Just put a TMC Motorsport tuner box on my 2011 All4 S. It works.

It intercepts and tweaks boost and intake manifold pressure sensors. Has 10 settings, but the proprietor has repeated advised to leave it at setting 6. Tried a few other settings (4,7,8) and they did make a difference before I set it back at 6. I've used the JB on a BMW before, and this seems to be a somewhat similar concept (but uses more sensors for presumably better accuracy than just the JB+). Unlike the 335i with the JB where there's a huge jump in low end torque, at a setting of 6 the increase from the TMC box felt a bit milder (course it's only a 1.6l engine). But at a setting of 8 it was much more noticeable. For some reason, the 7 setting seemed to be less smooth. I don't feel the same torque improvement at the top end on my particular Countryman yet (25k miles), but that might just be a need for the Forge BO/BP valves (which that firm states will help out with higher boost tweaked ECU settings). Once I do those I'll pass along the before vs. after 0-60mph times.

Seems to be a reasonable and reversable alternative to sending your ECU off to be remapped.

Mini2 site instructions URL:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...lmLoK-7e9oeRCw

 

I would be extremely careful with something that only interfaces with those two sensors. It's been my experience in the past that computers that tweak what the ECU sees from various sensors can cause dangerous rich and lean conditions.

 

please let us know if you get any bad reading such as engine light and so on. I am very interested.

 

cant seem to find any other users with it.

 

I understand people's reservations, since I saw it being popular in Abarth and other communities, but only saw one other reference to a couple Mini users. I've blown engines before when I've gotten a bit greedy, so inh's note of caution is worth considering.

On the other hand, I've done simple mods like a pulley on a supercharged MCS before that gave a very noticeable chunk of extra power everywhere and the engine lasted fine. This particular tweak feels more conservative (less dramatic). I had been getting 0-60mph times very consistently at 7.0s with just a Borla and K&N drivetrain change, so after I put on the Forge valve(s), I only expect it to drop into the upper 6s. But I'll check periodically to see if I get any funny O2 or misfire readings. No trouble codes yet, and the boost audibly comes on at lower RPM and with less throttle.

I wish BMW hadn't encrypted the box, so Alta and others could have just given us a simple reload path. I'd hoped that people like Burger Motorsports who do some reliable tweaks for the BMW market had some offerings for the Countryman, or that there would be gobs of tuners all doing bench remappings for the 2010+ engines. Maybe it will take another year or so before we have more options. I just didn't want to wait that long to try to make the Countryman feel more like a tweaked MCS.

 

Had been timing 0-60mph with an OBDII based gauge cluster (not that accurate). So I pulled a GreddyProRR accelerometer out of storage and did a bunch of runs with the vehicle fully warmed up today, at 600-650ft altitude, at 60F and clear weather. 3100lb weight entered into Greddy (to calculate effective horsepower at wheels). Same half mile straight stretch of road with slight uphill (automatic, in sport mode) each time. Best of runs at each setting.

No TMC box: 60' 2.52s 1/8th 10.31s 0-60mph 7.67s 1/4 15.99s 114.7Hp
Setting 6: 60' 2.39s 1/8th 10.13s 0-60mph 7.46s 1/4 15.84s 113.9Hp
Setting 7: 60' 2.44s 1/8th 10.17s 0-60mph 7.46s 1/4 15.83s 113.4Hp
Setting 8: 60' 2.46s 1/8th 10.22s 0-60mph 7.58s 1/4 15.89s 112.8Hp

I can hear the turbo more clearly with the TMC box on and at lower RPMs. But it doesn't drop seconds from one's quarter mile times. It does seem to drop a couple 10ths of a second from the 60 foot and 0-60s times. Hp may be down slightly (usually peaks at redline) due to ECU's turbo management. So worth keeping on (at setting 6) and maybe will help out later on with new downpipe, turbo valves, etc.