5soko

Hey guys!

This is gonna be a long review so strap in. So after putting off getting a tune for a while now, i finally felt comfortable enough with the information and knwoledge i learned, that i would give it a shot. Im not here to knock on anyone or any company, or give false praises where they arent due. Im a forum enthusiast, love my car, work hard for my money and from the friends i have made on this forum who know me, im straight with my answers and thoughts. Im here to share my experiences good or bad so it can help the next guy in our community make a final decision, this is the beauty of a forum and why we are all here, to help each other.

Choosing a tune:

Researching, emailing, talking to different companies and talking to forum members here via dm and in person, all have led me to my decision.
Renntech has always been the classic household name for AMG tuning. All our members here i spoke to all seemed to be happy with their tune. It made great power, no common misfire issues, and their cars were fast and reliable.

Big thanks to sdg1871 for his help aswell, sharing his experiences, all the miles, race events and races he has done with his car, im sure most of us have seen his videos and how fast his car is. Being such a good experience he had and how reliable his car has been all these years was the last hump to get me to the Renntech tune. Renntech it was! O and it was TÜV approved!

Getting the tune and some background:

After 10 months with the tune driving in cold months and warm months (back into the cold now again), i feel like i can give my honest opinion and share some datalogs with you guys, which from what i know is a first on the forum.

First things first, contacting via phone and email to Renntech was easy and they answered all my questions. I had a whole list of questions which they answered on different occasions via phone call and email. Patrick at Renntech was great to deal with, had him on call via phone and email at any time i needed him. Their engineer Austin was great to deal with aswell, for all the more in depth technical questions i had.
This goes along with the great reputation i have heard of them. It was nice to see it personally for myself. I never had any Renntech products before, so i was excited to see how the whole experience goes.

So, i went ahead and ordered the Renntech ECU+ tune for 93 octane.
Renntech offers, 91 octane ECU tunes, 93 octane ECU+ tunes, and an 93 octane tune with their blow off valve or Diverter valve as they call it or R1 Package, which runs about .5 to 1 psi more than their 93 octane ECU+ tune.
They also optimize the intercooler cooling system aswell.
I got their 93 octane ECU+ tune . This tune runs 18.5-19 PSI.
For reference 2014-2016 M157's E63 S models run a peak of 14.5 PSI stock.

Renntech now uses a very neat and convenient handheld tuner or 'HHT' to flash the ECU via the OBD.
This HHT doesnt require any cables, or laptops or cell phones. Just flip the switch on the handheld to either stock tune or your performance tune, and plug into the OBD under the dash. Really cool, simple to use and stores away in the glovebox or anywhere since its so small. Very neat little tool!
HHT came beautifully packaged with instructions and a few nice renntech goodies, like pens, poster cards, and such.










Renntech advises to change plugs 50% sooner then oem intervals when tuned, so every 30K miles. OEM plugs only. And stock gap on current plugs if they arent old, and you dont have issues. Next change of fresh plugs they advise to gap smaller to 0.22 from 0.28/0.29 the oem plugs are at for prevententive maintenance. So i have been running oem plugs, at oem gaps and it has been working perfect!


FIRST DRIVE AND LONGTERM:

Plugged in the HTT, flashed the ECU for Renntechs performance tune, and started her up! Nice and smooth, no cel or codes etc, ready to go.
Went for a easy ride to warm everything up and started slowly leaning on the throttle more and more to adapt the car, right away i felt the linear boost in the throttle and felt it pulling very strong down low.

Stopped in at the park, went for ice cream and some scenery views. Jumping onto the highway on ramp, i went for it, WOT, and car was absolutely freakin flying! Felt beastly! Tq was amazing, so effortless, midrange was BRUTAL, and the top end was very strong! This tune really OPENED the M157 up, and the car just kept sinking my stomach in everytime! It really gives you that tunnel vision you see in movies because everything moves so fast. Car was violently good! I was really impressed to get so much power that i could actually feel! Few more pulls, both hands holding onto the wheel and i was genuinely impressed with the power!
The consistency in the power of the car was also very important. Car was able to perform back to back runs with the same strong impressive pull power. The pulls throughout the day felt all strong and the same, as where some tunes feel a bit off at different times i experienced in the M157. This inconsistency with other tunes i felt may be due to bad boost control and timing being pulled aggressively. But the Renntech tune felt on point each time!

Throttle response is nice and linear just like stock, no complaints there as many companies are a bit aggressive in their throttle mapping, you get a rush of boost with little throttle input that you didn't request with your right foot.

Big factor for me is the tune runs and works great in normal day to day life aswell. Nothing has been compromised here for more power which is exactly what i look for in a tune. Just feels exactly like factory until you start digging your right foot in.
Afterall we are all here for a some more power but not to sacrifice how our cars drive when we arent at full throttle.
Put it in C, drives nice and smooth like its a ordinary AMG. Went to dinner later that evening and came home, gave my car and Renntech a thumbs up in my garage, was very happy with my decision.. Not only did this tune make the car a much more fun to drive , but it also made driving normal easier, so much tq to go around eveything like a sling shot with ease and low revs.

The way the car just blasts down a road really transforms it into another league of car altogether. A Four door sedans shouldn't go this fast!
Honestly, all the research, emails, PM's was worth it.. Renntech is definetly not a hype, and i knew this after talking and driving a few other tuned E63's. Now having it on my car, I am beyond happy and my worries are out the window. I wish i would have done this sooner, but i hope this helps alot of guys if they are in my shoes before i ordered.
Its pretty much like having a factory tune on the car, that is how seamless it all works. No issues in all 8 months, no CEL, no misfires, not even a hiccup. I still till this day just am so impressed with the TQ and the HP every time i put my foot down!

Renntech was a pleasure to work with and my overall experience was very positive.
Renntech lived up to their reputation i have heard for so many years.
Talking to and answer all my questions! I know i was a big pain in the ***!
Big shout out to Patrick at REnntech, he was a great help, treated me right the whole experience, Via Email and telephone.
I honestly enjoy sharing my stories when a company from start to finish makes a customer happy and in my case this thanks is well deserved for them. I work hard for my money, love my car, and love the passion for cars and modding. Its always so nice to see a company treat people right, and do right with their products! Thanks to all the forum members who have helped me along the way aswell in answering my questions and meeting up with me.

My Renntech tune consisted of:
-93 octane tune
-Top speed limiter delete
-ECO mode de-activated


Datalogs:

There are plenty of 1/4 runs and dynojet graphs on here from the past few years, but there isnt any actually datalogs review from the entire era of this M157 forum.

All due respect to Renntech, im sure they make great tunes and its safe, BUT i wasnt gonna write this review until i saw for myself, personally, how my car datalogged and what the #’s showed to share with everyone. Teaser: Turned out excellent

In my N54 335 days, i was heavily involved in tuning and was one of the first ever guys to run a jb4 when terry and burger tuning first ever started and opened their doors.. I did alot of beta/alpha testing and logging for years for Terry.. Was alot of fun..
I also paved the way for the E60 M5 fine tuning and datalogging. I helped also refine and test Eventuri's first ever intakes aswell.

So here is some actually data via HP tuners datalogging software. For another future thread, i will be comparing and showing some others tuners datalogs for transparency to everyone to compare. I know a few forum members who is running X and X tunes who datalog, they were told not to share logs with me or to the public community, so that's a real bummer.

Our cars are tuned via boost by load.. So, To hit the same load target in cold weather requires less boost/air of course, and to hit similar load target in hot weather will require more boost/air.

I know my datalogging my buddy @brutus_tx is gonna love! I you havent seen his thread on 1/4 performance, please do! Been getting some great datalogs and information about this platform to move it forward! And there is more to come!

Stock tune, peak boost in 40F, about 12 PSI @ 5,200 RPM tapering to about 8-9psi to redline.
Full throttle, our high pressure fuel pump are injecting fuel at an impressive 2900psi, so its cool to see our fuel system working strong!
Timing is good with no real drop outs, which is expected on a stock car on 93 octane.
AFR is clean and rich.




Renntech tune, peak boost in 54F, about 17-18PSI @ 5,200 RPM tampering to about 12-13 to redline. Boost control is smooth and clean just like stock and you can feel that on the road.
Fuel pressure is again strong, AFR richer then stock, timing is clean with no dropouts aswell. Solid report here from Renntech, hats off to the guys!






Some pics:









Not all are created equal:

Here is also some interesting stuff you guys might like, which i found surprising during my testing

Here is a datalog of 3 cars.. My stock car, My Renntech tuned car, and a Tuned third party car which is popular among the M157 world, All showing throttle body position. All 3rd full gear datalogs. All E63 S AMG 4matics on 93 octane.

Stock, Yellow line is the actual throttle plate position here, and pink line the actual gas pedal.
As you can see the throttle plate stays open the whole gear during full throttle. excellent.




Here is my Renntech tune.. Gas pedal being the top line and the yellow line being throttle plate, you can see 2 small corrects in the throttle plate where the line dips slightly, a few %, very minor, overall clean.



Here is a friends and forum members car, tuned car that i wont name.
You can see here the top line, gas pedal is full throttle during the run, but the yellow line, the throttle plate, has two massive closures.


Thought this would be interesting to showcase, bring light to, and compare. As these throttle closures of course happen for many reasons, usually minor closures is perfectly normal to control boost, load, etc. But you dont like to see these big throttle closures, as you cant feel them usually in your butt dyno, this will make the car feel inconsistent in its power, less aggressive, and of course reduce power.
This is why i urge everyone to grab a datalogger if you are curious to see how your car is running and share. Esp the modded crowd here.

Ive seen all kinds of fun things from the aftermarket tunes out there via datalogging, huge advance timing, big boost tapers, throttle closures, etc.

Thanks for reading guys!

PeterUbers

How much was the renntech tune?

how many miles do you have now that you're tuned?

how many actual tunes miles? The first 5000 miles of a tune are usuallly blissful

5soko

Sorry Peter, was adding a bit more to the thread, i pressed the post button a bit earlier then i wanted. I think im around the 5K mark tuned now. Been loving all the miles
The renntech tune i believe was a bit over $3K at the time.

Ed99

Thanks for this great review. Nothing beats a tune that runs without any issues. I was wanting to tune my car until I start seeing so many people with issues with misfires, spark plugs, cylinder issues etc.

So the tune you got is stage 1 I am assuming.

With the the hand held you can flash it back to stock without Mercedes knowing? Or can they still can find out?

PeterUbers

Great review I'm adding this to the vault

mrmotoguzzi00

Correct me If I am wrong but the tune or change gets logged to the ECU... If they dig they will find it..... There is a code if I remember correctly, but it's early and im still on my 1st coffee

5soko

I appreciate the kind words! I try to over view all areas here.

So, i went ahead and ordered the Renntech ECU+ tune for 93 octane.
Renntech offers, 91 octane ECU tunes, 93 octane ECU+ tunes, and an 93 octane tune with their blow off valve or Diverter valve as they call it or R1 Package, which runs about .5 to 1 psi more than their 93 octane ECU+ tune.

I got their 93 octane ECU+ tune ( i guess you can call this stage 2) . This tune runs A peak of 18.5-19 PSI.
For reference 2014-2016 M157's E63 S models run a peak of 14.5 PSI stock

I dont have a warranty any longer so i never asked, so i dont know the answer to this.
As with most flashes i believe, if Mercedes wants to, they can find it, if its sent to germany and ecu data is analyzed.
All flashes nowadays are so good, unless you pass the oem speed limiter or do something obvious within the ecu, its hard for them to actual find. Gone are the days of opening the ecu with connectors to flash. Good or bad, depending how u look at it, i know of numerous cases of warranty work completed with cars flashed back to stock, even a blown engine. And this isnt speaking of Renntech specifically.
My dealer, Mercedes benz of Brooklyn is actually a Renntech dealer aswell, and the service manager takes in renntech modified cars for warranty all the time. But that is this specific dealer of course, dealers all vary.

Ill ask Renntech and update this.. Otherwise, contact Pat @ Renntech via email or anyone at Renntech . Im sure you will get a straight shot answer.

diamondblak05

Got any dyno numbers to show the difference? Butt dynos are deceiving.

5soko

Thank you Peter! I got some more exciting stuff for us M157 guys coming this week if i get the time.

There is plenty of dyno and 1/4mile runs on this forum from other members as i mentioned in my review. So i think the foundation has been set after all these years of what dynos and 1/4 mile are expected.
My review was directed at datalogs which no one on this forum has ever done and posted of their own tune as a review. I believe i was the first to bring HP tuners datalog into this forum aswell.
I enjoy Datalogs more so since it gives us a good story of the car in the real world, with the chassis loaded, and exactly whats happening with boost, timing, knock, AFR, IATS, etc.
Not only for performance, but safety and long term life of the engine. As i posted above as a example, you will be surprised how much boost and timing some of these tuners are running, causing throttle closures, high heat, and higher then normal knock activity. But some of the dynos and 1/4 mile look good from these same tuners, at the expense of long term engine life.

For your answer, here is a few 1/4 mile and dynos i dug up here on the forum from other members.
Seems like conditions given, low 11/s at high 12X MPH, along with 600whp+ is the norm for Renntech tuned M157 engines.
Remember Renntech only runs around 18PSI, which is impressive for the power they are making, when other tuners are pushing near 21psi to break 600whp.


1/4 mile: 10.7 @127mph tune only

1/4 mile: Renntech has been running low 11's at 127mph back in 2012 with their tuned cars.

1/4 mile: 11.0 @ 130mph on tune with some race gas.

DYNO 613WHP via tune only in 104F..
https://mbworld.org/forums/w212-amg/...hp-744wtq.html

DYNO 600whp
https://mbworld.org/forums/w212-amg/...uned-dyno.html

Roll races
https://mbworld.org/forums/w212-amg/...oll-races.html

Ed99

Hey,

I am thinking of getting the Renntech HHT but have a few questions for you if you can help. I Pmd you.

Kvn22

Love this write up, thank you my brother!

Renntech or nothing!

C2 Turbo

Great Info.. Any issues running this tune since the install? How many miles and any unscheduled visits to the mechanic?

5soko

Thanks!

Nope, thankfully the car and tune has been rock solid and great! Not even a hiccup
I haven't driven in 2020 much since living in NYC we have been on lockdown most of the year and most business closed I did update to the R1 tune and blow off valve in 2020 aswell in another thread.

alex911s

Thanks for the review.. i emailed renntech and they recommended intermediate for me we have the crappy 91 here in Cali lol....
as far as price since the renntech comes with handheld its actually not too much more expensive compared to other tunes.. I'll buy one next month need to check my plugs first and do another oil change.
I have fidelity warranty Ive had a few tuned Porsches never had any issues with warranty work ... but then this is my First benz...lol!

Ed99

How much is the Renntech tune with HH now?

alex911s

$2240 for the intermediate 638HP
The regular tune is $2900 - 669 hp

NoVAe63s

Hey 5soko - any regrets? If you had a redo, would you go with another tune i.e. EC? And does the RT mess with your TCU tune in any way? I thought some of the narrative suggested some ECU tunes getting around the TCU limiter by manipulating TQ values?

Euro motorcars here in Bethesda offers the Renntech with a "wink wink" to look the other way on warranty work. Not sure if I believe them since they make you sign a waiver but if true that might be worth it if it's a slightly inferior tune to others.

Just curious.

Thanks!

Faast

Rt probably has done more R&T than any one here in US and by Inferior if you mean power, than you are correct. US guys are always trying extracting every single HP out of the motor as we all like to brag about the numbers. It's like going to Buffet, it's not the quality of the food that most Americans are after, it's how much can I eat for the dollars i pay.

RUF Porsches always make less power than the US guys but their cars are always more reliable and enjoyable to drive with much better power delivery and that's what it's all about.

NoVAe63s

I agree reliability is important, to me at least - safe power is the goal. But I did qualify my question with an "if" - RT may have more power ANd reliability. Or more reliability but less power? I was hoping others (like you) would help define that for me. 5soko seems to have a ton of data that can help clarify what makes an RT better or worse than others.

Thanks

5soko

No regrets at all, I am very happy and satisfied with it! It does what I wanted, more power, and it does it consistently and reliably without headaches.
I would chose the Renntech tune again if I got into another M157 personally
On pump gas 93 octane, most tunes on the market will create similar power, no real secret about that. The M157 is limited in power from octane at that point. I have seen some tunes try to push boost further on 93 octane to try to make more power, just to create more heat via exhaust gas temps. It will come down to the details in the tune, I cant speak for anyone but of course the small details will make a tune feel alot different in terms of drivability, consistency, and smoothness from day to day. These small details we tend to adapt to even when bad and not realize the negative changes until we get behind the wheel of a tune that is better dialed in and showcase these properties. Datalogs are easier to see different style of tuners and small negatives in the tunes, like prolonged and multiple throttle closures, multiple timing drop outs, aggressive wastegate operation, boost profile and boost control/targeting, etc.
Again, this is for 93 octane pump, which is harder to dial in.

Renntech tune works 100% true with a TCU tune. SOME tuners in the market like to trick the TCU with reporting less TQ in the ECU (some more than others) than it is truly making, to try to sneak some extra TQ by the tcu for the ECU to make more power to the ground. But the side effect to this is, micro wear on the clutches long term, less line pressure for the actual TQ being made, and gear changes that are not as crisp. Hard to feel from the butt dyno these small changes, but drive long enough like this, and return to stock ECU tune that reports true TQ, and you will notice the difference right away it makes compared to when the ECU tune is underreporting true tq.

Renntech ECU tune is 100% true. Matter of fact, they were the first and only company to offer a real and full TCU tune for MANY years in the USA. So they understand exactly how to appropriately setup their ECU tunes and have them work together properly with a TCU tune.
Anyone who understands a AMG powertrain, understands how the ECU and TCU have to work together correctly to make good power, but more importantly, consistent, and accurate operation for long term reliability and drivability.

Regardless of all this, this is all my opinion of course, and my thought process in my decision and now. Not trying to bash or compare any specific tunes. I think it is great we have options in the market, and their are companies still supporting the platform! My small group of friends here in NY with M157's, as a collective, we have just about every tune available in the market today, and that is a beautiful thing lol

I think you nailed it on the head sir.

billvp218

Are the Renntech & EDOK TCU tunes equivalent? Do you know what the tq limits by gear are for the Renntech TCU tune?

fabbrisd1

Dude... ask RennTech... frankly the most experienced tuner for MB - as compared to the Hack Shops... on the other guy from MD... no need to involve a MB dealer with the Renntech HHT ... you simply "default" back to factory tune (takes less than 2 min) before you drop off for service..

NoVAe63s

Thank you sir, great insight! Just a point of clarification, the RT tune integrates 100% with the RT TCU tune or anyone's TCU?

5soko

I don't have that information, may find more answers in the TCU threads.

It would be best to talk to Renntech for this information of course, but generally the ECU side controls TQ information, as long as this is setup correctly and proper, then all else should be fine on the TCU side, but of course, not all TCU tunes are equal so that would be a big factor of both working together. But lets keep this a Renntech ECU tune thread on topic.

NoVAe63s

Good advice, thanks!