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      08-29-2019, 05:28 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by LongRuf View Post
So the Kerma tune is calibrated and made well enough not to shorten the life of the transmission? It's more the xHP transmission tune that would be a concern? Am I understanding that correctly?
Correct, it takes into account for transmission limits, and avoids decalibration to throw transmission values off.
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      08-29-2019, 06:12 PM   #24
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Thanks!

Now I just have to purchase and install and try not to worry about my CPO warranty.
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      09-01-2019, 02:37 AM   #25
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[QUOTE=DieselSport;24790139]I have driven the car about 500 miles since the tune and this was the best modification i could have done to the car. The car has totally been transformed into something special. Driving is so much more rewarding and i look forward to my long commute now because i cant wait to drive my car on the highway.

To me it feels the power has almost doubled to be honest , doesnt matter how fast you are going, the car will pull tremendously. I definetly have to watch my throttle now because it can get from 70mph to 100mph in a instance without any fuss if you are not careful. Turbo lag has drastically been reduced and it puts you back in your seat during take offs. It is just better in all departments and i can hear the turbos a bit more with the windows down which i really love. I enjoy driving it in Sport+ with the ESC partially off.

Along with the tune, the Bilstein coilovers and the lightweight wheels and wider tires , the diesel sedan has become one of my favorite cars. I love every minute of driving. With the extra comfortable 18" wheels i feel i have the perfect balance of comfort and performance for a daily driver. I highly recommended KERMA and Bilstein in there respects. Very happy i went with them.


How has the tune been treating you the past few months? Have you encountered any issues? Any feedback would be appreciated thinking about pulling the plug on this tune.
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      09-30-2019, 11:33 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by expl0de View Post
I think it was xHP or bootmod3 explanation. They claim that by lifting the torque limits, the clutches will byte harder at higher torque and that will prolong transmission life and will eliminate slip on heavily tuned cars.This also makes heavy tuning possible on cars with AT. But there is downside. The higher pressure may affect the seals in the transmission.
As mentioned before, the other way is to lie the transmission that torque is lower than actual(within stock values) and this may shorten clutches life and cause slippage.
Also there is a mechanical reason for the lower limits for 3d and 6th gear. Even BMW performance tuning makes less torque in these gears.
Anyway, even with limits, if power band is wider, it will feel faster than stock, just not as fast as on other gears.
This is what I have read.
With this being said should the Kerma tune be avoided?
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      10-04-2019, 07:21 AM   #27
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Kerma tune after 6k miles

Here are my thoughts after 6k miles and 4 months. Power is nice, Urea usage in concerning (refill after 2,550 miles on average) MPG is up a little 1-2 mpg. Turbo lag still very present and probably worse in some cases since with more power it comes in stronger, but turbo lag is a plumbing and turbo issue not a tuning issue.

Kerma never posted my review stating the above......

Just wanted others thinking about it to be aware, not sure how this is going to affect DPF and SCR life.
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      10-04-2019, 11:21 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tcubed View Post
Here are my thoughts after 6k miles and 4 months. Power is nice, Urea usage in concerning (refill after 2,550 miles on average) MPG is up a little 1-2 mpg. Turbo lag still very present and probably worse in some cases since with more power it comes in stronger, but turbo lag is a plumbing and turbo issue not a tuning issue.

Kerma never posted my review stating the above......

Just wanted others thinking about it to be aware, not sure how this is going to affect DPF and SCR life.
I've been Kerma-tuned for 6,660mi now and haven't observed a DEF usage nearly as high as yours.

The DEF system (passive plus active tanks) has a capacity of 18.1L. My DEF/1000mi light comes on when I'm at 3L remaining. When the first light came on after the Kerma tune I put in 12L (VW 10L jug + VW 2L bottle). My light came on again after about 5000mi. The next time I decided to completely top off the system to see how much it would take, and got 15L in there before things started spilling out. Thus my DEF consumption rate is ~400mi/L, or 6000mi before the DEF light comes on again.

How much DEF are you putting in when you fill it? BTW my driving during this period also included track time.
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Last edited by FaRKle!; 10-04-2019 at 11:26 AM..
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      10-05-2019, 11:48 AM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tcubed View Post
Here are my thoughts after 6k miles and 4 months. Power is nice, Urea usage in concerning (refill after 2,550 miles on average) MPG is up a little 1-2 mpg. Turbo lag still very present and probably worse in some cases since with more power it comes in stronger, but turbo lag is a plumbing and turbo issue not a tuning issue.

Kerma never posted my review stating the above......

Just wanted others thinking about it to be aware, not sure how this is going to affect DPF and SCR life.
What other mods does this car have? DEF consumption is a bit high in your case for sure.

DPF life would actually be increased due to lower egt and less frequent regens.
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      10-11-2019, 11:59 AM   #30
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I got the Kerma tune and after about 1000 miles I have learned the following:
The car is a little more peppier but there is still some turbo lag although not as much as stock.
You can feel the difference in increased hp
Eco pro acceleration is better
This is the tune that should have come stock
The transmission shift points are improved
No codes or issues thus far
MPG is up 4-5 so far although I do a lot of driving in Comfort and Eco Pro modes.
Very easy install but the uplaod time is a little time consuming
Overall I am pleased with this tune
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      10-13-2019, 05:16 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mountainmac View Post
I got the Kerma tune and after about 1000 miles I have learned the following:
The car is a little more peppier but there is still some turbo lag although not as much as stock.
You can feel the difference in increased hp
Eco pro acceleration is better
This is the tune that should have come stock
The transmission shift points are improved
No codes or issues thus far
MPG is up 4-5 so far although I do a lot of driving in Comfort and Eco Pro modes.
Very easy install but the uplaod time is a little time consuming
Overall I am pleased with this tune
Just installed the tune myself on my F31 and have the same feedback. Turbo lag is most definitely still apparent but not as bad as stock, and throttle response is improved (this was one of if not the main reason I wanted the Kerma tune). Charlie was very helpful with install questions (he sent me the incorrect file to begin with but helped troubleshoot)
Overall I’m pleased with the tune, I only have ~300 miles on it so far so I cannot comment on fuel mileage improvements.

Max
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      10-31-2019, 08:25 AM   #32
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To those who have the Kerma tune, where did you purchase from and how much time did it take to perform the tune?
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      10-31-2019, 11:53 AM   #33
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I purchased mine direct from KermaTDI. That's the only way to get it I'm aware of.

For your Pre-LCI model they'll ship you a Q-Pro remote flasher tool. Once you get that you'll read your vehicle's info with it, email that to Kerma, and then they'll email you a tune file to flash on there. When my coworker did that it was a day or two turnaround from when he emailed his stock data to Kerma to when he received the tune file.
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      11-18-2019, 11:20 AM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FaRKle! View Post
I've been Kerma-tuned for 6,660mi now and haven't observed a DEF usage nearly as high as yours.

The DEF system (passive plus active tanks) has a capacity of 18.1L. My DEF/1000mi light comes on when I'm at 3L remaining. When the first light came on after the Kerma tune I put in 12L (VW 10L jug + VW 2L bottle). My light came on again after about 5000mi. The next time I decided to completely top off the system to see how much it would take, and got 15L in there before things started spilling out. Thus my DEF consumption rate is ~400mi/L, or 6000mi before the DEF light comes on again.

How much DEF are you putting in when you fill it? BTW my driving during this period also included track time.
Interesting, I thought i was filling it full however i must not be. I would guess i am getting about 6 L into it before it starts spilling out. I must be doing it wrong.

Last edited by tcubed; 11-18-2019 at 11:29 AM..
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      11-18-2019, 11:21 AM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Enabled View Post
What other mods does this car have? DEF consumption is a bit high in your case for sure.

DPF life would actually be increased due to lower egt and less frequent regens.
No other mods just Kerma tune
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      11-19-2019, 09:46 PM   #36
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Anyone know what the cutoff is for being able to use the flash tuner vs. having to send in your ECU? Do all LCI’s have to send in the ECU to Kerma?
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      11-20-2019, 01:31 PM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EricD735i View Post
Anyone know what the cutoff is for being able to use the flash tuner vs. having to send in your ECU? Do all LCI’s have to send in the ECU to Kerma?
The cutoff is LCI, vehicles produced July 2015 and later. If you have DDE PN 13618588425, it's LCI.
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      12-18-2019, 07:26 PM   #38
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Hi I bought the Kerma tune for my 328d, and was wondering if anyone else had cabin ammonia smell. Love the response and improved mpg. But, my car developed an ammonia smell after the tune. It was fine at first but after 1000 miles the smell is consistent. My exhaust tips also turned white powdery. Went back to stock and everything is back to normal though the smell is still coming back every now and then when it’s idle. Coolant temp appears to be stable 88-90C. Dealer couldn’t find any faults and couldn’t reproduce the smell. My hunch is low egt is not fully reacting with the DEF to meet Nox requirements. But what’s causing the low egt?
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      12-18-2019, 07:59 PM   #39
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No ammonia smell. 3 tuned N47s in the family. 1 328d wagon, 1 328d 2wd sedan, and 1 X3 28d.
The only thing I can think of is that your def sprayer/injector is dribbling.

Not enough egt for def would throw plausibility codes, so that's not feasible.
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      12-19-2019, 11:06 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sootysocks View Post
Hi I bought the Kerma tune for my 328d, and was wondering if anyone else had cabin ammonia smell. Love the response and improved mpg. But, my car developed an ammonia smell after the tune. It was fine at first but after 1000 miles the smell is consistent. My exhaust tips also turned white powdery. Went back to stock and everything is back to normal though the smell is still coming back every now and then when it’s idle. Coolant temp appears to be stable 88-90C. Dealer couldn’t find any faults and couldn’t reproduce the smell. My hunch is low egt is not fully reacting with the DEF to meet Nox requirements. But what’s causing the low egt?
Have you used any monitoring software to check the operating values of the car? I monitor EGTs and other parameters all the time and haven't seen low EGTs with Kerma's tune. Where in the Bay Area are you? If you're close by me (Tri-Valley area) we can try and find a time to take a look.
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      12-19-2019, 05:31 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FaRKle! View Post
Have you used any monitoring software to check the operating values of the car? I monitor EGTs and other parameters all the time and haven't seen low EGTs with Kerma's tune. Where in the Bay Area are you? If you're close by me (Tri-Valley area) we can try and find a time to take a look.
Thanks for the offer. I'm in the peninsula area so it's not too far. Attached is a log from this morning where it's mostly highway commute 46 miles. Trendwise I see the Temp before SCR starts high and ends low. But then again I don't know what are normal values.
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File Type: txt Carly_20191912_Morning_Commute.txt (55.8 KB, 65 views)
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      12-19-2019, 06:55 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sootysocks View Post
Thanks for the offer. I'm in the peninsula area so it's not too far. Attached is a log from this morning where it's mostly highway commute 46 miles. Trendwise I see the Temp before SCR starts high and ends low. But then again I don't know what are normal values.
Your EGTs look normal to me. They're typically in the 375-800F range, but can dip a bit lower and be a bit higher under circumstances like coasting or powering up a long hill.
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      12-20-2019, 12:01 AM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Enabled View Post
No ammonia smell. 3 tuned N47s in the family. 1 328d wagon, 1 328d 2wd sedan, and 1 X3 28d.
The only thing I can think of is that your def sprayer/injector is dribbling.

Not enough egt for def would throw plausibility codes, so that's not feasible.
Hmm since FaRKle! help with eliminating the EGT ... any idea how I can test the def injector by software? Or is there a way to reset the adaptations?
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      12-20-2019, 01:14 PM   #44
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If it were my car, I think I would pull it and inspect the injector, as well as the def cat internal swirl / mixing flaps, and the SCR cat (DEF cat) itself. Either with a camera or maybe if possible just through visual inspection.

ISTA or even INPA/Tool32 functions (advanced!) can activate and clear adaptations, but it would be very limited use. Adaptations are not an evil thing as many on the internet believe.

I don't see how software tests would find out a cause. Unless somehow you can get injector to squirt out and see the pattern and watch for leaks.. which it operates anyways on warm idle.
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