E90Post
 


Coby Wheel
 
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Powertrain and Drivetrain Discussions > N54 Turbo Engine / Drivetrain / Exhaust Modifications - 335i > Open Flash Tablet Review - came from JB4



Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      08-07-2013, 09:36 AM   #1
n54door
Banned
87
Rep
808
Posts

Drives: 09' 135i 6AT FBO - MHD Tuned
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DFW

iTrader: (5)

Open Flash Tablet Review - came from JB4

Quick background - I've had my 08 135i (6mt) for about a year, 100% stock at the time of purchase. The first mod and only mod I have purchased up to this point has been the Jb4 Piggy Back unit. As soon as I installed it, I put a few gallons of e85in and set it to Map 5. Wow! The car pulled strong and roasted my new set of Hankooks in less than 5k miles. Now, I NEED TIRES!

Got some Michellin PSS's and traction was no longer an issue. The car ran great, but I have to say, it didn't run great every time I hit the gas. The JB4, while a great value for the $, had it's issues. I know the G5 helps in many areas, but it's still hacking the ECU and for this reason it will never be a consistent tune.

JB4 Likes:
- Gauge hacking - Boost gauge, in dash code reading, gauge sweep on start-up
- On the fly map switching
- Autotone Map

Dislikes:
- Inconsistent power delivery. It sometimes hit the power band hard, and sometimes it felt like it was dragging a bit. It also fluttered a bit throughout the powerband. It had it's moods.
- The power seemed to shutter between shifts for some reason. It would occaisionally fall on it's face unless I shifted extremely fast. I'm not trying to race every time I hit the pedal though, so this was a major turn-off.
- In 6th gear, lightly pressing the pedal to change lanes, it would boost higher than necessary, yet the car would not move much. I would need to down shift to gain a little speed with little pedal effort. It seemed to be pushing more air, but not delivering the power to the wheels as you'd expect at 12-15lbs of boost at 2500rpms.

At the end of the day, I recognize the JB4 is mostly a boost controller that is essentially hacking the ECU outside of it's normal operating values. And because of this design, it has power delays and inconsistencies. This is not ideal for my daily driver.


Now - I have for the first time flashed my ECU with the Open Flash Tablet - Stage 1 OFT map. After a few days of driving around with it (no JB4 - uninstalled), here are my thoughts.

I should note, I've had a Cobb AP on my last ride (STi - built engine, upgraded fuel, turbo, etc) and even had it pro-tuned. It's not apples to apples to a BMW, but it is worth noting that the Cobb OTS flash, and even had Cobb Pro-tune it, compared to the previous OpenSource tune I had it was a bit watered down. Wasn't impressive to me at all, albeit safe, just not as fun and didn't perform to my expectations for the setup I had. Having this experience has kept me from installing a Cobb on the BMW.

Back to this OF Tab - The very first thing I noticed was how responsive the throttle was just putting around town in the lower RPM range. The best I describe it as is it felt like I had a V8 under the hood. The low end power was night and day, no joke.

I mashed the pedal after she warmed up and felt the power all the way to redline. It was extremely smooth, and had no fluttering at all. I shifted to second and the power transitioned smoothly without any hesitation like I experienced with the JB4.

Simply put, the car felt like it was stock with regard to the consistency and smoothness of the power band, only MUCH faster.

This is all I ever wanted in my daily driver.

On the highway, I barely push the pedal in 6th gear to pass a car and it immediately, and i mean IMMEDIATELY pulls without hesitation or fluttering. With the JB4, you would hear the turbos spool but it just wouldn't get up an go. You had to either downshift or push the pedal more.

All around, it is the most driveable tune I have had and am thoroughly pleased.

She feels faster, smoother, and much more consistent. Every time I floored it, it feels the same as the last time I floored it - aside from a little heat soaking in this 100+ Texas heat - it is unbelievably consistent.

And, with all the current and planned features for the OF tablet, and I know I will have all the features that I had on the Jb4 and then some. So all and all, for the money - it is an absolute steal and a huge upgrade from the JB4.

Way to go Shiv/Vishnu - I am impressed!

Sorry for the long post - I just wanted to provide all my thoughts for consideration. Thanks guys!

Last edited by n54door; 08-07-2013 at 11:14 AM..
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 10:10 AM   #2
mex2309
Lieutenant
mex2309's Avatar
United_States
41
Rep
428
Posts

Drives: '10 335i MSport X-Drive AW
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: PA

iTrader: (2)

Good review... makes me want one.
__________________
M-Sport|OFT Tune|PE Exhaust|VRSF CP|Coded/Alpina Flash|15% Tint|Cyba 3.8 Chrome Tips|Splitters|Lux H8 160|M3 Spoiler Lip|Gloss Black Grille|12mm Spacers F/R
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 10:14 AM   #3
Dark9T
Captain
Dark9T's Avatar
United_States
26
Rep
660
Posts

Drives: 2010 Red 335i E92 AT
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: las vegas

iTrader: (0)

Nice review..
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 10:30 AM   #4
lol slow
2BRK4M3
United_States
13
Rep
258
Posts

Drives: 2007 335i Autotragic
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Cleveland, Ohio

iTrader: (0)

great write up, hope this is all honest and true. Although I did have Cobb AP on my BMW and has nothing but issues, but that was do to having bad VANOS solenoids so I'd go into limp mode almost after every heavy pull. Either way, I just don't feel like Cobb would be a good match up for BMW as you have stated.

JBx is piggyback which isn't something I'm really into, I the OS Tablet looks very cool and the price is incredible. Can't wait till next week when I can purchase one without putting strain on my wallet. Hopefully I have the same experience as you did!
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 10:52 AM   #5
Mike@N54Tuning.com
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Canada
4902
Rep
115,955
Posts

Drives: 2007 335i, 2015 M3
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: N54tuning.com

iTrader: (89)

Thanks for the review but just to clear something up the way the G4 operates and the way the G5 ISO operates are completely different. Inconsistent power delivery and lag during manual shifts were not uncommon G4 complaints which lead to the G5 ISO development. Also for what it's worth I expect at some point in the future the JB4 will be able to flash your DME directly so you get the best of both worlds with it.

Mike
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 10:55 AM   #6
e90inAZ
Private
e90inAZ's Avatar
7
Rep
65
Posts

Drives: '14 S1000RR
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Tucson, AZ

iTrader: (0)

Great review!

Maybe I missed it, but what are your mods and what map did you select on the OFT?
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 10:59 AM   #7
marv85
Colonel
marv85's Avatar
70
Rep
2,626
Posts

Drives: '07 E92 335i MT
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Bay Area

iTrader: (7)

OpenFlash tablet
__________________
'07 E92 335i 6MT- HP650, inlets/outlets, ER FMIC, VRSF CP, LPFP stg2, CSF rad, 'is Aux rad, ER OC, Ohlins, M control arms, eibach front sway bar.
'05 C55 AMG
SOLD - '22 Tesla M3P | '10 E92 335i M, 6MT COBB, FBO, st2 LPFP, Mfactory LSD | '07 E90 335i, PTF COBB E50, FBO, HFS4
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 11:19 AM   #8
n54door
Banned
87
Rep
808
Posts

Drives: 09' 135i 6AT FBO - MHD Tuned
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DFW

iTrader: (5)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike@N54Tuning.com View Post
Thanks for the review but just to clear something up the way the G4 operates and the way the G5 ISO operates are completely different. Inconsistent power delivery and lag during manual shifts were not uncommon G4 complaints which lead to the G5 ISO development. Also for what it's worth I expect at some point in the future the JB4 will be able to flash your DME directly so you get the best of both worlds with it.

Mike
Thanks Mike. I agree, the G5 seems to solve some of the issues the JB4 users experienced. I was tempted to upgrade to it knowing this, but my decision on this round was based solely on flashing the ECU with a true performance map without having to purchase a Cobb unit (watered down OFT maps), or, ship the DME off, and ultimately, to let the DME do all of the math instead of tricking it. The latter allows for a more factory feel + performance.

Quote:
Originally Posted by e90inAZ View Post
Great review!

Maybe I missed it, but what are your mods and what map did you select on the OFT?
Updated the review. The car is stock aside from the Open Flash Tablet. Stage 1 flash.

Last edited by n54door; 08-07-2013 at 11:27 AM..
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 11:24 AM   #9
Mike@N54Tuning.com
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Canada
4902
Rep
115,955
Posts

Drives: 2007 335i, 2015 M3
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: N54tuning.com

iTrader: (89)

Quote:
Originally Posted by n54door View Post
Thanks Mike. I agree, the G5 seems to solve some of the issues the JB4 users experienced. I was tempted to upgrade to it knowing this, but my decision on this round was based solely on flashing the ECU with a true performance map without having to purchase a Cobb unit (watered down OFT maps), or, ship the DME off, and let the DME do all of the math.



Updated the review. The car is stock aside from the Open Flash Tablet. Stage 1 flash.
I completely agree. It's a shame up to this point you've had to purchase an expensive Cobb unit just to get the benefits of the BMS back end flash when using the JB4. I'm glad they finally took the steps to change that.

Mike
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 11:59 AM   #10
Wedge1967
Banned
United_States
125
Rep
2,172
Posts

Drives: '07 e92 AT Sport Montego Blue
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Portland, OR

iTrader: (3)

Great review. At the end of the day everyone has their opinion. I personally don't have experience with the JB products, but I have used COBB OTS and PROcede. I have to admit, the OFT (Open Flash Tablet) OTS maps are much better than COBBs. PROcede didn't have the same issues as JB and I was very happy with my PROcede. Just needed a change a pace to keep things interesting. It's nice to have options and Rombinhood and Shiv really knocked it out of the park. Great job guys...
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 11:59 AM   #11
Wedge1967
Banned
United_States
125
Rep
2,172
Posts

Drives: '07 e92 AT Sport Montego Blue
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Portland, OR

iTrader: (3)

Quote:
Originally Posted by marv85 View Post
OpenFlash tablet
FTW...
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 12:11 PM   #12
BD_F22
BD_e92
United_States
357
Rep
1,748
Posts

Drives: 2015 m235i xDrive
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC

iTrader: (9)

Seems about the same review from everyone getting an openflash tablet I myself have had nothing but fun since getting my tablet.. And to all those who try to knock the openflash in my opinion are just ignorant and probably havnt even driven in a oft car.. I honestly dont care about this supposed "free flash" thats coming out, i dont expect anything for free plus a "free flash" will not have the customer support that shiv and the whole vishnu team offer.. I have personally spoken to Shiv on a few different occasions and his customer service so far has been second to none. Anyway OP enjoy the tablet there are many great features and maps to come!
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 12:29 PM   #13
OpenFlash
United_States
1733
Rep
17,960
Posts

Drives: A Lot
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: SF Bay, CA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by n54door View Post
Quick background - I've had my 08 135i (6mt) for about a year, 100% stock at the time of purchase. The first mod and only mod I have purchased up to this point has been the Jb4 Piggy Back unit. As soon as I installed it, I put a few gallons of e85in and set it to Map 5. Wow! The car pulled strong and roasted my new set of Hankooks in less than 5k miles. Now, I NEED TIRES!

Got some Michellin PSS's and traction was no longer an issue. The car ran great, but I have to say, it didn't run great every time I hit the gas. The JB4, while a great value for the $, had it's issues. I know the G5 helps in many areas, but it's still hacking the ECU and for this reason it will never be a consistent tune.

JB4 Likes:
- Gauge hacking - Boost gauge, in dash code reading, gauge sweep on start-up
- On the fly map switching
- Autotone Map

Dislikes:
- Inconsistent power delivery. It sometimes hit the power band hard, and sometimes it felt like it was dragging a bit. It also fluttered a bit throughout the powerband. It had it's moods.
- The power seemed to shutter between shifts for some reason. It would occaisionally fall on it's face unless I shifted extremely fast. I'm not trying to race every time I hit the pedal though, so this was a major turn-off.
- In 6th gear, lightly pressing the pedal to change lanes, it would boost higher than necessary, yet the car would not move much. I would need to down shift to gain a little speed with little pedal effort. It seemed to be pushing more air, but not delivering the power to the wheels as you'd expect at 12-15lbs of boost at 2500rpms.

At the end of the day, I recognize the JB4 is mostly a boost controller that is essentially hacking the ECU outside of it's normal operating values. And because of this design, it has power delays and inconsistencies. This is not ideal for my daily driver.


Now - I have for the first time flashed my ECU with the Open Flash Tablet - Stage 1 OFT map. After a few days of driving around with it (no JB4 - uninstalled), here are my thoughts.

I should note, I've had a Cobb AP on my last ride (STi - built engine, upgraded fuel, turbo, etc) and even had it pro-tuned. It's not apples to apples to a BMW, but it is worth noting that the Cobb OTS flash, and even had Cobb Pro-tune it, compared to the previous OpenSource tune I had it was a bit watered down. Wasn't impressive to me at all, albeit safe, just not as fun and didn't perform to my expectations for the setup I had. Having this experience has kept me from installing a Cobb on the BMW.

Back to this OF Tab - The very first thing I noticed was how responsive the throttle was just putting around town in the lower RPM range. The best I describe it as is it felt like I had a V8 under the hood. The low end power was night and day, no joke.

I mashed the pedal after she warmed up and felt the power all the way to redline. It was extremely smooth, and had no fluttering at all. I shifted to second and the power transitioned smoothly without any hesitation like I experienced with the JB4.

Simply put, the car felt like it was stock with regard to the consistency and smoothness of the power band, only MUCH faster.

This is all I ever wanted in my daily driver.

On the highway, I barely push the pedal in 6th gear to pass a car and it immediately, and i mean IMMEDIATELY pulls without hesitation or fluttering. With the JB4, you would hear the turbos spool but it just wouldn't get up an go. You had to either downshift or push the pedal more.

All around, it is the most driveable tune I have had and am thoroughly pleased.

She feels faster, smoother, and much more consistent. Every time I floored it, it feels the same as the last time I floored it - aside from a little heat soaking in this 100+ Texas heat - it is unbelievably consistent.

And, with all the current and planned features for the OF tablet, and I know I will have all the features that I had on the Jb4 and then some. So all and all, for the money - it is an absolute steal and a huge upgrade from the JB4.

Way to go Shiv/Vishnu - I am impressed!

Sorry for the long post - I just wanted to provide all my thoughts for consideration. Thanks guys!

Thanks for the fantastic review. We really appreciate you taking the time to write that. Definitely working hard on this end to keep things moving forward
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 01:24 PM   #14
n54door
Banned
87
Rep
808
Posts

Drives: 09' 135i 6AT FBO - MHD Tuned
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: DFW

iTrader: (5)

Quote:
Originally Posted by shiv@vishnu View Post
Thanks for the fantastic review. We really appreciate you taking the time to write that. Definitely working hard on this end to keep things moving forward
Of course! Its sometimes hard to describe the differences between the options, so the review provides everyone an honest opinion of a driver's impression.

Thanks for all you do Shiv, I'm excited for the future of this project.

Last edited by n54door; 08-07-2013 at 02:38 PM.. Reason: spell check
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 02:01 PM   #15
Greekone
Private
United_States
0
Rep
54
Posts

Drives: E92 335i
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: CT

iTrader: (0)

This is probably a question for Shiv, but does anyone know if the OFT provides 2 step / flat foot shifting?
__________________
'09 E92 335i 6MT - Alpine White / Coral Red
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 04:54 PM   #16
CarEnthused
Lieutenant
CarEnthused's Avatar
77
Rep
439
Posts

Drives: GT4
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: KCMO

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greekone View Post
This is probably a question for Shiv, but does anyone know if the OFT provides 2 step / flat foot shifting?
That is a feature of the Procede that requires an additional module. Without an additional module, I don't believe it's possible. I could be wrong but at this time I don't think there's something available for the OFT to allow 2step and NLS.

You could always stack the OFT with the Procede, though and get what appears to be one of the best combinations of tunes available for our cars.
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 04:56 PM   #17
OpenFlash
United_States
1733
Rep
17,960
Posts

Drives: A Lot
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: SF Bay, CA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by tylerwillingham View Post
That is a feature of the Procede that requires an additional module. Without an additional module, I don't believe it's possible. I could be wrong but at this time I don't think there's something available for the OFT to allow 2step and NLS.

You could always stack the OFT with the Procede, though and get what appears to be one of the best combinations of tunes available for our cars.
That is correct

2-step/NLS is not supported by the OFT alone. It has no i/o to control additional relays/solenoids. That would be the job of the Procede.
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 05:06 PM   #18
klipseracer
Banned
United_States
219
Rep
3,012
Posts

Drives: 2007 E90 335i, 05 E46 330i
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Arizona

iTrader: (27)

Garage List
2007 335i  [0.00]
2005 330i  [0.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by shiv@vishnu View Post
That is correct

2-step/NLS is not supported by the OFT alone. It has no i/o to control additional relays/solenoids. That would be the job of the Procede.
Its possible to free up a pin on the DME and reprogram it for that purpose, however it would be much easier and faster to get a piggyback for sure.
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 05:13 PM   #19
OpenFlash
United_States
1733
Rep
17,960
Posts

Drives: A Lot
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: SF Bay, CA

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by klipseracer View Post
Its possible to free up a pin on the DME and reprogram it for that purpose, however it would be much easier and faster to get a piggyback for sure.
I was referring to the Tablet not having digital I/Os to control ignition relays. The factory DME, with some work, could have some outputs reassigned to control a relay. But like you said, that's a lot of work may not be worth it given other options.
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 05:32 PM   #20
mcpcolas
First Lieutenant
mcpcolas's Avatar
United_States
34
Rep
361
Posts

Drives: 2009 montego blue 335i xdrive
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: new jersey

iTrader: (0)

Alright alright fine, I'm sold, I'll order an OFT on Friday when I get my car back from the dealer.
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 06:08 PM   #21
AWil335i
Second Lieutenant
AWil335i's Avatar
12
Rep
281
Posts

Drives: 2007 E92 335i
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Indianapolis

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
How much E85 are you able to run?
__________________
07 E92 335I | JB4 G5 ISO | BMS E85 Flash | DCI | BMS DPs | Helix FMIC | Alpina TCU Flash | Walbro GLS392 | E70 | 429rwhp/474rwtq
|


Appreciate 0
      08-07-2013, 06:13 PM   #22
Bme30
Major
Bme30's Avatar
88
Rep
1,039
Posts

Drives: 335i coupe
Join Date: May 2010
Location: 'Merika'

iTrader: (2)

Garage List
2007 335i  [0.00]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike@N54Tuning.com
Also for what it's worth I expect at some point in the future the JB4 will be able to flash your DME directly so you get the best of both worlds with it.

Mike
This would be awesome!!!
Appreciate 0
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:27 PM.




e90post
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST