Supercharger?
 

Just curious.

Has anybody here bought the Dinan supercharger for their X5?

If so how do you like it?

Do you notice a big difference?

Is it still covered under warantee?

Will is shorten the life of the motor?

What are your 0-60 times?

Thanks

I don't think I've read about anyone putting a SC on a valvetronic engine here yet, but I could be mistaken. I know a couple of folks have put them on earlier models, with huge results. If you go w/Dinan, you should be covered. Try a search and you should be able to come up w/quite a bit of info relative to your questions...

If you search this forum for "Dinan" you will find TONS of threads, including reviews from X5 owners with a Dinan supercharger.

Yea I found them. Sorry, too quick to post.

Has anybody here bought the Dinan supercharger for their X5?

Not Dinan BUT the Vortech kit from ESS.

If so how do you like it?

:thumbup:

Do you notice a big difference?

Depends how much boost you are running, but with a standard kit from dinan or ess there is a noticeable kick.

Is it still covered under warantee?

Tricky question, if it is done at a BMW dealership, that BMW dealer will honor your warranty. If you get it done at a certified Dinan installer, they will warranty your vehicle, but a BMW dealership will not. It really is a case by case thing and you should ask your dealership. The dealership voided my warranty when I got the ESS kit put on.

Will is shorten the life of the motor?

Any FI will shorten the life of your motor, but with moderate boost the effects are pretty minimal and no internal components should have to be changed unless you start introducing more boost than the dinan package. I have about 60 000 km with the blower and I know there are people on here with more.

What are your 0-60 times?

From what I've heard the dinan kit is about mid 5s and the ESS is about 5.2 sec. Mine is well into the high 4 sec. If you are looking for making your SUV superfast, this one is not the one for it. Too little aftermarket support, and very pricey. If you want good aftermarket support to make a fast SUV the Trailblazer SS and the Jeep SRT8 is your best bet right now. Although the SRT8 aftermarket support does not even compare to the SS aftermarket support.

:iagree: The SC's are in development but not yet ready for primetime. Both VF-Engineering and ESS Tuning state on their websites that they have prototypes for the N62 V8 Valvetronic applications in development. There is a posted message on the ESS site forum that they are looking at a 2007 release date.

The VF site says the planned release date is Fall 2006, but the product page shows that it's still under development. Price is $9000. There are pictures of a 645i test mule with an SC installed.

Here's the description from the VF site (http://www.vf-engineering.com/):

Page updated 6-Sept-2006
8-9 Hours fitting time, fully reversible.

VF-Engineering chose to supercharge the all-new BMW 645 to increase throttle response and mid-to-top end power with the centrifugal Vortech supercharger. With the stock 4.4 liter motor, power and torque are already substantial. However this upgrade is for the V8 enthusiast who demands more than substantial power. The new found power makes the 645 more powerful than a stock E64 M5 and a potential contender to the new E60 M5 V10. As a daily driver the supercharged 645 SMG is a mild mannered beast waiting for the throttle body to opened wide. It is easy to slide the back end out under full throttle and launch the V8 to rediculous speeds way above the limit in a split second. Good brakes and self control are suggested pre-requisites.

Maintaining the the original BMW quality, smoothness and reliability were the key factors in the VF design. This is where the GIAC software comes into full play. VF have harnessed reliability of Vortech superchargers and quality of GIAC custom software with their 10 years of supercharging experience and worldwide OEM supply contacts to create the ultimate supercharger system for the ultimate drivers car.

All key components are 100% made in California. This system has been fully road tested and dyno tuned on both the GIAC Mustang MD500AWD and in-house Dynojet 224XLC dynamometers with and without engine load. All stage 1 kits are setup at 6 psi and create as much, if not more power than similar products running greater levels of boost.

VF engineers spent over 12 months software testing the BMW Bosch and Siemens ECUs. Software flash technology and latest BMW file versions have all been employed to provide the cleanest and the most reliable method of software installation. GIAC engineers extensively re-wrote the ECU software using their own binary, assembly and disassembly algorithms written from scratch. Testing the software included extensive road and dyno test cycles, with acceleration and deceleration tests for driveability smoothness and ECU fuel management. All test cars were put through long term full throttle testing in conditions varying from wet cold climates to hot dry Arizona desert temperature for safe-optimal air fuel ratios and knock activity monitoring. Competantly written ECU software has allowed VF to fully explore the potential of the BMW engine making over 40% more power in most applications.

VF chose to mount the Vortech supercharger with an in-house CNC machined aluminum bracket system. The unit is positioned in line with a bolt-on crank pulley with an additional active OEM tensioner using a dedicated serpentine belt. The key to reliable superchargers sytems is the the active belt tensioner which eliminates belt slip. The supercharger air ducts are custom molded in-house from plastic to give an OEM appearance, quality and fit. The incorporated Bosch boost overrun system is designed for smooth off-throttle cruising and deceleration with clean emissions. The crankcase ventilation system is designed to cope with positive pressure and high flow OEM injectors are supplied to fit as direct replacements without modification to the injector rail. A removable plastic air box is provided with the K&N induction filter for those who use their vehicles in persistently wet climates.

VF aftercooled the 645 by integrating a chargecooler into a cast aluminum intake manifold included with the kit to replace the original manifold. This design approach reduces the length of pipework by about 75% required for a remote mounted chargecooler core or air/air intercooler. The simple and compact design make this kit integrate neatly into the V8s engine bay.

The VF supercharger system remains fully OBD2 compliant and is supported by a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty on the product only. Installation can be performed in approximately 8 hours and is non-intrusive allowing it to be fully reversible.

Thanks for all of the replies. If I go that route, I think I'll wait for the one by vf-engineering. The Dinan one is 17k installed... OUCH!

I am impressed by the few supercharged Xs I have seen, but
I wonder "why". Making a very heavy suv go "really fast"
always seemed like an oxymoron to me.

If you want fast, for $5-7Gs, one can pick up a near new
600-1000 cc M'cycle and blow off 99% of the real world
cars you'll ever meet up with, and enjoy huge exhilirating
accel & deaccel in the meantime...jes'my 2Cts.

How much did your ESS kit cost?

Where did you get it installed?

I have kind of become a BMW 'snob' of sorts. I still love all cars, and the ones you mentioned are HOT! However nothing I have driven (just about everything) gives me the same feeling and build quality I have come to expect from BMW.

I not only need fast, I need to be able to take corners at break neck speed, have my hands and butt warmed, and go up in the snow.

Inhaling too many chemicals in the printing plant alters the brain to make illogical descisions!:rofl: