N55 135i stock vs PPK vs Dinan Stage 2

[Za135i]

Hi guys,

With the dinan upgrade does the BMW Motorplan not get affected at all? In that BMW accept the software upgrade and will continue to service and fix the car at no cost?

If this is the case, I'm getting one ASAP.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Glad you are happy with the Dinan tune. Even though my car doesn't have an n55 my future cars very well may. I've read good reviews for the n55 tune on x5's as well.

[ilikebmxbikes]

Originally Posted by Za135i

Hi guys,

With the dinan upgrade does the BMW Motorplan not get affected at all? In that BMW accept the software upgrade and will continue to service and fix the car at no cost?

If this is the case, I'm getting one ASAP.

Dinan matches your BMW warranty for any warranty issues affected with the part. So essentially you do not loose any warranty coverage through purchasing dinan parts.

[Za135i]

And the Motorplan that covers brakes etc?

[Diver]

My car has the PPK and I am going to have to disagree with the OP. It is definitely worth $1k and the improvement is more than just noticeable. From the dyno charts I have seen around here the PPK is every bit as good as Dinan. Go ahead and find some dyno charts to prove me wrong, I won't mind. Drown me in information.

The only way to get more performance for less than $1k is to put on a tune without a warranty. The Dinan warranty is OK, but not as good as a BMW warranty. If the car has some weird unfixable problem with the Dinan warranty the situation could turn into finger pointing. With BMW there is trade assist.

There are a lot of variables which could have come into play on the OP's ride in a PPK equipped car such as break in miles, fuel, whether the car was fully warmed up and air temperature. There is also the psychological factor. Anyone who pays $2k for a tune is going to be inclined to say it is better than the $1k flavor. Said another way, butt dynos are notoriously unreliable.

Have you ever noticed how on some days your car just seems faster? The OP has his car every day and will hit those days. The car with the PPK did not get that sort of chance.

Show me some time slips from the drag strip, controlled test reports or dyno runs done on an apples for apples basis. That means both cars have the same transmission and are burning the same fuel.

[mb135is]

I e-mailed Dinan to see if the stage 2 can be put on top of a PPK2 n55 car (135is - have one on order), and the response was that they don't have anything developed for it yet.

In the meantime, the 135is is plenty powerful for me, and I doubt I'd need anymore. If I did, Dinan would be my choice if they develop an option. Have had poor experiences with Dinan products (intakes/exhausts on MINIs), but their software served me well.

[jsmonet]

the ppk flash is just a flash like any other...except this one's from bmw. I can't see why you couldn't just flash over it with the likes of dinan, OETuning, or cobb/giac if they ever get off their asses and release something.

[Diver]

Originally Posted by jsmonet

the ppk flash is just a flash like any other...except this one's from bmw. I can't see why you couldn't just flash over it with the likes of dinan, OETuning, or cobb/giac if they ever get off their asses and release something.

Simple, the encryption is probably different. All it takes is a different key.

[blutattoo]

Originally Posted by Diver

My car has the PPK and I am going to have to disagree with the OP. It is definitely worth $1k and the improvement is more than just noticeable. From the dyno charts I have seen around here the PPK is every bit as good as Dinan. Go ahead and find some dyno charts to prove me wrong, I won't mind. Drown me in information.

The only way to get more performance for less than $1k is to put on a tune without a warranty. The Dinan warranty is OK, but not as good as a BMW warranty. If the car has some weird unfixable problem with the Dinan warranty the situation could turn into finger pointing. With BMW there is trade assist.

There are a lot of variables which could have come into play on the OP's ride in a PPK equipped car such as break in miles, fuel, whether the car was fully warmed up and air temperature. There is also the psychological factor. Anyone who pays $2k for a tune is going to be inclined to say it is better than the $1k flavor. Said another way, butt dynos are notoriously unreliable.

Have you ever noticed how on some days your car just seems faster? The OP has his car every day and will hit those days. The car with the PPK did not get that sort of chance.

Show me some time slips from the drag strip, controlled test reports or dyno runs done on an apples for apples basis. That means both cars have the same transmission and are burning the same fuel.

Peak power is higher by a small amount if you do a search there is a great spreadsheet showing dyno results from all tunes including Dinan, PPK, JB4, etc.. Also I'm not sure how you can comment on a tune that you don't have. You are guessing that it seems like very little change, but unless you have had both then your personal opinion is just that an opinion. Dyno results show not only a higher peak output, but a much broader application of torque throughout the rpm range. I had both and there is a large difference between the two. My experience is that on a track the application of torque is much more usable. In turns that I previously had to downshift I was able to stay in gear saving a considerable amount of time. My lap times dropped from the 2:23 range to the 2:16 range. That is a lot more proof than what a dyno says.

As for the warranty, break in period, warm up procedure, and safety measures the Dinan tune keeps all of those intact and that is why they can match the full factory warranty. Not to mention that a lot of the BMW dealers are also Dinan retailers, so if something goes wrong with either as a result of the tune then you can get either fixed in the same place exactly the same as the PPK.

Hey nothing wrong with the PPK, but the two are not the same. Just like a JB4 is not the same as the Dinan. With all things sometimes a little better cost a lot more, it's called the law of diminishing returns. The Dinan tune at $1700 bucks is a full 70% more expensive than the ppk. Does it offer 70% more performance, well no, but it does offer verifiable performance improvements over the PPK while keeping the full factory warranty and safe guards in effect.

[mb135is]

Originally Posted by Diver

Simple, the encryption is probably different. All it takes is a different key.

Right. I think it's a function of it being a different 2013 model that just needs to be figured out before the flash is available.

[blutattoo]

Here is the dyno showing what the Dinan stage 2 does. My stock numbers were lower than most at 258/269 on same dyno so you can see the dramatic difference between the two.

[jsmonet]

what kind of dyno is that? the hp figure is on point for a pretty standard 15% loss, but that torque...

man, i know I should go dyno my car before getting the s3 work done.

but then again i'm not sure i want to see minimal gain for the money i'm spending, so i'll just go to EAS and get it dyno'd after a month or so I think, haha

[blutattoo]

Originally Posted by jsmonet

what kind of dyno is that? the hp figure is on point for a pretty standard 15% loss, but that torque...

man, i know I should go dyno my car before getting the s3 work done.

but then again i'm not sure i want to see minimal gain for the money i'm spending, so i'll just go to EAS and get it dyno'd after a month or so I think, haha

The dyno was a dynojet using the SAE correction method. Which is a conservative measure. There are other correction methods that would give a higher reading, but this is the same method I used when I dyno'd the car before mods.

As for the torque curve I'm not sure why it shows that high. The air to fuel ratio seemed to be running extremely rich and I had just come off the race track, so maybe either of those could be a factor. Honestly I thought it was lower than it should be since it was so hot. The tuner left the hood closed and kicked it into limp mode after each run. At the time I had a BMS intake and Performance exhaust, but not sure either of those would make much difference. If anything that open air filter might actually hurt things since the hood was closed and only extremely hot air was being drawn in.

I have since upgraded to the stage 3, but haven't dyno'd it yet. Once I do I'll post the results. I'm not sure when I'm going to be back to the track up there so it might be a month or two.

[jsmonet]

does the stage 3 bump actually feel like you've picked up any power? I'm going in for it soon.

[blutattoo]

Originally Posted by jsmonet

does the stage 3 bump actually feel like you've picked up any power? I'm going in for it soon.

I feel a difference and my lap times are quicker but I think the difference could be a combination of the intercooler along with the tune. What I notice mostly is more consistent torque. It seems to get to boost faster and the torque curve seems to stay flatter longer. Before I would shift between 5k-5.2k because that is when the torque curve would end, now I can hold it until 6250 without feeling any loss of torque.

If you already have the oil cooler and the fmic then I would say it's a no brainer get it for sure. If not, then unless you track the car the upside is somewhat small. You will notice the difference right away, but it ain't a cheap way to gain speed. Good news is if you do pull the trigger before the end of October I think all their stuff is 15% off.

Good luck and bottom line is I have no regrets on the upgrade. The car is freakin fast on the track and I surprise many a z06, boss 302, and m3 by riding their arse until they point me by.

[fly_inverted]

Originally Posted by blutattoo

Peak power is higher by a small amount if you do a search there is a great spreadsheet showing dyno results from all tunes including Dinan, PPK, JB4, etc.. .

Any chance u can post a link to that spreadsheet. have done a search, cant seem to locate it.
thx.

[andnkuhn]

post any dynos of S3?

that torque does seem oddly high..

[jsmonet]

I want to give my car a month then put it on a dyno. I'll put the sheet up here, for better or worse.

[geeyore]

Originally Posted by jsmonet

O_o no.

the 135is gets the blacked out goods, different rims, perf exhaust, and the ppk tune...on its n55 motor.

That's what I had also understood. The power specs for the 135is match the 135i N55 with the PPK.

[PopsnBurbles]

Originally Posted by lazyd0c

Thanks for the responses! Originally, I've decided to order a 135is in a few months, but after reading more and more, should I opt for a 135 instead and use the extra cash I save and spend it on tunes (jb4 or dinan)? Strictly performance wise, would this be a better option?
I know the 135is has other cosmetic mods, etc... so that's why I've been torn between the 135 and the 135is

You save money with getting an 'is' if you're a bit more on the conservative side with modding.
The 313s are nice but if you're looking for something more aggressive, then it's a waste for you.
The PE is also very nice but if you're looking for more power or louder sound, then it's a waste again.
The optional black leather with blue contrast stitch on the seats are the only undeniable upgrade. Then again, if you're looking for racing seats/not black interior then it's not for you.
The PPK 2 is already a step up from the regular 135i but if you're looking for insane power, then it's a waste again. The burbles are nice though.

The undeniable thing with the 'is' is its rarity.

[gregthegr8]

Originally Posted by PopsnBurbles

You save money with getting an 'is' if you're a bit more on the conservative side with modding.
The 313s are nice but if you're looking for something more aggressive, then it's a waste for you.
The PE is also very nice but if you're looking for more power or louder sound, then it's a waste again.
The optional black leather with blue contrast stitch on the seats are the only undeniable upgrade. Then again, if you're looking for racing seats/not black interior then it's not for you.
The PPK 2 is already a step up from the regular 135i but if you're looking for insane power, then it's a waste again. The burbles are nice though.

The undeniable thing with the 'is' is its rarity.

Love that this thread has been unearthed after a year and a half.

The IS can't be that rare...I see one every day. =P And yours might be the only one I might ever run into on the road perhaps.

[geeyore]

Originally Posted by gregthegr8

Love that this thread has been unearthed after a year and a half.

Well yeah, I started it up again because I've been looking for weeks for reliable, documented and comparative at-the-wheel dynos showing the differences between the stock 135i (N54 and N55), and the various tunes available: the PPK, the 135is, Dinan Stage 2, Cobb, JB4, and the rest.

I have the N55 PPK, which is excellent, and I've tried the off-the-shelf Cobb Stage 1 Agressive, which did not surpass the PPK according to my butt dyno.

But empirical data? Hard to find. Very odd.

Does Dinan Stage 2 surpass the PPK? Is it worth buying in the next two days before the May 2014 sale ends? Dunno. On all the forums, Youtubes, and blogs (including the tune providers' own sites) there's not a lot of solid evidence to make a sound decision.