[BMW335l]

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a plug & play flex fuel ethanol sensor for my manual M140i Gen 1 B58.

Which sensor is the best for a manual, running the TU pump and MHD software?

Is Dorch the only viable option?

Thanks!

[B58 _gran_coupe_]

I'm a dorch fan boy but their kit isn't plug n play its a bit of a pain in the ass to fit with pinning out the wires into connectors. Is mhd not suitable for your car? I think they are plug and play

[sigterm2.0]

I am new to all this flex fuel stuff, but does the BM3 flex fuel kit work for other tuning options?

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but the flex fuel kits basically just detect the ethanol content in the fuel send that data to the DME. Then the tune on the DME does all the adjustments based on that signal.

Everything I have read about the BM3 kit is that it is plug and play and can be installed quickly and removed for going back to stock.

I also found this on YouTube...
DIY Flex Fuel Kit Works with MHD and BM3

[johnung]

Dorch Engineering makes great products and they have excellent customer support. I have dealt with many tech companies. No one has better engineering than Dorch. Their current B58 FlexFuel kit seems to be improved over their previous kit, with a better location and better plug and play.

FLEXFUEL CANBUS STANDARD
All CANBus FlexFuel sensors are standards based so they work the same way in how they send signals to the DME to indicate the ethanol percentage from zero to 100%. Most kits actually use a sensor made by Continental that has been in use for a long time on many makes of cars.

DORCH FLEXFUEL SENSOR KIT
Anyone can buy the Continental sensor. That’s not the issue. What Dorch did was to create a full plug-n-play kit that also connects the BMW fuel system and wiring seamlessly with the ethanol sensor. That takes significant engineering to do it right.

PROVEN ELECTRONICS
Another thing that I like about the Dorch FlexFuel Kit is that they partnered with Zeitronix on the electronics. Zeitronix has a very solid proven electronics platform that most of the tuning companies like Bootmod3 used to originally develop their FlexFuel tunes.

ADD AN ETHANOL DASH GUAGE
I personally like that the Zeitronix electronics has a port on it to plug a Zeitronix ethanol gauge into. I have a Zeitronix gauge on my dash that I got from Kies. That way I can tell my exact ethanol percentage that the DME is receiving at a glance. And the gauge is tucked to the left of the steering wheel where only I can see it. See photo.

DORCH FLEXFUEL ENGINEERING
Dorch adds their considerable expertise in fuel systems to tie seamlessly into the BMW fuel system. I’m confident that the best fuel fittings and line routing were chosen. Dorch locates the sensor close to the engine so that the DME gets the most accurate ethanol reading as possible for the fuel actually entering the engine- not an inaccurate number of what’s mixing in the tank or in the long fuel lines from the tank.

AVOID FLEXFUEL AT FUEL TANK LOCATION
If possible, avoid ethanol FlexFuel sensor kits that locate the ethanol sensor at the fuel tank under the rear seat on the right side. That’s where the EKP module is also located that controls the Low Pressure Fuel Pump that’s located in the fuel tank. BMW has known problems in this area and it can complicate things to also locate the ethanol sensor and its wiring in the same area.

KNOWN BMW PROBLEMS- DANGEROUS!
For those who are not aware, BMW has two problems in this area. First, the EKP itself degrades over time. It can suddenly overheat causing it to shut down the fuel pump. I was driving down the highway twice when my car suddenly died because the EKP module overheated. It was frightening and dangerous.

OVERHEATED STOCK EKP MODULE
This problem happens when everything is stock. But it happens even more often when the LPFP in the fuel tank has been upgraded. The stock EKP is only rated to a maximum of 18 amps. But the upgraded fuel pumps can draw up to 27A. That causes faster and more frequent overheating of the EKP. It’s not something that can be adequately fixed with a cheap fan because the stock EKP module is still operating way out of its current range.

SCORCHING OF BMW WIRING CONNECTORS- FIRE HAZARD!
Second, BMW has a known problem with the wiring connectors that plug into the EKP itself. The pins that handle the high current can overheat, scorch and melt. The is located against the the rear seat backrest upholstery so it’s a fire hazard.

EASY SOLUTION TO BMW HAZARDS
Fortunately ET3 Design makes Stage2 (for single LPFP) and Stage4 (for dual LPFPs) EKP Upgrades. They eliminate both problems- the overheating and the scorching at the EKP connectors. The ET3 Design Stage2/4 EKPs can be easily purchased on Amazon. They were designed by Bill DiPoala who had a long career as a top engineer at Bosch where he received 30 patents and a Bosch Top Inventor award. Bill is a car buff and when he saw the problem on his own BMW, he invented a solution.

LINK TO DORCH B58 FLEXFUEL KIT
https://dorchengineering.com/product...x-fuel-eca-kit

LINK TO STAGE2 EKP UPGRADE FROM ET3 DESIGN
https://www.et3design.com/stage%202.html

Hope this helps someone!

[B58 _gran_coupe_]

That ethanol Guage is super cool. Can it be pinned out after the fact? I run the dorch flex fuel analyzer on my 440i. It ran flawlessly since installation but the Guage would be convenient

[n55david]

Originally Posted by johnung

Dorch Engineering makes great products and they have excellent customer support. I have dealt with many tech companies. No one has better engineering than Dorch. Their current B58 FlexFuel kit seems to be improved over their previous kit, with a better location and better plug and play.

FLEXFUEL CANBUS STANDARD
All CANBus FlexFuel sensors are standards based so they work the same way in how they send signals to the DME to indicate the ethanol percentage from zero to 100%. Most kits actually use a sensor made by Continental that has been in use for a long time on many makes of cars.

DORCH FLEXFUEL SENSOR KIT
Anyone can buy the Continental sensor. That’s not the issue. What Dorch did was to create a full plug-n-play kit that also connects the BMW fuel system and wiring seamlessly with the ethanol sensor. That takes significant engineering to do it right.

PROVEN ELECTRONICS
Another thing that I like about the Dorch FlexFuel Kit is that they partnered with Zeitronix on the electronics. Zeitronix has a very solid proven electronics platform that most of the tuning companies like Bootmod3 used to originally develop their FlexFuel tunes.

ADD AN ETHANOL DASH GUAGE
I personally like that the Zeitronix electronics has a port on it to plug a Zeitronix ethanol gauge into. I have a Zeitronix gauge on my dash that I got from Kies. That way I can tell my exact ethanol percentage that the DME is receiving at a glance. And the gauge is tucked to the left of the steering wheel where only I can see it. See photo.

DORCH FLEXFUEL ENGINEERING
Dorch adds their considerable expertise [...]

The bootmod3 kit doesn't hook up to the ekp anymore. It's a non issue.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by n55david

The bootmod3 kit doesn't hook up to the ekp anymore. It's a non issue.

I recall hearing that announcement too, but that doesn’t appear to be exactly what happened. Instead I believe that Bootmod3 went to “recommending” the fuel hat location for cars with stock LPFP. And other locations for those who have upgraded their LPFPs.

Keeping the LPFP stock does NOT prevent problems of overheating EKP and scorching at the connectors at the EKP. But upgrading the LPFP probably does increase the frequency of those problems. Like I discussed earlier, the Stage2 or Stage4 EKP from ET3 Design does eliminate those issues.

A Bootmod3 FlexFuel Kit and aN ET3 Stage2 EKP should be able to be installed simultaneously in the EKP/LPFP location. I have just never done it myself.

IMO the recommendations may have more to do with perception of not wanting to place an aftermarket product at a location where BMW has known problems to avoid your product being blamed when it happens. Perfectly understandable.

Please see attached photos just taken from the Bootmod3 website.

[n55david]

Originally Posted by johnung

I recall hearing that announcement too, but that doesn’t appear to be exactly what happened. Instead I believe that Bootmod3 went to “recommending” the fuel hat location for cars with stock LPFP. And other locations for those who have upgraded their LPFPs.

Keeping the LPFP stock does NOT prevent problems of overheating EKP and scorching at the connectors at the EKP. But upgrading the LPFP probably does increase the frequency of those problems. Like I discussed earlier, the Stage2 or Stage4 EKP from ET3 Design does eliminate those issues.

A Bootmod3 FlexFuel Kit and aN ET3 Stage2 EKP should be able to be installed simultaneously in the EKP/LPFP location. I have just never done it myself.

IMO the recommendations may have more to do with perception of not wanting to place an aftermarket product at a location where BMW has known problems to avoid your product being blamed when it happens. Perfectly understandable.

Please see attached photos just taken from the Bootmod3 website.

This is the b58 group though.. the fuel hat location bm3 kit doesn't plug anything into or in line of the ekp. It's a non issue regardless of which bootmod3 kit you have.. under hood or fuel hat.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by n55david

This is the b58 group though.. the fuel hat location bm3 kit doesn't plug anything into or in line of the ekp. It's a non issue regardless of which bootmod3 kit you have.. under hood or fuel hat.

I see what you are saying. For the B58 they install the sensor at the LPFP, but run the wiring all the way up to the FEM module in the right front passenger footwell.

[n55david]

Originally Posted by johnung

I see what you are saying. For the B58 they install the sensor at the LPFP, but run the wiring all the way up to the FEM module in the right front passenger footwell.

Correct.. I still prefer this way over the under hood setup for a few reasons.. but yeah. Makes it so much easier to not have to worry about.

[johnung]

Originally Posted by B58 _gran_coupe_

That ethanol Guage is super cool. Can it be pinned out after the fact? I run the dorch flex fuel analyzer on my 440i. It ran flawlessly since installation but the Guage would be convenient

If you have the Dorch B58 FlexFuel Kit then take a close look at the electronics box that came with it from Zeitronix. On the side look for a phone type looking jack port.

If you have a voltmeter carefully check the pins individually when the ignition is on. The sensor uses +/- 5 volts to send send signals over CANBus. So I imagine that the voltage would be something similar at that gauge port. If you are getting a signal, then you should just be able to plug in a Zeitronix ethanol gauge. That’s what the port was intended for.

My Zeitronix ethanol dash gauge just plugged right in to my Zeitronix controller box which appears to be the same unit from Dorch. The wire from the gauge was just run to the left side of the steering column. The back of the gauge itself was installed flush with the dash with double sided non-marring tape (3M), like they use for wall hooks that can be easily removed later.

Here’s a link to where the gauge can be purchased from Zeitronix. I also attached a photo. Just scroll down the page to find that gauge. There are a few LED and bezel color choices. Red LEDs with a black bezel seems to match best.

https://www.zeitronix.com/order/order.htm#ECA

[B58 _gran_coupe_]

Originally Posted by johnung

If you have the Dorch B58 FlexFuel Kit then take a close look at the electronics box that came with it from Zeitronix. On the side look for a phone type looking jack port.

If you have a voltmeter carefully check the pins individually when the ignition is on. The sensor uses +/- 5 volts to send send signals over CANBus. So I imagine that the voltage would be something similar at that gauge port. If you are getting a signal, then you should just be able to plug in a Zeitronix ethanol gauge. That’s what the port was intended for.

My Zeitronix ethanol dash gauge just plugged right in to my Zeitronix controller box which appears to be the same unit from Dorch. The wire from the gauge was just run to the left side of the steering column. The back of the gauge itself was installed flush with the dash with double sided non-marring tape (3M), like they use for wall hooks that can be easily removed later.

Here’s a link to where the gauge can be purchased from Zeitronix. I also attached a photo. Just scroll down the page to find that gauge. There are a few LED and bezel color choices. Red LEDs with a black bezel seems to match best.

https://www.zeitronix.com/order/order.htm#ECA

Fantastic. Yes I run the dorch system it's been flawless. I'll test it, it's just tucked up into the foot well

[johnung]

Originally Posted by B58 _gran_coupe_

Fantastic. Yes I run the dorch system it's been flawless. I'll test it, it's just tucked up into the foot well

Great. Please let us know what you find

[shrikezulu]

Originally Posted by BMW335l

Hi,

I'm looking to buy a plug & play flex fuel ethanol sensor for my manual M140i Gen 1 B58.

Which sensor is the best for a manual, running the TU pump and MHD software?

Is Dorch the only viable option?

Thanks!

Since you are tuned with MHD, get the MHD flex fuel kit. Super easy install and works out of the box. I have had no issues with mine and love it.

[erball]

Originally Posted by shrikezulu

Since you are tuned with MHD, get the MHD flex fuel kit. Super easy install and works out of the box. I have had no issues with mine and love it.

The MHD kit only works with auto trans. As overkill as it is, if I were manual I'd 100% just use a Motiv Reflex for flex.

[sigterm2.0]

I just installed my BM3 kit for B58 for F30 at the fuel hat... Of course, no EKP. Took longer than the 5 minutes they kept bragging about (if you start the time from the time you take the back seat out, pulling all the panels up to the passenger side kick panel, it took me about 45 minutes start to finish).

But I love the kit. Instantly my car ran better. Even after discovering that I had over estimated the E content of the fuel provider which left me with 19% E on my E30 tune. The corrections that were made helped my car to run better and pull harder than the corrections my DME was making.

Once I filled up with a better percentage (I did E40 to see how accurate my calculations were after I used the ethanol test kit) and it runs like a dream!! Everything is smooth, my ignition corrections are minimal.. life is grand.

As an added note, I like the fact that I don't have to add an obtrusive gauge to visually see what percentage E the kit is reporting. All you have to do is press the down cruise control button and it will show on your tach, i.e. 4500 rpms is 45%, 3200 rpms is 32% etc. This can be done anytime... While at idle, or driving, whenever. Pretty cool feature to me...

[n55david]

Originally Posted by sigterm2.0

I just installed my BM3 kit for B58 for F30 at the fuel hat... Of course, no EKP. Took longer than the 5 minutes they kept bragging about (if you start the time from the time you take the back seat out, pulling all the panels up to the passenger side kick panel, it took me about 45 minutes start to finish).

But I love the kit. Instantly my car ran better. Even after discovering that I had over estimated the E content of the fuel provider which left me with 19% E on my E30 tune. The corrections that were made helped my car to run better and pull harder than the corrections my DME was making.

Once I filled up with a better percentage (I did E40 to see how accurate my calculations were after I used the ethanol test kit) and it runs like a dream!! Everything is smooth, my ignition corrections are minimal.. life is grand.

As an added note, I like the fact that I don't have to add an obtrusive gauge to visually see what percentage E the kit is reporting. All you have to do is press the down cruise control button and it will show on your tach, i.e. 4500 rpms is 45%, 3200 rpms is 32% etc. This can be done anytime... While at idle, or driving, whenever. Pretty cool feature to me...

Yup.. it's nice.