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BMW 5-Series (G30) Forum Engine, Exhaust, Drivetrain, Tuning Modifications How safe is a tune in M550i?

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      03-21-2021, 11:50 AM   #1
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How safe is a tune in M550i?

I'm curious if anyone here has experience problems with your car in terms of engine issues or other major mechanical problems after running a tune?

If so, what kind of problems and how did it get handled by the dealer in terms of your warranty and what kind of tune did you have?

If you have, or have had a tune, and have had NO problems please chime in as well with how long you've been tuned for and what kind of tune you're running!

I'm sure given the similarities between this engine and the M5 there is room to add more power safely in the car I'm just curious if anyone here has run into problems after doing it.
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      03-21-2021, 02:12 PM   #2
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Same!^ I’m wondering also. I have a 2021 M550i. I know some of the internals are forged, coated etc. but not sure how much power it can hold, obviously depends on the tune/tuner. What’s the best/safest tune...I feel the consensus is BM3? Can’t wait for the 2021 to be tunable. Which tune are you thinking about 23109VC??
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      03-21-2021, 03:10 PM   #3
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Racechip if I go piggyback. BM3 if I go flash.
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      03-22-2021, 08:52 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 23109VC View Post
I'm curious if anyone here has experience problems with your car in terms of engine issues or other major mechanical problems after running a tune?

If so, what kind of problems and how did it get handled by the dealer in terms of your warranty and what kind of tune did you have?

If you have, or have had a tune, and have had NO problems please chime in as well with how long you've been tuned for and what kind of tune you're running!

I'm sure given the similarities between this engine and the M5 there is room to add more power safely in the car I'm just curious if anyone here has run into problems after doing it.
Biggest thing I've seen in the M550i FB group is a pre-LCI owner has blown the drivetrain giubo (flex plate) a few times due to more power and his car is tuned by RK Tunes (ECU flash, not piggyback or BM3)

From what I can tell, the real worries aren't the engine (for reasonable power bumps) but the drivetrain components.

M5 and M550i share the same block, but not all the same internals of engine. But somewhat close enough. But the drivetrains are def different and ours are more susceptible to issues.

Between that, and that my car is a new 2021 so I can't flash tune anyway, I'm avoiding it for a while.
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      03-22-2021, 09:47 AM   #5
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If you get a trusted brand and run the recommended map, you are safe. Their off the shelf maps are not even close to pushing this car to its limits
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      03-22-2021, 07:02 PM   #6
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I don't know how far we can push it.

We know the M5 engine needs new internals to go to big turbos or it bends rods. I read that is because of the massive low down torque (bender of rods).

Comparing stage 2 M5 (TU4) and M550i (TU3) with custom tunes and stock turbos on 93 I've seen local M5s (with water/meth injection) putting down another 150 ft-lb of torque. HP is similar.

I'm thinking the TU3 should be ok with bigger turbos if we can keep the torque manageable.

I'm hoping the M850i guys go first.
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      03-23-2021, 11:48 PM   #7
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I might tune my car down the road if options open up for the 2021 model but do not plan to do anything any time soon. Still in my break-in period at that. On my old E60 I went relatively tame with Stage 1 from the Cobb AccessPORT. Even with that after not too long I started having some misfires. I think issues can manifest in different ways over time. The less aggressive the tune -- I think the less issues you are likely to see .. at least in the short term.

Just remember one thing -- the piggybacks/ECU tunes/etc are all doing things the car did not come out of the factory doing. If you think the different companies offering these products spent more money engineering and testing the options than BMW did.. then you'd be insane. It's not like BMW engineers find out about these tunes people do aftermarket and go.. "OMG .. if we just increased boost by an addition 10 PSI we'd get more HP... these guys thought of something we never fathomed!" That's one thing I always keep in mind.
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      03-24-2021, 08:20 PM   #8
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Quote:
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I might tune my car down the road if options open up for the 2021 model but do not plan to do anything any time soon. Still in my break-in period at that. On my old E60 I went relatively tame with Stage 1 from the Cobb AccessPORT. Even with that after not too long I started having some misfires. I think issues can manifest in different ways over time. The less aggressive the tune -- I think the less issues you are likely to see .. at least in the short term.

Just remember one thing -- the piggybacks/ECU tunes/etc are all doing things the car did not come out of the factory doing. If you think the different companies offering these products spent more money engineering and testing the options than BMW did.. then you'd be insane. It's not like BMW engineers find out about these tunes people do aftermarket and go.. "OMG .. if we just increased boost by an addition 10 PSI we'd get more HP... these guys thought of something we never fathomed!" That's one thing I always keep in mind.
I think BMW over engineer things to get longevity, plus also to cover all the variations of fuel, DA and climate. Tuning for performance means compromises in one of these areas.
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      03-26-2021, 02:12 PM   #9
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from what I've read online -even if you have a piggy back system - when you go to dealer - EVEN IF you remove it - they will detect it and it's an automatic processs - so even if your dealership is cool with mods - your car runs a significant risk of having the tune/piggyback detective and automatically flagging your car with BMW. so then when/if you have any serious issues on the car - your warranty is hosed.

I have a 4 year CPO warranty - and i am NOT going to risk $$$ repairs for another 50-100 hp. i'd love the power, but for now, my car is fast enough as is. I will pass on the mods and keep my warranty.
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      10-01-2022, 08:57 AM   #10
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I just installed a Dinan Dinantronics x piggyback. Advertised specs are 605hp and 660 torque. I took my local BMW tech rep for a ride. We launched and he said no question I'm easily keeping up with base M5 now. Both HP and Torque meters pegged. The stock 550 is no slouch...but I laughed out loud at the difference. No engine issues at all.

On another note...you may or may not know Steve Dinan started another company...CarBahn. Sounds like they are getting close to a tune that radically increases those numbers. Dinan (the company Steve Dinan sold) is still working on their tune a well.

I'll be first in line. Should be fun.
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      10-01-2022, 11:21 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 23109VC View Post
from what I've read online -even if you have a piggy back system - when you go to dealer - EVEN IF you remove it - they will detect it and it's an automatic processs - so even if your dealership is cool with mods - your car runs a significant risk of having the tune/piggyback detective and automatically flagging your car with BMW. so then when/if you have any serious issues on the car - your warranty is hosed.

I have a 4 year CPO warranty - and i am NOT going to risk $$$ repairs for another 50-100 hp. i'd love the power, but for now, my car is fast enough as is. I will pass on the mods and keep my warranty.
With LCI cars, they can tell if you modded your car without even going to the dealership. According to those who know, when the cars DME detects "abnormal" readings it send OTA messages to "the cloud". Those "abnormal" categories include increased Boost and Timing levels.

Probably wont be an issue until you have Engine or Transmission issues. Then you're screwed. As soon as they plug into ISTA, its over.
No warranty coverage.
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      10-02-2022, 06:24 PM   #12
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It looks like almost all of these piggyback tuners (Carbahn, Dinan, Racechip, etc) are using the same hardware and just developing their own tunes. I have a Racechip here that I haven't installed yet... just wondering how much difference there really is with some of these places??

The Dinan one seems the least expensive at $580. The Racechip is next (with BT option) for around $660 and then Carbahn is $1,000.
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      10-04-2022, 08:31 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChallengerJoe View Post
I just installed a Dinan Dinantronics x piggyback. Advertised specs are 605hp and 660 torque. I took my local BMW tech rep for a ride. We launched and he said no question I'm easily keeping up with base M5 now. Both HP and Torque meters pegged. The stock 550 is no slouch...but I laughed out loud at the difference. No engine issues at all.

On another note...you may or may not know Steve Dinan started another company...CarBahn. Sounds like they are getting close to a tune that radically increases those numbers. Dinan (the company Steve Dinan sold) is still working on their tune a well.

I'll be first in line. Should be fun.
Hey Joe,

Fellow NH'erer here, which dealership did you install with? Every time i call BMW Stratham i get no response.
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      10-04-2022, 02:07 PM   #14
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On pump fuel I really don't expect the Tu3 version of this motor or the ZF gearbox to be grenades. You won't run more than +4lbs of boost and a little advance before you are knock limited. Unless the tuner does something moronic of course. With ethanol the turbos are the next limitation. They are a fair bit smaller than the M5.
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      10-04-2022, 03:45 PM   #15
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I have a Dinan Stage 1 on my M550i - no hardware changes. it's really just a remap and a bit more turbo boost, totally harmless and honestly without super-summer tires it's not going to put much more demand/stress on the drivetrain.

50 HP at the crank isn't close to enough to do anything damaging to this car. it's not that the redline is being increased or the compression ratio changing. with the Dinan, instead of getting a more gradual curve of boost, it's a bit quicker to give it out... Most of the driving is not actually exceeding stock power it's just giving it to you a bit quicker. the car is so damn fast that on the street you can't really use it. in 3.0 seconds you hit 60mph, you're already backing off the throttle and have exceeded speed limits. on a highway you are going from 60 to 85 to make a pass, the engine spools that in 2.0 seconds and you haven't even touched 6k RPM or had to shift. these types of performance upgrades are harmless.

I'd recommend going down one of these piggy backs or a mild everyday-driver tune. stay away from pushing limits, cutting corners on tunes/chips that are just going to mess with your engine and throw codes.
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      03-04-2023, 07:40 PM   #16
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Carbahn tune is BS. I did it and only got 60% of the HP they advertised and only 6% of the torque advertised. I had it dyno'd. Total BS. Probably going to sue them. Car runs fine of course because it basically operates like stock plus a couple percent. Literally only increased wheel torque by 6 lbs. Not worth the money whatsoever.
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      03-04-2023, 11:47 PM   #17
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Wow that sucks!!!
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      03-05-2023, 08:09 PM   #18
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That’s why I tell people don’t mess with dinan or carbahn piggy backs, jb4 only for piggybacks no other question
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      03-06-2023, 01:02 PM   #19
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I've been running the Dinan piggy back for a few years. No issues mechanically and no issues with dealer warranty work. Now, piggy backs are mild tunes compared to ECU flashes or bench flashes.

Unless you are hell bent on pushing the engine as much as you can, BM3 or bench type flashes seem like a pain in the ass. People are always getting check control messages like drive train malfunction, etc. where they have to call support or they are losing the tune for one reason or the other and have to get reflashed. Just a pain in the ass to me. ECU tunes are also much more detectable. You can't just pull it off and erase that it was there.

The new Dinan piggy back is pretty cheap, bluetooth and it has a few maps that are selectable via your phone.
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      03-06-2023, 08:12 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2bmichael View Post
Carbahn tune is BS. I did it and only got 60% of the HP they advertised and only 6% of the torque advertised. I had it dyno'd. Total BS. Probably going to sue them. Car runs fine of course because it basically operates like stock plus a couple percent. Literally only increased wheel torque by 6 lbs. Not worth the money whatsoever.
Did you contact Carbahn? Not saying they are the best tuner out there, but it could be just a software or interface issue.
I'd do that before spending thousands on a Lawyer. Especially if you have Dyno before / after results.
Here is a chart from Dinan testing a 2020 M550. Pay attention to the 572 STOCK Torque at the wheels. That is very impressive in my opinion.
Any piggyback tune from 2020+ M550s should be close to these stock/tuned numbers from Dinan.
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      03-07-2023, 03:31 PM   #21
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Im getting the Carbahn flash tune on the 14th. I went with Carbahn for a few reasons. The big thing is obviously its a well known BMW tune bybStebe Dinan, whos trusted, and not gonna cause issues with my engine(i passed on warranty for this). BMW wont have any issues with flashing it on or off in an event that needs to happen. Or, on a rare occasion there is a software update they can flash it back on. Although, most places like RK Tune, send you the tune and with a computer you can do this yourself. But my piece of mind is its done by the tech/mech that work on my car regularly and they understand my car and the work they did.

Also, If you notice, the tune doesnt increase torque very much at all. Its mostly horse power. Torque is what destroys a lot of these engines. Down low, if theres too much torque, it can actually spin the engine out of timing. Why lots of engines blew up.

I had BM3 on a previous 550. Tons of power and versatily. I loved being able to change tunes and change my options on the tune in a matter of minutes. Few things about BM3 is theres a ton of torque way too low in some cases. You have to be mindful and use more rpm’s. The other issue i had, the tune actually writes over the cars codes so unless you check regularly on the app, no codes will pop up in the cars dash. If you take it anywhere for car issues and they plug your car in, they dont have access to the cars codes either. Not a big deal. You have to remove the tune and relock the dme each time. Again, 3 minutes each way. But…it can be a hastle if you forgot your obdii cord and lightning adapter and you need to do something or check something.

Ill report back about the tune. Its gonna be a two day event apparently but they give me a loaner to beat up.
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      06-10-2023, 01:11 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by alapoint View Post
Im getting the Carbahn flash tune on the 14th. I went with Carbahn for a few reasons. The big thing is obviously its a well known BMW tune bybStebe Dinan, whos trusted, and not gonna cause issues with my engine(i passed on warranty for this). BMW wont have any issues with flashing it on or off in an event that needs to happen. Or, on a rare occasion there is a software update they can flash it back on. Although, most places like RK Tune, send you the tune and with a computer you can do this yourself. But my piece of mind is its done by the tech/mech that work on my car regularly and they understand my car and the work they did.

Also, If you notice, the tune doesnt increase torque very much at all. Its mostly horse power. Torque is what destroys a lot of these engines. Down low, if theres too much torque, it can actually spin the engine out of timing. Why lots of engines blew up.

I had BM3 on a previous 550. Tons of power and versatily. I loved being able to change tunes and change my options on the tune in a matter of minutes. Few things about BM3 is theres a ton of torque way too low in some cases. You have to be mindful and use more rpm’s. The other issue i had, the tune actually writes over the cars codes so unless you check regularly on the app, no codes will pop up in the cars dash. If you take it anywhere for car issues and they plug your car in, they dont have access to the cars codes either. Not a big deal. You have to remove the tune and relock the dme each time. Again, 3 minutes each way. But…it can be a hastle if you forgot your obdii cord and lightning adapter and you need to do something or check something.

Ill report back about the tune. Its gonna be a two day event apparently but they give me a loaner to beat up.

How did the Carbahn tune go? I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on my m850. I want the torque curve a bit flatter at low rpm so I need to see if they can adjust the tune to pull it down a bit at low rpm.
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