Hi, The cars about 2 months old now, so it?s time for some mods! All that?s been done so far is Mud Flaps and custom POI on the navigation.

So...... Tuning Boxes/Chips:
Before I start, yes I know a remap done on a rolling road would be better (and that's why the race car was mapped by the engine builder on the dyno!) but for reasons I can't be bothered to explain (mainly warranty as-well as others) we'd rather have a few less HP but the usability of a tuning box.

The car is a 2008 LCI E61 M-Sport Touring (October build date) with the 2.0D engine. The new 177bhp "Efficient Dynamics" one (N47 I think?). And as it only got on the roads in November, it hasn't exactly done a million miles!

There's lots of different makes around of tuning boxes/chips, all claiming between 210 and 218 bhp.

So, which ones would you guys recommend? From Googling around I quite like the look of the BHP Plus (215BHP and 400 Torques) and Tunit ones (212BHP and 325lbs/ft) but would much rather buy one that someone has experience of!


Any answers/recommendation's would be appreciated...
TY

 

Have a read here

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=53799&hl=

 

you have a lovley new car, why take the chance of fitting a "one size fits all box"
get it done properly, be safe and get better results.

or...go cheap, take a chance and risk your engine going pop.
i hear what your saying, but the warranty issues are the same if you get a "box"
ps: they would not be able to tell if you had a proper remap unless they specificaly went into the engine management software.

box's are a "halfords" option...you dont have a halfords car (you wouldnt buy your wife a cubic circonia ring would you??)

 

Takes them 2 mins to see if your car has been remapped. The proof is this there, very easy to find if they want. When you remove a box all you MAY see is a fault code on the injectors, try proving it was a box

Everyone seems blinkerd because it is cheap it is carp and because it is expensive it is good. Not always the case. I know what the box does and am quite happy with that.

 

not true paul, they cannot see a remap unless they go into the engine/fuel software section, i know because they have never located mine, even when asked to look, if you want clarification of this ask B& W performance tuning in houndslow london.
also a box cannot tell if there is a "weak" part of your engine...a remap will.
why do you think that race teams dont use box's,.....its because remapping is vastly safer and superior
i speak from experiance having my subaru and skyline mapped over 14 times last year alone.
mapping is tailored to your engine, and accounts for highs and lows, the box just has pre set values and one size does NOT fit all beleive me.
its like saying all drivers are the same.............
but you stick to the box if your happy.
good luck
david.

 

not true paul, they cannot see a remap unless they go into the engine/fuel software section, i know because they have never located mine, even when asked to look, if you want clarification of this ask B& W performance tuning in houndslow london.
also a box cannot tell if there is a "weak" part of your engine...a remap will.
why do you think that race teams dont use box's,.....its because remapping is vastly safer and superior
i speak from experiance having my subaru and skyline mapped over 14 times last year alone.
mapping is tailored to your engine, and accounts for highs and lows, the box just has pre set values and one size does NOT fit all beleive me.
its like saying all drivers are the same.............
but you stick to the box if your happy.
good luck
david.

ps its not about the price, infact a remap with B&W is the same price as a box off ebay.

 

Not ture Dave Easy ways to find the map.

Flash count. unles your remapeer has a flash count reset software. Some do some dont.

Checksum.

Log boost pressure.

Log injection duration.

Log Fuel pressure.

2 mins spin down the road and your are done.

Looking in the file they can check for, ( obviously this takes longer )

fuel pressure, duration and timing, boost, torque limiters maps etc. But obviously they need to know what they are looking for and i doubt they do.

So my statement stands. If they want to find it they will. It is very easy


They have not located yours because they have never looked for it, much the same with a box.

I dont need clarification

I agree re tailored to your engine but now you are talking about petrol. That is a totally different subject and you are implying that every map you buy is tailerd to your car? You go to any tuner and buy a re map it is just generic unless you state you want custom. Custom will always cost more.

A remap is not an intelligent component it has now idea if your engine is weak or not nor does a box. Both retain the safety parameters, unless of course your remapper removes them.

B&W was not the same cost as my box

Furthermore a remap is only as good as the mapper ( you are safe enough with B&W they have a good reputation ) as with the box.

I am not arguing that the box is better as it is clearly not. My point was do your research before you buy anything, saying a remap is better is not the correct thing to say. A proper remap from a well known reliable company is more accurate.

If you look at my sig you will see i have a remap

But are they really going to look? Why would they. If you break something they get the warranty work to fix it. BMW pay not the dealer. If they look and find it chances are you wont be paying the dealer to fix it so they have lost out 100%

 

plenty of smiles there paul.
im glad your a happy soul.

i can only speak from my experiance which is obviously different from yours.
when my 535d was mapped the second time, there was a lap top connected to the car and as it was run on the rolling road, different values were added (fueling/air etc) depending on the load/gear/rpm, i could see on the graph that i had vastly different "peaks" depending on what gear the car was in, and fueling was altered to suit every gear...this can not be done with a "box"
re maps are not generic...they are specific to each and every vehicle, its chip box's that are generic. please dont confuse re-mapping with re-flashing.
i have a larger core intercooler on my car and these values were also taken into account when she was mapped.
mapping can now be done via the obd port, and does not necessarly involve the ECU being taken out.

if you had an injector system that was running at 40% duty load for example the "box" would have no idea of this, also a proper re-map can alter the boost depending on load, the box chip system has i pre set level for everything..(as i said..one size fits all)
some people are fans of the box/plug in chip map, but EVERY race team, every manufacturer, every performance guru will re-map and none would use a box, why do you think this is?
safty is a prime issue, and i am glad that my car is mapped on the "safe" side, with a compromise of performance/economy
diesels are very similar to petrol cars (turbos) in the way they are mapped, (exceptions being detonation etc)
my car cost me a lot of money, and the last thing i want to do is take a chance with the M57

i hear your argument, and understand its horses for courses.
good luck mate
david.

ps: what do i know anyway

 

Far too much to argue about in your post.

Remaps are generic. You are confusing remaps with custom remapping. Totally different

You can't change a map through OBD. You need an emulator soldered onto the ecu. So sitting in the car adjusting with laptop through OBD is nonsense.

You cant change the map for different gears

Petrol and Diesel are nothing alike. just one example. Too much fuel on a diesel heats everything up, pistons, valves, exhaust manifold & turbo and can cause failures. Too much fuel on a petrol cools everything down. ( not going into bore wash etc ) Totally opposite

You keep arguing the box thing you have not read my post fully.

You are right I am a happy chap. Stuck offshore till the 7th Jan. Been here since 24th Dec i could really go a PINT

 

I would never EVER go for a box.
A box just fools the original ECU into thinking it is burning too little fuel, there is too little air coming into the engine, etc...
A remap always knows the original values and can avoid dangerous settings (like too much fuel, turbo boost pressure too high, etc...)

I'm having a custom map done on monday and won't do anything else, my other car also had a custom map.
(BTW, after remapping the ECU, programming IS possible via the OBD port. I know, i've done it myself!)