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Installed BMS N63 stage 1 today

11K views 37 replies 21 participants last post by  bluejayfan 
#1 ·
I actually drove out to BMS to get their help on installing the harness. The install itself was trivial, but figuring out how to get the type B clips off without breaking them wasn't something I wasn't willing to risk. Once Terry showed me how to do it, it should be trivial to remove/reinstall going forward.

I have no interest in dynos or anything like that -- I'm happy with my butt dyno, and the butt dyno says that, for the price of the BMS tune and the ease of installation, this is a no-brainer.

I think Dinan had better start paying attention. I had already budgeted the $3k for the Dinan tune when I decided to give this a try and I'm glad I did. They are absolutely losing sales to BMS.

For anyone who just wants a little extra shot in the arm of their 550, this is a great option.
 
#2 ·
I think based on the thorough discussion on the topic recently in this forum it can be summed up as such. If you want the best bang for your $, then BMS is the way to go. If you want the peace of mind of knowing you won't have any warranty issues and don't mind paying the premium for that, then you should look at Dinan.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Take it from someone who had DINAN. All the warranty claims and such are total bulls**t.

You can remove JB4 in a snap, and it is untraceable. Also, even when installed you can't even notice it! :rofl:

DINAN Software is downloaded directly from their servers in CA, so sometimes it cannot install properly, leading to paying $4K for a stock tune (plus, the placebo effect of being faster ). Luckily, my issue was fixed and the car properly has the tune now, but it is not worth 10X the price of JB4.
 
#21 ·
Then why does Terry@BMS recommend that BMS buyers buy code scanning tools? (http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7801107&postcount=2)

Dinan owners are just happy they have full warranty coverage in place that they don't need to worry about erasing codes and removing hardware, so that they don't get caught trying to defraud BMW.
However, is paying 10X more worth that so-called happiness? This is coming from someone who was all for DINAN months ago, thinking that BMS was some little harmless piggyback. However, it seems a lot more than that, plus it is actually one of the only tunes that is untraceable when removed. :D
 
#22 ·
However, is paying 10X more worth that so-called happiness? This is coming from someone who was all for DINAN months ago, thinking that BMS was some little harmless piggyback. However, it seems a lot more than that, plus it is actually one of the only tunes that is untraceable when removed. :D
People can change their minds (or their tunes) and if BMS will make you happy, then it is the tune for you. :thumbup:

I'm not currently looking for a tune for the N63Tu, but a 0.1 second improvement in the quarter mile from a product that tricks computer to run the engine a bit harder isn't what I want for my $100k car. Other's opinions may differ. ;)
 
#3 ·
When you hear the term "peace of mind", ever notice it's closely assoiciated with the another term called, ""BEING RIPPED OFF"" :rofl::rofl:
 
#4 ·
Nope.

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#12 ·
Install was straightforward except i broke the clip getting the first harness undone. the plastic is really hard and doesn't bend much. the adapter seemed to fit snug enough without the clip though.

First impressions, it pulls a lot harder in the higher gears on the freeway. the turbos seem a bit more audible. 100mph comes up really quickly...

definitely worth the price, no doubt in my mind.

Thanks Terry, it's nice to have that kind of power on tap :)
 
#28 ·
I have been in the N54 tuning community for years. With an install base of thousands - maybe over ten thousand - there have been ZERO cases of a BMS tune causing blown engines. There have been a couple of blown motors that turned out to be bad meth installs but the piggyback was not the cause. I say this because all that Dinan offers is their warranty - and if you Google, it isn't always honored. My N54 JB4 335i spanks my buddies 335is Dinan Stg 2 from a roll all day.

Terry's tune for the N63 is very mild. If he ever gets a Stage 2 going for the N63 with CAN integration etc, it will be an awesome option.
 
#29 ·
I actually drove out to BMS to get their help on installing the harness. The install itself was trivial, but figuring out how to get the type B clips off without breaking them wasn't something I wasn't willing to risk. Once Terry showed me how to do it, it should be trivial to remove/reinstall going forward.

I have no interest in dynos or anything like that -- I'm happy with my butt dyno, and the butt dyno says that, for the price of the BMS tune and the ease of installation, this is a no-brainer.

I think Dinan had better start paying attention. I had already budgeted the $3k for the Dinan tune when I decided to give this a try and I'm glad I did. They are absolutely losing sales to BMS.

For anyone who just wants a little extra shot in the arm of their 550, this is a great option.
I am new to tuning and would like to do more research on the product you are talking about, could u post a link to the one designed for our cars, and will it work on 2014 535 or only on 550?

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#30 ·
Go to www.burgertuning.com for the products and www.n54tech.com for discussion and tech support. BMS has been making tunes mostly for the 3 liter 6 motors (N54/N55) for several years and has branched out into N63 and others. As someone who has run an N54 tune since 2009, this isn't snakeoil, the gains are proven and literally thousands of people have them in their BMWs.

The tune for the 550 (N63) is a basic Stage 1 tune that fools the ECU into raising the boost by 2.5 lbs. It is safe and I am putting one in my X5. Terry has no plans at this time for a full Stage 2 at this time.

The N63 tune plugs into both TMAP sensors. Simple.

The tune for the 535 (N55) is a full stage 2 tune that requires about 5 connections under the hood. You can control and adjust it from your steering wheel. You should get at least 50 wheel HP from it with no other mods.
 
#32 ·
I'll be adding the BMS down the road when my LCI is broken in, but let me tell you a story for the Dinan haters. I had a 2008 335i that I babied. Changed the oil every 5K instead of the 15K with Mobile 1 Synthetic. At 22K miles I had the Dinan stage II installed. I was amazed at the difference, the power and the torque. Fast forward to 42K miles on the car. I started hearing a rattling noise in the motor after accelerating and then letting off the gas. Took my car in, long story short, metal shavings in my oil pan and 2 spun rod bearings. BMW said the warranty was void even though 2007 and 2008 models had known problems with the rod bearings and with the supplier. It wasn't the tunes fault, BMW kicked me to the curb and Dinan stepped in and wrote a check for $16K for a new long block. So before you down Dinan, a lot of what your paying for is the warranty, not the tune. With all the new cars coming with data loggers, I'm not too sure about being completely undetectable.....
 
#34 ·
Ok...I got my 550i on Satruday. Really like it...the step up in features vs. my E60 545i is incredible. For 400HP I was expecting more of a difference vs. my E60, but I've only had a chance to drive it about 100 miles since my flight left on Sunday afternoon.

What I'm most suprised by is the highway mileage. My 545i would get 27+ MPG on highway trips at 80MPH. My 550 gets 21. They are both 4.4L V8s and the turbos shouldn't be running at 80MPH on the highway so why is the mileage that much worse?

That also got me to thinking, why wouldn't BMS have an 'economy' tune that cuts off fuel to 2-4 cylinders when in top gear? Wouldn't that drive a big improvement in mileage when power isn't needed while cruising the intersate?
 
#35 ·
When I drove across country, the best I did in my 550 was 24.8 for a tank, and averaged around 24. This was driving between 80-85 all highway, save for fuel stops. I would expect slightly better as it breaks in, but not 27
 
#36 ·
I've been getting 24-26mpg on my summer road trips. Not too terrible. Around town is still ****e mpg.
 
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