MTH Powerchip Mod

C/T I've got two broken scramblers in my garage :dead: I don't want to add the mini to the list :p:D:approve:

DO MTH do anything for the works s???

I need more power already....

A few people have asked Franz to look at the works S code, not sure what the results have been yet. Will let you know if I hear anything

Martin,

I reckon you've had the mod done for just over a week now?

How does it feel now you've had some more time to get used to it?
It's a bit silly to ask but, how has it affected your fuel economy?

I think I've almost talked the wife round to this when our MCS gets run in (due here in around 4 weeks) and I've planted the seed with a good mate who is also buying a new MCS and is expecting it early December.

I'm a little fuzzy on the whole ordering/registration process - Franzs' website hasn't helped me much either. Would we need to buy the cable with the box thingy or just a cable? Then Franz e-mails the modified software?

Sorry for all the Q's mate - I can't make head or tails of it

Cheers!

Scott

Mod still feels fantastic - I am just back from a long drive down and back to Manchester. Car feels fantastic, definitely much looser and more get up and go in 5th and 6h gear. Fuel consumption is also marginally better I reckon - used to have to refill the car about 100 miles short of my house - got to within 75 miles this time before low fuel light came on.

The cable comes with a "box thingy", this interfaces the RS232 from your PC to the ODBII interface of your car. What you need to decide is if you want a USB one or a serial port one - which depends on what pc you are going to use. My new shiny laptop has no serial ports so I got a USB one. You can get USB to serial port convertors from Maplin - but some people have reported problems using these with the Cartune software.

Once you have your cable -

Register on Franzs site - you can do that now if you want
Download the Cartune software from the members area
Follow the instructions on Mini2 - brief details here

Connect the cable from laptop to car
Download the ECU using the cartune software
Email to Franz
On its return reload it back to the ECU

At one stage you will need use your VIN number to register the software - this is where you will have to pay your one of fee to Franz.

Hope this helps
PM me if you any other questions.

Martin

S'cuse me for being a bit of killjoy here, but if it's possible to gain a 30BHP hike to 195BHP on an 'S' with a "simple" ECU upgrade (for £40.00!?!) and NOTHING else, then why are all those modded (eg 'Works'/'Hartge'/BBR) cars with ECU's, Uprated 'Charger Pulleys, Heads, Filters and Exhausts 'only' making around the 200-220BHP mark? Is there a reason for this? Longevity? Accurate verifiable power readings? If this 'MTH' prog. actually delivers, then there are going to be a lot of really pissed off Newminiscotland members out there who've gone to one of the above Tuners.....OR if they get a new programme from Franz if he can do one, will they see 250BHP?

I know the ONE's power can be upped to COOPER levels as the only difference is the programming, but this just seems too good to be true for the 'S'. If it is true, then make sure it doesn't go BANG, like all those Chip-tuned Cossies used to, as the tolerances must be fairly marginal. What long-term testing has the guy done? Is it a flash in the pan (or under your bonnet)?

I'd like to see an INDEPENDENT test on this - maybe as a club we could get 'Go-Mini' or another modding mag to run comparisons under controlled conditions. Call me cynical, but if all the other "Chip Only" mods are making 8-10BHP on an 'S', then this guy should get a Nobel Prize, and he's just put ALL the other tuners out of business. This would also mean that BMW had presumably electronically "Detuned" the 'S' unit as much as they had with the ONE. Which means that they KNOW that the JCW Works kit is a complete rip-off, which it must be if nearly 200BHP can be "unlocked" just like that with no catastophic after-effects.

However, my experience is that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is, but I stand to be corrected. Time will tell......

http://www.chiptuninguk.com/chiptuning/frames_mini.asp offer a remap of an S which is supposed to give 195 bhp from an S. This was tested in Go Mini this month and received favourable results - how much do they charge??? £500.

You pay your money, you takes your chance!

Just read the "Chip Tuning" article in "Go MINI". Hmmm. 195BHP seems to be a popular figure, eh? Obviously vast difference in price, though. £560 difference to be precise.... somebody's 'avin a laff.

If these upgrades were PROPERLY TESTED and VERIFIED in Go-MINI I'd be more convinced - maybe I'm just old fashioned.(They ran a simple back-to-back acceleration test against the stopwatch with a few 'S's way back at the start, but they don't seem to go in for 'proper' testing much). I still think they tend to be a bit biased in favour of the manufacturer of whatever's in the article rather than being purely objective - ie, they often seem to just accept what they're being told, and pass it on to the reader. OK, it felt "Noticably Stronger", but that's a subjective opinion from a short test drive. Why didn't they put a stopwatch on it and get some "before and after" in-gear times etc? 25BHP and 22Lb ft Torque should make a noticable difference to times, so why not do it? Also with the rather "linear" delivery of the Supercharged engine, things can be deceptive. Without this it's all just "Bench Racing".

If "Evo" Magazine ran one of their comprehensive tests on it, (like they did with all the modified COOPER/'S's a while back) I'd believe them, because they don't seem to mind who they piss off! I wonder what BBR, Hartge, BMW/JCW et al think about this new-found "miracle power"? They're either laughing out loud or bricking it. If I get time, I'm going to try and find out.

Right, just sent off this letter to "EVO" magazine wonder if it'll stir anything.........?

I've recently come across a couple of companies offering 195BHP/180+Lbft with ONLY an ECU Remap.

Various tuning companies (eg John Cooper Works/BMW, BBR, Hartge, AMD etc) offering 200 - 220BHP have been using: ECU Upgrade, Uprated 'Charger Pulley, Exhaust and sometimes a re-worked Cylinder Head. Prices vary for this work from around the £1,200 mark to almost £4,000 for the JCW kit (pricey - but which obviously replaces the Supercharger, and comes fully BMW - approved).

One of these ECU Re-Mappers is a company called “Chiptuning� (www.chiptuninguk.com) who offer 195BHP and182+Lbft for £590.00 fitted , but the other one I've heard of is a German outfit called “MTH Powerchip� working through the Internet. (www.mth-powerchip.de). You require a Laptop and appropriate cabling, but he'll (allegedly) provide a 195BHP Remap for - wait for it - £40.00!!!!

Now this raises a few questions. Call me cynical, but IF 195BHP is available with only an ECU Re-map, why are we paying more and fitting more complicated modifications for only a few BHP more? If you can liberate 25BHP and loads of Torque form the 'S' by Remapping, does this mean that BMW have electronically “detuned� the motor as they did with the MINI ONE/COOPER unit, then allowed owners to pay almost £4,000 for the ‘Works’ 200BHP?

I'm highly sceptical about “Miracle� power gains, but if this proves to be a true reliable increase, surely this knocks the MINI tuning world (a HUGE global business now) on its head. Why have none of the 'established' tuners brought out ECU Remaps to give this type of increase - surely they've investigated this thoroughly? Reliability issues, or the fact it can't be done... I mean it beggars belief if ‘S’ owners can access 5BHP less than the JCW for a stunning £3,860 LESS. There are Threads on www.mini2.com and www.newminiscotland.co.uk (I’m a member of this excellent club).

Evo ran an excellent comparison test with nearly every modified COOPER and 'S' a while back, which was both detailed and objective (as usual!). I'd love to see a properly figured Evo “Shoot Out� between say, the BBR or COOPER Works and a couple of these ECU Remap cars. Then we'd know for sure. What do you think? PLEASE investigate this! Miracle or Scam? I think we should be told.

Would be interested if they did do a shoot-out (someone in the MINI2 thread is trying to organise a dyno day of all the different mods to compare results) - but I stick by what I said , I am impressed with the re-map, cant vouch for the claimed 195 BHP as its never (and never will) be rolling roaded.

I am hoping to apply the mods to RedPointRallying's Cooper before his next rally. This should give us a good idea of how effective the mods are - from his rallying experience he has a good feel for the car. Unfortunately its a Cooper so we may not see so much of a difference - but will still be interesting.

If you look through the NAM threads and MINI2 threads I listed there are some dyno results posted but I dont hold too much by dyno results - would rather feel how the car operates myself and come to my own decision.

The tuners you mention (apart from the JCW which most people would agree is over priced, but does retain your warranty) in addition to the remap include a reduced pulley etc - and typically start about 220Bhp, so I dont agree that with a map on its own it would not be possible to reach 195BHP. Pulley figures are normally quoted as 20 to 25 BHP for a 17% reduction pulley - so where does the remainder of the uplift come from ??? The remap?

I am not here to sell or defend the mod to anyone - I just wanted to make sure that people were aware of the "options" in the spirit of the community :)