Kerma stage 1 to stage 2

AndrewC1989 · 03-30-2023, 08:47 PM

Currently have a prelci 328dx with a stage 1 Kerma tune. Debating if I want to jump to their stage 2 tune. I hear this no longer requires them sending a laptop for the trans tune which is why I was previously against it but open to it now. Would love to hear comparisons/thoughts/pros/cons from owners that have tried both. Is it worth the extra money? Is the jump in power noticeable? Does drivability remain the same? Does reliability remain the same? Is def consumption and mpg affected? I’m not trying to street race, just looking to potentially make my daily driver a little more enjoyable without sacrificing comfort and reliability. Thanks in advance for your inputs.

Enabled · 03-30-2023, 10:18 PM

It would still require a windows laptop, whether yours or a borrowed one, AFAIK.

AndrewC1989 · 03-30-2023, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enabled

It would still require a windows laptop, whether yours or a borrowed one, AFAIK.

Right I just meant I wouldn’t need theirs, I have my own so that isn’t a concern. When I contacted them like 2 years ago they told me they’d have to mail theirs out and there was like an 8 week wait or something crazy so I said forget it that sounds like a PITA. Now that I can use my own hardware I’m revisiting the idea. Just want to know if it’s worth the time money and effort if I already have stage 1.

eugene89us · 04-03-2023, 08:59 AM

I don't claim to understand anything that goes into a tune, I am completely in the dark here. But all I can say is that I have been running Stage 2 for more that 50k miles. It was tuned when I still had a few thousand miles on warranty and I am approaching 100k now. The car has been a joy to drive. I feel connected to the road, I feel connected to the car. When I need to accelerate on the highway, I can merge into a lane that moves 20mph faster and not slow down the car behind. I can spin the wheels coming from dead stop.

Do I drive like a maniac? Do I spin the wheels all the time? Not at all, I drive like a grandpa. But when I need that extra power, it sure is handy. It has gotten me out of all kinds of sticky situations. With stage 2, you can easily get around 265hp and 430 lb-ft of torque at the crankshaft, if not a little more. Is it worth it? Well, it is up to you. All I can say is that I am not taking my car to the dealer to do HPFP and EGR cooler recalls because I cannot stand a chance of having the tunes accidentally overwritten. That's how much I love them.

Now, another thing to mention. I believe Jason is the guy I talked to. I was on the fence about getting stage 2 for my other car, 2014 Passat TDI. Jason told me that once I got the Stage 2, I would not look back. But he also assured me that if I did not like it, he would have it reversed to stage 1 and refund me the money. I felt confident going forward with it when he gave me this "free trial" option. Once I got that tune on a Passat, reversal was out of the question! LOL.

AndrewC1989 · 04-03-2023, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eugene89us

I don't claim to understand anything that goes into a tune, I am completely in the dark here. But all I can say is that I have been running Stage 2 for more that 50k miles. It was tuned when I still had a few thousand miles on warranty and I am approaching 100k now. The car has been a joy to drive. I feel connected to the road, I feel connected to the car. When I need to accelerate on the highway, I can merge into a lane that moves 20mph faster and not slow down the car behind. I can spin the wheels coming from dead stop.

Do I drive like a maniac? Do I spin the wheels all the time? Not at all, I drive like a grandpa. But when I need that extra power, it sure is handy. It has gotten me out of all kinds of sticky situations. With stage 2, you can easily get around 265hp and 430 lb-ft of torque at the crankshaft, if not a little more. Is it worth it? Well, it is up to you. All I can say is that I am not taking my car to the dealer to do HPFP and EGR cooler recalls because I cannot stand a chance of having the tunes accidentally overwritten. That's how much I love them.

Now, another thing to mention. I believe Jason is the guy I talked to. I was on the fence about getting stage 2 for my other car, 2014 Passat TDI. Jason told me that once I got the Stage 2, I would not look back. But he also assured me that if I did not like it, he would have it reversed to stage 1 and refund me the money. I felt confident going forward with it when he gave me this "free trial" option. Once I got that tune on a Passat, reversal was out of the question! LOL.

Thanks for the feedback but I’m more interested in a stage 1 vs stage 2 comparison. I already feel what you describe with the stage 1 and I’m curious if making the leap up will have a dramatic effect or not, and if it’s worth the money. For all I know stage 2 feels 90% the same.

As far as recalls go, I’ve gotten all of mine done and the tune was not overwritten or affected in anyway, and even if it was you can easily redo it so I wouldn’t avoid them.

eugene89us · 04-03-2023, 09:39 AM

Yeah, I cannot comment on that, since I started with Stage 2 from the beginning. I was told the same about not having tune overwritten, but I am like those flat earth people. No matter the evidence, I am still hard headed (or messed up in the head, for that matter). LOL. I also don't trust a dealer than cannot do oil change properly, much less a serious repair like HPFP.

I think with Kerma tune, the effect is hard to see until you revert it back. I think we don't feel the gain, as much as we'd feel the loss. I would actually be curious to see if someone somehow went from Stage 2 down to Stage 1, and how that felt.

FaRKle! · 04-05-2023, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewC1989

Now that I can use my own hardware I’m revisiting the idea. Just want to know if it’s worth the time money and effort if I already have stage 1.

Definitely worth it to go from stage 1 to stage 2. Stage 2 has become so incredibly refined compared to what it was at initial release (even less lag, increased smoothness), like a fine wine! The more efficient power transfer is most noticeable in around town driving where you're constantly getting moving from a stop, but being able to give it some throttle to make a pass while on the highway is a welcome trait too.

AndrewC1989 · 04-05-2023, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaRKle!

Definitely worth it to go from stage 1 to stage 2. Stage 2 has become so incredibly refined compared to what it was at initial release (even less lag, increased smoothness), like a fine wine! The more efficient power transfer is most noticeable in around town driving where you're constantly getting moving from a stop, but being able to give it some throttle to make a pass while on the highway is a welcome trait too.

This is what I wanted to hear, thanks!

AndrewC1989 · 04-08-2023, 02:33 PM

Update: I have stage 2 now and have done about 100 miles on it so far and I love it! The biggest change in my opinion isn’t really the feeling of additional power, it’s more the power band/delivery and the way the transmission behaves. Not sure why Kerma doesn’t advertise this aspect of the stage 2 tuning package more, maybe because they think the hp/tq numbers are what sells tunes. Either way, what I wish I had known about and what would’ve gotten me to purchase this tune sooner was what a big change this is for the transmission and the way the car feels/drives as a result.

With stage 1 and the 2TB coding I had, the car was jerky at low speeds and in traffic. The stage 2 tuning makes the ZF8 feel buttery smooth, even at low speeds and in stop and go. The transmission will also hold gears in the sport and sport + driving modes longer; previously the car would shift way too early unless you had your foot pinned to the floor. Definitely feels more intuitive now. When you do go WOT though, the car seems to go higher in the rpms and will “redline” higher before shifting which is great for you street racers out there.

Additionally, it feels like the car has less lag during relaxed driving in the eco and comfort modes due to more low end torque. When rpm’s are low and you give the car a little gas, it moves without hesitation which feels nice and inspires confidence. It’s also less hesitant to downshift when you give it a bit of throttle which is very great for those of us that like to drive in eco or comfort and don’t want to have to floor it or switch to sport everytime we want a little juice.

You also get an updated hp/tq display in idrive which is cool, as well as a gear indicator on the dash at all times, and an S8 gear when the trans is in sport. This is so so nice when you’re on the highway, I can finally just leave the transmission in sport when I’m cruising. At highway speeds the car will just sit in 8th gear allowing me to get decent mpg and low engine noise, and I don’t have to go back and forth from sport to drive when I want to merge or overtake. I honestly see no need to take the car out of comfort mode unless you want to hoon. For spirited day to day driving, keeping the car in comfort and putting the trans in sport is all you need in my opinion. Maybe if you’re a boy racer you’ll disagree, but my driving style is that of an adult in his 30s, not a high schooler or Paul Walker wannabe.

Overall I’m super impressed with how refined the car feels and very happy with this tuning package. Compared to stage 1 It’s a small step up in power/speed (butt dyno), but a huge step up in convenience and comfort. Not what I was expecting at all and am very pleasantly surprised. If stage 1 was a 9/10, stage 2 is an 11/10. Would buy again in a heartbeat.

bigshooter · 04-10-2023, 01:24 PM

I highly recommend it. Abe did a stage 2 engine + tranny tune on my 2014 328d xdrive about a year ago. Absolutely changed the vehicle for the better. About 6-7 months later m, he reached out with a tranny tune update for low latency shifting. Amazing. Rpms low in eco mode. Fast shifting.
Comfort pulls harder than sport did before. Sport and sport plus pull hard now.

Honestly, BMW should have shipped the car from the factory with the kerma tune. It is very refined. I’ve had it for about 40k miles now.

AndrewC1989 · 04-10-2023, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshooter

I highly recommend it. Abe did a stage 2 engine + tranny tune on my 2014 328d xdrive about a year ago. Absolutely changed the vehicle for the better. About 6-7 months later m, he reached out with a tranny tune update for low latency shifting. Amazing. Rpms low in eco mode. Fast shifting.
Comfort pulls harder than sport did before. Sport and sport plus pull hard now.

Honestly, BMW should have shipped the car from the factory with the kerma tune. It is very refined. I’ve had it for about 40k miles now.

Yeah I agree with everything you’ve said, it’s so great.

Also good to hear you’ve done 40k miles on it (presumably problem free).

LongRuf · 04-14-2023, 11:02 AM

I've had mine for about 5k miles and it just feels like how the car should have come from BMW. It's a fantastic tune. Hoping they move to a Stage 3 soon.

bigshooter · 05-05-2023, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewC1989

Yeah I agree with everything you’ve said, it’s so great.

Also good to hear you’ve done 40k miles on it (presumably problem free).

Not a single problem. In fact it drives better than it did from the factory. I also get better fuel mileage. Strongly recommend it to anyone considering. I wish I didn’t hesitate a year.

AndrewC1989 · 05-05-2023, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigshooter

Not a single problem. In fact it drives better than it did from the factory. I also get better fuel mileage. Strongly recommend it to anyone considering. I wish I didn’t hesitate a year.

Great to hear. I agree, it feels smoother than stock. I don’t mind having waited till now, I think there were lots of refinements and changes made to the tune in that time.

BBDIESEL · 05-07-2023, 10:31 PM

I have had the tune for north of 20,000 miles and couldn’t be happier. You can feel the difference from the seat without a doubt.

03-30-2023, 08:47 PM	#1
AndrewC1989 Brigadier General 11014 Rep 4,555 Posts Drives: 2015 328d xDrive Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: NoVA iTrader: (5) Garage List 2015 328d xDrive [9.00]	Currently have a prelci 328dx with a stage 1 Kerma tune. Debating if I want to jump to their stage 2 tune. I hear this no longer requires them sending a laptop for the trans tune which is why I was previously against it but open to it now. Would love to hear comparisons/thoughts/pros/cons from owners that have tried both. Is it worth the extra money? Is the jump in power noticeable? Does drivability remain the same? Does reliability remain the same? Is def consumption and mpg affected? I’m not trying to street race, just looking to potentially make my daily driver a little more enjoyable without sacrificing comfort and reliability. Thanks in advance for your inputs. __________________ My Build Thread
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03-30-2023, 10:18 PM	#2
Enabled Lieutenant Colonel 1485 Rep 1,855 Posts Drives: 328xd Wagon, M2 Competition Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Houston iTrader: (1)	It would still require a windows laptop, whether yours or a borrowed one, AFAIK.
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04-03-2023, 08:59 AM	#4
eugene89us First Lieutenant 353 Rep 365 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: MS iTrader: (0)	I don't claim to understand anything that goes into a tune, I am completely in the dark here. But all I can say is that I have been running Stage 2 for more that 50k miles. It was tuned when I still had a few thousand miles on warranty and I am approaching 100k now. The car has been a joy to drive. I feel connected to the road, I feel connected to the car. When I need to accelerate on the highway, I can merge into a lane that moves 20mph faster and not slow down the car behind. I can spin the wheels coming from dead stop. Do I drive like a maniac? Do I spin the wheels all the time? Not at all, I drive like a grandpa. But when I need that extra power, it sure is handy. It has gotten me out of all kinds of sticky situations. With stage 2, you can easily get around 265hp and 430 lb-ft of torque at the crankshaft, if not a little more. Is it worth it? Well, it is up to you. All I can say is that I am not taking my car to the dealer to do HPFP and EGR cooler recalls because I cannot stand a chance of having the tunes accidentally overwritten. That's how much I love them. Now, another thing to mention. I believe Jason is the guy I talked to. I was on the fence about getting stage 2 for my other car, 2014 Passat TDI. Jason told me that once I got the Stage 2, I would not look back. But he also assured me that if I did not like it, he would have it reversed to stage 1 and refund me the money. I felt confident going forward with it when he gave me this "free trial" option. Once I got that tune on a Passat, reversal was out of the question! LOL.
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04-03-2023, 09:39 AM	#6
eugene89us First Lieutenant 353 Rep 365 Posts Drives: 2018 BMW 328d Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: MS iTrader: (0)	Yeah, I cannot comment on that, since I started with Stage 2 from the beginning. I was told the same about not having tune overwritten, but I am like those flat earth people. No matter the evidence, I am still hard headed (or messed up in the head, for that matter). LOL. I also don't trust a dealer than cannot do oil change properly, much less a serious repair like HPFP. I think with Kerma tune, the effect is hard to see until you revert it back. I think we don't feel the gain, as much as we'd feel the loss. I would actually be curious to see if someone somehow went from Stage 2 down to Stage 1, and how that felt.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

04-08-2023, 02:33 PM	#9
AndrewC1989 Brigadier General 11014 Rep 4,555 Posts Drives: 2015 328d xDrive Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: NoVA iTrader: (5) Garage List 2015 328d xDrive [9.00]	Update: I have stage 2 now and have done about 100 miles on it so far and I love it! The biggest change in my opinion isn’t really the feeling of additional power, it’s more the power band/delivery and the way the transmission behaves. Not sure why Kerma doesn’t advertise this aspect of the stage 2 tuning package more, maybe because they think the hp/tq numbers are what sells tunes. Either way, what I wish I had known about and what would’ve gotten me to purchase this tune sooner was what a big change this is for the transmission and the way the car feels/drives as a result. With stage 1 and the 2TB coding I had, the car was jerky at low speeds and in traffic. The stage 2 tuning makes the ZF8 feel buttery smooth, even at low speeds and in stop and go. The transmission will also hold gears in the sport and sport + driving modes longer; previously the car would shift way too early unless you had your foot pinned to the floor. Definitely feels more intuitive now. When you do go WOT though, the car seems to go higher in the rpms and will “redline” higher before shifting which is great for you street racers out there. Additionally, it feels like the car has less lag during relaxed driving in the eco and comfort modes due to more low end torque. When rpm’s are low and you give the car a little gas, it moves without hesitation which feels nice and inspires confidence. It’s also less hesitant to downshift when you give it a bit of throttle which is very great for those of us that like to drive in eco or comfort and don’t want to have to floor it or switch to sport everytime we want a little juice. You also get an updated hp/tq display in idrive which is cool, as well as a gear indicator on the dash at all times, and an S8 gear when the trans is in sport. This is so so nice when you’re on the highway, I can finally just leave the transmission in sport when I’m cruising. At highway speeds the car will just sit in 8th gear allowing me to get decent mpg and low engine noise, and I don’t have to go back and forth from sport to drive when I want to merge or overtake. I honestly see no need to take the car out of comfort mode unless you want to hoon. For spirited day to day driving, keeping the car in comfort and putting the trans in sport is all you need in my opinion. Maybe if you’re a boy racer you’ll disagree, but my driving style is that of an adult in his 30s, not a high schooler or Paul Walker wannabe. Overall I’m super impressed with how refined the car feels and very happy with this tuning package. Compared to stage 1 It’s a small step up in power/speed (butt dyno), but a huge step up in convenience and comfort. Not what I was expecting at all and am very pleasantly surprised. If stage 1 was a 9/10, stage 2 is an 11/10. Would buy again in a heartbeat. __________________ My Build Thread
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04-10-2023, 01:24 PM	#10
bigshooter Lieutenant 55 Rep 444 Posts Drives: 2014 328d xDrive Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Northwest, CT iTrader: (0)	I highly recommend it. Abe did a stage 2 engine + tranny tune on my 2014 328d xdrive about a year ago. Absolutely changed the vehicle for the better. About 6-7 months later m, he reached out with a tranny tune update for low latency shifting. Amazing. Rpms low in eco mode. Fast shifting. Comfort pulls harder than sport did before. Sport and sport plus pull hard now. Honestly, BMW should have shipped the car from the factory with the kerma tune. It is very refined. I’ve had it for about 40k miles now.
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04-14-2023, 11:02 AM	#12
LongRuf Second Lieutenant 89 Rep 214 Posts Drives: 2015 F31 328d Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Seattle iTrader: (2)	I've had mine for about 5k miles and it just feels like how the car should have come from BMW. It's a fantastic tune. Hoping they move to a Stage 3 soon.
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05-07-2023, 10:31 PM	#15
BBDIESEL New Member 2 Rep 9 Posts Drives: 328d Join Date: Feb 2023 Location: Texas iTrader: (0)	I have had the tune for north of 20,000 miles and couldn’t be happier. You can feel the difference from the seat without a doubt.
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