[gr4z]

Seems my insurance company (Swift Cover) won't even consider chipped cars

[gIzzE]

A lot of insurers won't, time to ring round and find someone who will.

[gr4z]

Can you guys recommend any?

[gIzzE]

A-Plan is a broker who will find you a good deal with someone mod friendly.

Adrian Flux is also a mod friendly broker.

BMW Insurance will also allow you a remap or tuning box.


Tell them all it gives a 10% gain in power.

[rogerxp]

New-ish member - hello all. Having 'downgraded' from an E92 335i SE Coupe (manual) to an E90 330d M Sport Saloon (manual) I'm certainly looking to get back some of the power I've lost.

Has no-one used a Spider on a 330d yet (mine's on 06 plate/231hp)?? Anyone chipped/remapped a 330d with another device, etc, and have any feedback. CCC Technology use UpSolute which boosts it to 261hp (torque from 500nm to 560nm) for £275. Like the idea of being able to 'detach' the Spider but like the remap being 'hidden'.

[gIzzE]

Most remappers should be able to get 280+ bhp out of the 330d.

I would speak to .....

http://www.e90post.com/forums/member.php?u=32040

He has done loads of 330d's with good results and is based in the Midlands so not too far.
Given the choice I would always prefer a remap over a box, they actually tend to leave less of a trace than a box, and that is with the map still on there. Plus you can tune a lot more parameters too.

[gIzzE]

How are you finding the consumption figures on the 330d manual?

[PhilR]

Originally Posted by rogerxp

New-ish member - hello all. Having 'downgraded' from an E92 335i SE Coupe (manual) to an E90 330d M Sport Saloon (manual) I'm certainly looking to get back some of the power I've lost.

Has no-one used a Spider on a 330d yet (mine's on 06 plate/231hp)?? Anyone chipped/remapped a 330d with another device, etc, and have any feedback. CCC Technology use UpSolute which boosts it to 261hp (torque from 500nm to 560nm) for £275. Like the idea of being able to 'detach' the Spider but like the remap being 'hidden'.

Roger,

I have a 56 330d auto (231ps) and got it maped by SP Tuning (Leicester) for £350 around 2 months ago. The price was pretty cheap, but they came to work and done it and offer a fee map service if it's reset by the dealer. Only down side is I do not know the true bhp or lb/ft but I can live with that. It was a safe map and they tell me about 270ps and 450lb/ft. It's been excellent and had no issues with it at all.

They did say they could offer a more aggresive map to 300ps ish but didn't recommend going any higher (prop shaft judder or something)

There are others out their DMS / Celtic etc and they are more expensive but will dyno and rolling road test etc- so each to their own.

I think some of the tuning boxes are really good now - but IMO not going to run as smooth as a true remap.

PhilR

[rogerxp]

Can't really decide on re-map vs box; will keep on reading everyone's thoughts. Must admit pushing the engine too hard doesn't seem wise to me, a comfortable 30-40 sounds about right.

I was about to post a consumption thread but got beaten to it by 320d & 325i owners so didn't want to jump on the bandwagon!!! I'm getting, currently, 31.4mpg, but was 34mpg when I got it (3 weeks ago). I do drive pretty hard in the week, mostly on a roundabout stricken bypass (A34 if anyone is local), loads of accelerating & braking, so no good for ecomony but make up a bit at the weekend when family on-booard. Used to get around 21mpg in my 335i and just filled up the d for the first time in 3 weeks last night - starting to save a little cash which was the main driver for the change (booo)

[PhilR]

Roger,

My 330d is fairly steady over the last 1500 miles at 36.6mpg

I have had mine down to 32mpg - but only after some hard driving and lots of crawling traffic etc.

In the real world 34 is about as low as mine goes without any motorway driving and lts of short trips. As soon as I hit the dual / tripple carriageways for any lenght of time it climbs towards and sometimes above 40mpg.

Noticed you had a S2000, 350Z and then Maserati for a short spell........did the family put an end to the sports cars?

PhilR

[gIzzE]

Originally Posted by PhilR

Noticed you had a S2000, 350Z and then Maserati for a short spell........did the family put an end to the sports cars?

PhilR

No, that fat cnut Mr. Brown put and end to sports cars in this country!!

[rogerxp]

Damn family!!! I like to blame them but really it's just me wanting what I haven't got (with the exception of my latest car - no offence!!!). S2000 was a great rush but after 20k miles in 1 yr became a little tiresome. 350Z, amazing, wife loved it too, would get a roadster version if the wife would get a sensible car. Masser, stupid purchase (had 4 seats so bought when expecting a little one - family car!?!?), but 12mpg/£2.5k service/etc, saw a quick sell, plus the 'cc' gearbox was crap. 335i, amazing too, only sold as trying to be sensible with money. 330d - still adjusting!!!!

[CrimsonRedE93]

I must admit although tuning boxes are said to be bad or inferior the remap issue with the dealer possbily reporting or overwriting the map and the hassle factor would suggest that the tuning boxes would be a better bet if it could be proved to be worthy

[Ti Rich]

Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. On my last car i used both! A mild remap and a tuning box on a low setting gave the best of both worlds! MPG was about 5% better than standard.

A tuning box increases the fuel rail pressure which tends to give a better response and power low down. A remap could not replicate this (on my last car at least). However, the remap always gave better power top end.


I used this tuning box with my good results and excellent customer service. As you can see they also have actual performace measurements too.

http://tuning-diesels.com/BMW/bmw.htm

This is a digital tuning box which is fully adjustable and can even have an On/Off and power setting switch on the dash.

This is also a good discussion and the pros/cons of both methods here:-

http://tuning-diesels.com/dfacts3.htm


Which ever route you take it is ESSENTIAL to make sure your MAF sensor is working correctly. Generally after about 40k-60k miles they all need replacing. They should be a service item in my opinion.

[Cafe.Racer]

Useful info that, Rich:

If you look around at some of my threads, I have a 320D with a Steinbauer P-Box on it. I've always wondered if a remap would be "better", but comparing my RR graphs with jj's (Superchipped) I'm very happy with mine.

Certainly what Rich's said is born out by the graphs - mine has a better low down response and more area under the curve (slightly), jj's makes more power up top (slightly).

I certainly can't fault mine for smoke, esp. as mine is the non-dpf, there is practically non, but then the P-Box connects to the throttle potentiometer.

[v7seb]

hi all, just purchased a spider tuning box for my 320d 177 gone to fit it followed all instructions but car struggles to start then once started the revs are jumping up and down constantly i have tried adjusting the jumpers but no joy any advise? cheers seb.

[BigBanana]

Are you sure you've plugged it into the correct connector?

Sounds daft but....

On my E46, there were two similar connectors close together. The tuning box could be plugged into either one of them. It will only work properly if it is connected to the rail pressure sensor. However, I inadvertently connected it to the wrong one and although the engine started, it didn't run very well.


Fortunately, it didn't damage anything and worked ok when I plugged it into the correct plug.....

[PhilR]

Originally Posted by v7seb

hi all, just purchased a spider tuning box for my 320d 177 gone to fit it followed all instructions but car struggles to start then once started the revs are jumping up and down constantly i have tried adjusting the jumpers but no joy any advise? cheers seb.

I am pretty sure you have one of the connectors pluged in the wrong way round. This happened to me once on a previous car with a newly fitted tuning box and tripped the EWL.

I would double check the connectors - it is very easy to connect them the wrong way round.

PhilR

[dxb335d]

Good advice here!!

Try it mate and let us know how you get on?!

[v7seb]

i checked it over and over again i deff fit it correct i rung the boys at diesel tuning they seem to think its a faulty unit so i have sent it back today then hopefully should have it back thurs so i will report back then cheers for advise. seb

[gr4z]

Just phoned and ordered a Spider. The forum offer has ended but Nick at Spider offered it for £300 + postage (£6) so went ahead anyway. Should be here in the next couple of days Will post up results ASAP...

[gr4z]

v7seb
Did you get the replacement?