about the warranty. It's not something that every person wants to mess with, especially someone concerned about the warranty of the vehicle.

In many vehicles, messing with the ECU/BCM/TCM can lead to trouble with the dealers. Sorry if I've offended you here - wasn't my intention. Above post was edited to reflect a proper statement.

 

The only ECU software that doesn't void your warranty would be a JCW Tuning Kit (Stage 1)...whenever it comes out.

 

No, none was taken, and my response wasn't meant to express that. As I said its just a pet peeve of mine, I just feel many are scared off when they here/see "void your warranty" thrown around, when it's really the improper terminology. I just went off on my own rant, sorry if it was directed at you.

 

Newb here: What is included in and what gains would you get with a JCW Tuning Kit (Stage 1) on an All4 ? (Assuming they release such a kit in the future)

 

Since it doesn't exist, that's hard to know.

 

Ok let me rephrase that: what is included in such a kit in other Mini models where it does exist what are the gains seen in them? Just as a reference.