Just getting this started as a place for everyone to converge on the progress/status and issues faced of tuning the N18 engines for the 2011+ (non-JCW) engines. Ideally I would love for various tuners/vendors to chime in on their personal product progress if available to help things along. I will post all the updates posted, found online, or that I am sent (via PM) to this main thread to try and avoid flooding the Alta thread and keeping things organized.

It has been brought up that some 04/2012 production engines have yet another different engine ECU system. Please check with vendors about your production date before shipping ECUs and/or posting here about vendors not being able to tune your N18.

This, as all of NAM, should be community driven and just centrally collected. See something, say something policy where proof never hurts.


Simply put, there are only a few tuners who can tune and only by sending them your ECU and voiding any warranty on your MINI.

========== Current Vendors providing bench/hard tunes ("void" warranty - Send in ECU) ==========

Evolve

Jan/RMW

Renntech
Posted gains (R56): 221 HP @ 5500 RPM / 232 TQ @ 1700-4500 RPM
Cost: $945
Includes: Free shipping - Free re-flash
More Info: Blog Post
Buy: Here

NM Engineering
Posted gains: Stage 1, 25-30 HP and 30-35 Ft-lbs gain on stock engine. Stage 2, additional 20-25% power gain.
Cost: $500
Includes: Free overnight shipping - Free lifetime upgrades - Free re-flash back to stock programming
Product Page: Here
Review: Here

ECU Tuning Group
Posted gains (R56): 29.9hp & 8.1 lbs tq (**over stock)
Cost: $595
More Info: Here


========== Vendors working on "soft" tunes (OBD tools) ==========

Alta Performance[No ETA - Need to confirm active development]

Jan/RMW[Need to confirm active development]

Evolve[No ETA - Need to confirm active development]


========== Vendors not working on N18 tunes (OBD tools) ==========

GIAC


========== Vendors not able to flash N18 tunes (OBD or Bench) ==========

Bren Tuning


As usual, but just as a friendly reminder, regular NAM guidelines should be followed and any rules breakers should be reported for proper discipline. This is not a thread for flaming vendors or for bashing on others news/reports on progress. Let's keep things friendly here guys, please.

 

Post area reserved if needed.

 

Great thread. I just chatted with a tech at Alta this am via online. He said there is no ETA at this time for the AP.

 

There's a tuner here in Massachusetts who can tune the N18. He told me its $650 and will net about 35hp/35ft lbs on a stock motor. He said pulling the ecu is necessary though. The tuner is called Brentuning

 

^^^^Nice thanks, I will try to look them up. But I would hate to pay that $ and have to go back for something and the dealer flashes it out.

 

Thanks guys, I heard about Bren since I am based near him so he was already on my list. Added some from the top of my head as of now. More updates coming, with sources as to vendor specifics. Have to work out a better format for listing everyone and details for each.

 

don't forget the JCW tune for the mini. on the r56 it made a lot more at the wheels than MINI put on paper, hopefully the N18 is the same deal.

 

Both Renntech and NM Engineering offer bench tuning for the N18 minis . . . .

 

Do you have any more details on this being available through MINI and what the process is (bench or flash)? I of course know about the JCW tune but have not heard about it for the N18s yet

Thanks, added to the list. . . . .

 

Do not forget Evolve Automotive in the U.K. I think they just cracked the "unhackable" N18 ECU. Suck it BMW!

 

Here's the email I was sent from Brentuning
2011 Mini ECU's need to be removed and flashed on a bench. *$695 +
installation since they are not flashable OBD2 in the 2011 year.

Thanks,

BT
Evolve has not yet replied on the forums, I don't think they cracked it yet.

 

Interesting, to me at least, is the statement and photos in the article about the NM Engineering tune indicating they do not need to "crack open" the ECU to put their tune on it. I know both RMW and Renntech do have to open up the ECU module.

I like the notion of getting a quality tune on our N18 minis without it being obvious from pulling and looking at the ECU module that the nut has been cracked.

 

Yeah, at the dealer it still had a sign in the JCW area saying kit not available for 2011+ models. I heard somewhere someone ordered one at the dealer after they received the car and they spent a few weeks trying to flash the thing. I think he posted about it here on NAM.

 

Seems like they don't quite have it yet from info I have gathered. Will keep looking into it though.

Thanks for the more info. Interesting the way he worded it as "not flashable in the 2011 year". wonder if that means he thinks it will not ever be possible. Either way, will add the info to the main post.

I am really intrigued by the NM tune, seems like a win/win at this point just might be a little more modest of a tune compared to what other vendors are offering for the later models. Really would like to get to talk to someone from NM about it in person.

Thanks, I will try and find the post or any more info. Last I heard it had not yet happened for the 2011+ models.

 

cgaubuchon thanks for setting up this up .

For those who are worried about pulling your ECU its really not that bad I had it done on my 11 GTI that I just traded and never got hassled once at the dealer about it. Hell anytime in the 36k miles I owned the car and would bring it in for the free oil changes or service they would ask me if I wanted any of the SW updates from VW before they did them just to make sure they didn't overwrite my flash. It really depends on the dealer and if your honest polite and open with your SA about you mods and what ever issue you are having.

As for some of the other comments about security as i said in my last post in the ALTA thread. Its not a security issue now its a business case/justification issue we are having. Lets be real the MINI S models are grossly overpriced for what you get let alone the JCW cars meaning we are a very small blip on any of the major tuners radar, because only so many people can afford an S or JCW and outta those how many are really interested in possibly voiding there warranty for a lil more power??(NOT MANY) The few of us who are willing probably will buy something like a GTI, MS3, or a Mustang for that all out performance car and bargain. So now what you have is COBB, APR, UNITRONIC, UNITED MOTORSPORTs, and like focusing on proven enthusiasts platforms that have been around for years and have huge followings that they know will give them a good ROI. Those reasons are why its taking years for us to get a tuning solution.

As for the players in the field all but one(NM)really has the money and man power to be a big player in this community(if they are even able to). Jan however good he maybe is only one person who is stretched to thin to adequately provide coverage that is needed to R&D our cars tunes or provide a viable long distance tuning solution. As for ALTA they are tied to COBB for their tool so they cant do anything until COBB does something(Who knows when this will be if ever). Also they are trying to provide to much to the end user in the AP instead of just focusing on a tuning solution. Leave the DATA Logging, Throttle Mapping, Button Mapping out. There are other tools that do this and are not need in a tuning solution. Some of you are gonna scream bloody murder at that last bit but its true. The Honda,VW communities haven't had a need for a hand held data logger in there tuning solutions up unit very recently and even then its not really needed as there are other tools that can do this better. The other few tuners are all smaller ops that also don't have the money needed to support us outside of a regional basis.

Really the way car mfgs are going in the future you will see security and the inability to tune thru the OBD port nativity becoming more of a hassel as MPG and emission standards are increased. In response and also in an effort to keep out competing MFG's and others from very proprietary and important info stored in car ECU's we may lose the ability all together to tune cars at all.

In closing what we need is more people to drive up demand for tuning solutions and vendors for our cars or else you will have to move onto something for your power fix.

Vendors please do not think I am bashing your efforts or work this is just my opinion and observation of our scene. Please correct me where I am wrong to help further the discussion.

 

Well said

 

Thanks automan21 I really would like to see vendors and people move away from this notion of ours cars need to have a hand held tuner. While it does make life easier its not 100% needed. As evidenced by others who bench flash ECU's regardless of make.

Vendors please if you have the ability to bench flash N18 ECU's get a good dealer network going through out the country and make good solid safe tunes that wont throw codes. These cars will never be nor need to be 300whp or even crank hp cars a good 200-220whp to 215-235wtq is all that would be needed and safe. Also some standardization among parts used to create these tunes will rid yall of the headaches and CEL's to. NM use only your parts, Alta do the same and this goes for the others as well.

 

Oh wait, I was meaning Im in for the hand held. I like the option of flashing and reflashig my ecu whenever I want. Its better than having to go to the shop to flash it again after the dealer and some punk kid fresh out of auto school did a flash and erased your tune that you spent so much $ on.

 

^ You fail lol but seriously like I said as long you have an open dialog with your SA you really shouldn't have this issue. Once a car is cracked HW wise its generally easy to be able to re flash via OBD and that's where a strong dealer network comes in. Trust me once you tell them not do something they wont I make it a point to have them put whatever I tell them in writing on the service docket for my car esp car washes!!

 

Ok from the AP thread I pick this up about my buddy with a 2012 MINI Cooper S. So I tried to clear up with up what he has done to his car how he is running 205HP from a almost stock S. He only has an intake, BOV spring upgrade, and a custom exhaust.

So he went to have his car tuned from a guy here in Jax that has tuned 2011s. Come to find out his car was not tune because the protocol between the 11s and 12s are different.

On further investigation he let me know that he might have picked up his S with a JCW tune. He informed me that after test driving 2 Cooper S back to back the 1st one was slower then the second one. After he had an intake installed and his custom exhaust installed he dyno'd his car where it made its current 205hp. So I just talked to him about 20 minutes ago and we both decided that when he goes to the dealership to see if he can get the mechanic to have him check to see if it does have the JCW tune. Now I will after I get back from the Dragon be following up with this guy in Jax about tuning 2011s. I am sorry for the confusion in what I stated in the other thread but, I would like to know if he does it and how much and would like to see one that has been tuned to see how well he did.

 

Porthos did your buddy buy his car new or used? This is def getting interesting if there is a dif between the 11's and 12's ECU protocols since this could be the cause of the big delay for us N18 guys getting a tune.

 

Brand new it is a 2012.

 

i only read they JCW tune info on here to. somewhere in the JCW section sorry.

 

Do the non-JCW 2011 and 2012 not both use the N18?

 

Yes they both use the same engine but there could be a difference in the ECU protocol they use.