sleepyca31

So I just got a 07 530i here in the U.S (not sure who visits this forum)-anyway rated at 258hp and I took it to a bmw performance tuner shop here and they suggested mods-exhaust, intake and taking the software and tuning it.

Basically I already stuck a remus exhaust and intake on. The software they have to take out the ECU and send it to germany where apparently they tune the engine to increase output by 40hp-with the exhaust and intake needed to make that 40. So basically they stick exhaust and intake-which give more 02 and than tune the engine to a max output using that increased o2.

Now this was all based on what the guy told me and he said he already did it on his 330 which has the exact same engine. Has anyone tuned their 530 258hp engine or know how this works?

C's Bimmer

No way you'll get 40HP and there's no need to send your ECU to Germany. There are plenty of companies here in the US that do it.

ziggy

I have an '06 530i with 258 bhp and just got my ECU remapped locally to achieve an extra 18-20 hp at very modest cost. A change in the air filter added a tiny bit more hp... around 4. In addition, torque is up by around 18%, which is excellent. The entire process took less than 2 hours to do.

As this is an injection engine I doubt very much either remapping or chipping could add an extra 40 hp. However, large increases can be achieved on engines with turbos - the 530d for example which my friend has had remapped to great effect. As mentioned by cmsbimmer, there is no need to ship your ECU back to Germany.

Other options (which I am considering to install after the car has completed its 3 year guarantee) is either to upgrade the cams or stick a supercharger in. I have put the car on a dynamometer but it is evidently tough to get an exact measurement of the upgraded hp and torque due to drivetrain slippage (power loss from the gearbox and drivetrain linkages etc). To get a more accurate measurement the engine would have to be taken out and put on an engine dynamometer but that is too much hassle for me. Anyway, one web site I looked at suggested to adjust the dyno reading up by a ballpark 15% to correct for drivetrain losses. Doing this adjustment gets me pretty much to the numbers mentioned above. For now, the power and torque increase I have is noticeable and enjoyable.

Would be interested to know how you progress with your upgrade.

info@trinityautosport

youre on bimmerforums right? i think i remember reading some of your posts in the kill stories section. well im running my 2006 530i with an eisenmann exhaust, no resonator, k&n drop in filter, no charcoal filter, and a reflashed ecu. the filter and exhaust wont do much to it alone, maybe just around 10hp or so. the ecu won't do that much for the engine either. its roughly about only 17 hp. i havent undergone a dyno to see what my actaul numbers are (i intend to do so someday just to see), but with the n52 engine with just those simple mods, i agree with cmans and ziggy that it will not give out an additional 40 hp. here in cali, for the 530i, the "chips" available that i know of are powerchip (found on evosport), eurobahn, and speed innovation (eurorev).

sleepyca31

Yes I was the one getting bashed over at bimmer forums and then found this e60 forum which is a lot better since the 5 series forum there is not very active.

I am not sure you or everyone (or even myself) understand but it is not a chip or even a simple flash. The reason it is being sent to germany is their affiliate there take the software and totally go through it and tune it to completely max out the engine. It is not a generic flash or chip of the engine that is quite generic. Anyway I will let you know-if it works and gives me 40hp or so I will let you know how to get in touch with the guy if you like. Anyway will keep updated.

info@trinityautosport

sounds good.