Quote:
Originally Posted by perry8912
...if I daily drive below 3k rpm, the flash tune won’t affect the lifespan of the engine plugs and other components right??
|
RPM alone is a poor indicator of engine/drivetrain strain. For example: You could drive away from every stoplight at WOT and manually shift into each successive gear at 3k RPM. This would be a lot of strain on the motor/drivetrain even though you never revved above 3k RPM. Conversely, you could be using 1/4 throttle in Sport + with the transmission in sport shift and the vehicle may hold gears until 4-5k RPM between shifts, but there is a lot less stress (and boost) on the engine/drivetrain in this scenario.
The bottom line is this: when driving around town in a normal fashion, you are utilizing very little boost and thus the engine is under very little strain. This is true with or without a tune. When having some fun, BM3 and other flash tunes are stressing the engine a bit more, but you are fairly safe with a Stage 1 tune. Change your plugs as per your tuners recommendation, perform normal maintenance as per BMW's recommendation (with the exception of oil changes which I would ALWAYS do at a more frequent interval), and be prepared for the random part failure, just like any other car. I would not go changing anything else preemptively with a Stage 1 tune. It's just a waste of money.
Quote:
Originally Posted by perry8912
Without warranty, the reliability is still a big concern to me.
|
Even if BMW flags your car for a tune, not all parts loose their warranty. For example: it could be easily argued that an ignition coil is under no additional strain due to a tune, and therefore a failed one should still be covered under warranty. This would apply to a myriad of parts. But, if you bend a connecting rod or crack a valve, your on your own.