Fanatic, I have a RENN tune, since they're the only ones that can do my model.

Am I a fool by your logic for paying that money? You have no clue how expensive the hardware for the new versions is, nor can you have an idea of the R&D costs associated with this.

The AccessPort cost $20 to product (fact), and sold by the thousands for $600+. If you don't want to pay extra, it's simple - wait for the others to catch up.

I'm a huge fan of Jerry & NM, but I went RENN because I know the head tuner knows everything about the new ECUs (and have the hardware associated with them).

ETG... Who even knows anymore. I'm not going to risk a brand new engine on a guy that has issues with downpipe tuning. Period.

 

I will vouch for Tyrolsport. That tune, however, will require sending it down the RENN in Lake Park, FL.

It's not something that can be done @ Tyrol.

 

What is it with folks twisting things around on this site? I swear it's gone to ****.

Always assuming.

You are no fool for getting your car tuned. You went with what you felt most comfortable with...and someone who was capable of safely tuning your car. There is nothing wrong with that.
I'm actually happy for you, you actually have a tuned N18, and that's awesome in my book!

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what kind of money is spent for R&D. I understand that.

What I'm saying is Renntech is charging us as if we where driving AMG's....we definitely are not.
Folks who have NM tunes do not pay what Renn is asking for....for basically the same result.

Renn is asking for the price of a dyno tune...which is not what they are offering....it's a canned tune.

Now I know what all the fuss was about for the accessport...ease of access.

Now look at many of us, scrambling for Mini support.

 

You're overreacting...

I'm a huge supporter of NM, no question. And I've had a few of their tunes (and have been quite happy with them). I also have Jan's tunes, etc.

Point being, if you have a post 3/12, you're essentially "stuck" with a potentially poor tune, or a high price. There is actually a way to have a dyno tune done, but you would need to be in FL. Same price as the canned tune.

If you want to PM me, I'll be happy to let you in on a bit of a tip regarding the RENN tune... Then again, I guess it's people like me making NAM "go to ----"?

Mhm.

 

When I get my tune by ETG I will definitely post up the dyno when I drive down to Ohio! I know many on HERE are skeptical but at least it's proof for the numbers.

Trust me I wanted NM's tune but more mods to fit their protocol on what tune better fits the car i.e. Stage 1/2.

RennTech is good too but I'm good on spending that much and then pay for a dyno if I don't live in FL.

RMW will never touch my car or Jan's services in general.

I chose ETG to go with since they're great with what numbers they can produce, I didn't have to spend more $$$ to get more HP/TQ out of the car. Free dyno when I have it tuned by them, and best of all Jags really talked to me and told me many points about their tune. I don't think 40hp/60tq is bad at all to the crank!

But I'm never gonna bad mouth NM's and RennTech tune, but RMW I think otherwise.

In the end, a tune is a tune IMO. Reason I say that cause everyone has their own opinion on people's tunes and what positives they like and dislike.

 

Rob, that will be very helpful, and will aid in the further discussion of the ETG option.

I am hoping for the best for you!

No reason to spend the money on RENN with a pre-3/12 -- that's madness. NM does a great job, so if everything hits the fan... you know where to turn next.

Those are some great gains - I'm hoping they hold up!

 

Also, Fanatic, since you're so close, it seems that it would be in your best interest to go directly to ETG to get a full dyno tune.

That would ensure that you're happy right then and there.

 

I sent my computer to Jerry today for the Stage 2 upgrade. Will be installing when I return from vacation in Myrtle Beach. Hopefully I'll be able to get it dyno'd locally to see what it puts down with my combo. Will post as soon as I gather a review.

 

Thanks Theta, I am hoping everything turns out to be great, I am way too excited at this point. When I get back from San Fran I will have to get on this quickly by installing my exhaust, hot side pipe, and tune.

Tony, let us know what happens when you receive it next Thursday!!! I'm excited for you man, I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

 

My ECU is on its way to NM as well for a tune. Based on my multiple discussions with folks at RMW, NM, ETG and RENNtech over the past 6 months, the experience others have reported with the various companies and their tunes, prices, reflash policies, etc. - I decided that NM was the right tuner for my R56.

 

I don't have any personal experience with any of the other tuners, although a guy I know has a RENN tuned Mercedes that is a beast.

All I will say is that Jerry at NM is a customer service beast and in the few months I've been running their Stage 1 tune, I haven't had one issue with it. It seems to be a super stable tune.

 

Given a choice I'd go with NM & Jerry in a heartbeat, but unfortunately my 2013 Coupe doesn't have that choice. So for me it's either ship it off to RENNtech or drive 2 hours up to L.A. and ETG. But I'd much rather blow thru L.A. on my way to NM.

So for me; and many like me I'm sure, I can't wait to see the results and experience that Rob has with Jags and ETG.

Hopefully this thread will have some notes to compare Rob's route and a RENNtech version to help us all make a better informed choice.

In the meantime I'll have my fingers crossed that Jerry and NM will soon be in the mix too.

 

I was under the impression that you only needed an upgraded intercooler and have everything else stock and still get the NM stage 2 tune. At least that's how I interpreted one of Jerry's email when I asked him for the requirement for stage 2. He said the ECU will adapt to the stock DP without any issue. Oh, he did ask what transmission I have and it's manual.

So I was thinking of getting the intercooler, then stage 2 tune, and later on add other mods as I feel like it or need it. Am I thinking about it right?

Sent from my iPhone using NAMotoring

 

The intercooler is the only mod that's absolutely necessary for Stage 2 due to boost and ignition timing changes requiring cooler IAT's. Other supporting mods (DP, exhaust, etc) are flow modifiers that the tune would adapt to.

 

Take a look at their website. You'll be fine if you want to do stage 1 with an intake, exhaust and their tune. You could always do it differently with a FMIC and other mods Jerry said. It's basically however you want the setup but if you do a Stage 2, that's when you'll feel better increases with a DP added.

 

If I went with NM's tune, can I use the stock box with a aFe dry filter? I know Jerry recommends a open filter.

 

HIIIII EVERYBODY!!!!! my name GABRIEL. i am here to clear up any questions that anyone has about my boost issue. lemme explain a few things. before i start i just want to clarify that i met Jaremy Cheetwood over NAM and we became buddies. i asked him if he'd mind installing a part for me since he was somewhat local. i consider him a friend and i know that he knows his stuff. another reason him and i are friends is because i asked him if he'd mind helping me learn somethings about cars and particularly MINI. i have a love for cars but not the passion to the extent where i dedicate a lot of time to it. so i thought he could teach me a few things so that i could modify my car on my own in the future. so yes im a total NOOB
about 6 months ago, i was desperately wanting to tune my car. Jan from RMW was out of town for an extended amount of time and i was feeling very impatient, so i decided to check out other options. In hindsight i wish i wasn't so impatient. BUT that has nothing to do with Jags' tune and abilities as a tuner...like i said hes a good dude and i have respect for him. I just need to learn to do my research before making big decisions in life in general. haha.
Jaremy actually found ETG for me. he found them online as an alternate option. I contacted Jags immediately that day. off the bat, Jags was insanely informative and super nice. he's a good dude. I was impressed at the price ($600) for his tune. especially when the cars he works on and tunes are 99% $100,000+ cars (porsche, lambo, rrari, bent, RR, etc). so i assumed that the tune would be amazing (being as naive as i am).
at the time of having Jags tune my car, i had the stock FMIC, k&n drop in filter, and according to everyone, my 2kRacing (Reseda,CA) custom straight pipe exhaust and custom 2k DP (stock one but gutted...ya...wack) is absolute SH*T...i also have wheels and h&r coilovers but that doesnt matter right now haha....
so....i got the tune from ETG and at first i was very pleased. i absolutely felt what seemed to be a good 20-25hp gain and a bunch of torque (dont know details...no dyno..). i left feeling really good about the whole experience. GI Motorsports in Santa Monica is where Jags works out of most of the time, has a very comfortable environment and everyone was really nice.
2 days after the tune, i was on the freeway and floored it in 4th. boost kicked in immediately and everything was normal. i shifted into 5th still flooring it. all of a sudden my already loud exhaust let out a giant roar and a type of rattling noise. boost gauge read 30 psi!!! the only way to explain it is that i literally thought my exhaust blew off the back of my car haha (dont even know if thats physically possible...) my check engine light went on and my car went into limp mode..my turbo just stopped working.. i pulled off the freeway and called jags immediately. he answered. boy i gotta say jags is good at explaining things and loves to do it. which is good. hes very informative and will gladly take the time to thoroughly explain how your car works.
he told me to bring the car into GI the next day or so. so i took in my 2011 Clubman S (btw haha) and he told me that the problem was several things which in the end, long story short, ended up NOT being the problems. it sucked but i dont hold grudges. so over a 3 month period we tried removing and fixing different parts of my car. turns out that the intake that Jaremy installed was mounted back improperly when i switched back from the Alta CAI to the stock CAI (with K&N). In Jaremy's defense, we were pretty drunk off of some coronas when he came over to install my CAI lol. so jags was awesome and actually fixed that for FREE for me. but it still didnt fix the boost surge problem.
days and weeks go by and the problem happens on and off. so im thinking at that point that i might want to have jags flash my car back to stock and ask for a refund. he actually ended up offering both of things to me.
Jags had always told me that my car and tune would run better with a FMIC, so i went ahead and purchased an Alta FMIC. Jaremy once again installed that for me about 2 weeks ago.
I HAVE NOT experienced the boost surge problem YET since installing the FMIC.


so this is where i stand with everything......ive heard multiple diagnosis.
Jaremy is my friend and Jags is a new friend of mine...although after all this i doubt he wants to have anything to do with me...actually im positive haha. the main diagnosis ive heard from sources like Minicorsa and Jaremy and other people who know things about cars, is that its the tune. those sources have said that the ecu for the 2011 clubman cannot handle the amount of boost ETG's tune puts out, so it puts itself into limp mode. 30 psi is A LOT so i (being a noob) just thought...hmm ya that makes sense
when i contacted jags about it, he seemed a lil offended, which i could understand. i wouldnt appreciate someone doubting my work. but still, as a customer, i believe i have the right to worry and ask the questions i need to understand. this eventually led to jags resenting me (i believe) he'll deny that, but at this point he just wants to detune my car, refund me my 600, and never speak to me again. which honestly as a customer and a noob and someone who in reality just wants his 30k investment to run properly, i dont appreciate. this is where i stand today up to date. i spoke to him last, today.
now here's where i stand on personal levels with both of them..... i really wish that Jaremy wouldnt go immediately to the forums and put words in my mouth before i make any thorough decisions about what i want to do with my car. ill tell him that to his face if he kindly decides to come over on monday haha what that did, was cause jags to become angry with me as if i had anything to do with jaremy's postings...which i didnt. jags still doesnt seem to grasp that fact...
at the same time, i dont appreciate jags not giving me a strong warning about having an aftermarket DP with his tune (not working properly). in fact he made it quite clear to me that he was attempting an experiment with my car. he was hoping that it could work. so now im left wishing i wasnt the guinea pig for his N18 engine tuning experiments. all said, we is trying to be ahead of the tuning game in every way. so i respect him in the sense that he's trying to be a leader in the game. but i wish he hadnt tried something new on my car. while im on the jags topic, i wish he wouldnt have shared my texts with you ROBMUNTEAN. he's not my therapist but i dont necessarily like him sharing my texts with people i dont know and then finding out that those people are offering to repost my texts online for "proof". so look.....im so over this ****. im hoping Jan at RMW will be a cool enough guy to return my call i left him earlier about having him tune my car....but then again i saw on this thread that he cant do N18 engines...and then AGAIN Jaremy has an R56 and he has and RMW tune. so i really wouldnt understand why Jan wouldnt do it. and if he wouldnt, i would hope he would explain it to me as someone should a potential client. i dont mean to sound entitled, but ive had enough with people taking me for a fool. im a noob but not a fool and all i really want is my damn clubbie to run on a tune properly....
Jags IS indeed tuning minis for several dealerships. so his tune is good. for some reason mine was no good. maybe my car would run perfectly with a stock DP .. but jags isnt patient enough to wait until thats possible. i wouldnt tell people to NOT go to him. go to jags if you feel its the right move. lets put it this way. if i had a brand new M3, lambo, etc i would 100% take my car to Jags. the credibility and experience is there. if i bought a brand new Clubman with a fresh new ecu, i would take my car to RMW....IF Jan would be willing to tune a N18....(hopefully jan sees this and responds to it himself)

OK SO THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!! if anyone can help me with my car issues in any way, im open to suggestions and friendly advice. im really hoping that Jan gets back to me, otherwise ill have to forfit my refund with ETG and keep the tune and just pray that a stock DP eliminates my boost surge problem completely..


HELLLLPPPPPP MEEEEEEEEE
:impat ient:

-GABRIEL

 

read below

 

I'm sorry you felt angry about the texting issue but your buddy was a liar or just using incorrect information. Thanks for clearing it up! At this point in doing more HW on ETG, I'm 50/50 on them after reading what other forums wrote.

 

your welcome! wasnt really annnnngry haha more just frustrated with dealing with all this bs. i just want my car to run like a champ. as far as jaremy, i honestly dont know enough to get anyone's back in this situation. ive known jaremy for just under a year now i think. both jags and jaremy are good guys haha. i trust both of them. thats why its so frustrating. i dont know enough to just pick a side and make a solid decision about what to do with my car. should i have jags flash my car back to stock and hope that Jan will be willing and able to tune my car with the N18 engine? or should i keep the ETG tune, forfeit my refund and stock flash, get a stock mini oem DP and pray that it fixes my boost surge problem for good? so torn.....and jags is giving me until next friday to make a decision...

 

After reading upon your issues Gab, I'm really upset for you that you had overboost issues. Hopefully with the FMIC it'll stop! But do you know how much gain you really got? He told me 40hp/60tq? But when I looked at Smokey's dyno in Ohio next to me and found out they do the same tune it seems like...$595 and only 7-10% increase in whp and wtq. I hope it's not true, I will be calling Smokey's Monday to confirm it. But if you only gained 20-25hp then I'm kinda bummed.

As for your issues, I recommend NM if things don't work out with the DP you have and Jags tune. What are all your mods at this point man? I would wait til Wednesday to see if you overboost if so, then call Jerry at NM, he's a pretty bright guy. Don't waste your time with RMW. And if I were you too, don't do business with 2K ever!

Hopefully that helps, I want to be able to figure out your situation.

Does his tune seem aggressive like he says? And how does she ride when getting on it now with the FMIC? Everyone seems to say on the Jaguar forums that he shaved off a full second on their 0-60 times. Not that it matters in our MINIs, I'm for cornering:-). But explain more about the positives on the tune?

 

thank you for the interest! i probably wont go to 2k for any custom work anymore. haha hmmmm NM. what is their method and results? the ETG tune is pretty aggressive. i need to do some dyno runs. i want to know the numbers on my car with the ETG tune. but i probably wont be able to do that before friday.....unless jags offers me a free dyno....that would probably work to his benefit if he wanted me to keep the tune. but i doubt he does at this point lol. benefits of the tune is that its very torquey. eliminates a lot of boost lag. its really quick. i wouldnt be suprised if it puts out 30hp 35tq but i doubt it. definitely doesnt feel like 40 and 60. i need dyno proof. you should ask jags to give your free dyno to me when i get on it with the FMIC it pulls way more consistently as where as before it kinda lagged more and the power output was less consistent. excuse me for lack of the proper terminology haha but the overboost issue felt and sounded terrible. really doesnt sound like its doing my car any good. . if you have any other questions....ask away. thanks
-G

 

Rob can you help us all out with our HW and send along a few links to the info you're referring to on the other forums.

 

I couldnt wait anymore. So i went ahead and installed the akrapovic dp on my already ETG tuned car.

I had it for about a week and the first couple of days the check engine light did not come on(o2 sensor thing). But i spoke too soon. It came on yesterday. Oh well.

But so far i have not had any over boost issues. I dont have a boost guage but im looking to install one. How does it feel like anyway?

I have been driving my car HARD since the DP was installed. My friend with a Hyundai genesis coupe rspec were doing some 1/4 miles at this empty staight away we know of and using the iphone dynolicious app. I know my car isnt made for drag but it was the only way i get to really push it really hard to see if any errors come up. My friend and I mustve did at least 7-8 runs. While my car did not win any of these races, i defintely kept it close, especially on a roll where traction was already accomplished.

Before the ETG tune i had a JCW tune and that was advertised as 200hp but the ETG tune feels way more power than the JCW tune.

According to the dynolicious app(which is pretty accurate according to a lot of people who compared numbers against an actual dyno), my car has around 202 WHP plus the whatever percentage of drivetrain loss is.

Anyways, my best time was 13.9.

Ask any questions. Or tell me what i should be looking for when overboost happens.

 

Yes I will in less than an hour. I will show you what issues ETG is either accused of or just are plain liars at this point.

Gab's, I swear man I would give you the dyno run, I only love three hours away from Akron. But I don't know anymore what to think because I'm so disappointed someone would lie about a tune with 40hp/60tq. I'd rather go to RennTech since they're more credible at this point in higher numbers for our N18's. but NM in a stage 1 offers 25-30hp and 30-35tq with just an intake, exhaust, and turbo pipes. With a stage 2 they offer an additional 20-25% increase with a FMIC/downpipe but they don't override the DP CEL. Hopefully that helps Gab. They're located in Camarillo,Cali too. You might have to think about it since its for a good price at $500.

But let us know if you somehow magically dyno it. Tell Jags that we want proof this tune of his isn't a load of poop since other websites are showing his true colors. Let us know what he says, especially if supposedly he's saying I can get a free dyno at Smokey's.