Mods To Avoid Warranty

[masonZS]

So I bought a new car and has 2 years warranty left. This is something I want to keep. But I also like mods...

Can anyone think of any (Engine) mods I can do that are 'easily' reversible. I have fitted one of my old pod filters that I have cleaned since it only takes 10-15 minutes to replace with the stock air box if I need to make use of my warranty.

Can anyone think of anything else? A remap unit that can be reversed to stock map when needed possibly?

[GreenV8S]

masonZS said:

So I bought a new car and has 2 years warranty left. This is something I want to keep. But I also like mods...

Can anyone think of any (Engine) mods I can do that are 'easily' reversible. I have fitted one of my old pod filters that I have cleaned since it only takes 10-15 minutes to replace with the stock air box if I need to make use of my warranty.

Can anyone think of anything else? A remap unit that can be reversed to stock map when needed possibly?

The options will vary depending on your budget and engineering skills and what aspect of the car you want to improve, but any modification that is going to make a noticeable performance improvement is going to take significant time and money, and will invalidate your warranty, and possibly invalidate your insurance. For example, swapping an air filter may be quick and easy to do and easy to undo, but isn't likely to make any difference at all to the performance unless there was something wrong with the old filter.

The 'remap' unit is (a) unlikely to improve performance or driveability despite any claims the seller makes, and (b) will be detectable (even after you revert to the original map) on any modern production ECU.

The areas of improvement you might consider:

Driver training - either roadcraft, or performance driving, depending on your interests. This has no impact on warranty or insurance, and transfers freely to any other car you drive. Might avoid you throwing this one into a ditch?

Better driver interface - make sure the seat is comfortable and holds you securely in position. A better seat belt or harness that avoids you having to brace yourself against the steering wheel can make a big difference to your car control. Not much help in a drag race, though.

Better handling - production cars are typically set up to compromise performance, handling and comfort. The standard compromise may not suit your priorities.

Edited by GreenV8S on Friday 23 November 15:23

[Haltamer]

For a quick gain in power, you could opt for a plug in tuning box. They alter sensor values, rather than the ECU Map itself (The ones that I'm thinking of at least), so once unplugged, nobody is the wiser. On a turbo diesel, you should see good gains.

Just don't forget to unplug it before the dealer sees it

[Penelope Stopit]

The moderators here guarantee nothing

[xjay1337]

GreenV8S said:

The 'remap' unit is (a) unlikely to improve performance or driveability despite any claims the seller makes, and (b) will be detectable (even after you revert to the original map) on any modern production ECU.

Have you actually driven a car with a remap? they do make a huge improvement.
However, you are right that they can be often detected

[GreenV8S]

xjay1337 said:

Have you actually driven a car with a remap? they do make a huge improvement.

Diesel or petrol?

[xjay1337]

GreenV8S said:

Diesel or petrol?

Both! Doesn't matter

As you have said RE suspension many cars are not tuned for performance they are emissions or softer response etc.
Many cars and motorcycles get flat spots due to this.

[masonZS]

Haltamer said:

For a quick gain in power, you could opt for a plug in tuning box.

Just don't forget to unplug it before the dealer sees it

Can you recommend any?

[Haltamer]

masonZS said:

Can you recommend any?

I haven't used any personally, however I've seen good comments on bluesparks: http://www.bluesparkautomotive.com/bmw-120d-190-ps...

(Guessing you're looking for the 120D Given your post history)