Tuning an E38

[Frosty44 0]

Hey guys I was thinking that I might get my old e38 retuned for better performance, do you think this would be productive and who should I see about doing it?

It's a 740i but it has nowhere near the power that it should, I'm hoping a retune will most fix this, would you guys agree?

[drifty325i 0]

The sevens series v8s are pretty strangled so a decent exhaust,extractors,intake and full tune will help alot. Maby a chip, Apart from that its BIG bucks

[martyyn 2]

The sevens series v8s are pretty strangled so a decent exhaust,extractors,intake and full tune will help alot. Maby a chip, Apart from that its BIG bucks

Strangled my arse !

Doing all that will give you only minimal bhp gains and cost a small fortune. Chipping it will really only remove the limiter, perhaps sharpen the throttle response but again any bhp increase will be minimal.

You just cant take these cars into your local garage and ask for a 'tune'. The only real option you have is to supercharge the thing and your talking thousands to do that properly.

Frosty, what makes you think its 'nowhere near the power that it should' have you dyno'd it ?

[drifty325i 0]

Strangled my arse !

Doing all that will give you only minimal bhp gains and cost a small fortune. Chipping it will really only remove the limiter, perhaps sharpen the throttle response but again any bhp increase will be minimal.

You just cant take these cars into your local garage and ask for a 'tune'. The only real option you have is to supercharge the thing and your talking thousands to do that properly.

Frosty, what makes you think its 'nowhere near the power that it should' have you dyno'd it ?

Good tune,Exhaust ,intake and chip costs a small fortune? compared to.......Supercharging? i dont think so.

Its the least expensive thing you can do on these for bhp gains without blowing huges bucks on supercharging etc.

And it will give noticable gain, nice sound to. But if you think you car is not performing right, fix the problem first then do the bolt ons. (Thats my opinion )

Edited July 27, 2007 by Drifty 340i V8

[Andrew 30]

Doing all that will give you only minimal bhp gains and cost a small fortune. Chipping it will really only remove the limiter, perhaps sharpen the throttle response but again any bhp increase will be minimal.

Lies -

If you in Auckland contact Gavin Bellars @ Hi Velocity - he can retune factory ECUs with pretty decent results.

It wouldn't be unusally to get 20 odd hp after modifing a stock ecu map.

Would be interested to know why you think it isn't up to its normal power - E38 740s are not quick cars so don't expect something it isn't because it is a V8.

[martyyn 2]

Ok, Ill quantify where Im going from then.

A 'starter' Dinan kit costs thousands for engine software, transmission software, cold air intake, free flow exhaust and a gain of 20bhp. Obviously its up to you whether you consider 20bhp to be a big enough gain on something thats already putting out 286 and whether you have that sort of money floating around.

Take it to this bloke in Auckland and if he gets 20bhp plus from remapping a stock e38 ecu then I will happily buy the beers

[Frosty44 0]

Yea thanks guys. I think that its lacking in power because it doesn't have the 0-100 time it should, its in excess of 10 seconds and I thought that it should be around 8. Maybe im just expecting too much of an old car...

[Docile 64]

have u turned off the traction control when you did your 0 -60?? when i did that to our 740i it felt lighter and quicker..

[jochen 4]

Hey guys I was thinking that I might get my old e38 retuned for better performance, do you think this would be productive and who should I see about doing it?

It's a 740i but it has nowhere near the power that it should, I'm hoping a retune will most fix this, would you guys agree?

Check your basics first:

Spark plugs

Air filter (fit a nice clean new one)

Oil change

This V8 engine delivers near 300 HP of power, very strong.

Don't go a 0-100 unless you have a hot engine - they run at 108 degrees C.

Check you engine temp from the digital display in the instrument cluster (assuming you have an E38)

Check your fault codes and fix any problems if you have any fault codes stored.

Then try a 0-100 on a hot engine but make sure you know what to expect first

Jochen

[martyyn 2]

Well it looks like Ill be buying Andy and Drifty the beers

Claims of up to 35 bhp are all over the web with ECU remaps so perhaps this bloke in Auckland is the place to go to after all.

[nath 129]

Just for the sake of free and guaranteed info- ask bmw about tuning one.

They did exhausts and chips etc on lots of 740i's and 540i's, and know how much power etc etc is gained.

[Frosty44 0]

Thanks guys I'll try a trial run first with the traction control turned off and actually time it properly. It probably needs a new air filter and oil anyway so I'll give it that too but that might take me a few weeks to actually do...

If that fails I'll give Gavin Bellars a call.

[jimbo01 0]

Thanks guys I'll try a trial run first with the traction control turned off and actually time it properly. It probably needs a new air filter and oil anyway so I'll give it that too but that might take me a few weeks to actually do...

If that fails I'll give Gavin Bellars a call.

Hi - I just got a 1999 E38. With traction control on (in the dry), warm, in sports mode, push the foot to the floor and it did about 7 seconds according to my wifes watch on our test drive, which is what BMW claims in the manual. An online review of the 1999 US model E38 claims to have run 6.2 secs, which was faster than BMW claimed (they claimed 6.8 for the US sports model. If it's taking 10 seconds get it along to BMW and on their diagnostic computer - that just isn't right. To put it in perspective my Honda Odyssey 4WD 2.2 non VTEC will do just over 10 seconds (big bore, K&N). That has a mere 101kw and 210nm torque and is almost as heavy.

An instersting aside; I recently tested the new Holden SSV which CLAIMS of sub 6 second 0-100kph time. It took just over 7 seconds according to my wifes watch. We even did it twice to check - the dealer sitting in the back shut up about how great it was after that - and found it hard to claim the 33 lites / 100km showing on the computer represented great fuel economy for an 8!. No idea how one is supposed to get the 5.8 seconds Holden claim but it wasn't leaving it in auto and pushing the foot to the floor. We also tested the new Honda Legend which claims about 7 seconds and did 7 seconds. That is one car i'd love to see with a bit more power than the 217kw V6 - that 4WD system is amazing at getting the power down when cornering fast.

[rowanhol 0]

I spoke to a chap in chch who does super chips, quoted me around $1000 for a tune specific to my car, pretty sure he chucks it on the dyno and tunes it to its best, he said last time he did a m30 engine he got an extra 18hp out of it.. so i imagine it'd be quite possible to get 20hp from your e38. but I would definately get a diagnostic test if it's performing that badly.