E90 323i Conversion to 325i

Crewzer

Member
Hi all, a salesperson at bmw told me the E90 323i engine is the same as the 325i only difference is the a detuned map on 323

Question:
> Is he correct?
> Can a 323 be remapped to 325?
> If the above it Yes, who can do the remap?

Thanks :thumbsup:
 

@ri

///Member
hmmm...if it were that simple, wouldn't everyone be buying 323's and just remap? don't see that many 323's around.

it seems that you would get close to 325 spec with a remap though. there's lots of guys around that can do it for you. i don't have anyone to recommend, sure someone here will though.
 

damon1

New member
Hi All-

Ok lets start by saying that i had the displeasure of owning two E90 323i ( 130Kw/2006 and the 140Kw/2007).And yes back then i was enthusiastic enough to want to do the same conversion.Almost all the companies i phoned were not familiar with the power difference and only one "Upsolute" claimed that they could convert the car to 325i power.

So off i went cash in hand to have the conversion done.They removed the ECU,read the file,sent it to Germany,UK or the moon to have it reprogrammed.Had the ECU installed and was promised 160Kw.Drove the car for a week and could not tell the difference.I then took the car to BOSCH to have it dyno tested and lo and behold the car was 3KW faster.Yes,you read right-just 3Kw-The moral of the Upsolute story is clear.Unless they reprogram and DYNO test your car in front of you,DONT trust their WORD.Oh and it was a mission to get back my refund.SOmetimes the mind belives ur going faster after someone "interferes" with the ECU.

OK now to the differences.THe E323i is unique to JAPAN,CANADA and u guessed it S.Africa.

The differences as as ffg.
1. Different ECU mapping - BTW - 325i has a higher RPM cut off as well(6500 vs 7000)
2. 325i two stage DISA intake manifold vs 323i single stage DISA
3. Intake manifold is smaller/narrower on the 323i than on the 325i.

Now while u may say that just by progamming the ECU u will get the power-Answer is NO- A 323i will run with a 325 till 90Kph-beyond that the extra breathing and mapping on the 325 will make it pull away-believe me i have tried and tested.Your best alternative to live with the 323i is to install a K&N as i did back in the day.It breathes alot better and wont crash your feelings when 4cylinder cars want to race you.

So in the interest of saving my sanity i have reverted to buying a E90 320d(130Kw) with a chip(170Kw/450nm)- It runs neck on neck with a E90 330i on the freeway and pulls away from it at the robot.I dont even race a 325i cos they dont keep up-The results of chipped diesels are just amazing.I have outran golf 5 GTI's that are chipped as well.
Hope this helps and saves you guys alot of painful searching from tuners who need to pasture in a 4x2 bull pen and for once stand in the same stench of "bullshit" that they pass off.
 
C

Cruiser

Guest
damon1 said:
Hi All-

Ok lets start by saying that i had the displeasure of owning two E90 323i ( 130Kw/2006 and the 140Kw/2007).And yes back then i was enthusiastic enough to want to do the same conversion.Almost all the companies i phoned were not familiar with the power difference and only one "Upsolute" claimed that they could convert the car to 325i power.

So off i went cash in hand to have the conversion done.They removed the ECU,read the file,sent it to Germany,UK or the moon to have it reprogrammed.Had the ECU installed and was promised 160Kw.Drove the car for a week and could not tell the difference.I then took the car to BOSCH to have it dyno tested and lo and behold the car was 3KW faster.Yes,you read right-just 3Kw-The moral of the Upsolute story is clear.Unless they reprogram and DYNO test your car in front of you,DONT trust their WORD.Oh and it was a mission to get back my refund.SOmetimes the mind belives ur going faster after someone "interferes" with the ECU.

OK now to the differences.THe E323i is unique to JAPAN,CANADA and u guessed it S.Africa.

The differences as as ffg.
1. Different ECU mapping - BTW - 325i has a higher RPM cut off as well(6500 vs 7000)
2. 325i two stage DISA intake manifold vs 323i single stage DISA
3. Intake manifold is smaller/narrower on the 323i than on the 325i.

Now while u may say that just by progamming the ECU u will get the power-Answer is NO- A 323i will run with a 325 till 90Kph-beyond that the extra breathing and mapping on the 325 will make it pull away-believe me i have tried and tested.Your best alternative to live with the 323i is to install a K&N as i did back in the day.It breathes alot better and wont crash your feelings when 4cylinder cars want to race you.

So in the interest of saving my sanity i have reverted to buying a E90 320d(130Kw) with a chip(170Kw/450nm)- It runs neck on neck with a E90 330i on the freeway and pulls away from it at the robot.I dont even race a 325i cos they dont keep up-The results of chipped diesels are just amazing.I have outran golf 5 GTI's that are chipped as well.
Hope this helps and saves you guys alot of painful searching from tuners who need to pasture in a 4x2 bull pen and for once stand in the same stench of "bullshit" that they pass off.


Hi

Just took delivery of my E90320d and like the look of your chip. Where and how much?

Hi All-

Ok lets start by saying that i had the displeasure of owning two E90 323i ( 130Kw/2006 and the 140Kw/2007).And yes back then i was enthusiastic enough to want to do the same conversion.Almost all the companies i phoned were not familiar with the power difference and only one "Upsolute" claimed that they could convert the car to 325i power.

So off i went cash in hand to have the conversion done.They removed the ECU,read the file,sent it to Germany,UK or the moon to have it reprogrammed.Had the ECU installed and was promised 160Kw.Drove the car for a week and could not tell the difference.I then took the car to BOSCH to have it dyno tested and lo and behold the car was 3KW faster.Yes,you read right-just 3Kw-The moral of the Upsolute story is clear.Unless they reprogram and DYNO test your car in front of you,DONT trust their WORD.Oh and it was a mission to get back my refund.SOmetimes the mind belives ur going faster after someone "interferes" with the ECU.

OK now to the differences.THe E323i is unique to JAPAN,CANADA and u guessed it S.Africa.

The differences as as ffg.
1. Different ECU mapping - BTW - 325i has a higher RPM cut off as well(6500 vs 7000)
2. 325i two stage DISA intake manifold vs 323i single stage DISA
3. Intake manifold is smaller/narrower on the 323i than on the 325i.

Now while u may say that just by progamming the ECU u will get the power-Answer is NO- A 323i will run with a 325 till 90Kph-beyond that the extra breathing and mapping on the 325 will make it pull away-believe me i have tried and tested.Your best alternative to live with the 323i is to install a K&N as i did back in the day.It breathes alot better and wont crash your feelings when 4cylinder cars want to race you.

So in the interest of saving my sanity i have reverted to buying a E90 320d(130Kw) with a chip(170Kw/450nm)- It runs neck on neck with a E90 330i on the freeway and pulls away from it at the robot.I dont even race a 325i cos they dont keep up-The results of chipped diesels are just amazing.I have outran golf 5 GTI's that are chipped as well.
Hope this helps and saves you guys alot of painful searching from tuners who need to pasture in a 4x2 bull pen and for once stand in the same stench of "bullshit" that they pass off.
[/quote]
[/quote]

Hi

Still getting used to this.....

Read about your chipped 320d. Took delivery of my 320d two weeks ago.

Is this a piggy back system ? (motorplan)
 

vdmerwcr

New member
Hi, I am new to this forum. I have read up a lot about the 323i to 325i conversion. It seems I will need the entire intake manifold system (incl runners, DISA valves etc etc etc.) Would you reccomend a 325i throttle body as well or are they the same diameter?

Most important question of all....Where in SA (except at the dealership) will I be able to source such an intake?

If I do go for this conversion, is it not worth while just getting the 330i intake manifold instead of the 325i?

Regards
 

akash

Well-known member
I thought about doing this on my 323i but the cost does not justify it.

So i bought a 335i:thumbs:
 

Rayzor

Well-known member
vdmerwcr said:
Hi, I am new to this forum. I have read up a lot about the 323i to 325i conversion. It seems I will need the entire intake manifold system (incl runners, DISA valves etc etc etc.) Would you reccomend a 325i throttle body as well or are they the same diameter?

Most important question of all....Where in SA (except at the dealership) will I be able to source such an intake?

If I do go for this conversion, is it not worth while just getting the 330i intake manifold instead of the 325i?

Regards

Hi Bud, Welcome to the forum. I would sudgest selling the 323i and buying a 330i/d far less hassle and they not that pricey now.

You can introduce yourself HEREand upload some pics of your ride :thumbs:
 

Executer

Inactive
just buy the bigger variant....

On those NA cars, ECU Remapping alone will not gain you 10wkw even if your lucky. (323, 325, 330)
 

Straight six

Well-known member
Thanks there broer...


Valuable Informtion provided....as I own a 323

Quick Question on the filter...

Would you need to insert cone K&N OR even the Flat K&N would do(as i would like keep to my original airbox
 

Riaan335

Member
Executer@TFDetails said:
Big up to the guy for searching the forum instead of just opening a new thread:fencelook::tease:

Winner of the new member of the year award in my books!
 

phantom

Member
You can train a racehorse to run faster but a donkey stays a donkey.
:biglol:
The biggest mistake most people make is starting with the wrong pedigree. :idea:
 

Crash_Nemesis

///Member
It's the exact same as the e46. The 323i and the 325i both had 2.5 litre engines. 323i was released in 1999 alongside the 328i. The 323i was meant to look like it had a massive power gap between the then 2.8 litre 328i. This was to help drive sales for the 328i.

2002 saw the intro of the 325i, which had 20kw more. It too was a 2.5 litre double vanos engine, but had bigger intake and software. It took over from the 323i which stopped production in 2003. The 330i also entered service in 2002 and replaced the 328i.

The 323i had the M52Tub25 whilst the 325i had the M54b25.

The Tub stands for Technical Upgrade. The M52tub25 was the latest version of the e36 engine which had double vanos. It was used in the e46 323i before being replaced by the M54 in the 325i.

Changing the intake and software as well as bigger injectors would see the 323i power levels raise... but why not just supercharge the damn thing. =D
 
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