N54 Dinan Stage 2 Maintenance Issues

Hello all! I just ordered a 2013 335i RWD Sport and I'm already drooling over the possibilities of a little engine modding. I know there are other software upgrades out there (Cobb, JB4, etc)....but I'm attracted to Dinan for its warranty advantages.

That leads me to my real question. Is there anyone out there who modded his/her N54 with a mild Dinan upgrade (stage 2) early on (5 or more yrs ago) and now you're having premature mechanical problems that can be linked to that (like tranny or engine itself)? I realize these things are hard to prove because there's no control factor.

I also know that my engine is an N55 (the stage 2 isn't even completed yet for my engine/vehicle)....but I wanted real life info from someone who's had this on their car for years....

I'd appreciate any input....thanks!

Originally Posted by The Nerd

Hello all! I just ordered a 2013 335i RWD Sport and I'm already drooling over the possibilities of a little engine modding. I know there are other software upgrades out there (Cobb, JB4, etc)....but I'm attracted to Dinan for its warranty advantages.

That leads me to my real question. Is there anyone out there who modded his/her N54 with a mild Dinan upgrade (stage 2) early on (5 or more yrs ago) and now you're having premature mechanical problems that can be linked to that (like tranny or engine itself)? I realize these things are hard to prove because there's no control factor.

I also know that my engine is an N55 (the stage 2 isn't even completed yet for my engine/vehicle)....but I wanted real life info from someone who's had this on their car for years....

I'd appreciate any input....thanks!

None of the tunes mentioned have issues.

BMW terminated its relationship with Dinan some time back - have found no dealers that offer Dinan sales or service.

Your BMW warranty is invalidated on Dinan install, or any other. Dinan has its own warranty - have heard of nobody using that, or any claim with Cobb or Burger Motorsports [JB4].

My dealership (BMW Cleveland) offers and warranties Dinan upgrades....must be one of the few in the country.

I wasn't aware of an F30 Dinan flash.. The n55 gains [e90] I have no idea the kind of stress that puts on the n55 compared to the n54.

Originally Posted by SuperTerp

I wasn't aware of an F30 Dinan flash.. The n55 gains [e90] I have no idea the kind of stress that puts on the n55 compared to the n54.

What kind of stress does the flash put on the n54?

Originally Posted by CALWATERBOY

None of the tunes mentioned have issues.

BMW terminated its relationship with Dinan some time back - have found no dealers that offer Dinan sales or service.

Your BMW warranty is invalidated on Dinan install, or any other. Dinan has its own warranty - have heard of nobody using that, or any claim with Cobb or Burger Motorsports [JB4].

2 Dealerships in Houston are authorized Dinan shops. There are many more around the country. All listed on the Dinan website. http://www.dinancars.com/dealers/

There is a thread where a Fester reports on a talk given by Steve Dinan which he attended. I'll try and find it later, however, my recollection is that Steve Dinan says there has never been a complete denial to repair a failure and that BMW and Dinan have always worked out every claim. I understand that Steve has a vested interest in saying that, however, the dealership where I had my installed reported the same thing. Dinan and/or BMW has always fixed the issue.

And to say the BMW warranty is voided is wrong. BMW may deny a specific claim if they can prove it was a direct result of the modding. That, of course, is why so many of the modders and the tuners take extra special efforts to hide the modding from BMW. An inappropriate stance IMHO as it drives up costs for everybody.

Originally Posted by aznalan15

What kind of stress does the flash put on the n54?

I mean you are increases the range the parts were meant to operate in so its bound to have some detrimental effect. I've just never heard of any problems with the n54 dinan tune so I wouldn't begin to know how that might affect the n55 which is a completely different engine.

N55 tunes on the E90 are milder than the N54 tunes, however, the N55 tune for the F30 (the car I ordered) is still being finalized & tweaked. So...I thought I would ask E90 owners for their input on Dinan stage 2 tunes....even if its a slightly different situation that it will eventually be on my F30.

Like any tune it only stresses the car when you use it. All tunes just like Dinan can be set to specific boost levels so there is no inherent advantage to the milder Dinan tune if mild id what you want. BMW severed its arrangement with Dinan a number of years ago & the dealers who sell it could also be selling custom wheels. Its just another after market supplier to the dealer not BMW.

There are two warranties on Dinan cars one from BMWUSA & one from Dinan. Will that cause conflict is a gray area who known without a good goggle search. A search IMHO is a much better idea then listening to Dinan or the dealer both of whom want to sell you something very expensive for what you get.

Since dropping the relationship must have been some benefit to BMW but tends to shoot Dinan's cash cow in the butt it would be interesting to know the background story.

Originally Posted by CALWATERBOY

Your BMW warranty is invalidated on Dinan install, or any other.

Originally Posted by LarkHouston

And to say the BMW warranty is voided is wrong. BMW may deny a specific claim if they can prove it was a direct result of the modding. That, of course, is why so many of the modders and the tuners take extra special efforts to hide the modding from BMW. An inappropriate stance IMHO as it drives up costs for everybody.

LarkHouston is correct, it does not invalidate, void, or otherwise affect the warranty unless that modded part of the car causes failure. In an extreme example, BMW could not argue that a windshield wiper motor failure is no longer covered because you have a Dinan tune. They could, however, deny a trans and/or engine failure claim since the tune could have caused the failure. This is all pursuant to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975.

Per the FTC site(http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles...-maintenance):

"Will using 'aftermarket' or recycled parts void my warranty?
No. An 'aftermarket' part is a part made by a company other than the vehicle manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer. A 'recycled' part is a part that was made for and installed in a new vehicle by the manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer, and later removed from the vehicle and made available for resale or reuse. Simply using an aftermarket or recycled part does not void your warranty. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act makes it illegal for companies to void your warranty or deny coverage under the warranty simply because you used an aftermarket or recycled part. Still, if it turns out that the aftermarket or recycled part was itself defective or wasn't installed correctly, and it causes damage to another part that is covered under the warranty, the manufacturer or dealer has the right to deny coverage for that part and charge you for any repairs. The FTC says the manufacturer or dealer must show that the aftermarket or recycled part caused the need for repairs before denying warranty coverage."

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 gets wheeled out in most threads about aftermarket parts & car warranties. I don't know how much luck anyone has ever had claiming it but the BMW lawyers work for the company & the heavy hitter firms are on retainer, so they have nothing better to do other than take you to court if you can even find a lawyer to take the case. The warranty says no "modifications etc." & its BMW's expert witnesses vs. yours. Based on comments from various fan sites the company lawyers seem to be doing a good job.

OP, the N54 has proven itself an extremely reliable engine*, and one capable of standing up to moderate tunes such as the Dinan with virtually no increase in wear or decrease in reliability. I suspect that the 55 which is internally identical (with some minor tweaks) will stand up as well. Go ahead and do it without a second thought.
'Festers, isn't it the case that the 55 has higher torque and HP ratings than the 54, and wasn't this achieved simply with a software tweak? It sure wasn't due to the 2-in1 turbo design. BMW basically decided that they could do what Dinan had been doing all along. One is rightfully left wondering how much they left inside that engine which will be extracted when they use the I-6 in the ///M. Whoa, sounds like a fun project; dropping an I-6 420HP 2015 M3 engine into my 335. Oh yeah, Bashed Barrique, bring on your LS6 Miata, I'll be ready! I'll be in the silver E92 up ahead which can still turn corners at high speeds. Unlike your gazillion horsepower boat anchor.

*excepting the HPFP and injectors and coils which will all perform similarly whether you Dinanize or not.

Originally Posted by bear-avhistory

The warranty says no "modifications etc." & its BMW's expert witnesses vs. yours. Based on comments from various fan sites the company lawyers seem to be doing a good job.

The 2009 warranty book in my car actually says it does not cover: "Modification of the vehicle or installation of any performance accessories or components attached to the vehicle which alters the original engineering and/or operating specifications or which result in damage to the other original components, electrical interference, electrical short, radio static, water leaks and wind noise."

This is consistent with Magnuson-Moss. Sorry, but it is not appropriate to mod and then hide it and justify ones actions by saying BMW is a big company with lawyers. If one mods, step up and accept the consequences of ones actions. If one wants 500 whp, fine but when the turbos (or whatever) blows at the local drag strip pulling 11s quarters, don't remove the JB4, clear the codes, tow it into the dealer, and say "You're going to fix this under warranty, right? I just drive this to church on Sundays." Just my .02 cents.

Originally Posted by DSXMachina

OP, the N54 has proven itself an extremely reliable engine*, and one capable of standing up to moderate tunes such as the Dinan with virtually no increase in wear or decrease in reliability. I suspect that the 55 which is internally identical (with some minor tweaks) will stand up as well. Go ahead and do it without a second thought.
'Festers, isn't it the case that the 55 has higher torque and HP ratings than the 54, and wasn't this achieved simply with a software tweak? It sure wasn't due to the 2-in1 turbo design. BMW basically decided that they could do what Dinan had been doing all along. One is rightfully left wondering how much they left inside that engine which will be extracted when they use the I-6 in the ///M. Whoa, sounds like a fun project; dropping an I-6 420HP 2015 M3 engine into my 335. Oh yeah, Bashed Barrique, bring on your LS6 Miata, I'll be ready! I'll be in the silver E92 up ahead which can still turn corners at high speeds. Unlike your gazillion horsepower boat anchor.

*excepting the HPFP and injectors and coils which will all perform similarly whether you Dinanize or not.

I suppose I'm more worried about the tranny after 5 yrs, not the engine as much. And no, I wouldn't be getting on it all that often, but it's nice knowing that power is there.

Originally Posted by bear-avhistory

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 gets wheeled out in most threads about aftermarket parts & car warranties. I don't know how much luck anyone has ever had claiming it but BMW lawyers work for the company & the heavy hitter firms are on retainer, so they have nothing better to do other than take you to court if you can even find a lawyer to take the case. The warranty says no "modifications etc." & its BMW's expert witnesses vs. yours.

Make no mistake or misinterpretation of why I posted that, it was not to say "put a Dinan tune, don't worry, you'll be good!! " My point was that you cannot...or, rather, should not.... get denied for something that's not related to the failed part and that it cannot invalidate/void your entire warranty. If you put in LED angel eyes and have an electrical problem - good luck getting a claim approved since that's not spec'd.

Originally Posted by The Nerd

I suppose I'm more worried about the tranny after 5 yrs, not the engine as much. And no, I wouldn't be getting on it all that often, but it's nice knowing that power is there.

Auto or manual? I think you'd be more likely to have a problem with an AT than an MT but as long as you keep burnouts to a minimum you'll be OK. If you never burn out then you have nothing to be concerned about transmission related.
If you have an MT and push it, the problem will be with the clutch, not the transmission. But they are relatively cheap to replace.

AT 8 speed transmission...but no, I won't be doing many burnouts.

Originally Posted by Last Sight

"Will using 'aftermarket' or recycled parts void my warranty?
No. An 'aftermarket' part is a part made by a company other than the vehicle manufacturer or the original equipment manufacturer. A 'recycled' part is a part that was made for and installed in a new vehicle by the manufacturer or the original."

You understand there is a big difference between "aftermarket part" & "performance part" when dealing with warranties?

LarkHouston I know you like to jump on the righteousness soapbox every chance you get over the potential evils doors who modify their cars & don’t tell BMW. It’s a pretty free site so you can say what you want but since most of us in the add-on performance threads have heard it all before more then a few times maybe its time to give it a rest & just be happy with your own personal goodness.

Had my car in for a coolant leak a few weeks ago, turned out to be a bad hose that had to be replaced. Interesting thing is they had to work around my aftermarket FMIC & the JB4 G5/ISO was happily sitting in its normal location in the ECU coffin & fully active. I felt so blessed doing the “right thing”.

Originally Posted by The Nerd

My dealership (BMW Cleveland) offers and warranties Dinan upgrades....must be one of the few in the country.

Got 3 within an hr of my residence, 22315, so that's 4 total so far.

Originally Posted by daytrader

Got 3 within an hr of my residence, 22315, so that's 4 total so far.

lol yeah we do! I CANT WAIT to try the suspension and see what its like running a FMIC!!!!

Originally Posted by SuperTerp

lol yeah we do! I CANT WAIT to try the suspension and see what its like running a FMIC!!!!

Just ordered my Dinan CAI, coming next week, planning to DIY the install and save on the labor. You will love the benefits of the FMIC, especially since summer is just around the corner.

Originally Posted by daytrader

Just ordered my Dinan CAI, coming next week, planning to DIY the install and save on the labor. You will love the benefits of the FMIC, especially since summer is just around the corner.

I still got the oil cooler to do 1330 for the racewerks one and I've found a couple places that'll install it for me for between 500-1000. Way better than having Dinan do it for like 4200.

1 point away from that free badge not that I'd put it on lol.

oh they are discounting labor for the sale too.

Originally Posted by SuperTerp

I still got the oil cooler to do 1330 for the racewerks one and I've found a couple places that'll install it for me for between 500-1000. Way better than having Dinan do it for like 4200.

1 point away from that free badge not that I'd put it on lol.

oh they are discounting labor for the sale too.

A bit steep to do it all on the full dime, so wanted to let others know as we do, you can wait for Dinan sales, typically 15 to 20% and just have your fav Indy shop do the installs. Mine tends to run additional discount programs of an additional 10% off on labor during the Dinan sale events. So prices become competitive very quickly!

Dinan badge, nah, I'm all about the sleeper thing, keeps the M3 boys wondering.

Originally Posted by bear-avhistory

You understand there is a big difference between "aftermarket part" & "performance part" when dealing with warranties?

I don't think you're understanding the point I'm trying to make. I'm not trying to say that a car with a Dinan tune will be warranted if something goes wrong with the engine, trans, etc... I'm saying it won't invalidate/cancel your BMW warranty to replace, for example, the seat-belt arm on an E92 since the tune is not related to the seat-belt arm.

Originally Posted by SuperTerp

I still got the oil cooler to do 1330 for the racewerks one and I've found a couple places that'll install it for me for between 500-1000. Way better than having Dinan do it for like 4200.

1 point away from that free badge not that I'd put it on lol.

oh they are discounting labor for the sale too.

Would an oil cooler be necessary on something mild like the Dinan Stage 2 software upgrade?