Failed NYS Emissions, AA N52 Header Tune: BEWARE

JuniorB · 08-26-2016, 05:52 AM

There should have been a clause that it would everything they claimed it would be,customer satisfaction!

W37V · 08-26-2016, 07:03 AM

They do disclose it. They say that this tune is for off road use only. They do no guarantee that you will pass emissions.

I feel bad for OP, but when you purchased the tune you did get the paper about the use and emissions.

I have been running AA headers for almost a year now with no issues. Prior to swapping them, I did emissions and registered the car for two years with the idea that once the time comes to register the car again, I will have to revert back to stock tune and headers. Yes it's pain, but then again, driving on public roads with altered emission equipment is in violation of EPA regulations (it's against the law).

jpregione · 08-26-2016, 09:03 AM

W37V is right, they do disclose that it is for offroad use only, it's a shitty situation but a calculated risk. The issue I see in this case is that "customer satisfaction" in this situation is being measured by lack of desired results vs effort. I've dealt with AA for a year now and personally feel they have done a good job, they've tweaked my tune a few times when I've had some concerns. From what I've read they've made an effort to assist, it's not like they ignored your phone calls the day after you paid them. If anything this thread should be more informative to other owners to avoid similar frustrations vs AA bashing. Just my .02

mpaone23 · 08-26-2016, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpregione

W37V is right, they do disclose that it is for offroad use only, it's a shitty situation but a calculated risk. The issue I see in this case is that "customer satisfaction" in this situation is being measured by lack of desired results vs effort. I've dealt with AA for a year now and personally feel they have done a good job, they've tweaked my tune a few times when I've had some concerns. From what I've read they've made an effort to assist, it's not like they ignored your phone calls the day after you paid them. If anything this thread should be more informative to other owners to avoid similar frustrations vs AA bashing. Just my .02

They do disclose that the tune is for "offroad use", I get that. My issue is with customer satisfaction like you said as well. They did try to help me, but beyond sending me a few different tune files there really was not much else done. I made this thread purely to inform other members that this is not always plug and play and there is a chance you will not pass emissions. I dont believe I have bashed AA in any way, I am simply just letting the community know to think twice about doing these modifications if emissions is a concern.

jpregione · 08-26-2016, 09:17 AM

Maybe I should have worded it differently, I truly believe that you started this thread for information purposes and to get help but if you look at the trend of the thread it has gone from working with them, not too impressed, what happened to customer service. Not saying you made all those statements, just pointing out where the frustration has taken this. By the way, today I am removing my headers and putting on oem manifolds, registration and emissions are due Wednesday. Wasn't trying to offend you mpaone23, just pointing out where I see the thread has gone.

mpaone23 · 08-26-2016, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpregione

Maybe I should have worded it differently, I truly believe that you started this thread for information purposes and to get help but if you look at the trend of the thread it has gone from working with them, not too impressed, what happened to customer service. Not saying you made all those statements, just pointing out where the frustration has taken this. By the way, today I am removing my headers and putting on oem manifolds, registration and emissions are due Wednesday. Wasn't trying to offend you mpaone23, just pointing out where I see the thread has gone.

Exactlyyy. It started as a help needed thread and turned into an informative one for the community. I am not offended at all more so just frustrated and disappointed. I think AA makes a good quality product, the headers were great when paired with the 3 stage manifold and tune which I truly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone that is not concerned with emissions because it totally transformed the car. I unfortunately had a bad experience which would make it very hard for me to use their products again.

3002 tii · 08-26-2016, 10:11 AM

I've never had issues getting all but 1 readiness to clear but I recently cleared codes as well and am not able to get past oxygen and catalyst. I've out on 200 miles or so in different driving conditions. The car has successfully passed emissions in both NY and CT. Only thing I can think of is not refilling the tank in those 200 miles. But I haven't touched the car (hardware or software) in the last few months.

mpaone23 · 08-26-2016, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

I've never had issues getting all but 1 readiness to clear but I recently cleared codes as well and am not able to get past oxygen and catalyst. I've out on 200 miles or so in different driving conditions. The car has successfully passed emissions in both NY and CT. Only thing I can think of is not refilling the tank in those 200 miles. But I haven't touched the car (hardware or software) in the last few months.

Not refilling your tank in the 200 miles you have driven should not make a difference if your EVAP monitor is already complete. As far as I know the o2 monitor and cat monitor would be totally unrelated to the fill level of the gas tank. If you have not already completed the BMW specific drive cycle try that. To set the o2 monitor it would be driving 20-30mph for 3 min 15 sec without braking. I posted a PDF of the procedure in post #48 in this thread. Hopefully this helps and you are able to get it to set!

David@ActiveAutowerke · 08-26-2016, 11:02 AM

Hi all,

We have a great amount of time invested in to the N52 platform but perhaps we need to clarify what we are offering with our software packages. The O2 bypass was meant as an offroad use option that deletes the annoying CEL when catless headers are installed. It is not sold as an option to pass any state emissions. Our software engineers have attempted to help some customers achieve readiness but unfortunately their voluntary efforts are now being interpreted as broken promises.

We don't believe in the philosophy of delivering a product with the strict conditions of "nothing more nothing less" because at the end of the day we are enthusiasts as well and we all have passion for what we do. I will be modifying our website to clarify the specifics of the O2 bypass so that there is no more confusion.

3002 tii · 08-29-2016, 08:54 AM

OP have u checked out your battery? Low voltage could be culprit if o2 and catalyst both are not clearing.

mpaone23 · 08-29-2016, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3002 tii

OP have u checked out your battery? Low voltage could be culprit if o2 and catalyst both are not clearing.

I had a new battery installed and registered at my local BMW dealer this past December so I would find it hard to believe if this was the issue. Regardless, I am done trying to figure it out because I have have run out of time. My OEM manifolds should be arriving today so I will be installing them and flashing just the normal 3-stage manifold tune.

RyanDavies · 08-29-2016, 12:19 PM

Related to the "they don't claim to xxx" response.

Viral at Active Autowerke promised me, many times, in writing, that the DBW lag / hang would be resolved with their tune, along with a raised rev limiter (to 7200). The first tune I got from them had neither of the above, and I was told that "well, other people have never had these issues". I knew that to be false. The second tune had the limiter fixed, but not the DBW hang. Which is AWFUL. They denied taht it was an issue, and at this point, I asked for my money back. I got end-arounded and had communication ignored for weeks on end. They denied that it happened to anything else, yet BOTH other STX 128s competing in the country also have this issue. I switched to Randy Mueller at EPIC, and the issue was solved.

AA just wants to make money with as low effort as they can. That's fine and enough for 99% of folks out there who just want an inexpensive product to get some degree of result. But the poor integrity really showed through with my interactions. I didn't make a fuss on forums, I didn't try to give bad press, I didn't do anything other than expect what was promised to me. I'm out several hundred dollars and a ton of my time dealing with it.

Viral@ActiveAutowerke · 09-02-2016, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyanDavies

Related to the "they don't claim to xxx" response.

Viral at Active Autowerke promised me, many times, in writing, that the DBW lag / hang would be resolved with their tune, along with a raised rev limiter (to 7200). The first tune I got from them had neither of the above, and I was told that "well, other people have never had these issues". I knew that to be false. The second tune had the limiter fixed, but not the DBW hang. Which is AWFUL. They denied taht it was an issue, and at this point, I asked for my money back. I got end-arounded and had communication ignored for weeks on end. They denied that it happened to anything else, yet BOTH other STX 128s competing in the country also have this issue. I switched to Randy Mueller at EPIC, and the issue was solved.

AA just wants to make money with as low effort as they can. That's fine and enough for 99% of folks out there who just want an inexpensive product to get some degree of result. But the poor integrity really showed through with my interactions. I didn't make a fuss on forums, I didn't try to give bad press, I didn't do anything other than expect what was promised to me. I'm out several hundred dollars and a ton of my time dealing with it.

Hey Ryan,

I thought we had this issue resolved in our last E-Mail conversation back in the beginning of April of this year. As you can imagine I am a little surprised to see this post since you said "you had no intention of going online and bashing Active" but, simply wanted to go with another tuner of your choice based on personal preference. Customers usually rave about the differences in throttle feeling after our tune and our multiple positive reviews on this forum support this and im sure many members will as well. If you any unresolved issues you can always contact me directly. My phone number is 305-233-9300 Ext 232 and E-mail is still the same Viral@activeautowerke.com

RyanDavies · 09-03-2016, 08:10 AM

I wasn't going to say anything when you'd told me you'd give my money back, then decided not to.

I wasn't going to keep losing hundreds / thousands of dollars running events on a fucked up tune that wasn't as promised waiting on a fix.

Any reason you lied to Kyle, myself, and Terry repeatedly about the DBW hang either? Then telling me "nobody" else had this issue, repeatedly?

Ruddigger · 09-03-2016, 11:42 AM

JuniorB · 09-08-2016, 05:59 PM

I thought the header tune was just for the light and minor air/fuel mixture? It says not readiness,I thought the rest was up to the owner? Did you try then54 downpipie fix? Hope it all works out for you.

3002 tii · 09-08-2016, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuniorB

I thought the header tune was just for the light and minor air/fuel mixture? It says not readiness,I thought the rest was up to the owner? Did you try then54 downpipie fix? Hope it all works out for you.

The off road tune option is supposed to handle readiness

hassmaschine · 09-08-2016, 11:43 PM

No it doesnt. AA even says it wont. Thats why its an off road tune.

JuniorB · 09-10-2016, 09:03 AM

Sounds like there are other issues with the car, you could have bad sensors, crossed wires,and defently misunderstood what this tune does. Wasn't AA one of the first to make this tune? Your car should say o2 not ready,well hops it goes well for you.

mpaone23 · 09-13-2016, 12:27 PM

UPDATE: I removed the headers last week and installed the OEM manifolds. After about 20 miles of normal driving all of the I/M monitors were ready, and I got my car inspected yesterday with no problem.

Soooo there were zero other issues with my car, I did not have bad sensors, and I did not have any wires crossed (I swapped the sensors in the same order I had them on the AA headers). Moral of the story here is that if you want to pass the emissions portion of your inspection with the AA headers and tune, its a good chance you will not.

On that note, who wants the headers? I will be posting them for sale this week after I take pictures. Who is going to beat TheAxiom to the punch? PM me with offers

Taskmaster · 09-13-2016, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpaone23

UPDATE: I removed the headers last week and installed the OEM manifolds. After about 20 miles of normal driving all of the I/M monitors were ready, and I got my car inspected yesterday with no problem.

Soooo there were zero other issues with my car, I did not have bad sensors, and I did not have any wires crossed (I swapped the sensors in the same order I had them on the AA headers). Moral of the story here is that if you want to pass the emissions portion of your inspection with the AA headers and tune, its a good chance you will not.

On that note, who wants the headers? I will be posting them for sale this week after I take pictures. Who is going to beat TheAxiom to the punch? PM me with offers

Heartbreak... :-/

rick100 · 09-13-2016, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpaone23

UPDATE: I removed the headers last week and installed the OEM manifolds. After about 20 miles of normal driving all of the I/M monitors were ready, and I got my car inspected yesterday with no problem.

Soooo there were zero other issues with my car, I did not have bad sensors, and I did not have any wires crossed (I swapped the sensors in the same order I had them on the AA headers). Moral of the story here is that if you want to pass the emissions portion of your inspection with the AA headers and tune, its a good chance you will not.

On that note, who wants the headers? I will be posting them for sale this week after I take pictures. Who is going to beat TheAxiom to the punch? PM me with offers

or you could ve found a shop that can make you pass the emission test and keep the headers for another 2 years ...

I had headers on my last car and finding the right shop to do it was never a problem . As a matter of fact I already have a couple of shops that can do my car in case I ran into problems , if I decide to keep the car for 2 more years. I don't see how it would be a big problem in the NY. I had to pay like 120 $ last time I did it on my old civic plus the emission cost, but it was cheaper than removing it and I kept the power in my baby

08-26-2016, 05:52 AM	#67
JuniorB Major 185 Rep 1,017 Posts Drives: 07 e60 525 N54 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Rhode Island iTrader: (0)	There should have been a clause that it would everything they claimed it would be,customer satisfaction!
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08-26-2016, 07:03 AM	#68
W37V [Oo=\|\|=oO] 1103 Rep 2,470 Posts Drives: e92n52 & f15n57 Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: DMV iTrader: (0)	They do disclose it. They say that this tune is for off road use only. They do no guarantee that you will pass emissions. I feel bad for OP, but when you purchased the tune you did get the paper about the use and emissions. I have been running AA headers for almost a year now with no issues. Prior to swapping them, I did emissions and registered the car for two years with the idea that once the time comes to register the car again, I will have to revert back to stock tune and headers. Yes it's pain, but then again, driving on public roads with altered emission equipment is in violation of EPA regulations (it's against the law).
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-26-2016, 09:03 AM	#69
jpregione Private 12 Rep 85 Posts Drives: 2009 E90 328i Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: San Tan Valley Arizona iTrader: (1)	W37V is right, they do disclose that it is for offroad use only, it's a shitty situation but a calculated risk. The issue I see in this case is that "customer satisfaction" in this situation is being measured by lack of desired results vs effort. I've dealt with AA for a year now and personally feel they have done a good job, they've tweaked my tune a few times when I've had some concerns. From what I've read they've made an effort to assist, it's not like they ignored your phone calls the day after you paid them. If anything this thread should be more informative to other owners to avoid similar frustrations vs AA bashing. Just my .02
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-26-2016, 09:17 AM	#71
jpregione Private 12 Rep 85 Posts Drives: 2009 E90 328i Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: San Tan Valley Arizona iTrader: (1)	Maybe I should have worded it differently, I truly believe that you started this thread for information purposes and to get help but if you look at the trend of the thread it has gone from working with them, not too impressed, what happened to customer service. Not saying you made all those statements, just pointing out where the frustration has taken this. By the way, today I am removing my headers and putting on oem manifolds, registration and emissions are due Wednesday. Wasn't trying to offend you mpaone23, just pointing out where I see the thread has gone.
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08-26-2016, 10:11 AM	#73
3002 tii Lieutenant General 2286 Rep 12,565 Posts Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (99) Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75] E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.24]	I've never had issues getting all but 1 readiness to clear but I recently cleared codes as well and am not able to get past oxygen and catalyst. I've out on 200 miles or so in different driving conditions. The car has successfully passed emissions in both NY and CT. Only thing I can think of is not refilling the tank in those 200 miles. But I haven't touched the car (hardware or software) in the last few months. __________________ Follow for latest mods
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08-26-2016, 11:02 AM	#75
David@ActiveAutowerke BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 813 Rep 526 Posts Drives: M2 Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Miami, FL iTrader: (0)	Hi all, We have a great amount of time invested in to the N52 platform but perhaps we need to clarify what we are offering with our software packages. The O2 bypass was meant as an offroad use option that deletes the annoying CEL when catless headers are installed. It is not sold as an option to pass any state emissions. Our software engineers have attempted to help some customers achieve readiness but unfortunately their voluntary efforts are now being interpreted as broken promises. We don't believe in the philosophy of delivering a product with the strict conditions of "nothing more nothing less" because at the end of the day we are enthusiasts as well and we all have passion for what we do. I will be modifying our website to clarify the specifics of the O2 bypass so that there is no more confusion.
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08-29-2016, 08:54 AM	#76
3002 tii Lieutenant General 2286 Rep 12,565 Posts Drives: Z4 M, X5, GX460 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: CT iTrader: (99) Garage List F15 X5 xDrive35i [8.75] E86 Z4 M [10.00] F10 550i (Retired) [9.17] F25 X3 xDrive35i (R ... [9.43] E82 135is (Retired) [9.50] E85 Z4 M (Retired) [9.41] E90 328i xDrive (Re ... [9.25] E86 Z4 3.0si (Retired) [9.24]	OP have u checked out your battery? Low voltage could be culprit if o2 and catalyst both are not clearing. __________________ Follow for latest mods
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08-29-2016, 12:19 PM	#78
RyanDavies Lieutenant 63 Rep 448 Posts Drives: 2012 128i MSport Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Washington, DC iTrader: (2)	Related to the "they don't claim to xxx" response. Viral at Active Autowerke promised me, many times, in writing, that the DBW lag / hang would be resolved with their tune, along with a raised rev limiter (to 7200). The first tune I got from them had neither of the above, and I was told that "well, other people have never had these issues". I knew that to be false. The second tune had the limiter fixed, but not the DBW hang. Which is AWFUL. They denied taht it was an issue, and at this point, I asked for my money back. I got end-arounded and had communication ignored for weeks on end. They denied that it happened to anything else, yet BOTH other STX 128s competing in the country also have this issue. I switched to Randy Mueller at EPIC, and the issue was solved. AA just wants to make money with as low effort as they can. That's fine and enough for 99% of folks out there who just want an inexpensive product to get some degree of result. But the poor integrity really showed through with my interactions. I didn't make a fuss on forums, I didn't try to give bad press, I didn't do anything other than expect what was promised to me. I'm out several hundred dollars and a ton of my time dealing with it.
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09-03-2016, 08:10 AM	#80
RyanDavies Lieutenant 63 Rep 448 Posts Drives: 2012 128i MSport Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Washington, DC iTrader: (2)	I wasn't going to say anything when you'd told me you'd give my money back, then decided not to. I wasn't going to keep losing hundreds / thousands of dollars running events on a fucked up tune that wasn't as promised waiting on a fix. Any reason you lied to Kyle, myself, and Terry repeatedly about the DBW hang either? Then telling me "nobody" else had this issue, repeatedly?
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09-03-2016, 11:42 AM	#81
Ruddigger Major 694 Rep 1,302 Posts Drives: 2012 E91 Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	__________________ My build thread. It's a wagon with stuff on it.
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09-08-2016, 05:59 PM	#82
JuniorB Major 185 Rep 1,017 Posts Drives: 07 e60 525 N54 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Rhode Island iTrader: (0)	I thought the header tune was just for the light and minor air/fuel mixture? It says not readiness,I thought the rest was up to the owner? Did you try then54 downpipie fix? Hope it all works out for you.
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09-08-2016, 11:43 PM	#84
hassmaschine Major General 3973 Rep 7,215 Posts Drives: "NBO" 330i Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: earth iTrader: (0)	No it doesnt. AA even says it wont. Thats why its an off road tune.
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09-10-2016, 09:03 AM	#85
JuniorB Major 185 Rep 1,017 Posts Drives: 07 e60 525 N54 Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Rhode Island iTrader: (0)	Sounds like there are other issues with the car, you could have bad sensors, crossed wires,and defently misunderstood what this tune does. Wasn't AA one of the first to make this tune? Your car should say o2 not ready,well hops it goes well for you.
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09-13-2016, 12:27 PM	#86
mpaone23 Second Lieutenant 37 Rep 199 Posts Drives: 2012 BMW 335i xDrive Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Syracuse, NY iTrader: (5)	UPDATE: I removed the headers last week and installed the OEM manifolds. After about 20 miles of normal driving all of the I/M monitors were ready, and I got my car inspected yesterday with no problem. Soooo there were zero other issues with my car, I did not have bad sensors, and I did not have any wires crossed (I swapped the sensors in the same order I had them on the AA headers). Moral of the story here is that if you want to pass the emissions portion of your inspection with the AA headers and tune, its a good chance you will not. On that note, who wants the headers? I will be posting them for sale this week after I take pictures. Who is going to beat TheAxiom to the punch? PM me with offers
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