[tarekelsakka]

I have a 2013 BMW 316i which produces 136HP if I am not mistaken. I don't really drive fast or recklessly, especially because the roads here aren't very good, but I would definitely love an extra power push in acceleration if it's not going to harm the engine in the long term.

The best fuel we have here is 95 octane, which is the one I use and it's definitely better than 92 which I've used in the past (lower engine noise and better consumption) but I am not sure if it's good enough for a remap?

I've been reading about chip tuning and remapping and I am leaning towards the latter because it seems like a more convenient and safer option since you're not really adding any extra hardware to the car, and it seems to be the most popular choice over here. I personally don't know anyone who did a remap to a F30 before so I decided to ask you guys about this.

A very popular and reputable local BMW garage around here offers a remap which supposedly improves the power to 210 HP, and while that seems to be pushing it a little too hard, I will talk to the garage about a potentially weaker remap, if that makes any sense? I can't imagine that tuning a 1.6 engine to produce 210 HP is safe by any means, but I am also not sure if it's possible to tune it to a lower setting since all those remaps seem to be copy and paste data-files?

The car has 70K KMs on it and I do maintenance at the dealership every 10K. I no longer have warranty so I am not too worried about what the dealership might think about this if they ever find out, but I am honestly worried about the safety.

The garage claims that it doesn't affect fuel consumption unless I am constantly flooring the car, so do you guys think remapping it would be a decent option? The price of the remap will be around 395 USD including labor and all of that.

I would like to note that when checking my VIN code online, I noticed that one of the features says "lower compression engine" which I am assuming has to do with the fuel quality in Egypt, since 95 is the highest and most people use 92 (even BMW owners with turbo-charged engines) because it's a lot cheaper.





This is the VIN code if anyone's interested in looking it up: WBA3A1109EJ606409

Any advice is really appreciated.

Thank you for your time.

[lacrimarum]

According to the specification of the 1 series F20, the 16i and 18i engines of this generations are essentially the same, aren’t they? If it is possible to remap 16i to factory 18i program, as it is possible with n20 and b48 20i, it would probably be the best solution.
I would not recommend to reflash the engine up to 200+ hp, if you plan to keep your car for some time. In my opinion, this is too much power for a 1.6 liter, especially if 98 octane is unavailable. The risks of engine knocking and damage to the engine are quite high, if remapped and boosted-up engine is running on fuel of lower octane rating. High ambient temperature, which, I guess, is quite regular in Egypt also increases these risks.

[tarekelsakka]

lacrimarum Thank you for your reply. Yes, I actually totally forgot about the 1 series because it isn't very popular here, but the 116i and 118i did have the same engine and the latter produced more HP stock. I never understood why or how, but that was always the case.

I really wouldn't mind if it's going to be the same performance as the 118i, as I mentioned I am already worried enough about a 1.6 producing 200+ hp, especially with the fuel quality and high temperatures, which is almost all year round.

I went to do the remap today and we discovered that the DME in my car (the ROM version) is not stock and I have no idea who could have done this. I bought this car used with 25K KMs on it so the previous owner might have had something to do with it.

I am trying to find someone who can update the DME (ROM) for me to the latest stock version so I can actually do the remap but I can't. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can achieve that? I found an American website that is supposedly reputable and does it over Team Viewer but I am still worried because the risk of screwing something is still very high.

[lacrimarum]

I'm afraid I won't be much of a help, I have never even heard of this interconnection of version of DME software and the ability to flash it
The remote diagnostics and update, as you described, also seems kind of risky to me. Moreover, you'll still need to install a specific BMW software on your PC and an adapter to connect to your car. If possible, i would try to update at a local reputable workshop, preferably the one that specifies at BMWs. If these workshops are hard to find, service of a dealership could be a solution, although a pricey one.