Recommend me a BMW tuner
Discussion
Hi all, I am after recommendations for a local tuner who can fit a sports exhaust and remap for my car. Not much in the way of options that I can find.
I have looked at Litchfield but they are far away and expensive, I could purchase a mapping licence via Android from MHD and do it myself for £250. I would rather go to a bespoke tuner though if possible.
Evolve in Luton have been mentioned to me and seem very good. I found a local company called JK Electrics but I am really after a solid company with good reputation. Anywhere else to consider other than Evolve?
Cheers
I have looked at Litchfield but they are far away and expensive, I could purchase a mapping licence via Android from MHD and do it myself for £250. I would rather go to a bespoke tuner though if possible.
Evolve in Luton have been mentioned to me and seem very good. I found a local company called JK Electrics but I am really after a solid company with good reputation. Anywhere else to consider other than Evolve?
Cheers
I'm not sure about your exhaust, but Celtic Tuning seem to have a pretty good reputation for mapping BMW Z4s.
And they will come to you to do it - link here:- https://www.celtictuning.co.uk/
Good luck anyway.
And they will come to you to do it - link here:- https://www.celtictuning.co.uk/
Good luck anyway.
Phil Crouch at CPC in Amersham knows BMWs very well indeed. He's not easy to contact but he looked after my son's Z4M Coupé before it was shipped to Sydney, and he's also looked after son's Audi RS4 and my Z3. A decent and honest bloke.
It was an e36 with a wiring loom issue. Took them 6 months to sort it out and the communication was next to zero in letting him know what was going on or why it was taking so long or how long they expected to keep the car. Should have been a couple of weeks work at nost. Just a poor experience.
When you go to their premises they have circa 20 customer cars sat out in the car park, many seem to sit for months. They don't seem to get through them at any kind of pace.
When you go to their premises they have circa 20 customer cars sat out in the car park, many seem to sit for months. They don't seem to get through them at any kind of pace.
Hi Dizeee
Glad to hear about your new wheels.... I would recommend these guys are based in Basingstoke. I have used them a couple of times and speak to Richard. They can provide a custom live map and other services
http://www.thetuningsociety.co.uk/Default.aspx#abo...
https://www.facebook.com/RabbidTuning/?epa=SEARCH_...
Glad to hear about your new wheels.... I would recommend these guys are based in Basingstoke. I have used them a couple of times and speak to Richard. They can provide a custom live map and other services
http://www.thetuningsociety.co.uk/Default.aspx#abo...
https://www.facebook.com/RabbidTuning/?epa=SEARCH_...
Dizeee said:
Hi all, I am after recommendations for a local tuner who can fit a sports exhaust and remap for my car. Not much in the way of options that I can find.
I have looked at Litchfield but they are far away and expensive, I could purchase a mapping licence via Android from MHD and do it myself for £250. I would rather go to a bespoke tuner though if possible.
Evolve in Luton have been mentioned to me and seem very good. I found a local company called JK Electrics but I am really after a solid company with good reputation. Anywhere else to consider other than Evolve?
Cheers
I think Litchfield look stunning value - it's only a few hundred more than doing it yourself - but why risk it. Almost anyone can map a car but its also easy to have a crap map, i'd personally rather go with a proven product and proven provider. I have looked at Litchfield but they are far away and expensive, I could purchase a mapping licence via Android from MHD and do it myself for £250. I would rather go to a bespoke tuner though if possible.
Evolve in Luton have been mentioned to me and seem very good. I found a local company called JK Electrics but I am really after a solid company with good reputation. Anywhere else to consider other than Evolve?
Cheers
DMS is option, they will discount significantly if you push and are a genuine buyer - and they also can come to your house (and will take off and put back on as many times as you like - really good service in my experience).
Wrench studios seem to be pushing out some impressive figures too.
I looked at Litchfield, they will put on a "generic map" with no before and after RR. Total time would be 90 mins. At £600 and a 4 hour round trip to boot, it is the least value of options I found.
Regal were an option, same price but with RR included and 45 mins away. The reason I chose BW was that it was recommended from a moderator and other members of BabyBMW. Your right, there are some crap maps out there, BW claim to have significant custom in resolving and re mapping cars that have been poorly mapped. This should be a bespoke map written for my engine based on its data, so I am happy with that.
Regal were an option, same price but with RR included and 45 mins away. The reason I chose BW was that it was recommended from a moderator and other members of BabyBMW. Your right, there are some crap maps out there, BW claim to have significant custom in resolving and re mapping cars that have been poorly mapped. This should be a bespoke map written for my engine based on its data, so I am happy with that.
Yes it’s pretty disappointing Litchfield don’t dyno the car - chargeable extra and expensive.
I had planned to do a independent before and after with Charlie at Surrey rolling road - but to be honest my old DMS m135i map was sooooo sweet I think I might go with them again - and they do include the dyno. My new m140 feels totally gutless by comparison, so just a question of when!
I had planned to do a independent before and after with Charlie at Surrey rolling road - but to be honest my old DMS m135i map was sooooo sweet I think I might go with them again - and they do include the dyno. My new m140 feels totally gutless by comparison, so just a question of when!
Dizeee said:
BW chip tune in Hayes seems the way to go, after some research
How did you get on with these guys? I'm sniffing about looking for a remap.I e-mailed DMS - after hearing lots of good things online - asking for a simple remap cost, and they came back with a "we can do everything" e-mail, a quote for a grand and a promise of 35-40% power gain. Not doubting them at all, but I made it clear in my e-mail I wanted something more sedate.
I lucked out, and wouldn't go anywhere else now, BW seem one of the last existing custom tuners who will take time and do a good job.
I gained just under an extra 100bhp over stock from the map alone, nothing else on the car was touched. I even got suspicious about the numbers so booked it in with Charlie at SRR, where it read even higher than BW. The 630NM helps too.
So far driven 4500 miles on it, not a warning light or issue at all. You have to take the place with a pinch of salt though, it is quite messy and to be honest feels quite dodgy. You just have to trust that Jason knows what he is doing, and this has been proven over and over.
I gained just under an extra 100bhp over stock from the map alone, nothing else on the car was touched. I even got suspicious about the numbers so booked it in with Charlie at SRR, where it read even higher than BW. The 630NM helps too.
So far driven 4500 miles on it, not a warning light or issue at all. You have to take the place with a pinch of salt though, it is quite messy and to be honest feels quite dodgy. You just have to trust that Jason knows what he is doing, and this has been proven over and over.
Armchair_Expert said:
I lucked out, and wouldn't go anywhere else now, BW seem one of the last existing custom tuners who will take time and do a good job.
I gained just under an extra 100bhp over stock from the map alone, nothing else on the car was touched. I even got suspicious about the numbers so booked it in with Charlie at SRR, where it read even higher than BW. The 630NM helps too.
So far driven 4500 miles on it, not a warning light or issue at all. You have to take the place with a pinch of salt though, it is quite messy and to be honest feels quite dodgy. You just have to trust that Jason knows what he is doing, and this has been proven over and over.
Yeah I've heard nothing but good things about that guy. Same with DMS really.I gained just under an extra 100bhp over stock from the map alone, nothing else on the car was touched. I even got suspicious about the numbers so booked it in with Charlie at SRR, where it read even higher than BW. The 630NM helps too.
So far driven 4500 miles on it, not a warning light or issue at all. You have to take the place with a pinch of salt though, it is quite messy and to be honest feels quite dodgy. You just have to trust that Jason knows what he is doing, and this has been proven over and over.
What car did you have tuned, the M240i? Also, I know maybe it's not in their best interests, but were they candid about increased wear and tear, premature failure, or at least give an idea of how close you are to the limits of other components, like the gearbox? An extra 100bhp would be fookin insane, but I'd want to be able to just bury the throttle without a constant niggling in my mind that something was going to go pop lol.
Cheers.
Believe it or not, Jason was in Spain, it was done remotely via his sons. This seems common practice, so if you can get past the non physical presence of having it done remotely by his sons ( family business ) then it's fine. I was there literally all day, the car must have been dynoed around 12 times at least throughout, and I paid less than some do for a flash licence, so I don't believe it to be a gimmick. Why waste money dynoing a car for no reason, plus, I wasn't there for a chunk of it as went off to get food / drink and a walk, but heard it being done as I was walking back 2 hrs later so know they were working on it.
Yes mine is a 240i, 39k on clock at time of work done. Any questions asked were answered, I had done my research prior to booking so I already knew about longevity and wear and tear. These engines are about as highly regarded as they can be, 460bhp is considered the general point at which you should think of changing things, and this would only be fuel pump, Sports Cat and possibly exhaust mods. But - you can run a Stage 2 map on a stock B58 car, they don't NEED a fuel pump or sports cat to achieve this. The gains of changing those are minimal ( 15 - 20 bhp ) so it starts to get into the law of diminishing returns. ( All this from people who have done so on BabyBMW, not the tuner before I get accused of bias by others ).
Stock turbo is good for 500bhp, internals are good for far more. In the USA many B58s have had a turbo upgrade, new fuel pumps and exhaust, and with a bit of Meth are running silly power ( 550 - 700 bhp ). Another company have taken a B58 to 1000bhp by making similar modest changes. All in all, my 430bhp feels comparatively safe. It is also not very noticeable - the pull is smooth and almost linear, this is the hidden gem of a decent map as it should be subtle and useable. Smooth but consistent ascending power delivery is key, and not always obvious from the drivers seat when mapped smoothly with good curves. I initially questioned the reported gains on mine, hence why I went to SRR a few months later.
Of course, never say never, and I am very interested in the effects on the engine. Most in the know recommend keeping air filter standard, not gapping the plugs, and generally keeping the engine as OEM as possible if your running Stage 1 / 2. There will always be the anomaly engine that may have problems, but, I haven't heard of one yet and I know many people who are running heavily modified B58's with little to no issues.
The only thing I choose to do is regular preventative maintenance, such as oil change at least once yearly, and keeping on top of brake fluid, coolant and filters before they are due. I am very sympathetic in the way I run my engine, good warm up and down with not so many traffic light grand prix take offs. The transmission should not have any issues with doing them, but, I want to preserve my own machinery - why cause it the stress unnecessarily? The B58 is far more in its element when pressing on in motion anyway ( 30mph plus ).
I have been recommended to change my spark plugs every tear by Jason. I will prob do this at it's next service in April - although, BMW say they are not due. Where are you based?
Yes mine is a 240i, 39k on clock at time of work done. Any questions asked were answered, I had done my research prior to booking so I already knew about longevity and wear and tear. These engines are about as highly regarded as they can be, 460bhp is considered the general point at which you should think of changing things, and this would only be fuel pump, Sports Cat and possibly exhaust mods. But - you can run a Stage 2 map on a stock B58 car, they don't NEED a fuel pump or sports cat to achieve this. The gains of changing those are minimal ( 15 - 20 bhp ) so it starts to get into the law of diminishing returns. ( All this from people who have done so on BabyBMW, not the tuner before I get accused of bias by others ).
Stock turbo is good for 500bhp, internals are good for far more. In the USA many B58s have had a turbo upgrade, new fuel pumps and exhaust, and with a bit of Meth are running silly power ( 550 - 700 bhp ). Another company have taken a B58 to 1000bhp by making similar modest changes. All in all, my 430bhp feels comparatively safe. It is also not very noticeable - the pull is smooth and almost linear, this is the hidden gem of a decent map as it should be subtle and useable. Smooth but consistent ascending power delivery is key, and not always obvious from the drivers seat when mapped smoothly with good curves. I initially questioned the reported gains on mine, hence why I went to SRR a few months later.
Of course, never say never, and I am very interested in the effects on the engine. Most in the know recommend keeping air filter standard, not gapping the plugs, and generally keeping the engine as OEM as possible if your running Stage 1 / 2. There will always be the anomaly engine that may have problems, but, I haven't heard of one yet and I know many people who are running heavily modified B58's with little to no issues.
The only thing I choose to do is regular preventative maintenance, such as oil change at least once yearly, and keeping on top of brake fluid, coolant and filters before they are due. I am very sympathetic in the way I run my engine, good warm up and down with not so many traffic light grand prix take offs. The transmission should not have any issues with doing them, but, I want to preserve my own machinery - why cause it the stress unnecessarily? The B58 is far more in its element when pressing on in motion anyway ( 30mph plus ).
I have been recommended to change my spark plugs every tear by Jason. I will prob do this at it's next service in April - although, BMW say they are not due. Where are you based?
Edited by Armchair_Expert on Monday 16th November 17:53
Armchair_Expert said:
<good info>
Wow, thanks, that's a lot of useful stuff. I guess I didn't want to get into the trap of upgrading other ancillary components, and random engine management lights and BS like that. I wanted a one and done remap with as few downsides as possible. To be honest the B58 sounds ideal for that.With regards to preventative maintenance, I do and plan to continue interim oil changes and the like, as I too don't see a point in buying a decent motor then not maintaining it properly.
Have you noticed much of a drop in fuel economy? Obviously when using the full 430bhp it'll be way less, but during day to day?
I'm based in SW London, so I can be at Jason's place in probably half an hour. He's in Hayes I believe...
No drop in fuel efficiency I have noticed. I do mainly short journeys and always ensure I get the most out of the car when I do drive it, generally my MPG sits between 23 and 27 but I reset it a few weeks when we drove the kids down to Dorset and over 180 miles I saw over 30mpg. It will sit at 36mpg + if your sat at 75/80 the motorway.
This is a car I drive rarely, I commute to London by train and my wifes barge gets taken most other places. This just sits on the drive and covers 5k a year roughly of pure fun miles. Less so in Winter too, at the moment I am doing 200 miles a month which is made up of 2 commutes to London on a Sunday when trains don't run early enough and some shopping trips. This will increase from March when weather improves.
Fuel tanks are small, costs no more than 60 to fill from empty and you will get circa 220 - 320 miles depending on how you drive it.
What you describe above is exactly what I wanted, one stop map and walk away with no issues. Its exactly what I have got, so far. If you hop onto BabyBMW there is plenty of info available there and BW have their own forum so you can ask Jason questions directly...
This is a car I drive rarely, I commute to London by train and my wifes barge gets taken most other places. This just sits on the drive and covers 5k a year roughly of pure fun miles. Less so in Winter too, at the moment I am doing 200 miles a month which is made up of 2 commutes to London on a Sunday when trains don't run early enough and some shopping trips. This will increase from March when weather improves.
Fuel tanks are small, costs no more than 60 to fill from empty and you will get circa 220 - 320 miles depending on how you drive it.
What you describe above is exactly what I wanted, one stop map and walk away with no issues. Its exactly what I have got, so far. If you hop onto BabyBMW there is plenty of info available there and BW have their own forum so you can ask Jason questions directly...
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