4.6is with Dinan S3 - WOW!

[SRT10]

How about some numbers 0 to 60 , 1/4 mile sounds like you have a sick ride would love to learn more. TIA Cheers J.T.

[SeattleYates]

OK, I finally have a few interesting (although very tentative and by no means "official" or technically exact) numbers for the 4.6is with Dinan S3 package.

City MPG: 9.6
0-60mph: 5.3-5.6 sec. in "Sport" (automatic) mode

The low gas mileage around town doesn't really surprise me, and I do NOT blame the S3 package...mechanically at least. I DO blame it inasmuch as it is virtually impossible for me to leave the transmission in "D" -- I drive almost entirely in manual now, and I tend to downshift to keep the RPMs in the 2500-3500 range because I just love the throaty sound and quick response at those levels (whereas "D" mode tends to upshift quickly to keep RPMs in the 1,000-2,000 range - little more than idling). I'll get a better idea of the actual impact of the S3 kit on gas mileage "all things being equal" when I do a highway trip where it's in 5th gear most of the time.

As for the 0-60 times, take those with a grain of salt. I do NOT have access to a track or any fancy timing equipment. The 0-60 times are literally taken with me holding a stopwatch in my left hand and attempting to start the stopwatch when I hit the pedal and started to move, and stopping it when the speedometer crossed 60. IOW, I would NOT rely on them as exact times, but I do consider them reasonably close, based on about 8 different runs. I don't have 0-100 numbers because I haven't found a patch of road where I'm comfortable going from dead stop to 100mph (I live in the city)...yet.

My guess is that with optimal shifting (manually), the 0-60 time really would be at or below 5.3 seconds (which was the fastest stopwatch time I got). That would put it on par with the Cayenne Turbo S (which I believe is 5.2 seconds), and substantially faster than a stock 4.6is (6.2 sec's) or 4.8is (5.9-6.0 sec's, depending on where you read it).

I'd really love to get on a track where I could get some official times, including 0-100, quarter mile speed, etc...and just generally cut loose! If/when I get a chance to do that, I'll let y'all know. I'll also try to get some video one of these days. Meanwhile, I'll just have to enjoy "puttering" around town, rumbling with a smile on my face...and using way too much gas!

[Michelle]

Originally Posted by SeattleYates

OK, I finally have a few interesting (although very tentative and by no means "official" or technically exact) numbers for the 4.6is with Dinan S3 package.

City MPG: 9.6
0-60mph: 5.3-5.6 sec. in "Sport" (automatic) mode

The low gas mileage around town doesn't really surprise me, and I do NOT blame the S3 package...mechanically at least. I DO blame it inasmuch as it is virtually impossible for me to leave the transmission in "D" -- I drive almost entirely in manual now, and I tend to downshift to keep the RPMs in the 2500-3500 range because I just love the throaty sound and quick response at those levels (whereas "D" mode tends to upshift quickly to keep RPMs in the 1,000-2,000 range - little more than idling). I'll get a better idea of the actual impact of the S3 kit on gas mileage "all things being equal" when I do a highway trip where it's in 5th gear most of the time.

As for the 0-60 times, take those with a grain of salt. I do NOT have access to a track or any fancy timing equipment. The 0-60 times are literally taken with me holding a stopwatch in my left hand and attempting to start the stopwatch when I hit the pedal and started to move, and stopping it when the speedometer crossed 60. IOW, I would NOT rely on them as exact times, but I do consider them reasonably close, based on about 8 different runs. I don't have 0-100 numbers because I haven't found a patch of road where I'm comfortable going from dead stop to 100mph (I live in the city)...yet.

My guess is that with optimal shifting (manually), the 0-60 time really would be at or below 5.3 seconds (which was the fastest stopwatch time I got). That would put it on par with the Cayenne Turbo S (which I believe is 5.2 seconds), and substantially faster than a stock 4.6is (6.2 sec's) or 4.8is (5.9-6.0 sec's, depending on where you read it).

I'd really love to get on a track where I could get some official times, including 0-100, quarter mile speed, etc...and just generally cut loose! If/when I get a chance to do that, I'll let y'all know. I'll also try to get some video one of these days. Meanwhile, I'll just have to enjoy "puttering" around town, rumbling with a smile on my face...and using way too much gas!

Sounds like you are having a blast!!!

[2002Silver4.6is]

I had a supercharger on an Expedition. You will not notice the whine of the supercharger in a few weeks.

Congrats on the Dinan package!!!! Brembo brakes in your future???? Only $4,500!!!!

[ljnlaw]

wow...sound great, for a few hundred bucks there are devices that you can plug into the lighter which will give you some pretty accurate 0-60 and 1/4 times...good place to the tests would be on ra,ps to the highway on a Sunday morning when there is little traffic. Good Luck with the new toys.

[ESS4.6is]

Congrats on getting blown

[Budarooski]

Originally Posted by SeattleYates

Then, late in the installation, they discovered that I needed a new head gasket,

Are you sure they didn't pop the head gasket due to a bad tune (e.g. computer program) while you were away? Superchargers are fun, but they can be your worst nightmare if the tune is not safe, or if the FMU doesn't correctly spike your fuel under boost.

Be sure you run ONLY 93 octane from a reputable gas station, check the blower belt frequently and be sure the FMU, boost retard, knock sensor and ignition controls you may have are all working. If any one of these go bad, you'll be back in the shop for a new head gasket (and hopefully not for a new piston or rod). Invest in a GOOD air/fuel meter that you can monitor from inside the car to be sure you're not leaning out under heavy load/boost. Lean is mean, but with blowers lean = blown gaskets.

I'm glad your happy with it and can afford to spend so much on a 120hp gain...at $141/hp, that about the most expensive mod I've read about in a long time. I'm not a fan of Dinan, and when I read things like this I know why...the blower and brackets run about $5-6K from Vortech. I didn't see an air-to-air intercooler listed in the package; but for $17K they should have installed one.

My back ground is building fast Mustangs, down to 8 second street cars. I have been there down that path with Paxton, Vortech and ATI superchargers, laptop tuning, running up to 160lb/hour injectors, tuning with FAST, etc. None of this supercharging stuff is to be taken lightly. Never trust an "off-the-shelf" computer chip to re-tune the computer for a blower...it should be done via a laptop on a dyno with an 02 meter measuring air/fuel mixture. That is the only way you'll have a safe tune.

[SiLvX5]

Originally Posted by madforce

Are you sure they didn't pop the head gasket due to a bad tune (e.g. computer program) while you were away? Superchargers are fun, but they can be your worst nightmare if the tune is not safe, or if the FMU doesn't correctly spike your fuel under boost.

Be sure you run ONLY 93 octane from a reputable gas station, check the blower belt frequently and be sure the FMU, boost retard, knock sensor and ignition controls you may have are all working. If any one of these go bad, you'll be back in the shop for a new head gasket (and hopefully not for a new piston or rod). Invest in a GOOD air/fuel meter that you can monitor from inside the car to be sure you're not leaning out under heavy load/boost. Lean is mean, but with blowers lean = blown gaskets.

I'm glad your happy with it and can afford to spend so much on a 120hp gain...at $141/hp, that about the most expensive mod I've read about in a long time. I'm not a fan of Dinan, and when I read things like this I know why...the blower and brackets run about $5-6K from Vortech. I didn't see an air-to-air intercooler listed in the package; but for $17K they should have installed one.

My back ground is building fast Mustangs, down to 8 second street cars. I have been there down that path with Paxton, Vortech and ATI superchargers, laptop tuning, running up to 160lb/hour injectors, tuning with FAST, etc. None of this supercharging stuff is to be taken lightly. Never trust an "off-the-shelf" computer chip to re-tune the computer for a blower...it should be done via a laptop on a dyno with an 02 meter measuring air/fuel mixture. That is the only way you'll have a safe tune.

Great Post

[SeattleYates]

Originally Posted by madforce

...Be sure you run ONLY 93 octane from a reputable gas station, check the blower belt frequently and be sure the FMU, boost retard, knock sensor and ignition controls you may have are all working. . . Invest in a GOOD air/fuel meter that you can monitor from inside the car to be sure you're not leaning out under heavy load/boost...[/I]

Good advice; I'll check to see which of those things the dealer is capable of handling during periodic check-ups (sounds like I need to have it in more often than just regular scheduled maintenance...now that it has more than "regular" equipment)!

I'm not sure where I can even GET 93 octane around here, though (typical premium is 91-92). How important is that extra 1-2%?

As for a good air/fuel meter, any specific suggestions on model, where I can buy, etc.?

BTW, I realized I was spending extra with Dinan vs. getting all the separate parts and trying to put together a similar -- or better -- performance package myself. To me, who has NO mechanical expertise at ALL, the advantages of having 1. a package of mods tested so I know (or can reasonably expect) they'll work together to produce the expected result, and 2. installation by a BMW dealer with whom I have a good relationship, was worth that additional cost.

I have great respect for those of you who do your own mods. And there is no question that YOU (and many others here) could have saved many thousands of $$ by doing stuff like this yourself. I simply choose to focus on making enough money with my business to be able to pay someone else (far more expert than me) to do it, and use my spare time underwater taking photos of little fishies, not under the hood rebuilding automobiles!

[Budarooski]

Originally Posted by SeattleYates

I'm not sure where I can even GET 93 octane around here, though (typical premium is 91-92). How important is that extra 1-2%?

Just use the best you can find...my point was to not use any mom-n-pop gas station and don't use 87 octane.

Originally Posted by SeattleYates

As for a good air/fuel meter, any specific suggestions on model, where I can buy, etc.?

Sorry, all my experience is with Mustangs. You could call Dinan or any other BMW performance place (if you go to Vortechsuperchargers.com and click on BMW, they have three links to BMW supercharger installation shops...I'd check with them first). You should be able to find one that mounts on the a-piller so it's a clean install. I'd get a boost gauge as well just so you can see how much boost you're getting (I'm surprised they didn't do this to begin with, especially after seeing how much you paid). The boost guage isn't mandatory, but it's fun to see it move, although peak boost is at 6K rpms and you'll most likely have your eye on the road at this point.