[c416]

Continuously updated review of the MarkD NA tune

Car: 2009 328i e92 6mt
Pre-tune fuel consumption: avg 12.8L/100km all city driving
current mods: air scoops only, otherwise completely stock
previous mods: BMS PBX; all reference to the PBX will be to map 3 (100% performance and throttle response on)
Stock dyno numbers: max HP 193 max torque 174.5 pic of dyno
PBX dyno numbers: max HP 200.1 max torque 185.1


Day 1 - First impressions (first couple of km's) :
Fired her up and let her idled abit while i stabbed at the throttle to sense for any difference in throttle response; there seemed to be a more immediate response to the otherwise delayed and lazy drivebywire we all hate, but i couldn't be sure, i wanted to drive her through the paces. The PBX did a great job here, throttle response difference was immediately noticed. Backed up and proceeded to the street. To be honest, the first couple km's didn't feel any different from stock, there was no immediate change in car behavior under normal and spirited. Remembering MarkD telling me to give it time for the car to react and adapt, I continued to drive around the area with traffic to warm up and rack up some mileage. The point was to drive it abit and return back to the shop to access with MarkD while he worked on other cars. At about 15km the car started to change. The 1,2,3 gears started to feel more pull and aggressive. The clutch engagement continued to be very smooth, unlike the PBX, where i just couldn't ever get the perfect gear changes. The PBX just seemed too sensitive at times, jerky and not consistent throttle control during shifts, often over rev or under.

At this point of time with 20km on the tune, I continued to drive spirited hitting up the on and off ramps, rev matching and WOT where appropriate. There was indeed a noticeable increase in power throughout the powerband and even past 6000rpm to 7000, where otherwise the car would only make alot of noise and alot less pull. Different when compared to the PBX, the PBX would have good power down low (as seen in the pbx dyno numbers above, 10HP to the wheel bump!!), but like stock, nothing up top. With MarkD tune, the car continued it's pull all the way up to 7000 where i didn't go past and would upshift. According to MarkD, the rev limiter has been raised to 7300. Throttle responses continued to behave well through rev matching and responded well at stop-light waiting for green, neutral rev stabs.
Found a private straight stretch for me to do a quick WOT 1,2 gear and wow, 80km/hr came up fast! 1st gear felt strong, very strong. My butt would say a big difference. 2nd seems normal compared to the aggressiveness to 1st, almost the same as stock it seems.
3rd feels very strong during the on ramps, but that's too much in the "asking for trouble" WOT speeds in the area i was in. I drove in all 3 traction modes, with semi or fully off yielding what seemed to be the best experience. With the traction fully on, the car holds the tune back by cutting power to the wheels too much, too early. The car indeed does break traction alot more with the same form of spirited driving.

Went back to the shop for MarkD to give an assessment and for him to give it a rip, me as the passenger. The on-ramps pulls felt really good as a passenger, 3rd gear, again felt really strong. After some WOT and spirited driving, we went back to the shop for MarkD to continue work on the other cars and for me to head home.

At this point of time, i think i had 35 or 40km on the tune and the drive back was even better! I can't wait for the car to fully settle in and for another dyno after 1000km.

[c416]

Day1 part2:

Just came back from another run through Toronto's streets. Mix of streets, highways and alot of on/off ramps
Forget what I mentioned about a comparatively weak 2nd gear. Wipe that. 2nd pulls equally as impressive as 1st and 3rd. This last run out made me say "holy crap" more than once Engine sounds great as well.

[DESI4life10]

Thanks for posting a review. Looking forward to the updates.

[teamadobo]

can you post some feedback with the A/C on? Does it still pull hard?

[MarkD]

Jason, thanks for the review of your first day and and I'm sure there are people who are waiting to see what you think in the next week.

MarkD

[OwnAge]

Interesting.. keep us updated

[c416]

Day 9, 500km on the tune.
Car: 2009 328i e92 6mt
Pre-tune fuel consumption: avg 12.8L/100km all city driving
Post-tune fuel consumption: avg 12.2/100km 90% city, with many WOT runs
current mods: air scoops only, otherwise completely stock
previous mods: BMS PBX; all reference to the PBX will be to map 3 (100% performance and throttle response on)
Stock dyno numbers: max HP 193 max torque 174.5 pic of dyno
PBX dyno numbers: max HP 200.1 max torque 185.1


The responsiveness of the throttle and power is remains, i would say pretty much the same as Day1. Upon more driving, the BMS's throttle response does seem more immediate, but the MarkD tune does a good job and address the issue as well.

On WOT 1,2 gears to redline, the car continues to feel more aggressive and faster than stock. (without a proper track, most of the time, the first 2 gears are pretty much my play area, as WOT redline 2nd would bring me to speeds up to around 80-90km/hr already. 3rd and onward seems stronger, but i can't tell if it's by alot, need to drive it more

Over the past week, i've gone through some pulls against other 328 and had different 328 owners driven the car and the response is: there is a difference and the car feels much more responsive. I've had some pulls (dead start/rolling/highway) against a 328xi/auto/perf intake/perf exhaust/BMS PBX, in which my car did not overwhelm the other car (pulls WOT 1,2 and partially through 3rd). Performance vs Performance, I believe I maintained the lead, but the other car inched up on every gear throw (stock long throws). The highway run results had the other car pull from me, we had two runs; 3rd 80-130km/hr. What I do believe is my car is begging for more air, which the software tunes are known to fully take advantage of. And for a stock manual car to get ahead and maintain lead against an auto car with full intake and exhaust + chip, gotta mean for something, especially with our stock LONG manual throws!

Summary:
- Car still feels aggressive and more immediate power and throttle response
- BMS might have better throttle response, i can't be sure, but seems like it.
- i personally think the tune will benefit with better intake upgrades, so i'll be doing that after the dyno at 1000km
- whereas driving the PBX, about 2 weeks in on map3, the performance effects would kinda die down and i would go through a reset procedure, this tune remains intact
- post mileage with aggressive/WOT city and some highway pulls/on/off ramps yield 12.2L/100km. MMMMMM..what the heck, that's really good! i had to run down to the car and double check that number.

Dyno, dyno! numbers don't lie. I should be able to put on another 500km in a week or so, i look forward to the dyno and will be posting the results

[Havok_2011]

Thanks for the review so far!

But, I don't understand the quote below:

Originally Posted by jacewong

- whereas driving the PBX, about 2 weeks in on map3, the performance effects would kinda die down and i would go through a reset procedure, this tune remains intact

So people with a PBX start to notice that the performance on map3 decreases over time and eventually feels like stock, and so they need to reset it???

Anyone with a PBX can confirm this?? ...sounds odd to me....

[MMOTION]

Thanks for doing this informative review. Interested to see how this tune compares to the BMS PBX on the dyno.

Originally Posted by Havok_2011

Thanks for the review so far!

But, I don't understand the quote below:



So people with a PBX start to notice that the performance on map3 decreases over time and eventually feels like stock, and so they need to reset it???

Anyone with a PBX can confirm this?? ...sounds odd to me....

I'm not sure if its just getting used to the tune and it just feels normal after, but i tend to do a reset after a few months to get that crisp throttle response back.

[DESI4life10]

I think it's the fact that you tend to get used to the PBX after a while (which is why when you put it to stock, it feels soo slow). I changed mine yesterday from map 1 (30%) to map 2 (65%) and wow what a difference with the throttle.

We need to go at it again jace after the dyno :-)

[c416]

Originally Posted by MMOTION

Thanks for doing this informative review. Interested to see how this tune compares to the BMS PBX on the dyno.

I'm not sure if its just getting used to the tune and it just feels normal after, but i tend to do a reset after a few months to get that crisp throttle response back.

It's car systems' adaptation. This is a major diff btw piggyback chips vs software tune. The car will eventually adapt to the chip, whereas the tune does not require resetting the car back to factory settings.

maybe someone with more technical knowledge can provide a better answer

[c416]

Originally Posted by DESI4life10

I think it's the fact that you tend to get used to the PBX after a while (which is why when you put it to stock, it feels soo slow). I changed mine yesterday from map 1 (30%) to map 2 (65%) and wow what a difference with the throttle.

We need to go at it again jace after the dyno :-)

DESI4life10, sure!

[OwnAge]

I'll run too if u guys want. to compare a stock 6sp with heavy wheels to ur cars.
if Desi will do good on map 3 i might consider getting a chip but then again i wonder how much desi is gaining with his exhaust and intake

[MarkD]

Our e90 is a 2007 328 and jacewong took it for a drive at the Speedstar BBQ on the weekend, and I got the feeling he liked how it worked. His should be similar after some more km's.

[DESI4life10]

Originally Posted by OwnAge

I'll run too if u guys want. to compare a stock 6sp with heavy wheels to ur cars.
if Desi will do good on map 3 i might consider getting a chip but then again i wonder how much desi is gaining with his exhaust and intake

Yea I was thinking it would be good for you to run with him as well.

I think my setup (intake/exhaust) may yield around 10-13hp combined. Either way, with being an awd car, the added weight pretty much wiped out all my advantage with the mods when running with a coupe. Therefore, I think it's a pretty fair run for both models (still is hard with an awd).

Will try it again after the dyno. Excited to see the difference with the flash.

[OwnAge]

Mark u wanna sponsor me ? I'll put a big a$$ sticker on my car for you hehehe

Raj when are you gonna dyno your car?
ps i thought perf exhaust would give more hp. thinking of giving the car a present but dont know what?


Wonder how much difference to my wheels make from stock 16"

[DESI4life10]

Wait till we try it again and I am in the right map. I didn't have an aggressive map on and so when I hit the gas, the car lagged.

The pe does yield more hp.

[R12ax7]

I dont assume this tune is available anywhere in the US?

[MarkD]

Originally Posted by R12ax7

I dont assume this tune is available anywhere in the US?

Not yet. If I can sign up some dealers in the USA it can be available. Or, if you ship the ECU to me I can program it here and send it back but I am not really set up for a 1 day turn-around as I am often at client's locations during the day.

[cubiza]

Any further feedback on the tune after 2 months? Would you have any dyno numbers after the tune?

[jim.e.]

Jace - any dyno results?