Non Bias Negative Reviews to a Few Performance Mods

CSanto · 11-30-2009, 01:50 PM

I'm looking to do a few performance mods and I'm looking for owners to give me their full non-bias opinion on the cons to doing these few modifications.

Fabspeed X-Pipe - Only con I can think of is having to cut the stock pipes, but other than that they seem pretty safe.

Under drive Pully - I see there being a few negatives to this modification like power steering being stiffer. Will the decreased power to my water pump cause my car to heat up slower? (I need my heated seats during the NY winter)

ECU Tune - Will the car run noticeably more rich? Does the increased red line have any altercations?

So far my direction has been conservative with my M3, and I'd like to keep it that way. No CELs, no bringing it to the dealer because "x" part isn't working, no down time, I'd like the car in my garage and on the road for as long as possible during our 3 or 4 year relationship. (11 months so far)

Thank you!

MMMorish · 11-30-2009, 02:04 PM

Honestly man, just keep it stock. Do a few visual mods to make it personal and keep the performance up to the BMW engineers.

If anything, do an exhaust and filter and call it a day.

J08M3 · 11-30-2009, 02:13 PM

My suggestion is just go for a secondary cat delete. It's cheaper than the Fabspeed setup and if you're not going to change the primary cats you might as well save the money and modify your OEM system.

Under drive pulley has no effect on heated seats

m3p40 · 11-30-2009, 02:30 PM

heated seats in the winter... definitely a must

pepper · 11-30-2009, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMMorish

Honestly man, just keep it stock. Do a few visual mods to make it personal and keep the performance up to the BMW engineers.

If anything, do an exhaust and filter and call it a day.

exactly

If you want a fast car, get a Porsche, there built with speed and reliability..

MWorldorder · 11-30-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMMorish

Honestly man, just keep it stock. Do a few visual mods to make it personal and keep the performance up to the BMW engineers.

If anything, do an exhaust and filter and call it a day.

Completely disagree. The mods he is talking about getting will make him much happier. Our cars have so much more potential than to just leave it stock. IMO of course...

xxe92xx · 11-30-2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ///MWorld

Completely disagree. The mods he is talking about getting will make him much happier. Our cars have so much more potential than to just leave it stock. IMO of course...

+1 compared to supercharging, basic mods...exhaust, ecu*, filter are perfectly fine...IMO u shouldnt touch the pullies

*depends on ecu tuner, powerchip is recommended and is proven

aus · 11-30-2009, 07:13 PM

My idler pulley shredded. NO WAY it would have been covered if I had a pulley on.

H Bomb · 11-30-2009, 09:03 PM

i feel the same way as you and that is why i went with the Dinan parts. i have had them on my past 2 M's and never had any problems. very reliable stuff and very dealer friendly. i never had any problems with my warranty on any of my M's with the Dinan parts. they may not make the most hp/tq but they make more then stock and in a reliable way

for X pipe etc i went with the Dinan midpipe. it was bolt on and had a matching software so there is no CEL issues etc. i love it. sounds incredible and gave it a awesome power increase. i def feel like it gave everything they claim it does. no cons here on this one for me. some people could say a con would be to loud but if you keep it below 4k then it is no louder then just a muffler. when you go past 4k it really opens up and you here it

for software i also went with the Dinan. i did it by itself first so i could see if it made difference. (i did all my mods one at a time). it runs alot better then stock and smoother and better throttle response. the added rpm's are nice as well. the power increase isn't crazy or anything but i did feel a bump in power. nothing like the midpipe added though. no cons for me on this

pulley i don't have yet but when the dinan one comes out i will be adding that one and can let you know then

good luck on what you decide

H

Quote:

Originally Posted by HREM3

I'm looking to do a few performance mods and I'm looking for owners to give me their full non-bias opinion on the cons to doing these few modifications.

Fabspeed X-Pipe - Only con I can think of is having to cut the stock pipes, but other than that they seem pretty safe.

Under drive Pully - I see there being a few negatives to this modification like power steering being stiffer. Will the decreased power to my water pump cause my car to heat up slower? (I need my heated seats during the NY winter)

ECU Tune - Will the car run noticeably more rich? Does the increased red line have any altercations?

So far my direction has been conservative with my M3, and I'd like to keep it that way. No CELs, no bringing it to the dealer because "x" part isn't working, no down time, I'd like the car in my garage and on the road for as long as possible during our 3 or 4 year relationship. (11 months so far)

Thank you!

H Bomb · 11-30-2009, 09:05 PM

i agree, the midpipe i added really made a difference and the car is way better now and sounds amazing. the car rips loose down low now where it didn't before and pulls way harder then before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ///MWorld

Completely disagree. The mods he is talking about getting will make him much happier. Our cars have so much more potential than to just leave it stock. IMO of course...

Eugene-TAIWAN · 11-30-2009, 09:24 PM

I think its how fast you want your car to be.

I would go GIAC file as I think they are the most stable file tuner( in my mind)
PowerChip is also good. As for the x-pipe I would really go for the encore setup. GIAC doesn't write a cat delete file but Powerchip does so its really up to you on which one you really want especially when it comes to a choice of exhaust matching file tuner. As for the pulley honestly don't think it will cause that much problem mentioned Yes it will effect a little but honestly if it doesn't effect at all that also means the pulley is not working the way it should be. All in all your car can be really fast with simple bolt on mods. Especially when you have a DCT tranny which helps a lot.

If you want your car to be faster then most Porsches just do the below mods.

RE Pulley is good I push my car very hard and no problem what so ever.
GIAC or Powerchip
encore x-pipe or a catless depends of which chip tuner your going for.
rear exhaust won't make a huge difference so keep it stock to save money
drop in high flow filter MS/AFE/BMC/VFE are all good
lastly get the envy charger pipe (that makes a big difference)

just we these mods I think you will easily hit 390rwhp

have fun!!

H Bomb · 11-30-2009, 10:14 PM

i feel if you get a catless system with matching software the muffler ties it all together. plus you save a good chunk of weight also. just my op though

did you fix your problem with the power loss on the envy?? if so did you re dyno yet?? how did it come out??

thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eugene-TAIWAN

I think its how fast you want your car to be.

I would go GIAC file as I think they are the most stable file tuner( in my mind)
PowerChip is also good. As for the x-pipe I would really go for the encore setup. GIAC doesn't write a cat delete file but Powerchip does so its really up to you on which one you really want especially when it comes to a choice of exhaust matching file tuner. As for the pulley honestly don't think it will cause that much problem mentioned Yes it will effect a little but honestly if it doesn't effect at all that also means the pulley is not working the way it should be. All in all your car can be really fast with simple bolt on mods. Especially when you have a DCT tranny which helps a lot.

If you want your car to be faster then most Porsches just do the below mods.

RE Pulley is good I push my car very hard and no problem what so ever.
GIAC or Powerchip
encore x-pipe or a catless depends of which chip tuner your going for.
rear exhaust won't make a huge difference so keep it stock to save money
drop in high flow filter MS/AFE/BMC/VFE are all good
lastly get the envy charger pipe (that makes a big difference)

just we these mods I think you will easily hit 390rwhp

have fun!!

Eugene-TAIWAN · 11-30-2009, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H Bomb

i feel if you get a catless system with matching software the muffler ties it all together. plus you save a good chunk of weight also. just my op though

did you fix your problem with the power loss on the envy?? if so did you re dyno yet?? how did it come out??

thanks

yes, I got my problem fixed. The car is running really well now. I was playing around with a O2 sim for my GIAC tune so it screwed up some signals. Now its all good.

sorry not to jack the thread

Jonmartin · 11-30-2009, 11:41 PM

If you want to get the most power out of your car and still have a reliable every day car. Do the following in this order:

Either buy these from here
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html..._ID=TEN9046MTP

Or get an exhaust shop to make something similar (for cheaper I'm sure)

Then get a Powerchip flash with the SES(CEL) delete.

These two things will net you the most HP and since you will still have a set of secondary cats you won't get a stinky exhaust smell.

Then you can buy any Cat back / Axle back exhaust you choose.( I like loud and deep so I went with Gintani)

And top it off with a drop in Airfilter I recommend a BMC. ( I have Macht schnell only because the BMC was unavailable )

All the mods are reversible fairly easily.

If you still feel like modding more then you get a Pulley from anyone and some scoops. Do all that and your jaw will drop with difference in feel and you will get awesome gains.

MrHarris · 12-01-2009, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonmartin

If you want to get the most power out of your car and still have a reliable every day car. Do the following in this order:

Either buy these from here
http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html..._ID=TEN9046MTP

Or get an exhaust shop to make something similar (for cheaper I'm sure)

Then get a Powerchip flash with the SES(CEL) delete.

These two things will net you the most HP and since you will still have a set of secondary cats you won't get a stinky exhaust smell.

Then you can buy any Cat back / Axle back exhaust you choose.( I like loud and deep so I went with Gintani)

And top it off with a drop in Airfilter I recommend a BMC. ( I have Macht schnell only because the BMC was unavailable )

All the mods are reversible fairly easily.

If you still feel like modding more then you get a Pulley from anyone and some scoops. Do all that and your jaw will drop with difference in feel and you will get awesome gains.

this

CSanto · 12-01-2009, 08:55 AM

What happens if the engine really has a problem yet I have CEL delete?

GTM · 12-01-2009, 09:33 AM

You sound like you should just stick with x-pipe+exhaust system.

ECU, Pulley does have some cons if you are planning to use your car as daily, and wants best reliablity.

ECU and pulley takes maximum of "over-engineered" hardware, which you dont sound like to compromise.

Kyoshi71 · 12-01-2009, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMMorish

Honestly man, just keep it stock. Do a few visual mods to make it personal and keep the performance up to the BMW engineers.

If anything, do an exhaust and filter and call it a day.

Great advice +++1

H Bomb · 12-01-2009, 02:24 PM

that is why i went with the Dinan one bc it is not a CEL delete, it is an actual software for the midpipe so if there is ever a problem you will know

Quote:

Originally Posted by HREM3

What happens if the engine really has a problem yet I have CEL delete?

Jonmartin · 12-01-2009, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HREM3

What happens if the engine really has a problem yet I have CEL delete?

Well if you delete the cats the light will be on all the time so you won't know either way.

JMD0977 · 12-01-2009, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonmartin

Well if you delete the cats the light will be on all the time so you won't know either way.

Yes you will. You just need to check the i-Drive in the info section. It tells you what or why the Engine light is on. When caused by cat delete, it states "Increased Emmissions" hence "Cel".

Jonmartin · 12-01-2009, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMD0977

Yes you will. You just need to check the i-Drive in the info section. It tells you what or why the Engine light is on. When caused by cat delete, it states "Increased Emmissions" hence "Cel".

True if you have CEL but if you don't turn the sensor off for the cat then the light will be on all the time so you will have to check on your own randomly if you have a different issue since the light will just stay on.

In all reality what could go wrong without you knowing something is going without a light anyway? In the past by the time the light came on I felt/heard the problem already. And other times it might have been an untightened gas cap or something silly.

11-30-2009, 01:50 PM	#1
CSanto Brigadier General 636 Rep 3,039 Posts Drives: 2015 BSM/SO M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: New York iTrader: (3)	Non Bias Negative Reviews to a Few Performance Mods I'm looking to do a few performance mods and I'm looking for owners to give me their full non-bias opinion on the cons to doing these few modifications. Fabspeed X-Pipe - Only con I can think of is having to cut the stock pipes, but other than that they seem pretty safe. Under drive Pully - I see there being a few negatives to this modification like power steering being stiffer. Will the decreased power to my water pump cause my car to heat up slower? (I need my heated seats during the NY winter) ECU Tune - Will the car run noticeably more rich? Does the increased red line have any altercations? So far my direction has been conservative with my M3, and I'd like to keep it that way. No CELs, no bringing it to the dealer because "x" part isn't working, no down time, I'd like the car in my garage and on the road for as long as possible during our 3 or 4 year relationship. (11 months so far) Thank you!
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11-30-2009, 02:04 PM	#2
MMMorish Just call me J.J. McClure 156 Rep 2,834 Posts Drives: E92 M3 & C4 Corvette Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Toronto iTrader: (5)	Honestly man, just keep it stock. Do a few visual mods to make it personal and keep the performance up to the BMW engineers. If anything, do an exhaust and filter and call it a day. __________________ MODS: Meisterschaft GT Racing Exhaust / BMC Air Filter / UUC SSK & DSSR (Modded)/ RPI Scoops / Passport SRX Hardwired / Custom Wrap 3M Clearbra / 20% Tint / 50% Windshield Tint / Key Hole Delete / Matted Out Accessories / VRS Type II Diffuser / Smoked Reflectors / Euphoria 6K LED Interior Lights / Rear Fog Light Mod / 6000K HID's / 6500K LUX H8 Angel Eyes / RDash License Plate LED Kit / LED Xenon Reverse Lights "M3 drivers have no friends"
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11-30-2009, 02:13 PM	#3
J08M3 Major General 285 Rep 6,007 Posts Drives: 2011 M3 COUPE Join Date: May 2008 Location: NEW YORK iTrader: (8)	My suggestion is just go for a secondary cat delete. It's cheaper than the Fabspeed setup and if you're not going to change the primary cats you might as well save the money and modify your OEM system. Under drive pulley has no effect on heated seats __________________
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11-30-2009, 02:30 PM	#4
m3p40 Private 4 Rep 77 Posts Drives: M3 E92 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: NY iTrader: (0)	heated seats in the winter... definitely a must
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11-30-2009, 07:13 PM	#8
aus Major General 890 Rep 9,032 Posts Drives: Odysse Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Seal Beach, CA iTrader: (10)	My idler pulley shredded. NO WAY it would have been covered if I had a pulley on. __________________ Let me get this straight... You are swapping out parts designed by some of the top engineers in the world because some guys sponsored by a company told you it's "better??" But when you ask the same guy about tracking, "oh no, I have a kid now" or "I just detailed my car." or "i just got new tires."
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11-30-2009, 09:24 PM	#11
Eugene-TAIWAN Brigadier General 249 Rep 3,157 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Coupe Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan iTrader: (4)	I think its how fast you want your car to be. I would go GIAC file as I think they are the most stable file tuner( in my mind) PowerChip is also good. As for the x-pipe I would really go for the encore setup. GIAC doesn't write a cat delete file but Powerchip does so its really up to you on which one you really want especially when it comes to a choice of exhaust matching file tuner. As for the pulley honestly don't think it will cause that much problem mentioned Yes it will effect a little but honestly if it doesn't effect at all that also means the pulley is not working the way it should be. All in all your car can be really fast with simple bolt on mods. Especially when you have a DCT tranny which helps a lot. If you want your car to be faster then most Porsches just do the below mods. RE Pulley is good I push my car very hard and no problem what so ever. GIAC or Powerchip encore x-pipe or a catless depends of which chip tuner your going for. rear exhaust won't make a huge difference so keep it stock to save money drop in high flow filter MS/AFE/BMC/VFE are all good lastly get the envy charger pipe (that makes a big difference) just we these mods I think you will easily hit 390rwhp have fun!! __________________ Past: Gintani stage3 M3, Cayman GTS present: Porsche 993RWB, 964RS America,996 cupcar, 964 turbo 3.6,Macan Turbo,997GT2,930 turbo,i3, MINI JCW
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11-30-2009, 11:41 PM	#14
Jonmartin Banned 121 Rep 2,097 Posts Drives: E90 M3 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Los Angles (818) iTrader: (1)	If you want to get the most power out of your car and still have a reliable every day car. Do the following in this order: Either buy these from here http://www.turnermotorsport.com/html..._ID=TEN9046MTP Or get an exhaust shop to make something similar (for cheaper I'm sure) Then get a Powerchip flash with the SES(CEL) delete. These two things will net you the most HP and since you will still have a set of secondary cats you won't get a stinky exhaust smell. Then you can buy any Cat back / Axle back exhaust you choose.( I like loud and deep so I went with Gintani) And top it off with a drop in Airfilter I recommend a BMC. ( I have Macht schnell only because the BMC was unavailable ) All the mods are reversible fairly easily. If you still feel like modding more then you get a Pulley from anyone and some scoops. Do all that and your jaw will drop with difference in feel and you will get awesome gains.
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12-01-2009, 08:55 AM	#16
CSanto Brigadier General 636 Rep 3,039 Posts Drives: 2015 BSM/SO M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: New York iTrader: (3)	What happens if the engine really has a problem yet I have CEL delete?
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12-01-2009, 09:33 AM	#17
GTM 68 Rep 1,034 Posts Drives: E92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Crystal Lake, IL iTrader: (2)	You sound like you should just stick with x-pipe+exhaust system. ECU, Pulley does have some cons if you are planning to use your car as daily, and wants best reliablity. ECU and pulley takes maximum of "over-engineered" hardware, which you dont sound like to compromise.
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