[heusing240i]

Food for thought, I live in Buffalo, NY and my dealer doesn't allow any mods. I'm still under warranty on my 18' m240i and I'm running BMS CAI, VRSF cat less DP with JB4 tune. Bought tune combo with DP through Mike-XPH for a total around $1000. Added spacer and no CEL so far. One thing I do before inspection is swap Cat (takes less than an hour) and pull out the tune and hide wires. No issues so far, car sounds good WOT, more burbles and sometime backfires (Loud). Well worth the once a year I need to pull take it apart while I'm under warranty IMO.

[kianf22]

Originally Posted by heusing240i

Food for thought, I live in Buffalo, NY and my dealer doesn't allow any mods. I'm still under warranty on my 18' m240i and I'm running BMS CAI, VRSF cat less DP with JB4 tune. Bought tune combo with DP through Mike-XPH for a total around $1000. Added spacer and no CEL so far. One thing I do before inspection is swap Cat (takes less than an hour) and pull out the tune and hide wires. No issues so far, car sounds good WOT, more burbles and sometime backfires (Loud). Well worth the once a year I need to pull take it apart while I'm under warranty IMO.

If your dealer does not allow mods, how did they not detect the tune. Even if you remove the box and wiring itself, it leaves remanence behind that is very obvious to anyone working on your car.

[heusing240i]

The JB4 is plug and play, all I do is disconnect the battery, unplug the harness and disconnect the OBD cabling to the controller tuck it away. I have only needed to take it in for normal maintenance (ie. oil change, inspection..)

[kianf22]

Originally Posted by heusing240i

The JB4 is plug and play, all I do is disconnect the battery, unplug the harness and disconnect the OBD cabling to the controller tuck it away. I have only needed to take it in for normal maintenance (ie. oil change, inspection..)

Correct, but ecu stores data like max boost correct? I have heard that even piggybacks show obvious signs when uninstalled. At that point why wouldn't you go with a flash tune if they're both voiding warranties?

[giangi_m240i]

Originally Posted by helloelectro

You're going to get lots of different answers as sound desire is super subjective but at $2k you are already limited to certain things. Even more so if your paying for labor.

M240i axle back alone is going to run you 1500$ ish. Remus, Dinan whatever.

A midpipe is adding $600.

Your DP if you want to avoid headache of cel avoidance requires a high flow DP which will be $1000-1200.

If you went catless and did a BM3 tune your still paying $400 for DP and $600 for tune just to code out the error. Or go the spacer route which you've already ruled out.

Or paying a labor fee every year you need to swap to pass the emissions test.

Add in the intake and your $300-600 more on top of your budget.

If just sound is all you care about. Forget the DP. Get the Dinan midpipe and a AP intake. Lots of swooshes and enhanced exhaust farts. It's a great starter setup.

You'll be at around 800-900$.

If your trying to get more custom, then stretch your budget or save up before dropping your cash stash.

For a car as expensive as a m240i, it's well worth not trying to be frugal. Not saying don't be cost conscious just know your driving a car with a premium applied! BMW has a tax on everything lol. Way of the beast.

If you want pure sound and not obnoxiousness you need to consider things that are going to give you this but it's not always going to be the cheaper route :

Catless DP = $400 (more sound) vs
Catted highFlow DP (no cel) = $1000-1200

Midpipe: Dinan =$600 or add a cat back and your $2000+. for Remus or Dinan

Tune: $600+. The DP is doing nothing for you but sound without the tune. Also your car is not well equipped to manage the variables of the DP which some may argue will damage your car if you don't do a tune that accounts for the DP.

Basically you need to decide which is more important: cost, sound, performance. Than build from there. Your original post seems to elude to you not being totally sure of what you want (not a bad thing, ''tis why you ask around!) If your budget is limiting you, don't do it u less you can properly scale. Save a little longer and get the right combo. It sucks going back to the drawing board haha!

All that said this is my opinion:

Option 1: sound
AP intake + Dinan midpipe

Option 2: sound
Remus Catback

Option 3: sound + power + no cel
Remus Catback, CG-precision DS-1 downpipe, BM3 stage 1/2 tune.

I have a 18 m240i and running this exact set up. Only difference is a jb4( may be adding more turbo woohss) but it does sound amazing for using a stock downpipe. Pops and bangs in sport + are loud and make you smile.
No warranty issues

[giangi_m240i]

Originally Posted by kianf22

Correct, but ecu stores data like max boost correct? I have heard that even piggybacks show obvious signs when uninstalled. At that point why wouldn't you go with a flash tune if they're both voiding warranties?

The dme only will see stock level boost pressures not the true boost rhe car is making.

[cooolone2]

Originally Posted by giangi_m240i

The dme only will see stock level boost pressures not the true boost rhe car is making.

Anecdotal or Vendor (Tune) verified?...

[rfranklin]

Originally Posted by heusing240i

Food for thought, I live in Buffalo, NY and my dealer doesn't allow any mods. I'm still under warranty on my 18' m240i and I'm running BMS CAI, VRSF cat less DP with JB4 tune. Bought tune combo with DP through Mike-XPH for a total around $1000. Added spacer and no CEL so far. One thing I do before inspection is swap Cat (takes less than an hour) and pull out the tune and hide wires. No issues so far, car sounds good WOT, more burbles and sometime backfires (Loud). Well worth the once a year I need to pull take it apart while I'm under warranty IMO.

Good to know. I'm moving to Buffalo in the next couple weeks. Appreciate the info - thank you.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by cooolone2

Anecdotal or Vendor (Tune) verified?...

All piggyback work but tricking the ECU to think its making stock boost. If the ECU knows how much boost the car is actually making, the tune would not work.
A simple boost check will not show any values above stock

Some say BMW has the ability to dig deeper and check other parameter histories. Conducting such tests might show the car was tuned even if boost shows stock value.

That being said, after 13 years of tuned Turbo BMWs, and hundred of thousands of tuned cars, I cannot remember this incident happening even once.

This leads me to conclude, these rumors are either false and BMW cannot check 6 months history of a car, or they just dont care to check it.

Either way, it's safe to safe that if the car is tuned and users remove the tune before their dealership visit, they will be fine.

[heusing240i]

Originally Posted by rfranklin

Good to know. I'm moving to Buffalo in the next couple weeks. Appreciate the info - thank you.

Good to know! Maybe I'll see you in passing!