Alex Alpine ECU Tune

[Alex@Alpine]

Originally Posted by TheKosherStogie

Re: dct tune - Had to go to stock for a little and
def feel the lag between going into reverse and gears again which is annoying. And much faster response between paddle and gear shift occurring

Your motor was flashed to stock. The DCT flash is still left in place. The lag you feel is probably more of a power loss not transmission related.

[wyatth]

Hi Alex, if one were to get the RKP/Challenge Street x-pipe (which retains primary cats, but deletes the secondaries), would you suggest a Stage 1, Stage 2, or another level of tune? I'm wondering if there's any more to squeeze out of this hardware setup with the software, or it would still "just" be a Stage 1. I am not sure if Stage 2 "tweaks the formula" or if it just addresses O2 sensors. Thanks!

[Scharbag]

Originally Posted by wyatth

Hi Alex, if one were to get the RKP/Challenge Street x-pipe (which retains primary cats, but deletes the secondaries), would you suggest a Stage 1, Stage 2, or another level of tune? I'm wondering if there's any more to squeeze out of this hardware setup with the software, or it would still "just" be a Stage 1. I am not sure if Stage 2 "tweaks the formula" or if it just addresses O2 sensors. Thanks!

I would think Stage 1 as the factory primary cats are kinda restrictive. Alex can confirm.

I run the RKP Sport and Alpine Stage 2 and it works great.

Cheers,

[wyatth]

Thanks, probably agree. I just wonder if Stage 2 changes up the formula/tune or simply addresses the O2s.

How are you liking the pipe? Big bump from stage 1? Smell okay? How’d it change the volume/tone/rasp (you have the Dinan muffler, right)?

[njdctm3]

I just installed a catless X pipe and new valved exhaust on my M3, I drove it around on my stage 2 map without burble that I had for my catless test pipes and oem pipe with ACM exhaust mod. Now a check engine light came on. The codes are P2297 and P2298 both relating to the O2 sensors. Do I need a updated map to get rid of this light or is there something else going on?

[pbonsalb]

You could buy an Akra Delete-R. Most tuners won’t touch the rear 02 since messing with factory emissions is not legal.

[sdbmwcoding]

Originally Posted by njdctm3

I just installed a catless X pipe and new valved exhaust on my M3, I drove it around on my stage 2 map without burble that I had for my catless test pipes and oem pipe with ACM exhaust mod. Now a check engine light came on. The codes are P2297 and P2298 both relating to the O2 sensors. Do I need a updated map to get rid of this light or is there something else going on?

Have you tried clearing the codes? You'll want to pull specific bmw codes since those are generic. We don't know if they're pre cat or post cat o2 codes. If you already have the stage 2 Alex tune then it's already configured for the catless setup. Replace your faulty o2 sensors and the light will go away you just need to figure out if it's post cat or pre cat that went bad. We have 4 o2 sensors. 2 before catalytic converters and 2 after catalytic converters. Pre cat are the ones that tend to go bad.

[Alex@Alpine]

Originally Posted by njdctm3

I just installed a catless X pipe and new valved exhaust on my M3, I drove it around on my stage 2 map without burble that I had for my catless test pipes and oem pipe with ACM exhaust mod. Now a check engine light came on. The codes are P2297 and P2298 both relating to the O2 sensors. Do I need a updated map to get rid of this light or is there something else going on?

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

You could buy an Akra Delete-R. Most tuners won't touch the rear 02 since messing with factory emissions is not legal.

Originally Posted by sd*********

Have you tried clearing the codes? You'll want to pull specific bmw codes since those are generic. We don't know if they're pre cat or post cat o2 codes. If you already have the stage 2 Alex tune then it's already configured for the catless setup. Replace your faulty o2 sensors and the light will go away you just need to figure out if it's post cat or pre cat that went bad. We have 4 o2 sensors. 2 before catalytic converters and 2 after catalytic converters. Pre cat are the ones that tend to go bad.

Akra delete-R and other auto clear modules are dangerous. All they do is constantly clear all engine related faults and this can cause important faults go unseen.

o2 sensors (all four) are essential regardless of your setup. If you are properly setup and everything is functioning properly you should not see any errors.

The tune doesn't suppress the check engine light. This allows you to run tuned and in the event of a malfunctioning motor component, misfires, and various other problem that would trigger a check engine light while stock to do so tuned also.

Safety of the motor is my top concern and try to keep all safety parameters in place and tune the car on the latest software. Later software releases are smarter (at detecting problems) and more sensitive to problems, as an example I have a customer who I am sure you know who you are (but I won't mention you lol) that runs 190E software tuned because on 190E his throttle actuators that are giving out still work, the moment we just update him to 241E car goes straight into limp mode.

Another client with a E93 fully stock I updated his engine software and he got an increased emissions light and I get the "well it wasn't like this before you touched it" response. Long story short the later software picked up on his cracked exhaust pipe from bottoming out but his old 80E software wouldn't.

SAE fault code P2297 is factory code 2728 o2 pre cat bank 1 & P2298/2729 is pre cat bank 2. As sd********* predicted the post o2s are either bad or not properly installed into the bongs. I've seen some shops even cut them out or tuck them away.

[tdott]

Hi Alex,
Do you have any aftermarket header specific tunes?

[Alex@Alpine]

Originally Posted by tdott

Hi Alex,
Do you have any aftermarket header specific tunes?

Long tube headers? Ya.

[EdoApero]

Hey Alex, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas. Hope you are doing well!

Car is running like a dream. Thank you for your commitment to this community given your health. Will always keep you in my prayers. God bless!

[statik]

Originally Posted by Alex@Alpine

Long tube headers? Ya.

what headers would you recommend when staying NA?

[Alex@Alpine]

Originally Posted by EdoApero

Hey Alex, wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas. Hope you are doing well!

Car is running like a dream. Thank you for your commitment to this community given your health. Will always keep you in my prayers. God bless!

Thank you much! Merry Christmas!

Originally Posted by statik

what headers would you recommend when staying NA?

No header changes are generally recommended. The great cost of purchasing headers and installing them has little to almost no effect on a NA car.

[tdott]

Originally Posted by Alex@Alpine

No header changes are generally recommended. The great cost of purchasing headers and installing them has little to almost no effect on a NA car.

I have Becker headers installed on my car, details in the following thread along with Dynos before and after.

Do you think your header tune would be a good fit?

Thanks

[Alex@Alpine]

Originally Posted by tdott

I have Becker headers installed on my car, details in the following thread along with Dynos before and after.

Do you think your header tune would be a good fit?

Thanks

I just saw your thread that is pretty impressive gains, I would've never guessed those type of gains just from headers. You can ask your tuner to adjust the exhaust/intake vanos mapping to further improve your gains.

I do not want you spending money if you already have a tune but if you still want to you will not be disappointed.

I'm sure the handful of guys who are running headers and my tune can chime in if you are curious but I have no before and after dyno's for any aftermarket headers.

[pbonsalb]

You would want someone who invested in hours of dyno time experimenting with vanos, AFR and timing to maximize gains from headers. I suspect very, very few have. A race shop like Epic probably has (Bimmerworld sells headers for these cars and Epic races like Bimmerworld does and also tunes for Bimmerworld).

[Alex@Alpine]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

You would want someone who invested in hours of dyno time experimenting with vanos, AFR and timing to maximize gains from headers. I suspect very, very few have. A race shop like Epic probably has (Bimmerworld sells headers for these cars and Epic races like Bimmerworld does and also tunes for Bimmerworld).

Only so much adjustments you can do on headers. Not much if any can be done on fueling & ignition timing. It is shocking to me he gained that much power from headers. But you are correct, if you want optimized power someone who has had the car with the headers on the dyno/logged it is the way to go.

[pbonsalb]

He did not gain it all from headers. He changed to a fully catless mid pipe at the same time. He had test pipes in a stock midpipe before.

[sdbmwcoding]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

He did not gain it all from headers. He changed to a fully catless mid pipe at the same time. He had test pipes in a stock midpipe before.

Correct, the secondary cats were removed with the new x pipe. I've heard secondary cat delete can give up to 10 horsepower so it does look like the headers did give a bit of a bump

[pbonsalb]

Plus the x in the Becker midpipe is further forward and the pipe is consistent diameter rather than hydro formed tube that has flat spots in places.

[akkando]

Originally Posted by Alex@Alpine

Safety of the motor is my top concern and try to keep all safety parameters in place and tune the car on the latest software. Later software releases are smarter (at detecting problems) and more sensitive to problems, as an example I have a customer who I am sure you know who you are (but I won't mention you lol) that runs 190E software tuned because on 190E his throttle actuators that are giving out still work, the moment we just update him to 241E car goes straight into limp mode.

I had a local coder do the DCT flash for me and he let me take a picture of the istep version on the car but it's confusing to me. It says.

istep plant e89x-10-03-502
i Istep dealer e89x-10-09-511
istep backup same as above

I'm guessing plant means what was installed at the factory and dealer is whatever the last thing was the dealer did.

a PDF I have says that those istep correlates to programming system p2.39.1 to p2.39.4 which is right below p2.40.0

Is this the reference to version 240e?

Apparently the car came with an ESS tune and the file on the drive I have has software referencing the 240 version so I assumed that the tune updated the car or at least some ECUs to 240 but I'm not sure. I think just some modules could be updated in theory but not all. Not sure..

[tdott]

Originally Posted by Alex@Alpine

I just saw your thread that is pretty impressive gains, I would've never guessed those type of gains just from headers. You can ask your tuner to adjust the exhaust/intake vanos mapping to further improve your gains.

I do not want you spending money if you already have a tune but if you still want to you will not be disappointed.

Thanks, I appreciate the honest advise. I tried that approach and sent logs from my car but he said he doesn't think there is anything to be gained from a retune.

So I've been looking elsewhere to smooth things out to improve drive-ability since the headers were installed and optimize.