Useful resources for getting started

Torque-based ECU control

Modern ECUs work in the same way. The accelerator pedal input is converted into a 'torque request' and from that the ECU figures out air, fuelling and spark timing before moving onto the low-level business of how this translates to wastegate duty-cycle, injector pulse width, etc. There are many, many details. This makes it important to be able to step away to a high-level view.

Understanding the torque-based ECU control strategy: https://www.motorsport-developments.co.uk/Understanding_Ford_Ecoboost_Torque_Control.html

N54 and N55 Tuning

There are a lot of similarities but N54 tuning is simpler.

• Anjuna's N55 tuning thread: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1693922
• Cobb guide to N55 tuning: https://cobbtuning.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/PRS/pages/828866941/BMW+N55+Tuning+Guide
• Marshall Hesse-Dreville's N54 tuning spreadsheet: https://github.com/dmacpro91/BMW-XDFs/blob/master/N54/N5X%20tuning%20spreadsheet%2003082016.xlsx. This is especially useful for the description of Vanos.

PID control

Dialling in boost control requires a familiarity with PID error control. Watch this video from Motec a couple of times and you should have enough knowledge to get started.

• Motec's video on PID control: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16Clfh5eBzg

Other B58 tuning resources

• ECUTek's B58 tuning guide: https://ecutek.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SUPPORT/pages/170557464/BMW+B58+Tuning+Guide
• RFP Tuning's B58 tuning videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzqAQwAJrdw
• MHD's excellent repo of tuner pro XDFs: https://github.com/dmacpro91/BMW-XDFs
• MHD+ tuning guide: https://github.com/dmacpro91/BMW-XDFs/blob/master/MHD+_Suite_Tuning_Guide.pdf

Getting tunes off of your car

This area of tuning divides opinions. There are some who are criticise those who examine the tunes on their car as being cheats. Meanwhile others consider that building on previous work is the best way to make progress. One explanation for the tetchiness in this area is that there are a lot of commercial interests tied up in engine calibration but, being software, it is hard to protect these interests. This leads to nervousness that reading tunes off the car will open the way to wider piracy. Nonetheless, tuners who own their own car also own the calibration on it. Our view therefore is that tuners should be able to use existing calibrations as a basis for their own work but should not share them or sell them on without the express permission of the originator.

• ECU bench tool will read Gen 1 B58 ECUs (Bosch MG1 with the SPC5777M chipset): https://www.ecuhelpshop.com/products/ecu-bench-tool-ecu-programmer.html. There are other more expensive professional options available, like autotuner and bitbox.

Creating tunes

• MHD's excellent repo of tuner pro XDFs: https://github.com/dmacpro91/BMW-XDFs