[cosmicdebris48059]

Greetings fellow F30 enthusiasts! I am Fairly new here with few posts but have been doing plenty of research and reading throughout the forum. I was wondering if anyone has had any ill effects after long term mod use? Particularly the turbo. BMW warranties and expects our cars to last the way they designed them. Once we take them outside of the range they were originally designed it would seem that they could be in jeopardy of potential early failure. Free flow cats and catless down pipes create less back pressure and allow the turbo to spool up quicker along with creating less heat. Power modules and tunes turn up the boost and I would assume cause them to spin faster. I just purchased a 2014 335i M Sport 6MT a month ago, its got 37K on it and with 235K on my 2001 330i and 285K on my 1998 318i I would certainly like to get as many miles out of my F30. Is that even possible with a turbo motor!?.. I'm ready to mod the heck out of it but worry about the long term effects. Should I be!?... ... Thanks in advance!

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by cosmicdebris48059

Greetings fellow F30 enthusiasts! I am Fairly new here with few posts but have been doing plenty of research and reading throughout the forum. I was wondering if anyone has had any ill effects after long term mod use? Particularly the turbo. BMW warranties and expects our cars to last the way they designed them. Once we take them outside of the range they were originally designed it would seem that they could be in jeopardy of potential early failure. Free flow cats and catless down pipes create less back pressure and allow the turbo to spool up quicker along with creating less heat. Power modules and tunes turn up the boost and I would assume cause them to spin faster. I just purchased a 2014 335i M Sport 6MT a month ago, its got 37K on it and with 235K on my 2001 330i and 285K on my 1998 318i I would certainly like to get as many miles out of my F30. Is that even possible with a turbo motor!?.. I'm ready to mod the heck out of it but worry about the long term effects. Should I be!?...

There have been several discussions over the years (look in e90post, especially in the N54/N55 sub-forum) about reliability.

BMW must put out engines with specific reliability, durability and NVH targets. Specifically, it's got to meet the emissions requirements for at least 7/70K (California emissions). The motor has to last beyond the warranty period, and realistically much longer because they don't want a reputation for being non-reliable - after all they're banking on that reputation that they built in the past.

Given all that, the factory tune is fairly conservative to meet those targets. There appears to be some room - notice the factory PPK that adds 20HP/30lb-ft or so to factory N54/N55 engines. You've probably seen/heard the phrase: "pay to play". When people bust their engines with too much boost or fuel, too bad. Stories abound of modders blowing their engine/transmission/etc. Search for the term FBO and the engine you're modding.

Frankly, a 335i (or my 335d) have so much engine it's almost impossible to use them on public roads. And there will always be a faster car, or a car driven by someone who is a better driver. I just enjoy what I have.

[xantdieselx]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

There have been several discussions over the years (look in e90post, especially in the N54/N55 sub-forum) about reliability.

BMW must put out engines with specific reliability, durability and NVH targets. Specifically, it's got to meet the emissions requirements for at least 7/70K (California emissions). The motor has to last beyond the warranty period, and realistically much longer because they don't want a reputation for being non-reliable - after all they're banking on that reputation that they built in the past.

Given all that, the factory tune is fairly conservative to meet those targets. There appears to be some room - notice the factory PPK that adds 20HP/30lb-ft or so to factory N54/N55 engines. You've probably seen/heard the phrase: "pay to play". When people bust their engines with too much boost or fuel, too bad. Stories abound of modders blowing their engine/transmission/etc. Search for the term FBO and the engine you're modding.

Frankly, a 335i (or my 335d) have so much engine it's almost impossible to use them on public roads. And there will always be a faster car, or a car driven by someone who is a better driver. I just enjoy what I have.

Well put. I have an M235i and say to myself why would anyone need more power than this? For some people more is never enough. I went with the AFE tune on my last F30 328. It definitely woke the car up and added quite a bit of power.

The problem was, at least for me, I always had that "what if" feeling when it was tuned. What if the dealer finds out, flags the car and poof there goes the warranty. If you're going to tune invest in a BT cable to check/clear codes. I think some piggybacks will do this automatically but it's worth it for the piece of mind. FWIW the AFE tune never threw any hidden tuner codes, I verified that with the BT cable.

[STR8-6IX]

Originally Posted by cosmicdebris48059

Greetings fellow F30 enthusiasts! I am Fairly new here with few posts but have been doing plenty of research and reading throughout the forum. I was wondering if anyone has had any ill effects after long term mod use? Particularly the turbo. BMW warranties and expects our cars to last the way they designed them. Once we take them outside of the range they were originally designed it would seem that they could be in jeopardy of potential early failure. Free flow cats and catless down pipes create less back pressure and allow the turbo to spool up quicker along with creating less heat. Power modules and tunes turn up the boost and I would assume cause them to spin faster. I just purchased a 2014 335i M Sport 6MT a month ago, its got 37K on it and with 235K on my 2001 330i and 285K on my 1998 318i I would certainly like to get as many miles out of my F30. Is that even possible with a turbo motor!?.. I'm ready to mod the heck out of it but worry about the long term effects. Should I be!?... ... Thanks in advance!

For reliability I would get the catless downpipe, intercooler, chargepipe and generally avoid running an aggressive tune. Remove all the plastic shit on top of the engine to help lower temps a little bit and run 5w40 liqui moly for better heat management and protection

[cosmicdebris48059]

When you say take all the plastic off the top of the motor are you referring to just the engine cover? I don't remember seeing anything else to remove when installing my tuning module. Does removing the cover actually make that much of a difference, I would assume the cover keeps all the wiring safe and secure!?... Oil was going to come into question when it was time for service. As a life long Castrol user now that BMW has switched to Shell I was thinking of going to one of the other brands like Motul, Moly or Red Line. Do you generally stick to BMW's recommended interval or do you change it sooner?

[Mike.]

Originally Posted by cosmicdebris48059

When you say take all the plastic off the top of the motor are you referring to just the engine cover? I don't remember seeing anything else to remove when installing my tuning module. Does removing the cover actually make that much of a difference, I would assume the cover keeps all the wiring safe and secure!?... Oil was going to come into question when it was time for service. As a life long Castrol user now that BMW has switched to Shell I was thinking of going to one of the other brands like Motul, Moly or Red Line. Do you generally stick to BMW's recommended interval or do you change it sooner?

you dont need to remove the plastic..

[cosmicdebris48059]

Originally Posted by Mike.

you dont need to remove the plastic..

I'd certainly feel safer not leaving all that exposed up there!?...

[Mike.]

Originally Posted by cosmicdebris48059

I'd certainly feel safer not leaving all that exposed up there!?...

Listen, the best recipe for success is maintaining the car. There is a guide (forgot what its called) that you can follow.

As far as mods go, first and foremost you want a new charge pipe because the stock one is shit..i would get a tune next.

If you want to go catless, go with a quality brand down pipe and you wont have any problems.

I have an RK tune, intercooler, resonator delete and just a simple drop in filter and I love it, nice bump in power too. All of these things are balanced out by maintenance though, I cannot stress this enough!

[cosmicdebris48059]

Originally Posted by Mike.

Listen, the best recipe for success is maintaining the car. There is a guide (forgot what its called) that you can follow.

As far as mods go, first and foremost you want a new charge pipe because the stock one is shit..i would get a tune next.

If you want to go catless, go with a quality brand down pipe and you wont have any problems.

I have an RK tune, intercooler, resonator delete and just a simple drop in filter and I love it, nice bump in power too. All of these things are balanced out by maintenance though, I cannot stress this enough!

I'm right there with ya on maintenance! That's why my E36 has 276K and my E46 has 235K. I'm aware of the charge pipe as well after doing some reading in these forums. However, I didn't start reading them before purchasing my Turner power module. Not that I'm unhappy with it, there just seems to be other ones out there with way more options and capabilities.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

There have been several discussions over the years (look in e90post, especially in the N54/N55 sub-forum) about reliability.

BMW must put out engines with specific reliability, durability and NVH targets. Specifically, it's got to meet the emissions requirements for at least 7/70K (California emissions). The motor has to last beyond the warranty period, and realistically much longer because they don't want a reputation for being non-reliable - after all they're banking on that reputation that they built in the past.

Given all that, the factory tune is fairly conservative to meet those targets. There appears to be some room - notice the factory PPK that adds 20HP/30lb-ft or so to factory N54/N55 engines. You've probably seen/heard the phrase: "pay to play". When people bust their engines with too much boost or fuel, too bad. Stories abound of modders blowing their engine/transmission/etc. Search for the term FBO and the engine you're modding.

Frankly, a 335i (or my 335d) have so much engine it's almost impossible to use them on public roads. And there will always be a faster car, or a car driven by someone who is a better driver. I just enjoy what I have.

I agree. It amazes me that the car magazines continue to push the pure horsepower play. Modern high end cars have way more horsepower than can be used on public roads. If one is going to track the car...sure; but otherwise who needs 500/600/700/more horsepower? More analysis should go into the rest of the car -- especially handling.

[jparnes1]

Originally Posted by Mike.

Listen, the best recipe for success is maintaining the car. There is a guide (forgot what its called) that you can follow.

Email Mike Miller at techtalk@roundel.org for his Lifetime Maintenance Schedule.

[STR8-6IX]

Originally Posted by cosmicdebris48059

When you say take all the plastic off the top of the motor are you referring to just the engine cover? I don't remember seeing anything else to remove when installing my tuning module. Does removing the cover actually make that much of a difference, I would assume the cover keeps all the wiring safe and secure!?... Oil was going to come into question when it was time for service. As a life long Castrol user now that BMW has switched to Shell I was thinking of going to one of the other brands like Motul, Moly or Red Line. Do you generally stick to BMW's recommended interval or do you change it sooner?

Yes I mean the plastic engine cover and then the insulation underneath as well. I have been running with this shit removed for some time now, makes an almost 50F difference in oil temps. I remove it as soon as outdoor weather reaches 37F or higher. temps are still a little too high in hot weather or in traffic, but it is still alot better then before..

yes, those oil brands you mentioned are good. AMSoil and shell rotella are also solid. I suggest you stick to 5w40. I change oil every 5000 miles and its pretty dirty even at that mileage, not far from starting to sludge up all together.

Originally Posted by Mike.

you dont need to remove the plastic..

of course you dont have to. but its not a bad idea to remove it.

[lkstaack]

The choices made in our BMW's design was a series of compromises. BMW could have opted for just about any of the current available aftermarket mods, but they chose not to. Their reasons why are anyones guess; fleet MPG, emissions, reliability, cost, marketing, etc. I know from personal experience that modifying an original design may have unanticipated negative consequences, so you should research and give it careful consideration.

For instance, many F30 enthusiasts recommend replacing the original downpipe with a better quality catless variety. As with any mod, one should ask why BMW didn't originally design it that way. Probably because 1) it couldn't pass emissions standards in California, 2) the resulting petrol smell would be disagreeable with many customers, 3) increased noise might necessitate a larger muffler, and 4) it may cost more. Most enthusiasts who have replaced their DP have no problem making the required compromises. Some realize too late that they don't want to compromise on the petrol smell, and replace their catless DP, or learn to live with an outcome they didn't anticipate or like. I myself have lived with the anxiety of modding a BMW so it didn't meet emissions standards and don't wish to go down that road again.

In any case many people, particularly young men, spend a lot of money modding their BMWs and later regret it. I admit that I still enjoy it. However, I recommend that you consider each mod carefully (don't do it because everyone else is). Research to identify why it wasn't done in the original design, and what the consequences will be (there are always consequences).

[cosmicdebris48059]

Well, I'm not in a hot enough climate to wanna deal with the noise from removing my engine cover. I was actually surprised at how noisy it was when I started it without the cover and understood why there was a thread about it. As far as mods go, the only one that gives me the greatest concern is the DP being catted vs uncatted. Of course I wanna squeeze every ounce of power I can out of it, but don't wanna add obnoxious noise to the exhaust, deal with bypassing or sending false O2 signals to the ECU. Something my mechanic who is all about horsepower and is top notch when it comes to German imports, especially BMWs says it just isn't a good idea because it effects the system as a whole. Not just one or two areas.

[eksigned]

You gotta pay to play. Maintenance is KEY. Worrying about how long the motor will stay together, that's too burdensome. If you want to keep it pristine, you might as well part it in the garage and never touch, nor drive it. You get my hunch?