[bmwbob89]

Vaico DISA update 2. Received the replacement smaller DISA and installed it. Definetly an improvement in the mid range. Still didn't feel right at half throttle and above. So for amusement I flashed the no maf tune. Took a few attempts for some reason. It could not find the files. Finally did. Then I activated the DISA valves to make sure the small one was working. It did but now the large one just clicked. Same as when the small one failed. Pulled out enough to watch the flap and sure enough it's stuck closed. FCP is sending me a replacement. Ugg. I may have to bite the bullet and trade up to BMW ones. Huge price difference. Shame that Meyle doesn't offer them without the BMW stamp.

[E92William]

That really sucks hopefully the small disa holds up long term after being replaced. I was surprised from the first day that fcp euro put those out, that they would risk extending their warranty to something as questionable as a Vaico disa valve. It would be interesting to take a look inside one but I wonder if that would mess with the replacement policy.

[bmwbob89]

Ya that would void the warranty. I don't think they are easy to open anyway. Fortunately they really aren't that hard to replace.
I bought the car to keep me busy during Covid-19. It really has done that.

[eljay]

OK, I followed all the steps and got to the point of flashing.
I selected the batch file to run as administrator.
But then I get an error that "The system cannot find the file specified" and a dialog box with Status saying "wait for control file".

I assume the batch wasn't able to copy the files to the appropriate directory. Is that, correct?
How do I fix this? As you can see, I have the files extracted.

Edit:
OK, I opened up the batch file in Notepad and saw that where it wants to copy the control file and program file and copied those there and re-started the batch.
It's running now.
Let's hope it goes well!

[eljay]

Success!
MAF tune flashed successfully and I just got back from a test drive. Niiiice!
While it's not a dramatic power increase, the whole driving experience is much much better. Somehow, the gear ratios got shorter.

Thanks to bimmerlabs, bimmergeeks and everyone who answers my dumb questions!

Some notes for those who have a working installation of Standard Tools and you are wondering how to get through all the steps.

I downloaded a copy of the latest E89 daten files and updated my installation with those (see youtube guides using BMW Coding Tool). Then in WinKFP step for importing .prg and .ipo files, I selected the folder with the downloaded and extracted the daten files (not my C:\EC-APPS.. locarion).
Since I already had all the files updated, WinKFP asks to ovewrite each one, which I did. I must've clicked 'Yes' well over 100 times.

Then when I proceeded to flash, I had the error in the screenshot above, so for both RSA delete and tune flash, I copied the .ctl and .0pa and .0da files to the directories indicated in the batch file. You can open the batch file in Notepad and see the path. RSAdelete took about 30 mins for me.

That's it. Thanks again!

[E92William]

That's great. Everytime ive had that issue with the bs saying waiting for control file it always just needs to be tried again after closing everything. Sometimes it will work with another file that you download from bimmerlabs instead of the one you're using even if they're exactly the same.

[bsmoov]

Got my flash tune successfully installed.

It was a dramatic difference for me as I came from a 06 325 e91 6MT.

I didn't do a fresh install. I already had working BMW Tools on my laptop and I just did the steps to load the .prg and .ipo files, but I think it was already done because like what eljay said, I had to click ok to rewrite and replace like 237 times manually.

My winkfp didn't work as I got the coapi initialization error, but I was able to fix it with a google search and copying some files and pasting it to a different location after updating the sp-daten files using the coding tool for winkfp. I also had to use 2 flash drives because those daten files for the e89 are huge and when I tried to extract them there was no space on my flash drive even after erasing everything. I had to extract from one flash drive to another and use the extracted one from the directory.

Woooooo!!! Feels like a totally brand new car and I haven't even swapped my manifold yet. Got the 3SIM with new disas and the external pcv system with the new oem breather hoses and the oil return hose. I'm sure once those go in it'll be even more powerful than it is now.

I have no check engine lights or SES lights and the car is running like a beast. I'm thinking about flashing my wife's 328i e91 with just the 330i tune. Would that be a good idea even though I have no plans on doing the 3SIM manifold swap on it?

[eljay]

Originally Posted by bsmoov

Got my flash tune successfully installed.

It was a dramatic difference for me as I came from a 06 325 e91 6MT.

I didn't do a fresh install. I already had working BMW Tools on my laptop and I just did the steps to load the .prg and .ipo files, but I think it was already done because like what eljay said, I had to click ok to rewrite and replace like 237 times manually.

My winkfp didn't work as I got the coapi initialization error, but I was able to fix it with a google search and copying some files and pasting it to a different location after updating the sp-daten files using the coding tool for winkfp. I also had to use 2 flash drives because those daten files for the e89 are huge and when I tried to extract them there was no space on my flash drive even after erasing everything. I had to extract from one flash drive to another and use the extracted one from the directory.

Woooooo!!! Feels like a totally brand new car and I haven't even swapped my manifold yet. Got the 3SIM with new disas and the external pcv system with the new oem breather hoses and the oil return hose. I'm sure once those go in it'll be even more powerful than it is now.

I have no check engine lights or SES lights and the car is running like a beast. I'm thinking about flashing my wife's 328i e91 with just the 330i tune. Would that be a good idea even though I have no plans on doing the 3SIM manifold swap on it?

On a 328i without 3SIM, the tune wouldn't make a difference as the DISA valves are really responsible for the power gain.

[eljay]

Just a comment that one downside of a MAFless tune is that I cannot measure my newfound power through g/s calculation.
Is there another way without a dyno?

[Kapsona]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

...

Originally Posted by E92William

...

Thank you William for that fantastic thread.

Thank you hassmachine for your support.

Guys I have some questions. For my friends 128i we bought 3IM and waiting it’s arrival to do swap.

Tomorrow we will try to flash 128 to 130, without 3IM yet to be prepared to check DISA’s.

My friends 128 equipped with PBX. For first when we installed it throwing some errors regarding gas pedal signal, after some time of driving problems gone. Car drives great and pedal response is perfect

Main question is. Can we leave PBX connected and do that procedure of flashing ? RSA delete and then 128 - 130.

Please help me to understand, can connected PBX do some mess during flashing process?

Thanks a lot.

We are going to apply all possible performance upgrades on that 128

At this moment it has :

modified Air intake box, Charcoal filter removed, additional hole drilled front of the box and pipe for additional air goes from breaking pad cooling grille into additional hole + K&N performance filter installed

PBX installed

secondary catts + resonator deleted.


In near future we are going to :

Install 3IM, after your professional recommendations regarding flashing with or without PBX connected

make it fully cattless, it will become straight pipe from engine to the muffler.

swap existing GM AT trans with manual 6s trans

we already bought 135/335 LSD, waiting for transmission swap to swap also differential with LSD

make MAF Less tune + install IAT

upgrade breaks with 4 piston + drilled system

MILVs

We are also thinking to get custom tune from Bimmerlabs after all that performance changes

If it will be interesting for you guys I will provide details in parallel of our progress

if some one interested I can provide photos of existing and future modifications/changes.

Thanks everyone and especially to Hassmachine and William

[Kapsona]

Originally Posted by Kapsona

Thank you William for that fantastic thread.

Thank you hassmachine for your support.

Guys I have some questions. For my friends 128i we bought 3IM and waiting it’s arrival to do swap.

Tomorrow we will try to flash 128 to 130, without 3IM yet to be prepared to check DISA’s.

My friends 128 equipped with PBX. For first when we installed it throwing some errors regarding gas pedal signal, after some time of driving problems gone. Car drives great and pedal response is perfect

Main question is. Can we leave PBX connected and do that procedure of flashing ? RSA delete and then 128 - 130.

Please help me to understand, can connected PBX do some mess during flashing process?

Thanks a lot.

We are going to apply all possible performance upgrades on that 128

At this moment it has :

modified Air intake box, Charcoal filter removed, additional hole drilled front of the box and pipe for additional air goes from breaking pad cooling grille into additional hole + K&N performance filter installed

PBX installed

secondary catts + resonator deleted.


In near future we are going to :

Install 3IM, after your professional recommendations regarding flashing with or without PBX connected

make it fully cattless, it will become straight pipe from engine to the muffler.

swap existing GM AT trans with manual 6s trans

we already bought 135/335 LSD, waiting for transmission swap to swap also differential with LSD

make MAF Less tune + install IAT

upgrade breaks with 4 piston + drilled system

MILVs

We are also thinking to get custom tune from Bimmerlabs after all that performance changes

If it will be interesting for you guys I will provide details in parallel of our progress

if some one interested I can provide photos of existing and future modifications/changes.

Thanks, everyone and especially to Hassmachine and William

Hello everyone,

So I done with 128i to 130i flash. RDS Delete done in 19:24 minutes. 128i to 130i done in 52 seconds.

Inpa shows some errors regarding DISA's (Because they are not installed yet) and one Coding fault, as I know it's normal after flashing.





Now waiting for purchased parts to arrive.
For the test, I bought one Chinese large DISA. I will post feedback on the overall quality.

Does anyone try Chinese DISA's?

So as I already mentioned we have big plans for that car she will get all possible tunes and performance upgrades soon.

I will post details

Regards.

[E92William]

I have tested many Chinese disas. The quality of it will highly depend on who you purchased it from and what supplier they got the valve from. Some of them are much slower than an OEM valve, to actuate, others the shafts are shorter than OEM internally (leading to higher chance of movement inside the flap and higher risk of breaking) and some will have boards failing to actuate the valve at all after a while. Also rubber seals are usually lower quality.

[E92William]

Good thing you got it flashed without issues. I think there a few guys here that have kept the power box with the bimmerlabs tune and it worked fine. I had a 128i before and that was real fun, with the power my e92 makes now with headers and the 3 stage it would have been a riot to drive

[Kapsona]

Originally Posted by E92William

I have tested many Chinese disas. The quality of it will highly depend on who you purchased it from and what supplier they got the valve from. Some of them are much slower than an OEM valve, to actuate, others the shafts are shorter than OEM internally (leading to higher chance of movement inside the flap and higher risk of breaking) and some will have boards failing to actuate the valve at all after a while. Also rubber seals are usually lower quality.

Only thing I interested in Chinese DISA, it has metal rod in it instead of plastic one, I thought if it will be normal quality at all I can use it without thinking to broke apart and go inside of the cylinder.

I drove the car the whole day before flashing, wanted to know sure how it rides without flashing to compare it after flashing.

I already noticed improvement in rpm range also I feel better torque.

Now I thinking to flash GM TRANS, if it improve shifting I will keep it bit longer, if not will swap with MT. But as I see in some post of Hass he removed GM flash for a while, now I can see only stock firmware for my transmission.

What you think about Mafless tune? I worth it without IAt? Or better to change it and then flash?

Thank you man.

[bsmoov]

Thanks for confirming that the transmission flash isn't there anymore. I thought I was tripping. So it's ok to just flash the 330i tune on an automatic transmission without a special transmission flash?

I just flashed my wife's e91 AT 328i with the 330i tune only. It feels a little better, but nothing drastic like my e91 325i 6MT.

I just installed my 3sim with new disas and man, my e91 6MT is fun as hell to drive right now. Just got all my fluids flushed too.

I'll be installing my 3sim on my wife's auto this weekend, hopefully the 3sim and new disas will make a drastic change than what it is now. It's ok just to run the 330i flash with the stock transmission, right?

[E92William]

330i flash with the stock transmission is perfectly fine and people have done it for quite a while. Just different shift points and response I believe aswell as more solid shifts with the 3.0si trans flash. I run the Mafless tune with stock maf with no issues. I felt it performed a bit better than just the stock 330.

By the way the Chinese disas are not a full metal shaft. They're just copies of the 537/114 revision oem disas which have a half bottom plastic shaft and the top part is metal as can be seen here. If only the Chinese would come out with something that's a full through metal shaft I'd be all game for them. Either way IMO I believe this is the strongest and longest lasting disa valve design as the metal rod rarely wears out the plastic as it's polished so smooth.

[bsmoov]

thanks for the info!

Just curious, what is everyone doing with their stock single stage manifolds? They're useless, right? I have like 2-3 stock manifolds and they're just taking up space. Like who in their right mind would buy a single stage manifold or who would even need them?

Is it even worth holding on to or should I just toss them? I can't imagine any scenario where someone would need a stock single stage manifold.

[Kapsona]

Originally Posted by E92William

330i flash with the stock transmission is perfectly fine and people have done it for quite a while. Just different shift points and response I believe aswell as more solid shifts with the 3.0si trans flash. I run the Mafless tune with stock maf with no issues. I felt it performed a bit better than just the stock 330.

By the way the Chinese disas are not a full metal shaft. They're just copies of the 537/114 revision oem disas which have a half bottom plastic shaft and the top part is metal as can be seen here. If only the Chinese would come out with something that's a full through metal shaft I'd be all game for them. Either way IMO I believe this is the strongest and longest lasting disa valve design as the metal rod rarely wears out the plastic as it's polished so smooth.

Mannn its not good, I thought it was all metallic it will be worth I think, in case if it failed and the metallic rod goes to the cylinder I can say goodbye to my engine. Plastic can be crushed a bit by the cylinder and go to exhaust, without damaging the engine. I will make this Chinese disa apart I hope it has full metallic rod.

[E92William]

Take some pictures of it maybe I have tried out the one that you have. The the metal pin usually if it breaks which it rarely does, it stays at the bottom of the intake plenum as it's too heavy to go into a cylinder but could happen. Depending on the Chinese valve you have, some of them have a shorter metal rod than OEM as you can see in this pic, leading to the rod being able to wiggle itself into the empty space of the flap meaning the top of the flap will disconnect from the top bearing surface, this is only possible on Chinese ones with the short pin as the OEM leaves no empty space. I would just grease up the top part of the flap and go on your way.

[Kapsona]

Mine not arrived yet. I ordered it from eBay. I can provide photos which was posted by the seller. When I get it I will provide better ones.

[Kapsona]

Hope it will technically perform normally, if its logic boar will make flap opening with delay, will be trash. Thinking how to compare this one and the original ones speed of flap functionality.

[E92William]

I have tried that one or one that looked very much like it before. It was quick. The board looked weird compared to an OEM one so I threw in a replacement board from another flap and a reworked motor, only issue I had is the gear teeth looked a bit short but it didn't skip or anything so who knows. Shaft and pin were in good size. Hopefully it works for you.

EDIT: actually here it is. It's the same valve I used to show the pin and plastic shaft inside of the housing so you can see how the green seal is different and a bit harder