[Alarmin]

Hey everybody,

I've been doing a lot of research on tunes and am pretty interested in Active 8 and Dinan Stage 1 for my purposes. I'm in CA and don't plan on running fuels other than 91. Has anyone ever had any issues that stemmed from their tune - specifically the Active 8? I'm just curious if these tunes are stretching the engine past its capabilities or if they're more unlocking its hidden capabilities.

I know the Dinan gives you less of a power bump, but the warranty peace of mind sounds great. However, those increased performance numbers and lower price of the Active 8 keep on pulling me in....


As a sidenote, do people feel a pretty marked change in power from the Dinan Stage 1? Some posts claim it'll slam your head into your seat while others claim to not notice it at all.

Thanks in advance guys.

[wassy4]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

Hey everybody,

I've been doing a lot of research on tunes and am pretty interested in Active 8 and Dinan Stage 1 for my purposes. I'm in CA and don't plan on running fuels other than 91. Has anyone ever had any issues that stemmed from their tune - specifically the Active 8? I'm just curious if these tunes are stretching the engine past its capabilities or if they're more unlocking its hidden capabilities.

I know the Dinan gives you less of a power bump, but the warranty peace of mind sounds great. However, those increased performance numbers and lower price of the Active 8 keep on pulling me in....


As a sidenote, do people feel a pretty marked change in power from the Dinan Stage 1? Some posts claim it'll slam your head into your seat while others claim to not notice it at all.

Thanks in advance guys.

Don't go Dinan. Go with JB4 or Activ-8.

I'm running Activ-8 on my car and it hits hard. Hits even harder when paired with a downpipe. No issues at all aside from some limp modes during the first few months (DME freaking out cause car couldn't regain traction from low speed WOT). Fix for this is to run sport+ or disable DSC completely. You will also experience harsh shifts primarily from 2nd-3rd but this smooths out over time once the DME adjusts.

You're definitely not stretching the engine by any means. This engine is capable of high 500whp and that's without a flash tune or any other mods besides turbo, intake, dp, meth, tune. I haven't been in a Dinan tuned car but they're overpriced and underpowered. And yes, you 100% feel the difference vs stock with the AA tune. Stock feels very linear and smooth. AA feels exponential yet still smooth.

Just go with the Activ-8 and don't look back. You will not have an issue. Just make sure you can get a 91 tune since the Activ-8 is made for 93. I would say JB4 is a better deal but to me the Activ-8 feels the smoothest and has the least issues.

[Frank Jia]

No dinan for sure. Always code and never solved.[IMG][/IMG] Go jb4 or active 8.

[D's Bimmer]

In the absence of a MHD type solution(which I am missing from my N55), I am leaning towards AA as well. I am holding off until the summer to see if any developments come forth(unlikely this year but still hoping!).

[DrifterX]

If you have the funds, I'd say go for MPPSK because I felt a clear difference on how it drove after the install, especially shifting (car is manual) - I feel like I can shift quicker (I think RPMs match faster). The increase in acceleration is obvious, car feels less hesitant with the tune. Car just feels a lot more refined overall and complete. The intoxicating exhaust tone and pops/burbles is a huge plus

You won't need to worry about 3rd party or emissions issues

[Alarmin]

Originally Posted by wassy4

Don't go Dinan. Go with JB4 or Activ-8.

I'm running Activ-8 on my car and it hits hard. Hits even harder when paired with a downpipe. No issues at all aside from some limp modes during the first few months (DME freaking out cause car couldn't regain traction from low speed WOT). Fix for this is to run sport+ or disable DSC completely. You will also experience harsh shifts primarily from 2nd-3rd but this smooths out over time once the DME adjusts.

You're definitely not stretching the engine by any means. This engine is capable of high 500whp and that's without a flash tune or any other mods besides turbo, intake, dp, meth, tune. I haven't been in a Dinan tuned car but they're overpriced and underpowered. And yes, you 100% feel the difference vs stock with the AA tune. Stock feels very linear and smooth. AA feels exponential yet still smooth.

Just go with the Activ-8 and don't look back. You will not have an issue. Just make sure you can get a 91 tune since the Activ-8 is made for 93. I would say JB4 is a better deal but to me the Activ-8 feels the smoothest and has the least issues.

Thanks for the info, man. How long did it take for the DME to adjust for you?

[wassy4]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

Thanks for the info, man. How long did it take for the DME to adjust for you?

A few weeks at most. Could've just been my car being weird as well.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Active 8 is one of the most reliable tunes out there, we never had any issues with it

[Alarmin]

Originally Posted by mike@x-ph.com

Active 8 is one of the most reliable tunes out there, we never had any issues with it

Thanks Mike. I appreciate your input

[SflBimmer8484]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

Thanks Mike. I appreciate your input

[phinole]

Lots of Dinan hate on here. I disagree. I've had the Stage 1 since I took delivery and it completely changes the car. I don't think it's underpowered at all. Yes, it's more expensive but the warranty is worth it when you consider you spent so much money on a 3 series.

I can't speak about the other tunes, and I'm surprised other people who offer opinions on their products without experience. As far as the "always code, never fixed" goes, I've never had that happen, but I'll say this: if it did happen, I'd rather it happen with a product that offers such a comprehensive warranty.

[wassy4]

Originally Posted by phinole

Lots of Dinan hate on here. I disagree. I've had the Stage 1 since I took delivery and it completely changes the car. I don't think it's underpowered at all. Yes, it's more expensive but the warranty is worth it when you consider you spent so much money on a 3 series.

I can't speak about the other tunes, and I'm surprised other people who offer opinions on their products without experience. As far as the "always code, never fixed" goes, I've never had that happen, but I'll say this: if it did happen, I'd rather it happen with a product that offers such a comprehensive warranty.

It's a "different strokes" thing. The stage 1 isn't underpowered. It's just not as powerful as the Activ 8 or JB4. If the warranty means that much to you and it gives you the peace of mind you need then more power to you, but this car can handle much more than a piggyback tune. So why not go for the most powerful one? They're all fairly conservative anyway since there's a fuel limit. Why pay 1000+ for a tune that does less when I can get a tune, dp, and intake for the same price and make more power?

Also, the reason why many people disfavor Dinan today is because it is not run by Steve Dinan anymore, and is owned by the same company that runs companies like Flowmaster, APR, etc. It's not as special as it used to be.

[phinole]

Originally Posted by wassy4

Also, the reason why many people disfavor Dinan today is because it is not run by Steve Dinan anymore, and is owned by the same company that runs companies like Flowmaster, APR, etc. It's not as special as it used to be.

About being as "special" as it used to be ... That's a fair point, although I don't know enough about how Dinan runs without Steve Dinan vs. with him. I'd be interested to know if their development, testing, procurement, etc. runs any differently being under a corporate umbrella. I've known of companies to retain their identity, quality, structure and brand after being consumed by a larger firm, and I've known the opposite. If my experience in 2017/2018 is any indication, Dinan seems like they are in a good place, but I have no basis for comparison since this is the first set of Dinan products that I've owned. Also, I purchased my car new for a steal with the Stage 1 and Freeflow already installed by the dealer, and while I had plans to mod any 340 I purchased, I can't honestly say I would have ultimately chosen Dinan, but since the choice was made for me, I'm very pleased, both with performance and their customer service.

All that to say: I don't know if being owned by Flowmaster (or its holding company) causes Dinan's products to be subpar, or if that's just a subjective, emotional perspective. At the very least, there are plenty of great tuning options for our cars and we should be happy about that.

[BMWILUVU]

I recommend Active-8 if you just want no hassles bump in power and do not want to mod beyond that. If you want more mods then maybe JB-4. With JB-4 there are alot of issues you need to log and spend time to figure them out. MPPSK is just too expensive and unless you want the exhaust, the package is forcing you to spend extra at $3000+ when you can have more power with Active-8 for a quarter of that.

[Mike@N54Tuning.com]

Originally Posted by BMWILUVU

I recommend Active-8 if you just want no hassles bump in power and do not want to mod beyond that. If you want more mods then maybe JB-4. With JB-4 there are alot of issues you need to log and spend time to figure them out. MPPSK is just too expensive and unless you want the exhaust, the package is forcing you to spend extra at $3000+ when you can have more power with Active-8 for a quarter of that.

With the JB4 you don't need to do anything. Install, select map1 or map2 in dash, enjoy. It's when you want to start pushing higher power levels, use E85, tune for a downpipes, that you need to do logs and ensure its set properly for your car.

Mike

[riskmaker76]

I agree... people start getting into trouble when they start trying to push it..

Map 1 or 2 is perfect for a stock car..

If you have MPPSK already, different story, will require Map 6 with tuning to get it smooth (and without E85)..

I just removed my JB4 for service (have MPPSK also) and its a fair enough different for me to put it back on lol...

JB4 with the logging really is nice... it gives you peace of mind

Originally Posted by Mike@N54Tuning.com

With the JB4 you don't need to do anything. Install, select map1 or map2 in dash, enjoy. It's when you want to start pushing higher power levels, use E85, tune for a downpipes, that you need to do logs and ensure its set properly for your car.

Mike

[moff]

Originally Posted by riskmaker76

I agree... people start getting into trouble when they start trying to push it..

Map 1 or 2 is perfect for a stock car..

If you have MPPSK already, different story, will require Map 6 with tuning to get it smooth (and without E85)..

I just removed my JB4 for service (have MPPSK also) and its a fair enough different for me to put it back on lol...

JB4 with the logging really is nice... it gives you peace of mind

This is my problem. I've got the MPPSK but want more power and don't want the hassle of having tailor the JB4. There still doesn't seem to be a plug and play option for us MPPSK users

If there was I know plenty of people ready to buy!!!

[Alarmin]

Originally Posted by BMWILUVU

I recommend Active-8 if you just want no hassles bump in power and do not want to mod beyond that. If you want more mods then maybe JB-4. With JB-4 there are alot of issues you need to log and spend time to figure them out. MPPSK is just too expensive and unless you want the exhaust, the package is forcing you to spend extra at $3000+ when you can have more power with Active-8 for a quarter of that.

Thanks for your input! It’s been settled - my active 8 is coming in today!

[riskmaker76]

Well.. DO NOT get anything other then JB4... You will regret it.

The MPPSK alread adds 2PSI above stock... your on the fringe with 93 octane... once you start to add more boost you need more octane..

My experience is I can have good drivability (maintain timing, etc.) with 2PSI in the summer and 3 PSI in the winter (even more actually)...

Now I know this because I have taken hundreds of logs which can only be done with the JB4

The MPPSK does a ton of variability that IMO both Dinan and others just cant deal with...

This damn car changes from day to day... I dont even like running on Map 1 or Map 2... When the car adjusts to what ever (air temp, fuel quality, etc.) the JB4 will readjust.. I dont like that.. Map 6 is a straight add 2, 3, etc. PSI above what it sees... Thus again benefit of JB4..

Originally Posted by moff

This is my problem. I've got the MPPSK but want more power and don't want the hassle of having tailor the JB4. There still doesn't seem to be a plug and play option for us MPPSK users

If there was I know plenty of people ready to buy!!!

[BMWILUVU]

Originally Posted by Mike@N54Tuning.com

With the JB4 you don't need to do anything. Install, select map1 or map2 in dash, enjoy. It's when you want to start pushing higher power levels, use E85, tune for a downpipes, that you need to do logs and ensure its set properly for your car.

Mike

I know you make your living selling mod parts but if I need that kind of power beyond an ECU flash or a simple piggyback, then it needs to be baked-in like a stock M3.

[SflBimmer8484]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

Thanks for your input! It’s been settled - my active 8 is coming in today!

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by Alarmin

Thanks for your input! It’s been settled - my active 8 is coming in today!

How do you like it?