Quote:
Originally Posted by todd92
This fallacy gets passed along without any merit. BMS did testing and couldn't find any difference in intake air temp. The intake still gets air from outside. Maybe if you are in stop and go traffic and the first stab at the throttle when the traffic eases might see higher intake temps. Once the car is moving at all, no difference.
I just put the intake and tuner on my daughters 13 X3 35 and it's a very noticeable upgrade. Definitely fattens up the torque curve. We also tried unplugging the exhaust solenoid, but agreed that it droned and plugged it back in. On my install I routed the tuner wiring to the drivers side and tucked the box in the brake reservoir compartment, since it won't reach the passenger side compartment.
As for the warranty voiding concerns, are people still worried about this? The engine isn't going to blow from a mild tune and the tuner cannot affect the warranty coverage on the rest of the vehicle. As for wishing for a Stage 2, not so fast. Stage 1 puts the HP and TQ right up to BMW's design limits for the transmission, so I'm more than happy to stay at that level. FWIW, the tuner + intake puts the X3 on par with the Macan S. Not a bad place to be!
|
Oh, so the manufacturer of the intake did testing showing that the intake was beneficial? Brilliant! I also have a bridge to sell you.
Show me some independent testing, not conducted by or paid for by an air intake company or filter company, duplicating those results. With a turbocharged, intercooled engine, sucking in hot air from the top of the engine more than offsets any beneficial gain from increasing air intake flow. It isn't a fallacy--it's been proven again and again. I have never seen an independent test of a shorty air intake that has shown any benefit, with or without tuner. There's no there, there. No benefit. You will get a difference in noise, but that's it. Don't believe me? Warm the car up and then run it both ways on a dragstrip, with a few control runs each way. Or warm it up and throw it on a dyno.
As for warranty, the MM act indicates that a manufacturer cannot deny a warranty claim without demonstrating a nexus between your modification and the damage to the vehicle. So if BMW can demonstrate that excessive fueling or boost pressure from a customer-installed mod caused damage or caused the engine to exceed factory standards and that in turn caused damage, game over. Similarly, if the air intake permits contaminants into the engine, and those contaminants cause damage, game over.
I'm not anti-mod, but: 1) do so only after understanding how it will impact you in the future; and, 2) only do mods that actually work.
Also, if you think that mods are not a warranty issue, then make sure you leave your fueling box in place when you go in for service. Running the box when you drive, and then pulling it before service is: 1) dishonest; and, 2) shows that even you don't believe the line you're selling about not voiding the warranty.