BMW E90 320d remap

[Olorin]

Hi guys,

I've been browsing the other BMW forums (UK) and a lot of people have remapped their 320d's with huge gains in performance. Most are getting over 420 nm of torque !

What I would like to know is if anyone here has done it and if so, what are your experiences ? Will the remap cause the engine to fail sooner ? Finally, are there any trustworthy tuning guys in Cape Town ?

I'm asking these questions because I'm interested. I've got a 320i and it's pretty slow. The diesel is much quicker and on average, a remap seems to get a massive performance improvement.

So for down the line, when I sell the 320i and get the 320d, it's something I would consider doing. Thoughts ? If anyone has done this before, please comment. Thanks.

 

[anile8-zn]

i fitted a custom tuned plug and play box to my car.
2010 320d , made 144bhp at the wheels stock
after the box made 185bhp athe wheels and am running it at 85 percent of its full potential

 

[Olorin]

How much torque is it delivering ? Not sure how to convert bhp into kw so I'm not sure what kind of power you are getting. Is your motor plan still in effect after the mod ? How much did it cost you to have this done ?

Finally, your impressions after the mod. Thanks !

 

[Tumo]

1 hp is about .75 kw

so from 108kw to about 139kw

 

[anile8-zn]

yip thats about right
my car is the 135kw version

 

[Olorin]

so from 108kw to about 139kw

I thought the less powerful 320d (2005-2007) had 120 kw, stock. The 2008 and up have 130kw stock. Correct me if I'm wrong. What kind of torque are you getting when remapped ? The biggest jump I've seen is to 450 nm of torque. Are there any established reputable companies in Cape Town ? I'm talking really trustworthy guys here, not trying to rip you off and know what they are doing. I have no experience with any of this so if someone can point me in the right direction it would be appreciated.

 

[applehero]

What I would like to know is if anyone here has done it and if so, what are your experiences ? Will the remap cause the engine to fail sooner ? Finally, are there any trustworthy tuning guys in Cape Town ?

I was considering chipping my 120d but eventually decided against it... The increase in torque and power will most definitely reduce the life of your driveline components. (it had to be said) However, how quickly is a function of the increase in torque. Chances are that when a component fails it would be difficult to pin point it directly to the remap.

But hey, if you really want the extra oomf, then go for it.

 

[Twinz]

My 120d got chipped the day i took it off the showrrom floor and that was in March 2005. Over the past years i have used a piggyback and software but have gone back to the piggyback because i like the control part of it. My car is still running crazy strong. Full service record. Issues i had was the normal wear and tear; brakes & tyres; clutch reset; brake drums;pully replaced other than that she is the most reliable of what Iv'e got:thumbsup: Start & go. I am the plug & play type...you plug it in and remove it if you feel the power is too much...but then again some prefer the s/w and there is nothing wrong with going that route.

Anile and & are using the same adapative plug & play chip....Anile are you using (the) one or another? Either way, Olorin...Rennzport is based in Cape Town...drop me a PM and we can hook up for a frank discussion. There are also other members in CT with other chips like Menno and i am sure he will be too happy to give you the low down.:thumbsup:

 

[anile8-zn]

hi twins , very similar different brand though.
i think they offer the similar performance gains , but like u said very easy to use and works well

 

[menno11]

Hi Olorin,

Yip, as Twinz says, I'm running the bluefin Superships software. It is also pretty aggresive, but not completely wild. My 2005 320d model was the 125kW version with 350Nm stock. After the upgrade put the car on the dyno and its now pushing 142kW and 430Nm torque at the wheels. The car pulls very strong and I regularly outrun GTi 5's (stock) especially on inclines!!

The best part of the upgrade is that my fuel consumption is now better (except for when I'm flooring it!) and I dont have that dreaded blue smoke out the exhaust that some upgrades give by just increasing the fueling (resistance over the temp sensor). The car is still under motorplan and has had work done under warantee with no problems.

I hope you make the swtich over to the diesel side soon, you wont regret it!!

 

[333wez]

have a look at xcede, they got some good gains on the 2.0 diesel.
Tashen is the agent in cape town....

 

[Olorin]

Twinz,

Thank you for the advice ! The thing is, I've heard from people about the high maintenence costs on diesels vs petrol but I haven't heard too many stories of tune ups ruining engines or reducing the life of the drivetrain or anything.

You said you got your car chipped on day 1. Where did you go to have it chipped or did you do everything yourself ? I'm the type of guy who doesn't want to do ANYTHING to the car because I'm simply not clued up enough to make changes. So a reputable, trustworthy company is a must.

After you had the car chipped, what happens when you service the car ? Did BMW ever see anything abnormal or strange to show that anything had been modified ? Because that's one of the fears I have. I don't want to void my warranty because the motor plan/warranty is about the most important thing these days, especially with high performance cars.

I'll definitely take you up on your offer and send you a PM soon to discuss things with you. Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

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Hi Menno11,

As I said in my previous message, I'm clueless with this stuff. There are so many different chips around so I don't know what is the good stuff and what is the crap stuff (ineffective and overpriced). First time I've heard of a 'piggyback' unit that you just connect, put in the software and remove when you want. That sounds cool.

Your Superchip, is that also easily removeable ? I mean, as I mentioned before, the last thing I want is to have my car chipped and then my motor plan is gone. Obviously all this talk is for a diesel because I feel I'll get the most gains with a diesel vs a petrol engine.

Now I've got the 320i and I haven't really considered boosting my current cars performance because honestly, I didn't think there would be much point. How far can one really go with a 320i 4 pot engine using these chips (like yours and Twinz) ? Would it be a signicant improvement, subtle improvement or simply a waste of time ?

I'll definitely hang around here as you guys are really clued up with all this stuff. I seriously need to learn more.

 

[Twinz]

Olorin....
Sorry i thought you have the 320diesel. As 333Wezz indicated there are quite a few chip companies on this forum that can assist you. Why dont you PM: Exede; Chiplogic or FRC. I am sure they can assist you even down here in Cape Town. I would have been interested if you had a diesel to show you the performance of a piggyback system. A friend of mine (Rissipit on this forum) had the chiplogic software on her 120 petrol and the car was really strong.

Why dont you join us on the 24 Sept breakfast run for a relaxed discussion about the matters that you raised in you posts?

 

[menno11]

Hi Olorin,

The input is a pleasure, we love talking about our cars nearly as much as we enjoy driving them!

You are correct that the gains in a normally aspirated car VS gains in a turbo car (petrol or diesel) after chipping cannot be compared and N/A will always be on the lower side.

To really get the gains from chipping a N/A car, you will have to look at items such as the intake and exhaust system too.

I support Twinz' suggestion that you meet up with us on Sunday 26th at N1 city at 8:30 for a breakfast run to blue peter in Blouberg and we can chat about your various options.

 

[Olorin]

Why dont you join us on the 24 Sept breakfast run for a relaxed discussion about the matters that you raised in you posts?

That is an excellent idea. I think I will do this. Get to know you bunch a little better and talk about cars. Thanks !

Menno11,

Thanks man. I look forward to seeing you guys and discussing this further. Where about in N1 city are we meeting up ?

 

[menno11]

Its in the parking lot by the Mcdonalds, check the regional forum Western Cape for the blog about the Bfast run.

See you there!

 

[Olorin]

Thanks guys. Man, I'm finding myself going to the petrol station A LOT with this car. I'm not driving like a maniac or anything but putting in R100 worth of petrol is finished in less than 2 days. :bawling: Damn how I miss the fuel efficiency of a 140i engine, especially the Corolla.

I've only had the car for like 2 weeks and I'm already complaining about running costs ! Hehe.

 

[Kaaba]

Take it easy, have the car mapped and u will visiting the petrol station once a week!

 

[Olorin]

Sorry, to a question to the diesel owners, what is the tank size of the 320d ? My car has a 63 L capacity (if I remember correctly). Just interested to know what the capacity is for the entry-level diesel. Thanks.

---

Kaaba, obviously you aren't referring to my car, but a diesel right ? If I had to go without adding in petrol for a week that would be unbelievable.

 

[Kaaba]

Olorion, I am reffering to your car (320i), but the best choice for me will be diesel of course! get your car mapped and while u r at it used after market exhaust, you will notice significant increase of power and possibly decent drop of petrol usage if of course you will be light footed after u have all the goodies!!