GTS Flash

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by kurai

Some people prefer the GTS steering (I do) and some don't, it's optional and reversible. It keeps you safer at higher speeds with more control especially in the wet during hydroplanning so you can drive with confidence.

Well I'll have to test it out; if comfort is unchanged then I'll be happy.

I'll give you a shout over the next couple of weeks to book in.

[Sbm007]

Definitely would recommend the GTS flash, makes a noticeable difference IMO! Haven't got my car set up with the other GTS changes yet so can't comment on that.

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by kurai

Comfort is improved massively as it's much more smoother especially at low speeds. It's like a new car after the latest September 2017 updates and latest GTS software upgrades done together.

Well my car s/w is being updated as we speak at the dealer so let's see what version I get...

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by kurai

Steering has more road feel. The electric power steering kicks in when car is about to slip and you'd feel it on the steering wheel in time instead of just on the seats. This applies to both non-wet and wet conditions.

But not when there is water between the road and the tyres (hydroplaning) there is zero control in those conditions no matter what you're driving, was my point.

[JayJogia]

Originally Posted by JayJogia

I was worried about my warranty too, my M4 is only 4 months old! Spoke to Henry about it and he confirmed that being OEM software your not doing g anything aftermarket. I'm taking my M4 in for a checkup next week so will find out if they deem.it out of warranty!

Heads up all - took my M4 in on Wednesday for some repairs within the warranty (distorting speakers). The did their usual diagnostics checks as they do.. and nothing about the warranty being void came up even though i have some of the gimmky software has been added (alarm beep on unlock/lock, auto fold mirrors on lock and rear DRL's always on, etc... So guys proceed with full confidence from my experience..

[55Fisher]

This has all been interesting to read but so many different views out there on what this might offer, how it changes the dynamics of the car and also the warranty situation. I particularly liked the comment about flashing the bonnet and also the flash removing more water between the tyres and the road! A really good debate going on.

Has anyone spoken to the dealers about having this flash done by them as the only bit that would interest me is the flash for the gearbox. I suspect that might be the only discernible difference that would be felt?

[55Fisher]

Found the below but from one of our American colleagues. Is this available by someone in the UK and in person?

? At my computer now so I can type a detailed response.

GTS DCT - An absolute must. It transforms the DCT gearbox to the point where it feels like an entirely different vehicle. I was seriously considering ditching the F80 because the gearbox was driving me crazy. Everyone says "you need to learn to adapt to it, you are driving it wrong, etc." NOPE. The stock DCT software just sucks. Jerky acceleration is gone. Jerky downshifts is gone. Faster upshifts and non-jerky downshifts are in place. Going into reverse is instant. Slow speed driving (e.g., around parking lots) is MUCH better. You lightly press the throttle and it moves forward slowly and smoothly with no jerk. Stock, it was press throttle, go nowhere, press more throttle, you jerk forward, press more throttle, you hit the car in front of you. No more of that non-sense. It is transformational. Just do it, now.

GTS Power Steering - 2nd best change relative to the DCT. When your steering wheel is dead center, when you move left or right, there is a "dead spot" that no matter how much you move it, the car stays straight. This means you need to give more steering input to get the car to turn. NO MORE!! With the GTS PS, you barely touch the steering wheel, it turns. The steering is more sensitive, but in a good, confidence inspiring way. For some reason, I also get the sensation that the steering is "smoother" in comfort mode. It's lighter, feels more natural, and makes the car a pleasure to drive on short or long journeys. You don't need to wrestle with the steering wheel as much. I can turn the wheel with my pinky finger and its super smooth. Definitely helps with driving fatigue in day to day traffic. The steering is noticeably more precise. Do it, now.

GTS MDM - MDM hardly kicks in anymore. Makes the car feel more natural and balanced without all the nannys telling me what I can and can't do. In a way, its more playful and fluid. Feels like the systems are getting in the way of letting the M3 be an M3.

GTS Diff - It's hard to distinguish what this changes due to the GTS DCT flash being done at the same time. However, you might as well just do it if you are going to do everything else. I am OCD and I hate when things are "incomplete" or "doesn't match." The whole package above will transform your F80.

I was a skeptic. I was reading some forum posts of people saying this and that, but I didn't have time to mess around since today is my day off after working 100+ hours last week and getting out of the office at 2am last night. I wanted to treat myself after a long stressful project was finally over. I decided to pull the trigger this morning without much research and thought. BOY AM I GLAD I DID!!

[MarkG_M5Comp]

I'm definitely going for this but trying to find a date for Henry to do the flash. Wanted to go and see him but looking like I'll have to go with the remote option as I've got too much going on.

[55Fisher]

Originally Posted by MarkG_M3CP

I'm definitely going for this but trying to find a date for Henry to do the flash. Wanted to go and see him but looking like I'll have to go with the remote option as I've got too much going on.

Where is Henry based?

[MarkG_M5Comp]

Originally Posted by 55Fisher

Where is Henry based?

North London if I recall right.

[AnthonyR]

Originally Posted by 55Fisher

Where is Henry based?

North London, he maybe able to meet in Stevenage. I took mine to both as I had a few things done

[K2HKS]

Had my f80 competition m3 GTS software update done from Henry at the weekend excellent service.
F80 comp has been completely transformed across all GTS four software items.
Much more traction and more confidence inspiring with smoother direct steering and smoother yet sharper gearshifts.

Highly recommend this software update for your m3/m4 and Henry

[chrisross19]

Hi, Had my M4 Vert Flashed with all the GTS options and what a difference. Car feels a lot more planted on the road - steering is a little heavier, but i think feels better. Power easier to put down and smoother too! i also had a few other codes as well as the 2017 November update. Not driven too far so far, but feels better all round.

A great job by Henry!! Thanks again

Chris

[Paul SR]

Am I correct in thinking that the software fine tunes the rough edges and provides a more cohesive package? I do find the DCT a pain when trying to park particularly when trying to edge forward or reverse slowly. Is this a full on remap with power increased or just the GTS modes? Would it be overwritten by the dealer?

[Paul SR]

Originally Posted by kurai

Dealer can overwrite it if they are updating the car with an even newer software available to the car's current version.

The OEM GTS software is a remap to the DCT, Rear diff, Electric power steering and traction control.
It is not a GTS engine remap. You can get the standard engine software updated to latest if you wish. BMW sometimes increase the power slightly on engine updates.

Thanks for the update, that makes sense. Is it possible to get it redone if the dealer overwrites?

[55Fisher]

Originally Posted by kurai

Absolutely

Has anyone had experience of the dealer overwriting the GTS maps or even mentioning it during a routine service?

[eandy]

Kurai can you map / program in the GTS DCT TCU, Steering, Diff settings etc on a car running Bootmod3 software?

Is this side of things a separate entity so to speak?

Bootmod3's upgrade is purely for the DCT TCU whereas I want the steering, diff and ideally CS EDC settings but no idea if they conflict or are separate areas on the DME / ECU's so to speak?

Figured you would know as you've mapped cars tuned by MSL, GAD etc which I assume is probably the same scenario as for me.

[gtsussex]

About time I posted up on here having met Henry last Thursday to get GTS and 2017 updates.

I've now had several days to play with things and I'm delighted with it.

Throttle in Sport and Sport + is now usable. No more stupid kangarooing. I still don't see much point in using Sport + off the track but that's just me. Sport though is now just so more usable day to day.

Steering. Interesting as people say it's heavier but I could have sworn it was lighter. That could be down to fact my car is on coilovers and geo is different. Anyway, I am more than happy with it. it's not an Elise in feedback but it's okay.

MDM and Diff. So this is the biggie for me. I hate the standard MDM - it's far too nannying and frankly inconsistent in what it does. I have tried for the last 20k since the car was mapped (and thus changed how it worked - improved it slightly) to suss it and sometimes it would cut things and other times it would just let go. It genuinely ruined the car. I remember driving the ACS M4 that was an older car than mine and that was great fun. With mine, it was just too nannying.

With the GTS update, it's bloody brilliant. Okay, I need to say this right from the start. If you are coming from a post '16 car with nannying MDM, don't assume it will save you. First test I did on my private roundabout was just plant my foot and keep it planted. Result - the car will spin. That was my first good news as it meant the new MDM would give far more slip! The reason I say this first is be in mind, this isn't like TC but with a wiggle anymore - it will and can bite unless you drive the car with some intelligence.

I've been playing more (on my private roundabout) to try and understand the differences between new MDM and TC off (as there is no comparison between MDM and TC on now). Thoughts are as follows. So first if you're around 3k in 2nd and boot the throttle and lift, with TC off, you can unsettle the car to then decide what to do. In MDM mode, it will snap back to safety. That is echoed on a small bend in 2nd or 3rd. If you panic on oversteer, it will help pull you back.

But that diff seems to lock up so damn quickly, it's just sooooooo friendly. When it does go, don't panic, it's very managable. With winters on in cold, have had back lighting up at top end of 3rd and it's a pussy cat.

So roundabouts (private ones of course) now require a different technique. GTS MDM likes a prod and then a constant or slightly varying throttle and it will happily keep a decent slip angle for as long as you want to go round. Back off completely and it will try and help you out and stop things (up to point where physics will overrule anything). It's not spiky at all and quite the opposite of what I do (in the wet) with TC off. It does seem to quell that build of boost and almost make the engine more managable in operation.

The diff seems to be on another planet now. Traction is pretty good and it hooks up so evenly - none of this nasty side slip wishy washyness before it locks. So even where traction does break, you've got time to have a cup of tea before worrying about it pulling the car out of line.

It's bloody brilliant and what I've been missing with this car all along. Please, if you're used to booting in MDM and car saving you on loose traction corner, if you do get GTS upgrade, bear in mind what I've said.

BUT it's transformed my car and I absolutely love it.

Oh and pulling out of junctions? None of this terrifying reduced acceleration unless you're absolutely straight in slippy conditions. Whether you like driving sideways or not, this in itself makes a massive difference.

Thanks to Henry for sorting it. He's a really nice chap. I have ESYS and a cable but flashing I wasn't happy to do and it was worth getting him to do it.

Hope that helps.

[Paul SR]

Originally Posted by kurai

Same scenario. I can map the GTS steering, diff, traction for you on top of bootmod3 as well as latest updates. DME is separate so it's fine and won't overwrite.

What is Bootmod3? Already regretting answering this!
How do you learn all this stuff

[Paul SR]

Originally Posted by gtsussex

About time I posted up on here having met Henry last Thursday to get GTS and 2017 updates.

I've now had several days to play with things and I'm delighted with it.

Throttle in Sport and Sport + is now usable. No more stupid kangarooing. I still don't see much point in using Sport + off the track but that's just me. Sport though is now just so more usable day to day.

Steering. Interesting as people say it's heavier but I could have sworn it was lighter. That could be down to fact my car is on coilovers and geo is different. Anyway, I am more than happy with it. it's not an Elise in feedback but it's okay.

MDM and Diff. So this is the biggie for me. I hate the standard MDM - it's far too nannying and frankly inconsistent in what it does. I have tried for the last 20k since the car was mapped (and thus changed how it worked - improved it slightly) to suss it and sometimes it would cut things and other times it would just let go. It genuinely ruined the car. I remember driving the ACS M4 that was an older car than mine and that was great fun. With mine, it was just too nannying.

With the GTS update, it's bloody brilliant. Okay, I need to say this right from the start. If you are coming from a post '16 car with nannying MDM, don't assume it will save you. First test I did on my private roundabout was just plant my foot and keep it planted. Result - the car will spin. That was my first good news as it meant the new MDM would give far more slip! The reason I say this first is be in mind, this isn't like TC but with a wiggle anymore - it will and can bite unless you drive the car with some intelligence.

I've been playing more (on my private roundabout) to try and understand the differences between new MDM and TC off (as there is no comparison between MDM and TC on now). Thoughts are as follows. So first if you're around 3k in 2nd and boot the throttle and lift, with TC off, you can unsettle the car to then decide what to do. In MDM mode, it will snap back to safety. That is echoed on a small bend in 2nd or 3rd. If you panic on oversteer, it will help pull you back.

But that diff seems to lock up so damn quickly, it's just sooooooo friendly. When it does go, don't panic, it's very managable. With winters on in cold, have had back lighting up at top end of 3rd and it's a pussy cat.

So roundabouts (private ones of course) require a different technique. GTS MDM likes a prod and then a constant throttle and it will happily keep a decent slip angle for as long as you want to go round. It's not spiky at all and quite the opposite of what I do (in the wet) with TC off. It does seem to quell that build of boost and almost make the engine more n/a in operation.

The diff seems to be on another planet now. Traction is pretty good and it hooks up so evenly - none of this nasty side slip wishy washyness before it locks. So even where traction does break, you've got time to have a cup of tea before worrying about it pulling the car out of line.

It's bloody brilliant and what I've been missing with this car all along. Please, if you're used to booting in MDM and car saving you on loose traction corner, if you do get GTS upgrade, bear in mind what I've said.

BUT it's transformed my car and I absolutely love it.

Thanks to Henry for sorting it. He's a really nice chap. I have ESYS and a cable but flashing I wasn't happy to do and it was worth getting him to do it.

Hope that helps.

Really helpful - I may need to understand the car more before I start to change things and therefore the current MDM would probably work in my favour. I take it that most have one remap for power upgrade and then another for other hardware?

[eandy]

gtsussex - fantastic write up thank you! need mine done very soon but I'm at central gravity on March 6th and really want the suspension done then this to really feel / see the difference.

Paul SR - Bootmod3 is basically engine remap in short for performance.

[Paul SR]

Originally Posted by eandy

gtsussex - fantastic write up thank you! need mine done very soon but I'm at central gravity on March 6th and really want the suspension done then this to really feel / see the difference.

Paul SR - Bootmod3 is basically engine remap in short for performance.

Oh