[Squirtydog]

So I've trawled the search feature on here. There are certainly some recommendations such as Ecotune in Scotland. This is a possibility but a long way away for me.

I've seen the Stg 1 at Celtic is relatively conservative compared with some e.g. their Stg 2. So, I was considering the Stg 1 option for safety. However, after a conversation with them today they explained that it is simply applying the software from the 430i "which is mechanically identical"... which I understand it isn't. This puts me off a little.

The Stg 1 figures are probably enough though given the overall performance figures for the 430i. Not looking for a rocket ship, just a bit more from the daily runner.

They explained that their Stg 2 is developed in house and specific to the 420i B48 engine and that it will be set up on the Dyno and tested for any issues logged, knock etc. ... which actually sounds more reassuring than the Stg 1.

...so I'm still undecided.

I bought this car as it is in budget and my initial research suggested it would respond well to a remap. There are stories of problems though. My local garage just gave good simple advice. Do your research. Go to a reputable company.

These cars have been around a while now. Can anyone share experiences of long term running a remap on this engine?

EDIT: Ecotune have an agent in Liverpool which is very convenient for me so becomes more of a possibility.

[SkyJawa]

I can't comment on that engine but I can say I ran a Celtic Stg 1 on my old F30 335d for 5 years and it never missed a beat. We also have a Celtic Stg 1 map on my wifes Tiguan 2.0TSi for the last year, taking power from 230-300 and likewise all good so far.

I've done it now haven't I!

[Pentland]

I used Ecotune on my 430d and I’m not convinced. The car was quick but it chucked out the soot.

[Squirtydog]

Thanks both. Ecotune seem generally to get good reviews on here. Celtic have loads of good reviews too. Ecotune today said that they aren't especially aware of any significant failures on the B48. Their map sits at around the 250+ bhp mark which is akin to the 430i and would be plenty enough. This puts Ecotune and Celtic Stg 1 at a fairly level pegging at the moment.

I guess there will always be good and bad results from any tuning firm and you are taking your chances.

Interestingly (perhaps), I had our 330d remapped locally with an off the shelf map. It went like a rocket and was problem free for the next 20k miles until we sold it. However, my local specialist have had several remapped petrol cars with bottom end failures... all from the same guy who did mine apparently, which is why they are advising I do my research carefully.

[martin10chk]

I probably spent more time researching remaps than is good for my health. FWIW here is where I got to:
Unless you are going to get serious and contemplate hardware upgrades stick to Stage 1
If going for stage one the BM3 and MHD systems are as good as anything and better than most (I used BM3 myself and was very impressed). Their stock maps have been tried and tested by thousands. They are quite conservative - not about pushing any boundaries.
But at the end of it all I concluded that the regulatory / insurance /warranty worlds are turning against remaps. So now I wouldn’t do it.

[Lorcan]

The N20 and B48 20i engines both made 184hp standard but interestingly Schnitzer tuned the N20 version to 245hp (same as the 28i standard) but only tuned the B48 to 225hp, nearly 30hp short of the 30i's 252hp.

I don't know the reason behind this but would caution going beyond 225hp until you find out

[Squirtydog]

Originally Posted by martin10chk

I probably spent more time researching remaps than is good for my health. FWIW here is where I got to:
Unless you are going to get serious and contemplate hardware upgrades stick to Stage 1
If going for stage one the BM3 and MHD systems are as good as anything and better than most (I used BM3 myself and was very impressed). Their stock maps have been tried and tested by thousands. They are quite conservative - not about pushing any boundaries.
But at the end of it all I concluded that the regulatory / insurance /warranty worlds are turning against remaps. So now I wouldn’t do it.

Thanks. Which engine do you have? I was sure I'd read a bunch of comments suggesting that the BM3 remap didn't suit the B48 and People had experienced problems. Can't immediately find them now though. Perhaps I'm mistaken.

Originally Posted by Lorcan

The N20 and B48 20i engines both made 184hp standard but interestingly Schnitzer tuned the N20 version to 245hp (same as the 28i standard) but only tuned the B48 to 225hp, nearly 30hp short of the 30i's 252hp.

I don't know the reason behind this but would caution going beyond 225hp until you find out

I was under the impression that weaknesses in the N20 had been sorted in the B48. Looks like I need to keep researching.

[Armaan]

I did quite a bit of research on this before taking the plunge in 2020 - having a B48 20i myself.

Any reputable tuner should be willing to run/amend and test the software - not simply upload it and send you on your way. I used emaps and it was done on my driveway - but we did a 15 minute test drive as he plugged in a computer to my ECU and tested everything - the tune itself took 2-3 hours.

In terms of output, it’s 184bhp as standard and emaps are known to be conservative in order for longevity of the car. Most other tuners were quoting 260-270bhp and this seemed pushing it. Emaps took it to 240bhp (not had it on a dyno, but the torque was a little higher than stated, so maybe 245bhp) and the jump in performance was definitely enough.

3 years on and zero issues.

Unicorn in Manchester have a good reputation and the other company I was considering.

Armaan

[Squirtydog]

Originally Posted by Armaan

I did quite a bit of research on this before taking the plunge in 2020 - having a B48 20i myself.

Any reputable tuner should be willing to run/amend and test the software - not simply upload it and send you on your way. I used emaps and it was done on my driveway - but we did a 15 minute test drive as he plugged in a computer to my ECU and tested everything - the tune itself took 2-3 hours...

...3 years on and zero issues.

Unicorn in Manchester have a good reputation and the other company I was considering.

Armaan

Thanks for this. Spoke to the chap just now. He's happy to come to Merseyside and do the tune. Confirmed he'd need a couple of hours and go on a test drive to check things over. Another for the list. Good to hear from someone who is running the tune on the same engine.

[Danj94]

Originally Posted by Armaan

I did quite a bit of research on this before taking the plunge in 2020 - having a B48 20i myself.

Any reputable tuner should be willing to run/amend and test the software - not simply upload it and send you on your way. I used emaps and it was done on my driveway - but we did a 15 minute test drive as he plugged in a computer to my ECU and tested everything - the tune itself took 2-3 hours.

In terms of output, it’s 184bhp as standard and emaps are known to be conservative in order for longevity of the car. Most other tuners were quoting 260-270bhp and this seemed pushing it. Emaps took it to 240bhp (not had it on a dyno, but the torque was a little higher than stated, so maybe 245bhp) and the jump in performance was definitely enough.

3 years on and zero issues.

Unicorn in Manchester have a good reputation and the other company I was considering.

Armaan

I previously had my Golf R tuned by Unicorn and it was an absolute monster. Really reliable ran the tune for nearly 4 years before I parted with it.

Dan

[spikeydoo]

as for BM3, I've ran bm3 for 2 years and 10k miles on a 320I b48. I'm running the lower stage 1 tune, which allows you to run on 95o fuel, but always run on 98\99o fuel.
I can report that I've had zero issues at all, and it transforms the car completely.

[roundy]

Not with my current car no but with my last 2 cars yes and never had any issues with them at all.

[Squirtydog]

Originally Posted by spikeydoo

as for BM3, I've ran bm3 for 2 years and 10k miles on a 320I b48. I'm running the lower stage 1 tune, which allows you to run on 95o fuel, but always run on 98\99o fuel.
I can report that I've had zero issues at all, and it transforms the car completely.

So am I right in thinking the bm3 solution is one in which you use a mobile or laptop based app to remap the ECU yourself by selecting from existing cloud based maps?
Is there any facility to perform diagnostics/fault check etc. after the tune? Or are you trusting that it is all ok?

[Pond]

Superchips are very good (now owned by Re-map Kings but most files were developed by Superchips).

Been around since the dawn of time and do a 'fuss free' remap at very reasonable cost. Used them three times in total (last time on our N20 Z4 which makes around 270bhp and 350nm) and have never had an issue with any of them.

[martin10chk]

Originally Posted by Squirtydog

So am I right in thinking the bm3 solution is one in which you use a mobile or laptop based app to remap the ECU yourself by selecting from existing cloud based maps?
Is there any facility to perform diagnostics/fault check etc. after the tune? Or are you trusting that it is all ok?

Yes exactly that - and very extensive logging and monitoring capabilities so you can see exactly what is happening.

Oh - should add, I used it on both N13 and N20 but not B48. But as per my previous post if I were starting again (no longer have a BMW) I would give remapping a miss. Not because there are any reliability issues, but simply on account of the potential insurance / increasing nanny state hassles.

[SkyJawa]

Originally Posted by Pond

Superchips are very good (now owned by Re-map Kings but most files were developed by Superchips).

Been around since the dawn of time and do a 'fuss free' remap at very reasonable cost. Used them three times in total (last time on our N20 Z4 which makes around 270bhp and 350nm) and have never had an issue with any of them.

I’ve got Superchips on my 530d, came to the house and a really nice chap.

[Squirtydog]

Originally Posted by Pond

Superchips are very good (now owned by Re-map Kings but most files were developed by Superchips).

Been around since the dawn of time and do a 'fuss free' remap at very reasonable cost. Used them three times in total (last time on our N20 Z4 which makes around 270bhp and 350nm) and have never had an issue with any of them.

Good to hear. I am just slightly apprehensive about the 270bhp figures from them. It would be great, but I'm not sure I'd ever really relax with it.

To be fair though, all the tuners I talk to claim they aren't aware of any B48 failures. I have only talked to what I would take to be reputable or recommended names though.

Still, on the one hand you might think they are unlikely to warn me off. On the other, recommending a risky tune that blows motors is not great for business.

[Pond]

Originally Posted by Squirtydog

Good to hear. I am just slightly apprehensive about the 270bhp figures from them. It would be great, but I'm not sure I'd ever really relax with it.

To be fair though, all the tuners I talk to claim they aren't aware of any B48 failures. I have only talked to what I would take to be reputable or recommended names though.

Still, on the one hand you might think they are unlikely to warn me off. On the other, recommending a risky tune that blows motors is not great for business.

From what I have learned over the years with these common re-maps, they are all pretty much the same no matter who 'downloads' them.

There seems to be a 'generic' file and different companies can 'tweek' them according to what they want to provide.

I also wouldn't take too much notice of the headline figures; those are for marketing purposes really and will have been achieved on ONE car with very high octane fuel. On 95 octane fuel you will get around 15bhp less (and 5% less torque), so that drops it down to 30i standard figures anyway.

The B48 in 20i or 30i guises are identical engines mechanically (99% sure). The only real difference (apart from the badge and purchase price) is the boost pressure limits and maybe a slightly different fuelling map.

Aftermarket maps just change the map to an equivalent (ish) of the standard 30i realistically.

So, in reality, the maps we are talking about should be completely 'safe', as the B48 was designed to produce 250bhp. Lower outputs are just 'de-tuned' from the factory by the installed map.

"Tuners", or in reality some bloke with a laptop and a software file, do tend to talk a lot of nonsense about how 'their' map is so much better than others for x,y and z reasons. It's a crowded market, they have to convince you to go with them somehow.

All the above is my opinion, based on what I have experienced and heard elsewhere!

[spikeydoo]

When I was looking at maps Evolve came highly recommended, and they can remap remotely.

https://evolveautomotive.com

[Squirtydog]

Thanks for all the advice. After reading some more reviews on here, I've decided to go with Simon at Emaps and we're booked in for a mobile tune Wednesday next week. Fingers crossed all goes well and I'll be back with some first impressions once done.

[Armaan]

Originally Posted by Squirtydog

Thanks for all the advice. After reading some more reviews on here, I've decided to go with Simon at Emaps and we're booked in for a mobile tune Wednesday next week. Fingers crossed all goes well and I'll be back with some first impressions once done.

Great choice, you’ll not regret it!

[Squirtydog]

So. Initial thoughts...

Great service from Simon at Emaps. Simon seems a really nice chap. Enjoyed a good chat whilst the ECU was on the bench.

He arrived this lunch time and took the car out for a quick check for fault codes. Had the ECU on the bench for around an hour and a half I'd say. Back in, another run for codes and then I had a drive.

Well, it is like a different car. Best way to explain is perhaps to start with how it was beforehand. The accelerator travel needed to effect any revs for pulling away, was unusually long. This, coupled with the quietness of the engine left it frustratingly easy to almost stall. It just felt wrong, and I was not getting used to it. Sport barely felt sporty and wasn't noticeably different from comfort in terms of throttle response. If you accelerated hard it was ok but sounded almost strained, like it wanted to go but was choked back.

Now, it is eager at all revs. Pulling away is easy. Throttle response is easily sharp enough in comfort and sport drivetrain settings are not needed. I've configured sport to do chassis only for a bit more weight in the steering. It is markedly quicker with the torque seeming to come in far earlier. It even seems to sound better across all the rev range - not strained anymore. I'm not going to talk figures too much as I'm not going to have it on a Dyno. Simon had about 390-400Nm showing. Whatever the numbers, it is a pleasure to drive now.

All in all an extremely worthwhile job. If I could rename the thread 'Emaps 420i recommendation', then I would.