Help: Tunes for N55 1er

[reign528]

So I went from an 07 E92 N54 to a 12 E82 N55 and I want to know what are the best options for tunes at this point.

In my 3er I had the JB4 and although it was good I was not a fan of going into the engine bay to connect the piggy back and remove it when I had to bring it for service, which was quite often unfortunately (another story). I really want something as simple and easy as the Cobb tune. It looks awesome and its very easy to install and remove but a bummer they dont have it for the N55.

What tunes is everyone running with the N55? If I had to go piggyback im thinking Procede this time, JB4 was inconsistent at time but could have been because they had just rolled out the JB4. Not a big fan of flash since I enjoy the maps and customizability that piggybacks and the cobb provide.

At this point should I wait for Cobb to hopefully come out with a version for the N55 or should I take the plunge and get a piggyback Procede? Anything else I may be missing? Apologize some of this maybe noobish I have been out of the scene for a while. I was driving an Audi for over a year so Im not as up to date on everything as I was in the past.

[reign528]

FYI: Message I received from Cobb about the N55 tune. They are working on it but theres no timeframe yet...

"Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately we are still working on the support for the N55 platform. There is no time frame as when it will be done as the work we do is not time dependent. I apologize for the inconvenience, but please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns that I can assist you with."

[blutattoo]

Well I'm sure folks will disagree heartily about my perceptions of the Dinan tune, but I was impressed with the stage 2 tune. It made a significant difference throughout the rpm range. The car acted as if it was the stock tune i.e., no turbo lag, no flat spots, etc.. For me my car is a daily driver along with being a huge financial commitment so the fact that it is warrantied made my choice easy. Plus my dealer is also the Dinan dealer so if there are problems I can just drop the car off and say fix it! No other tune can say that.

The drawback - cost might be as much as three times what others charge for a more aggressive tune. I paid 1800 plus 100 for install. Pricey to say the least.

I have since upgraded to the stage 3 tune with the intercooler and oil cooler and it is a significant difference, but it is the law of diminishing returns. A lot more money for what on paper amounts to a small difference in hp and tq. Although my butt dyno says its more than what is stated on their website. I have another track day this month so we will see what it brings me on the track. Other than the new oil cooler making noise upon startup it runs flawlessly(Only 27 miles on new tune) and once again it is warrantied and dealer installed.

I also figure that I can always upgrade to a more aggressive tune and/or meth once my warranty expires.

2012 AW 135 w/M perf pkg
Dinan Stage 3
Dinan FMIC/Oil Cooler
BMS Intake
BMW Perf. Exh.
Dinan Stage 1 suspension
Apex 18's with PSS 235/40/18 265/35/18
BMS Angel Eyes

[jsmonet]

If you ever decide to dyno it, post up. I have the stage 2 tune and the stage 3 looks, on paper, like very little gain for the money. I'm not trying to make light of your purchase. I'm actually trying to figure out if the 4k+ difference is worth it

[135Pats]

As an N54 driver I have been very impressed with Cobb AP, but from the sound of it people have been waiting on N55 AP support for quite some time now. I wouldn't hold your breath. Dinan makes a fine product, it's just expensive for the gains. Procede wouldn't be a bad choice, Vishnu makes quality stuff and it offers significant tuning options.

[reign528]

thanks guys for the feedback flashes are pretty pricey, not sure at those prices the extra HP is worth it to me. I'll have the car for 3 years max so thats a lot of money out the door within a short time period

I agree though the warranty benefits do make it more appealing.

[blutattoo]

Originally Posted by jsmonet

If you ever decide to dyno it, post up. I have the stage 2 tune and the stage 3 looks, on paper, like very little gain for the money. I'm not trying to make light of your purchase. I'm actually trying to figure out if the 4k+ difference is worth it

Once I find someone in my area with a dyno I'll definitely post the results. I'm going to use my buddy's vbox next week at the track and I'll see what gains I've got in acceleration as well. I haven't dyno'd the stage 2 so I won't know what the difference is, but I know my times around the track with the previous setup along with 0-60, 0-100, and 1/4.

[Everfly]

Is GIAC coming out soon?

[Black Gold]

I'd guess first quarter next year we will see some activity on the flash tune front.

Giac seems to be the closest at this point.

I am calmly waiting for them. The n55 135 is pretty damn fast on the streets anyway lol

[smw356]

I'd wager that due to the nature of valvetronic (and the fact that I'm not sure piggybacks cant play with it too much, though I may be wrong there) that flash tunes will probably get a little bit more out of a stock turbo N55 than piggybacks do.

[Suds]

Originally Posted by smw356

I'd wager that due to the nature of valvetronic (and the fact that I'm not sure piggybacks cant play with it too much, though I may be wrong there) that flash tunes will probably get a little bit more out of a stock turbo N55 than piggybacks do.

Not sure about that, the Dinan tunes S2 And S3 provide less gain on the n55 then on the n54, if I use there work as a reference.
I think BMW provided a hughe amount of head room in the performance of the n54, they reduced that on the n55 for a little better fuel economy.

[smw356]

Well the on the N54 to N55 comparison the N54 piggies add more than the N55 piggies do, mostly because the twins can flow more than N55 single, so yeah that ceiling was higher.

But still the fact that BMW has moved on the newer S63's away from individual throttle bodies to valvetronic indicates that that nut has been cracked internally (or they have jumped the shark), meaning that there might be some potential there in the N55's.

[alexmtl_135i]

I was hesitating between JB4, Hartge and Cobb. Cobb isn't available yet and no timeframe (got the same answer as you), so I decided to get a JB4 so I can enjoy the power while the weather allows it

[Vlaze]

I recently just switched from the JB4 to the Dinan stage 2 flash. I would say power levels are similar, but the DINAN def drives much smoother. The car just overall runs much better with a flash tune I am guessing vs a piggy tune. It always seemed to me like the JB4 was inconsistant with power delivery.