It has begun.....

TahoeM3 · #1 08-10-2011, 10:08 PM

I'm really looking forward to the results on this one.

I'm torn between the Dinan and ESS tunes. I like the flash loader thing from ESS, but the Dinan tune is supported by BMW. If they erase it they have to replace it. On the other hand, the Dinan tune is twice as expensive, so you have to wonder if it's worth the price.

I bet in the real world the results of both would be pretty close. Looking forward to some timed runs!

donho · #2 08-11-2011, 12:23 AM

I would not be so sure about Dinan being supported by BMW.
They are an authorized aftermarket provider. But when the shit hits the fan, who will be left holding the bill??? here is an example of some nonsense that happened. Granted it is not with Dinan. But it is similar to a so called supported aftermarket provider.

I owned two QX56s before ths truck. They both had similar bolt on goodies. Exhaust, TBS, CAI
They both ran great for what they were. I used to read Nissan Titan boards to get tips. Stillen was a Nissan approved provider. they came out with a supposedly heavily tested S/C direct bolt on for the 5.6 nissan v8
They claimed 1000s of miles of R&D. Infact alot of Nissan dealers will install Stillen parts and they claim to have the same sort of warranty as Dinan and BMW. i was ready to pull the trigger on the kit.
One guy on the board buys the kit through his Nissan Dealer. He had the Deaker do the full install. At full dealer labor rate. He picked up his truck and had a blast. Then shortly after, it went bye bye. He was pissed, but he had it all done through Nissan, so it should have been all covered. It was NOT. the Charger was damaged as well and I think Stillen made good on replacement parts. BUT NO deal on labor to remove and reinstall. plus Nissan would NOT warranty the engine!!!! this may not be the case with Dinan, but why take the chance??

From the site:
Dinan matches the new car warranty coverage for up to 4 years or 50,000 miles, including the possibility of consequential damages

What troubles me is "consequential damages"
this is NOT a factory BMW warranty. It is their own warranty that is the same length of time/mileage as the factory warranty.
and how about if you load the software and it destroys your engine after you hammer the truck for awhile. Who determines if it was "consequential damages" from the software???
It would be in their best interest to say it was caused by driver abuse and wash their hands of the situation.
I am not pointing fingers at any company as good or bad. I am just playing devil's advocate here. Anything could happen and nothing might happen. I might load this ESS tune tomorrow(yes, it arrived already!!!) and hammer it down the road and melt a piston or two. Hey shit happens. but if it does, I will not be at the mercy of the person who sold me a tune that ate my engine up. I will replace the stock config and have the dealer repair it.

I will say this, if you do get the Dinan tune, I would hope you get a few test passes in to see how it picked up. Just to see.

JCL · #3 08-11-2011, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donho

I would not be so sure about Dinan being supported by BMW.
They are an authorized aftermarket provider. But when the shit hits the fan, who will be left holding the bill??? .....

From the site:
Dinan matches the new car warranty coverage for up to 4 years or 50,000 miles, including the possibility of consequential damages

What troubles me is "consequential damages"
this is NOT a factory BMW warranty. It is their own warranty that is the same length of time/mileage as the factory warranty.
and how about if you load the software and it destroys your engine after you hammer the truck for awhile. Who determines if it was "consequential damages" from the software???
It would be in their best interest to say it was caused by driver abuse and wash their hands of the situation.
I am not pointing fingers at any company as good or bad. I am just playing devil's advocate here. Anything could happen and nothing might happen. I might load this ESS tune tomorrow(yes, it arrived already!!!) and hammer it down the road and melt a piston or two. Hey shit happens. but if it does, I will not be at the mercy of the person who sold me a tune that ate my engine up. I will replace the stock config and have the dealer repair it.

It isn't a BMW warranty, it is a backing (mirror) warranty.

The best way to mitigate the risk is to buy the Dinan upgrade from the same BMW dealer you buy the vehicle from. That dealer is responsible for fulfilling both warranties. You get OTTC (One throat to choke). It isn't perfect, but it is better than throwing your powertrain warranty away and taking a chance, IMO.

Just a comment that replacing the stock config and claiming warranty (for the situation you describe above) is fraud. Manufacturers have gotten pretty good at detecting evidence of tunes.

JCL · #4 08-11-2011, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TahoeM3

I'm torn between the Dinan and ESS tunes. I like the flash loader thing from ESS, but the Dinan tune is supported by BMW. If they erase it they have to replace it. On the other hand, the Dinan tune is twice as expensive, so you have to wonder if it's worth the price.

Depends on what a warranty is worth to you.