Best Prof Chip for the M20B25

[asheridan07]

I have a 1990 325is.. Was wondering what the best chip was for the car? If a chip is even worth having, and what if any mods are recommended on the car to compliment a chip.

Was looking at the Turner Motorsport and the BavAuto chips.

Let me know, thanks guys

[Sagaris]

I have yet to find any solid dyno evidence or back to back comparisons for any of the chips. Most anyone will tell you that a Jim Conforti chip from Turner Motorsports or a Mark D'sylva chip from E.A.T. are your best bets. I was very close to buying a Jim Conforti chip based on reputation and the fact that Turner sells it (I trust their recommendation). I came across a killer deal on some 17# injectors and the Mark D chip so I went with it.

The only thing I have heard as far as chips go is that the Dinan chips only change the maps when at full throttle and are the same as stock when at anything less. The Jim C and Mark D chips are totally different maps throughout the whole range of revs.

I will be honest, the chip and injector upgrade did not make as big of improvement as I anticipated but the idle is smoothed out a but and theres a bit more pull at top end , no real difference below 3k that I could tell. When speaking to Mark D directly, he said that he designed his chip for ~18# injectors but that 19# are popular and easy to get cheap and they work alright but may waste some fuel and he suggested that 17# would be best (since I am not planning on further modifications).

I really dont think you can go wrong with either chip. One advantage of a Jim C (turner) chip is that it does not call for a change in fuel injector size , there is a Mark D chip for the stock injectors but yeah whatever.

If I were you, I would just look for whatever you could find the cheapest.

[asheridan07]

Awesome, thanks for the to the point replay and the advice

[E30Nova]

I put in a Mark D chip and 19 lb injectors and didn't see any difference in power. Maybe 1-2 more mpg but nothing powerwise.

Also made it fail smog, so I went back to stock.

Matt

[Adrian_Visser]

I put in a Mark D chip and 19 lb injectors and didn't see any difference in power. Maybe 1-2 more mpg but nothing powerwise.

Also made it fail smog, so I went back to stock.

Matt

Yeah I was disappointed with the negligible difference made by chipping and installing 19lb injectors and M30 AFM in my car. I went from a dinan chip to a mark D, Mark D is definitely better but barely noticeable TBH.

[StereoInstaller1]

I would not buy ANY of the chips on the market today.

A few bucks more will get you a Miller WAR chip, then you can do whatever the hell you want: low boost E85 ETA, 305 cammed NA beast, whatever.

I wanna see a carefully trimmed SETA/885i/19Lb/MAF to AFM/long tube but otherwise stock car get tuned and see just how much of a beast you could build for $1000...

[qbuilt]

I will most likely be taking a SETA block, slapping an 885 on it and probally going WARCHIP for my winter beater.
I also have longtubes.
What do you want to see as a comparison?

[E30Nova]

Yeah I was disappointed with the negligible difference made by chipping and installing 19lb injectors and M30 AFM in my car. I went from a dinan chip to a mark D, Mark D is definitely better but barely noticeable TBH.

I just didn't get how everyone and their mom will tell you the Mark D chip is the best M20 chip, and I seriously felt no difference.

I seriously doubt my car is unique, so either I got a bunk chip or everyone else is imagining some massive difference.

Matt

[StereoInstaller1]

I will most likely be taking a SETA block, slapping an 885 on it and probally going WARCHIP for my winter beater.
I also have longtubes.
What do you want to see as a comparison?

See, my thing is I could not care less about comparisons, I know what an M20 does. I figure a 6 pot 2.7 SOHC with reasonable tuning should make 180RWHP, why the hell not an M20?

I don't see why even with the shitty intake these motors should make acceptable power, cheap. $1000 should cover it, or close to it.

That AND driveability too...nice fat torque curve. MPG is likely to be shit, but no car payments, right? Old school glory, right? WTF.

[Sagaris]

I am WAY too OCD to handle a WAR chip, coil-overs, Mega-squirt, or anything that allows fine tuning. I would spend the rest of my life trying to get all the settings perfect :p

[StereoInstaller1]

Lets see...denial is the first stage of acceptance, so you must be a few years into therapy?

[Gruelius]

Sagaris go megasquirt and get a good ignition map for the best fuel then call it quits lol

[Mystikal]

I have yet to find any solid dyno evidence or back to back comparisons for any of the chips.

Does no one remember the dyno graph that Alex the DSP king posted years ago? Back to back runs, stock vs. JimC vs. MarkD. The JimC was about the same as stock, and the MarkD made like 15+ rwhp all over the powerband.

[Sagaris]

Okay, well I can admit my fault in saying I haven't found anything real solid dyno-wise, but with the popularity of e30's and these chips I would have expected more dynos of stock vs. chipped for both brands with no other modifications.

[Mystikal]

Well really, the only parts that add power on that car are the manifold and headers. They really don't affect much, I'd be comfortable applying the results to stock cars.