[pulseheartbeat]

Hi guys,

I was hoping I could gain some valuable knowledge on remapping my 320d BMW.

It's currently outputting 177BHP and I have been pondering about remapping it after doing a LOT of reading on various forums.

I'm currently based in West London but willing to travel to get this done.

What sort of prices should I be expecting? are there any very well rated tuning companies out there?

Is there a difference between getting a direct remap from a tuning company compared to doing it yourself (a bluefin via OBD)?

Thanks folks!

[Aragorn30d]

theres no difference in theory between something like a bluefin and going to a tuner.

However the better tuners will tweak and adjust the map to maximise its performance on your car with your mods, rather than just loading on a one-size-fits-all map. They'll also be able to cast an expert eye over the car looking for any issues, and probably run the car up on the dyno before and after to check everything over and show you the improvements.

Certain tuners also tend to specialise in particular models, and so can often do a better job than a more generic firm, as they have more experience with what works and what doesnt on a particular model.

BWChiptune are based in London and are well known BMW tuners, so perhaps they're a decent option for you.

[pulseheartbeat]

Thank you for your informative reply!

I would have thought that there'd be no difference between a bluefin and a tuner. However I have read a few instances/spoke to a few people who describe it as a "piggy back" remap.

One thing that's swaying me towards bluefin is the ability to change maps back and forth myself (between services).

I had an offer from a company called ECU Power for £180 however if I was to opt for the tuning option, I would prefer to go to a reputable, known company that have proven results.

[pulseheartbeat]

Think I may go pick up a bluefin today..

I've also heard that if you're not happy with the "stock remap" they send you, you can ask for a modified map. Anyone have any experience with this?

[Digitalize]

There's a HUGE difference between a plug in box that fools the standard ECU and a full remap carried out on a dyno machine by a competent mapper.

Take it to Evolve, they're some of the best in the business for modern BMWs.

[bishbosh]

Originally Posted by Digitalize

There's a HUGE difference between a plug in box that fools the standard ECU and a full remap carried out on a dyno machine by a competent mapper.

Take it to Evolve, they're some of the best in the business for modern BMWs.

A Bluefin isn't one of those 'plug in' boxes at all, at least not like the ones that plug into the fuel rail.

It stores both the original map and a modified map and you can choose which map to write to the ECU, no fooling involved.

Admittedly the Bluefin map is a generic one based on the same model of car. Mapping the car on a dyno will nearly always be able to produce better results or more fine tuning, but the gains from the Bluefin are quite good

I've had one on mine for a couple of years.

[Aragorn30d]

Exactly. I hate those tuning boxes, pieces of crap.

Bluefin is not a tuning box. Its simply a handheld remapping tool, which you can use to flash the map onto your ECU and also to return it to standard any time you like. Its a Superchips product, so you get a Superchips remap and a handheld tool for loading it at your convenience.

There are bluefin-like tools from many different tuners, i wouldnt be surpirsed if Evolve had something similar.

[pulseheartbeat]

Decided to get it done by an independent tuner in the end who got the map by Elite Tuning.

The difference is amazing. I want to get it up on a Dyno though to see where the power curves are but you can definitely tell it's woken the car up.

[Digitalize]

I wouldn't bother with a remap unless it is carried out live, on a dyno. How else does the tuner know what he's changing is making any difference? It's all educated guessing.

[Aragorn30d]

Well its no different to the map BMW loads onto every car that rolls out the factory door is it?

Ok less money and time, but same principle, they'll have taken a car of the same model, produced a quality, safe tune using a dyno as you describe, and then simply load that onto every identical car as a stage 1 option.

As a principle it works well enough for "stage1" type tunes on stock cars, and is far superior to a nasty tuning box. Clearly it wont be able to extract every last bit from the car, but for some people thats acceptable. I suspect you'll also find that many tuners WITH a dyno will operate on a similar principle for the basic stage1 type mapping on otherwise unmodified stock cars. They might perform a small tweak or adjustment but in reality one standard 320d is going to be pretty much the same as the next standard 320d, so theres no point starting from scratch every time.