[exE36M3]

[ ONE YEAR UPDATE ]
A member of the community here sent me a PM on how this Dinan unit is holding up.
In short, no weird check engine lights, pops, rattles, hiccups, loss in gas mileage, etc. Car drives as normal as it can around town. When I stomp on it, it REALLY wants to go. I don't think it's a strong buy at a retail price, but if you can get it used for a lot less, it's a good gateway drug for other mods.


[ ORIGINAL POST ]
Hey guys, felt I should add a little to this community.
I recently got my hands on a 2015 435i M Sport. It's stock all over right down to the tires. I'm in my 40s so mortgage, wife, kids, college are all factors when it comes to making decisions about what I buy, especially when it comes to car parts.

I've been looking at value upgrades for the 435i. Value meaning I ask myself if it will add anything to my car or the driving experience? And does buying it justify the LONG conversation with the wife about why it's worth reducing my kid's college funding.

That being said, I've been watching the price of the Dinantronics Sport Tuner. They hover around $300 +/-$25 from retailers, car shops, etc. You can get them on ebay used for anywhere around $99-$200. I got mine on a fluke ebay auction for... get this... $20. I can go into auction strategies and why the store didn't do a great job on that but obviously I got a staggeringly great deal.

OK so what does this thing do?
If you try to read the marketing text or other websites, it's a gigantic, boring, and mind boggling amount of words that in the end, try to tell you it makes the car somehow faster. Well here's the Cliff's notes (for you guys who went to school in the 90s)...

1. It's a boost signal modifier. It sits between the boost pressure sensor and the ECU (car's computer) on the intake.
2. To install it, you remove the boost pressure plug and put that into the Tuner plug. And the free end of the Tuner plug goes into the boost sensor. So the signal goes from boost sensor to ECU to boost sensor to Tuner to ECU. This is about 5 minute process... literally! You will spend more time probably trying to FIND the plug off the charge pipe than installing this.
3. The Dinan tuner box essentially fools the ECU into thinking the engine isn't getting enough boost, so the ECU cranks up the boost signal on the turbo. Think like this... the car is making 4psi, the tuner tells the ECU it's only making 2psi. So the ECU cranks up the boost more to reach 4psi... so you end up with 6psi.

Or... the car produces boost, the Dinan unit tells the ECU it's less, so the ECU pushes more boost.

So does it work?
Short answer, yes. It's not a HELL yes, but it's a yes.
Yes in the modes of Sport (+2psi), Sport+ (+3psi), and Race (+4psi).

Around town in traffic you won't notice a lot. I mean come on, it's stop and go. You don't need 5000hp for stop and go. BUT... on-ramps, merging, passing... you'll feel that extra boost bump... especially past 1500pm (mmid-range). At higher RPM... say 80MPH, you'll hit 100 a little faster.

The best dyno pulls I could find were +10hp and +40ft/tq. Ignore the 10 hp. It's nice, but torque is what spins the wheels and gets your accelerating.

Overall
At it's $300 retail, it's a tough call. It's not OMG fast, but you will do... hmmm... that was quicker than usual and in COMFORT mode, there's more mid-range power at part throttle versus almost flooring it to wake the ECU up and get moving.

If you can pick this up used for $150 or less, it's a nice upgrade comparable to the old intake/exhaust mod for A LOT less money and a more noticeable difference.

And the bonus to boot... 5 minutes and a quick rinse of the hands for the install versus being on your back and a half day gone for anything else in this power-to-price range.

[yoon_209]

get a jb4, they are going cheap since people are moving to flash

I'm assuming you want to maintain your warranty.

The jb4 will make you go WOW and you MPG will probably drop cause of how much fun it is.

[louielouie]

Most people have moved from piggybacks to flash tunes. The only warranty coverage from the Dinan tune is on the device itself:

WARRANTY: DINANTRONICS Sport does not carry the factory matching warranty that Dinan is known for. DINANTRONICS Sport's warranty is a 1 year product only warranty that does not cover consequential damages or labor reimbursement.

I personally went from Racechip Ultimate (which I still have laying around if you're interested) to MHD.

[exE36M3]

Originally Posted by yoon_209

get a jb4, they are going cheap since people are moving to flash

I'm assuming you want to maintain your warranty.

The jb4 will make you go WOW and you MPG will probably drop cause of how much fun it is.

Well JB4 is a little harder to get in CA. No vendor will ship it to CA. I tried. Used... sure, if one comes up.
I get that people are moving to flash, but that's also a bit more of a commitment in money and time.
I looked at those too. A few guys are selling those online.

But again, there's my old man value mentality kicking in too.
Norcal, suburbs, mortgage, etc... not a lot of need or room to use 400+ hp.
So I have to weigh is $500, $750, or $1000 worth putting into speed or engine mods?

I come from the Miata side (10 years) and also the old E36 M3 (20 years)...
both cars made adequate power, but handling, wow, wow, wow.

The Dinan upgrade here was primarily because it was cheap and a pretty mild upgrade.
Suspension, wheels and tires are my next major mods I'm throwing money at.

However I won't deny, if I come to the 80% point of my car mods - where the suspension, interior, and exterior itches are scratched, then yes... engine will come next.

[exE36M3]

Originally Posted by louielouie

Most people have moved from piggybacks to flash tunes. The only warranty coverage from the Dinan tune is on the device itself:

WARRANTY: DINANTRONICS Sport does not carry the factory matching warranty that Dinan is known for. DINANTRONICS Sport's warranty is a 1 year product only warranty that does not cover consequential damages or labor reimbursement.

I personally went from Racechip Ultimate (which I still have laying around if you're interested) to MHD.

Yes, you are correct. But to be fair now... NOT A SINGLE aftermarket vendor these days offers a "If you car blows up because of our part, we will cover you for all the expenses incurred with our part failure."

The Racechip, I looked at that one too. As a stage .1 what did you think? Was it enough of a kick? Or kind of like the old intake/exhaust days where it worked but kinda.

[louielouie]

Originally Posted by percychow

Yes, you are correct. But to be fair now... NOT A SINGLE aftermarket vendor these days offers a "If you car blows up because of our part, we will cover you for all the expenses incurred with our part failure."

The Racechip, I looked at that one too. As a stage .1 what did you think? Was it enough of a kick? Or kind of like the old intake/exhaust days where it worked but kinda.

Yea, but the argument for Dinan is generally that they don't produce as much power as competitors and have a higher price tag but with the trade off of warranty.

RCU - I liked it enough to buy another one when I got my 435i after having it on an M235i for the lease period. MPG had actually improved on the M235i from 22 -> 24 but I only had it on the 435i for about a month before I got on MHD closed beta so I didn't notice much of a climb. The main unit is also detachable, so you don't have to remove both cables to go back to stock in case you need to but even then it's pretty simple.

Seat to pants the power difference is definitely there. Enough to where I can't drive the car stock. It is a bit pricier than the others, but I was familiar and pretty happy with it the first time, so I bought another. Drop me a PM if you're interested after doing some more research and weighing your options.

[exE36M3]

Originally Posted by louielouie

Yea, but the argument for Dinan is generally that they don't produce as much power as competitors and have a higher price tag but with the trade off of warranty.

RCU - I liked it enough to buy another one when I got my 435i after having it on an M235i for the lease period. MPG had actually improved on the M235i from 22 -> 24 but I only had it on the 435i for about a month before I got on MHD closed beta so I didn't notice much of a climb. The main unit is also detachable, so you don't have to remove both cables to go back to stock in case you need to but even then it's pretty simple.

Seat to pants the power difference is definitely there. Enough to where I can't drive the car stock. It is a bit pricier than the others, but I was familiar and pretty happy with it the first time, so I bought another. Drop me a PM if you're interested after doing some more research and weighing your options.

Thanks Louie, I may take you up on the research offer. I get the Dinan mentality, being the in the Bay Area the Dinan stuff got a reputation for too much money and pretty mild performance gains. I wouldn't have bought this Sport tune for the $300 retail, but catching it on EBAY at $20... it was an entry level "drug".

I *think* before I do another bread and butter tune, I'd got to a stage 1 or stage 2 something. I'm kind of leaning toward California, emission friendly set-ups if I'm going to cough up $1k or so in tuning and cables.

[yoon_209]

Originally Posted by percychow

Well JB4 is a little harder to get in CA. No vendor will ship it to CA. I tried. Used... sure, if one comes up.
I get that people are moving to flash, but that's also a bit more of a commitment in money and time.
I looked at those too. A few guys are selling those online.

But again, there's my old man value mentality kicking in too.
Norcal, suburbs, mortgage, etc... not a lot of need or room to use 400+ hp.
So I have to weigh is $500, $750, or $1000 worth putting into speed or engine mods?

I come from the Miata side (10 years) and also the old E36 M3 (20 years)...
both cars made adequate power, but handling, wow, wow, wow.

The Dinan upgrade here was primarily because it was cheap and a pretty mild upgrade.
Suspension, wheels and tires are my next major mods I'm throwing money at.

However I won't deny, if I come to the 80% point of my car mods - where the suspension, interior, and exterior itches are scratched, then yes... engine will come next.

hit up mike from xph.

i was able to order my jb4 brand new with no issues to CA.

[ssc7860]

Originally Posted by percychow

Hey guys, felt I should add a little to this community.
I recently got my hands on a 2015 435i M Sport. It's stock all over right down to the tires. I'm in my 40s so mortgage, wife, kids, college are all factors when it comes to making decisions about what I buy, especially when it comes to car parts.

I've been looking at value upgrades for the 435i. Value meaning I ask myself if it will add anything to my car or the driving experience? And does buying it justify the LONG conversation with the wife about why it's worth reducing my kid's college funding.

That being said, I've been watching the price of the Dinantronics Sport Tuner. They hover around $300 +/-$25 from retailers, car shops, etc. You can get them on ebay used for anywhere around $99-$200. I got mine on a fluke ebay auction for... get this... $20. I can go into auction strategies and why the store didn't do a great job on that but obviously I got a staggeringly great deal.

OK so what does this thing do?
If you try to read the marketing text or other websites, it's a gigantic, boring, and mind boggling amount of words that in the end, try to tell you it makes the car somehow faster. Well here's the Cliff's notes (for you guys who went to school in the 90s)...

1. It's a boost signal modifier. It sits between the boost pressure sensor and the ECU (car's computer) on the intake.
2. To install it, you remove the boost pressure plug and put that into the Tuner plug. And the free end of the Tuner plug goes into the boost sensor. So the signal goes from boost sensor to ECU to boost sensor to Tuner to ECU. This is about 5 minutes. Literally. You will spend more time probably trying to FIND the plug.
3. The Dinan tuner box essentially fools the ECU into thinking the engine isn't getting enough boost, so the ECU cranks up the boost signal on the turbo. Think like this... the car is making 4psi, the tuner tells the ECU it's only making 2psi. So the ECU cranks up the boost more to reach 4psi.

Or... the car is making 8psi, the ECU thinks it's making 6psi, the Dinan tuner is telling the ECU it's only making 6psi so you can make 8psi

So does it work?
Short answer, yes. It's not a HELL yes, but it's a yes.
Yes in the modes of Sport (+2psi), Sport+ (+3psi), and Race (+4psi).

Around town in traffic you won't notice a lot. I mean come on, it's stop and go. You don't need 5000hp for stop and go. BUT... on-ramps, merging, passing... you'll feel that extra boost bump... especially past 1500pm (mmid-range). At higher RPM... say 80MPH, you'll hit 100 a little faster.

The best dyno pulls I could find were +10hp and +40ft/tq. Ignore the 10 hp. It's nice, but torque is what spins the wheels and gets your accelerating.

Overall
At it's $300 retail, it's a tough call. It's not OMG fast, but you will do... hmmm... that was quicker than usual and in COMFORT mode, there's more mid-range power at part throttle versus almost flooring it to wake the ECU up and get moving.

If you can pick this up used for $150 or less, it's a nice upgrade comparable to the old intake/exhaust mod for A LOT less money and a more noticeable difference.

And the bonus to boot... 5 minutes and a quick rinse of the hands for the install versus being on your back and a half day gone for anything else in this power-to-price range.

Anyone know how to install in bmw f30 335i. I just ordered mine but can't find installation.

[Blocke]

Install manual is on the product page of their website: https://www.dinancars.com/product/d440-0010-dinantronics-sport-performance-tuner-for-bmw-n20-n26-n55-engines/

Having just installed mine, I can tell you it’s a 10 minute job max. Unplug Tmap sensor, plug one end of Dinan into female end, other end of Dinan into male end. Zip tie module in safe place, make sure wires are routed safely. Good to go.

[_Tony_]

Originally Posted by percychow

Hey guys, felt I should add a little to this community.
I recently got my hands on a 2015 435i M Sport. It's stock all over right down to the tires. I'm in my 40s so mortgage, wife, kids, college are all factors when it comes to making decisions about what I buy, especially when it comes to car parts.

I've been looking at value upgrades for the 435i. Value meaning I ask myself if it will add anything to my car or the driving experience? And does buying it justify the LONG conversation with the wife about why it's worth reducing my kid's college funding.

That being said, I've been watching the price of the Dinantronics Sport Tuner. They hover around $300 +/-$25 from retailers, car shops, etc. You can get them on ebay used for anywhere around $99-$200. I got mine on a fluke ebay auction for... get this... $20. I can go into auction strategies and why the store didn't do a great job on that but obviously I got a staggeringly great deal.

OK so what does this thing do?
If you try to read the marketing text or other websites, it's a gigantic, boring, and mind boggling amount of words that in the end, try to tell you it makes the car somehow faster. Well here's the Cliff's notes (for you guys who went to school in the 90s)...

1. It's a boost signal modifier. It sits between the boost pressure sensor and the ECU (car's computer) on the intake.
2. To install it, you remove the boost pressure plug and put that into the Tuner plug. And the free end of the Tuner plug goes into the boost sensor. So the signal goes from boost sensor to ECU to boost sensor to Tuner to ECU. This is about 5 minutes. Literally. You will spend more time probably trying to FIND the plug.
3. The Dinan tuner box essentially fools the ECU into thinking the engine isn't getting enough boost, so the ECU cranks up the boost signal on the turbo. Think like this... the car is making 4psi, the tuner tells the ECU it's only making 2psi. So the ECU cranks up the boost more to reach 4psi.

Or... the car is making 8psi, the ECU thinks it's making 6psi, the Dinan tuner is telling the ECU it's only making 6psi so you can make 8psi

So does it work?
Short answer, yes. It's not a HELL yes, but it's a yes.
Yes in the modes of Sport (+2psi), Sport+ (+3psi), and Race (+4psi).

Around town in traffic you won't notice a lot. I mean come on, it's stop and go. You don't need 5000hp for stop and go. BUT... on-ramps, merging, passing... you'll feel that extra boost bump... especially past 1500pm (mmid-range). At higher RPM... say 80MPH, you'll hit 100 a little faster.

The best dyno pulls I could find were +10hp and +40ft/tq. Ignore the 10 hp. It's nice, but torque is what spins the wheels and gets your accelerating.

Overall
At it's $300 retail, it's a tough call. It's not OMG fast, but you will do... hmmm... that was quicker than usual and in COMFORT mode, there's more mid-range power at part throttle versus almost flooring it to wake the ECU up and get moving.

If you can pick this up used for $150 or less, it's a nice upgrade comparable to the old intake/exhaust mod for A LOT less money and a more noticeable difference.

And the bonus to boot... 5 minutes and a quick rinse of the hands for the install versus being on your back and a half day gone for anything else in this power-to-price range.

Nice post. I just bought one. Once it gets here I can't wait to install