worth buying jb4 in 2023?

ee90 · 03-15-2023, 08:19 AM

Found a used jb4 with all the add ons included. I already have mhd working great no problem. My question is it worth buying a jb4 and flashing mhd as backend? Or better to just save my money and keep just a mhd tune? Doesn’t jb4 add in more fail safes then mhd and the stock dme? Also the 2 step relay sounds pretty cool and is something mhd doesn’t have. Any drivability or power concerns when going both? Does running both stacked make the car slower then with just mhd?

iqraceworks · 03-15-2023, 12:37 PM

I have no personal experience with JB4....I've always used MHD. Honestly, I don't know why anyone would mess around with all the wiring hassle with JB4 when you can literally flash an MHD tune in a couple of minutes....along with all of the logging features with MHD.

Maybe there are some advantages to JB4 that I'm not aware of....but it seems most everyone I see making big power is using MHD with a custom tune. It's easy, it's reliable, and has lots of custom settings you can tweak and tune to your liking.

oVeRdOsE. · 03-15-2023, 01:00 PM

Well, I bought a modded car, with a JB4 bluetooth and MHD back end flash.

the car had boost issue, and got on jb4tect, youtube and e90post.
And from what I read, MHD got so far in development, there's almost no reason to stick with jb4.

However, MHD is very good on packaged kit. The moment you want to go more custom, JB4 brings nice features for monitoring, street tuning and diagnostics.

This summer Ill run both, and see if there's any added value on keeping the JB4.

feuer · 03-15-2023, 04:38 PM

I use jb4 with custom tunes on both of mine n54tt and n54st and would absolutely keep using jb4 for the duration of the owhership. The free support I get is amazing. I was the fisrt to install m3 cluster over a decade a go and they worked with me on the scalling. They work with me on oil pressure gauge to be integrated. Also both cars have PI and they worked on the PI gauge scacalling and algoritam for the single turbo waste gate. Additionally the safety feature when Jb4 reverts everything back to stock is helpfull. Changing settings on the fly it's good too. I track these cars. Other people drive these cars. JB4 will remain.

GnomeChild · 03-19-2023, 11:46 AM

I was running both JB4 and had MHD BEF but MHD got developed so far and the e90 had a lot of upgrades from F series retrofitted and I don't see confirmation if a lot of the tunes/features/mods I want to run would be incompatible with JB4. It started after getting frustrated with my M3 cluster and it just snowballed from there until I removed the JB4 completely and reverted to stock flash via MHD. I plan on tuning using MHD only going forward once I have the rest of my mods ironed out, but I will miss the "on-the-fly" map switching and safety features inherently built into JB4. I'd say, if you're building a high performance track car that gets pushed to the limit, go with JB4+MHD BEF; if you're building a street car and don't need the extra JB4 features, stick with MHD standalone

Saif2018 · 03-19-2023, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GnomeChild

I was running both JB4 and had MHD BEF but MHD got developed so far and the e90 had a lot of upgrades from F series retrofitted and I don't see confirmation if a lot of the tunes/features/mods I want to run would be incompatible with JB4. It started after getting frustrated with my M3 cluster and it just snowballed from there until I removed the JB4 completely and reverted to stock flash via MHD. I plan on tuning using MHD only going forward once I have the rest of my mods ironed out, but I will miss the "on-the-fly" map switching and safety features inherently built into JB4. I'd say, if you're building a high performance track car that gets pushed to the limit, go with JB4+MHD BEF; if you're building a street car and don't need the extra JB4 features, stick with MHD standalone

MHD has on the fly map switching as well as rolling anti lag. Can't see any benefit to using JB4 over MHD nowadays.

GnomeChild · 03-19-2023, 05:21 PM

I should have sold JB4coin before the rug....

MHDcoin mooning

Leanped · 03-20-2023, 07:20 AM

I run MHD+ with a Reflex unit, and I can't think of any reason to have a JB4. The Reflex offers sequential PI and ethanol capabilities along with great boost control for single turbo cars in combination with MHD, which, as Saif said, has anti-lag and on-the-fly map switching. All the things that used to be JB4-only are starting to be available on both platforms.

With all the problems people have encountered on JB4, I'm pretty glad I didn't go that route.

feuer · 03-20-2023, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leanped

I run MHD+ with a Reflex unit, and I can't think of any reason to have a JB4. The Reflex offers sequential PI and ethanol capabilities along with great boost control for single turbo cars in combination with MHD, which, as Saif said, has anti-lag and on-the-fly map switching. All the things that used to be JB4-only are starting to be available on both platforms.

With all the problems people have encountered on JB4, I'm pretty glad I didn't go that route.

Can you monitor and log the PI ?

feuer · 03-20-2023, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GnomeChild

I should have sold JB4coin before the rug....

MHDcoin mooning

What was the issue with the m3 cluster?

GnomeChild · 03-20-2023, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by feuer

What was the issue with the m3 cluster?

I am running the newest JB4 firmware and I can't find the updated menu spreadsheet. I couldn't calibrate the JB4 for the M3 cluster and I just kept selecting random options in menu 5 until I gave up: none of them worked and all my links went to hell when N54tech switched to JB4tech. I was sitting frustrated in my car for nearly an hour until I said screw it and removed my JB4

More hassle than was worth personally, especially for a street car. I will probably miss how easy it was to log/bring up parameters over the Bluetooth connect kit but I can probably live without JB4. If the menu options for each firmware were easier to find, I probably wouldn't have removed it but it's just not worth it considering MHD seems to still developing strong

feuer · 03-20-2023, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GnomeChild

I am running the newest JB4 firmware and I can't find the updated menu spreadsheet. I couldn't calibrate the JB4 for the M3 cluster and I just kept selecting random options in menu 5 until I gave up: none of them worked and all my links went to hell when N54tech switched to JB4tech. I was sitting frustrated in my car for nearly an hour until I said screw it and removed my JB4

More hassle than was worth personally, especially for a street car. I will probably miss how easy it was to log/bring up parameters over the Bluetooth connect kit but I can probably live without JB4. If the menu options for each firmware were easier to find, I probably wouldn't have removed it but it's just not worth it considering MHD seems to still developing strong

I think I still have the old file that Terry sent me decade ago that works with 9k rpm. Few years back I mod the cluster to show 8k rpm. Works ok. I updated the chip and firmware too when I went PI. On both cars. No issue. Even if they are issues Terry and his team are great and help quickly.

GnomeChild · 03-20-2023, 11:41 PM

Terry is a solid guy and honestly one of the biggest aftermarket supports for the N54. BMS always had good products and I run a lot of their stuff on my car personally. No I am not sponsored, I just think the service is top notch and the products are good

Very budget oriented while still delivering good quality products. When they still shipped to California, everything felt right with the world

That being said; I'm sure my particular issues with my JB4 could have been ironed out if I reached out to Terry myself, but as I said before; JB4 became something that I viewed as maybe overkill for my mild street car. My overall experience has been pretty good and the logging/tracking is lightning quick with the Bluetooth connect kit, but like I said: maybe just a tad overkill for me.

If I ever pick up a 135i to convert into a track rat I will absolutely be using a JB4 however. Kinda debating if I should go through with selling mine at all especially since sourcing a replacement to ship to California will be a major pain down the line. Maybe I'll hold onto it just because now it's basically the "forbidden fruit"

TyroneShoelaces · 03-22-2023, 07:29 AM

I have a JB4 still sitting in the DME box and the usb cable snaked through into the glovebox. I unplugged it when I installed MHD and never looked back. My car would never request boost targets more than 14 psi no matter the map. No idea why. I figure it has no value to even pull out and sell.

I'm not sure what failsafes more it has. My car is still happy to go into limp mode or shut down cylinders for misfires if it's not happy. Still seems overly sensative.

03-15-2023, 08:19 AM	#1
ee90 Private First Class 11 Rep 100 Posts Drives: E90 335i, E90 335xi, E39 Join Date: May 2022 Location: Ottawa, ON iTrader: (0)	worth buying jb4 in 2023? Found a used jb4 with all the add ons included. I already have mhd working great no problem. My question is it worth buying a jb4 and flashing mhd as backend? Or better to just save my money and keep just a mhd tune? Doesn’t jb4 add in more fail safes then mhd and the stock dme? Also the 2 step relay sounds pretty cool and is something mhd doesn’t have. Any drivability or power concerns when going both? Does running both stacked make the car slower then with just mhd?
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03-15-2023, 12:37 PM	#2
iqraceworks Brigadier General 2001 Rep 3,731 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Missouri iTrader: (0)	I have no personal experience with JB4....I've always used MHD. Honestly, I don't know why anyone would mess around with all the wiring hassle with JB4 when you can literally flash an MHD tune in a couple of minutes....along with all of the logging features with MHD. Maybe there are some advantages to JB4 that I'm not aware of....but it seems most everyone I see making big power is using MHD with a custom tune. It's easy, it's reliable, and has lots of custom settings you can tweak and tune to your liking.
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03-15-2023, 01:00 PM	#3
oVeRdOsE. Lieutenant Colonel 2706 Rep 1,537 Posts Drives: F25 E91 Audi Avnt E90 Cayenne Join Date: May 2018 Location: mtl iTrader: (0)	Well, I bought a modded car, with a JB4 bluetooth and MHD back end flash. the car had boost issue, and got on jb4tect, youtube and e90post. And from what I read, MHD got so far in development, there's almost no reason to stick with jb4. However, MHD is very good on packaged kit. The moment you want to go more custom, JB4 brings nice features for monitoring, street tuning and diagnostics. This summer Ill run both, and see if there's any added value on keeping the JB4.
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03-15-2023, 04:38 PM	#4
feuer Major General 4276 Rep 9,206 Posts Drives: wife crazy! Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Chicago, IL iTrader: (5)	I use jb4 with custom tunes on both of mine n54tt and n54st and would absolutely keep using jb4 for the duration of the owhership. The free support I get is amazing. I was the fisrt to install m3 cluster over a decade a go and they worked with me on the scalling. They work with me on oil pressure gauge to be integrated. Also both cars have PI and they worked on the PI gauge scacalling and algoritam for the single turbo waste gate. Additionally the safety feature when Jb4 reverts everything back to stock is helpfull. Changing settings on the fly it's good too. I track these cars. Other people drive these cars. JB4 will remain.
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03-19-2023, 11:46 AM	#5
GnomeChild IN54NE 324 Rep 483 Posts Drives: e90 335i LCI M-Sport Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: California iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 BMW 335i [0.00]	I was running both JB4 and had MHD BEF but MHD got developed so far and the e90 had a lot of upgrades from F series retrofitted and I don't see confirmation if a lot of the tunes/features/mods I want to run would be incompatible with JB4. It started after getting frustrated with my M3 cluster and it just snowballed from there until I removed the JB4 completely and reverted to stock flash via MHD. I plan on tuning using MHD only going forward once I have the rest of my mods ironed out, but I will miss the "on-the-fly" map switching and safety features inherently built into JB4. I'd say, if you're building a high performance track car that gets pushed to the limit, go with JB4+MHD BEF; if you're building a street car and don't need the extra JB4 features, stick with MHD standalone __________________
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03-19-2023, 05:21 PM	#7
GnomeChild IN54NE 324 Rep 483 Posts Drives: e90 335i LCI M-Sport Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: California iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 BMW 335i [0.00]	I should have sold JB4coin before the rug.... MHDcoin mooning __________________
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03-20-2023, 07:20 AM	#8
Leanped New Member 9 Rep 29 Posts Drives: 2007 BMW 335i ST MT Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Minnesota iTrader: (0)	I run MHD+ with a Reflex unit, and I can't think of any reason to have a JB4. The Reflex offers sequential PI and ethanol capabilities along with great boost control for single turbo cars in combination with MHD, which, as Saif said, has anti-lag and on-the-fly map switching. All the things that used to be JB4-only are starting to be available on both platforms. With all the problems people have encountered on JB4, I'm pretty glad I didn't go that route.
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03-20-2023, 11:41 PM	#13
GnomeChild IN54NE 324 Rep 483 Posts Drives: e90 335i LCI M-Sport Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: California iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 BMW 335i [0.00]	Terry is a solid guy and honestly one of the biggest aftermarket supports for the N54. BMS always had good products and I run a lot of their stuff on my car personally. No I am not sponsored, I just think the service is top notch and the products are good Very budget oriented while still delivering good quality products. When they still shipped to California, everything felt right with the world That being said; I'm sure my particular issues with my JB4 could have been ironed out if I reached out to Terry myself, but as I said before; JB4 became something that I viewed as maybe overkill for my mild street car. My overall experience has been pretty good and the logging/tracking is lightning quick with the Bluetooth connect kit, but like I said: maybe just a tad overkill for me. If I ever pick up a 135i to convert into a track rat I will absolutely be using a JB4 however. Kinda debating if I should go through with selling mine at all especially since sourcing a replacement to ship to California will be a major pain down the line. Maybe I'll hold onto it just because now it's basically the "forbidden fruit" __________________
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03-22-2023, 07:29 AM	#14
TyroneShoelaces Captain 414 Rep 640 Posts Drives: E91 N54 swapped Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: FL iTrader: (0)	I have a JB4 still sitting in the DME box and the usb cable snaked through into the glovebox. I unplugged it when I installed MHD and never looked back. My car would never request boost targets more than 14 psi no matter the map. No idea why. I figure it has no value to even pull out and sell. I'm not sure what failsafes more it has. My car is still happy to go into limp mode or shut down cylinders for misfires if it's not happy. Still seems overly sensative.
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