[BrentCOS]

Since I'm under warranty I cannot tune, piggyback, mess with turbos or the cats.

What are the best HP upgrades I can do? Mid-pipe/exhaust and intake don't produce much power. They're mainly for noise. I can't think of much else.

I could do a downpipe but that doesn't seem to do much without a tune.

Thoughts?

[Must_Go_FASTER]

Uhhhh, you listed pretty much the only things. You CAN upgrade those, but you're CHOOSING not to. I understand your reasoning though.

More/cooler air into the engine via the turbo and the faster exhaust can exit the system are key upgrades to better performance. Thus intake/drop-in filters and any freer flowing exhaust upgrades are what most people upgrade first.

Replacement intake systems I see the most on the X3/4Ms are RK Tunes and BMS. There also drop-in filters you can purchase that many opt for due to warranty concerns and the RK Tunes silicone tubing isn't exactly "pretty" under the hood.

The exhaust gets a little complicated with ours because of the secondary cats/resonators in the midpipe. Downpipes alone help a bit, but there's still a lot of restriction to exhaust in the mid-pipe. Mid-pipes alone help a bit, but there's still restriction to the exhaust in the downpipes. Best is a combination of freer flowing DPs and an aftermarket mid-pipe. You'll also see some improvement from replacing the axleback part of the exhaust, but many opt to keep the stock main muffler. This is because it's not super restrictive and it is relatively expensive to upgrade that.

There's a lot of information on the forums, do some research/Googling and decide what you want to do.

If you're terribly concerned about the warranty, you may want to just wait for it to expire. The least likely upgrades to flag any warranty concerns would be drop-in air filters and a mid-pipe. Some warranty claims would be denied because of a replacement air intake and almost all downpipe upgrades will likely be reasons to deny claims.

[BrentCOS]

[QUOTE=rdougherty85;30701586]Uhhhh, you listed pretty much the only things. You CAN upgrade those, but you're CHOOSING not to. I understand your reasoning though.

More/cooler air into the engine via the turbo and the faster exhaust can exit the system are key upgrades to better performance. Thus intake/drop-in filters and any freer flowing exhaust upgrades are what most people upgrade first.

Replacement intake systems I see the most on the X3/4Ms are RK Tunes and BMS. There also drop-in filters you can purchase that many opt for due to warranty concerns and the RK Tunes silicone tubing isn't exactly "pretty" under the hood.

The exhaust gets a little complicated with ours because of the secondary cats/resonators in the midpipe. Downpipes alone help a bit, but there's still a lot of restriction to exhaust in the mid-pipe. Mid-pipes alone help a bit, but there's still restriction to the exhaust in the downpipes. Best is a combination of freer flowing DPs and an aftermarket mid-pipe. You'll also see some improvement from replacing the axleback part of the exhaust, but many opt to keep the stock main muffler. This is because it's not super restrictive and it is relatively expensive to upgrade that.

There's a lot of information on the forums, do some research/Googling and decide what you want to do.

If you're terribly concerned about the warranty, you may want to just wait for it to expire. The least likely upgrades to flag any warranty concerns would be drop-in air filters and a mid-pipe. Some warranty claims would be denied because of a replacement air intake and almost all downpipe [...]

Thank you, that was very helpful. I have done quite a bit of research and watched dyno and exhaust vids. I'm planning on getting a mid-pipe purely for the noise. I don't expect much power gain. I'll look into the filters and even the intakes. One intake MFG claims 50WHP for their intake but that's a total lie as proven by Dyno numbers.

I'm familiar with the two intakes you've mentioned. The wife won't like the constant noise from the RKtunes intake so that's a no-go. I'll do more research and check with you guys once I find some options. 👍👍

[Must_Go_FASTER]

[QUOTE=BrentCOS;30701604]

Originally Posted by rdougherty85

Uhhhh, you listed pretty much the only things. You CAN upgrade those, but you're CHOOSING not to. I understand your reasoning though.

More/cooler air into the engine via the turbo and the faster exhaust can exit the system are key upgrades to better performance. Thus intake/drop-in filters and any freer flowing exhaust upgrades are what most people upgrade first.

Replacement intake systems I see the most on the X3/4Ms are RK Tunes and BMS. There also drop-in filters you can purchase that many opt for due to warranty concerns and the RK Tunes silicone tubing isn't exactly "pretty" under the hood.

The exhaust gets a little complicated with ours because of the secondary cats/resonators in the midpipe. Downpipes alone help a bit, but there's still a lot of restriction to exhaust in the mid-pipe. Mid-pipes alone help a bit, but there's still restriction to the exhaust in the downpipes. Best is a combination of freer flowing DPs and an aftermarket mid-pipe. You'll also see some improvement from replacing the axleback part of the exhaust, but many opt to keep the stock main muffler. This is because it's not super restrictive and it is relatively expensive to upgrade that.

There's a lot of information on the forums, do some research/Googling and decide what you want to do.

If you're terribly concerned about the warranty, you may want to just wait for it to expire. The least likely upgrades to flag any warranty concerns would be drop-in air filters and a mid-pipe. Some warranty claims would be denied because of a replacement air intake and almost all downpipe [...]

Thank you, that was very helpful. I have done quite a bit of research and watched dyno and exhaust vids. I'm planning on getting a mid-pipe purely for the noise. I don't expect much power gain. I'll look into the filters and even the intakes. One intake MFG claims 50WHP for their intake but that's a total lie as proven by Dyno numbers.

I'm familiar with the two intakes you've mentioned. The wife won't like the constant noise from the RKtunes intake so that's a no-go. I'll do more research and check with you guys once I find some options. 👍👍

I'm a fan of the sound from the RK Tunes intakes and have theirs installed. The noise isn't that noticeable from the interior, unless you're revving and letting off the pedal. Then there's a relatively noticable whirring of the turbos. Can't hear that much if you have music on tho.

I'd bet you're referencing the BMS intakes claim of 50whp. That claim is WITH their JB4 piggyback installed. So JB4 w/stock airbox vs JB4 w/BMS intake. Gains alone from the intake alone aren't going to be anywhere near that, but with supporting mods like the JB4, they're going to be much better. Some upgrades like intakes/intake manifolds aren't terribly impressive by themselves, but when tuned, the gains from those components improve correspondingly. True gains from aftermarket parts aren't realized with the stock tuning running the show.

[BrentCOS]

Originally Posted by Must_Go_FASTER

I'm a fan of the sound from the RK Tunes intakes and have theirs installed. The noise isn't that noticeable from the interior, unless you're revving and letting off the pedal. Then there's a relatively noticable whirring of the turbos. Can't hear that much if you have music on tho.

I'd bet you're referencing the BMS intakes claim of 50whp. That claim is WITH their JB4 piggyback installed. So JB4 w/stock airbox vs JB4 w/BMS intake. Gains alone from the intake alone aren't going to be anywhere near that, but with supporting mods like the JB4, they're going to be much better. Some upgrades like intakes/intake manifolds aren't terribly impressive by themselves, but when tuned, the gains from those components improve correspondingly. True gains from aftermarket parts aren't realized with the stock tuning running the show.

I completely agree..a stock "tune" mutes most power adders. So mid-pipe and possibly intake and then a tune once the warranty expires.

Is the warranty really that important? I have 21,000 miles on mine and I'm wondering if it's worth adding the Race Chip piggyback and voiding the warranty.

[Brandt51]

What about a tune and turbos? 🤣😅😂

Jk

On our X5M I did a custom tune and down pipes. Then the ECUs got locked up. And the warranty was voided because of the tune. Hahsh. Fml. It’s ok now, but as far as warranty concerns go without, a lot of that may have to do with your service advisor. But, if you don’t know that dude, prob best mods are the kind you don’t see? Piggyback stuff maybe. Would the exhaust stick out? I don’t think that would affect warranty, but it might be a conversation about it.

Car is fast as it sits…but it can be faster!

Oh, those downpipes are obvious af on the X5M. The exhaust is all stock except for that and you can really hear the turbos and stuff. It sounds like diesel spooling up. It’s cool. But, not exactly subtle. I may be wrong, but I’m assuming down pipe things will sound cool as hell on the S68.

[AZM40i]

Originally Posted by BrentCOS

Since I'm under warranty I cannot tune, piggyback, mess with turbos or the cats.

What are the best HP upgrades I can do? Mid-pipe/exhaust and intake don't produce much power. They're mainly for noise. I can't think of much else.

I could do a downpipe but that doesn't seem to do much without a tune.

Thoughts?

Racechip piggyback does not get picked up at the dealer when you have the service plug installed. I leave my harness in, install service plug and take it in. I've got a buddy that's a tech. He says the computer doesn't flag it at all. I haven't had any issues getting warranty repairs while the harness is in. I'm sure if they thought the issue was because of the piggyback they would say something. But that's what the racechip engine warranty is for.

[BrentCOS]

Originally Posted by AZM40i

Racechip piggyback does not get picked up at the dealer when you have the service plug installed. I leave my harness in, install service plug and take it in. I've got a buddy that's a tech. He says the computer doesn't flag it at all. I haven't had any issues getting warranty repairs while the harness is in. I'm sure if they thought the issue was because of the piggyback they would say something. But that's what the racechip engine warranty is for.

That's great to hear! Is the install of the Race Chip a very simple DIY or does a shop do that?

[AZM40i]

Originally Posted by BrentCOS

That's great to hear! Is the install of the Race Chip a very simple DIY or does a shop do that?

Really simple. Did it myself. Toughest part was finding a way to route the cables so that the engine cover stayed snapped down on all four pins. The unit jumps in-between the cam shaft, manifold and turbo sensors. Three plugs, route the cables nicely and mount the unit somewhere. I have mine on one of the crossbars. Currently on my m40i. I'm going to have it switched to X3MC very soon. I'm in the middle of my lease swap deal now. You get one free car switch, within the first three years, when you get the gts black chip.

[Must_Go_FASTER]

Originally Posted by BrentCOS

That's great to hear! Is the install of the Race Chip a very simple DIY or does a shop do that?

Originally Posted by AZM40i

Really simple. Did it myself. Toughest part was finding a way to route the cables so that the engine cover stayed snapped down on all four pins. The unit jumps in-between the cam shaft, manifold and turbo sensors. Three plugs, route the cables nicely and mount the unit somewhere. I have mine on one of the crossbars. Currently on my m40i. I'm going to have it switched to X3MC very soon. I'm in the middle of my lease swap deal now. You get one free car switch, within the first three years, when you get the gts black chip.

Couple things here. The computer won't detect the Racechip being installed, however, a tech might recognize the extra wiring and ask questions. Additionally, let's say something semi-catastrophic happens and there's an expensive warranty claim. The computer still logs data and when they review that, they could identify strange power reading and figure out that you modified the performance.

I had a JB4 installed on my M40i and it was difficult to tell it was there and they never detected the wiring. The Racechip wiring is a little more obvious in places, especially if you're not running an engine cover. The plastic sheathing for the wires isn't the same as stock, whereas the JB4 uses stuff that looks stock.

Last thing, the Racechip installation on the B58 is pretty easy. The S58 is..... hmmmm, simple in theory, not necessarily in practice. The turbo pressure sensor is located about 3/4 of the way down the engine and must be accessed from the bottom/wheel area. With about enough room to get a hand in there, but not enough to fully open your hand. It's very tight. I am relatively handy working on cars and it took the better part of 3 hours to get that sensor off. And I partially broke one of the clips.

If I had to do it again, I would pay someone a couple hundred to do the Racechip installation. It was a pain in the ass.

For what it's worth, I'd go JB4 over Racechip. Lots more customization and reading in the app. Although both use that turbo pressure sensor that's difficult to swap out.

[BrentCOS]

[QUOTE="Must_Go_FASTER;30702087"]Couple things here. The computer won't detect the Racechip being installed, however, a tech might recognize the extra wiring and ask questions. Additionally, let's say something semi-carastrophic happens and there's an expensive warranty claim. The computer still logs data and when they review that, they could identify strange power reading and figure out that you modified the performance.

I had a JB4 installed on my M40i and it was difficult to tell it was there and they never detected the wiring. The Racechip wiring is a little more obvious in places, especially if you're not running an engine cover. The plastic sheathing for the wires isn't the same as stock, whereas the JB4 uses stuff that looks stock.

Last thing, the Racechip installation on the S58 is..... hmmmm, simple in theory, not necessarily in practice. The turbo pressure sensor is located about 3/4 of the way down the engine and must be accessed from the bottom/wheel area. With about enough room to get a hand in there, but not enough to fully open your hand. It's very tight. I am relatively handy working on cars and it took the better part of 3 hours to get that sensor off. And I partially broke one of the clips.

If I had to do it again, I would pay someone a couple hundred to do the Racechip installation. It was a pain in the ass.

For what it's worth, I'd go JB4 over Racechip. Lots more customization and reading in the app. Although both use that turbo pressure sensor that's difficult to swap out.

I'm looking into the JB4 right now. And if you're handy with cars and it took you 3 hours to install the Race Chip then I would definitely pay someone as I'm no good with cars and tools. 😤

[Addbuyer]

Try a pedal box / pedal commander, no extra power but with 10% quicker acceleration it will feel like it’s got more power

[BrentCOS]

Originally Posted by Addbuyer

Try a pedal box / pedal commander, no extra power but with 10% quicker acceleration it will feel like it’s got more power

Heh, I'm actually selling the one I had on my truck that I traded in. 😎 But interesting idea for the M. 👍

[Addbuyer]

Originally Posted by BrentCOS

Heh, I'm actually selling the one I had on my truck that I traded in. 😎 But interesting idea for the M. 👍

Purchased mine for the X3 M40d and OMG the difference it made . I checked with DTE if it would fit the competition and yes. Even though it’s an easy 10 minute install job I thought it won’t make the same improvement so left installing it for a couple months. It’s on now and man was I WRONG, it’s just as good, In comfort mode it’s like driving in sports+. It still catches me at times, I should really dial it down a bit, it’s so easy either by the module on the dash or the phone APP

https://www.pedalbox.com/en/product/all-new-pedalbox

[danniexi]

Originally Posted by BrentCOS

Since I'm under warranty I cannot tune, piggyback, mess with turbos or the cats.

What are the best HP upgrades I can do?

nothing will give you more power. that being said...

upgrading the tires/suspension/brakes will make the car go faster.

[BrentCOS]

Originally Posted by danniexi

nothing will give you more power. that being said...

upgrading the tires/suspension/brakes will make the car go faster.

I appreciate your thoughts. I'm now noodling on a JB4 piggyback since it can be removed and still be stealthy compared to the Race Chip. 👍

[pyo]

Fwiw, if you buy the Racechip new from an authorized seller you can register for their warranty (2 yr/48k miles, up to $10k w/ $250 deductible) within 2 weeks of delivery. Better than nothing, considering I got the 7 yr extended warranty

But be warned...Once you install any piggyback, you'll start itching for a proper flash tune...

[BrentCOS]

Originally Posted by pyo

Fwiw, if you buy the Racechip new from an authorized seller you can register for their warranty (2 yr/48k miles, up to $10k w/ $250 deductible) within 2 weeks of delivery. Better than nothing, considering I got the 7 yr extended warranty

But be warned...Once you install any piggyback, you'll start itching for a proper flash tune...

You make a good point re: warranty on the Race Chip. 2021 and newer years cannot get an ECU tune without a huge hassle and equally huge expense. 🥹