Please help me decide the choice

Originally Posted by Shahul_BMW

Hey i might sound stupid but why everyone is saying N54 (535i or 335i) can be tuned.. Does that mean 550i cannot be tuned?

Only turbo's can be tuned and not the regular V8's

Please clarify guys..

Basically the N54 you can modify the ecu, whether through the pin out, or a flash. In most cases it is increasing the boost level changing timing etc. just changing boost gives you a huge jump in power, both horse power and torque. This can be done for a few hundred dollars. Lighter car more horses more torque = faster car.

Thank you MachtSchnell & bschmidt25..

I need one more huge clarifications and possibly advice, i am definite i will tune my 08 535i.. considering it will have only 35K miles.. Which tuner company or source is best/reliable and what stage should i opt for safer side with no side effects on the engine etc..

I would be happy with 400 HP... what will be the 0-60 and will the top speed unlocked from gov. limit..and what will be the new speed limit..

Again appreciate all of guys response.. thank you again..

The two most popular tunes for 535 are JB4 and Cobb.
JB4 is installed inside the ECU box in the engine compartment and can be turned on and off from steering wheel controls. The Cobb connects via the ODB port below the dash and can be removed completely in seconds. These are concerns of owners with cars under warranty, or CPO, as some BMW dealerships frown on tunes and may invalidate warranty.
Both raise boost and change engine management. The degree of aggressiveness is contingent on octane level, ambient temperature of the intake, etc. So there are lots of things you can do to increase power.
In my opinion the car runs much smoother with a good tune. It feels effortless to drive and has tons of torque on demand. It's hard to describe except to say the engine sounds and feels like a turbine. Super smooth and way more powerful than stock. A lot of my friends ask me why BMW doesn't offer them the way mine is. I guess they don't want to kill 550 and M5 sales, can't think of any other reason.

Originally Posted by Shahul_BMW

Thank you MachtSchnell & bschmidt25..

I need one more huge clarifications and possibly advice, i am definite i will tune my 08 535i.. considering it will have only 35K miles.. Which tuner company or source is best/reliable and what stage should i opt for safer side with no side effects on the engine etc..

I would be happy with 400 HP... what will be the 0-60 and will the top speed unlocked from gov. limit..and what will be the new speed limit..

Again appreciate all of guys response.. thank you again..

Another member here posted 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. Top speed will be around 190 mph or so. Basically irrelevant as US conditions will not accommodate such speeds. Stay safe

Just grab the fully loaded MY08 and enjoy it.
If the MY08 is in good conditions i would choose it without a doubt. It has more extras, lower mileage AND cheaper.

The tune is a personal decision. There are several out there. I myself prefer the JB4. I didn't mind having to pop the ecu to remove the pin out connectors. Takes me about 20 minutes start to finish. I like the hijacking of gauges and being able to make changes from steering wheel. I also like the auto tune feature that automatically adapts the car to the conditions. I also like the seamless integration of Meth. As for the limiter, I believe it's 155, high enough for me, and can be removed with the replacement of some wires in the wheel well area. Use the search function of this forum and you will find a lot of info on the topic.

Amazing Oceans10 you nailed it.. Thanks again for taking time in providing the much needed info...

Ultimate Driving, thanks.. i know i am waiting to drive the car...it is getting transferred from New Mexico.. hopefully i will have it for the test drive this week.. Will keep you all posted..


MachtSchnell, Thanks.. Can you please provide if this tuning is reliable and forget the warranty part.. my first concern is will the current stock engines/mechanical parts sustain or withstand these tunings... Can we just tune it and drive normally and push the car once in a while and with no mechanical concerns or breakage..

Thank you all again

Originally Posted by Shahul_BMW

Amazing Oceans10 you nailed it.. Thanks again for taking time in providing the much needed info...

Ultimate Driving, thanks.. i know i am waiting to drive the car...it is getting transferred from New Mexico.. hopefully i will have it for the test drive this week.. Will keep you all posted..


MachtSchnell, Thanks.. Can you please provide if this tuning is reliable and forget the warranty part.. my first concern is will the current stock engines/mechanical parts sustain or withstand these tunings... Can we just tune it and drive normally and push the car once in a while and with no mechanical concerns or breakage..

Thank you all again

This engine is hitting 400+ regularly with hard track days and many 1/4 mile hard launches. It is also over 500+ whp in fewer quaintities. All stock internals.

No worries on if the engine can handle your on-ramp excursions

Great "NoQuarter" thank you..

Originally Posted by MachtSchnell

The tune is a personal decision. There are several out there. I myself prefer the JB4. I didn't mind having to pop the ecu to remove the pin out connectors. Takes me about 20 minutes start to finish. I like the hijacking of gauges and being able to make changes from steering wheel. I also like the auto tune feature that automatically adapts the car to the conditions. I also like the seamless integration of Meth. As for the limiter, I believe it's 155, high enough for me, and can be removed with the replacement of some wires in the wheel well area. Use the search function of this forum and you will find a lot of info on the topic.

I hit 146 mph with mine, then it shifted into 6th. Just wanted to see how it behaved through the gears and that was plenty for me. It actually scared me how eager the car felt to rip into that 6th, and I shut it down after that. Running out of private road!

I also went with JB4 due to the built in support of other mods like downpipes, meth, E85 gas, etc. There are specific maps for all of these and meth is fully integrated. If you plan on staying with the basic tune, then Cobb is fairly similar to JB4. But going further I have to say JB4 is redy to handle everything, even the larger Rob Beck turbos (requires JB4 G5 chip.)

Either way the car will be vastly improved, and you get downright spoiled by the tuned N54 engine. I just got back from a business trip to Chicago where I rented an X3 with the N55 engine (same as N54 but with a larger single turbo.) It felt so anemic and sounded rough and strained at high rpms. Plus MUCH slower. I know it's a small SUV, but still. It totally lacked the elastic power that makes my car almost glide. I think most of the tuned 535 owners will agree that once you make this move there is no going back. We are totally spoiled to the core.

Originally Posted by Shahul_BMW

Gilgorm..

Thank you.. Yes the 09 is black with stone chips.. Yes it is driven by one person(Fleet)... True i am definitely going to drive both the 08 and 09 cars before i really conclude 100%..

But i have read in many reviews, that 535i is far better than a 550i both in terms of performance/handing and mpg. On top of it the 0-60 is not that different from a 535i to 550i

I was just thinking of Oceans10 option of increasing the power on my 535i if possible without any side effects as stated in my previous posts.. Thanks again guys..

I have 545 and i'd take a normally aspirated over turbo and it is plenty fast (333 hp). Granted I can't do the tuning upgrades like Oceans10, but 545/550 is no slouch. With tuning the 535 would be more fun. Build in a budget for tires .

How does the JB4 impact the warranty/cpo? I'm thinking of adding the tuner too.

Oceans10.. temptation to the core... can't wait to get my 535i and tune it with JB4..

can you please provide what options is the best if i had to choose JB4 for my 08 535i.. 0-60 in 4.3 sec and top speed of more than 190(Even though i might not be able to experiment it) its always fun to drive a beast of a power..and like Gila06 asked what will be the impact on warranty..

Thank you

shahul.

You need more than just JB4 to reach the numbers I quoted. The owner with that car also has catless downpipes, meth, DCI and larger FMIC.
I always recommend DCI (Dual Cone Intake) with JB4 as it helps the engine breathe more unrestricted at higher rpms. Makes sense, more turbo pressure, more air needed. They only cost $100 from Burger Motorsports who make the JB4.
I recommend adding 40% E85, which is inexpensive high octane fuel. Mixed with 93 octane you get around 100 octane which allows JB4 to be tuned at higher boost levels. Map 5 will autotune to as high as 16.5 psi. Normal boost is around 8 psi without tune, and 13.5 on Map 1.

When going in for warranty service and repairs, just turn JB4 off on the steering wheel controls and BMW will never know it is there. They would have remove various cowl pieces to get to the ECU box and look inside. They have no reason to do this, besides any repairs they do under warranty are charged to BMW N.A., so why cause problems for themselves and lose you as a customer? Just don't make it obvious, be sure to turn JB4 off. DCIs are fine too, nothing wrong with enabling the car to breathe easier.
PM me for more points when you are ready to install and configure.

Originally Posted by Oceans10

shahul.

You need more than just JB4 to reach the numbers I quoted. The owner with that car also has catless downpipes, meth, DCI and larger FMIC.
I always recommend DCI (Dual Cone Intake) with JB4 as it helps the engine breathe more unrestricted at higher rpms. Makes sense, more turbo pressure, more air needed. They only cost $100 from Burger Motorsports who make the JB4.
I recommend adding 40% E85, which is inexpensive high octane fuel. Mixed with 93 octane you get around 100 octane which allows JB4 to be tuned at higher boost levels. Map 5 will autotune to as high as 16.5 psi. Normal boost is around 8 psi without tune, and 13.5 on Map 1.

When going in for warranty service and repairs, just turn JB4 off on the steering wheel controls and BMW will never know it is there. They would have remove various cowl pieces to get to the ECU box and look inside. They have no reason to do this, besides any repairs they do under warranty are charged to BMW N.A., so why cause problems for themselves and lose you as a customer? Just don't make it obvious, be sure to turn JB4 off. DCIs are fine too, nothing wrong with enabling the car to breathe easier.
PM me for more points when you are ready to install and configure.

Was the owner running a 335 with the N54 motor and FBO/JB4 or was this in a 535?

No doubt the the JB4 is a proven performer and probably the most affordable and flexible tune, but for a guy that was just yesterday trying to figure out what car to buy and does not know the diff b/w the flexibility of tuning FI vs NA, getting the entire FBO package and mixing e85, adding meth and custom maps might be getting in over his head pretty quick. Also no way to hide the DCI, DP, FMIC, etc from the dealer.
I'm sure you are just pointing out the facts and options regarding the possibilities with the N54, but I just wanted to make that the OP understands that that level of performance requires a specific level of knowledge and understanding as well as will require thousands of dollars more to achieve. Plenty of time to learn and all part of the addiction.

This is Xclone's 535 I am citing. I don't race mine, nor measure 1/4 mile or 0-60 sprints.

The 335 is quite a bit faster as it is a smaller, lighter car. Same exact engine.

For me the purpose of this forum is to learn about how to maintain our cars and make them perform better. Sometimes I am here to learn, sometimes to share my experience of what has worked for me so others can consider that and make decisions. I have been running a tune for 1.5 years and did it step by step, not all in one day.
The costs were very moderate.

JB4 $479

DCI $99

Burger methanol kit with AR charge pipe $500

E85 is less than regular gas, so just a pump choice. You will see a gain even without a tune, though more modest.

I am not advocating downpipes or meth for new owners as those involve more complicated choices. Downpipes cost $1,100 plus another $500 to install and only add 20-30 hp (though throttle response improves significantly as well.) You need additional software to hide their existence during emissions inspections as well.
A methkit is very apparent in the engine bay, so you have to remove it when going in for warranty work. Also you need to keep the tank full. I have a 5 gallon drum in my basement and have to drive 20 miles to pick one up.
So the easiest newbie solution with most bang for the buck is JB4 with DCI and 40% E85. That will add minimum 120 hp and 150 lbs torque. And the beauty is that the car feels smooth and quiet, no hint of souped up, aggressive, on the edge detonation. Smooth linear power through every gear, and I find that I push my car less as a result. There is rarely a need to floor the pedal because the torque is so abundant even from 1,500 rpms. That's all due to the twin turbo design, and you see the same design philosophy in the F10 550 and M5.

Thank you so much Oceans10.. I think you have really spent your precious time in educating me and many others who have read this...

I will go with your approach on the tuning part.. I am excited to get the 08 535i soon...

Thank you all!!..

Originally Posted by Shahul_BMW

MachtSchnell, Thanks.. Can you please provide if this tuning is reliable and forget the warranty part.. my first concern is will the current stock engines/mechanical parts sustain or withstand these tunings... Can we just tune it and drive normally and push the car once in a while and with no mechanical concerns or breakage..

Thank you all again

I have had a couple issues with the car, but issues others have had that don't have tunes. I would increase the frequencies of maintenance items like oil changes. I go a max of 5k miles oil, 25k on spark plugs for example. I would also like to mention I drive like a bat out of hell. I have 82k miles on the speedo.

Hey folks, thanks again on helping me decide the 08 535i.. I finally got the black beast!!


Planning to do some mod...

1. E60 (5-series) M5 PolyPropylene Bumper (REAR) Bumper Type - MTech Style (E60 5-Series) WITH PDC

2. E60 (5-series) M5 Tech PolyPropylene Bumper (FRONT) Xenon Fogs - Fog Lights with Canbus Xenon, Bumper Type - M5 Tech PDC Fog Capable

3. E60 (5-series) M5 Rear Trunk Spoiler

.Suggestions/expert views welcome!

Thanks again guys..