The smile is back thanks to Dinan

[xjet04]

Do you remember the first time you drove the 135? Do you remember that big shit-eating grin you had?

I hadn't realized my smile had faded since I picked up my 135 in April, but it is now back again. Thanks to the guys that took the time to vote in the thread I started a week or so ago about new exhaust vs. dinan software.

I got the Dinan stage 2 yesterday and that grin is back. The car has gone from beast to monster. Keeping the rear wheels hooked up with the pavement is now quite a challenge.

I had my flash done at my dealer, BMW of Houston North. They gave me a 5% discount with my BMW CCA number and didn't charge any labor. That put me out the door at around $2050. They just got their laptop less than two weeks ago, so my car was only the 3rd one they have done in-house. It took exactly one hour from the time I pulled in to the time I pulled out (with a newfound love for my 1er).

It's love all over again.

[Judge]

Awesome, but of course you'll lose the thrill again eventually. No matter what you drive you can only be enthusiastic about something for so long until it becomes mundane.

[RaceTime]

Nicely done! I fully agree! The tune is really good.

So, what is next for you?

Front sway bar and camber plates I would say are the best performance bang for the buck...

[TunedM2C]

Cool. Next purchase is an exhaust!

[xjet04]

Originally Posted by Judge

Awesome, but of course you'll lose the thrill again eventually. No matter what you drive you can only be enthusiastic about something for so long until it becomes mundane.

Too true. All I can do is enjoy it while it lasts. At least I'll get a few extra moments of joy.

Originally Posted by RaceTime

Nicely done! I fully agree! The tune is really good.

So, what is next for you?

Front sway bar and camber plates I would say are the best performance bang for the buck...

I'm not sure where suspension mods fit into my grand scheme. I don't ever track my car. But the body roll is quite prevalent at times so a sway bar at the very least is definitely on the list.

[xjet04]

Originally Posted by Tuned1

Cool. Next purchase is an exhaust!

I must admit that is the way I'm leaning now. So many mods, such little money.

I'll jack my own thread for a second. Did I read somewhere that you switched from the HP to the GT?

[TunedM2C]

Originally Posted by xjet04

I must admit that is the way I'm leaning now. So many mods, such little money.

I'll jack my own thread for a second. Did I read somewhere that you switched from the HP to the GT?

Had HP and then GT came out so I naturally had to upgrade.
Sound difference is a bit louder than the HP version but not by much.
You're safe either way.

[shodanusmc]

How much did you gaine with the Dinan in the 0-60 and 1/4 Mile times? Any ideas?

[xjet04]

Originally Posted by Tuned1

Had HP and then GT came out so I naturally had to upgrade.
Sound difference is a bit louder than the HP version but not by much.
You're safe either way.

In your opinion, is the volume the only difference or is there a change in the tone too?

Originally Posted by shodanusmc

How much did you gaine with the Dinan in the 0-60 and 1/4 Mile times? Any ideas?

I have only had the Dinan for less than 24 hours, plus I have never done any 1/4 mile runs. Obviously there will be some improvement. I can tell you that there is a very noticeable gain in acceleration.

I could be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere on here that they were running high 12s. Try searching "Dinan" on here and you will probably find that post on the first page of results.

[TunedM2C]

^ Both. It flows slightly better too according to the manufacturer.

[ILMOSTRO]

good for you bro. i've got a Dinan Stage II as well and it's great! feels good knowing they back there products too.

take it easy.

[MFIZZLENYC]

Congrats on the software.... I have had my car for 2 weeks.... 1200 miles so far and I cant wait to have the software.... but first I need a baseline dyno run (dynodynamics) keep us updated on the mod!

[rodi]

hasn't faded for me yet. i still find i have to take it easy! at least until i get my non-RFTs next week.

16,000 miles after Dinan, and I still get chills.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by rodi

hasn't faded for me yet. i still find i have to take it easy! at least until i get my non-RFTs next week.

16,000 miles after Dinan, and I still get chills.

Yup. I had my Dinan stage 2 installed when I had about 500 miles on the car and about 10,000 miles later it still feels fast. The worst is when BMW needs to overwrite your software for some reason (happened to me 2x) and you need to drive around without the tune for a bit. Car feels so sluggish.

[plasar]

You made the right choice mate. I'm about 1 month into my Dinan Stage 2 and concur completely - instant monster.

Like Radiantm3 mentioned in another post, I too have some M3 envy. So I went out last week to drive a couple - a 6-speed sedan and a DCT convertible. And about 2 months ago, I drove a DCT convertible in the MPower tour. I really flogged that one.

Compared to the 135i with DS2 - they all felt like they were asleep. I loved the sound of the V8, and yes, I took them repeatedly to the redline, but none had the push and punch of the 135i with DS2.

And it's not rocket science. When you up the max boost from 8 PSI to 13 PSI, of course it's going to make a difference.

Congrats Xjet04 and keep smokin' those tires!

[xjet04]

Thanks guys. It is nice to hear so many positive comments from others that have this tune that are still very happy with it even after having it for a while. There are faster and cheaper ways to make even higher gains than the Dinan, but the peace of mind and the grin I have are priceless.

I think maybe I'll go for a drive now.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by xjet04

Thanks guys. It is nice to hear so many positive comments from others that have this tune that are still very happy with it even after having it for a while. There are faster and cheaper ways to make even higher gains than the Dinan, but the peace of mind and the grin I have are priceless.

I think maybe I'll go for a drive now.

Yea peace of mind with Dinan is nice. Even my local dealership is pretty good about it. My car was in service the last few days to get my iDrive fixed and my SA gave me a call asking if I had Dinan software. I told him I did and he just wanted to inform me that it would be erased after they updated the iDrive software and that I would have to go back to Dinan to get it back.

[MrBimmer]

I never read about people getting dinan stage 3

Why didn't you get the dinan stage 3 tune instead?

[Ruffan]

Originally Posted by MrBimmer

I never read about people getting dinan stage 3

Why didn't you get the dinan stage 3 tune instead?

The stage III is a much bigger investment, because in order to get that software installed you also have to install the Dinan intercooler and oil cooler. Basically the stage III software is just bumping performance by taking advantage of the increased cooling capacity these two items allow for. Otherwise overheating would be an issue.

I'd love to hear from someone who has the stage III installed and can comment on the changes from stage II.

[xjet04]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

Yea peace of mind with Dinan is nice. Even my local dealership is pretty good about it. My car was in service the last few days to get my iDrive fixed and my SA gave me a call asking if I had Dinan software. I told him I did and he just wanted to inform me that it would be erased after they updated the iDrive software and that I would have to go back to Dinan to get it back.

Being that my Dinan dealer and my BMW dealer are one in the same, hopefully I will be able to avoid that extra added hassle.

Originally Posted by MrBimmer

I never read about people getting dinan stage 3

Why didn't you get the dinan stage 3 tune instead?

For me it was a simple cost/benefit thing. The difference is gains from stage 1 to stage 2 seem very worth the extra $500. I wonder why anyone even goes for the stage one, but i guess we all have our reasons because they do sell stage 1s. The difference in gains from stage 2 to stage 3 was not worth the extra money.

I will not pretent for a minute that I am an expert in anything automotive and do not have huge background in fast cars, but I do like them. And I can very easily say this is the fastest car I have ever been in - hands down, no contest. And I'm loving every mile of it.

[xjet04]

That's good thinking. If I had a second car (which I don't) I don't know how I could ever convince myself to hop into the POS when that 135 sitting next to it is just begging to be driven.