• Poll of the month - How do you feel about BMW anti-tuning?

                    
      		   
      Published on 09-13-2010 07:24 AM
      70 Comments Comments


      This is our question of the month for September 2010. BMW is increasingly taking measures to make it difficult to tune the cars. This goes against the very spirit of BimmerBoost and the BMW enthusiast. We don't want them to continue taking control away from us as well as hurting the aftermarket. We do understand the need for BMW to protect themselves from people who abuse leases, but what about the person who intends to buy and keep the car? Should they not have the option to buy with an unrestricted ECU foregoing partial aspects of the warranty?

      If BMW keeps this up, I may end up in a different car. Even Mercedes is rumored to be getting in on this with ECU's that won't be tuneable. American manufacturers embrace enthusiasts, Ford is offering factory supercharger options for the Mustang GT. If a user wants to get really crazy with it, they can forego their warranty and get a max performance setup. Ford gives users the choice. Chevy even allows performance engine owners to build their motors themselves if they want to. BMW is making changes that are best for their bottom line but spit in the face of their most loyal, dedicated fans. The best BMW has done for us is offer some Motorsport parts but those hardly consist of superchargers or turbos. How do you feel about it?
      This article was originally published in forum thread: Poll of the month - How do you feel about BMW anti-tuning? started by Sticky View original post
      Comments 70 Comments
      1. M3_WC's Avatar
        M3_WC - 09-14-2010, 01:58 AM
        The problem is all the leased BMW's.

        You would be surprised how many of the heavily modified BMW's on forums are leased. Then put back to stock and return them.

        BMW's attempt to make cars available to people who normally couldn't afford to actually buy them outright, has put them in this position. People just beat the hell out of their leased cars.
      1. Sticky's Avatar
        Sticky - 09-14-2010, 02:41 AM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by LostMarine Click here to enlarge
        of course once YOU pay for it, YOU should be able to do with it what you please. But the flagrant use of warranty claims/fraud has put them in a corner. Not everyone has such high morals when it comes to expensive $$ for repairs.
        It is as simple as you should have the option to unlock the ecu on purchased cars and forego the warranty if you choose to. People would no longer try to scam the dealer as you both know exactly where you stand. It may even create a closer relationship and actually have people bringing their cars to dealers for work for something other than routine maintenance.
      1. Sticky's Avatar
        Sticky - 09-14-2010, 02:42 AM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by M3_WC Click here to enlarge
        The problem is all the leased BMW's.
        No kidding, just look at what that guy Warren-Hotrod did with his lease, and considering what he does for a living, I can't believe the example he set. Ruins things for those of us who actually bought our cars.
      1. greatest335i's Avatar
        greatest335i - 09-14-2010, 02:47 AM
        maybe it will stop if they only lease the 328 and 128 out so they cant be abused cuz they are too slow lol
      1. Sticky's Avatar
        Sticky - 09-14-2010, 02:48 AM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by greatest335i Click here to enlarge
        maybe it will stop if they only lease the 328 and 128 out so they cant be abused cuz they are too slow lol
        Heh, well that is not an option.

        Why can't they simply specify between leases and purchases? You aren't even supposed to a mod a lease, give those people the encrypted ECU's. You do this and it will increase sales anyway.

        I wonder if I can bring this up to whomever is in charge at BMWNA somehow?
      1. greatest335i's Avatar
        greatest335i - 09-14-2010, 02:51 AM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by Sticky Click here to enlarge
        Heh, well that is not an option.

        Why can't they simply specify between leases and purchases? You aren't even supposed to a mod a lease, give those people the encrypted ECU's. You do this and it will increase sales anyway.

        I wonder if I can bring this up to whomever is in charge at BMWNA somehow?
        bc they are lazy !
      1. Sticky's Avatar
        Sticky - 09-14-2010, 02:52 AM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by greatest335i Click here to enlarge
        bc they are lazy !
        I don't think that is it, I think they just are all about the bottom line now. It certainly takes more money and effort to devise all this anti-tuning bull$#@!.
      1. greatest335i's Avatar
        greatest335i - 09-14-2010, 02:53 AM
        booooo BMw you should change website ! JDMBOOST !
      1. Sticky's Avatar
        Sticky - 09-14-2010, 02:55 AM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by greatest335i Click here to enlarge
        booooo BMw you should change website ! JDMBOOST !
        I have faith in our tuners to get around BMW's nonsense. If BMW is going to pull this crap, then we have to fight back as best as we can. I'm not going to cry for them losing money in warranty claims, screw them if they want to screw us.
      1. greatest335i's Avatar
        greatest335i - 09-14-2010, 02:59 AM
        lol how you going to fight back?
        just dont mod your car ;p
      1. Sticky's Avatar
        Sticky - 09-14-2010, 03:00 AM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by greatest335i Click here to enlarge
        lol how you going to fight back?
        just dont mod your car ;p
        We fight back by doing it anyway and showing them they can't stop us.
      1. greatest335i's Avatar
        greatest335i - 09-14-2010, 03:05 AM
        isnt that wat we been doing for YEARS LOL !

        come up with some thing NEWS like.... get all the mods car...... and drive around your local dealership lol
      1. Sticky's Avatar
        Sticky - 09-14-2010, 03:11 AM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by greatest335i Click here to enlarge
        isnt that wat we been doing for YEARS LOL !
        Yes but they are trying to eliminate it. They are going to slow the process down more, and more, until it just makes more sense to buy American to tune and have fun.
      1. George Smooth's Avatar
        George Smooth - 09-14-2010, 08:20 AM
        I reckon its a whole big smoke screen. At this stage there has never been a ECU that hasn't been cracked. The BMW anti tune came out and it was a matter of weeks before it was figured out. The Audi S4 was considered impossible and now its being done very succesfully. The only thing that will change is that the cost of tuning is going to go up because each change the ECU manufacturers make requires new tools to flash them. Tuners will then have to keep up to date with these tools and the expense of this gets passed on to the consumer.
      1. GTR-Dad's Avatar
        GTR-Dad - 09-14-2010, 10:40 AM
        I think LostMarine hit the nail on the head.
        Every time someone beats the snot out of their car and then expects BMW to fix it, it motivates the manufacturer to find ways to avoid that unpleasant experience.
        If the BMW response is to blame even the stuff they SHOULD take responsiblity for on the tune, well, I guess that's just human nature. IMO that behaviour makes them no better than the guy in the first scenario.
        Bottom line - You need to pay to play. BMW can lock things up as tight as they want as far as I'm concerned providing they give me a key to unlock everything. If/when I choose to use the key and tune I will not expect warranty for anything. (Saves a lot of bickering about who's fault it is that ____ broke.) If you don't want to risk paying for a new HPFP (for example) then you'd have two choices. Don't tune or buy something else.
        Dan
      1. Sticky's Avatar
        Sticky - 09-14-2010, 03:11 PM
        Click here to enlarge Originally Posted by GTR-Dad Click here to enlarge
        BMW can lock things up as tight as they want as far as I'm concerned providing they give me a key to unlock everything. If/when I choose to use the key and tune I will not expect warranty for anything.
        This is exactly correct, seems we all have a clear understanding. The question is, why doesn't BMW?
      1. alpinedevil335's Avatar
        alpinedevil335 - 09-14-2010, 10:14 PM
        Not cool but tuners always find a way. Wasnt it said that the N54 would be untunable? I think the same was said about the n55. So why worry? Its only a matter of time before some one finds a way around anti-tuning.
      1. LuckyEff's Avatar
        LuckyEff - 09-15-2010, 11:46 PM
        Who said Panamera isnt tuneable? Switzer is performing upgrades on the car. Big power upgrades.

        BMW is doing what everyone is doing. Nothing wrong in that.
      1. BASELINE's Avatar
        BASELINE - 09-18-2010, 09:27 PM
        2010 S4s are being tuned as we speak....and to great success, i might add. I'm not really buying the longevity of this "Untunable ECU" argument....sorry.
      1. BASELINE's Avatar
        BASELINE - 09-18-2010, 09:33 PM
        Oh....and Sportec has already been tuning the Panamera Turbo as well...and they aren't the only ones. ;-)
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