Vehicle Upgrades
Here are the mods suggested for N63TU and N63T2 vehicles, in the order to get your desired power goal (each row requires all upgrades above it):
| Desired Crank HP | Modification | Reason | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 450 | None – stock | Boring… | – |
| – | NGK 97506 spark plugs gapped at 0.022″ (only for N63TU and N63T2 vehicles – N63T3 uses different plugs) | Avoid misfires at higher than stock boost levels (stock plugs can also be re-gapped). | $120 |
| 500 – 550 | BM3 license and off-the-shelf (OTS) flash tune (91 or 93 octane fuel) | Bootmod3 OTS maps work well on some cars, not so well on others, depending on ambient conditions, car modifications, fuel, and car configuration (RWD or xDrive, vehicle options, coding). | $895 |
| 550 – 600 | High flow downpipes | Reduce exhaust backpressure, allowing the turbos to spool quicker and make more boost | $500 – $3,000 |
| – | 3.5 bar intercooler TMAPs | Ability to monitor boost over 21 psi (for safety) | $150 |
| – | E35 (2 to 1 ratio of 93 octane gas to E85, e.g. 10 gallons 93, 5 gallons E85) | Adding E85 to pump 91 or 93 octane (AKI) gasoline increases the fuels octane and allow more boost without reducing ignition timing (i.e. more power). See the E85 FAQ for more details. A tune designed for an ethanol mix, e.g. “E30 map”, is required to take advantage of the benefits of E85 fuel. | – |
| 650 – 700 | Custom E35+ flash tune | A custom flash tune is optimized for the car, fuel, and ambient conditions and should always perform better than an OTS map. | $700 – $1,200 |
| 700 – 750 | EU5 or Nostrum S63 Injectors (note that 2013-2015 pre-LCI 650i came with EU5 injectors from the factory, all other N63TU came with EU6 injectors) | Stock EU6 injectors can’t flow enough E35 fuel at higher rpm, EU5 injectors (which came on the F10 M5 and the 650i) flow 20% more. Nostrum S63 injectors flow 54% more. | $1,000-$2700 |
| >750 | Water Methanol Injection (WMI) | Needed if running more than 24 psi of boost to keep IATs down due to the poor intercooling design of the N63TU, but also adds octane and fueling. A custom tune is typically needed to take advantage of the benefits of WMI. | $800 – $1,500 |
| >750 | Upgraded turbos (hybrid) | Stock N63TU turbos are only good to about 24 psi, stage 1 turbos are good to 28-30 psi, stage 2 to 32+ psi. Stock N63T2 turbos are good for about 26 psi. | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| >800 | F90 M5 High Pressure Fuel Pumps (HPFPs) | Stock HPFPs can’t flow enough E40 in the mid range, F90 pumps are good for running E50 at 900+ crank HP. WMI delays the need for upgrading the HPFPs (since it adds fuel). F90 pumps drop right in on N63TU (though the electrical connectors might need to be replaced if they are the older larger style connectors). N63T2 requires custom plumbing on one bank because the stock N63T2 pumps are bank specific. | $700 – $1,500 |
| >800 | Low Pressure Fuel Pump (LPFP) | Stock LPFP starts maxing out at high rpm when running E40 with 27-28 psi of boost. WMI delays the need for upgrading the HPFPs (since it adds fuel). | $300 |
| >850 | Built transmission (e.g. Pure Drivetrain Solutions) | Stock ZF 8HP70 transmission starts slipping around 800-850 ft-lb of torque (most noticeably in 5th gear, but also 3rd and 6th gear). Note that you don’t really feel the transmission slip – the TCU sensors the slip and quickly requests a power cut from the DMEs to prevent prolonged slip. | $6,000 – $8,000 |
| >900 | Built motor | Stock internals are only good to 850-900 HP | $15,000 – $25,000 |
| Other upgrades that can be done at any time: | |||
| +5 – 10 | Intakes | Mostly for aesthetics and intake noises (stock intakes actually flow quite well, though they retain heat). Note that intake geometry changes can affect readings from the MAF sensors, which can dramatically affect performance on the N63TU. ARM brand intakes are really bad about this and can cause a big bank-to-bank imbalance and which cannot be properly tuned out. Intakes from N63intake.com are much better designed and don’t cause issues with MAF readings. | $400 – $1,500 |
| 0 | Charge pipes | Charge pipes are upgraded to add bungs for pre-intercooler water-methanol-injection nozzles (there is little, if any performance benefit and stock rubber charge pipes can handle 35 psi of boost). | $200 – $250 |
| +10 – 20 | Exhaust (after the downpipes, especially the muffler) | Mostly for sound, though the sport valves on stock mufflers are known to fail (or the vacuum lines to them can break), causing increased backflow and power reduction, so it is recommended to wire/clamp the sport valves permanently open. | $500 – $3,000 |
Here are the mods suggested for N63T3 vehicles:
| Desired Crank HP | Modification | Reason | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 520 | None – stock | Boring… | – |
| 600-650 | BM3 license and off-the-shelf (OTS) flash tune (91 or 93 octane fuel) | Bootmod3 OTS maps work well on some cars, not so well on others, depending on ambient conditions, car modifications, fuel, and car configuration (vehicle options, coding). | $895 |
| 650-700 | High flow downpipes | Reduce exhaust backpressure, allowing the turbos to spool quicker and make more boost | $500 – $3,000 |
| – | E35 (2 to 1 ratio of 93 octane gas to E85, e.g. 10 gallons 93, 5 gallons E85) | Adding E85 to pump 91 or 93 octane (AKI) gasoline increases the fuels octane and allow more boost without reducing ignition timing (i.e. more power). See the E85 FAQ for more details. A tune designed for an ethanol mix, e.g. “E30 map”, is required to take advantage of the benefits of E85 fuel. | – |
| 800-850 | Custom E35+ flash tune | A custom flash tune is optimized for the car, fuel, and ambient conditions and should always perform better than an OTS map. | $700 – $1,200 |
| >850 | Water Methanol Injection (WMI) | Needed if running more than 24 psi of boost to keep IATs down due to the poor intercooling design of the N63TU, but also adds octane and fueling. A custom tune is typically needed to take advantage of the benefits of WMI. | $800 – $1,500 |
| >900 | Upgraded turbos (hybrid) | Stock turbos are only good to about 24 psi, stage 1 turbos are good to 28-30 psi, stage 2 to 32+ psi | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| >900 | Built transmission (e.g. Pure Drivetrain Solutions) | Stock ZF 8HP70 transmission starts slipping around 800-850 ft-lb of torque (most noticeably in 5th gear, but also 3rd and 6th gear). Note that you don’t really feel the transmission slip – the TCU sensors the slip and quickly requests a power cut from the DMEs to prevent prolonged slip. | $6,000 – $8,000 |
| >950 | Built motor | Stock internals are good to 900-950 HP | $15,000 – $25,000 |
| Other upgrades that can be done at any time: | |||
| +5 – 10 | Intakes | Mostly for aesthetics. | $400 – $1,500 |
| +10 – 20 | Exhaust (after the downpipes, especially the muffler) | Mostly for sound. | $500 – $3,000 |
E85 (which is 85% ethanol) has a higher octane rating than pump 91 or 93 octane (AKI) gasoline. Turbocharged engines like the N63TU are often octane limited, so using a higher octane fuel allows the engine to run at higher boost (without reducing ignition timing) and make more power. E85 has a 30-35% lower stoichiometric ratio than gasoline, which means it requires 30-35% more fuel for the same amount of air for proper combustion. The extra fuel helps cool the combustion chamber which allows for more boost and power, but it also means the fueling system has to flow more fuel, which is often the limiting factor in how much ethanol can be used. For the N63TU with stock fueling components, E35 is the sweet spot between maximum octane and fuel system limitations (and its easy to remember the 2 to 1 ratio when filling up).
WMI is the injection of a water-methanol mix (typically 50:50) into the compressed air after the turbos to reduce intake air temperatures (IATs), add octane, add fuel, and clean the intake valves. The intake temperature reduction and added octane allows more boost to be run with more advanced ignition timing to make more power. The ability to add fueling helps overcome fuel system limitations (injectors and HPFPs on the N63TU), allowing more power to be made. WMI is especially useful on the N63TU because the stock charge cooling system (intercoolers, pump, and radiator) is insufficient to keep intake air temperatures down at even mild boost increases above stock levels. For example, at 22 psi of boost, intake air temperatures will typically rise by 60 degF over just a 60-130 mph pull. Over a longer pull, like 1/4 mile, if ambient temperatures are warm, IATs at the end of the 1/4 mile can be 170 degF or higher, causing significant loss of power due to 1) less dense air, and 2) more importantly, ignition timing cuts due to the increased chance of knock from the high temperatures in the combustion chamber.
There are a few downsides to WMI. One is having to source methanol (most drag strips and some speed shops sell it, typically for $3-$4 a gallon), mix it with distilled water, and fill the WMI tank. A 1-2 gallon WMI tank will typically last as long as a tank or two of gas during normal driving, but for days at the track or multiple runs in Mexico, it might have to be filled a few times for a single tank of gas.
WMI is typically injected through nozzles installed in bungs in the charge pipes before the intercoolers, or in bungs welded into the bottom of the intercoolers on the N63TU. Injecting at the bottom of the intercoolers allow the intercoolers to do their job a bit more efficiently, but injecting in the charge pipes provides for much simpler installation and maintenance (changing and/or cleaning nozzles).
Adding WMI typically requires tuning changes to take full advantage of it, and with tuning changes, gains of 30-70 crank HP can be expected on N63TU vehicles, depending on vehicle modifications, fueling, and ambient conditions.
Most N63TU aftermarket turbos are hybrids, which use stock turbo housings that are machined out and fitted with larger impellors/turbines to flow more air. Stage 1 hybrids are larger than stock on intake side, stage 2 hybrids are enlarged on both sides. Stage 2 turbos will obviously be more expensive. There are many brands of hybrid turbos available for the N63TU and the list is growing. Pure Turbos are at the high end, with a good reputation and proven performance (my personal 950+ crank HP 2014 550xi has run Pure stage 2 turbos at 34+ psi of boost for several years, making over 500 1/4 mile pulls). Other brands like Sergey’s at N63Intake.com have a good track record as well. Shuenk makes turbos that are direct bolt-on, but technically are not hybrids because they use new, non OEM housings. They are slightly bigger than stock, so they’ll make a bit more power than stock turbos at a relatively low price. And then there are universal non-hybrid aftermarket turbos (e.g. Garrett and Precision), but they require custom exhaust manifolds, custom turbo inlets, custom charge pipes, etc. which can get expensive due to all the fabrication labor.
General
If you don’t already have Bootmod3, you’ll first need to purchase a license for your car: https://www.protuningfreaks.com/collections/bootmod3 If your car has stock turbos and limited mods, you might try one of the Bootmod3 off-the-shelf (OTS) maps. They are hit-or-miss on the N63TU (they’re better on N63T2 and N63T3) – if they work decently on your vehicle, they might save you the cost of a custom tune. If the OTS maps don’t work well, or you just want expert help with upgrading your car, choosing the type of fuel, diagnosing issues, optimizing performance, etc., then you’re in the right place!
Once you have Bootmod3, contact me (via Instagram direct messaging or email) and we can talk about your power goals, current mods, and additional mods you might need. Then, depending on your vehicle model and year, I may ask you to send me a tune request in Bootmod3 (search for “Baski” on the Tuners screen) before purchasing the tune, so I can check if the software on your DMEs is good or if they need to be upgraded (reprogrammed) to a standard, fully supported version. Then you can purchase either the Basic (for stock turbo cars with limited mods) or Advanced (upgraded turbos and/or more extensive mods) tuning package through my website. I usually turn around the first revision of a custom tune within two days. After that, I can typically turn around revisions within 24 hours of you making logs.
While the custom map is being developed, it is best not to set any Map Config settings in BM3 unless instructed to do so. They can affect how the tune performs, preventing proper testing and development of the tune. When the tune is complete, settings can be changed as desired, but note that they can affect performance of the vehicle. Coolant temperature profiles, boost limits, etc. are all set in the tune so there is really no need to modify any settings besides custom burbles, and the BM3 custom burble settings don’t work on most V8 cars anyway.
If the DMEs (engine computers) on your vehicle are running an old version of software that is not fully supported (not all tables are available), they may need to be reprogrammed with a newer version. That can be done by a local shop that has E-SYS, or if you have a Windows laptop and ENET cable Baski Speedworks can do it remotely (for an additional fee with the Basic Tuning package, included with the Advanced tuning package). This is a process that only needs to be performed once, to get your DME’s up to the standard software version. It involves several steps, including updating your Bootmod3 account (Bootmod3 has to be in sync with the software version on your DMEs):
- You connect your laptop to your vehicle with an ENET cable
- You start TeamViewer on your laptop and give me the TeamViewer ID and password
- I remotely access your laptop using TeamViewer
- I install a VPN client (LogMeIn) and connect to a VPN between our two laptops
- I install and run an application for determining the car’s IP address
- I disable the firewall on your laptop and configure port forwarding so I can talk to your vehicle from my laptop
- You connect a charger to the battery (at least 20 amps) and turn on the ignition
- I use E-SYS to reprogram both DMEs (takes about 30 minutes)
- You capture and send to me a screenshot of registered and current SW IDs from within Bootmod3
- I request Bootmod3 technical support to update your account to the new SW version (which can take a few days)
- After your Bootmod3 account is updated, you send me a new tune request
- I make the initial version of the map, then you make logs and I make revisions until the tune is optimized and you’re happy
I charge less than other tuners for my Basic tuning package (stock turbos and limited mods) for two reasons:
- I specialize almost exclusively in the N63TUx platform so I know all the tricks, issues, and tuning challenges of the platform and have the intuition to quickly build a custom tune in a few revisions that is optimized for a vehicle’s mods, fueling, environment, and owner’s power goals. For example, the N63TU is very sensitive to intake changes because, unlike most other BMWs, the MAF sensor is the primary sensor for determining load. Well, I’ve tuned N63TU vehicles with all different types of intake setups and have developed tuning solutions to make good (and safe) power with all of them. Similarly, the N63T2 (aka N63R) and N63T3 have their own challenges but I’ve spent significant time tuning them to know how to solve issues that arise.
- I charge more for vehicles with upgraded turbos and other advanced mods that require more revisions and tune development. With upgraded turbos, the turbo characteristics and other tables have to be reverse engineered from logs, which can be time consuming. In addition, my Advanced tuning package includes two maps and customers typically expect more optimization and customization when purchasing that package for their highly modified vehicle.
Logging
All V8 vehicles with dual DMEs (2014 and newer 550i, 2013 and newer 650i, 2013 and newer 750i, 2014 and newer X5 50i, 2011 and newer M5, etc.):
Before making any logs, set the Target ECU in BM3 (menu -> Dashboard at the top -> Configure Dashboard -> Datalog Settings -> Target ECU) to log both banks simultaneously (DME 1 & 2 – Concurrent). Set it once, exit the settings and then go back and you may need to set it again (Bootmod3 can be flaky about saving settings changes).
N63TU vehicles (2014-2016 550i, 2013-2018 650i, 2013-2015 750i, 2014-2018 X5 50i, etc.):
Before logging, add these channels (menu -> Dashboard at the top -> Configure Dashboard -> Available Channels -> Other). Again, you’ll likely may have to set them twice before they stick.
- Boost Pressure (Deviation) – the boost target channel maxes at 22 psi (a logging limitation) so this will indirectly tell us the boost target when its above 22 psi
- Error counter emissions misfiring all cylinders – misfire counter
- LTFT Bank 1 – Long term fuel trim
- Manifold Abs. Pressure (Measured) – the “MAP” channel data is a simulated value in the DME (for positive pressures), this channel is the actual pressure from the sensor in the intake manifold
- Torque (Target) – as the name implies, though technically it is the load target (and the “load target” channel is really the actual load)
Here is the preferred complete list of channels to log for the N63TU:
- Engine speed
- Accel. Pedal
- Ambient Pressure
- Boost (Pre-Throttle)
- Boost Pressure (Deviation)
- Boost pressure (Target)
- Coolant Temp
- Error counter emissions misfiring all cylinders
- Gear Actual
- HPFP (Target)
- HPFP Act.
- IAT
- Ignition Timing 1
- Ignition Timing 2
- Ignition Timing 3
- Ignition Timing 4
- Knock Detected[0/1
- LTFT Bank 1
- Lambda[AFR]
- Lambda Control Factor
- Load Act. (Rel.)
- Load Target (Rel.)
- MAF
- Manifold Abs. Pressure (Measured)
- Mass flow HFM
- Oil Temp
- Relative Air Filling
- STFT Bank 1
- Throttle Angle
- Torque (Target)
- Vehicle Speed
- Wastegate Duty Cycle (Bank 1)
- (RAM) Boost Pressure (Target)
- (RAM) Boost Setpoint
- (RAM) Fuel Injection Angle
- (RAM) Fuel Injection Duration (Corrected)
- (RAM) HPFP Angle (Final)
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. (Total)
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 1
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 2
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 3
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 4
- (RAM) Load (Actual)
- (RAM) Load (Limit)
- (RAM) Load (Target)
- (RAM) MAF Turbine (Actual)
- (RAM) MAF Turbine (After Temp Corr.)
- (RAM) Torque Limit Active (Flag)
- (RAM) Torque Max Request
- (RAM) Torque at Clutch (Actual)
- (RAM) Torque at Clutch (Target)
- (RAM) Torque at Clutch (Target) (Pre-DrivDynmcs)
- (RAM) Turbine Distribution Factor (Turbine/Wastegate)
- (RAM) Turbine Power (Actual)
- (RAM) Turbine Power (Compressor Map)
- (RAM) WGDC (After Corr.)
- (RAM) WGDC (Base)
N63T2 vehicles (2017-2019 M550i, 2016-2019 750i):
Before logging, add these channels (menu -> Dashboard at the top -> Configure Dashboard -> Available Channels -> Other). Again, you’ll likely may have to set them twice before they stick.
- totalizer count counts exhaust gas relevant misfires over all cylinders – misfire counter
Here is the preferred complete list of channels to log for the N63TU:
- Engine speed
- Accel. Pedal
- Ambient Pressure
- Boost (Pre-Throttle)
- Boost pressure (Target)
- Coolant Temp
- Gear
- HPFP (Target)
- HPFP Act.
- IAT
- Ignition Timing 1
- Ignition Timing 2
- Ignition Timing 3
- Ignition Timing 4
- Knock Detected[0-n]
- Lambda[AFR]
- Lambda Control Factor
- Load Act. (Rel.)
- Load Target (Rel.)
- MAF
- MAP
- Mass flow HFM
- Oil Temp
- STFT Bank 1
- Throttle Angle
- Vehicle Speed
- Wastegate Duty Cycle (Bank 1)
- totalizer count counts exhaust gas relevant misfires over all cylinders
N63T3 and S63T4 vehicles (2020-2023 M550i, M850i, 2020-203 X5 M50i, F90 M5, M8, F95 X5M, etc.):
Before logging, add these channels (menu -> Dashboard at the top -> Configure Dashboard -> Available Channels -> Other). Again, you’ll likely may have to set them twice before they stick.
- LTFT – Long term fuel trim
- totalizer count counts exhaust gas relevant misfires over all cylinders – misfire counter
- (RAM) Fuel Inj. Angle (End) – injector utilization
- (RAM) HPFP Angle (Final) – HPFP utilization
Here is the preferred complete list of channels to log for the N63T3:
- Engine speed
- Accel. Pedal
- Ambient Pressure
- Boost (Pre-Throttle)
- Boost pressure (Target)
- Coolant Temp
- Engine speed
- Gear
- HPFP (Target)
- HPFP Act.
- IAT
- Ignition Timing 1
- Ignition Timing 2
- Ignition Timing 3
- Ignition Timing 4
- Intake manifold absolute pressure measured
- Knock detected
- LTFT
- Lambda
- Lambda Act. (Bank 1)
- Lambda Control Factor
- Load Act. (Rel.)
- Load Target (Rel.)
- MAF
- MAP
- Oil Temp
- STFT
- Throttle Angle
- totalizer count counts exhaust gas relevant misfires over all cylinders
- Vehicle Speed
- Wastegate Duty Cycle (Bank 1)
- (RAM) Boost Deviation(RAM) Boost Pressure (Target)
- (RAM) Boost Setpoint
- (RAM) Fuel Inj. Angle (End)
- (RAM) HPFP Angle (Final)
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. (Total)
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 1
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 2
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 3
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 4
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 5
- (RAM) Ignition Timing Corr. Cyl. 6
- (RAM) Load (Actual)
- (RAM) Load (Limit)
- (RAM) Load (Target)
- (RAM) Torque Limit (Flag)
- (RAM) Torque Limit Active (Flag)
- (RAM) Torque Limit Active 2 (Flag)
- (RAM) Torque Limit Active 3 (Flag)
- (RAM) Torque at Clutch (Actual)
- (RAM) Torque at Clutch (Target)
- (RAM) Torque at Clutch (Target) (Pre-DrivDynmcs)
- (RAM) Turbine Distribution Factor (Turbine/Wastegate)
All Vehicles:
When you make a log, first turn DSC fully off (hold the button for 7 seconds), put the transmission in sport shift mode (and let it shift automatically), then starting around 30 mph, floor the throttle until you hit at least 100 mph, if you can do it safely. That is different from some tuners where they want you to stay in one gear, but I prefer to test it the way you’ll actually drive it. Plus, a lot happens during shifts and there can often be overboost or other issues that are missed if logs are done in just one gear.
Once you make a log, they are immediately uploaded to the cloud and visible (if your phone/laptop is on the internet), so there’s no need to send links to the logs, just send a notification (DM or email) to say that logs are ready for review.
There is an issue in BM3 where the dashboard doesn’t update and datalogs are empty. One solution that sometimes works is to reset settings in BM3 back to defaults (menu -> Settings -> Reset Defaults) and then set your custom settings again. If that doesn’t work, the only known fix is clear out all datalogging channels (menu -> Dashboard at the top, -> Configure Dashboard -> Datalog Channels) and then add them back.