Tunes
I recently picked up a 35d and immediately began researching ECU tunes. I decided to go with the Malone Tuning Stage 1 tune (
https://malonetuning.com/ecu-tuning/bmw-diesel), mostly because they can provide an Alientech tablet to flash the tune yourself from the OBDII port, and can easily be flashed back to stock at anytime.
The tune is also available from a network of dealers who can OBDII or bench flash your DDE as well. I reached out to a few local dealers, and was told they charge the same as is quoted on the Malone website.
Malone Tuning is based in Canada and has a long history of DDE tuning, especially with VW TDIs. They have a very good reputation on the VW tuning forums, and I liked how the specialized in diesel tuning.
Other alternatives include
DUDMD and
BPC. My understanding is that most are quite similar in terms of performance (at least at Stage 1), so it's entirely up to you.
Ordering
The Malone Stage 1 tune is estimated to increase output from 255 hp/413 ft/lbs stock to 340 hp/510 ft/lbs with the tune (an increase of 85 hp and 97 ft/lbs of torque!). Unfortunately, they don't have any dyno results for the N57 up on their site currently, but based on their reputation I have no reason to doubt their claims.
The ordering process from Malone Tuning was pretty straight forward. I emailed them a few questions and provide my vehicle info, and they responded back quickly. After I decided on the tune, they sent me a PayPal invoice to cover the cost of the
FlashZilla v3 tuning module and the Stage 1 tune, and shipped it quickly via Priority Mail.
Cost
FlashZilla v3: $180+$15 shipping
Stage 1 Tune: $749
Total: $944
Flashing
The FlashZilla v3 was very similar to other ECU tuning tablets I've used before (as I'm sure most are made by
Alientech). The box includes the FlashZilla, a USB cable to upload and download updates from your computer, and an OBDII cable for connecting to you car.
I downloaded the
FlashZilla software from Malone and made sure the tablet was up to date, then took it out to the X5 to read the ECU. I had to contact support to confirm I was selecting the correct ECU as there is no entry for the US model xDrive35d, but they responded via email almost immediately and told me to select xDrive30d (eg the EU model where the model number actually reflects the displacement). For reference, you want to select this engine/ECU:
xDrive30d 8AT, N57D30O1, EDC17C56
Before starting, I had the car hooked up to a battery charger and had the car on (press start button without foot on gas) without the engine running, and shut off the lights, radio, and climate control. In hindsight this wasn't really necessary for the reading step since it was so quick. Reading the stock ECU took about 30 seconds, at which point a file is stored on the device. You then connect it to your computer again, download the file, and email it to Malone.
I received the Stage 1 tune file back a few hours later and uploaded it to the FlashZilla.
In preparation for flashing, I again connected the battery charger and turned off all accessories. The FlashZilla also instructs you to buckle the drivers seat belt and turn on the hazards during the flashing procedure, presumably to prevent the car from going to sleep.
The flashing process took about 20 mins total, with the FlashZilla displaying a status bar along with alternating messages of "erasing flash memory" and "writing flash memory" along the way. A number of warning messages popped up on the iDrive during the procedure, but these are normal. After the flash was completed, the FlashZilla instructs you to turn off the car and disconnect the device. I then let the car sit for a few minutes while I disconnected the charger, then took it for a test drive.
There were no error messages or CELs when I started the car, and no stored codes.
Result
Around town the low end torque/acceleration seems smoother, but the tune really shines on the highway when you get higher in the rev range. The engine just keeps pulling when you accelerate onto the highway, and is a nice improvement over stock where the initial torque was good but seemed to run out of steam as the revs increased.
It may be my imagination, but it seems to be getting quicker the more I drive it. Maybe the engine is re-learning some adaptations?
At this point, Malone only offers a Stage 1 tune for the N57, but I feel it is plenty for my current needs. It's a nice bump in HP and torque over stock, and should have a minimal impact on reliability. I'm also wondering if I'll see any increase in fuel economy due to the increase in torque (eg whether the engine being able to stay in higher gear will offset the slightly increased fuel usage needed to generate the increased power).
Overall, I'm quite happy with the tune. The guys at Malone were very responsive to my questions and provided great support, and the convenience of flashing the DDE yourself in your driveway on your own schedule is great. You can also easily flash back to stock at anytime if necessary. I'll try to provide some updates as I have more time with it.
Let me know if you have any questions and I'll do my best to answer them!
Edit to add: I received no compensation for this review and have no relationship with Malone Tuning or any other tuner/manufacturer. Just a satisfied customer
