BMS tune for N20

Originally Posted by Jokerswld34

I got a response from terry. he said they are still unsure of the detection scheme

Thanks. So earlier when you said with certainty that it does not throw a tune detection code you were mistaken. At this point it is too soon to tell. Perhaps you can take your tune out and go to a dealership to check for the code?

Here's a hint - if your gut reaction to my suggestion is "hell no" then perhaps you should not have the tune in your car...

One thing is clear BMW has over the years made aftermarket performance add-ons more difficult. This could also mean that it is more difficult for the 3rd party tuners to evade detection.

BMW wants you to buy from them.

I have no problem with someone adding aftermarket parts to a vehicle they "own" to improve performance or looks. What I do take issue with is doing it to "leased" vehicles which will someday go back to the dealer and be sold to an unsuspecting customer. I doubt the tuner will be forthcoming to the dealer about chipping the car so the vehicle will go out on the CPO lot and get sold to some poor schmuck who may never have bought the car had he known the previous driver performed an unauthorized modification to the vehicle. I also doubt the lease agreement pemits this kind of engine modification. And no, the fact that the CPO vehicle has a warranty is not an excuse either. People who do things like this are the reason I don't buy CPO cars. I stick with new vehicles so I know how they are cared for.

Well, the entire thing you describe with tuning and leasing applies to other things too. What if the original owner drove the car like a grandma and the engine was never properly broken in... that happens too, and can cause an under-power situation, premature failure.

Even though all of those things are extremely unlikely, it is a small argument for getting a new car vs. a CPO.

I'm just glad that there will be options for those of us who don't plan on taking our cars to the dealer after warranty expires.

Thanks for helping test it out! We're doing updates fast and furiously so expect to get some use out of that BMS USB cable, and addl performance. Just email me from time to time for the latest, or check back to the N20 sticky on n54tech.

Originally Posted by Jokerswld34

I got a response from terry. he said they are still unsure of the detection scheme so to be safe, they used a conservative tune for the N20 until they delve in further. That is both good and bad news to some i suppose. For those people concerned with keeping the tune completely stealth, it may be some time before that happens. From my first impressions, the car seems to be running just fine with the tune and has had no issues with idle, temp increase or inconsistency. On the plus side, if the tune is set to be conservative, then we are in for a treat when they offer a more aggressive tune as this BETA conservative map shows significant improvement over stock. Although I havent logged any data yet, the overall feeling of added performance is certainly apparent

The main objective with a piggyback system is for it to be invisible to the DME. e.g. the DME thinks its making stock like power levels while actually making significantly more.

Until we can fully expose the DME we can only speculate at what BMW has in store for us in terms of detection schemes. But, based on previous BMW platforms (N52, N54, N55, M57, etc) we have a good idea on what to expect and have taken precautions to keep the piggyback hidden from the DME.

Originally Posted by radari216

I have no problem with someone adding aftermarket parts to a vehicle they "own" to improve performance or looks...

You made it sounded like people do not sell or trade in, after owning the car.

Originally Posted by Terry @ BMS

The main objective with a piggyback system is for it to be invisible to the DME. e.g. the DME thinks its making stock like power levels while actually making significantly more.

Until we can fully expose the DME we can only speculate at what BMW has in store for us in terms of detection schemes. But, based on previous BMW platforms (N52, N54, N55, M57, etc) we have a good idea on what to expect and have taken precautions to keep the piggyback hidden from the DME.

Just to be clear, I can put this in a 2012 528i and expect the same type of performance increase, correct?

I just bought my first BMW yesterday and would love to see some performance increase!

Originally Posted by seajack0

Just to be clear, I can put this in a 2012 528i and expect the same type of performance increase, correct?

I just bought my first BMW yesterday and would love to see some performance increase!

Power? yes the engine is the same.
Performance? Not necessarily the same. The weight for the 528i is higher than the 328i

I'm into the tune for my X1, does anyone know if the ECU/DME is different on the X1 in terms of detectability?