Custom E85 & FlexFuel Tuning: Reviews of Different Tuners (MHD, BM3, & EcuTek))

[slaughter.mode]

I have a bunch of tunes for various reasons that I'll get into later. They all have distinct characteristics. If you were to flash a tune without disclosing which one it is, I could drive around the block and almost immediately figure out which one it is. I figure my perspective and opinions could be beneficial to newcomers who need to navigate through a decision should they be in the market for a custom tune.

This is going to be focused on stock engines with stock fueling and stock turbos with standard intake + exhaust bolt-ons. I am not into flame tunes, pops bangs or any of that so there wont be any feedback in the area of 'aesthetic' tuning.

Dynos & the works to come.

Tuners & Platform:

• Wedge Performance (MHD) FlexFuel Stage 2
• Cary Jordan (JordanTuned) (MHD) E85 Stage 2+
• TBD, EcuTek
• Bend Calibration (BM3) FlexFuel Stage 2 (Map 1: flat torque / Map 2: full torque)

Mods:

• BMC drop-in filters
• Eventuri CF charge pipes
• Mishimoto TMIC
• Evolution Racewerks J Pipe
• CSF FMIC w/mesh protection
• NGK U5272 Coils
• NGK F8S spark plugs (gapped @ .019)
• Bend Calibration fuel filter
• Mosselman oil thermostat
• CSF oil cooler
• AA cat-less downpipes
• AA single midpipe (non-resonated)
• Remus muffler
• Bilstein Damptronics EDC coilovers
• Millway front tension strut / thrust arm bushing (street)
• MHD ECA (ethanol content analyzer) PNP Unit (modified rom to support MHD, BM3, or EcuTek)
• BBS LM-R 20" wheels (with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 255x35x20 F and 305x30x20 R tires)

Fueling:

• E85 (76) (PROPEL Brand)
• 91 (Shell) (Non-franchised)

Fluids:

• Engine Oil: Motul 8100 X-Cess Gen 2 5W40
• Transmission Fluid: Stock
• Differential Fluid: Stock
• Brake Fluid: Castrol SRF

[slaughter.mode]

WedgePerformance FlexFuel Stage 2+ (MHD) (COMPLETED)
Be prepared to take weeks to months...or years to get it fully dialed in.

Engagement & Delivery

• Cost: $850
• Response: <1 day
• Revisions: 26
• Completion: In progress since July 21, 2021
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• FlexFuel maximum power delivery blend target: 50%

Drivability & Characteristics

• Cold, warm, & hot starts: A little rough with high E content and colder ambient temperatures, but smooth once warmed up.
• Idle: Very minimal idle hunting on cold days.
• Anti-Kangaroo (jumpy throttle) customization: No
• Torque Delivery: Linear

Transmission Tune Recommendation

• xHP Stage 2 V1.2
• Add: Torque Reduction: 400
• Add: Torque Punch: 4

Logging & DynoJet Results

• Final revision DATALOG (60% Ethanol, outside maximum power target)
• DynoJet Results > (still in progress)

My Review:
Tuning still in progress (yes, its going on 2 years which is a bit absurd). The last few revisions have cleaned up the cold starts with high ethanol content (for the most part) but it's not perfect. I also asked for small tweaks such as changing the sports displays to say something more realistic like 680hp 680tq but the flash which was supposed to have that was corrupted and caused a bad flash which resulted in my DME going bonkers. That was not fun but I was able to 'long write' the previous revision to fix it. I also don't have the ability to turn on start up roar without enabling burbles which I've been waiting for months for a fix since I should be able to have start up roar without burbles enabled but they haven't sorted that out yet. The solution is me enabling burbles and sliding them all the way to the minimum setting. My other tunes on MHD work just fine with start up roar on and burbles off so it's something off with the tune.

Update: Received a new flash file and it works fine. They still haven't figured out the issue with GTS start up roar being independent of enabling burbles. Not a huge deal but I am a perfectionist and since I know the settings work not dependent with other tunes, it bothers me that it was never sorted out. I asked if we're calling this done and to review the logs but haven't heard back in a few weeks. At this point I am just going to let it go. Overall, the tune does run pretty well but I had a hell of a time getting to this point. Many times during the first 10 revisions I was stuck in limp mode in non-ideal places or the car would just die when backing out of a parking spot which is not great. I almost feel like I was the first person to get a FlexFuel tune with MHD + the MHD CAN ECA from WedgePerformance but they didn't say I was so it's just my speculation based on the immaturity of the first revisions. Years later, now that it's done, the tune done work very well and I do respect that they did highly prioritize engine health and safety. All I can say is if you're thinking about going with Wedge, be prepared for a potentially really long process. What I did like was that even though it took a long time, they addressed everything I asked for, even if it did take weeks or months to reflect in a revision.

[slaughter.mode]

JordanTuned Stage 2 (Full E85) (MHD) (COMPLETED)
Holy sh*t fast. You better have a E85 station nearby.

Engagement & Delivery

• Cost: $800
• Response: Immediate
• Revisions: 2
• Completion: <1 day (same day)
• Difficulty: Beginner - Intermediate

Drivability & Characteristics

1. Cold, warm, & hot starts: Stock
2. Idle: Stock
3. Anti-Kangaroo (jumpy throttle) customization: No
4. Torque Delivery: Max

Transmission Tune Recommendation

• xHP Stage 2 V1.2
• Add: Torque Reduction: 500
• Add: Torque Punch: 2

Logging & DynoJet Results

• Final revision DATALOG
• DynoJet Results > Incoming

My Review:

• Cary Jordan absolutely lives up to his legendary reputation. I submitted a payment and asked to chat and he gave me a call almost right away to talk about my gameplan even though all I purchased was a full E85 tune for MHD. My baseline map worked almost flawlessly but after the logs he decided my engine health signals suggested we can crank it up a bit. The end result was that in <1 day (it really came down to how fast I could log) I had transformed my M4 into a factory freak. The amount of power and how it was delivered made me smile like the first time I had punched the gas years ago when I bought the car. It is also not for the novice driver. The power delivery is non forgiving, but in a good way if you know what you're doing. If you drive around with nothing to save you (at least MDM) you will break loose, a lot. In S+ mode, you will feel the kangaroo symptoms from light to light but D and S modes are about as manageable as stock. Starts (cold/warm/hot) and idling is as good as stock. There's assumptions here that you have the right tires and the right tire temps before you get on it, so make sure you do your due diligence before 'taking off.' I would say the statements regarding being the most trusted name in the industry is absolutely accurate. All in all, the ridiculous power, the health signals in the logs, the drivability, the empathy to give me a ring to talk shop...Cary's brand definitely lives up to the statement: The Most Trusted Name In BMW Custom Tuning. It is an absolute thrill to drive and delivers that real 'holy sh*t' kind of power that will make you want to smash the pedal wherever you go.

Other Notes:

• I mentioned that the approach and methodology of this tune is beginner - intermediate. I say that because the power levels and changes are so dramatic when coming from stock or an OTS tune that it may be a bit jarring for some who haven't driven a high powered M before. The numbers (HP/Tq gains) promised are delivered. On a 3rd gear and 4th gear (1:1) pull on the DynoJet I was creeping in the 640whp range which is pretty impressive for a stock turbo + stock fueling + stock engine internals configuration. One thing that may be missed by most is that they don't have an ethanol content sensor in their vehicle. Technically for a full E85 tune you don't need it but it doesn't ever hurt to have. I informed Cary right at the start that the most ethanol content I'll see on a full tank of E85 is going to be anywhere from 79-82% (California). He did make adjustments based on that feedback. I think it's important to have that information. Every bit counts.

• On a more technical note, I noticed that Cary does not leverage the standard MHD ECA CAN (Active) sensor which is pretty standard for most ethanol tuning within the MHD platform. True it's just a full E85 tune so it doesn't necessarily need to but his tune is built by leveraging other sensors, signals and methods that are beyond my expertise but nevertheless it is just a testament to his very matured and skilled practice.

• Also to note, this is the tune I was running when I blew my motor. I had all the safeguards in place but like I mentioned above with the almost 640whp range, it definitely felt it and I think the engine was just sick of my heavy foot. This thing was running better than or equal to my Vargas turbo upgraded F80. I'm sure tuning was a factor but holy smokes, it was just an absolute thrill every single day I went to drive. I don't blame Cary for my engine blowing at all, it was my own negligence not swapping my fuel injectors and one failed causing a major failure. If you're curious about that story, the details are here.

[slaughter.mode]

TBD/EcuTek

TBD, will give EcuTek a swing as well (probably also Bend) but it will have to wait.

[slaughter.mode]

Bend Calibration Flex Fuel Stage 1-2 Protune (BM3) (COMPLETED)
This is the way.

Engagement & Delivery
Cost: $1200
Response: <1 day
Revisions: 3
Completion: 1 business day (if you start with a half tank of E55-E60). It really comes down to how fast you can blend ethanol targets and log.

Drivability & Characteristics

• Cold, warm, & hot starts: Stock
• Idle: Stock
• Anti-Kangaroo (jumpy throttle) customization: Yes
• Torque Delivery: They provide Map 1 (flat) and Map 2 (full)
• Difficulty: Beginner
• FlexFuel maximum power delivery blend target: 55-60%

Transmission Tune Recommendation

• xHP Stage 2 V1.0
• Add: Torque Reduction: 400
• Add: Torque Punch: 2

Logging & DynoJet Results

• Final revision DATALOG (still in progress)
• DynoJet Results > (still in progress)

My Review:

• I am about 100% certain I will never flash anything else after driving for a weekend on the 2nd revision. The car drives so much better than I have ever experienced and I have 300K+ miles of F8X driving under my belt. It's not just that it has a disgusting amount of power (it does) but it's how it's delivered. The Map 1/flat torque delivery is incredibly well done. It's smoother in terms of pedal effort and delivery than stock but absolutely flies once the RPMs begin to climb. It is so easy to manage the throttle and it's so easy to keep in a straight line, even with aggressive 'glory' downshifts. I've never driven soo much with DSC off until now. From the beginning when I paid my invoice and received a introduction questionnaire, I knew this was going to be a very different experience. They take a solid inventory of your engine's health signals and mods before beginning baseline tuning and they answer questions very quickly with transparency and integrity. I can't wait to wrap this entire experience up and share the delight it's been so far but I guess it goes without saying that you get what you pay for. Bend Calibration is expensive but they are absolute wizards.

• Update: Just received a response (on a Sunday night!) that according to my logs, they had it right the first time around so turns out they did this in 1 single revision. Incredible. Will have my final logs reviewed and finish my thoughts on this tune soon. Dyno results to follow.

• Update: My last max power log (E55-E60) looked good. I logged in the rain with DSC off, that's how controllable and clean the power is delivered. It's incredible. Going to blend down to E30 and send in final logs for review.

• Update: Just wrapped today after reviewing E75+ logs. There was some issues but it turns out it was BM3. I highly recommend that if you're using BM3 to flash from a Windows machine and not the iOS version. Android I cannot speak for. There seems to be issues with accessing the 'original' tune option from iOS right now and there's also issues with reading DTC codes. These are things that PTF is aware of.

[theweebabySeamus]

Eagerly awaiting your inputs…

[mike@x-ph.com]

Sub'd

[F80RN]

Subbed, as I’m looking for a custom tune

[Danlnyc88]

Subbed

[BMW M4F1A]

Subbed. Interested in results.

[slaughter.mode]

I've began writing up some of my thoughts. I started with JordanTuned since it was an easy slam dunk.

I have a pretty biased opinion to what matters to me in terms of tuning feedback criteria. If there's other items that anyone would like to have feedback on (that I can speak to), let me know.

[FrankEbONEZ]

subbed

[heitzke]

This is already great. Love that you're giving driving impressions and more of the intricacies within each tune and NOT just raw dyno numbers. There's so much more to having a satisfyingly tuned vehicle besides peak numbers.

[Commanderwiggin]

Love my Bend Calibration tune; 4 years and drives way better than stock!

[MisterF80M3]

Subbed for dyno.

Have Cary Jordan's E85 custom tune but might be looking to switch tune

[WarMachineM3]

Originally Posted by MisterF80M3

Subbed for dyno.

Have Cary Jordan's E85 custom tune but might be looking to switch tune

Why do you want to switch?

[slaughter.mode]

Originally Posted by WarMachineM3

Why do you want to switch?

Can't speak for anyone but myself but it is nice to have a FlexFuel tune so you can just fill it and drive without having to think twice about the blend percentage.

[WarMachineM3]

Originally Posted by slaughter.mode

Can't speak for anyone but myself but it is nice to have a FlexFuel tune so you can just fill it and drive without having to think twice about the blend percentage.

Hey thanks for sharing that write up! I agree. I'm also tuned by CJ in Cali and can attest that his flex fuel tune is very linear. Some who are chasing faster times may choose other tuners, but CJ will keep your motor reliable and healthy.

[F80RN]

I’m thinking of moving to the Bend Calibration tune from the BM3 + FlexFuel OTS tunes.

If it’s ok to share, what is the price point to switch to ECUTEK with tune?

[slaughter.mode]

Originally Posted by F80RN

I’m thinking of moving to the Bend Calibration tune from the BM3 + FlexFuel OTS tunes.

If it’s ok to share, what is the price point to switch to ECUTEK with tune?

I would ask Bend Calibration for pricing but I can promise you with high confidence that the leap from the BM3 OTS FlexFuel tune to Bend's BM3 FlexFuel tune is huge. They also keep fueling components in a safer place. I noticed the OTS FlexFuel tune pushes my HPFP to almost 4,000 PSI and
Bend keeps it in the 24MPa range (~3,400PSI). Unless you have supplemental fueling and upgraded turbos, I don't think you'll see a huge difference between EcuTek & BM3 results. Bend really knocked this FlexFuel tune out of the park for me.

[slaughter.mode]

Originally Posted by WarMachineM3

Hey thanks for sharing that write up! I agree. I'm also tuned by CJ in Cali and can attest that his flex fuel tune is very linear. Some who are chasing faster times may choose other tuners, but CJ will keep your motor reliable and healthy.

Yep, I have a very strong notion based on the way the vehicle drives with Bend's tune that reliability and safety are paramount. Even the logs, which I'll post the final when done, show very healthy signals. The HPFP pressure is an easy one. I seen that some tuners push the HPFP to really high levels which can drastically shorten injector life/cause failures which lead to potentially huge engine damage. This tune runs almost 500PSI less than the OTS FlexFuel map by PTF/BM3 and makes significantly more power (of course).

[RAT3DM]

Thank you for making my already 98.5% choice on changing tunes from BM3 to EcuTek and Ian at with Blend. I have heard nothing but good things about Bend Calibration. I unfortunately had a bad experience with safety issues not recognized on my custom tune on BM3 and am now in the process of a full motor replacement. Stage 3+ build underway with all the goodies and can't not wait to have a BC tune. I'm excited for the questionaire now!