Diesel reflash software

[thorburn 121]

I've got a diesel e53 that I'd some day like to get some more power out of. 

From my brief Google search the only thing I've found is winols. I haven't delved into it yet. But it seems I'll need to learn a fair bit before even getting started (unless the maps are easily found) 

Is there any other software that's more defined? Don't mind spending the money. 

Ultimately I'll probably end up paying someone to do it, but still interested in learning what options are out there 

[Palazzo 478]

Thought of this? There are 3 different diesel options, not sure which one you have. I know 3pedals had one on his.

https://www.racechip.com/shop/bmw/x5-e53-2000-to-2007/30d-2993ccm-218hp-160kw-500nm.html

 

[gofaster 101]

You should also call Basil at Autopassion, who has done 3 of my cars including the N54.

Top bloke, knows his stuff. See link below for your car and expected power gains.

https://chiptuning.co.nz/cars-bmw

Contact details on their website.

[NZ BMW 368]

55 minutes ago, gofaster said:

You should also call Basil at Autopassion, who has done 3 of my cars including the N54.

Top bloke, knows his stuff. See link below for your car and expected power gains.

https://chiptuning.co.nz/cars-bmw

Contact details on their website.

I could go from 190hp to 230hp on my 320D - that’s quite the improvement. 
 

I don’t know much about chip tuning/remapping but I always see this claim of more power with less fuel consumption. How does that work? They seem mutually exclusive… 

[Mad_Max 233]

https://www.hdi-tuning.co.uk/ecu-remapping/custom-remaps/BMW-tuning/E53-X5-remapping/E53-X5-30D-230BHP-tuning-files.html these guys have a good reputation, you just need someone with Kess V2 to read and rewrite your existing tune. If yours is anything like mine and has no DPF, they can go a bit higher again than their stage 2 numbers. I'm looking at it for my E53, the main thing to remember is your motor and trans have to be healthy before any tunes, otherwise you're asking for trouble.

6 minutes ago, NZ BMW said:

I could go from 190hp to 230hp on my 320D - that’s quite the improvement. 
 

I don’t know much about chip tuning/remapping but I always see this claim of more power with less fuel consumption. How does that work? They seem mutually exclusive… 

That's easy to explain, they optimise the fuel/air mixture so it burns cleaner. Manufacturers can't tune a car from factory for every single country they are being shipped to, so they use a safe, "one size fits all" tune that delivers their desired power levels whether you're at sea level or 2000 feet up, in a cool climate or an arid desert. Tuning the vehicle to your current location will optimise it so it can use less fuel to create more power.

The thing to remember is though, if you tune it for sea level, you may notice a loss in power if you live in a mountainous area, and vice versa, so the tuner really needs to be around the same average elevation that you usually are driving in.

[promo 93]

Hiya, 

if you need stage 1 or Stag2, 3 happy to help. if you're based out of wellington you can courier your DME to me. 

[polley 916]

I reflashed mine with regular usb odb2 cable and a modified version of galletto. I got someone else to write the tune for it. But there is some info online regarding map locations if you want to compare my tuned map vs standard map in winols.

 

 

Edited November 23, 2021 by polley

[thorburn 121]

Thanks all. 

I was hoping to find some software that has the ability to adjust smoke limit, fuel pressure, injection time, injection mass, boost pressure etc. I feel I'm just missing a few key words in my Google searches to find what I'm looking for. 

Before anyone gets worried, I am aware of the risks associated with this.

I do appreciate all the plan b options for getting someone else to tune it. 

Hadn't looked into galletto so will have a look. 

 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

On 11/23/2021 at 6:55 PM, Mad_Max said:

That's easy to explain, they optimise the fuel/air mixture so it burns cleaner. Manufacturers can't tune a car from factory for every single country they are being shipped to, so they use a safe, "one size fits all" tune that delivers their desired power levels whether you're at sea level or 2000 feet up, in a cool climate or an arid desert. Tuning the vehicle to your current location will optimise it so it can use less fuel to create more power.

You’ve got it right in the first sentence, not sure about the rest of it.

The over-riding factor in any factory engine tune is emissions, it’s easy to refine a tune to give more power and better economy (especially in a diesel) but one or other of the controlled emissions (NOx, CO2, HC, particulates, etc) will then go off the chart. 

So if you are an after market chip tuner that doesn’t have to submit to emissions test regimes then it’s easy to do, and this is the bit that really annoys me. Spend millions on development and testing to make it cleaner, and then someone can come along and re-tune and all that goes out the window, or exhaust in this case.

Ask any tuner or chip supplier which EU emissions their new tune meets and you get silence..

A close second consideration is then warranty / product life, most factory engines are de-tuned to not push the limits of component life… in theory, not always in real life.

[BreakMyWindow 1878]

Improved fuel economy to me is a bit of a false economy at the beginning until the novelty of a heavy jandal making you feel the performance increase wears off.

[coop 261]

On 11/24/2021 at 2:06 PM, thorburn said:

Thanks all. 

I was hoping to find some software that has the ability to adjust smoke limit, fuel pressure, injection time, injection mass, boost pressure etc. I feel I'm just missing a few key words in my Google searches to find what I'm looking for. 

Before anyone gets worried, I am aware of the risks associated with this.

I do appreciate all the plan b options for getting someone else to tune it. 

Hadn't looked into galletto so will have a look. 

 

Have you discovered MHH auto? 

There is a sign up fee to join, $20 US a few years ago. 

I did mainly for heavy diesel but light vehicle diagnosis and tuning info is on there. 

There might be someone on there with a tune they can send you if you have the right software and tooling. 

[dirtydoogle 383]

10 hours ago, E30 325i Rag-Top said:

You’ve got it right in the first sentence, not sure about the rest of it.

The over-riding factor in any factory engine tune is emissions, it’s easy to refine a tune to give more power and better economy (especially in a diesel) but one or other of the controlled emissions (NOx, CO2, HC, particulates, etc) will then go off the chart. 

So if you are an after market chip tuner that doesn’t have to submit to emissions test regimes then it’s easy to do, and this is the bit that really annoys me. Spend millions on development and testing to make it cleaner, and then someone can come along and re-tune and all that goes out the window, or exhaust in this case.

Ask any tuner or chip supplier which EU emissions their new tune meets and you get silence..

A close second consideration is then warranty / product life, most factory engines are de-tuned to not push the limits of component life… in theory, not always in real life.

Pretty much bang on. There are a few tuners out there that can keep something emissions compliant (Banks power is one) but very few. A great way to increase economy in a diesel is limiting EGR and that does everything you have said. 

On newer petrol stuff the power comes from timing, and boost, not air fuel ratio so much. 

 

Never played with common rail diesel tuning, it's significantly more complex to do safely on a common rail engine compared to a dirty 4M40t

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

Indeed, I’m not too sure how complex the injection timing is on an E53 diesel, but I do know the latest BMW diesels have seven stages to each injection, controlled electronically… 

Back in the day when I worked with diesel FIE we were working to control two stage injection, and the norm was one single injection phase.

Lots to play with and adjust if you want, but the complexity means you can easily get it wrong.

4M40t… shudder..

[polley 916]

Haven't delved into it too much but even the e53 / early m57 is a lot more complex than your regular petrol engine tuning. 

[dirtydoogle 383]

The worry for me is a fair few professionals out here will essentially alter fuel timing, increase rail pressure and boost pressure targets. 

Meaning a "typical re-flash" may be no better than a tuning box. 

4m40 is a great motor. 

Compared to a Toyita 3L

 

[thorburn 121]

On 11/26/2021 at 10:22 PM, coop said:

Have you discovered MHH auto? 

There is a sign up fee to join, $20 US a few years ago. 

I did mainly for heavy diesel but light vehicle diagnosis and tuning info is on there. 

There might be someone on there with a tune they can send you if you have the right software and tooling. 

I had seen their forum. Wasn't sure if I wanted to fork out $25usd for a forum that isn't very active. 

[polley 916]

4 hours ago, dirtydoogle said:

The worry for me is a fair few professionals out here will essentially alter fuel timing, increase rail pressure and boost pressure targets. 

Meaning a "typical re-flash" may be no better than a tuning box. 

4m40 is a great motor. 

Compared to a Toyita 3L

 

What else other than fuel quantity, timing (SOI, EOI) , and boost is there? Other than watching egt for safety ?

[dirtydoogle 383]

4 hours ago, polley said:

What else other than fuel quantity, timing (SOI, EOI) , and boost is there? Other than watching egt for safety ?

If you only change those targets you'll be running in to short lived engines with multiple stage injection per cycle 

[polley 916]

So what other maps need to be looked at on a diesel that does multiple injection cycles?

Not sure if the early m57 does multiple injections per cycle? What's the affect of multiple injections per cycle? Is that how they get them to run so quietly compared to a regular diesel?

Obviously there is other safety maps that need to be changed as well. Smoke / maf limiter, boost limiter, torque limiter, rail limiter, injection quantity limiter.

Edited November 28, 2021 by polley

[dirtydoogle 383]

Unsure how many stages an early m57 does, as I said I have stayed clear of the common rail tuning, no benefits for me to invest my time in something I don't typically work on, or plan to. 

 

You have listed the other maps/areas to be addressed. 

The disadvantage to ramping all cycles is needless EGT changes that can otherwise be avoided and much higher NOx emissions. Pretty destructive to an early pre-DPF car (e53) and even worse for DPF cars. 

Multi stage has a lot of benefits, NVH, cylinder pressure/temp, emissions and economy. 

[polley 916]

I cant find any reference to multistage injection for early m57 / edc15.

[dirtydoogle 383]

Only a preliminary jobbie by the looks of it. Which makes sense as to why my last tuned one absolutely stunk and made your eyes water at low speeds. 

However, if you want to play with it, by all means. I guess all I can do is warn people that it's foolish to tu-tu 

[polley 916]

So really it's not a multi injection event but rather continuous from what it describes there.

[dirtydoogle 383]

Apart from the pre injection it would be continuous 

The same words of caution apply. It's not as simple as petrol injection tuning, which I do a lot of, or carburetor stuff, which I do a lot of.

But, if you want to Google your answers to try one up someone who i has been the performance industry for more than a couple of forum searches, who is just saying be careful, be my guest. 

 

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2963]

It’s a single injection event, however, there are multiple phases within that event, it’s not all one big squirt and done like it used to be.

As I understand it The piezo injectors can control the amount of needle lift to vary the flow rate of the fuel entering the cylinder. As it says in the document, starts slow and ends quick, and has a few ups and downs in the middle.

Noise is reduced by having the less violent start, plus the emissions (especially the NOx and particulates) are controlled by reducing the temperature of the flame front as it spreads through the cylinder.