PnP FMIC Options

[cbl117]

Originally Posted by PA135i

cbl117, I called OE Tuning today and talked with the tuner for about 30 minutes. The boost level is between 14 - 14.5. he added that the Mishimoto would be fine and it is recommended that I do both at the same time as he will custom tune for the intercooler. He added that each tune is unique per car, they are all custom tunes that he does.

He also added that I should save the $200 on getting the flash loader since I will most likely never need to dial down my tune and the indepentdent shop can do both the same day. (the flash loader gives you 4 tunes, stock, valet, 93 octane and 100 octane) he says the real difference I will notice is in the driveability. The tune takes about 40-60 miles to adapt. They have never had an issue with problems with their tune and have been in business since 2009. They also give free reflashes if the dealer has to reflash the ECU for other reasons. Talking with him, I told him my main concern is the stress this would put on the engine. He claims they remap to take advantage of 93 octane but stay within safe limits. Was an interesting conversation but glad he spent the time with me. I feel confident in getting it now. And the price is reasonable.

I think I will be getting this but I need to rebuild some funds. ETA before August.

Sounds pretty cool to me. 14.5 psi is pretty good increase in boost. Since its a custom tune and you'll be at 14.5 psi i would definately do an intake and intercooler together.

Do you have any plans for downpipe or exhaust mods?

[PA135i]

I don't want a CAI. Will make the car louder and I have read that they don't really produce much in terms of gain. The only exhausts I would consider are the BMW PE or Dinan. I don't think either of those are real loud, just deeper or better sounding. But, I probably won't do it until mine is in need of replacement.

What's a downpipe and what does it do? And do you think the OCC really does anything, I've read mixed reviews on that.

Do you think this tune & intercooler install will drop my MPG? I realize that if I drive the car harder that it will. But in general with everyday driving I am hoping the MPG is almost the same as now.

[cbl117]

Originally Posted by PA135i

I don't want a CAI. Will make the car louder and I have read that they don't really produce much in terms of gain. The only exhausts I would consider are the BMW PE or Dinan. I don't think either of those are real loud, just deeper or better sounding. But, I probably won't do it until mine is in need of replacement.

What's a downpipe and what does it do? And do you think the OCC really does anything, I've read mixed reviews on that.

Do you think this tune & intercooler install will drop my MPG? I realize that if I drive the car harder that it will. But in general with everyday driving I am hoping the MPG is almost the same as now.

At higher boost levels, dual cone intakes will help the car breathe better. At 14psi I would reconsider, especially pairing with an aftermarket intercooler. There are tons on data on the forums here and at n54tech. But if you decide not to do a dual cone intake (which is NOT CAI) then at least put a k&n drop in filter to help the motor breathe better. From my experience an intake doesn't really change the volume level of the car, but rather introduces new sounds, cool sounds .

Downpipes are the part of the exhaust just after the turbos. Our car's exhausts have three sections: Downpipes, mid pipes, axle back. The downpipes contain the primary cats and have the hottest gases flowing through them, so changing them out for cat less gives the most performance with a tune. The mid pipes (on your car specifically being N54) contain secondary cats and a resonator (on a N55 mid pipe its only a resonator). The axle back is just a muffler and really only changes sound. I think I have a feel for what you want and would bet you don't want to touch the downpipes. I would recommend, especially if you don't want the car too loud, to consider changing the mid pipe to an N55 mid pipe (basically a mid pipe from a 2011+ 135i). You can find them for $200 used and in your case will delete the secondary cats which will net you slightly better performance (~7-10whp) and slightly throatier, louder sound. BTW...BMW PE is probably one of the louder axle backs out there so something to consider.

The reason why I'm telling you all this is: If I were you, and I was getting a custom tune from OE tune, then I would have all my supporting mods (bolt ons) figured out and installed before the tune. That way you are maximizing the tune's capabilities with the parts installed on your car. If you put stuff on after the tune its kind of like leaving money on the table. But, your car, your decisions!

[PA135i]

I do have a drop in AFE Pro Dry performance air filter.

I'll be happy with the intercooler + OE tune alone. I'm not looking for multiple mods. After this tune and intercooler I'll be faster than 90% of the cars out there. I already blow by people on the highway as the car is now. This tune will only enhance that experience. But I appreciate the heads up on what to consider since this is a custom tune that will take into account the intercooler addtion. I didn't think the BMW PE was a loud exhaust because it was standard on the 2013 135is. I don't think BMW would put a loud exhaust on a stock car. I don't want to replace the exhaust unless it's due. Like I mentioned earlier, my car will be extremely fast after the 2 mods I have planned.

After this. My next mod will be a used 4WD or FWD car for winter. There are 2 reasons for this. Will keep the miles down on the 135 thus reducing maintenance costs and I won't need to do the wheel switch anymore. that's becomming a drag.
thanks for the advice.

[cbl117]

Originally Posted by PA135i

I do have a drop in AFE Pro Dry performance air filter.

I'll be happy with the intercooler + OE tune alone. I'm not looking for multiple mods. After this tune and intercooler I'll be faster than 90% of the cars out there. I already blow by people on the highway as the car is now. This tune will only enhance that experience. But I appreciate the heads up on what to consider since this is a custom tune that will take into account the intercooler addtion. I didn't think the BMW PE was a loud exhaust because it was standard on the 2013 135is. I don't think BMW would put a loud exhaust on a stock car. I don't want to replace the exhaust unless it's due. Like I mentioned earlier, my car will be extremely fast after the 2 mods I have planned.

After this. My next mod will be a used 4WD or FWD car for winter. There are 2 reasons for this. Will keep the miles down on the 135 thus reducing maintenance costs and I won't need to do the wheel switch anymore. that's becomming a drag.
thanks for the advice.

Glad i could help. Good luck with everything. Let us know how you like the tune!

[PA135i]

Just thought I'd show a pic of my ride. Currently with COPD. Soon to be cured by a Mishimoto intercooler. She also has Bridgestone Pole position S04's in 225/255 sizes.

Originally Posted by PA135i

The Mishimoto I'm looking at has near identical pressure drop numbers to stock and is an easy fitment. I guess you have to assume the charts they show are accurate. I'd hate to $600 and notice decrease in performance.

Originally Posted by PA135i

Thanks for the input. The tune I am considering is the OE Tuning. (There is a separate thread you can read with a link to their site). The peformance bump is to 370 hp 380 tq. I don't know the boost level. Do you think it is OK? I realy like the Mishimoto in black for the stealth look and price.

Originally Posted by PA135i

Just thought I'd show a pic of my ride. Currently with COPD. Soon to be cured by a Mishimoto intercooler. She also has Bridgestone Pole position S04's in 225/255 sizes.

Thanks for considering our intercooler! Figured I would chime in here to provide some concrete answers to questions surrounding our cooler and claims from testing. I assure you that our data is 100% accurate and is not skewed in any way. We eliminated as many variables as possible during the testing process in order to obtain the most accurate results possible.

Pressure Support: 14-15 psi is absolutely within the pressure tolerance of our intercooler. In fact, you could double this pressure and still have no problems at all running our intercooler. We rate this unit to 40psi.

Power Support: Being a stock location intercooler, we've designed this intercooler with a very specific range of power output in mind. Based on the core volume, core surface area, and fin composition, our intercooler should have no problem supporting vehicles up to around 500-550 whp.

Bolt-on Gains: The vehicle we used during testing was tuned and had an aftermarket intake system installed. We ended up with a 20 whp increase and 35°F drops in intake temperatures compared to the stock intercooler. These improvements were provided with no additional tuning.

If you want to do some more reading-up, check out our full engineering report linked below.

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/yhst-...ringreport.pdf

The car is looking good! Let us know if we can answer any questions about our cooler!

-John

Originally Posted by optigrab

As far as i know Mishimoto has a good reputation. Keep us updated. Im in the market but i am not adding power till i get my suspension fixed. I have 2011 sport springs in my garaged I need to buy shocks for plus i really want a diff. I will add power after that

Thanks!

[optigrab]

Originally Posted by PA135i

I do have a drop in AFE Pro Dry performance air filter.

I'll be happy with the intercooler + OE tune alone. I'm not looking for multiple mods. After this tune and intercooler I'll be faster than 90% of the cars out there. I already blow by people on the highway as the car is now. This tune will only enhance that experience. But I appreciate the heads up on what to consider since this is a custom tune that will take into account the intercooler addtion. I didn't think the BMW PE was a loud exhaust because it was standard on the 2013 135is. I don't think BMW would put a loud exhaust on a stock car. I don't want to replace the exhaust unless it's due. Like I mentioned earlier, my car will be extremely fast after the 2 mods I have planned.

After this. My next mod will be a used 4WD or FWD car for winter. There are 2 reasons for this. Will keep the miles down on the 135 thus reducing maintenance costs and I won't need to do the wheel switch anymore. that's becomming a drag.
thanks for the advice.

Also think about a charge pipe the stock one is plastic and has been known to break with increased boost levels

[PA135i]

Oh great, now I have something new to worry about. Thanks for the heads up on the charge pipe, but I don't want a loud car. A charge pipe makes the car louder. Not for me. If it breaks I guess I'll have to replace it.
I guess a tune brings up other issues. Hope I don't have to deal with any. The only other mod "I might do" is the BMW PE. But i doubt it because my indy shop told me yesterday that the stock exhaust will likely never wear out.

I will report back after the install. I'm still waiting for the intercooler. I don't even have a tracking number yet and it's been a week since I ordered it. Not sure what the problem is.

[houtan]

Originally Posted by PA135i

Oh great, now I have something new to worry about. Thanks for the heads up on the charge pipe, but I don't want a loud car. A charge pipe makes the car louder. Not for me. If it breaks I guess I'll have to replace it.
I guess a tune brings up other issues. Hope I don't have to deal with any. The only other mod "I might do" is the BMW PE. But i doubt it because my indy shop told me yesterday that the stock exhaust will likely never wear out.

I will report back after the install. I'm still waiting for the intercooler. I don't even have a tracking number yet and it's been a week since I ordered it. Not sure what the problem is.

Charge pipe doesn't make the car louder, not sure where you heard that from.

[jhipp]

Originally Posted by houtan

Charge pipe doesn't make the car louder, not sure where you heard that from.

+1. If you order a chargepipe that re-uses the stock diverter valves I would be VERY surprised if you could hear a difference. Now, switching to a blow off valve is a different story.

I highly recommend upgrading the chargepipe. ~$200 is pretty good insurance when the stock one has been proven to crack so frequently.

[cbl117]

Originally Posted by PA135i

Oh great, now I have something new to worry about. Thanks for the heads up on the charge pipe, but I don't want a loud car. A charge pipe makes the car louder. Not for me. If it breaks I guess I'll have to replace it.
I guess a tune brings up other issues. Hope I don't have to deal with any. The only other mod "I might do" is the BMW PE. But i doubt it because my indy shop told me yesterday that the stock exhaust will likely never wear out.

I will report back after the install. I'm still waiting for the intercooler. I don't even have a tracking number yet and it's been a week since I ordered it. Not sure what the problem is.

PA, Houtan is right. Charge pipe won't make the car louder. MAY help slightly with throttle response and slightly quicker spool times. Its a reliability mod as they are known to break around the throttle body and or have diverter valves blow off the pipe. With my Dinan stage 2 (~13-14psi) I've had one issue where the diverter valve blew off the pipe and needed to be replaced. I need to change my pipe but haven't yet.

People don't change exhausts because they wear out, they change them for noise. If you want the deeper, throatier sounding exhaust change it out now because the exhaust will likely last longer than your car's tenure. As I said before if you want the car civilized but a little deeper, throatier sounding consider changing the mid pipe to an OEM N55 mid pipe. It remains all OEM and will give you an actual performance increase as well. They go cheap used.

[optigrab]

Originally Posted by PA135i

Oh great, now I have something new to worry about. Thanks for the heads up on the charge pipe, but I don't want a loud car. A charge pipe makes the car louder. Not for me. If it breaks I guess I'll have to replace it.
I guess a tune brings up other issues. Hope I don't have to deal with any. The only other mod "I might do" is the BMW PE. But i doubt it because my indy shop told me yesterday that the stock exhaust will likely never wear out.

I will report back after the install. I'm still waiting for the intercooler. I don't even have a tracking number yet and it's been a week since I ordered it. Not sure what the problem is.

Hey man good luck with the install.I'm seriously thinking about getting this intercooler it's such a big cost savings over the Dinan.
I just brought up the church pipe for reliability reasons if it explodes you could damage your turbos. most of the people order them with a blow off valve which blows the excess boost in the engine bay. you can also using with diverter valves with your stock charge pipe uses now. I'm just not sure how many psi the stock diverter valves are good for.

[PA135i]

Guys, I'm considering the charge pipe due to the info here. Thanks.
I sent an email to the tuner asking this question. OE Tuning. I want to get his thoughts on this. I'll check back after he gets back to me.

[PA135i]

I misunderstood what someone told me on the loudness of the charge pipe. I meant to say "downpipes" make the car louder.

I just ordered a VRSF charge pipe with the OEM connections. Did not get the BOV. Hope at 14.5 boost I'll be OK with the stock valve.

[optigrab]

Originally Posted by PA135i

I misunderstood what someone told me on the loudness of the charge pipe. I meant to say "downpipes" make the car louder.

I just ordered a VRSF charge pipe with the OEM connections. Did not get the BOV. Hope at 14.5 boost I'll be OK with the stock valve.

How is the install going?

[PA135i]

Still waiting on the Mishimoto intercooler. I'm told that Extreme Powerhouse will have it next week. Then they will ship it to me. Expecting an install with OE tuning... etc. around 7/11 - 7/16.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by PA135i

Still waiting on the Mishimoto intercooler. I'm told that Extreme Powerhouse will have it next week. Then they will ship it to me. Expecting an install with OE tuning... etc. around 7/11 - 7/16.

It took longer than expected thats for sure

[optigrab]

Originally Posted by PA135i

Still waiting on the Mishimoto intercooler. I'm told that Extreme Powerhouse will have it next week. Then they will ship it to me. Expecting an install with OE tuning... etc. around 7/11 - 7/16.

Cool... How are they tuning you by mail or do they have a shop local?

[PA135i]

Originally Posted by optigrab

Cool... How are they tuning you by mail or do they have a shop local?

They have a dealer network. My Indy shop is one of their dealers. Two weeks ago I went over to their shop just so they could download my data.
Took an hour!

They then send the data to OE and they custom tune for my intercooler ..etc.
The shop told me OE Tuning will only charge $100 for one additional future tune, in case I add an exhaust.. for example.

I'm excited... I'll be pushing 400 hp!

[optigrab]

Originally Posted by PA135i

They have a dealer network. My Indy shop is one of their dealers. Two weeks ago I went over to their shop just so they could download my data.
Took an hour!

They then send the data to OE and they custom tune for my intercooler ..etc.
The shop told me OE Tuning will only charge $100 for one additional future tune, in case I add an exhaust.. for example.

I'm excited... I'll be pushing 400 hp!

Nice once i get my suspension figured out I am getting a tune. I dont want to add anymore power till Im happy with it.

What part of PA are you in?

[PA135i]

I live near Pottstown, but work in Blue Bell.