Diamond

what kind of bmw dealer installs a supercharger???

I wouldnt trust them to do an oil change let alone an aftermarket super charger. Unless it is something they have done a million times I wouldnt trust them.

That said--

It sounds like at 5k you are not getting the fuel output that is needed to keep pumping out power/torque. Possibly setting your injectors to feed more fuel at that rpm and above--I would check the fuel map, lower the boost a little bit and give that a whirl

Lowering the boost will help you a little bit diagnosing the problem-then once you get it smoothed out you can take it

And to those who say upgrade to a 550-there are lots of reasons for 9k to supercharge. You have a really cool 1 of a kind engine, its 400 pounds lighter than the v8 and can have the smooth I6 with gobs of power-

If they had one for the n52 I would be all over it. The fact is in this market you cannot sell a 530, and pay 10k more to get a 550. Selling the car and then would take 20k to upgrade so its still 10k cheaper. Not to mention insurance etc--I would be all over it-but nobody is building for the n52

Mike's 530i

I wish I could follow your advice, but the SC has been on there for 3 years, so I doubt there is any warranty.

Not forcing the issue earlier by taking it to an ESS agent is my fault, but my wife and I are both busy professionals, have two kids, and getting the car to the ESS agent shop which is 180 miles away wasn't a priority until I decided to sell it. I am hoping that by putting my problem in the public domain, ESS might take notice and take real action or pay to make it right, as potential customers visit these boards.

To the person who said that BMW dealers can not even change oil, except for this problem I have had good luck with my dealer on the 3 BMW I have owned. Regardless, at the time I purchased my ESS supercharger system, they did not have any agents in my state, so I didn't have other good options for the install.

John@Motorcepts

seems like ESS should pay for the repairs.

Mike's 530i

Thanks everyone for your comments and please keep them coming.

ESS contacted me this morning and seems determined to get my car running properly.

I will keep you posted.

Da_Meister_22

I still dont understand why people keep doing all these expensive upgrades to add power when they can just get a 550i for less the money.

Mike's 530i

I can only explain my own situation.

I bought my 2005 530i 6-speed w/24k miles off a two year lease back in 2007. The car cost me $35,000, while the 545i auto was $45,000 (I couldn't locate a 6-speed). I really wanted a manual. Furthermore, I had had a 2002 X5 4.4i and 2002 745i both of which had engine problems. So from just a cost stand point, the 340hp 6-cylinder was $1500 less than the 340hp 8-cylinder.

Although disadvantaged in size to the larger V8, BMW's legendary reputation was build upon the in-line 6 engine. It was that reputation along with the problems I had with my two V8 cars that drove my decision.

mookish

I'm not trying to bash you, but IMO to buy a 530 and drop a SC in it just to save $1,500 just doesn't make sense. And it's not just the actual cash that was paid that is costing you, it's the downtime and trouble shooting and overall tuning headaches too. And you had to have know that if you want "reliability", once you add a SC that goes out the window. You're adding something to an engine that wasn't designed to take on those added stresses. Stresses that lead to premature wear. So in the end your just going to wind up with the same, or even more of the problems you experiences with your past V8's. And your 10 grand only bought you increased HP, a 10 grand upgrade to a 550 would have bought you not only an engine upgrade but plenty off cool comfort and cosmetic options as well. More bang for the buck just upgrading the whole car.

Mike's 530i

All good points. Based on where I am now, I don't think I am in a position to argue

Gene

have you pm'd member Roman@ESS yet? Not sure how much help members here will be as your problem lies with the ESS SC kit...so talking with anyone else besides ESS seems like you're just

Mike's 530i

I have not talked to Roman@ESS. However, I have been communicating directly with ESS in Norway. I have been bashing my head against the wall with ESS, as they have not been able to resolve the check engine light and poor driveability after 3 years.

I posted this thread in hopes that ESS would be motivated to fix the problem, as I will share the facts of my experiences with their customer support here. Potential customers obviously read posts on this board and will want to see how ESS treats their customers.

As I mentioned before, the car has been with the ESS installer for 6 weeks (this is the 7th week). I have told them that I will be picking up the car this week. I will update the thread after I get the car back.