[N8N]

Not having the budget for the FMIC is no reason to hold off on getting the Cobb AP. The great thing about the Cobb is that you can run any of their OTS tunes - just hook the thing up to your laptop when you get it before trying to install it to the car and it will download the latest "menu" of tunes for your car.

Without FMIC you should be running one of the Stage 1 tunes; with no other mods but a FMIC you can run Stage 1 + FMIC tunes. Takes about half an hour to change. Hook up to a battery charger whenever you're flashing, a dead battery in the middle of a flash would be Really Bad(tm) but other than that no real issues.

Also, you can find used Cobb APs in the $6-700 range, and I got a 7" VRSF intercooler on their introductory special for a little over $400. Used parts are your friends, watch the for sale forums for part outs, the only reason I bought the VRSF new was it was in the ballpark of what I was seeing for e.g. used ETS coolers.

I'm running the VRSF and the Cobb Stage 1+FMIC Linear Aggressive tune (simply because the difference between 91 and 93 octane gas for me is irrelevant; most stations near me jump straight from 89 to 93 so I'm running 93 all the time anyway) and the car feels great.

If I were to do any more mods I would probably get an oil catch can and a larger/additional oil cooler for more longevity and longer intervals between walnut blasts. I'm not really going for all out power but just a nice quick car with good reliability and longevity. Any more functional mods will probably be a LSD if I come up with the money or upgraded suspension bits when my dampers finally give up.

I'm quite happy with the car as it is; it can hang with performance oriented cars but is still comfortable and luxurious and there's no features missing that I wish it would have. I could probably come up with a few if you made me think about it but it would definitely be the kind of thing that most people would smack me upside the head and mutter "first world problems!" if I verbalized them

[E90Company]

Originally Posted by N8N

Not having the budget for the FMIC is no reason to hold off on getting the Cobb AP. The great thing about the Cobb is that you can run any of their OTS tunes - just hook the thing up to your laptop when you get it before trying to install it to the car and it will download the latest "menu" of tunes for your car.

Without FMIC you should be running one of the Stage 1 tunes; with no other mods but a FMIC you can run Stage 1 + FMIC tunes. Takes about half an hour to change. Hook up to a battery charger whenever you're flashing, a dead battery in the middle of a flash would be Really Bad(tm) but other than that no real issues.

Also, you can find used Cobb APs in the $6-700 range, and I got a 7" VRSF intercooler on their introductory special for a little over $400. Used parts are your friends, watch the for sale forums for part outs, the only reason I bought the VRSF new was it was in the ballpark of what I was seeing for e.g. used ETS coolers.

I'm running the VRSF and the Cobb Stage 1+FMIC Linear Aggressive tune (simply because the difference between 91 and 93 octane gas for me is irrelevant; most stations near me jump straight from 89 to 93 so I'm running 93 all the time anyway) and the car feels great.

If I were to do any more mods I would probably get an oil catch can and a larger/additional oil cooler for more longevity and longer intervals between walnut blasts. I'm not really going for all out power but just a nice quick car with good reliability and longevity. Any more functional mods will probably be a LSD if I come up with the money or upgraded suspension bits when my dampers finally give up.

I'm quite happy with the car as it is; it can hang with performance oriented cars but is still comfortable and luxurious and there's no features missing that I wish it would have. I could probably come up with a few if you made me think about it but it would definitely be the kind of thing that most people would smack me upside the head and mutter "first world problems!" if I verbalized them

Map change with COBB takes all but 2 minutes

[N8N]

Originally Posted by E90Company

Map change with COBB takes all but 2 minutes

I think it's longer than that, but you're right, the half hour is to install/uninstall which I always do before it goes to a dealer for service. And if I need to pass someone on a two-lane after I've uninstalled the Cobb, it reminds me how glad I am I bought it

[enrita]

Keep it stock lol . Stock is so freaken slow that makes me think burning it down. Get a 330i?
And by the way there is nothing luxurious o confortable about this car. Get a 520d my2012 full optional and your back will thank u for it

[N8N]

Well it feels luxurious and comfortable to me... my DD for years was a Porsche 944, and before that it was a VW Scirocco with H&R Sports and Koni yellows

heck, the A/C even works on the 335i

[Koreyy]

Originally Posted by N8N

Well it feels luxurious and comfortable to me... my DD for years was a Porsche 944, and before that it was a VW Scirocco with H&R Sports and Koni yellows

heck, the A/C even works on the 335i

heyy how was porche 944? im thinking of beater and saw one around me with sale tag

[N8N]

If you've driven a BRZ they're very much like that.

They are kind of expensive to maintain, timing and balance belts are a @#$% and need to be done every 45K miles. Lot of fun to drive though.

Honestly if I had the dough and wanted a 944 I would buy a BRZ or FR-S instead, unless someone gave me an old 944 in nice condition.

This is one of those rare instances where I *don't* think about a car I used to have 10 or 15 years ago and grumble like an old fart about how they don't make 'em like they used to anymore - the FR-S/BRZ are fantastic little cars and you can buy them without selling any kidneys and get a warranty and everything. I was almost ready to buy one but I couldn't find one to test drive when I needed a car, that's how I ended up with a used 335i. It's a bit of an old guy car in comparison (but more practical!) but then again I'm almost 40 so whaddayagonnado.

[enrita]

Originally Posted by Koreyy

heyy how was porche 944? im thinking of beater and saw one around me with sale tag

Crappy car. Probably the worse porsche

[Koreyy]

Originally Posted by enrita

Crappy car. Probably the worse porsche

lol looks decent with new paint and everything! was lookin for del sol or miata tho haha

[N8N]

Originally Posted by enrita

(944) Crappy car. Probably the worse porsche

I disagree... it's not a "real Porsche" but it is a great car to drive. Probably the best balanced car they ever made, not much power though. Could drive it all year round though, best car I've ever had to drive in the snow (with winter tires that is.) Nice supportive seats, ergonomically very good, only quibbles were the horrible gauge lighting (got a LED kit for that) awful headlights (Cibies and a relay harness fixed that) and the cryptic climate controls, but being automatic, once you got them set right never had to touch them again. I also put Koni Yellows on that when the cheap Gabriel dampers the PO had installed crapped the bed, was very nice after that.

Then again, a new Boxster S is probably better in just about every way, although the 944 is going to be more stable/less nimble due to the higher polar moment.

[Koreyy]

Originally Posted by N8N

If you've driven a BRZ they're very much like that.

They are kind of expensive to maintain, timing and balance belts are a @#$% and need to be done every 45K miles. Lot of fun to drive though.

Honestly if I had the dough and wanted a 944 I would buy a BRZ or FR-S instead, unless someone gave me an old 944 in nice condition.

This is one of those rare instances where I *don't* think about a car I used to have 10 or 15 years ago and grumble like an old fart about how they don't make 'em like they used to anymore - the FR-S/BRZ are fantastic little cars and you can buy them without selling any kidneys and get a warranty and everything. I was almost ready to buy one but I couldn't find one to test drive when I needed a car, that's how I ended up with a used 335i. It's a bit of an old guy car in comparison (but more practical!) but then again I'm almost 40 so whaddayagonnado.

I see. I have no experienced with porche yet so was thinking about get a porche 944 as a beater to test it for couple month since I see decent new paint one with sales tag. I normally buy a beater with good price and drive for 3 4 month and sell it back with regular price so I dont lose nothing.
my normal drive is about 60 miles a day so needed some kind of way to hold mileage on my 08 335.
thanks for the info!

[tennis_pr0]

I think I will just wait tuntil I can afford the accessport and the fmic. What kind of price am I looking at for an accessport, fmic and installation?

[tennis_pr0]

Originally Posted by sickem

again, you don't NEED an FMIC. Cobb stage 1 is designed for stock fmic. You just need to understand that you will make less power without an upgrade. If you're fine with that, then go for it. Cobb tune or JB4/Procede alone is a HUGE upgrade over the stock tune. It will feel like a new car, man. you can pick up an AP on here for $625-$650 used, and there's no reason to buy one new. you can always upgrade the other stuff later if you want, or not.

So with the fmic most people are running stage 2? Stage 1 is basically just the accessport tune only?

[dlbrooks18]

I would go tune and dp's in that order and then FMIC later..

[N8N]

Originally Posted by tennis_pr0

So with the fmic most people are running stage 2? Stage 1 is basically just the accessport tune only?

See here for more info:

http://www.cobbtuning.com/Accessport...maps/bmw/IJE0S

note: IJE0S is not necessarily your ECU code, it happens to be mine though, the maps available for your ECU will be similar. Don't worry about that now, the AP will automatically detect your ECU code and only offer the maps compatible with it. If for whatever unlikely reason it doesn't recognize it (this usually only happens on current MY cars or whenever BMW releases a significant update and you've just had your car to the dealership,) you'll have to do a dump of the ECU and send it to Cobb but they'll turn around and add that code to their OTS tunes fairly quickly.

Note that Stage 1 is for pretty much stock cars.

Stage 1 + FMIC is exactly what it sounds like

Stage 2 is for "FBO" (Full Bolt-On) cars or close to it; refer to the matrix for exact requirements, but these maps were designed under the assumptions that the cars on which it is to be used have both intake and exhaust improvements, and include provisions for allowing catless downpipes without throwing a CEL.

Stage 2 + FMIC again should be pretty self explanatory.

If you have more mods than that you're looking at probably getting a protune, but based on your posts I don't think you're likely looking at that.

Within those categories are three different map options, "Drive," "Sport," and "Aggressive." For each of those you have a choice between stock throttle mapping and linear throttle mapping - the latter is supposed to be closer to the response of a traditional carbureted or mechanically fuel-injected engine with a cable or linkage operated throttle butterfly. I prefer the latter; but the good news is that as was already posted once you have the Cobb in your hands and installed on your car, changing maps is a fairly straightforward and easy proposition.

There's a Cobb thread here as well, you might want to check it out although it's a long read...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=472813

good luck!

[tennis_pr0]

Originally Posted by N8N

See here for more info:

http://www.cobbtuning.com/Accessport...maps/bmw/IJE0S

note: IJE0S is not necessarily your ECU code, it happens to be mine though, the maps available for your ECU will be similar. Don't worry about that now, the AP will automatically detect your ECU code and only offer the maps compatible with it. If for whatever unlikely reason it doesn't recognize it (this usually only happens on current MY cars or whenever BMW releases a significant update and you've just had your car to the dealership,) you'll have to do a dump of the ECU and send it to Cobb but they'll turn around and add that code to their OTS tunes fairly quickly.

Note that Stage 1 is for pretty much stock cars.

Stage 1 + FMIC is exactly what it sounds like

Stage 2 is for "FBO" (Full Bolt-On) cars or close to it; refer to the matrix for exact requirements, but these maps were designed under the assumptions that the cars on which it is to be used have both intake and exhaust improvements, and include provisions for allowing catless downpipes without throwing a CEL.

Stage 2 + FMIC again should be pretty self explanatory.

If you have more mods than that you're looking at probably getting a protune, but based on your posts I don't think you're likely looking at that.

Within those categories are three different map options, "Drive," "Sport," and "Aggressive." For each of those you have a choice between stock throttle mapping and linear throttle mapping - the latter is supposed to be closer to the response of a traditional carbureted or mechanically fuel-injected engine with a cable or linkage operated throttle butterfly. I prefer the latter; but the good news is that as was already posted once you have the Cobb in your hands and installed on your car, changing maps is a fairly straightforward and easy proposition.

There's a Cobb thread here as well, you might want to check it out although it's a long read...

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=472813

good luck!

Very informative, thanks! From what I am hearing though, even on stage 1 it is not good to run a tune without the fmic because the stock fmic won't be able to do the job. I am just saying this based off the replies i have gotten...

[N8N]

You can run a Stage 1 tune on a stock car without a whole lot of issues, BUT if you are tracking it or doing back to back pulls at a dragstrip you will lose consistency because as the intercooler heat soaks the ECU will pull timing and make other adjustments to prevent detonation, so, say, run 3 will definitely be slower than run 1.

If you're just wanting the tune for daily driving so that you can occasionally pass with more authoritah on rural 2-lanes, it really makes no difference whatsoever, as you'll be WOT for only a few seconds at a time, with lots of cooldown time in between.

Really, I can't *justify* my decision to upgrade my FMIC but it makes me happy to make my car "better" and "more consistent" in my mind is "better."

[tennis_pr0]

Originally Posted by N8N

You can run a Stage 1 tune on a stock car without a whole lot of issues, BUT if you are tracking it or doing back to back pulls at a dragstrip you will lose consistency because as the intercooler heat soaks the ECU will pull timing and make other adjustments to prevent detonation, so, say, run 3 will definitely be slower than run 1.

If you're just wanting the tune for daily driving so that you can occasionally pass with more authoritah on rural 2-lanes, it really makes no difference whatsoever, as you'll be WOT for only a few seconds at a time, with lots of cooldown time in between.

Really, I can't *justify* my decision to upgrade my FMIC but it makes me happy to make my car "better" and "more consistent" in my mind is "better."

Well I am never going to take my car to a track. I am not into that at all. My car is my daily driver, and I drive is pretty nice most of the time. I just want some more power just for the sake of having it, and the fun factor of course. I mean it would be cool to know I can hold my own if someone pulls up next to me lol...

I rarely ever go WOT. When I drive my car aggressively, I put it in sport mode and just get o the throttle a little harder, I rarely do much more than that.

So for my purposes, it seems like NOT going with a fmic makes more sense? Please, please chime in as I don't want to make any mistakes as to what I am doing.

[tennis_pr0]

Are there members on here that only have the ap tune and nothing else?

[deathbunny]

I live in vegas where it has already been up to 115 degrees. I was completely stock running stage 1 Agressive for the last couple months with no problems other than it didn't seem to make as much power when it was over approximately 100 degrees out. Today I had a 5" VRSF intercooler installed and am now running the stage 1+ Agressive map. It does pull harder and it was 100 out when I was driving it home but I have only had limited time with it since it just got put on today so I cant say exactly how it will do next week when it gets back up over 110. I got the intercooler for right around 400 and it was only 125 bucks to get installed and didn't require any trimming. In general an upgraded intercooler on this car will allow more power, lower temps, some extra peace of mind and is the best upgrade other then the Cobb IMO but I don't think its necessary for someone that lives in philly and doesn't drive their car very hard. For me it was pretty necessary.

[tennis_pr0]

wow where did you get the ic for 400?

[tennis_pr0]

so I just took a 1500 dollar loan from my roommate, he is rich lol. Looks like cobb accessport and fmic I will be getting at the same time! Anything else I should get wiht this to increase engine safety or anything?