[johnnyd34]

Hello to all. Newcomer here.

I recently purchased this vehicle and decided I wanted to mod it. I installed the downpipes, intake, 2 step colder NGK plugs (Plugs were recommended to me) and all new Dinan Coil packs. Did not start or drive the vehicle until I applied the BOOTMOD3 tune.

I sent my DME out to have unlocked so that I could apply a tune using BOOTMOD3. They came back today.I reinstalled the DME’s, put most of everything back together and began the tuning process. I chose the Stage 2 (non AGG). The flash was successful. Then came the issues after starting for the first time after all the upgrades.

1. After about 90 seconds of idling it started to drop RPM and then shoot back up consistently every few seconds.

**I figured it just needed to idle for a while or be driven to kind of work out anything.

So I decided I would take it out for a drive. I put it in reverse and the idling got worse to where it felt almost as if it wanted to stall out, but didn’t. I put it back in park as I was afraid something may be terribly wrong. As it remained idling for 5-10 minutes I noticed I had smoke coming out at my hood. Then I panicked and shut her down. I read that the smoke is probably due to the residue on the brand new downpipes? I popped the hood and she was definitely extremely hot! I squeezed the charge pipe hoses and they felt very soft. Normal?

I then flashed the oem file back to see how she’d run normal without the tune. Same outcome of missing and carrying on. If I gassed it I had some popping out the exhaust to.

So……..I’m thinking maybe the plugs? They were gapped at .19 new and that’s what one of the tuners in Cali said he does them at. So I didn’t change the gapping but checked them all before installing. I also wasn’t able to get the downpipes to go into the exhaust as far as the oem ones. I got them to the slit on the pipe and the c-clamp covered 1/2” opening that was left. I had a nightmares getting the oem plugs out and had to spend hours trying to get 5 out of the 8 out. I’m talking WD40 amd PB Blaster. By the time it was done I had tore all the rubber boot out practically. I also needed to remove the coolant tank to do the work and found that it had tipped over and leaked out. Nothing into the plugs directly though. I thoroughly blew out and dried up all the antifreeze the best I could.

Any help would be great and thanks in advance. I previously had a 328i that a mechanic modded and tuned for me that blew 3 engines before I trashed it. So I’m quite hesitant to even start this $100k car again until I know what’s wrong. I’m not a mechanic or an engine head so I apologize in advance if my terminology/ verbiage is poor. I do not have any CEL at all. I did get some errors from BOOTMOD3 diagnostics though. That’s the latest but I had 4 or 5 related to misfire. cda73a, cda728, cda711 and cda73a

[shawntech]

I'd put the stock plugs and coils back in and retest... just my .2

[johnnyd34]

I would but I threw them out instantly. Not to bright but I have ocd. Lol

[Blaqwhole]

Ok so bear with me as I am still learning about these cars. So from what I know there is a process you have to do before installing a tune. I only heard it in a video but I didn't pay much attention as I have no intentions of installing a tune myself...if anything my dealership does my tuning and the updates. But apparently if you do not do that process exactly as it is stated then there could be some issues. Again I didn't pay much attention. So I would ask you if you heard of those steps and if you did them accordingly?

My other suggestion is to ditch the coil packs and go back to the stock units. One thing I know from all the Domestics I have is that aftermarket coil packs some times cause issues. That is all I have to contribute. Good luck.

[Tethys]

I would put stock coil packs back on, I'm not even sure why you changed them, it wasn't needed.

[johnnyd34]

The coil packs were changed because I ripped all the rubber boots and they’re not sold individually. So I contacted a performance company and they told me that the Dinan would be an upgrade.

[Tenac]

Originally Posted by johnnyd34

The coil packs were changed because I ripped all the rubber boots and they’re not sold individually. So I contacted a performance company and they told me that the Dinan would be an upgrade.

Did you program the coil packs?? On BMW they need to be before use.


EDIT: My mistake its the injectors that need to be programmed..... Disregard.

[johnnyd34]

Originally Posted by Blaqwhole

Ok so bear with me as I am still learning about these cars. So from what I know there is a process you have to do before installing a tune. I only heard it in a video but I didn't pay much attention as I have no intentions of installing a tune myself...if anything my dealership does my tuning and the updates. But apparently if you do not do that process exactly as it is stated then there could be some issues. Again I didn't pay much attention. So I would ask you if you heard of those steps and if you did them accordingly?

My other suggestion is to ditch the coil packs and go back to the stock units. One thing I know from all the Domestics I have is that aftermarket coil packs some times cause issues. That is all I have to contribute. Good luck.

I have not heard of any of that. But interesting.

[johnnyd34]

Are there any diagnostics I can run to help with figuring it out?

[johnnyd34]

Originally Posted by Tenac

Did you program the coil packs?? On BMW they need to be before use.

No I knew nothing about that. Is that something I can do? Or dealer only?

[Tenac]

Originally Posted by johnnyd34

No I knew nothing about that. Is that something I can do? Or dealer only?

No my bad I made a mistake, injectors need programed not coils.

[Blaqwhole]

Originally Posted by johnnyd34

I have not heard of any of that. But interesting.

Ok so I found the video. Now I am not sure if this is a thing with EVERY tuner, but this was for Race Chips. To prep the car the guy says he had to put the parking brake on, open the hood, lock the car, and then remove the keys from the vicinity of the car.

Here is the video and it is at about the 2:50 mark.

Again, I am not sure if this is only for RC and certain years or if it something you have to do with every tuner. Also this was a PB tune so I am not sure if this process also works with flashes. But it might be a good place to start looking.

Another thing that crosses my mind...you did multiple mods at the same time so it might be difficult trying to find out what is causing the issue. I mean, it could also be something unrelated that might have happened during the installs. Maybe something wasn't connected properly or perhaps it is a corrupted tune. But since you put the tune back to stock and are still having these issues I would assume that it is the coil packs and plugs based on the symptoms.

Smoke coming out from the engine bay...makes me think that the DPs are not fully connected properly or something is loose. The extreme heat from under the hood might be indicative of a collapsed cat (if they are HF catted DPs) or perhaps something is blocking the pipes.

[johnnyd34]

Originally Posted by Blaqwhole

Ok so I found the video. Now I am not sure if this is a thing with EVERY tuner, but this was for Race Chips. To prep the car the guy says he had to put the parking brake on, open the hood, lock the car, and then remove the keys from the vicinity of the car.

Here is the video and it is at about the 2:50 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyylairM6tA

Again, I am not sure if this is only for RC and certain years or if it something you have to do with every tuner. Also this was a PB tune so I am not sure if this process also works with flashes. But it might be a good place to start looking.

Another thing that crosses my mind...you did multiple mods at the same time so it might be difficult trying to find out what is causing the issue. I mean, it could also be something unrelated that might have happened during the installs. Maybe something wasn't connected properly or perhaps it is a corrupted tune. But since you put the tune back to stock and are still having these issues I would assume that it is the coil packs and plugs based on the symptoms.

Smoke coming out from the engine bay...makes me think that the DPs are not fully connected properly or something is loose. The extreme heat from under the hood might be indicative of a collapsed cat (if they are HF catted DPs) or perhaps something is blocking the pipes.

They are catless downpipes. I’m thinking exhaust myself because the noise is coming from the exhaust but I guess that doesn’t mean anything? I did just run the bootmod3 diagnostics after running it for a few minutes and this is what I get. However, I flashed the bootmod3 stock flash.

[Tenac]

Have you contacted bootmod and the DME company yet? They typically can connect remotely to diagnose.

[johnnyd34]

Originally Posted by Tenac

Have you contacted bootmod and the DME company yet? They typically can connect remotely to diagnose.

I reached out to the person that flashed my DME and this was his response.

“That’s not a tune or ecu issue. Something with your parts install. Plugs coils, vacuum leak”

[johnnyd34]

I don’t know if anyone will hear anything from these videos cause I’m almost deaf.

https://youtube.com/shorts/fPe-sHPdpG8?feature=share

https://youtu.be/uW2ZzPIRrLo

https://youtu.be/NoMtGe48VL0

[Tenac]

Yeah I'm not hearing anything wrong per say..... Maybe someone with better ears can chime in.

I think its 100% worth making sure everything is tight and installed correctly. IF that checks out you might as well bite the bullet and go back to OEM coil's.

[Tenac]

Maybe even try a different tune setting. You said you tried map 2, try some others too.

[johnnyd34]

Another video

https://youtube.com/shorts/x5jo_dWBq1I?feature=share

[johnnyd34]

Originally Posted by Tenac

Maybe even try a different tune setting. You said you tried map 2, try some others too.

Even though it does it when I flash back to factory as well?

[johnnyd34]

Would it cause a problem if the O2 sensors aren’t back where they were specifically? I’m only asking because I guess there’s a possibility I may have not put them back where they were.

[bloozemanAZ]

Originally Posted by johnnyd34

Would it cause a problem if the O2 sensors aren’t back where they were specifically? I’m only asking because I guess there’s a possibility I may have not put them back where they were.

O2 as in oxygen? Take it with a grain of salt as I'm not a modder (yet) but that could be the likely suspect. Engine needs oxygen for the combustion so a faulty sensor or not where they should be could be an issue.