Mr. J

RaceChip GT, GTS, and GTS Black will work with all the MBs with the m276 motor. Just reach out to them if you have questions. It's basically a simple boost controller with a couple of extra safety features thrown in to prevent you from leaning out and detonating. Running it in the race setting will occasionally cause the care to surge a little and fuel consumption goes way up. The sport setting is good for a daily driver. It provides a noticeable improvement to acceleration, very little reduction in mpg, and no induced bad behaviors.

JB4 seems fine with the 19s, they just haven't incorporated the new canbus changes on the MY 20 vehicles. JB4 can be set pretty mild or can be customized by the user to push a ton of boost. When you hit the margins that's when problems are more likely to appear and right now all the ECU and piggyback tuners are having some teething issues with incorporating some of the recent changes that MB incorporated into the MY 19 and MY 20 vehicles. It's a little more challenging for them because the changes are not totally consistent across different models that share the same equipment, w205 vs x253 for example.

I hope you realize that the people you are dismissing as trolls have already done all this research, made the mods, tried different ones, and contributed to the community here.

The reason you do not see the Kleeman piggy well represented here is simply because it provides very modest gains for a very high price point. US based MB users who want a mild tune with the least amount of risk almost always go Renntech. Kleeman has plenty of notoriety in Europe but nowhere near the market penetration in the US that Renntech has.

speedlaw

Me too. 385 hp or so like clockwork, 4.5 to 60 box stock. I'd do a tune if it made sense...bumping the 362 hp version to 415 makes sense, but the same work for my car gets me 20 hp...or so.

batman719

The level to which some folks like you use absolutes when communicating is absolutely mind-boggling.

Based on your profile, you don't have a Facelift C43. Obviously things are different with those vehicles than others with the M276. That's why I'm asking questions.

No, this is false. There are folks on this very forum have 2019 C43s that are experiencing significant rough shifting and sudden throttle drop when shifting from 1st to 2nd with JB4. Gabe is one of those. TModelle is another, and he eventually switched to PerformMaster.

Really? ALL the ECU tuners and ALL the piggyback tuners? Every single one? Including AMR? Dinan? Even Racechip? Velos? Vivid? I haven't seen any threads on those, so that's why I'm asking.

ALL the people? You mean the one (1) person I dismissed as a troll? ALL of those people?

I wasn't expecting to see Kleeman well-represented here. I was just trying to get some first-hand knowledge, that's all. And Renntech isn't the least risky of the options in my opinion. jim04clk on this forum had 2 CELs in less than 100 miles with that tune.

BMS

In regard to the JB4s some early facelift customers had complaints, but we released the BCM and special firmware changes to correct them, and since have facelift C43s in the 11s. The JB4 remains the undisputed piggyback king due to it's features and technology. That said different strokes for different folks. Not familiar enough with Kleeman to offer any useful analysis of it. If there is an install guide showing what sensors it connects to exactly I'd be happy to see how it stacks up to what the JB4 offers.

As for the 2020 models we'll get JB4's CANbus up and running via free firmware update as soon as we can. The other models don't even offer CANbus or the possibility of getting it online.

batman719

No doubt that you have a high-quality product at a fair price. Your long-term commitment to customers is admirable. The love for JB4 on this forum is not mis-placed. That said, I can't ignore the folks with 2019s that are having problems that seem to be traced back to the JB4. Although the evidence is anecdotal, there is indication that your offering for 2019s has room for improvement.

BMS

I'm not able to read every thread here. If you ever do come across any 2019 JB4 customers having issues let them know to contact us directly so we can get them sorted!

Mr. J

Yep, you're still a douche.

jim04clk

CEL is becoming common across all these 2019 tunes. I’m starting to believe even you run 93 octane , you should still run the 91 program for the sake of just keeping the light off. I’m interested in the the new VR Tuned box. 2 sensor hookup. They use the Racechip hardware with their own program. They do have a facelift version part number and it’s set to 91 and you can adjust it up for 93.
im currently using the Dinan boost controller. Set to race and 93 I did drive the car hard and got Cel for knock sensor. I cleared it and now on sport plus which is set for 91. I do use 93 octane. It seems to me these cars are just tuned so good from the factory, the only way they can make the prefacelift gains is tuning to aggressively. Hence the cel when your hard on the car.

TModelle

Since when? not something I’ve heard.

I’ve used JB4 and Performmaster back and forth for 7 months now, never ever had a CEL from either of them. Not even when I set the JB4 to run 20psi on 93 octane, and that’s pretty high. A lot of guys on Eurcharged tunes too, without CELs. Maybe the product you’re using isn’t good or suitable for 2019 models?

TModelle

I’ve installed many other brand piggybacks for my friends on their cars over the years. You come to realise that 2 sensor boxes without the rpm reference are dumb boxes and are more susceptible to causing CELs because the tuning level is across all rpms and they don’t know when to back off. It’s actually in the Racechip instructions for 2 sensor boxes. If you get a CEL, tune down and try again until you don’t get a CEL. Not something you see on boxes with rpm hookup. The ones with rpm reference map boost to rpm, that’s why they are better. They can boost when it’s okay to boost and less boost when it’s not.

jim04clk

VR tuned uses the boost sensor and map sensor. The gas here in the USA is not that great. Especially north East fuel with the oxygenated additive they use for emissions in the winter months. It does not burn the same. Cobb tuning has some interesting information online as well. Also Mustang eco boost engines are having problems with tuning and Cels. I’m just trying to keep things simple. Eventually I will come to a point and leave the car stock and be done with the headache.

TModelle

You’re getting a CEL because of the 2 sensor box. These boxes just can’t run higher boost without causing CELs. You need a more advanced box with at least an rpm sensor hookup in order to run higher boost. Here’s a simplified explanation with arbitrary figures. From 1000-6000rpm your car can take maybe +2 psi at some points and +5psi at some other points, and maybe it can take only +1 at a certain point. The 2 sensor tuning box adds a fixed boost (which you select, but the manufacturer calls it octane level) across the board. You can only add the lowest boost that your car can take which is +1psi. That is the limiting factor. You try +2psi setting but it gets a CEL because it’s boosting too much at the rpm point that can only take +1psi. You can’t avoid this no matter what you try. 2 sensor boxes are really dumb. You need a box with an rpm sensor and mapping that can give you +1psi at that rpm limiting point and maximise boost and power at all the other points.

Please note that this is a very simplified explanation of how the boxes work. Just for explanation purposes.

It doesn’t matter what software they run on a 2 sensor box. They are all the same and you will run into the same problem. That’s why they make you pay more for more sensors and more power, even within the same brand.

jim04clk

So what your saying is the car can’t adjust by itself? So I’m putting in 3 pounds of boost now. That .25 less boost then my last setting. But the car sees it more over the rpm band and doesn’t think it’s normal so it throws the code. Possibly. My box now is only the Dinan 1 sensor. Other people have it on facelift cars and have not thrown a cel but they also are using better gas. I’m interested in the Vr tuned but not looking to shell out another 750 right now. My renntech tune threw misfire codes I felt the car shake and erratic idle on the tach. Also o2 codes of sensors being to rich.

TModelle

1 sensor box? Wow that is really old tech. I remember installing 1 sensor tuning boxes in 2009!

1 sensor boxes are even dumber, cos they can’t even approximate throttle opening (which is done on 2 sensor boxes using boost and map sensors). 1 sensor boxes Just boost blindly. No wonder you’re having problems.

Minimally, any credible tuning box should have one Map, one Boost and one Cam sensor (1/2 crankshaft rpm).

jim04clk

I’m only looking for a 30-50 horsepower increase. This motor is to small and not going to make 70-100 horsepower increases. Period. It’s not designed for that. You will push it to the edge. Loose drivability and reliability. I’m not trying to make it into something it isn’t. It’s a quick luxury coupe. AWD I need for my seasons here in NY. If not I would be in BMW M4.

Mr. J

Yeah the DInan Sport just spoofs the boost sensor. I had one of the early production models. It had fitment issues where the plug met the controller housing so I returned it. It was a bit of a hassle and I think I had to eat the shipping too. I was not impressed. It's about half the cost of the RC and JB4 with nowhere near the functionality of either.

IMO for piggy backs, if you like to mod and are into data logging and customization the JB4 is tops, hands down. Time slips don't lie.
For a simple plug and play solution that's dead simple and reliable the RC GTS Black is also a very good product. It is not quite as capable as a JB4 but it's safe and very easy to install. It interfaces with Map, Boost, and Cam sensors. It can also be reprogrammed remotely to allow it to work with other makes and models.

For performance and customization JB4 is the best. For a mild tune piggy, the RC is also a very good option, especially for a user who prefers to set it and forget it.

jim04clk

I do feel it. It does make power. Racechip GTS I do like. But I do wish somebody had the VR tuned version 2 box to compare.

Mr. J

There were some early write ups on the older version back in '17-18. IIRC, some users were losing their exhaust burbles. I don't know if that was ever resolved.

BMS

Anything that doesn't have CANbus is going to be basically the same. And then the next step up is CANbus + fuel + boost solenoid like the JB4 offers.

subzero05

i can only speak on the racechip units as I have done two , one on this car and one on my previous bmw and both worked well . No Issues on either one

mounis

I am also looking to tune up my c400 I am looking into racechip which claim to give you 67 hp and I also like jb4 but they are saying 35+hp not sure what + means so I am looking to see if anyone can recommend a good tune. I am trying to get max hp out of the tune. Not many people talk about racechip any one have good experiences with it?

BMS

That's because it's a 2-channel junk-box with ms-paint dyno charts. As for the JB4 you're looking at a C300 dyno likely. C400/C450 pickup around 50whp fairly easily. More with higher octane or E85 mixtures.

https://www.burgertuning.com/pages/faq

subzero05

the racechip is hardly a “junk box” , i for one have used two of them , one on this car and one on a previous BMW I had, both worked great . It does exactly what is expected and for what I wanted it worked well . It’s not as powerful as a flash, but I also haven’t had any warranty issues thus far either when the vehicles were in for service

mounis

What model car you have it on and do you know how much whp gain you are getting.

BMS

I'm sure you've installed it on more than just two cars, we see you pop up in almost every RaceChip thread that comes up across multiple forums.

Without CANbus, fuel control, and solenoid control, it just can't compare, especially on the MB platform.