Real World Reports: F25 / Dinan / xdrive35

lawfarm · 02-11-2015, 04:38 PM

Folks,

I have a 2011 F25 X3 xDrive35i, and am contemplating the Dinan upgrade. I love my X3 and am not swapping it out any time soon.

For those that have the Dinan system installed:
1) Any change in driveability?
2) Any weird quirks or drawbacks?
3) If you're not on the gas (e.g. highway cruising) any change in mileage?

Any other notes? Was it worth it?

mge92 · 02-11-2015, 04:44 PM

I have the dinan chip for the 28i and it changes it dramatically!
There used to be a slight delay, which might happen with the 35i, but now its basically gone and it pulls so much harder than before. We drag raced a regular 35i vs my 28i dinan and till about 60 the 28i keeps up with the 35i and then after 60 the 35i would slowly pull about half a car ahead. In terms of quirks, it doesn't work till your engine is warmed up. My mileage dropped after I put a supersprint exhaust but it could also be my driving style changed so I could hear the exhaust lol but the chip actually increased mpg and brought it up slightly above what I had when the car was stock without the supersprint exhaust. Not sure if it will be worth it since the 35i is already such a beast but if you want something more than the 35i then it is the best solution to get more power and have a reputable tuner and warranty that comes with it.

MetaX · 02-12-2015, 10:56 AM

I had the Dinan installed on my 35i and for the most part it has been great.

1. No change that I can detect aside from the extra power. The car definitely feels more responsive and lighter on it's feet but that's to be expected with an extra 50-60hp. Floor it in sport mode and the car surges with authority.
2. This may be or may not be related to the tune but when I'm stopped at a light or creeping along in traffic by using only my brake to regulate speed, the engine has been been exhibiting either unstable idle speed or slight surging, manifesting as a pulsing that goes away after a few seconds. I had the box replaced and the pulsing isn't occurring as often but it still happens from time to time. For now I'm just going to see if it continues and decide if I can live with it. There is a chance that it is a problem with something on the car (idle needs adjusting?) that decided to materialize at the same time I had the Dinan put in so I'll ask BMW to check it out on my next service but I'm pretty sure they'll put the blame squarely on the Dinan box.
3. I haven't been very vigilant on how my gas mileage has been impacted but even if I did any loss in fuel efficiency would be attributed to my more enthusiastic foot on the gas pedal than the Dinan box. I also put in a Remus sport exhaust at the same time so gunning the engine has been a bit intoxicating for me.

02-11-2015, 04:38 PM	#1
lawfarm New Member 4 Rep 11 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW X3 xDrive35i Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Midwest iTrader: (0)	Real World Reports: F25 / Dinan / xdrive35 Folks, I have a 2011 F25 X3 xDrive35i, and am contemplating the Dinan upgrade. I love my X3 and am not swapping it out any time soon. For those that have the Dinan system installed: 1) Any change in driveability? 2) Any weird quirks or drawbacks? 3) If you're not on the gas (e.g. highway cruising) any change in mileage? Any other notes? Was it worth it?
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02-11-2015, 04:44 PM	#2
mge92 SPEED RACER 375 Rep 740 Posts Drives: BMW X5 M50d BMW M2 CS Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: London iTrader: (2)	I have the dinan chip for the 28i and it changes it dramatically! There used to be a slight delay, which might happen with the 35i, but now its basically gone and it pulls so much harder than before. We drag raced a regular 35i vs my 28i dinan and till about 60 the 28i keeps up with the 35i and then after 60 the 35i would slowly pull about half a car ahead. In terms of quirks, it doesn't work till your engine is warmed up. My mileage dropped after I put a supersprint exhaust but it could also be my driving style changed so I could hear the exhaust lol but the chip actually increased mpg and brought it up slightly above what I had when the car was stock without the supersprint exhaust. Not sure if it will be worth it since the 35i is already such a beast but if you want something more than the 35i then it is the best solution to get more power and have a reputable tuner and warranty that comes with it. __________________ 2019 BMW X5 M50d Artic Grey \| 2020 BMW M2 CS Misano Blue Incoming - Ginetta G56 GT Academy \| Incoming - BMW X5M Comp Oxford Green RIP - 2020 Mini JCW GP Racing Grey \| RIP - 2013 X3 xDrive28i Carbon Black
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02-12-2015, 10:56 AM	#3
MetaX Second Lieutenant 105 Rep 253 Posts Drives: 2022 X3MC Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (0)	I had the Dinan installed on my 35i and for the most part it has been great. 1. No change that I can detect aside from the extra power. The car definitely feels more responsive and lighter on it's feet but that's to be expected with an extra 50-60hp. Floor it in sport mode and the car surges with authority. 2. This may be or may not be related to the tune but when I'm stopped at a light or creeping along in traffic by using only my brake to regulate speed, the engine has been been exhibiting either unstable idle speed or slight surging, manifesting as a pulsing that goes away after a few seconds. I had the box replaced and the pulsing isn't occurring as often but it still happens from time to time. For now I'm just going to see if it continues and decide if I can live with it. There is a chance that it is a problem with something on the car (idle needs adjusting?) that decided to materialize at the same time I had the Dinan put in so I'll ask BMW to check it out on my next service but I'm pretty sure they'll put the blame squarely on the Dinan box. 3. I haven't been very vigilant on how my gas mileage has been impacted but even if I did any loss in fuel efficiency would be attributed to my more enthusiastic foot on the gas pedal than the Dinan box. I also put in a Remus sport exhaust at the same time so gunning the engine has been a bit intoxicating for me.
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