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Comments
-Chris
But this guy said he used to race in F-2 (don't know what that is) so could it be true? He also said the cost was about $1000 CDN.
What do you guys think/know of this?
I don't see a chip adding 60hp... on a 323i that would be over 30% increase. You could add 60hp with a supercharger, but that would cost more than $1000 CDN.
Either you misunderstood the guy, or he is exagerating/making it up.
So an OBD mod would get that kind of improvement? What does that entail?
The only way to increase the HP of an engine (any engine) is to get more air and fuel into it. There are only three ways that I know of to do that (all else being equal):
1) Increase displacement (bore and/or stroke)
2) Increase RMPs (assuming that the intake and exhaust system are capable of the increased volumes and that the engine holds together)
3) Breath on it. That can come in any combination of three methods i) Larger intake and exhaust ports (or more of said ports) ii) Supercharge the engine iii) Turbocharge the engine
Having said all of that, a simple chip replacement (regardless of how complex the chip itself is) cannot possibly add that much horsepower to a normally aspirated engine because it cannot do #1 or #3 and doing item #2 would probably only yield a maximum of only a few extra power in the case of a 323i. If the individual was claiming that he could coax 60 more horsepower out of a 150HP Audi 1.8t with a chip replacement, sure, no problem. Just reprogram when the wastegate opens and bleeds off excess boost pressure from the turbocharger, however, too much of a good thing (extra boost) and your engine might go BOOM!
Best Regards,
Shipo
Does OBD stand for On Board Diagnostic or is that something else?
Well, I should get some more details later today.
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
The guy probably did a whole bunch of things to this car. I think he just told my impressionable colleague about the tip of the iceberg.
Do they have to inform their insurance companies of the added risk incurred? Special proviso in the policy perhaps?
Not quite the same as a Manet in the trunk
Best Regards,
Shipo
Best Regards,
Shipo
I'd really just settle for one, maybe two cute ones.
Eric
...you must be in the sciences.
I resemble that remark. ;-)
The OBD-1 discussion has been interesting, as I drive a 1993 325i. Has anyone fitted an ECIS intake and a JimC chip (and perhaps a quiet exhaust) to an E36?
Obviously I'm still not going to out-drag a Z28, but I'd like more ooomph below 3K rpm. Ideas?
Eric
Well, computer science... does that count?
Eric
I have heard the noise mostly in the morning when the car is cold but will check tonight when I get home to see if the noise is still there after the car heats up.
Thanks for your input!!!
The inside is dead silent.
All, are there any aftermarket E36 exhausts (Dinan, ECIS, the E36 M3 exhaust, etc) that are fairly quiet? I'd like to replace my car's exhaust eventually (it needs a new muffler anyhow), but I don't want my car to sound "ricey" (as you probably gathered from my previous post)...
Eric
The exhausts from quality sources like Dinan, ECIS, etc shouldn't be that much louder than stock.
if you are going to go for the jimc chip (which consensus seems to say is the best chip, it works across the range, vs. just at wot, like most others do), you should really go for the jimc intake too... and decide what catback you are going to get so they can tune the chip for the combination you have... you definitely have the right idea of how to get rid of the infamous e36 m50 2000-2700 rpm (or so) dead spot..
a reader's digest version of obd i vs. obd ii... obd ii basically standardized everything, and added more restrictions and "trigger points"...
-Chris
ps. shipo - lemme at that power to weight ratio car with a set of studdies at an ice race!!! man, now THAT would be a RIDE!!!
genie - you got it. it kinda points out why it's (comparatively) easier to get more hp/torque out of an obd-i car than a -ii car by chipping it and breathing it... they had a lot more room to "play with" on -i cars... plus, the actual software programmers wrote "better" stuff with time and experience as well, which is something that article doesn't illustrate... sometimes it isn't always easy to remember that the computing power/abilities of 6 years ago wasn't anywhere near what it is today...
-Chriss
Thanks, Dave
Got to give your dealer's service center credit for wanting to please you. If I were in his shoes, I would have started another car or two on the lot and listened for the same noise on those cars.
In any case, I would not worry about it since the noise has been there, but not heard at any time inside the car, for 6 months and 8700+ miles. Enjoy.
In all seriousness, I believe some chips , actually do use some primitive neural networks, for "adaptive" behavior.
FYI. A neural network sort works like the human brain, in terms of trial and error and association. The network starts out with some random or base associations, between lets say throttle position,rpm and fuel flow and valve lift/timing. The chip than monitors inputs and results, and adjust the associations to match the best results.
I decided against the SP, because I live in Pittsburgh, and the SP tires turn to rock in our winters. (My brother has a 2000 323i with SP, and he had to spend over $1,000 on snow tires and rims - and now his car doesn't look as good, or handle as well as it should for 5 months out of the year - when its not snowing, of course)
That said, at the risk of offending somebody on my first day,...anybody who thinks a RWD with snows is comparable to an AWD with all-seasons, in the snow,...has obviously never owned an AWD car. We had a Subaru, AWD, with all-seasons. I've driven many 4WD trucks and SUV's, and I've had FWD and RWD with snows, perf. tires, and all-seasons. NOTHING, repeat NOTHING can touch AWD in the snow, I don't care what kind of tires you have. My brother's 323 with snows (Blizzacks) is barely adequate in bad weather. Our Subaru was phenomenal. In fact, I'd take AWD with summer tires over RWD with snows, if snow traction were the only consideration.
There are alot of reasons not to buy AWD: weight, price, sporty feel, etc.. I'm not going to buy it because I just don't need it for the 3-4 days a year when there is so much snow that I really shouldn't be out driving my $32,000 car anyway. But,...please don't kid yourself that anything out there gives you comparable traction or handling in the snow.
My first 2-cents. Hope to talk to you guys again soon.
First, your brother spent too much on his winter tires-you can buy a set of tires and rims for a 325i from Tire Rack for around $650.
As far as looks and handling for 5 months, your 325i won't handle as well for all 12 months with all season tires.
The reason I use winter tires is to increase the safety of the car I drive. AWD increases stopping distance and helps handling only marginally. Winter tires improve stopping and handling greatly.
At this time, I have two simple questions:
1) Whose the best dealer in the Boston area?? I like honest and informative.
2) Are there any options best taken afterwards? (eg, adding a premium stereo aftermarket, or better getting the factory premium deal).
3) Okay, one more. If MA has a tax free holiday in Late November/ early December, do you think it will apply to cars????
Thanks,
NC
Four-wheel drive helps get cars going. When it comes time to brake or change direction on low-traction surfaces, the extra mass of the driveline becomes more of a detriment.
-Murray
The other part was in "So What's the Bottom Line". "Folks who live in hilly places that get snow may need the climbing capability of four-wheel drive." And then at the end of that section: "unless snow or ice covers your roads many times in a winter, the snow benefits of winter tires may not outweight their drawbacks on dry pavements".
So using snow tires really depends on weather conditions in your area and how much slipping you can tolerate.