[Rubber Ducky]

Have been asked to post my report previously posted in Bimmerfest. Here it is...

Installed Dinan software in my '07 335i E93 Step, 13K miles. Installation info here (scroll): http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...=1#post2251346

Did not push the car on the drive back across the peninsula from Tampa ('Dinan firmware takes about 80 miles to adapt the ECU'). Then started checking it out.

The power available is simply stunning. Having driven a new M3 just two weeks ago, I find Dinan to easily be at that same level in a non-track situation. This is the poor man's M3!

Others have reported a 'softness' in the throttle with Dinan - 'needs an extra half-inch of throttle to go.' I instantly found the same thing, but would describe it not as a throttle issue but rather a shift of the power band upwards about 500 to 1000 RPM. The stock N54 spoils drivers in traffic, pulling well from around 1500. If you have a stick (or use paddles exclusively with Step, as I do), you get used to torquing your way forward from below 2000 without shifting. Dinan needs more RPM to be at same place in power curve, or so it feels. Not a problem at all - just a change.

At the fat part of the curve - 3K RPM to maybe 6K - whatever gear you're in will simply plant you against the backrest when you WOT floor it! Boom. Bomb. Lock it in 3rd in traffic and you can run up and down the power band effortlessly. Amazing power.

Launch is easy. And hard. The easy part (with Step) is just put it in auto, floor it, and hold it WOT. Others say launching from 1500 - 2000 RPM will give the best times and that seems right. The hard part is hooking up: if you have DSC/DTC on, the anti-spin circuits limit initial power and kill RPMs. If you have it off, welcome to the dragstrip and all the probs with wheelspin and tire smoke. And I suspect that hammering it when underway, no DTC, will break the rear-end loose if you're not careful - I leave DSC on all the time so don't deal with that.

Dinan also affects the engine sounds, in a good direction. Throaty and louder, close to an E46 ZHP in sound and a marvelous burble when coasting down in a higher gear. Really sings when you jump on it, at least with the top down. A tiny bit of drone at highway speed, but not at all intrusive.

Why Dinan rather than same-power/lower-cost piggyback solutions? Warranty is clearly one factor: real piece of mind to know that if something did go wrong, your install shop, Dinan, and BMW will collectively keep you whole. Another is simple confidence in Dinan and its long association with BMW. I know that other approaches give similar results (have driven Active Autowerke's E93, which is what put me on the quest for more power) and I have no advice for those who want the biggest bang period. But I am now an ardent Dinan fan.

No engine codes. No signs of other anomalies. Mileage seems to stay in same place if you drive normal traffic and highway - all bets are off if you hammer it a lot, because the added boost works with a lot of added fuel.

In all, Dinan is one of the least expensive paths to power one could imagine, all made possible by the N54 engine. As Chris Chapas says, "The DINAN flash is amazing in that car....hard to believe that BMW left so much HP and TQ on the table. It transforms the car. You'll love it." I do.

[ybbiz34]

Another satisfied customer. Thanks for the review.

[BMW335icDDS]

Awesome review! I am going to get this for my car soon too.. but currently it only has 1300 miles and I've had it for almost a yr. Maybe when it has more miles... I'll install it.

[Frosty]

BMW does not want to giv eyou all hte N4 has to offer up front... the model has some life still in it and there needed to be some distace from the M3 :-)

Dinan chip sounds awesome

~Frost

[tjnptel1]

Originally Posted by Rubber Ducky

Have been asked to post my report previously posted in Bimmerfest. Here it is...

Installed Dinan software in my '07 335i E93 Step, 13K miles. Installation info here (scroll): http://www.e90post.com/forums/showth...=1#post2251346

Did not push the car on the drive back across the peninsula from Tampa ('Dinan firmware takes about 80 miles to adapt the ECU'). Then started checking it out.

The power available is simply stunning. Having driven a new M3 just two weeks ago, I find Dinan to easily be at that same level in a non-track situation. This is the poor man's M3!

Others have reported a 'softness' in the throttle with Dinan - 'needs an extra half-inch of throttle to go.' I instantly found the same thing, but would describe it not as a throttle issue but rather a shift of the power band upwards about 500 to 1000 RPM. The stock N54 spoils drivers in traffic, pulling well from around 1500. If you have a stick (or use paddles exclusively with Step, as I do), you get used to torquing your way forward from below 2000 without shifting. Dinan needs more RPM to be at same place in power curve, or so it feels. Not a problem at all - just a change.

At the fat part of the curve - 3K RPM to maybe 6K - whatever gear you're in will simply plant you against the backrest when you WOT floor it! Boom. Bomb. Lock it in 3rd in traffic and you can run up and down the power band effortlessly. Amazing power.

Launch is easy. And hard. The easy part (with Step) is just put it in auto, floor it, and hold it WOT. Others say launching from 1500 - 2000 RPM will give the best times and that seems right. The hard part is hooking up: if you have DSC/DTC on, the anti-spin circuits limit initial power and kill RPMs. If you have it off, welcome to the dragstrip and all the probs with wheelspin and tire smoke. And I suspect that hammering it when underway, no DTC, will break the rear-end loose if you're not careful - I leave DSC on all the time so don't deal with that.

Dinan also affects the engine sounds, in a good direction. Throaty and louder, close to an E46 ZHP in sound and a marvelous burble when coasting down in a higher gear. Really sings when you jump on it, at least with the top down. A tiny bit of drone at highway speed, but not at all intrusive.

Why Dinan rather than same-power/lower-cost piggyback solutions? Warranty is clearly one factor: real piece of mind to know that if something did go wrong, your install shop, Dinan, and BMW will collectively keep you whole. Another is simple confidence in Dinan and its long association with BMW. I know that other approaches give similar results (have driven Active Autowerke's E93, which is what put me on the quest for more power) and I have no advice for those who want the biggest bang period. But I am now an ardent Dinan fan.

No engine codes. No signs of other anomalies. Mileage seems to stay in same place if you drive normal traffic and highway - all bets are off if you hammer it a lot, because the added boost works with a lot of added fuel.

In all, Dinan is one of the least expensive paths to power one could imagine, all made possible by the N54 engine. As Chris Chapas says, "The DINAN flash is amazing in that car....hard to believe that BMW left so much HP and TQ on the table. It transforms the car. You'll love it." I do.

Very nice review. where did you get the install done? At C3 design?

[Rubber Ducky]

Originally Posted by tjnptel1

Very nice review. where did you get the install done? At C3 design?

C2 Design Tampa

[tjnptel1]

Originally Posted by Rubber Ducky

C2 Design Tampa

i meant C2 design sorry.. yeah, that's awesome. Chris has a great head on those shoulders. Good man who knows what he is doing. I had the chance to see his shop when I was down there. My friend's E39 M5 is always at his shop getting one thing or another done. It's funny you made this post because i just shot him an e-mail asking him if he had time to do the dinan flash for me. Even though I live in virginia, i am willing to go down there and have him work on the car.

[Rubber Ducky]

Originally Posted by tjnptel1

i meant C2 design sorry.. yeah, that's awesome. Chris has a great head on those shoulders. Good man who knows what he is doing. I had the chance to see his shop when I was down there. My friend's E39 M5 is always at his shop getting one thing or another done. It's funny you made this post because i just shot him an e-mail asking him if he had time to do the dinan flash for me. Even though I live in virginia, i am willing to go down there and have him work on the car.

Worked me in on 2 hrs notice...

[stimpy]

What's the difference in gains people are getting between the Dinan and Procede?

[tjnptel1]

Originally Posted by Rubber Ducky

Worked me in on 2 hrs notice...

did you get the 10% sale?

[Rubber Ducky]

Originally Posted by tjnptel1

did you get the 10% sale?

The fine print (actually, the bold print) says not for 335i software. But C2 Design is not sure that's correct and I have the paperwork to submit, which I shall tomorrow. So TBD.

[jtmccabe]

Originally Posted by Rubber Ducky

Others have reported a 'softness' in the throttle with Dinan - 'needs an extra half-inch of throttle to go.' I instantly found the same thing, but would describe it not as a throttle issue but rather a shift of the power band upwards about 500 to 1000 RPM. The stock N54 spoils drivers in traffic, pulling well from around 1500. If you have a stick (or use paddles exclusively with Step, as I do), you get used to torquing your way forward from below 2000 without shifting. Dinan needs more RPM to be at same place in power curve, or so it feels. Not a problem at all - just a change.

I just got this tune myself and I also love it. It does seem to me that the first 50% or so of the gas pedal travel is much less sensitive, which makes it easier to drive smoothly when driving conservatively. But when you floor it at, say, 1500 rpm, there is at least as much torque there as there was without the flash. When tooling around town, you can still be lazy and not downshift much, just as with the stock car. On the other hand, if you do downshift before you floor it, watch your ass! There's a ton more power at the higher rpms.

I also wanted to clarify about the lack of jerkiness that some people have mentioned. I never found the stock car to be any more jerky than any other car with a manual. But now that I have the flash, if I give it some gas in 1st and then suddenly let off the gas (clutch still out), it doesn't jerk like before. It's less work now to drive smoothly in bumper-to-bumper traffic jams.

So far I'm really happy I went for it and I have no regrets. Oh, and one more thing -- if any of you guys are BMWCCA members, you might get 10% off. Both local dealers here give 10% discounts on Dinan software. No discounts for hardware though, so that oil cooler is still gonna cost you the full arm and the full leg.

[Bubbles]

thanks for the review.

[Wicked_SVT]

Good review. Enjoy your tune. The throttle response definatley gets better over time.

[Orb]

I’m still tiring to figure out the throttle response from most of you. I step into it a ¼” and it is moving with authority already but stock was like almost the slightest tap and car would move instantly. I think the only think difference is had the throttle peddle Hall Effect sensor calibrated with the SS upgrade. Anyway, it seems to be tunable so you have no dead travel in the peddle travel. This is not the same as the throttle plate position sensor.

Orb

[vase330]

I like the no travel in the pedal, but don't want the stock jump when I sneeze effect.

[Orb]

Originally Posted by vase330

I like the no travel in the pedal, but don't want the stock jump when I sneeze effect.

Agree, it is not like that as this doesn't affect the throttle response of the engine. It just sounds like that everyone has initial dead part of pedal and in my case I got none. The sensor is real simple and you can adjust the resolution fairly easily. I though I mentioned as I completely at the other end so no dead travel and probably the only person to have the throttle peddle calibrated.

Orb

[Wicked_SVT]

Originally Posted by Orb

I’m still tiring to figure out the throttle response from most of you. I step into it a ¼” and it is moving with authority already but stock was like almost the slightest tap and car would move instantly. I think the only think difference is had the throttle peddle Hall Effect sensor calibrated with the SS upgrade. Anyway, it seems to be tunable so you have no dead travel in the peddle travel. This is not the same as the throttle plate position sensor.

Orb

Excuse my ignorance but what is the SS upgrade?

[DrewKo]

Orb, would you mind starting a new thread on calibrating this sensor? I am wondering if all 335 owners may take an interest in what you are talking about. I for one would like to experiment in that area just to experience the results.

[Numb3rs]

Originally Posted by DrewKo

Orb, would you mind starting a new thread on calibrating this sensor? I am wondering if all 335 owners may take an interest in what you are talking about. I for one would like to experiment in that area just to experience the results.

+5

I am interested in knowing more.

[forza1976]

Originally Posted by jtmccabe

I just got this tune myself and I also love it. It does seem to me that the first 50% or so of the gas pedal travel is much less sensitive, which makes it easier to drive smoothly when driving conservatively. But when you floor it at, say, 1500 rpm, there is at least as much torque there as there was without the flash. When tooling around town, you can still be lazy and not downshift much, just as with the stock car. On the other hand, if you do downshift before you floor it, watch your ass! There's a ton more power at the higher rpms.

I also wanted to clarify about the lack of jerkiness that some people have mentioned. I never found the stock car to be any more jerky than any other car with a manual. But now that I have the flash, if I give it some gas in 1st and then suddenly let off the gas (clutch still out), it doesn't jerk like before. It's less work now to drive smoothly in bumper-to-bumper traffic jams.

So far I'm really happy I went for it and I have no regrets. Oh, and one more thing -- if any of you guys are BMWCCA members, you might get 10% off. Both local dealers here give 10% discounts on Dinan software. No discounts for hardware though, so that oil cooler is still gonna cost you the full arm and the full leg.

Congrats JT... I should have done this!

[zackday30]

With that chip installed, can you by chance hear the turbos spooling at all? I dont know why but I am a sucker for that wonderful sound!!!!