[abeardo83]

Guys I'm looking at either a JB4 or a remap for the 335i. My friend has a JB4 on his 135i and does nothing but rave about it.

My car has completely stock engine and internals and I plan on keeping it for a few years yet, until I can afford an M3, so I'm somewhat worried about the JB4 putting more pressure on the car.

How does this type of stuff work? I assume both the JB4 and a remap ask things such as the turbos, fuel pump, water pump, to work harder? Are the OE units up to the task for a prolonged period of time?

Is all of the above till applicable for a remap or is a remap form sympathetic?

Thanks

[djgandy]

The remap will be no more sympathetic. You still have the same increases in boost and timing etc to achieve the extra torque. The main thing the JB4 can do over a remap is adapt to the cars current conditions and on the fly mapping.

Map 1 is safe, Map 5 is auto tuning which will get the most out of your car. I had it on mine for a while and did a trip to Spain with it. Even over there in 40c temps the car ran fine. I did notice drop off in power a few times though due to lack of inter-cooler upgrade if doing a lot of hard pulls.

It's great in the summer, but too powerful in the winter imo, which is when you go map 1. The feeling of acceleration was great, way better than my M3.

My only regret with it was taking it off for so long while I battled trying to get my waste gate rattled fixed with BMW.

My advice if you go either route would be to change the oil and spark plugs every half CBS interval. So around 9000 and 25000 miles. Save money for rear tyres too.

[Dann]

Don't worry about the internals.
It's pretty much fully forged inside and chances of you killing it with an extra 60bhp is very slim, considering there are single turbo cars running 600bhp on stock internals

[abeardo83]

Good show - thanks chaps!

[russjonesr]

I would start with the the MHD app...you need and android with OTG & a DCAN cable. You can purchase various stand alone maps from MHD specifically written for the N54 engine. I'm not saying that other tuners don't know what they are doing...its just that these guys do!

The JB4 has some great safety features so good for highly modded cars and cars running methanol.

Just depends on how far you plan on modding the car...either way MHD is the best starter!

I have a JB4 but also use MHD to flash a custom BEF. As a rule of thumb the DME is better at managing fueling, timing and VANOS...the JB4 handles boost!

http://www.n54tech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29236

[imy]

As russ says MHD is a good starting point. I went for the JB4 because MHD was fairly new at the time. I probably still would go with JB4 and do a BE flash. I like the on the fly controls and how I can control throttle response, wastegate positions.

Once you start tuning it you may decide its not worthwhile getting an M3!

[russjonesr]

I'm not sure i could deal with the power loss going to an M3

[djgandy]

Originally Posted by russjonesr

I'm not sure i could deal with the power loss going to an M3

Like wise, but then I realised the M3 can put the power down in the corners

And with those saddos with speed guns everywhere speed seems to be a luxury these days

[russjonesr]

Yep you'd have to spend some serious money on your setup to get a 335 to handle like an M3....
I have a mate with a 09 M3 and the mpg is diabolical! I'm sure he said he gets 19 on a run...13 around town???? ...I get 23 out of mine and I'm running 530-550hp. On a run I can still get 30+ if I keep it within the legal limit.

I guess that's why the new M3 is now a twin turbo 3L

[AWSAWS]

Originally Posted by russjonesr

Yep you'd have to spend some serious money on your setup to get a 335 to handle like an M3....
I have a mate with a 09 M3 and the mpg is diabolical! I'm sure he said he gets 19 on a run...13 around town???? ...I get 23 out of mine and I'm running 530-550hp. On a run I can still get 30+ if I keep it within the legal limit.

I guess that's why the new M3 is now a twin turbo 3L

Smaller lighter engine, gasoline direct injection and turbo charging is where it's at for power and efficiency until we all wake up to methanol as a main fuel. Run that with higher compression and you're looking at efficiency higher than a diesel and massive octane. Plus you can use energy to suck all the CO2 in the air in and turn that into methanol, so that burning it become a cycle with no impact on overall CO2 levels. Should people care about that.

I think some coil overs, control arms and sway bars should put the 335i pretty close on the M3 for handling. I would use the money I saved on fuel but that was spent on all the other mods.

OP, Russ is right the MHD flasher with flash tunes (same as a remap) is probably best for you. Some 135i owners have to run JB4s as the ECU is encrypted and the boost has to be tweaked higher by fooling the car into seeing it lower. It is possible to run a JB4 and flash (same as a remap) if you have an N54 engine. MHD can do logging like the JB4 and even more. I love my JB4 and I need it to control certain things but MHD was not available when I bought it.

How hard you push the car is up to you but these cars can easily handle 100 HP over stock and still run reliably.

[abeardo83]

JB4 bought. I already have the sway bars, and m3 arms on my 335i. Next things will possibly be coilovers.

Need to speak to the insurance people too... hope i don't get rinsed by Sky!!