[dhodory]

Originally Posted by choppedliver

It’s a good question and one I can’t answer but they do seem to have broad market share. My local euro specialist does either Revo or BM3 tunes every day without issues.

I’d be concerned by how responsive they are and community. If you are just doing OTS then it either works or it there is usually an underlying issue with the car. This comment is based on following Dyno Spectrum for the Audi 4.0TT and now RS3. They are a few guys and laptop but the support is excellent from them and the community and without exception from what I’ve seen my comment about OTS tunes is valid.

Beyond that and custom tuning that’s between you and the tuner. BM3, MHD, DS1 are just tools to do the tuning so I don’t see how you’d have any comeback regardless.

You could probably add xHP into this list. That could be one guy, but from what I can tell it works without issues.

Thanks, that's good feedback. So, when dealing with a "tune" like BM3 what I'm really getting is the validity of the tuning shop that is deploying the tune is what I take away from your comments. This is a slightly different model and significantly different from a Dinan or Carbahn approach. It's not something I had thought of, so thank you.

I think given my personal list of priorities, I'm more likely to stick with a tune that is backed by some form of warranty (even if it's just an umbrella policy like Dinan or Carbahn). I'm not looking to push things too far or "experiment" with a max level tune, just want a little bump from stock. Once I've lived with a tune, I may . . . errr, change my tune once I've tasted the power, but for the time being, going to keep it basic, reliable and warrantied.

Appreciate all of the feedback everyone.

Now I just have to wait 6 more weeks for delivery . . . anticipation is KILLING me!

[choppedliver]

Originally Posted by dhodory

Thanks, that's good feedback. So, when dealing with a "tune" like BM3 what I'm really getting is the validity of the tuning shop that is deploying the tune is what I take away from your comments. This is a slightly different model and significantly different from a Dinan or Carbahn approach. It's not something I had thought of, so thank you.

I think given my personal list of priorities, I'm more likely to stick with a tune that is backed by some form of warranty (even if it's just an umbrella policy like Dinan or Carbahn). I'm not looking to push things too far or "experiment" with a max level tune, just want a little bump from stock. Once I've lived with a tune, I may . . . errr, change my tune once I've tasted the power, but for the time being, going to keep it basic, reliable and warrantied.

Yeah I guess you are relying on the shop, but also on the company and community. That said I'm in Australia and Dinan and Carbahn are not really an option so we are more reliant on the shop, company and community. On my 135i I did MHD and xHP myself without issues and no concerns. I then got the shop to custom tune the MHD map to squeeze a bit more power.

[AmooManiak]

Here are the pros and cons:

Carbahn:

-Company backed by what used to be a big name (good sales tactic?)
-Most likely lower sales (negative in my book as it doesn't offer a lot of analytics across different metrics)
-Powertrain warranty for the duration of the original car warranty (positive of course, but most likely won't be much of an impact with a new car anyway.)
-Has consistantly lied to me about the tuning process and when the new tunes would be available (was told 2021 X5 M50i tune would be out in the next few months back in December of 2020.)
-Customer service is below par - sometimes it takes days to respond and sometimes they don't respond at all.

BM3:

-Huge community
-A lot more cars on the road with the tune and you are more likely to get feedback (good and bad) from the community.
-Ability to switch tunes remotely
-Upgrading to a higher stage does not cost extra
-Ability to get custom tunes
-Has been honest about tunes and availability
-Customer support is excellent, I get responded to within an hour to every email.

For what it's worth, my local dealership which used to be a Carbahn dealer a few months ago is no longer a Carbahn dealer. I only assume it has something to do with Carbahn not being honest about their tunes and the process of DEM unlocking (also my experience.) There is only 1 official Carbahn dealer left in my state. Not a good sign.

[dhodory]

Originally Posted by AmooManiak

Here are the pros and cons:

Carbahn:

-Company backed by what used to be a big name (good sales tactic?)
-Most likely lower sales (negative in my book as it doesn't offer a lot of analytics across different metrics)
-Powertrain warranty for the duration of the original car warranty (positive of course, but most likely won't be much of an impact with a new car anyway.)
-Has consistantly lied to me about the tuning process and when the new tunes would be available (was told 2021 X5 M50i tune would be out in the next few months back in December of 2020.)
-Customer service is below par - sometimes it takes days to respond and sometimes they don't respond at all.

BM3:

-Huge community
-A lot more cars on the road with the tune and you are more likely to get feedback (good and bad) from the community.
-Ability to switch tunes remotely
-Upgrading to a higher stage does not cost extra
-Ability to get custom tunes
-Has been honest about tunes and availability
-Customer support is excellent, I get responded to within an hour to every email.

For what it's worth, my local dealership which used to be a Carbahn dealer a few months ago is no longer a Carbahn dealer. I only assume it has something to do with Carbahn not being honest about their tunes and the process of DEM unlocking (also my experience.) There is only 1 official Carbahn dealer left in my state. Not a good sign.

Thanks for the feedback. Would agree that dealerships dropping a tuner *can* be a bad sign (for consumers) but not always. Over-promise / under-deliver in terms of tune completion dates is not uncommon in this space, but agree that it is a bad sign and potentially signals the same behavior in other aspects of service.

Looks like it may be down to Dinan then, perhaps RK? While the feedback here on BM3 is almost universally positive, I'm looking for a company that stands behind their product with some sort of warranty and who has some sort of vested interest in remaining in the space (i.e. they have significant capital invested in doing what they do - this puts them "at risk" and likely prevents them from closing the doors as quickly if something goes bad/wrong). Reputation helps, but $$ invested is a bigger driver in my opinion.

Again, thanks for the feedback.

[PsiAddict]

Originally Posted by dhodory

Thanks for the feedback. Would agree that dealerships dropping a tuner *can* be a bad sign (for consumers) but not always. Over-promise / under-deliver in terms of tune completion dates is not uncommon in this space, but agree that it is a bad sign and potentially signals the same behavior in other aspects of service.

Looks like it may be down to Dinan then, perhaps RK? While the feedback here on BM3 is almost universally positive, I'm looking for a company that stands behind their product with some sort of warranty and who has some sort of vested interest in remaining in the space (i.e. they have significant capital invested in doing what they do - this puts them "at risk" and likely prevents them from closing the doors as quickly if something goes bad/wrong). Reputation helps, but $$ invested is a bigger driver in my opinion.

Again, thanks for the feedback.

If you want a warranty or are worried about losing your warranty, it’s simple, I wouldn’t get the car tuned. Once you tune, whether the company says they have some sort of warranty, I would always assume once tuned if something breaks, you could potentially be in the hook. Because when you do need to use said “warranty” they will find whatever way possible to not pay it. IMO it’s better yo have that mind set, just in case.

[AmooManiak]

Originally Posted by dhodory

Would agree that dealerships dropping a tuner *can* be a bad sign (for consumers) but not always. Over-promise / under-deliver in terms of tune completion dates is not uncommon in this space, but agree that it is a bad sign and potentially signals the same behavior in other aspects of service.

This is my experience with Carbahn (a few months ago) when I had the M2C. I'll try to summarize it as short as possible:

-Before purchasing the tune, they assured me multiple times after checking my VIN that my DME was unlocked and I could flash using their remote flashing tool at home as soon as the package arrives.
-After receiving their "tool", it was not recognizing the car's DME.
-Realizing their mistake, they told me to go to the local BMW dealer (the one that just dropped them), who would be able to unlock the DME via the OBD2 port. This was supposed to cost approximately the same as the remote flashing tool, so their suggestion was that I pay the dealership for the unlock and return the remote flashing tool so that there was no increased cost.
-I made the appointment with the local BMW dealership and they even gave me a loaner while they were working on the unlock using Carbahn's suggestion. I realized that it took them much longer than it should have - Carbhan said it would take about an hour. After two days, it turned out that Carbahn was wrong once again, and the DME had to be removed and bench unlocked, which would be another $500.
-This would be fine with me if I had known about the total cost upfront, but I kept getting the feeling that they were using bait and switch tactics. "Let's get him to the next step and he will do it just to get his car tuned. He won't want to not tune it because of another $500." I told the dealership to put my car back together and I returned the product to Carbahn.
-Not only did I not trust Carbahn after multiple wrong directions, but BM3 told me from the get-go (right before I purchsed Carbahn) that the car had to be bench unlocked and no one would be able to unlock it via OBD2, like Carbahn had suggested. Not only did BM3 know more about the car, but they were not playing games just to sell a product.
-Carbahn (Chris) did not apologize once for giving me (and the dealership) the runaround and I wouldn't be surprised if that was also one of the reasons why the dealership no longer works with them.
-To add insult to injury, I actually had to pay for the return shipping for purchasing a product that was falsely advertised.

[dhodory]

Originally Posted by AmooManiak

This is my experience with Carbahn (a few months ago) when I had the M2C. I'll try to summarize it as short as possible:

-Before purchasing the tune, they assured me multiple times after checking my VIN that my DME was unlocked and I could flash using their remote flashing tool at home as soon as the package arrives.
-After receiving their "tool", it was not recognizing the car's DME.
-Realizing their mistake, they told me to go to the local BMW dealer (the one that just dropped them), who would be able to unlock the DME via the OBD2 port. This was supposed to cost approximately the same as the remote flashing tool, so their suggestion was that I pay the dealership for the unlock and return the remote flashing tool so that there was no increased cost.
-I made the appointment with the local BMW dealership and they even gave me a loaner while they were working on the unlock using Carbahn's suggestion. I realized that it took them much longer than it should have - Carbhan said it would take about an hour. After two days, it turned out that Carbahn was wrong once again, and the DME had to be removed and bench unlocked, which would be another $500.
-This would be fine with me if I had known about the total cost upfront, but I kept getting the feeling that they were using bait and switch tactics. "Let's get him to the next step and he will do it just to get his car tuned. He won't want to not tune it because of another $500." I told the dealership to put my car back together and I returned the product to Carbahn.
-Not only did I not trust Carbahn after multiple wrong directions, but BM3 told me from the get-go (right before I purchsed Carbahn) that the car had to be bench unlocked and no one would be able to unlock it via OBD2, like Carbahn had suggested. Not only did BM3 know more about the car, but they were not playing games just to sell a product.
-Carbahn (Chris) did not apologize once for giving me (and the dealership) the runaround and I wouldn't be surprised if that was also one of the reasons why the dealership no longer works with them.
-To add insult to injury, I actually had to pay for the return shipping for purchasing a product that was falsely advertised.

Thanks for the feedback. Doesn’t sound great.

[dhodory]

Originally Posted by choppedliver

It’s a good question and one I can’t answer but they do seem to have broad market share. My local euro specialist does either Revo or BM3 tunes every day without issues.

I’d be concerned by how responsive they are and community. If you are just doing OTS then it either works or it there is usually an underlying issue with the car. This comment is based on following Dyno Spectrum for the Audi 4.0TT and now RS3. They are a few guys and laptop but the support is excellent from them and the community and without exception from what I’ve seen my comment about OTS tunes is valid.

Beyond that and custom tuning that’s between you and the tuner. BM3, MHD, DS1 are just tools to do the tuning so I don’t see how you’d have any comeback regardless.

You could probably add xHP into this list. That could be one guy, but from what I can tell it works without issues.

Thanks for the feedback.

Finally took delivery of my new M550i.

Likely will wait until the new Dinan and Carbahn solutions (for the locked ECU) are out and have been used enough for folks to provide feedback (not interested in being a beta tester) before I make a choice between "off the shelf" warranted solutions from "branded" businesses vs smaller, well-known and respected tuning shops.

I can see myself going either way on this car. Either: a) slight modifications that keep the car "close to stock" (Dinan tune, exhaust, etc.) or b) "whole hog" where I upgrade the turbos, down pipes, exhaust and get a custom tune.

Don't know yet where I might fall on that spectrum, but I do know the car pulls quite nicely "as delivered".

[dhodory]

Just noticed this yesterday and called Carbahn (spoke with Chris).
https://carbahnautoworks.com/product...-m550i-xdrive/
Pretty decent results for a piggyback:
637 HP
717 TQ

Chris mentioned that when they 'crack' the ECU that somewhere closer to 695 HP would be available and that would be a "small upgrade" price from the piggyback.

This looks very tempting, especially with some sort of warranty retained (yes, I realize that the warranty is more of an umbrella insurance policy than an actual warranty).

[Brucelinc]

Ads for "chip your car" frequently pop up on Facebook. They make big claims and the device costs under $300. I smell a rat but has anyone tried one of these?

https://www.chipyourcar.com/product/...ormance-chips/

[Slugsy01]

I have a tuning chip from DTUK (UK company but source the product from Germany) on my M5. I guess it's similar to Racing Chip but it's made a noticeable difference with no issues. I'm on winter tyres at moment and can't get any numbers but I'm generally very happy with it.

I know it's not as powerful as a ECU tune but I'm very happy with it, certainly don't need any more performance than this on my M5 Comp.

[Boosted_8]

I ran a DTUK module on my Audi S4 B9 for 3 years. They do what they are supposed to with an uplift on boost. I did find it wasn't very smooth in the higher settings and a bit unpredictable at times however

[zinner]

I have had BM3 since they came on the scene with the F chassis cars. It's hard to comment on any cloud companies size, but they seem to always been improving their product and I have had a few tickets with support and they are also helpful and generally quick. I struggle frequently with slapping my enet on my 2018 M550ix and putting on Stage 1. I had my F30 N55 bench unlocked before they had an solution in software. It's a one time pain and downtime, unless you bring your car to the dealer and they flash over it!

[choppedliver]

I see MGFlasher are indicating they may have support for a V8 soon and support 2020 onwards ECUs.

https://www.mgflasher.com/

[PsiAddict]

Anyone know the ETA on BM3 tune for 2021+ M550i??

[tjohnson]

BM3 has a tune for my 2022 M550i, but I have to find someone to unlock the DME first.

Anyone have any suggestions for a company to do that??

[Manley00]

Originally Posted by tjohnson

BM3 has a tune for my 2022 M550i, but I have to find someone to unlock the DME first.

Anyone have any suggestions for a company to do that??

Where you located? Look it up on the BM3 website. They should be able to get you to a local shop that can bench it. I need to get to Dallas still to do mine!

[23109VC]

Originally Posted by Manley00

Where you located? Look it up on the BM3 website. They should be able to get you to a local shop that can bench it. I need to get to Dallas still to do mine!

I have a 2018 M550. I had an at the dealer recently for service and the guy told me that it needed a software update and he was trying to tell me how I was so lucky they did it for free well it undid all of my coding and my full screen CarPlay which took me hours to fix - what a pain in the ass.

I'm wondering if this new software update has locked my ECU ?? I am totally stock but in the event I wanted to tune I probably now I have to get an unlock?

[Antec800]

Originally Posted by 23109VC

I have a 2018 M550. I had an at the dealer recently for service and the guy told me that it needed a software update and he was trying to tell me how I was so lucky they did it for free well it undid all of my coding and my full screen CarPlay which took me hours to fix - what a pain in the ass.

I'm wondering if this new software update has locked my ECU ?? I am totally stock but in the event I wanted to tune I probably now I have to get an unlock?

Yes it has

[Dasky_spas]

Has anyone an actual dyno chart with the n63tu3 with the bm3? Also, does the bm3 block or prevent check engine light/codes from coming up?

One local bm3 tuner said that the actual power is like 130whp from the bm3 on these mirrors. Quite an excess over the claimed %.