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Im considering a tune on my 2015 e400. Stock it makes 329hp 354ftlb. It would be nice if I could push it closer to 400hp.
As of now it doesnt have any performance upgrades except for high flow intake, brembo brakes, and staggered wheels.
I dont want to overwork the car and destroy it, but it would be nice if it could make more power. My goal is to get it closer to c43 / e43 performance. I was looking into JB4 tuners which I believe just increases boost by manipulating sensor data.
If I were to go with a JB4, would an intercooler upgrade be necessary? Upgraded intercoolers run about $1500. Is it worth the cost? Is there any cheaper options for an intercooler?
I was also considering the possibility of high flow downpipes. There are lots of them available on marketplace that people never installed. I do not want this if its going to set a CEL. Is there any way to run performance downpipes without triggering CEL or o2 sensor issues? I know the proper way is to tune it but I'm not going to drop $1500 on an ECU flash just for this.
What's the best for the money when it comes to increasing performance on one of these cars?
Chip tuning could be the most cost effective one ( Renntech or other renowned brands ). Buying a performance kit without an intercooler is mostly a waste of money probably but those kits are not cheap either . I have a downpipe installed on my car , it doesn't cause any CEL or malfunction . I don't know who did it but I love it . I used to have a Carlsson (non intercooler version ) on my former W212 as well.
A caveat : Once you go to that route , upgrading , chip tuning or whatever please use premium fuel because I had some turbo pressure problems afterwards due to low cost fuel on my former W212
My first mod surely is a good tire.......... at that time in 2018 was Michelin Pilot Sport 4. I am in the tropics, so summer tire is all I need. DONE.
Bilstein B4 on all 4 corners is a must........ No need B6, too stiff, tried for rear only. DONE.
Next was ABT DIFF from Quaife............DONE. In your case you can use WAVETRAC, US made and supposedly a tiny bit better than UK made Quaife in terms of function.
.
Higher power is fun, but eating other cars on the corner is more rewarding.
Straightline power gets old fast, end of traction limit driving on S bend is the fun one.
MB open DIFF is lousy when car has enough power to spin out the wheels.
Now my wheels hardly can spin out due to better bite from the DIFF and honestly, even with ESP OFF, the car computer Nanny is still protecting us if E400 model.
I even tried DYNO mode on the track for a bit, no use.
I think only AMG model is allowed to be zero Nanny if in Drift mode. Me zero experience on E63 AMG, sorry.
I've just installed a JB4 on mine 2015 E400. Didn't had the chance to do any thing relevant other them a 2nd gear pull on MAP1 just to test the installation (CSV log attached). My thoughts so far are:
The "bang for buck" factor of a 2-channel tuning system (JB4, RaceChip, etc.) is hard to match. All those systems manipulate the boost sensor reading (before and after the throttle body) to make the ECU think it needs to increase the boost level. I've used a RaceChip kit on my old W204 with the M271 engine and the difference was noticeable.
The JB4 system was a far more in-depth package due to the fact they on their own their app and their system has canbus and fuel system integration (it can manipulate the rail pressure sensor signal) with optional wastegate solenoid valve manipulation available if you want more control. The logging feature on their app is really nice and you can build your own map with the bias for boost, fuel and waste gate control. It can go from basic to advance.
Installation was easy (pictures attached) and the build quality is above average.
Their customer support is well above average. All emails so far have been responded by people and any tunning question is responded by someone you can have a technical conversation about your specific car.
The down side so far is that Burger Motors core is BMWs so updates for their products for MB are limited. But since the E400 has been out for more them 10 years, I don't imagine a lot of updates are needed in any case.
I'm traveling this month and will ran some more performance tests in June. For context, gasoline in my country has a mandatory 30% ethanol content on its misture and minimum ROM of 94 octanes so I need to do a bit of testing to correlate to the gas used in the USA.
Last edited by Andre Cateb; May 18, 2026 at 05:55 PM.
Agree! Caution is needed when changing anything on the engine. That is one of the reasons I've liked the logging function on the JB4 (https://www.jb4tech.com/forum/model-...ing-parameters). It auto-records whenever you press the gas pedal more them 75%. The system also uses some pre-set monitors to identify dangerous tendencies in fuel, timming, etc. to automatically shut the system down. Another neat feature of the system is that it records performance data based on the car speed sensor and GPS. All an all, for logging purposes alone the box is already a pretty interesting kit.
2nd gear pull from zero to redline - target means it was generating 4 psi over stock.
My first mod surely is a good tire.......... at that time in 2018 was Michelin Pilot Sport 4. I am in the tropics, so summer tire is all I need. DONE.
Bilstein B4 on all 4 corners is a must........ No need B6, too stiff, tried for rear only. DONE.
Next was ABT DIFF from Quaife............DONE. In your case you can use WAVETRAC, US made and supposedly a tiny bit better than UK made Quaife in terms of function.
.
Higher power is fun, but eating other cars on the corner is more rewarding.
Straightline power gets old fast, end of traction limit driving on S bend is the fun one.
MB open DIFF is lousy when car has enough power to spin out the wheels.
Now my wheels hardly can spin out due to better bite from the DIFF and honestly, even with ESP OFF, the car computer Nanny is still protecting us if E400 model.
I even tried DYNO mode on the track for a bit, no use.
I think only AMG model is allowed to be zero Nanny if in Drift mode. Me zero experience on E63 AMG, sorry.
Have fun..........
I actually was thinking about handling mods instead of speed. Thinking about it i very rarely give it full throttle anyway and drive a lot of 55mph windy backroads.
I already put a new set of continentals on it. I also replaced control arms, tie rods, Sway bar links, cv axle, to restore ride quality. I got a big brake upgrade for it too.
I believe my stock springs are sagging and I need to replace them anyway. It's a good opportunity for an upgrade. I was actually looking into the b4 kit. How does it feel compared to OEM? I'm running 35 sidewalls so the ride quality is pretty harsh as it is. Maybe it's a lot to ask for, but is there a suspension kit that feels softer and sportier than OEM? I love the handling but I also love the ride quality.
A quick stage 1 would put it at 395hp with 480Nm. Stage 1 doesn't require any hardware upgrade. Stage 2 would give you 435hp 610Nm but you have to have at least downpipes.
A quick stage 1 would put it at 395hp with 480Nm. Stage 1 doesn't require any hardware upgrade. Stage 2 would give you 435hp 610Nm but you have to have at least downpipes.
There's no local shops that can do this for me. I live in the middle of nowhere. Is there any way to do a flash tune myself?
Honestly if I do a flash tune i may as well get downpipes.
I actually was thinking about handling mods instead of speed. Thinking about it i very rarely give it full throttle anyway and drive a lot of 55mph windy backroads.
I already put a new set of continentals on it. I also replaced control arms, tie rods, Sway bar links, cv axle, to restore ride quality. I got a big brake upgrade for it too.
I believe my stock springs are sagging and I need to replace them anyway. It's a good opportunity for an upgrade. I was actually looking into the b4 kit. How does it feel compared to OEM? I'm running 35 sidewalls so the ride quality is pretty harsh as it is. Maybe it's a lot to ask for, but is there a suspension kit that feels softer and sportier than OEM? I love the handling but I also love the ride quality.
The night drive is climbing up, hear the wheel biting sound at 0:52 to 0:54 seconds
If without an ABT DIFF, at that very tight corner and climbing up, an OPEN DIFF will loose traction.
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