[Mr_JDM]

Hi Guys!
I've got JB4, BMS intake and VRSF catless DP for mine m235i. And I am very happy so far. Just want to hear from you guys what other next mods should I consider to get extra hp. I am prefer Plug and Play or simple installation.
Cheers

[Shayan55]

Originally Posted by Mr_JDM

Hi Guys!
I've got JB4, BMS intake and VRSF catless DP for mine m235i. And I am very happy so far. Just want to hear from you guys what other next mods should I consider to get extra hp. I am prefer Plug and Play or simple installation.
Cheers

Id suggest a cp and fmic

[bryan_G01]

you need a charge pipe.
fmic replacement, maybe a turbo inlet since you will be in that area.

[jmwilson125]

Originally Posted by Mr_JDM

Hi Guys!
I've got JB4, BMS intake and VRSF catless DP for mine m235i. And I am very happy so far. Just want to hear from you guys what other next mods should I consider to get extra hp. I am prefer Plug and Play or simple installation.
Cheers

Options for power and a rough idea of price for quality parts

Jb4 ewg harness for E30-E40 mix if you have ethanol availible (under $50 and easy install)
Water methanol injection ( $400 ish realatively easy install)
Flash tune ($600+ slightly more involved to remove ecu, there is a good guide though)
FMIC ($300-400+ easy install)
turbo upgrades ( $1000-7500 depending on kits)

Notes
Best bang for your buck is to get the ewg harness and use an ethanol mix (if available)
Next best bang for your buck is wmi injection
Apparently ecu times a night and day over jb4. That is my next upgrade
Fmic will usually not give you more power, just more consistent power. Some small gains may be seen but will likely not be felt
Turbo upgrades can get you a much higher power but come at higher cost and difficulty of install
If you do go with wmi injection the fmic becomes less critical as wmi offers great cooling (I have both)
If you do upgraded fmic get one appropriately sized for your driving and turbo. If you want to do a stage 2 turbo down the road, then maybe you want to buy a bigger fmic now, so you are not buying another one down the road.

Right now I am intake, dp, cp, fmic jb4 +ewg harness, wmi kit. My next step is to go with a flash tune. I wish I had gone that route earlier. I am going to stack it on top of jb4.

[jmwilson125]

Originally Posted by bryan_f22

you need a charge pipe.
fmic replacement, maybe a turbo inlet since you will be in that area.

I missed that you didn't have one of those. Definitely pick up a charge pipe.

[Dylan86]

CP, FMIC

[XutvJet]

Driver mod and auto-x school. Far more exciting.

[MadOzodi]

Recent sales sucked me into buying power mods instead of saving for a limited-slip diff...I guess it's okay to lie to oneself than to others, right?

I went the JB4, CP, Catted DP (emissions headache) route. To piggyback (pun intended) on the OP's question - I don't really need an intake, right?

I had one on each of my two previous cars and for no good reason, feel like I'm doing something wrong by not getting one for the 2er. I think I'd be happy with something like AEM dryflow or Pipercross panel replacement in the stock box.

I know a flash tune is ideal, but dealing with the DME crack is inconvenient.

[jmwilson125]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

Driver mod and auto-x school. Far more exciting.

Agreed, I wish I had originally gone this path.

I would say if you don't track, autox or hpde the car power mods are more usable and fun.

If you do go to the track the car has plenty of power stock. I'd recommend upgrading brake fluid, pads, tires and get some sort of negative camber. The track is way more fun than anything you can legally do on the street.

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by jmwilson125

Agreed, I wish I had originally gone this path.

I would say if you don't track, autox or hpde the car power mods are more usable and fun.

If you do go to the track the car has plenty of power stock. I'd recommend upgrading brake fluid, pads, tires and get some sort of negative camber. The track is way more fun than anything you can legally do on the street.

QFT.

This car, in stock form, is more capable on a track than most owners, themselves. That said, if you know how to drive, you'll notice the immediate requirement for an LSD so you can effectively rotate the car, on demand. After that, I would look at tires, suspension, brake pads, etc. Then move onto the bolt on power adders. I went this route and had a great time getting "at home" with the car all last year, ripping through the mountains and hitting a couple of hpde events in Spokane, WA while it was still completely stock.

It was after this (and my Dinan spring install), I decided to start a full on suspension build to accommodate more rubber/grip to coincide with the 50-60whp bump in power the car now has. I'd like to go with a flash tune to really "smooth" the car out, that alone I think will make it behave much more like the stock car, did. With the JB4, it makes great power, but it's not smooth, as it should be.. I miss that nice NA linear power that it had pre-JB4. It's fast, but not smooth, and smooth is FASTer

[Mr_JDM]

Thank you so much guys.
Look like everyone suggest for the FMIC and CP.
I done a quick research and watched on youtube and the installation is a pain. Look like we have to take almost the front bumper off. I have to reconsider and wait to see other options.
By the way do I get any extra HP for the FMIC and CP ?

[jmwilson125]

Originally Posted by Mr_JDM

Thank you so much guys.
Look like everyone suggest for the FMIC and CP.
I done a quick research and watched on youtube and the installation is a pain. Look like we have to take almost the front bumper off. I have to reconsider and wait to see other options.
By the way do I get any extra HP for the FMIC and CP ?

Simple answer... not really, you get reliability and consistency.

When running the stock plastic cp under additional boost it can break. This has happened to quite a few people. This mod is a must.

Intercooler might offer better flow. Its will offer better cooling. When a car works hard, it generates a lot of heat. The stock intercooler can become "heat soaked" which will result in a higher air intake temperature. Higher air intake temperature means less power.

An upgraded fmic will be less prone to heat soak. You are not necessarily making more power, but keeping the power you have on hotter conditions.

The only real way you get additional power from a fmic is from better flow. For example let's say your turbo is putting out 10psi pre-intercooler and you actually see 8psi post-intercooler. Then you upgrade your fmic and see 10 psi pre-intercooler and 9 psi post-intercooler.
From my understanding typically upgraded intercoolers have a greater pressure drop than stock because they have more internal volume. I think we'll destined ones will have an equivalent pressure drop or maybe slightly less of a drop.

In my experience you will not notice a power increase with cp or fmic. You definitely should get the co to handle the additional boost front the tune though.

As I mentioned above the easiest way to increase power would be
-added 85 (limited availability)
-added wmi kit
-ecu tune (have to remove ecu to unlock)

[MadOzodi]

Originally Posted by jmwilson125

From my understanding typically upgraded intercoolers have a greater pressure drop than stock because they have more internal volume. I think well designed ones will have an equivalent pressure drop or maybe slightly less of a drop.

FTFY cuz it honestly took me a while to figure it out, LOL...coffee hasn't kicked in, I guess.

But yeah, that's my understanding, as well; you need the optimal balance of pressure drop from inlet to outlet vs cooling for the size of your turbo. Maybe an upgraded CP allows pressure drop "across" an intercooler with more internal volume to be minimized.

[bryan_G01]

the charge pipe is a must.

The oem will break. And it will happen when you don't want it to, leaving you stuck in limp mode. Do this immediately.


FMIC, lets say you have 2 cars with same exact setup, but one has an upgraded FMIC, and one has OEM. You go through same tests, or lap, or drag, or dyno etc... Because of heat soak, as others explained, the OEM fmic car will have anywhere from 20 -50 hp less than the car with the upgraded FMIC. You don't gain hp, but you don't loose any due to heat.

[jmwilson125]

Originally Posted by MadOzodi

FTFY cuz it honestly took me a while to figure it out, LOL...coffee hasn't kicked in, I guess.

But yeah, that's my understanding, as well; you need the optimal balance of pressure drop from inlet to outlet vs cooling for the size of your turbo. Maybe an upgraded CP allows pressure drop "across" an intercooler with more internal volume to be minimized.

Appreciate it. Sometimes I get going on the phone and don't catch all the typos.

I haven't checked all intercoolers for the f22, but I believe ATM actually provides pressure drop of stock vs theirs.

[jmwilson125]

Originally Posted by bryan_f22

the charge pipe is a must.

The oem will break. And it will happen when you don't want it to, leaving you stuck in limp mode. Do this immediately.


FMIC, lets say you have 2 cars with same exact setup, but one has an upgraded FMIC, and one has OEM. You go through same tests, or lap, or drag, or dyno etc... Because of heat soak, as others explained, the OEM fmic car will have anywhere from 20 -50 hp less than the car with the upgraded FMIC. You don't gain hp, but you don't loose any due to heat.

Precicesly. In my experience if you don't track the car or run it back to back to back pulls you will have a tough time heat soaking the stock fmic the way op has his car setup. I could be wrong though.

Don't get me wrong, I do think it's a necessary upgrade, but judging by op's goal the fmic does not seem like the best bang for the buck.

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by jmwilson125

Precicesly. In my experience if you don't track the car or run it back to back to back pulls you will have a tough time heat soaking the stock fmic the way op has his car setup. I could be wrong though.

Don't get me wrong, I do think it's a necessary upgrade, but judging by op's goal the fmic does not seem like the best bang for the buck.

Heat soak happens when you stop driving (fresh air flow into the core, stops), not continuous pulls That is unless you're doing pull after pull in humid AF conditions in the dead of July with an under-performing FMIC,

I think the OP has the bang-for-buck mods done, already. Next mod, in my opinion should be the CP. FMIC if trying to keep things consistent and cool

[Mr_JDM]

Thank you guys. Really appreciated for the value information. My big concern is the installation. Because my car is under warranty and next due service is sometimes next year. The JB4/Intake/DP I can take Off quite easy and drop to BMW. But look like CP+FMIC is a big job.
By the way which brand do you guys suggest for the CP and FMIC. This is just my daily car, not drag or track at all.
Cheers.

[jmwilson125]

Originally Posted by Mr_JDM

Thank you guys. Really appreciated for the value information. My big concern is the installation. Because my car is under warranty and next due service is sometimes next year. The JB4/Intake/DP I can take Off quite easy and drop to BMW. But look like CP+FMIC is a big job.
By the way which brand do you guys suggest for the CP and FMIC. This is just my daily car, not drag or track at all.
Cheers.

I have evolution racewerks could and AA intercooler. Both fit and work great. I like the quality and price point of vrsf though. I have their catless dp. I'd got with vrsf for cp and the street hd fmic if I did it again.

[beMtroubleYou]

Originally Posted by Mr_JDM

Thank you so much guys.
Look like everyone suggest for the FMIC and CP.
I done a quick research and watched on youtube and the installation is a pain. Look like we have to take almost the front bumper off. I have to reconsider and wait to see other options.
By the way do I get any extra HP for the FMIC and CP ?

Not true.

You can slide it underneath but removing bumper helps. I did it in like 1 hour with little to none mechanical skills.

If I can do it so can you. The downpipe on the other hand is a pita.

[Dylan86]

Originally Posted by jmwilson125

I have evolution racewerks could and AA intercooler. Both fit and work great. I like the quality and price point of vrsf though. I have their catless dp. I'd got with vrsf for cp and the street hd fmic if I did it again.

Yea ER and AA are great pieces. I went with VRSF DP, CP and race HD FMIC due to last years Black Friday, free shipping deals, etc. They have been working great, no issues whatsoever.

At the very least, I'd suggest the CP upgrade, it's not a bad install on its own, just difficult without a lift..

[jmwilson125]

Originally Posted by beMtroubleYou

Not true.

You can slide it underneath but removing bumper helps. I did it in like 1 hour with little to none mechanical skills.

If I can do it so can you. The downpipe on the other hand is a pita.

Agreed. I did not remove the bumper for mine. My intercooler is stepped too so it's thicker than some of the non stepped cores.

It helps to do it with another set of hands too. I had my buddy gently pull on the radiator fan and rubber cowl. And you can slide the intercooler up and in.

The biggest pita was those stupid black clips.