Dave Thornton

Has anybody got a 330d (3.0 litre version) with the DMS chip? This is the one which takes it from 204 to 250 bhp (or is it 260 bhp with a larger intercooler?)

I ask because, like many of you, I think it's time to move on from Subaru. My Impreza STI V3 has been the best car I've ever had (over 7 years) but I no longer need 2 cars (the other is a V8 Discovery).

The 330d Touring has the space of the latter. With a 6 speed manual (and Silver grey paint) is it going to put a smile on my face like the former?

RS Grant

We're picking up a 330d M-Sport Cabrio on Sunday... If you remember that its a diesel (as you wont know from listening to it inside) then I'm sure that you'll be extremely impressed with the drive and performance. We even averaged 40mpg when we had one on extended test drive and that was a VERY varied series of routes/speed.

Would be interested in more information about the re-map and chipping options too.. a member got in touch with me and said that he made 231bhp and 400ft/lb at the wheels which is a huge increase over standard 204bhp and 310lb/ft (@ flywheel)..

As yet, I've not seen an option that gives as large an increase as that.


Cheers,
Grant

Dark Blue Mark

Have a look at AMD tuning.

My old man has an M-Sport 330D and the MPG isnt that great tbh. Stonking car though.

MB

Dan J

The DMS chip does seem to produce some great looking figures. All for about £900 fitted inc vat too. Take a look at this Autocar review on a DMS chipped 330cd. They loved it!

http://www.autocar.co.uk/firstdrive_....asp?RT=211488

compshack

I have a 330D Touring with the "speed buster" tuning box on, it increases the bhp to 245 and torque to 460nm. It really makes a big differance to the performance.
From 2000rpm you get a big power band and past 3000 rpm it really takes off. It fits on the common rail wiring and takes 5 minutes to fit. At service time you just take it off, so that the dealer is non the wiser.
The re-map it a better option but weather you actually get that much more power is debatable and of corse it voids the warranty.

Oh and I bought the box off ebay for £100.00

Dazzler

How much does it affect insurance doing something like this?

compshack

I did tell the insurance about the mod about a week after fitting it.
My thoughts where that if I didin't like it I could take it off without notifing them.

It cost me a extra £68.00 which for a 20% increase in power isn't that bad.

Varboy

DMS are good by all accounts.

Beware, all that extra torque is going to munch your drivetrain if you use it too much.

Petem95

Comp, has this had any effect on the MPG?

RS Grant

compshack... What did you search under on eBay?? Was it a one off.. or something that comes up a lot??


Cheers,
Grant

compshack

No it's the same, some people actually thinks it increases mpg. I can't see how apart from your not having to rev the engine as high to get the same power. If I drive like a looney I get maybe 26 to 28 mpg and on a long run upto 43 but normally it's about 32.

compshack

Do a search for "tuning box". There are a few on ebay most of the time but I haven't seen many as cheap as this one I got. Make sure that the box is for your car the earlier 330d's where 184bhp, the later one 204bhp.
There is actually a product call Tuning Box that most the the BMW drivers use but the "Speedbuster" is an alterative and is still made in Germany.
I think they increase the pressure of the common rail firing more fuel into the cylinders creating more power.

It does make quite a big differance to the overall power of the car a bit like a PPP for deisels.

Petem95

32 overall?!! Is that all? I thought these were supposed to give about 43 overall, and nearer 50 on a run?

330dan

considering all these above posts were written a while ago has anybody had the remap now? How successfull has it been long term? I have a 52 plate e46 330d with 100k. It runs perfectly and has just had a thorough service replacing intercooler and a few other parts. Im still deliberating over whether to remap though considering the mileage / age etc. A mate of mine has a new 07 plate 335d which Superchips remapped - the power is unbelievable - far faster than any scooby i have been in (and im looking for one myself so im not biased towards bmw), i don't know how he dared remap a £30,000 thats still under bmw warranty though! He got improved mpg aswell. Anyone got any reports on remapping a car like mine? What do you think of 330d's? I think they are amazing cars - they were the range topping engine when they came out - the mpg leaves a lot to be desired though!

RS Grant

We have put just over 55k miles on ours since we bought it.. and it hasn't been re-mapped. Have had it on a Rolling Road and IIRC it put out around 215bhp & 325lb/ft which I suppose would tally with a strong standard engine.

Our average MPG is around 35-36mpg with a mix of motorway and quick b-road driving.

I have checked a few times to see if one of these Tuning Boxes came up on eBay but I've never been successful. Actually haven't checked for a wee while as we've had a brand new rear diff under warranty about 5k miles ago, so doesn't inspire confidence that the standard units could take a whole lump more torque. Although, maybe our first one was just a weak 'friday afternoon unit'...


Cheers,
Grant

zip929

I have fitted one of these to my E61 530D.

Home » Diesel Power Tuning - Specialists in Diesel Tuning, Diesel Power and Diesel Performance using the DPT Tuning Box

So far I am quite impressed.

Shark Man

I've fitted a few DPT units (mainly vans); and they do work well on BMW 3.0 diesels. (especially when its lugging a heavy Range Rover).

Shark Man

Re: Diff failure: Its quite common for the diff to leak oil. Problem is BMW dealers often fail to check the level on the them: leaking or not. Often not even advising the customer its leaking - as its only the odd drip, so its too minor to report. But 1 drip every 50 miles or so soon adds up to a litre of lost fluid over 50,000miles (it holds about a litre IIRC).

Also I've noted a issue on these where a driver that has previously had a "moment" where the back end has slid and whacked a curb. The force gets transmitted through the driveshaft to the diff, where the ring gear impacts the input pinion gear - causing it to fracture, but not breaking it. The driver has the car looked at by a garage, all ok. Has a new wheel/tyre and geometry sorted (if needed) and everything is fine......until one day, he goes to pull away from a junction, hears a cluck and a grind, and the car won't move....as the pinion gear in the diff has fallen apart.

RS Grant

Sounds very similar to ours, although I'm not aware of any heavy impacts on the wheels. When ours went I was pulling onto a dual carriageway in 3rd reasonably briskly, and there was a massive thud (like I'd driven over a breezeblock) and then rattle rattle rattle...... and no drive.

Had a quick look at the DPT stuff, looks reasonable value and possibly worth a punt. However, think my old man will jump in first as he's a little disappointed with the pickup and performance of his Volvo D5.


Cheers,
Grant

skinters

Surprised at how low the mpg on these diesels are. I guess they just arent sold on mpg as such? They seem to neither give the power of a good petrol turbo nor the economy of a good economical diesel.

I get 32mpg and 340bhp / 385ft lbs from an old Saab 9k. Admittedly I struggle to get above about 34mpg when taking it easy though which is where 40+ would be nice.

of course, I should actually drive one and maybe that would sway me !

RS Grant

If taken easy then 40mpg wouldn't be too difficult, plus, ours is a Cabriolet which is a bit heavier and the usual cruising speed would be c85mph which isn't going to produce decent mpg figures. However, the new generation of BMW diesels seem to produce similar performance but extremely impressive mpg figures too, I think I read that the current 320d does 65mpg+ on a run?!


Cheers,
Grant

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Skinters, I was thinking the same thing but then I was wondering how you get 32 mpg when my 250/288 Aero 9-3 doesnt do that much, about 26-30.

skinters

I guess it's all in the gearing and mapping (or re-mapping)

At 70mph it's doing 2300rpm and off boost it's a 2.3 with a great ignition / ECU control. It still does 28mpg at 90mpg if I'm steady with it.

i.e. Off boost it doesnt really matter what it's peak potential is unless it's got crazy injectors that can't go low enough.

If your gearing in 5th is just a little shorter then that might make all the difference? Not sure!

Anyway - I'm going to blow my argument as I've nearly finished my 400bhp conversion.... Will be surprised if that doesnt wreck everything! Always impressed at your Saab radar J4acko!