120D - Mods

[Moose 0]

Hi Guys,

I've been silent on this forum for a couple of years but now need some advice. I'm on my sixth BMW and my first diesel, a 120D. I've got to say I haven't had this much fun in a car since my first BMW which was an E30 325i.

I'm looking at getting the car lowered slightly, maybe 20-25mm as I'm putting Motorsport 18inch wheels off a 530D on to the 1 series, I wan't it to look stylish not boy racerish. Do any of the Wellington boys have a recommendation as to where I can have this done and a likely cost?

I would also like to look at getting the Engine Management System re-mapped and where I can have this done? Has anyone had this done and what is your opinion on it?

Cheers

Moose

[OLLIE 26]

ecu re-mapping - look no further than Gavin at Hi Velocity in Auckland. It would be worth the trip up.

[*Glenn* 854]

ecu re-mapping - look no further than Gavin at Hi Velocity in Auckland. It would be worth the trip up.

One of my customers had Gavin do his diesel....was very impressed.

I would agree...talk to Gavin... I think a control module was needed though

[kiwi535 538]

Hi Guys,

I've been silent on this forum for a couple of years but now need some advice. I'm on my sixth BMW and my first diesel, a 120D. I've got to say I haven't had this much fun in a car since my first BMW which was an E30 325i.

I'm looking at getting the car lowered slightly, maybe 20-25mm as I'm putting Motorsport 18inch wheels off a 530D on to the 1 series, I wan't it to look stylish not boy racerish. Do any of the Wellington boys have a recommendation as to where I can have this done and a likely cost?

I would also like to look at getting the Engine Management System re-mapped and where I can have this done? Has anyone had this done and what is your opinion on it?

Cheers

Moose

ask at jeff gray they will tell you who they use for suspension work...

[deeveus 81]

Nice.

I've been in a 120i and that went well, driven a 330d and it was astonishing, the diesels are something else with BMW, nice choice & I bet it is doing some awesome fuel consumption figures!

[Moose 0]

I've taken the plunge and have Superchips booked in tomorrow night to chip the 120d.

The fuel consumptions about 6.5 l / 100km at present, mostly motorway and the Rimutakas, it will be interesting to see if the chipping has any effect.

Yes you're right they are great cars, I managed to pick one up with leather and Pro stereo. The subwoffers under the seat are great.

Just need to get some 18's for it now.

Moose

[Apex 693]

Well done on the 120d, the missus and I drove the 123d and we were blown away at how effortlessly they cruse along, I was ultimately put off by the noise and the way you can’t rev the heck out of them.

We found our Astra Turbo was more economical after the Re-Map due to the massive jump in low down usable torque, let us know what you think.

Defiantly see your point of view on the OEM wheels! Can recommend H&R if you want a slight drop and a sportier ride.

Edited October 13, 2008 by Apex

[Moose 0]

I had the 120d chipped last night by Michael from Superchips in PN.

My goodness, got up this morning and it was like someone had put steriods in the fuel tank.

The torque is insane, turbo lag almost zero and it now revs like a petrol engine.

Drop the kids off and headed out for a play on some winding country roads and was blown away.

Highly recommend it to anyone, oh and the fuel consumption has dropped although not sure by how much yet as I've been driving it quite hard.

Moose

[hybrid 1043]

nice work .. yeah BMW's diesel technology is awesome, specially the way their atomising injection works.

I guess your trade off is you have a cloud of black smoke out the back of the car everytime you give it the boot ?

[Moose 0]

That was my initial thought but no sign of a black cloud.

The only smoke was spinning the wheels in second gear!

[hybrid 1043]

Awesome stuff! .. more and more im liking BMWs move to embrase turbo technology.

[bravo 35]

What is the claimed power and torque increase from the chip?

[jochen 4]

Here's a provocative question to everyone (and I genuinely do not know the answer)

Given that BMW invest millions of Euros in engine development to achieve the best in power, performance, fuel economy, emissions compliance and engine longevity, how is it that a small chip tuning company, for a paltry fee of a few hundred dollars, can "improve" what BMW have spent millions on?

Or in other words: what parameter of the engine is compromised when the chip-tuners increase power?

I am actually quite curious to what people think, believe and know....

[Apex 693]

Its not an entirely paltry sum of money, my Superchip was $1,100, I did gain nearly 30kw and over 50nm of torque though!

I think of it as optimizing the detuned factory ECU, it just raises the thresholds the accountants at car companies insist upon.

There is a lot of information on the net about “re-maps†and how they work.

http://www.superchips.co.nz/

[Apex 693]

I’ll add my Astra had two Dyno runs that found the map was solid and safe, I thrashed the hell out of it for two years and had no problem with it.

[hybrid 1043]

Here's a provocative question to everyone (and I genuinely do not know the answer)

Given that BMW invest millions of Euros in engine development to achieve the best in power, performance, fuel economy, emissions compliance and engine longevity, how is it that a small chip tuning company, for a paltry fee of a few hundred dollars, can "improve" what BMW have spent millions on?

Or in other words: what parameter of the engine is compromised when the chip-tuners increase power?

I am actually quite curious to what people think, believe and know....

There are many reason car companies do this, Everything from fuel consumption, emmisions, marketing motives and even detuned (yes even BMW do it) not to show up their M model of cars. Take the 335 for example.

The simple equation is (no matter how much people will tell you otherwise) more power = more fuel. So to awnser your question, fuel economy is the main trade off.

[Apex 693]

What is the claimed power and torque increase from the chip?

Here's the claimed power a torque incrases Bravo, We did a dyno day with a whole bunch of Superchiped cars and found there "claims" to be very accurate, modest in some cases.

As long as you look after your car with quality oil and regular servicing and run the correct premium fuel, let the car warm up and cool down after a spirited drive you wont have any problems, the restrictors are put into the ECU to compensate for abuse and neglect, you’ll also find the stock tunes are designed to be smooth and non offensive, my tuned torque curve would have scared the hell out of most upon first drive.

http://www.superchips.co.nz/models.php

[hybrid 1043]

Why not just go to gavin and get it for _Alot_ less. they want $1600 for 15 more HP for the 330. erm .. something not right there ..

[Apex 693]

There are many reason car companies do this, Everything from fuel consumption, emmisions, marketing motives and even detuned (yes even BMW do it) not to show up their M model of cars. Take the 335 for example.

The simple equation is (no matter how much people will tell you otherwise) more power = more fuel. So to awnser your question, fuel economy is the main trade off.

More power = more fuel when you using the power.. If the car is producing 40% more torque at 2,500rpm you don’t have to rev the car higher as the engine just isn’t struggling and you can often stay in a taller gear thus saving gas.

One drive a modern car with a small efficient turbo will know exactly what I mean.

Average consumption didn’t increase in our Astra, it did obviously increase when driving shall we was enthusiastically

[Apex 693]

Why not just go to gavin and get it for _Alot_ less. they want $1600 for 15 more HP for the 330. erm .. something not right there ..

Why not, I wasn’t trying to promote Superchips over anyone else, was just saying what I found with the product.

BTW, When I called Gavin his pricing was horrendous in comparison, maybe he does deals for certain customers.

How much power does he claim to coax out of the 330i and how much does it cost??

[Moose 0]

Here's the info of the Superchips website for my car.

BMW 120 E87

2004 onwards

Engine type : Turbo-Diesel

Engine size : 1995 cm3

Cylinders : 4

Original kW : 121

Original nm : 340

kW increase : 25

NM gain : 71

Lb/Ft gain : 52

So now it's got 411 NM of torque and almost 150kw of power and still running at 6.5 L/100km. It really is a different car, but have to be quite careful when putting the foot done.

Moose

[jochen 4]

As long as you look after your car with quality oil and regular servicing and run the correct premium fuel, let the car warm up and cool down after a spirited drive you wont have any problems, the restrictors are put into the ECU to compensate for abuse and neglect, you’ll also find the stock tunes are designed to be smooth and non offensive, my tuned torque curve would have scared the hell out of most upon first drive.

Ahh. You have described 2 x key compromises:

1. Longevity with normal use by any type of driver

"the restrictors are put into the ECU to compensate for abuse and neglect "

Take out the restrictions and the car changes from one that anyone can drive - trained drivers to old grannies - to one that must be especially cared for and looked after by knowledgable drivers. ie: no longer suitable for the entire market spectrum.

2. Driveability

"the stock tunes are designed to be smooth and non offensive, " = driveability.

Go to an agressive tune and you sacrifice driveability

I think you've answered my questions well, thanks :-)

[Apex 693]

Ahh. You have described 2 x key compromises:

1. Longevity with normal use by any type of driver

"the restrictors are put into the ECU to compensate for abuse and neglect "

Take out the restrictions and the car changes from one that anyone can drive - trained drivers to old grannies - to one that must be especially cared for and looked after by knowledgable drivers. ie: no longer suitable for the entire market spectrum.

2. Driveability

"the stock tunes are designed to be smooth and non offensive, " = driveability.

Go to an agressive tune and you sacrifice driveability

I think you've answered my questions well, thanks :-)

Not sure about longevity and don’t really care, that the next owners problem, we did 40,000 trouble free kms and serviced it at regular intervals so no extra maintenance, I liked to warm it up and cool it down but I do that most cars I have owned.

Drivability wasn’t compromised at all, if anything it improved, I could pull from 80-120 kph in 6th gear in under 5 seconds, stock it would have taken near 8.

Im sure a bloke of your knowledge would have no problem comprehending how they work.

[jochen 4]

Im sure a bloke of your knowledge would have no problem comprehending how they work.

Sortof, never delved into them, but as I understand it they're just using lookup-tables to change the air-fuel-mix and a few other tweakable things. With some closed-loop optimisation too.