BMW 1-Series Forum (F20) 135i - 1Addicts.com > Second Generation 1 Series Forum > 2012 BMW 1-Series Sporthatch (F20) Discussion > ECU Cracked, let the FUN begin!
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      01-08-2015, 06:33 AM   #1
dizx
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ECU Cracked, let the FUN begin!

Now that BR and others are providing a total ECU remap, it gives new possibilities for owners of 114i, 116i and 118i, which is basically the same car - and the same engine.

All cars can be tuned to ~220hp, which is a whopping +118hp for the 114i!!

Personally I have tuned all my BMW's, and had some amazing results with remapping before.

This is my email communication with Bruno at BR regarding my F20 116i:

Me:
Hi!

I am currently running a Hartge tune, which is ok.

I am very much interested in this tune. Can you do remote installations? OBD? Or do I have to send my ECU to Belgium?

Bruno:
Hi Morten,

You need to send the ECU to us, we remap it here and send it back to you, the power increase is phenomenal, you’ll love it, way more power than the Hartge powerbox.

regards
Bruno

Me:
So what happens if the car is upgraded at BMW for a scheduled service. Will the tune be overwritten and back to default?

Bruno:
Yes the tune will be overwritten if they update the engine management system, i advise you ask the dealer not to update the ecu.

Me:
Ok. One final question. Here in Thailand they sell de-tuned 328i for tax reasons. Would a tune like this unlock the full potential for de-tuned car as well? Wouldn't make a difference, right?

Bruno:
Yes off course the remap will get rid of the de-tune limitation.


I can't wait!
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Last edited by dizx; 01-09-2015 at 02:33 AM..
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      01-08-2015, 04:57 PM   #2
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Well ... I am from Brazil and my fear is that the shipping company will eventually lose the ECU. I'll be waiting on a report of someone who has done the installation.
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      01-08-2015, 08:58 PM   #3
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I agree. Unless you're close by BR, this is hardly a convenient tuning solution. I reckon it would involve having my car off the road for 2-3 weeks to get the tune, and then every time BMW overwrite the ECU! I imagnine many people are in the same position.
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      01-08-2015, 10:06 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ttimbo View Post
I agree. Unless you're close by BR, this is hardly a convenient tuning solution. I reckon it would involve having my car off the road for 2-3 weeks to get the tune, and then every time BMW overwrite the ECU! I imagnine many people are in the same position.
Many other tuners will have access to the technology that BR developed. There is just a matter of time.. And you can just tell BMW not to overwrite your ECU
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      01-09-2015, 12:56 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dizx View Post
Many other tuners will have access to the technology that BR developed. There is just a matter of time.. And you can just tell BMW not to overwrite your ECU
But when the dealers have something to update in your car software, no matter what part of the car it is, they will upgrade all modules to the latest revision. I am not sure they would even know how to skip one module. They do this because software is integration tested at a common revision, and could have bugs if you mix versions.

The best solution would be if the car owner could overwrite the maps through OBD2 or something. It used to be possible on older BMWs.
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      01-09-2015, 02:09 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
But when the dealers have something to update in your car software, no matter what part of the car it is, they will upgrade all modules to the latest revision. I am not sure they would even know how to skip one module. They do this because software is integration tested at a common revision, and could have bugs if you mix versions.

The best solution would be if the car owner could overwrite the maps through OBD2 or something. It used to be possible on older BMWs.
This is correct. But most of the times, BMW will not update your software unless you particularly ask for it, or have a certain problem.

I guess we will see OBD-devices in the future, like the Bluefin from Superchips, which I loved on the E-series. But so far I still believe they have to bring in your ECU for unlocking first.
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      01-09-2015, 02:45 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dizx View Post
This is correct. But most of the times, BMW will not update your software unless you particularly ask for it, or have a certain problem.
Our F20 was called in for a software update, along with some minor mechanical updates. I think it was some corrosion protection and and a drain plug that was removed. It is also quite common to upgrade to the latest software when the car is in for a service. Since I have a 5 year service deal on this car, I have pretty much outsourced the maintenance of the car to BMW, and I am not in control of what they are doing to it.

I only do the brakes myself.
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      01-09-2015, 02:52 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
Our F20 was called in for a software update, along with some minor mechanical updates. I think it was some corrosion protection and and a drain plug that was removed. It is also quite common to upgrade to the latest software when the car is in for a service. Since I have a 5 year service deal on this car, I have pretty much outsourced the maintenance of the car to BMW, and I am not in control of what they are doing to it.

I only do the brakes myself.
Its not common to update the software, as this takes several hours, for some strange reason. This is first hand info from my brother, who works as a service engineer in a BMW dealer in Norway.

I also have a 5 years BSI package. Warranty and Service is included! But my dealer don't mind that I tune the car
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      01-09-2015, 02:53 AM   #9
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First, do you really think BMW wants to see its ECUs broken into, and reprogrammed? Why do they, along with all mfrs, put in place very strong ECU locks to prevent this? Leaving aside whether a BMW dealer will actually take any notice of a request not to update, the reality in many cases, owners will actually want the update.

Don't get me wrong, I want to be able to install a tune. We all know the factory tunes are conservative. But it must be simple to do initially, and to reapply after a software update. That pretty much means either via the OBD, or through a simple piggyback that covers all tuning parameters, eg, fueling as well as boost.

I'm not optimism I'll see this during my ownership of the M135i. The security is getting harder and harder to crack, and it's starting to take longer than my ownership lifecycle. Just sayin'
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      01-09-2015, 05:02 AM   #10
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Multiple tuners in Belgium are claiming to have cracked the F-series chip now.
So it's only a matter of time until it reaches other parts of the globe
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      01-10-2015, 04:47 AM   #11
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It is several reason why Bosch (not BMW) has encrypted their ECU's. One is to follow rules and regulations for emissions. Another is to make sure cars are not tampered with for safety. Third a lot of countries have taxes related to performance. So I am quite sure government policies has forced the industries to implement this.

There is an interesting thread about this over at the M3-forum: http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1065967
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      01-10-2015, 07:41 AM   #12
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I'm not sure how OBD Tuning is in practice, have you guys tried this before and would you advise it?

Also, pushing the engine to the limit, by giving it 224 HP, sounds like a dream but isn't that more then it, let's say, 'should' take?
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      01-10-2015, 08:49 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oeron View Post
I'm not sure how OBD Tuning is in practice, have you guys tried this before and would you advise it?

Also, pushing the engine to the limit, by giving it 224 HP, sounds like a dream but isn't that more then it, let's say, 'should' take?
OBD tuning is to map the engine management directly, and it is the best way to tune the engine. The piggyback boxes are just manipulating signals, trying to fool the engine management. That will never work as well as manipulating the internal maps.

I am pretty sure the engine can cope with 224 hp in a short burst, but it could cause problems with overheating if you use the extra power over time (track driving or high speed Autobahn).
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      01-10-2015, 10:46 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
it could cause problems with overheating
By the way, 118i appears to feature an additional oil cooler 116i and 114i seem to lack:

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F21/Europe/118i-N13

http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F20/Europe/116i-N13
http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/F20/Europe/114i-N13.

It does not look very convincing, somehow.

A remap and a spare engine to everyone! Power to the people!
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      01-10-2015, 10:48 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam
Quote:
Originally Posted by oeron View Post
I'm not sure how OBD Tuning is in practice, have you guys tried this before and would you advise it?

Also, pushing the engine to the limit, by giving it 224 HP, sounds like a dream but isn't that more then it, let's say, 'should' take?
OBD tuning is to map the engine management directly, and it is the best way to tune the engine. The piggyback boxes are just manipulating signals, trying to fool the engine management. That will never work as well as manipulating the internal maps.

I am pretty sure the engine can cope with 224 hp in a short burst, but it could cause problems with overheating if you use the extra power over time (track driving or high speed Autobahn).
Thanks for your answer ovekvam. I haven't done anything yet, I'm about to fit a cold air intake. Do you think it could help to cool down more effectively?

Fact is; i want to keep my Car as long as i can, like, for more then 6-7 years. I'm afraid this whole thing could harm the engine when i push it to the limit. Is it possible to adjust to power?
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      01-10-2015, 11:26 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by No one View Post
By the way, 118i appears to feature an additional oil cooler 116i and 114i seem to lack:
What is that thing mixing? Could it be coolant and oil?
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      01-10-2015, 11:34 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oeron View Post
Thanks for your answer ovekvam. I haven't done anything yet, I'm about to fit a cold air intake. Do you think it could help to cool down more effectively?
A cold air intake is not cooling the engine, only the air going into it. It will perhaps maintain the power better when the engine compartment gets too warm.

Quote:
Originally Posted by oeron View Post
Fact is; i want to keep my Car as long as i can, like, for more then 6-7 years. I'm afraid this whole thing could harm the engine when i push it to the limit. Is it possible to adjust to power?
Seems like one guy here on the forum has different power for the different drive modes. Full power in Sport mode, medium power in Comfort mode, and close to stock power in Eco Pro.

And you do of course have the throttle pedal to adjust the power yourself. I did some testing some years ago to measure the power graph at part throttle. I did this by partly blocking the pedal travel with a plastic cube!

I would recommend keeping an eye at the oil temperature when driving hard with a tuned engine. It is accessible by the OBD2-plug to your mobile phone. You can also find it in a hidden menu on the dashboard.
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      01-10-2015, 01:07 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
What is that thing mixing? Could it be coolant and oil?
It cools the unfiltered oil with the coolant. (Of course, it does not mix them, it provides heat extraction.)
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      01-10-2015, 01:14 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by No one View Post
It cools the unfiltered oil with the coolant. (Of course, it does not mix them, it provides heat extraction.)
Good point!
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      01-10-2015, 05:14 PM   #20
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Smile Engine cooling tips

Quote:
Originally Posted by oeron View Post
I'm about to fit a cold air intake. Do you think it could help to cool down more effectively?
It should emit the heat it takes off the air. (So should the engine with the extra output provided by this thing.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
I would recommend keeping an eye at the oil temperature when driving hard with a tuned engine.
Switching off the cabin air conditioning (which emits the heat extracted) and turning the cabin air heater to the maximum (to consume the engine coolant heat) helps to decrease the oil boiling probability.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ovekvam View Post
And you do of course have the throttle pedal to adjust the power yourself.
If the pedal is fully down, drive against the wind!
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      01-11-2015, 07:15 AM   #21
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Thanks for the lesson what the right foot possibly could do, I almost forgot that but will keep it in mind.

No One and ovekvam, have you guys done this OBD tuning on your cars?
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      01-11-2015, 07:48 AM   #22
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Quote:
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No One and ovekvam, have you guys done this OBD tuning on your cars?
No, I think the performance is sufficient in the 116i as it is from the factory!
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