E46 330d questions - chipping and sat nav
Discussion
'Lo all 
Well I'm getting my mucky paws on a 52 plate E46 330d SE imminently and I had some questions. I'm thinking of getting it chipped - obviously the DMS remap looks better than Superchips. However Superchips have a deal with Adrian Flux for insurance. Are there any insurers out there that would be friendly for a chipped 330d? (Preferably with the DMS remap).
Secondly, how much of a pain is it to retro fit the BMW sat nav equipment to the E46? The monitors are on Ebay but it appears to require a lot of other parts - wiring, a new lower console to remount the heater controls etc. Anyone had experience with this?
Cheers me dears x
Well I'm getting my mucky paws on a 52 plate E46 330d SE imminently and I had some questions. I'm thinking of getting it chipped - obviously the DMS remap looks better than Superchips. However Superchips have a deal with Adrian Flux for insurance. Are there any insurers out there that would be friendly for a chipped 330d? (Preferably with the DMS remap).
Secondly, how much of a pain is it to retro fit the BMW sat nav equipment to the E46? The monitors are on Ebay but it appears to require a lot of other parts - wiring, a new lower console to remount the heater controls etc. Anyone had experience with this?
Cheers me dears x
DMS will do you a map for not much over 500 notes and if you're serious about a sat nav install you'd be better off over on www.e46fanatics.com
Can't help with the chip, but heres a break down of whats needed for the SatNav retrofit.
Headunit, either 16:9 or 4:3. (£400 - £100 - ebay)
Radio module bm54. (£150 - £300 - ebay)
Satnav computer either mk3 or mk4. (£150 - £350 - ebay)
Aircon relocation panel. (£30 - dealer)
Satnav loom. (£120- dealer)
Gps antenna (£20 - ebay).
TV Tuner (£100-£300 - ebay)
For all this expect to pay, £800 - £1200 depending on spec and date of manufacture (newer the better/more expensive).
You don’t have to have the TV tuner, however, the TV tuner is the backup screen driver for the Monitor, so if the sat nav fails you have something on screen to fault find with.
The absolute minimum is the loom, monitor, radio, gps antenna, relocation panel and the santnav computer OR the TV module.
There have been quite a few who have done the retrofit and while its not hard, it is time consuming and requires you to be methodical.
In addition to the above useful information, you can also download the official retrofit guide from the following link:
http://www.stradasystems.com/bmw/navigationRetrofi...
You can also check the following sites for additional guide:
http://www.wicksta.com/bmw/satnavinstall/index.htm
http://www.stakesuk.co.uk/
If you want BT to work with the Satnav, then you will need to retrofit the OEM BT ULF as well, I've just done this, check post
http://www.bmwland.co.uk/talker/viewtopic.php?t=52...
Aftermarket kits don't intergrate too well, the best you can hope for is is MFSW access, but deffo not the screen.
hope this helps.
Headunit, either 16:9 or 4:3. (£400 - £100 - ebay)
Radio module bm54. (£150 - £300 - ebay)
Satnav computer either mk3 or mk4. (£150 - £350 - ebay)
Aircon relocation panel. (£30 - dealer)
Satnav loom. (£120- dealer)
Gps antenna (£20 - ebay).
TV Tuner (£100-£300 - ebay)
For all this expect to pay, £800 - £1200 depending on spec and date of manufacture (newer the better/more expensive).
You don’t have to have the TV tuner, however, the TV tuner is the backup screen driver for the Monitor, so if the sat nav fails you have something on screen to fault find with.
The absolute minimum is the loom, monitor, radio, gps antenna, relocation panel and the santnav computer OR the TV module.
There have been quite a few who have done the retrofit and while its not hard, it is time consuming and requires you to be methodical.
In addition to the above useful information, you can also download the official retrofit guide from the following link:
http://www.stradasystems.com/bmw/navigationRetrofi...
You can also check the following sites for additional guide:
http://www.wicksta.com/bmw/satnavinstall/index.htm
http://www.stakesuk.co.uk/
If you want BT to work with the Satnav, then you will need to retrofit the OEM BT ULF as well, I've just done this, check post
http://www.bmwland.co.uk/talker/viewtopic.php?t=52...
Aftermarket kits don't intergrate too well, the best you can hope for is is MFSW access, but deffo not the screen.
hope this helps.
I have a 2002 330d and have done both. Don't bother with DMS or superchips - I had mine done by Simon at www.e-maps.co.uk, he does a lot of 330d maps and will be a lot cheaper than DMS. DMS is only really an advantage when the car is still under a BMW warranty as I believe they will honour any claim which is rejected by BMW because of the remap.
Insurance-wise, I use a broker who did not increase my premium at all. Try A-Plan and Greenlight. Have heard of problems with Adrian Flux after getting a remap done (huge hike in premiums).
As for the sat-nav, set aside a little over a grand and about 12 hours of your time. It's hard work, but I think it's worth it - you'll get the money back when you come to sell your car too. I've started a guide - it's not finished, but here's a rough idea of what to expect.
http://www.channelmotors.co.uk/forums/showthread.p...
Insurance-wise, I use a broker who did not increase my premium at all. Try A-Plan and Greenlight. Have heard of problems with Adrian Flux after getting a remap done (huge hike in premiums).
As for the sat-nav, set aside a little over a grand and about 12 hours of your time. It's hard work, but I think it's worth it - you'll get the money back when you come to sell your car too. I've started a guide - it's not finished, but here's a rough idea of what to expect.
http://www.channelmotors.co.uk/forums/showthread.p...
maahny said:
Do a search on google and you'll find atleast 1-2 very good companies come up at the top.
I always suggest people go to somewhere with a dyno and can demonstrate real tuning ability by offering 2-3 different types of map.
Hmm, I disagree - I think real world tests are better when remapping a car like this. I tried a few maps out on mine and went for a drive on each one - you get a better feel for the difference it really makes, and can immediately identify problems such as drivetrain rumble which is a problem on the higher maps. The map I chose was the highest I could go for before I got the dreaded rumbling.I always suggest people go to somewhere with a dyno and can demonstrate real tuning ability by offering 2-3 different types of map.
Had it RR'ed after and very happy with my results.
You do have a point but the two combined are very important.
On a rolling road you can see the shape of the power and torque curves. What you don't is nasty spikes in the power delivery which, if excessive, are not good for the drivetrain.
On a rolling road you can see the shape of the power and torque curves. What you don't is nasty spikes in the power delivery which, if excessive, are not good for the drivetrain.
Edited by maahny on Saturday 13th October 10:22
email these guys, who have a lot of experience modifying E46, E60 and E90 diesels.
www.antandpete.co.uk
engine upgrades (hardware and software) Modifications to cabin and exterior.
Manchester based.
www.antandpete.co.uk
engine upgrades (hardware and software) Modifications to cabin and exterior.
Manchester based.
I've done tons of research on the chipping side and whilst i hear mixed reports about most places, DMS and Simon @ emaps do seem to come pretty highly recommended all round. For specifically the BMW diesels though Simon seems to do the very best job more consistently. Everyone who has one of his maps raves about it, and some of those people went to him after less successful remaps at other companies...
Put it this way, i am putting my money where my mouth is and am arranging to hve mine done by Simon @ emaps in a couple of weeks time (he's a busy man - with good reason!).
Put it this way, i am putting my money where my mouth is and am arranging to hve mine done by Simon @ emaps in a couple of weeks time (he's a busy man - with good reason!).
Bosh 964 said:
Simon at Emaps all the way. £350 for a 330d at your home, much better throttle response, good real world acceleration improvements and no loss in MPG
I've been in touch with him about doing my 318iS - not exactly huge gains, but he seems to have a real good reputation. Even if it only gives me a few more ponies (although quoted 10-15bhp gain), it'll be worth every penny to clear out the blasted flat spots.Bosh 964 said:
Simon at Emaps all the way. £350 for a 330d at your home, much better throttle response, good real world acceleration improvements and no loss in MPG
Yup - Simon did my 330d too - great value, great service. Very happy with the way it drives now, had it RR'ed before an after - big difference in the graphs 
Excellent info, thanks for the replies guys
Gonna go with A-Plan for the insurance and DMS for the remap I think. Can't wait
I'm still umming and ahhing over the Sat nav install - if I did it I'd go the whole way and get the tv tuner and bluetooth kit too - tempting...
I've taken delivery of my 330d now and can't believe how good it is. So much torque, and so much character
The one downside would be removing the BMW Professional CD player that's in there - it's a damn nice, very user friendly bit of kit. It's also in just the right place, along with the climate controls.
Anyone else got any thoughts?
The Cap'n
Gonna go with A-Plan for the insurance and DMS for the remap I think. Can't wait
I'm still umming and ahhing over the Sat nav install - if I did it I'd go the whole way and get the tv tuner and bluetooth kit too - tempting...
I've taken delivery of my 330d now and can't believe how good it is. So much torque, and so much character
The one downside would be removing the BMW Professional CD player that's in there - it's a damn nice, very user friendly bit of kit. It's also in just the right place, along with the climate controls.
Anyone else got any thoughts?
The Cap'n
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