[Darrens]

Hi everyone,

I have a 163BHP 320D and I got it mapped a while back. Before I take it back to the company that mapped it I have a few questions to see if they are common or the result of the map.

1. My fuel consumption has actually dropped. I was averaging around 44-45 on the onboard computer which has now dropped to 41 and I am not driving any harder, if not a bit slower.

2. I expected the map to be quite smooth in the power delivery but you can really feel it pushes you back on your seat from about 2700rpm. Is this normal?

3. Occassionally and usually when on a motorway when flooring the car in 5th or 6th at lowish revs (about 1500-2000rpm and around 60mph) there is no acceleration and you have to change down to get the car into a higher rev range and you then get the surge of power. I would have expected the car to pull even in 6th at low revs?

Sorry if these seem like silly questions. I just want to be prepared before taking the car back to the mapper. In a quick call yesterday he has suggested just putting the map back on but I'm not sure if I trust them with my car anymore......

Thanks

[E92 LeMans]

I have never had a re map but I have used tunnit boxes and I found the fuel cons to stay about the same but power is much better and torque. So I would say there is some thing wrong maybe a pipe is loose on your turbo.

[mikem]

Consumtion will increase a little in colder weather but you shouldn`t have to change gear to accelerate from 60 mph.

[Darrens]

I don't have to change gear all the time. It just occasionally that it happens which makes it strange....

[dxb335d]

Originally Posted by Darrens

I don't have to change gear all the time. It just occasionally that it happens which makes it strange....

Maybe just at some times you need some more acceleration than others.

Try it everyday same road, same amount of throttle 60mph in to gear. Best way to see if the car is behaving differently or whether your just in a different situation, road incline etc...

[tinka]

The new map may have the power coming in later (and more agressive) in the rev range which will mean having to change down a gear and also explain the sudden shove in the back,similar to the vag diesels.

Im surprised if this is the case though, as most bmw remaps keep the linear power curve associated with the standard diesels?.

[JLR1969]

I had a re-map at Evolve a week ago, although my engine produces 177 as standard.

Everything about the re-map is smoother, power delivery comes in as normal its just a lot more powerful.

MPG is actually a bit better unless you have a heavy right foot.

Did you have a dyno on the car post re-map, this will show if the power and torque delivery are smooth.

In 6th on the motorway I used to have to change down a lot but now I dont have to.

Sorry to hear that you are having problems.

Hope this answers some of your questions.

[jjbirch]

i have the 163bhp like yours,I expected the map to be quite smooth in the power delivery but you can really feel it pushes you back on your seat from about 2700rpm. Is this normal? thats spot on 1st 2nd causes alot of spin in the wet and it does pull hard in bottom gears my fuel in 40-45 and 38 around town, heavy foot, you shouldnt need to change down in 6th if on the motorway i can do 65 and push it down a little and it dosnt take long to get into 3 figuires, how many miles on her

[Darrens]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Maybe just at some times you need some more acceleration than others.

Try it everyday same road, same amount of throttle 60mph in to gear. Best way to see if the car is behaving differently or whether your just in a different situation, road incline etc...

Generally the car is fine and will pull in 6th from 60mph however occasionally (on the same road as it is my daily commute to work) and you floor it there is zero or at best very minimal acceleration. This has happened 2-3 times in the past month. Once you change down and get it in a higher rev range it is fine. On the next journey the car is fine again.

It is just hit and miss and not a constant problem and may have nothing to do with the map.

[Darrens]

Originally Posted by jjbirch

i have the 163bhp like yours,I expected the map to be quite smooth in the power delivery but you can really feel it pushes you back on your seat from about 2700rpm. Is this normal? thats spot on 1st 2nd causes alot of spin in the wet and it does pull hard in bottom gears my fuel in 40-45 and 38 around town, heavy foot, you shouldnt need to change down in 6th if on the motorway i can do 65 and push it down a little and it dosnt take long to get into 3 figuires, how many miles on her

There is 25,000 miles on her. Does yours also perform the same in 4th/5th/6th as I have to get her to about 2500rpm to feel the surge in power. I didn't get a dyno with the map but it does sound like it is the way the map is set up with all the power coming in later although he assured me at the time that the power delivery would be smooth

[jjbirch]

i had my one done at 1500mls now it has 34, i never need to change down to fifth for power at 65-70 there enough power to push you forward i would say 1st 2nd 3rd are not smooth, but i like the way it pulls hard,sometimes on hills i drop to 4th to get a good run up but never 3rd, do you know what map you had on, was it a superchips map

[Darrens]

No its not superchips. I won't mention the mapper yet until I find out if there are "problems"

[330dan]

i got remapped and instantly noticed my mpg dropped by 4mpg but i also had changed job the same day i got it chipped and drive a totally different route so yet to verify whether or not that has much to do with it.

One problem i have is if im flooring it - say up a m'way slip road and the auto box is changing up the gears (or if i do it in tiptronic) it changes smootly and quickly up until 4th and 5th where the change takes noticibly longer, (maybe three times longer), long enough for the rev needle to drop back down to about the 2,000 area.

any ideas on this - is it normal?

[Darrens]

Update...

Took the car back to the mapper on Monday night to just put the car back to standard. However something went wrong when replacing the map and the car wouldn't start. They say that the original map has been replaced on the ECU but it still won't start. The car will turn over but just won't fire up. Is it likely to be an immobiliser issue?

Currently trying to find a BMW garage to take the car in to have a look and in fairness the mapper he is doing everything he can to help.

[M5 TT]

The EDC16 can be a bit tricky to do. I take it, it was done over OBD? He may be able to recover it using BDM but would need and full read from your ecu.

If the ecu still communicates over OBD then the dealer may be able to reflash it for you. Fingers crossed.

If it is still under warranty call the dealer and say it wont start and you have no idea why.

[Thetoycollector]

Not sure if this is the problem but it sound like a problem I had on my 177ps 320D.

After around 10K miles the fuel consumption started to suffer, then there became a disticnt "power band" arising.

Over the next few thousand miles it became worse (did not do it all the time though). Then it became really bad and I had trouble holding 6th gear as there would be no "pull" to the engine.

Then took it into the dealers where thet diagnosed a partially sticking turbo actuatutor valve (whatever that is?!).

It was replaced and the car was great again.

Not sure if it affects the 163ps model (I had no trouble when I had mine) but worth asking.

[Darrens]

Thanks guys. Car is now running again and back to standard (and it will stay that way!). The actual mapper here could not have done more to help unlike the guys he gets his maps from....

I'm also not impressed with BMW customer service but thats another story. An ex-BMW mechanic with diagnostics equipment kindly got the car running for me again which I believe was quite straightforward in the end.

[M5 TT]

100% not the mappers fault. When flashing there is always a risk and sometimes it goes wrong, sh!t happens. Glad you got it going again

[Jimmy1982]

hello, just wondering if you have ever had any problems with tuning boxes??

I have a 2007 320d (177 bhp) and i fitted a Spider tuning box ( http://www.dieseltuning.co.uk/technical.html ) and all was good until i got an engine management light on the dash. I then removed the box and book it into my local BMW garage, them inspected the car and reported back there was an issue / faulty part on the turbo so as the car is still under warranty the cracked on and got it all fixed up with the new parts installed and also reprogramed??!!. Job done and no warning light!

I then left the car standard for several weeks and there was no more problems, so i then reinstalled my tuning box and i must say it felt even more responsive then before. I then decided that this box was not for me as I was so worried that further problems will occur. I then completely removed the box for good. After a few days of driving without the box the engine management light has now lit up again!!

I have took my car back to BMW today and they say this time there is a problem with some wiring which will also be repaired under warranty, so thats good news but I really want the tuning box back on!!!

Any help will be much appreciated.

Also they had the new face lift 320d which has more bhp but the same engine, i.e BMW have retuned / remapped the 320, could this be done on the older model???

Originally Posted by E92 LeMans

I have never had a re map but I have used tunnit boxes and I found the fuel cons to stay about the same but power is much better and torque. So I would say there is some thing wrong maybe a pipe is loose on your turbo.

[M5 TT]

Prob best to ask Spider.

But these boxes only up the fuel pressure so very unlikely it has anything to do with your problems, just shit BMW's