Is the DINAN ECU TUNE worth it?

niqui · 06-22-2009, 10:37 AM

Hi, I have been toying with the idea of modding my car for performance for the last little while but am scared of warranty issues. So my question is, is the Dinan tune worth it, as this is the only one that doesnt void warranty, right? How are the gains, can you feel it, worth the money? The car already has enough power, I am just curious for down the road. I have sent an email to my dealer asking for a quote....
thanks

niqui · 06-22-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PencilGeek

Regarding the warranty. I think it's best to call your dealer and Dinan to get clarification. Through reading this forum and talking to the dealer in my area, I've come to believe that Dinan mods are not covered by BMW warranties -- but instead Dinan agrees to pick up the same terms as the BMW warranty should something go wrong related to the mods. But definitely call your dealer and Dinan for further clarification.

OH. I think you are right, about picking up the warranty, I will try and check.
thks

signes · 06-22-2009, 11:04 AM

On the warranty front, PencilGeek is correct. There is no BMW warranty for Dinan parts, Dinan provides the coverage itself. I heard Steve Dinan speak a few weeks ago where he went over this and confirmed it. It's one of the reasons why their prices are higher, since they set aside a lot of $$$ for warranty claims. Steve said that once you do something like a diff, they (Dinan) own the coverage for the all of the related parts, not just the Dinan bits.

For all the Dinan haters - I am not for or against their mods, just pointing out what I have heard.

niqui · 06-22-2009, 11:35 AM

so are the performance gains worth it on this ecu flash?
thanks for the clarification...is dinan the only tuner that does this?

King Tut · 06-22-2009, 12:33 PM

No it isn't worth it. If you are that worried about your warranty, then perhaps modifications are not your game. You say you are happy with the power so just leave the car stock.

Nawaaz · 06-22-2009, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Tut

No it isn't worth it. If you are that worried about your warranty, then perhaps modifications are not your game. You say you are happy with the power so just leave the car stock.

Or just get an aftermarket rear exhaust, and most people would be happy if they only want to do something small and minor like that.

The main reason I'm not goin' with the Dinan software is because it won't remove the check engine light when it pops up after I go catless with my exhaust system.

808MGuy · 06-22-2009, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Tut

No it isn't worth it. If you are that worried about your warranty, then perhaps modifications are not your game. You say you are happy with the power so just leave the car stock.

Yup. Only mod it if you can afford to replace it. You really can't count on warranty when you mod a car because there's always that chance that your dealer will choose not to cover whatever part has broken. If you have a good relationship with your dealer, you can just ask them ahead of time about the mods you're considering to see if it would void any warranties but they don't have the final say sometimes so there's still a chance that you'd end up paying for a repair.

Davinhci · 06-22-2009, 01:19 PM

Hey I got it, I don't regret it. I can definitely tell the difference but is it better than the other ECU tunes out there? I don't know, and it doesn't bother me at all.

niqui · 06-22-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PencilGeek

Many people offer ECU upgrades for your car. Check this thread for a list, and links to many of them.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138584

You could also look in my signature below, and click "Dyno Runs" -- to see the review and dyno charts of the Active Autowerke ECU upgrade.

yup, i know there are other companies, i was considering the AA one, even heard of better numbers, but i meant are any of these companies offering warranties like DINAN?

how it compares to the AA flash is what confuses me, the AA posts much better numbers, but feeling wise?

i think exhaust is the best bet, or bone stock.

King Tut · 06-22-2009, 04:20 PM

The Dinan warranty is crap. It also appears that other ECU tunes make more horsepower although the Dinan is on the cheap side for this mod. I am just invisioning you thinking you get an ECU tune and all of a sudden your engine blows up and if you had the Dinan tune they would cover it versus having the AA tune and BMW not covering it. They are just trying to lure the people who really don't want to modify their cars into buying their usually overpriced products to get some imaginary safety net. If you seriously think that any of these parts will damage your car causing BMW not to warranty it, then DO NOT INSTALL THEM. Then you have nothing to worry about.

dcstep · 06-23-2009, 11:54 AM

I gained almost no power with the Dinan ECU chip in my car, partly due to the 5400 ft above sea level that my car operates at. Dinan only specifies six or eight hp at sea level. A surer way to gain six hp is to install a high-flow filter like the Macht Schnell.

I'm still pretty happy with my Dinan ECU tune because it raised the rev limit by 200 rpm, which I use in almost every autocross and it removed the top speed governor. In an hour or two I'll run my first 5th gear dyno runs thanks to the governor removal and I hope to occasionally put in a top end run when conditions are right.

The OP only specifies that he's in "Canada". If he's at high altitude, no one's mods will work as advertised. I'd be glad to rehash some of the issues if it's relevent to him.

Dave

Patricius · 06-23-2009, 02:36 PM

Q: Is DINAN <insert any DINAN part here, ever> worth it?

A: No.

More bang for your buck elsewhere.

dcstep · 06-23-2009, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patricius

Q: Is DINAN <insert any DINAN part here, ever> worth it?

A: No.

More bang for your buck elsewhere.

What's a part got to do with it??? All the parts necessary to adjust VANOs, timing, AFR, etc. are already in the car. All you need is software.

If you get a piggyback that's just a handicapped system working around the designer's inability to get at the original code.

I'm not saying that Dinan has the best ECU flash, but judging based on "parts" is misguided, IMHO.

Dave

Patricius · 06-23-2009, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcstep

What's a part got to do with it??? All the parts necessary to adjust VANOs, timing, AFR, etc. are already in the car. All you need is software.

If you get a piggyback that's just a handicapped system working around the designer's inability to get at the original code.

I'm not saying that Dinan has the best ECU flash, but judging based on "parts" is misguided, IMHO.

Dave

Let's say we each have $10,000. We are allowed $5,000 to mod our cars, and after modding we both race with the other $5,000 on the line.

Stipulation, one of us has to only use DINAN products. The other do whatever they want with their $5,000 allowance.

The story ends with the DINAN car owner losing $5,000.

Dinan is not worth it. Just an opinion, but look at the dollars per (often inflated and overstated) HP gains and you are better off going with AA or any other reputable vendor for that matter.

The OP asked whether or not it is worth it. $800 plus install for 200rpm gain?

dcstep · 06-23-2009, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patricius

Let's say we each have $10,000. We are allowed $5,000 to mod our cars, and after modding we both race with the other $5,000 on the line.

Stipulation, one of us has to only use DINAN products. The other do whatever they want with their $5,000 allowance.

The story ends with the DINAN car owner losing $5,000.

Dinan is not worth it. Just an opinion, but look at the dollars per (often inflated and overstated) HP gains and you are better off going with AA or any other reputable vendor for that matter.

The OP asked whether or not it is worth it. $800 plus install for 200rpm gain?

I'll take my Dinan 4.10 final drive, Dinan spring kit and camber plates against your AA and whatever any day. Come on up here to the mountains and see how your little AA chip really performs. I'll even pay for the dyno time.

Since you made the challenge, I'll pick the venue. The race venue will by autocross at 5400 feet or so above sea level, where I'll put my 200 rpm to very good use.

Who'll hold the money?

Dave

e46e92love · 06-23-2009, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcstep

I'll take my Dinan 4.10 final drive, Dinan spring kit and camber plates against your AA and whatever any day. Come on up here to the mountains and see how your little AA chip really performs. I'll even pay for the dyno time.

Since you made the challenge, I'll pick the venue. The race venue will by autocross at 5400 feet or so above sea level, where I'll put my 200 rpm to very good use.

Who'll hold the money?

Dave

No that is a straight up challenge

Cheers,
e46e92

J08M3 · 06-23-2009, 07:53 PM

That is a challenge I like it....

Although I have a feeling driver ability is going to make the difference on the software mod, but 4.10s will def have an advantage over stock on the track.

Quote:

Originally Posted by e46e92love

No that is a straight up challenge

Cheers,
e46e92

lucid · 06-23-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcstep

I'll take my Dinan 4.10 final drive, Dinan spring kit and camber plates against your AA and whatever any day. Come on up here to the mountains and see how your little AA chip really performs. I'll even pay for the dyno time.

Since you made the challenge, I'll pick the venue. The race venue will by autocross at 5400 feet or so above sea level, where I'll put my 200 rpm to very good use.

Who'll hold the money?

Dave

lebreeze · 06-23-2009, 08:00 PM

what exactly is 4.10? Is it just a ecu tune?

dcstep · 06-23-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lebreeze

what exactly is 4.10? Is it just a ecu tune?

No, it's a 4.10 final drive. It's a different gear in the differential. Instead of the stock 3.85, I've got a 4.10 gear.

Dave

J08M3 · 06-23-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lebreeze

what exactly is 4.10? Is it just a ecu tune?

it's different gears in the rear diff to change the final drive ratio. the higher the number the lower the gear, basically meaning more torque, but lower top speed.

niqui · 06-23-2009, 10:15 PM

thanks for all the replies guys,
by "worth it" i menat a few things.
i know dinan is overpriced and that this ecu tune posts lower numbers than aa and others, but in reality is it really true that Dinans tune offers so much less than the competitors?
my "worth it" idea applied largely to the Dinan warranty, which companies like AA dont offer, right? but as others have pointed out, you still lose your bmw warranty.

"worth it" meaning -performance gain, price, warranty....
im in montreal, regarding altitude.

06-22-2009, 10:37 AM	#1
niqui Brigadier General 127 Rep 3,111 Posts Drives: Jet Black E92 M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canada iTrader: (7)	Is the DINAN ECU TUNE worth it? Hi, I have been toying with the idea of modding my car for performance for the last little while but am scared of warranty issues. So my question is, is the Dinan tune worth it, as this is the only one that doesnt void warranty, right? How are the gains, can you feel it, worth the money? The car already has enough power, I am just curious for down the road. I have sent an email to my dealer asking for a quote.... thanks
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06-22-2009, 11:04 AM	#3
signes Brigadier General 199 Rep 4,318 Posts Drives: 991 GT3 RS Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Living at (almost...) 9k iTrader: (5)	On the warranty front, PencilGeek is correct. There is no BMW warranty for Dinan parts, Dinan provides the coverage itself. I heard Steve Dinan speak a few weeks ago where he went over this and confirmed it. It's one of the reasons why their prices are higher, since they set aside a lot of $$$ for warranty claims. Steve said that once you do something like a diff, they (Dinan) own the coverage for the all of the related parts, not just the Dinan bits. For all the Dinan haters - I am not for or against their mods, just pointing out what I have heard.
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06-22-2009, 11:35 AM	#4
niqui Brigadier General 127 Rep 3,111 Posts Drives: Jet Black E92 M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canada iTrader: (7)	so are the performance gains worth it on this ecu flash? thanks for the clarification...is dinan the only tuner that does this?
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06-22-2009, 12:33 PM	#5
King Tut NASA SpecE30 Racer 82 Rep 1,307 Posts Drives: 2006 Honda S2000 TT3 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL iTrader: (2)	No it isn't worth it. If you are that worried about your warranty, then perhaps modifications are not your game. You say you are happy with the power so just leave the car stock. __________________ King Tut 2012 BMW M3 Individual: Sold lsb.ridedomain.com 1987 BMW 325is SpecE30: spece30.ridedomain.com 2009 BMW M3 Coupe: Sold e92.ridedomain.com
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06-22-2009, 01:19 PM	#8
Davinhci Colonel 55 Rep 2,484 Posts Drives: 08 M3 E92 & 08 E70 X5 4.8 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (6) Garage List 2008 M3 [0.00]	Hey I got it, I don't regret it. I can definitely tell the difference but is it better than the other ECU tunes out there? I don't know, and it doesn't bother me at all. __________________ 08 E92 AW M3 \| HRE P40 19" \| APE Air Filter \| BMW Performance Grills \| White Side Gills \| CF Mirror Covers \| BMW Performance Pedals \| F1 Pinnacle Tint \| V1 Hardwire \| Dinan Performance Software \| Gintani Exhaust \| H&R Sports Springs \| RPI Scoops \| BMW CF Spoiler \| Challenge Diffuser \| Lux H8 V3 \| LCI Tail Lights \|
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06-22-2009, 04:20 PM	#10
King Tut NASA SpecE30 Racer 82 Rep 1,307 Posts Drives: 2006 Honda S2000 TT3 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Gulf Breeze, FL iTrader: (2)	The Dinan warranty is crap. It also appears that other ECU tunes make more horsepower although the Dinan is on the cheap side for this mod. I am just invisioning you thinking you get an ECU tune and all of a sudden your engine blows up and if you had the Dinan tune they would cover it versus having the AA tune and BMW not covering it. They are just trying to lure the people who really don't want to modify their cars into buying their usually overpriced products to get some imaginary safety net. If you seriously think that any of these parts will damage your car causing BMW not to warranty it, then DO NOT INSTALL THEM. Then you have nothing to worry about. __________________ King Tut 2012 BMW M3 Individual: Sold lsb.ridedomain.com 1987 BMW 325is SpecE30: spece30.ridedomain.com 2009 BMW M3 Coupe: Sold e92.ridedomain.com
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06-23-2009, 11:54 AM	#11
dcstep Major General 1290 Rep 7,389 Posts Drives: '09 Cpe Silverstone FR 6MT Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Colorado iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 M3 [8.40]	I gained almost no power with the Dinan ECU chip in my car, partly due to the 5400 ft above sea level that my car operates at. Dinan only specifies six or eight hp at sea level. A surer way to gain six hp is to install a high-flow filter like the Macht Schnell. I'm still pretty happy with my Dinan ECU tune because it raised the rev limit by 200 rpm, which I use in almost every autocross and it removed the top speed governor. In an hour or two I'll run my first 5th gear dyno runs thanks to the governor removal and I hope to occasionally put in a top end run when conditions are right. The OP only specifies that he's in "Canada". If he's at high altitude, no one's mods will work as advertised. I'd be glad to rehash some of the issues if it's relevent to him. Dave __________________ Flickr Photos Ucm, Inc.
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06-23-2009, 02:36 PM	#12
Patricius Lieutenant 17 Rep 532 Posts Drives: 04 325xi, 05 M3 cpe, 08 M3 cpe Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Philadelphia, PA iTrader: (0)	Q: Is DINAN <insert any DINAN part here, ever> worth it? A: No. More bang for your buck elsewhere.
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06-23-2009, 08:00 PM	#19
lebreeze Captain 162 Rep 621 Posts Drives: 18’c63s,15’macanturbo,14’ 991s Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: windsor iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 e92 m3 [0.00]	what exactly is 4.10? Is it just a ecu tune? __________________
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06-23-2009, 10:15 PM	#22
niqui Brigadier General 127 Rep 3,111 Posts Drives: Jet Black E92 M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canada iTrader: (7)	thanks for all the replies guys, by "worth it" i menat a few things. i know dinan is overpriced and that this ecu tune posts lower numbers than aa and others, but in reality is it really true that Dinans tune offers so much less than the competitors? my "worth it" idea applied largely to the Dinan warranty, which companies like AA dont offer, right? but as others have pointed out, you still lose your bmw warranty. "worth it" meaning -performance gain, price, warranty.... im in montreal, regarding altitude.
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