[MCD]

Originally Posted by ScarecrowBoat

Just gave it gas and BOOM reduced power and warnings like crazy. "Drivetrain Failure" and "Chasis Stabilization Failure".

That chassis stabilization failure is very strange!!! At least your car is running great now... how did you erase the error codes? Just by removing the tune?!

[brian99997]

Originally Posted by ScarecrowBoat

Who said I was worried about blowing my motor? I just said I don't want to lose my warranty because of a mod.



No other modifications. 93 octane gas. Just gave it gas and BOOM reduced power and warnings like crazy. "Drivetrain Failure" and "Chasis Stabilization Failure". Terry @ BMS told me to buy the BT cable and check codes to see what happened, which @ $300 I'm not exactly interested in. The only reason I needed it was because of his product. Now I feel stuck because I don't want to take it to the dealer because I'm concerned they will see I tuned it and void my warranty. He basically told me to take a hike and that the tune had nothing to do with the error. I am partial to believing that but his complete lack of interest in figuring out what it may be led me to return the product. I don't think I'm really going to be interested in BMS stuff anymore.

Think about the sensors that BMS is using, MAP (manifold pressure, detects vacuum or boost before it hits the combustion chamber) as well as the MAF (how much air flows past it) and then they are sending fake values to the ECU to make it adjust the wastegate solenoid more aggressively. Every aftermarket piggyback is going to be similar to this and I would imagine that like most ECU's, this one has a limit to what it is supposed to see and the car is throwing codes to protect itself from a bad solenoid or other sensor that could allow the car to overboost and blow the engine.

While I don't think BMS is unique to this possible problem, I am convinced that this style of ECU manipulation causes problems similar to yours. Perhaps your car was 3% better than the car on their dyno, that would be another 7hp and hp demands fuel.

That said, I want some type of tune for the car if for no other reason than to get rid of the lag/dead pedal space in non-sport mode and have some power for the street and I have read that BMS does so I will probably go that route soon if nobody makes something that gets to the 350hp area although that will probably involve a different turbo. I've talked to nearly every manufacturer out there and I would have to remove the tune every time I went to the track though because they (and probably the car in stock form) are not really engineered for running 20 minutes at a time.

[BRM6]

Originally Posted by brian99997

Think about the sensors that BMS is using, MAP (manifold pressure, detects vacuum or boost before it hits the combustion chamber) as well as the MAF (how much air flows past it) and then they are sending fake values to the ECU to make it adjust the wastegate solenoid more aggressively. Every aftermarket piggyback is going to be similar to this and I would imagine that like most ECU's, this one has a limit to what it is supposed to see and the car is throwing codes to protect itself from a bad solenoid or other sensor that could allow the car to overboost and blow the engine.

While I don't think BMS is unique to this possible problem, I am convinced that this style of ECU manipulation causes problems similar to yours. Perhaps your car was 3% better than the car on their dyno, that would be another 7hp and hp demands fuel.

That said, I want some type of tune for the car if for no other reason than to get rid of the lag/dead pedal space in non-sport mode and have some power for the street and I have read that BMS does so I will probably go that route soon if nobody makes something that gets to the 350hp area although that will probably involve a different turbo. I've talked to nearly every manufacturer out there and I would have to remove the tune every time I went to the track though because they (and probably the car in stock form) are not really engineered for running 20 minutes at a time.

Good points. Coming from Subarus and having friends that used to run UNICHIP and got rid of them because of constant CELs, this is why I still have not purchased the BMS. I am not comparing BMS X UNICHIP here, but they're both piggybacks, so that kind of worries me as the whole idea of faking sensors just doesn't sound interesting to me knowing how advanced tunes are nowadays (like Cobb, APR, GIAC, etc...)

Knowing very well about how tuning works for Subarus, I am really surprised that no one is making a decent reflash for the N20 yet. I wonder why? Is the ECU system so much different or complicated than let's say VW/AUDI? For example, for VW/AUDI, APR is so nice. So much potential we have with the N20, not being able to have a decent reflash yet really sucks.

[ScarecrowBoat]

Originally Posted by MCD

That chassis stabilization failure is very strange!!! At least your car is running great now... how did you erase the error codes? Just by removing the tune?!

I haven't done anything. That is my problem, I possibly have error codes on my car and no way to erase them. I am trying to find somebody in the NE area with a BT cable I could borrow so I can see before going to the dealer.

[brian99997]

Originally Posted by TJF30

Good points. Coming from Subarus and having friends that used to run UNICHIP and got rid of them because of constant CELs, this is why I still have not purchased the BMS. I am not comparing BMS X UNICHIP here, but they're both piggybacks, so that kind of worries me as the whole idea of faking sensors just doesn't sound interesting to me knowing how advanced tunes are nowadays (like Cobb, APR, GIAC, etc...)

Knowing very well about how tuning works for Subarus, I am really surprised that no one is making a decent reflash for the N20 yet. I wonder why? Is the ECU system so much different or complicated than let's say VW/AUDI? For example, for VW/AUDI, APR is so nice. So much potential we have with the N20, not being able to have a decent reflash yet really sucks.

Agreed, I don't think this is a debate between tuners just the methods they use. For me anyway..

I believe it was on the Burger site that said the N20/N55 engines are both completely different than previous generations which is why the piggyback systems are coming out so quickly as opposed to something from say Dinan who most likely has access to BMW factory tunes and would modify based on that directly with BMW methods.

From what I was able to find, the stock turbo itself really doesn't have much more room in it so tunes are only going to go so far.

[slmdgee]

Originally Posted by brian99997

Agreed, I don't think this is a debate between tuners just the methods they use. For me anyway..

I believe it was on the Burger site that said the N20/N55 engines are both completely different than previous generations which is why the piggyback systems are coming out so quickly as opposed to something from say Dinan who most likely has access to BMW factory tunes and would modify based on that directly with BMW methods.

From what I was able to find, the stock turbo itself really doesn't have much more room in it so tunes are only going to go so far.

Do you know much power the stock clutch and tranny can hold?

[BRM6]

Originally Posted by brian99997

Agreed, I don't think this is a debate between tuners just the methods they use. For me anyway..

I believe it was on the Burger site that said the N20/N55 engines are both completely different than previous generations which is why the piggyback systems are coming out so quickly as opposed to something from say Dinan who most likely has access to BMW factory tunes and would modify based on that directly with BMW methods.

From what I was able to find, the stock turbo itself really doesn't have much more room in it so tunes are only going to go so far.

Problem would be that Dinan is only available in the US?

[brian99997]

Originally Posted by slmdgee

Do you know much power the stock clutch and tranny can hold?

The 6 speed manual is the same GS6-17BG part # from basically all of the 325-328i type cars from 2005+ so you can basically look at the best power any of those cars could make with stock transmissions. The 335 is the same from 2008+ with part # GS6-45BZ so it isn't a good benchmark.

I have the 8 speed (good for 516lb/torque according to the manufacturer and 200ms shift time)

[brian99997]

Originally Posted by TJF30

Problem would be that Dinan is only available in the US?

That could be a problem for you but you could always move

[eric@helix]

We've had the BMS stage 1 on the car from new, with no problems--just better power and more fun. I'd hesitate to compare the BMS product to the Unichip as was done above. They both are piggybacks, but in my experience, that's where it ends. With all due respect to Unichip, the cars with Unichips that have come through the shop over the years have been nightmares: DTCs, poor running, poor performance. Cars with BMS products have been very good.

As a general rule, I am not a proponent of piggyback tuning (vs. direct flash), but the BMW tuning piggybacks are an exception. BMS and Vishnu have been brilliantly developed, partially because of their mortal head-to-head kombat. It's really impressive what these companies have been able to do. In a sense, we're competitors of both, but I'm also a fan. I did not hesitate for one second to put the BMS tuner on our brand new car.

[bnekic]

Originally Posted by eric@helix

We've had the BMS stage 1 on the car from new, with no problems--just better power and more fun. I'd hesitate to compare the BMS product to the Unichip as was done above. They both are piggybacks, but in my experience, that's where it ends. With all due respect to Unichip, the cars with Unichips that have come through the shop over the years have been nightmares: DTCs, poor running, poor performance. Cars with BMS products have been very good.

As a general rule, I am not a proponent of piggyback tuning (vs. direct flash), but the BMW tuning piggybacks are an exception. BMS and Vishnu have been brilliantly developed, partially because of their mortal head-to-head kombat. It's really impressive what these companies have been able to do. In a sense, we're competitors of both, but I'm also a fan. I did not hesitate for one second to put the BMS tuner on our brand new car.

[BRM6]

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