[marcel b]

Originally Posted by 767jetz

I'm starting to think that the car I test drove did not have the PK installed. Can someone tell me specifically what to look for? There was no additional radiator in the driver's side wheel well. I thought I would be able to see it from there, but I could be wrong. Is there a sticker that should be affixed somewhere under the hood as well?

My E90 always has a child seat and baby carriage in the trunk. I think any difference I felt might have been attributable to the weight difference of my x-drive E90 and the rwd E92 plus the gearing differences between my AT and the test car's MT. Plus there might have been the placebo effect of thinking it had the PK installed.

I will go back this week to investigate. Any tips on what to look for would be appreciated.

yes, there is a sticker "power kit" and "sparkplug to be changed after 60'000km", located above the kidneys, you cannot miss it. it has also a relais located on the left front of the car, looks a bit strange. then you have quite a bit of tupes above running accross the front. the radiator on the left front you can see if you look close through the airinduct in front of the wheel.
all these changes are very noticable, I straight away saw what was new. if you didn't see any of this... no kit!

[marcel b]

see this tread for pics pf the kit:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=295774

[r1200c/335i/318ti]

Originally Posted by marcel b

see this tread for pics pf the kit:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=295774

Thank you for the reminder.
Merci beaucoup, Marcel...comme d'habitude!

[Mr. 5]

Originally Posted by marcel b

see this tread for pics pf the kit:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=295774

I wish there were more pictures, and I really wish that there were part numbers solely on the new radiator and extgra hoses so anyone can upgrade for extra cooling.

[marcel b]

let me see if I can make some tomorrow.

[767jetz]

Thanks for all the input.

The window sticker shows no mention of the PK, but the dealer said that is because it was port installed, not factory installed. This is consistent with my previous '08 BMW that had port installed options that were not on the sticker. Also, this dealership is notorious for getting their facts wrong. The sales manager said they have been trying to contact the port for some documentation for the PK on the car to verify the installation. So I think they are not even sure if it is installed.

I can't see why the port would not install the additional radiator or ducting. The PK is a total kit designed to work together. I'm pretty sure now that the PK is not on the car I test drove. I will investigate further and report back though.

[jimk]

In the pictures, the radiator fins are exposed to road debris which is thrown towards them at high speeds by the rotation of the tires. Didn't the kit include a louver such as the one used behind the stock oil cooler seen in the picture below?

[marcel b]

here the promised pictures. The sicker under the hood is quite clear
also see all the additional tubes, relays and other parts. The radiator is photographed looking into the left front intake in front of the front wheel. I think there is also a new plate in the wheel arches with openings to let air out.

[r1200c/335i/318ti]

Excellent pictures; Marcel!

Thank you!

[767jetz]

Well, I went back to my dealer and confirmed that the PK was definitely NOT installed in the car I test drove. The sales manager actually thanked me because according to him they were charged by the port to install it.

I just can't believe that some dealerships can be THAT uninformed about their products. They were actually advertising that car as their "test car" for prospective PK buyers. UNbelievable!

[r1200c/335i/318ti]

Well, I am not surprised.

Well, according to two dealerships; the PK will be available end of November, in the US, that is.

[marcel b]

Originally Posted by 767jetz

Well, I went back to my dealer and confirmed that the PK was definitely NOT installed in the car I test drove. The sales manager actually thanked me because according to him they were charged by the port to install it.

I just can't believe that some dealerships can be THAT uninformed about their products. They were actually advertising that car as their "test car" for prospective PK buyers. UNbelievable!

HAHAHA, you are joking me. That is really unbelievable It also explains why you where not that excited Hope you manage to get a testdrive in a "real one".

[cstavaru]

Originally Posted by 767jetz

Well, I went back to my dealer and confirmed that the PK was definitely NOT installed in the car I test drove.

Well, according to your review now we know that the manual non x-drive car si significantly faster than the automatic x-drive

[marcel b]

Originally Posted by cstavaru

Well, according to your review now we know that the manual non x-drive car si significantly faster than the automatic x-drive

true as well

By the way. You made some other mods to yours? Airintake / filter? what about an IC? I am thinking to get myself a HELIX

[enrita]

anybody tested the boost with the Performance kit ? An IC would definetely be an excellent upgrade for this. consistant power across all temperatures ranges and probably an additional 10 rwhp.

[767jetz]

Originally Posted by marcel b

Hope you manage to get a testdrive in a "real one".

I think the first one I will be able to test drive will be mine. I just ordered the kit yesterday. There is supposed to be one available in the US right now. The parts should arrive in a couple of days. Otherwise it will have to be ordered from Germany, and then who knows when it will arrive.

I was actually relieved to find out that the car I test drove did not have the PK. It certainly explained why I was underwhelmed. I think any difference I perceived was mostly due to the weight difference and the "placebo" effect.

I went back and looked at the gear ratio differences between the MT and AT and saw that the AT is geared lower (numerically higher) than the MT which explains why my car feels faster off the line. Most of the perceived increase I noticed in the test car was in the mid range. My car is also weighted down with an extra 100+lbs of car seats, strollers, and baby paraphernalia.

On a side note, not related to the PK, I also noticed a more pronounced hesitation for the turbo to spool up in the MT, most likely due to the taller gear ratio compared to the AT. I wouldn't really call it turbo lag for fear of starting that debate here on this thread. It was very minor but still it was noticeable. And I've driven cars with real turbo lag, so let's not go there.

[cstavaru]

Originally Posted by 767jetz

On a side note, not related to the PK, I also noticed a more pronounced hesitation for the turbo to spool up in the MT, most likely due to the taller gear ratio compared to the AT. I wouldn't really call it turbo lag for fear of starting that debate here on this thread. It was very minor but still it was noticeable.

That is indeed turbo lag, well known to the manual transmission owners. The automatics manage to hold the boost between shifts and only have turbo lag when accelerating from low RPMs, but in the manuals the boost drops significantly from a few PSI to even vacuum between shifts and then it has to rebuild. That's why dragtimes.com lists very few manuals on top. However I noticed that lately the tuners (especially Vishnu) have some fixes for this. This may explain how a manual transmission car managed a 11.95s quarter mile time at dragtimes.com a few days ago.

The Power Kit improves this quite a bit in all gears, but only if you use 93 (98RON) or better fuel. With 100RON fuel the lag is almost gone.

[stressdoc]

I will be interested to see how a 335 does w/ Perf kit, DPs, FMIC, and a boost increaser like JB+.

[767jetz]

Originally Posted by cstavaru

he automatics manage to hold the boost between shifts and only have turbo lag when accelerating from low RPMs, but in the manuals the boost drops significantly from a few PSI to even vacuum between shifts and then it has to rebuild.

The Power Kit improves this quite a bit in all gears, but only if you use 93 (98RON) or better fuel. With 100RON fuel the lag is almost gone.

Interesting. What about if you power shift. Wouldn't the N54 stay on boost in that case? Or is the DME smart enough to see the clutch position and retard boost levels in that fraction of a second between gears?

In my reckless youth I used to drag race Mustangs and the best ET's were had by power shifting. The accelerator never came off the floor and the clutch was "kicked" very quickly at each shift. Of course this shortened the life of the synchros, especially 2nd and 3rd. The Borg Warner T5 was a stout unit but was known for premature 3rd gear failure on cars shifted hard. (I found that out first hand!)

But back on topic... I can see why having a torque converter is an advantage on these cars as the AT will keep the N54 on boost between shifts. On my test drive I noticed the difference compared to my AT at throttle tip in at around 2000 RPM in first and second gear when the engine should be making full torque. It was very minor but noticeable and I do think it is at least more pronounced on the MT due to the gearing. On the AT the torque converter is locked by 2000 rpm and I don't feel the same hesitation.

I'm definitely looking forward to the PK. I only use 93 octane, the highest available in the US without resorting to special racing fuels that are only available at very very few select locations. Which brings me to another thought. It is possible that the dealership put 87 octane in the tank, thinking that since it's a demo car and still being broken in, the reduced performance would be acceptable. It wouldn't surprise me at all.

[767jetz]

Went back to the dealer today. They confirmed what I already knew. The car I test drove did not have the PK installed. They claim to be getting another one in a week or two. We'll see.

[r1200c/335i/318ti]

Originally Posted by 767jetz

Went back to the dealer today. They confirmed what I already knew. The car I test drove did not have the PK installed. They claim to be getting another one in a week or two. We'll see.

This is just too funny!

[767jetz]

Funny but sad.