[BarryJI]

I am pretty convinced that this is a sophisticated enough tune that it will add significant HP/torque/boost without hammering the engine/components unduly and with both Dinan's piggyback warranty and its long-term relationship with BMW, I am also convinced that any threat to either my warranty or to my car's engine health is very small indeed.

I have seen other threads about the Stage 1 for the M235i but not for the 228i so I am posting here to solicit thoughts and opinions, especially from those with experience in this product/engine combo.

One final question: the indie BMW performance/Dinan shop near me is very, very good. They quoted me around $1800 to install this mod for which Dinan charges $1400 uninstalled. Does this seem reasonable to you guys, or a bit steep? I do not mind paying a little extra for a really safe, expert installation.

Thanks!

[e46m3lol]

Are you here in Southern California?

[BarryJI]

Yup, east side L.A.

[Amessforone]

Not trying to be the devil's advocate, but why not go for an ecu tune? If you plan on spending the money, you can simply get a catted/catless dp and a tune and you'll be more than happy with result. Companies like GSR have spent countless hours making safe and reliable tunes.

[BarryJI]

Originally Posted by Amessforone

Not trying to be the devil's advocate, but why not go for an ecu tune? If you plan on spending the money, you can simply get a catted/catless dp and a tune and you'll be more than happy with result. Companies like GSR have spent countless hours making safe and reliable tunes.

Thank you. My assumption has always been that Dinan tunes, while some might call them "conservative", offer the best protection against possible warranty catastrophes. I must confess, I do not understand all of the terminology in your post, so if you have a moment to explain, I'd be very interested in doing some research of my own into what you recommend.

[e46m3lol]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

Yup, east side L.A.

Perfect!! I can get you hooked up with the Dinan stage 1 at a very reasonable price here at Mckenna BMW.

[Amessforone]

Originally Posted by BarryJI

Thank you. My assumption has always been that Dinan tunes, while some might call them "conservative", offer the best protection against possible warranty catastrophes. I must confess, I do not understand all of the terminology in you post, so if you have a moment to explain, I'd be very interested in doing some research of my own into what you recommend.

No problem. GSR Autosport is one of the companies that have graced us with the option to essentially tune our cars without the need of a piggyback. If I remember correctly (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). Our ECU from factory has predetermined torque limits that piggy backs can't surpass. Essentially what a piggy back is doing is lying to the ECU and requesting more boost. An ECU tune has the ability to go beyond that and limits such as those are changed/removed. There is quite a bit of info in the forum. I would recommend searching GSR autosport's threads.

[BarryJI]

Amessforone : Understood, thanks. I see no engine tune offered for the F22 by GSR on the applicable page here. I can possibly be persuaded to swerve away from the Dinan Stage 1, and I certainly understand the distinction you make in your description of the separate tuning systems but Dinan does appear to offer the least possible grief from BMW dealerships for cars under warranty.

e46m3lol: thank you. I am very impressed with this shop and will probably stick with them but I will also search around for better pricing before committing.

[CalCarNut]

Barry, I was in the same boat as you...wanting 'more'..but worried about the warranty on the new car. GSR seems to have it 'down' with their tuning..and yes, they have one for the x28i engine. Do some research on GSR and decide which way to go I think. All you can do is save money if you do

*disclosure*. Haven't gotten my car tuned yet..but it will be done by GSR.

[lloydaustin]

To be honest, The n20 tune is much more impressive than the n55 tunes. They are not 2ers but I have driven both a 335xi and a 328i with stage 1 Dinan tunes and the 328i felt so much more alive than the 335ix. Now that could be due to the x drive but you get more of a wow factor with the n20 with a Dinan tune.

[BarryJI]

Does the *28 commonality between numbers (328/228) suggest grounds for comparison in terms of engine/tunability? I am not yet familiar with all aspects of BMW nomenclature. If a tune works well on the 328i, might we assume it will do well in the 228i, too?

…Oh, wait, it's the same engine, right? Duh.

Well, that is encouraging, then.

[cw_itr_805]

I actually ordered the Dinan tune for my car and should be arriving today or tomorrow, going to do the install myself over the weekend. After reviewing many of the options, the warranty is what persuaded me over the others, as I plan on keeping this car for at least 4-5 years. I'll let you know my findings afterwards.

[BarryJI]

Thanks! Fingers crossed!

[2msport]

Originally Posted by lloydaustin

To be honest, The n20 tune is much more impressive than the n55 tunes. They are not 2ers but I have driven both a 335xi and a 328i with stage 1 Dinan tunes and the 328i felt so much more alive than the 335ix. Now that could be due to the x drive but you get more of a wow factor with the n20 with a Dinan tune.

interesting, thanks

[2msport]

Originally Posted by SoCalDave

Barry, I was in the same boat as you...wanting 'more'..but worried about the warranty on the new car. GSR seems to have it 'down' with their tuning..and yes, they have one for the x28i engine. Do some research on GSR and decide which way to go I think. All you can do is save money if you do

*disclosure*. Haven't gotten my car tuned yet..but it will be done by GSR.

Hey what do you figure the difference is in power from BMS stage 1 to GSR. I know GSR is higher but how much for HP and Torque. I looked at the dynos and came up with +10hp and +50lbs peak over BMS. Is that what you figure?

Let alone being more consistent.

[Thescout13]

Originally Posted by 2msport

Hey what do you figure the difference is in power from BMS stage 1 to GSR. I know GSR is higher but how much for HP and Torque. I looked at the dynos and came up with +10hp and +50lbs peak over BMS. Is that what you figure?

Let alone being more consistent.

It's not so much the HP and TQ numbers as it is the delta in those numbers and where they are on the rev brand. Either way, the GSR will be more effective, smoother, and stable compared to the GSR because it controls more than boost. It controls timing, fueling etc...

[CalCarNut]

Originally Posted by 2msport

Hey what do you figure the difference is in power from BMS stage 1 to GSR. I know GSR is higher but how much for HP and Torque. I looked at the dynos and came up with +10hp and +50lbs peak over BMS. Is that what you figure?

Let alone being more consistent.

Sounds about right from what I've seen........

[Luminous]

For what it's worth, I was extremely disappointed with the Dinan tune on my 235. Power was seriously lacking, nowhere near the advertised gains, occasional drive train malfunctions, box and harness seem cheap and flimsy, the Bluetooth app they have been advertising for years still hasn't been released, and worst of all, terrible customer service. Biggest waste of money, I quickly sold it at a huge loss. The fact of the matter is that most Dinan customers never bother to dyno the cars before and after install, and I guess the placebo effect of paying $2k for a tune will convince them the car is faster. I'm not saying you won't see any gains, just nothing that warrants the price. If I were you I'd save my money and look elsewhere.

[Luminous]

I currently have the Manhart piggy back and it's a vast, vast improvement over Dinan. That being said, now that ecu flash tunes are available, I'm definitely leaning in that direction.

[Luminous]

Originally Posted by ROBNYC

+1


Agreed, not for nothing but Delnari's thread should be made sticky lol he tested 4 tunes first being the Dinan 1 week, bms s1 week prior, aFe scorcher after getting rid of both, a month later racechip and he found RC was the best of all for him. I guess its a good reason why the RC-Ultimate thread from AlexGt is 10+ pages lol.

But I give it to Manhart & Racechip, i've heard only solid opinions and most of the bms s1 (not bashing them) havent tried manhart or racechip. Just recent someone on the F30 was getting bashed because he was expressing his opinion while he had jb4 before and saying it wasn't as smooth or consistent as Racechip lol. Nonetheless, ECU Flash > Dinan ..

Hope you can make it friday so you can see me against my friends X3 35i & X3 28i Dinan stage1 with my Racechip bone stock =D ,, should be cool to see you against the other M235i coming.

PS.. for everyone in the South or East Coast please do yourself a favor and get in contact with GSR Autosport , the folks up North East BR-Performance recommended EnzoPerformance.com as the only one capable of tuning since January when they first released the ECU Crack to their dealers.

BR-Performance are in Belgium and since they were the ones to crack the ecu, I have seen a few folks on the forums with their flash. Z4 28i M-Sport (dd & track car), and another person with a M5.

Rob I'm definitely hoping to make it tomorrow! I tried the RC as well, definitely better than the dinan. i had to bump it up to D or F to match the manhart though and then i felt the performance became a bit rough.

Now with all this talk of ecu flashes I'm itching to upgrade yet again. Rob, any info on enzoperformance? do you know if he uses the same method as GSR? i read somewhere that enzo physically drills the ecu open which would not be acceptable for me. I hope we can get GSR over here to the east coast soon...

[OpenAir]

GSR and Enzo have some great tunes for the N20. I'm going with the GSR Stage I which has now been tuned for OEM N20's.

The dyno shown is with no changes to the car other than the Stage I ECU...Looks really smooth and I believe it can live there for many years!!!