E92 ESS 625 Tuning Experience

[DerekCai]

So I want to share my experience of tuning my E92 ESS 625 kit with flex fuel with the forum. Maybe someone would learn from my tragic experience and avoid certain tuners.

Everything started in Feb when I installed my ESS 625 kit. I already had flex fuel kit installed on my car. I really loved the extra gain from E85 mix and lack of smell from my catless exhaust hence I would like to keep that with the SC. Since I bought the kit used from a forum member, I would need a tune, and here begins my nightmare.

My friend who has a SC E39 M5 was looking for a tuner in the same time so he recommended 22RPD in Washington to me (we are both in socal). I did my research and they seem to be big name in E36, E46 and E39 games. With skeptical, I contacted the owner/tuner Zack. I explained my situation to him with the currect injector specs and everything. Naturally I asked him if he had any experience with SC E9x m3. He said he did a couple both on site and remotely. Since they are slightly cheaper, I fell for it. He said he doesn't have a lot of remote E9x clients so he stopped using the remote service provider for MSS60 DME. He proposed that I sent him my DME and he can load the base file, and I can dyno it, sent back my DME along with dyno files and he can refine it. The promised time for turn around is 3 days. So I sent him my DME, during the time, he said there is another customer who is running the similar set up as mine, and he wanted to PLUG my DME into his car and tune it like that. As a first timer to tuning, I told him whatever that can provide the best outcome. However, there is something wrong with that car so he couldn't use my DME on that car. Back and forth, I didn't receive my DME until middle of May with the base map. After I plugged my ECU back, all sorts of light just went off, and the car couldn't hold idle and just dies, and throw a code of DME: no coding. I immediately contacted him, he wants me to check hardwares. I checked everything, and eliminated all the variables, we scheduled a remote session after a month of this situation. No use for the remote session, same thing. At last, he told me that he plugged my DME into another E9x to load the base map, which could cause the no coding code. He admitted he screwed me up on that. He suggested to recode the DME to the car and see if that fix the issue. So I pay out of pocket to have a mechanic to recode my ECU. At this point, I lost patience completely. If he is responsive, I probably can still put up with this joke, but on the contrary, I have to shoot him emails, phone calls to the shop several times before I can even reach him, and the response is usually a word or so. I have never seen a shop that irresponsible, hard to communicate with and lastly promise something they cannot deliver.

So I contacted MikeBPMSport, explained my situation and as soon as he said he can do it I submitted my order. No shenanigens, no drama, always able to get in touch with him, the car is running smoothly just on the first tune after shockingly a week including my time waiting for parts.

The bottom line is I want to give everyone a warn about all the shops there that can promise you the sky but could deliver null and cut them loose as soon as possible. Honestly I'm glad 22RPD only cost me a set of spark plugs and a recode of DME, things could get much uglier if they actually make my car running with their crap. Anyways, 22RPD sucks, BPM rocks, in terms of E9x M3 tuning, simple as that

[amrazM]

zack fucked you the moment he plugged your dme into another car to flash it.

just curious to know how much did you pay him for these services?

[DerekCai]

Originally Posted by amrazM

zack fucked you the moment he plugged your dme into another car to flash it.

just curious to know how much did you pay him for these services?

It was 850 everything included

[Longboarder]

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like it caused a lot of time and frustration but not a lot of money. Still sucks. Glad BPM got you fixed.

[bvrider1]

I have used BPM several times now and they are always spot on.

[DerekCai]

Originally Posted by Longboarder

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like it caused a lot of time and frustration but not a lot of money. Still sucks. Glad BPM got you fixed.

That's the part I'm glad with, otherwise I will be furious

[DerekCai]

Originally Posted by bvrider1

I have used BPM several times now and they are always spot on.

That is true. They are!

[Redd]

Originally Posted by amrazM

zack fucked you the moment he plugged your dme into another car to flash it.

just curious to know how much did you pay him for these services?

Yeah any so-called 'tuner' in this day and age who does not know that engine ECUs are locked to a specific car should not be allowed near cars.

[M3R1]

Look at it this way, it could have been much worse. You plug in the tune they sent you and everything seems fine, then push the car and it destroys your motor. I would actually consider yourself lucky!
Glad you got it sorted!

[DerekCai]

Originally Posted by M3R1

Look at it this way, it could have been much worse. You plug in the tune they sent you and everything seems fine, then push the car and it destroys your motor. I would actually consider yourself lucky!
Glad you got it sorted!

I do feel lucky. God knows what will happen if I do a hard pull or on dyno or during normal driving

[DerekCai]

Originally Posted by Redd

Yeah any so-called 'tuner' in this day and age who does not know that engine ECUs are locked to a specific car should not be allowed near cars.

Couldn't agree more! It's not the 90s any more

[tdott]

Never heard of them.

That should have been that first warning.
Always look for reputable third party experience/reviews before doing something like that. Even then I would never send the dme.

[jamba]

OP - I think you kinda alluded to the fact that you chose 22RPD because they were cheaper but since you are located in socal, why not just go to BPM and/or Gintani in the first place? Was it that much cheaper to take the risk?

Just curious...I am local to 22RPD and I myself have been thinking of traveling to socal to have Mike do a custom tune on my Harrop charged S65

[DerekCai]

Originally Posted by jamba

OP - I think you kinda alluded to the fact that you chose 22RPD because they were cheaper but since you are located in socal, why not just go to BPM and/or Gintani in the first place? Was it that much cheaper to take the risk?

Just curious...I am local to 22RPD and I myself have been thinking of traveling to socal to have Mike do a custom tune on my Harrop charged S65

It's not the only reason. My first option was BPM but since I had DW injectors than bosch, one of their team members said they cannot tune it in the first place. And gintanni insisted for me to buy their injectors. However, when I contacted Mike directly after this whole thing, he said send him the injector characteristic files and he can tune it. So that's the main reason I chose 22RPD in the first place.

[jamba]

Originally Posted by DerekCai

It's not the only reason. My first option was BPM but since I had DW injectors than bosch, one of their team members said they cannot tune it in the first place. And gintanni insisted for me to buy their injectors. However, when I contacted Mike directly after this whole thing, he said send him the injector characteristic files and he can tune it. So that's the main reason I chose 22RPD in the first place.

ah ok makes sense. Glad everything is working out now

[Mimmer]

WA has one here. Didn't know they had many shops ... always busy it seems. A lot bmw cars parked out here in renton but never been ...