Like a wise website once said these companies spend millions on R&D. Do you suppose they left 50% of the power untapped? Probably not.. big gains are going to be big changes and a lot of work.
Wish “The Car Ninja” was closer. Nice to have a dependable and knowledgeable mechanic available in your area. Also seems a like a solid guy that I could have a beer with.
Luckily... I have a motor engineer who is just that... Will teast and ask himself 'why?' before replacing any modules etc 9 times out of 10 it turns out to be a bad earth, dry connection or whatever and the module is fine...
Yea I’ve had vag tunes from many of them. Unitronic being my favorite and the software currently on my vw. The only software that struggles for traction at 40 mph in second gear with warm tires. And honestly it runs about the same boost as APR I assume all the extra power comes from ignition timing or fueling. Apr tune is probably a bit easier on stock parts though.
They have to meet government polution regs or no sale costing the company billions. Look at what happened to VW. They were almost put out of business with faulty chips.
@@Top_g80comp Dinan is good. They are actually approved and recommend by BMW, so much that most dealerships will order and install Dinan products on your car, obviously for a fee. Dinan products wont void your new car warranty like many other aftermarket mods. At least that is how it was back in the early 2000's.
Owned a 69 Camaro RS that I had to de-customize. They hacked off the connector that powered the original factory counsel and gauges they removed to install their custom made one. Wanted it back to stock and the original parts cost enough as it was. Didn't want to replace the whole under dash harness. So took my time and spliced back in the original connector. First time I had ever done that and was quite proud of myself at the time.
this is how it should be done. de pin is not a good solution since plastic connector could easily be damaged and some pins could just fell off. as for spare parts there is no connector housing to be bought. also some wires were melted, destroyed only way to repair is to do what he done.
Alright guys he isn't talking about big companies that provide tuning (like Unitronic, Jb4, etc) he's talking about a kid selling a chip on eBay. big difference.
Chances are, if you have never heard of the company, neither will anyone else when your engine is destroyed and you go trying to make a damage claim against the company.
Speaking as an electrician I'd be lost without my wire strippers, I use them every day. They are the sort that clamps the cable both sides and removes a set amount of insulation all in one move. Mine were £60 although much cheaper ones are available. A big pair of side cutters is not ideal for the job IMO. Great content though, always enjoy your videos.
I was asking myself aswell as that could lead to few strains missing possibly for voltage drops increased resistance under a load hopefully manufacturer having little bit of reserve even when you put few strains a way with a sidecutter...
To silverback , i would think all of those Black wires are the same , its just ground doesn't matter where each goes .. as someone that knows electronics i know it is mandatory for a device , whatever it is to be grounded always , so you cant cut ground for switching , hence all of grounds are always connected to each device , meaning that it doesnt matter where each one goes . That is what i would say as electrician . But you say Wire Clippers , those are not your weak electronic wires , and isolation is not the same , hence simple clamps work . I know what you are talking about i ahve those the same , but its not what you use in cars becasue those are for strained wires ,soft wires , to protect them . On these automotive ones Knife works as good as anything To DolceSeeker ... Those wires are not Strained wires , its a full body wire , hence there are no strains missing even if you cut it 10 times in the same place just for jokes .
I had a 2016 Mercedes A220d 2.2d AMG DCT new from the dealership and got the "Brabus D2 upgrade". Fitted by the dealership also. I was surprised this was also a "Piggyback" system. However it does not effect warranty. Had that car for 105,000 miles and it was great.
When I was working we would be in traffic when this loud noise would come along side ,a boy racer loud music big exhaust and in unison the lads on the Fire appliance would say there’s our next job because the amps would be wired with cheap wire the engine would be chipped and most of the work would be rubbish resulting in a burned out vehicle on its way to the breakers Engineers like Jonny are the saviour of probably many of the DIY tuners stay safe 👍👨🏻🏭🇬🇧
I would agree i would never run a cheap tuner on anyone of my vehicles! However there are really good ones out there. Ecu flash tunes are always preferred over piggyback tune. However there are some decent piggyback tuners out there such as JB4. You can actually stack them together and not only gain more power, but features like a 2- step, meth injection, anti-lag, boost by gear ect. They also act as another layer of protection for your engine/transmission.
This exactly. Laughing at guys saying 'IF BMW WANTED IT IN THERE THEY WOULD HAVE PUT IT IN THERE!' With that thinking, no one should EVER mod their car, cuz hey, if the manufacturer wanted it that way, they would have done it!
My sister used to live in the original John Coopers house. He had a large house overlooking the English channel. It was in botany close, on a private sea estate called the willowhayne, in West Sussex. Just thought I'd mention it! His car dealership was nearby in Ferring.
I've never seen lack of a check engine light being used as a diagnostic sign before - these tiny things that only experience can bring, kudos Ninja! Ebay parts aside, what an absolutely beautiful car, good luck to the owner :)
Great splice I'm also against performance chips, nothing but problems, but kids don't listen, I replaced many burnt harnesses plus other problems, thank you from nyc, appreciate your videos very much,
To add to what someone else mentioned, it may have been possible to extract the terminal and wire from the bad connector and re-insert it in the new connector. Depending on the connector, a special removal tool might be needed, but sometimes a tiny screwdriver does the trick. If you are going to cut and solder the wires, I recommend getting a good wire stripping tool and hot air tool for the shrink tubing. I'm not trying to be critical as I'll be the first to admit Johnny knows a thousand times more about cars than I do. I just happened to have designed wire harnesses for cars in the past.
did you not watch the start of the video? the plug was so toasted 1/4 of those wires would not be salvagable. no point in the giant pita of removing those tiny pins when you cant use them all
As a tech I just wanna say props to Bob! I hate when I get stuff from salvage all chopped up, wiring harnesses are so hard to repair and expensive to get
Didn't know that chips were still used. I had my S4 modestly flashed with an APR tune and it ran great 100k miles, sold it. Buyer tells me its still running strong.
Magic man! Willing to take the time to do the job right! I made the mistake of taking my 2008 BMW 528i to the dealer for a transmission electronically stuck in park. Bill is up to $6,000 and counting after a week waiting! :(
As a young boy i was allways putting tuneing bit to my cars and thay never worked and my dad allways said the same as you that if the manufacture did not with all there R/d how adding bit would make it better.
My 06 cooper works factory built special order has plenty of power for 99% of the driving i do. The only mod i have ever done was to install a catch can to keep the crankcase gasses out of the intake. Mine has 44 k on it since new and i followed it from build to delivery!
Nice to see this channel doing well, deserves more subs! The biggest clue about dodgy aftermarket/piggyback chips is in the claims made by the manufacturer/retailer.... "Boosts performance AND economy" is a common one that's physically impossible in the real world. Or claims that you'll get an extra 30-40hp out of your 1.5L NA 4-cyl which the auto maker specifically designed for economy and to meet emissions regs. These are the kinds of chips that will probably end up grenading your engine or melting bits of your engine bay. Good custom/chip-tuning companies who actually put proper talent, dollars and dyno time into developing their products will generally be far more honest. If you're seeking a big performance boost and your vehicle is capable of such, they will probably tell you to ditch the factory computer entirely and be prepared to pay for the increased performance at the pump and in terms of more frequent/rigorous servicing requirements, since the engine and transmission are now more highly strung, running an increased redline, more timing, more boost, whatever. Decent chip-tuning companies should at least inform you that your car now drinks premium fuel only if that wasn't already true, and you certainly won't be using less of it unless you've specifically gone for an economy tune (in which case you won't be gaining any performance). Any extraordinary claims beyond this demand extraordinary evidence to support them.
Gotta love your repairs on German cars . You would be servicing both of my volkswagen if you did classic cars otherwise you just get one if I lived out there. Great job Johnny
You are a very good and humble mechanic Jonny all the best from Australia if you ever get to Australia try out a Holden I own 2 1992 commodores buick v6 great simple cars. All the best from Aussie land
That's got to be so hard on your back reconnecting 100 wires. We need lifts that could put the car vertically with front down and rear in the air, you could just sit in a char and do that work. ;)
Jonny, love your work. You'll make a better joint if you tin the wires, then twist, then solder again. Pre tinning stranded wire is the only accepted method by IPC.
I have a few friends that have the mini coopers. Just keep an eye on the oil level, one friend lost a motor due to use of oil. Lady who never checked between oil changes.
If you are going to install a performance chip, get one from Dinan. Don't buy counterfeits. Dinan has a very high level of quality control. There are not many performance chips for my E32 and most that are don't support the CEL (check engine light) which technically makes it illegal to use on a car operated on public roads. Many of sellers of these chips exaggerate the improvements for marketing purposes. The facts are that most of these chips simply remap the fuel maps, raise or remove rev limiters, etc. This may result in a modest performance gain (+20 maybe) but not the exaggerated 50 to 100 hp. Lastly don't buy cheap Chinese counterfeits. I doubt a Chinese company is going to replace your ruined engine. Buyer beware.
Would it have been worth trying to de-pin the original connector and then swap across pin by pin to the new one? Assuming the pins and wire weren’t too damaged.
So something like a Jb4 or Eurosport power pack, junk, but what about something from Dinan or APR? Some of those tunes let you keep your factory warranty?
Pin by pin. Did that back in the day converting Speed-Density EFI to Mass Airflow. No InterWeb, TH-cam or anything, it didn't exist. Nothing but wiring diagrams.
The safest way to tune a car is by installing REPUTABLE tuners map onto original DME. Some cheap tune might be catastrophic to the engine as much as this "box". Or, REPUTABLE piggyback, like JB4 when it comes to turbocharged BMWs/Minis. Map is usually cheaper though and all the failsafes are still in place!
What are the Ninja's thoughts on an ECU Re Flash type of tune? Like the ones offered by APR or Unitronic? Not just for Mini's but for VW, Audi and the rest?
Yeah. I used a flash tune on my w204 C63 AMG for about 85k miles. No issues. Quality stuff should be no issue. And I hardly ever think a car is “fast enough” as the car ninja says 😂
I just bought the Thornton stage 3 performance chip and I tell you, it works, kinda. It definitely has some hp gain obviously "not" 60, but it has maybe given me 15 to 20 more HP. The new problem is, I've only gotten to drive it twice now and im enjoying the new "getty up" so much that im pushing it through the gears so NO noticable mpg increase yet, still "Totally" worth it. 😁👍
If you got supporting mods for a stage 3 tune would think you would get more than 20 hp 🤔i got "stage 2" in my volvo and went from 250 to 360hp, but then again i did get a fully custom tune on a dyno.
weird to see a performance chip be the thing that had a meltdown rather than the engine. wonder if the performance chip caught fire due to poor design or due to bad install that allowed arcing.
I have NEVER looked at an ECU chip, tune or flash for "more power" as a desirable item on a vehicle...As Jonny says, If the manufacturer wanted that much power/torque/fuel mix, etc in the vehicle they would have made it that way...Just save up your money, BUY A FASTER VEHICLE! - LOL. After you spend $6k tuning your $4500 Honda, then it breaks or catches on fire, you have to get a new engine, bleh bleh bleh, You have spent the amount it would've cost for a faster vehicle...Thank you for bringing this to light Jonny...
i have had a bully dog programmer on my 5.9L cummings for 14 years and over 100k miles. Drives at 550+hp year round and tows my RV like a champ. IDK what trash this guy was running, but quality stuff is available.
Idk if you get it from a reputable tuner mabey and it’s just a bolt on car don’t see anything wrong with it. If your dealing with a fi / moderately modified car you need a dyno tune from someone who knows what their doing.
Ones that actually work fool the ECU into thinking it's less boost so ramps up the pressure a bit, and a decent box will then make the injector pulse harder by ramping up the fuel pressure. These ones actually make more power, but are still no where near a good remap.
Depending on the car, sometimes bilstein is the oem brand. Bilstein also have different grades of shocks within its own brand at different price points too
Those Mahle AC machines are all super slow like that. Our old RobinAir 134a unit finally gave out about two years ago and the replacement was a Mahle. It's so slow it's almost useless.
The risk / reward equation isn't worth it. Way too much risk for just a little reward. That overheating could have become a much more involved vehicle fire. Just not worth it. Jonny, as always, a great video. Please don't stop doing what you do!
BMW had something for the Cooper S from this period, the John Cooper Works Kit! It was a dealer installed option on my Cooper S convertible back in 2005. Modified head, supercharger pulley, intake and exhaust as well as bigger breaks and - not for the convertible - lowered springs. I had everything but the back part of the exhaust and it came out just under 200bhp 🤣 Not too bad for what was basically the engine from a Chrysler PT Cruizer.
How do you feel about a proper tune on say ‘somebody’ had a 2017 Audi A4 😂…? I was considering for just a lil’ extra fun on back roads. Definitely not to abuse and go to tracks.
I'm sure it cost at least a grand to have you fix their screw-up. I still don't know how you matched up the wires that were the same color. I think you said there were four of them.
Totally agree with you Ninja, do NOT use these stuff. If you really want then go to a PROPER ECU tuner that will fine tune your ECU software, but don't use stuff that "lie" to the ECU... There are decent ones around, but they are not less than 500$ and you need to have a programmer to tune it, so, in the end, it's cheaper and better to just do the software job on you own ECU.
Being that you said it was an 07 and it’s still supercharged, is it a convertible? I think 06 was the last year of the supercharged MCS hardtop but I think the convertible stayed a S/C version until 08?
Piggy backs, and pre-programmed tunes are the biggest risk you'll ever take. Do it right, get it to a professionally who can read and record live data on a dyno and street before reprogramming/reflashing the OEM ecu.
Most of us have never heard of these places. Don't be surprised when the company "evaporates" at the first sign of trouble then sets up shop elsewhere under a new name.
@@houseofno Apr and unitronic are two very popular big name tuners in the US. The chip stuff that was pulled out, might be some weird, no name piggyback on eBay. And I agree they are junk.
He was lucky to get away with just one connector melted. BTW what was he trying to with that stuff on an R52 mcs??? And looks like it's a JCW😱 it's already as powerful as it can be
I could feel my back muscles hardening as I watched you about to work through all those wires!
I felt my muscles tighten but not the ones in my back...
I swear I felt sympathy pain too lol
Love your attention to detail, and patience. Good channel!
Wait, so youre saying we should trust highly educated, highly experienced engineers over some kid and a Chinese hack? Couldve fooled me.
Go figure.
😄
Well, everything you use an enjoy is made in CHINA. Go figure that out……
@@OmarGarciaElDeLa_O my 2001 m3 was made in Munich along with its parts. Go suck on that.
Like a wise website once said these companies spend millions on R&D. Do you suppose they left 50% of the power untapped? Probably not.. big gains are going to be big changes and a lot of work.
The production quality on this channel has been getting better and better, this channel really deserves more subscribers!
Wish “The Car Ninja” was closer. Nice to have a dependable and knowledgeable mechanic available in your area. Also seems a like a solid guy that I could have a beer with.
Luckily... I have a motor engineer who is just that... Will teast and ask himself 'why?' before replacing any modules etc 9 times out of 10 it turns out to be a bad earth, dry connection or whatever and the module is fine...
I've used APR performance software on my Audi(s) for over a decade. Very happy with APR.
Yea I’ve had vag tunes from many of them. Unitronic being my favorite and the software currently on my vw. The only software that struggles for traction at 40 mph in second gear with warm tires. And honestly it runs about the same boost as APR I assume all the extra power comes from ignition timing or fueling. Apr tune is probably a bit easier on stock parts though.
APR is good, but a proper custom tune from a specialist will give better results...
"I have nothing but time and patience" that's an incredible mindset from a professional mechanic where normally they want to rush every job 👍
Attention to detail and patience. Qualities in a mechanic that are worth gold and then some.
Wow! Your attention to detail and patience!! It is a joy to watch you and the guys! Thanks, great start to my weekend :))
Agree. Car companies do much more testing than the aftermarket companies that don't have as many resources as the OE company
There are exceptions - e.g. Haltech - but they aren't cheap and they have a pile of real boffins working for them - you gets what you pays for.
APR Performance products are top shelf but don't come cheap.
They have to meet government polution regs or no sale costing the company billions. Look at what happened to VW. They were almost put out of business with faulty chips.
@@Top_g80comp Dinan is good. They are actually approved and recommend by BMW, so much that most dealerships will order and install Dinan products on your car, obviously for a fee. Dinan products wont void your new car warranty like many other aftermarket mods. At least that is how it was back in the early 2000's.
@@rogersmith7396 What? Dieselgate was not about faulty chips... And VW was not even close to be put out of business.
Owned a 69 Camaro RS that I had to de-customize. They hacked off the connector that powered the original factory counsel and gauges they removed to install their custom made one. Wanted it back to stock and the original parts cost enough as it was. Didn't want to replace the whole under dash harness. So took my time and spliced back in the original connector. First time I had ever done that and was quite proud of myself at the time.
I guess the other option would be to de-pin the connectors, and transfer the pins into the new housing. Assuming the pins weren't damaged by the heat.
Even if some of the pins or wires were damaged just splice those wires. De-pin is a far preferred method
Even if the pins are damaged, you can usually get new pins.
Ya I kind of was wondering why he took the splice route instead of the de-pin. 🤔
this is how it should be done. de pin is not a good solution since plastic connector could easily be damaged and some pins could just fell off.
as for spare parts there is no connector housing to be bought.
also some wires were melted, destroyed only way to repair is to do what he done.
Assumptions are the mother and father of all screw-ups.
Alright guys he isn't talking about big companies that provide tuning (like Unitronic, Jb4, etc) he's talking about a kid selling a chip on eBay.
big difference.
Jb4 is trash. It tricks sensors too. Junk
Chances are, if you have never heard of the company, neither will anyone else when your engine is destroyed and you go trying to make a damage claim against the company.
JB4 works great. I had one in a 2008 BMW 335i I used to own. Never had an issue with it.
@@houseofno does this apply to racechip?
Speaking as an electrician I'd be lost without my wire strippers, I use them every day. They are the sort that clamps the cable both sides and removes a set amount of insulation all in one move. Mine were £60 although much cheaper ones are available. A big pair of side cutters is not ideal for the job IMO. Great content though, always enjoy your videos.
I was asking myself aswell as that could lead to few strains missing possibly for voltage drops increased resistance under a load hopefully manufacturer having little bit of reserve even when you put few strains a way with a sidecutter...
To silverback , i would think all of those Black wires are the same , its just ground doesn't matter where each goes .. as someone that knows electronics i know it is mandatory for a device , whatever it is to be grounded always , so you cant cut ground for switching , hence all of grounds are always connected to each device , meaning that it doesnt matter where each one goes .
That is what i would say as electrician . But you say Wire Clippers , those are not your weak electronic wires , and isolation is not the same , hence simple clamps work .
I know what you are talking about i ahve those the same , but its not what you use in cars becasue those are for strained wires ,soft wires , to protect them . On these automotive ones Knife works as good as anything
To DolceSeeker ... Those wires are not Strained wires , its a full body wire , hence there are no strains missing even if you cut it 10 times in the same place just for jokes .
I really like the little gas torch you used... small easy to use and... very useful.
I had a 2016 Mercedes A220d 2.2d AMG DCT new from the dealership and got the "Brabus D2 upgrade". Fitted by the dealership also. I was surprised this was also a "Piggyback" system. However it does not effect warranty. Had that car for 105,000 miles and it was great.
When I was working we would be in traffic when this loud noise would come along side ,a boy racer loud music big exhaust and in unison the lads on the Fire appliance would say there’s our next job because the amps would be wired with cheap wire the engine would be chipped and most of the work would be rubbish resulting in a burned out vehicle on its way to the breakers
Engineers like Jonny are the saviour of probably many of the DIY tuners stay safe 👍👨🏻🏭🇬🇧
I had a British friend who was an electronics technician teach me the same way to twist the wires together. 👍
I would agree i would never run a cheap tuner on anyone of my vehicles! However there are really good ones out there. Ecu flash tunes are always preferred over piggyback tune. However there are some decent piggyback tuners out there such as JB4. You can actually stack them together and not only gain more power, but features like a 2- step, meth injection, anti-lag, boost by gear ect. They also act as another layer of protection for your engine/transmission.
This exactly. Laughing at guys saying 'IF BMW WANTED IT IN THERE THEY WOULD HAVE PUT IT IN THERE!' With that thinking, no one should EVER mod their car, cuz hey, if the manufacturer wanted it that way, they would have done it!
I've been running a Burger Motorsports jb4 for a year without issue
I learned the "cris-cross-twist-twist" method when soldering when I did car audio installation. Always have been the best connections.
My sister used to live in the original John Coopers house. He had a large house overlooking the English channel. It was in botany close, on a private sea estate called the willowhayne, in West Sussex. Just thought I'd mention it! His car dealership was nearby in Ferring.
I've never seen lack of a check engine light being used as a diagnostic sign before - these tiny things that only experience can bring, kudos Ninja! Ebay parts aside, what an absolutely beautiful car, good luck to the owner :)
All the lights in the cluster poof out. When a car goes in for emissions testing if they see the light is does not light up it fails.
Great splice I'm also against performance chips, nothing but problems, but kids don't listen, I replaced many burnt harnesses plus other problems, thank you from nyc, appreciate your videos very much,
To add to what someone else mentioned, it may have been possible to extract the terminal and wire from the bad connector and re-insert it in the new connector. Depending on the connector, a special removal tool might be needed, but sometimes a tiny screwdriver does the trick. If you are going to cut and solder the wires, I recommend getting a good wire stripping tool and hot air tool for the shrink tubing. I'm not trying to be critical as I'll be the first to admit Johnny knows a thousand times more about cars than I do. I just happened to have designed wire harnesses for cars in the past.
did you not watch the start of the video? the plug was so toasted 1/4 of those wires would not be salvagable. no point in the giant pita of removing those tiny pins when you cant use them all
As a tech I just wanna say props to Bob! I hate when I get stuff from salvage all chopped up, wiring harnesses are so hard to repair and expensive to get
For real! I would’ve just sold them a whole new harness
Didn't know that chips were still used.
I had my S4 modestly flashed with an APR tune and it ran great 100k miles, sold it. Buyer tells me its still running strong.
mostly fore locked ECU after that only tune makes sens same with bmw m3 g80 and m5 and other cars
@@filip-pi9hy Thanks!
Magic man! Willing to take the time to do the job right! I made the mistake of taking my 2008 BMW 528i to the dealer for a transmission electronically stuck in park. Bill is up to $6,000 and counting after a week waiting! :(
As a young boy i was allways putting tuneing bit to my cars and thay never worked and my dad allways said the same as you that if the manufacture did not with all there R/d how adding bit would make it better.
It was a pleasure to watch you work Car Ninja
My 06 cooper works factory built special order has plenty of power for 99% of the driving i do. The only mod i have ever done was to install a catch can to keep the crankcase gasses out of the intake. Mine has 44 k on it since new and i followed it from build to delivery!
You mean oil 😎 mine had so much through the intake over 5k miles
Nice to see this channel doing well, deserves more subs!
The biggest clue about dodgy aftermarket/piggyback chips is in the claims made by the manufacturer/retailer.... "Boosts performance AND economy" is a common one that's physically impossible in the real world. Or claims that you'll get an extra 30-40hp out of your 1.5L NA 4-cyl which the auto maker specifically designed for economy and to meet emissions regs. These are the kinds of chips that will probably end up grenading your engine or melting bits of your engine bay.
Good custom/chip-tuning companies who actually put proper talent, dollars and dyno time into developing their products will generally be far more honest. If you're seeking a big performance boost and your vehicle is capable of such, they will probably tell you to ditch the factory computer entirely and be prepared to pay for the increased performance at the pump and in terms of more frequent/rigorous servicing requirements, since the engine and transmission are now more highly strung, running an increased redline, more timing, more boost, whatever. Decent chip-tuning companies should at least inform you that your car now drinks premium fuel only if that wasn't already true, and you certainly won't be using less of it unless you've specifically gone for an economy tune (in which case you won't be gaining any performance). Any extraordinary claims beyond this demand extraordinary evidence to support them.
Gotta love your repairs on German cars . You would be servicing both of my volkswagen if you did classic cars otherwise you just get one if I lived out there. Great job Johnny
You are a very good and humble mechanic Jonny all the best from Australia if you ever get to Australia try out a Holden I own 2 1992 commodores buick v6 great simple cars. All the best from Aussie land
That's got to be so hard on your back reconnecting 100 wires. We need lifts that could put the car vertically with front down and rear in the air, you could just sit in a char and do that work. ;)
Jonny, love your work. You'll make a better joint if you tin the wires, then twist, then solder again. Pre tinning stranded wire is the only accepted method by IPC.
Scotty Kilmer couldn't have said it better. The engineers know more than we do.
Yup. Learned a rule long ago when it comes to putting mods on your car. Fast, cheap, reliable, pick 2.
This reminds me of the kid who put nitrous in his Prius.
I think I know that kid, I vaguely remember it had the Fast And Furious "pull my finger" wrap on the car. If only I could remember his name
that kid's name is Hoovie ..
Just because you can doesn't mean you should. And then there is Hoovie :)
@@J-P88the kid...asking you to pull his finger.............. ....was me.
NEAT!!!
Great video showing how makeshift engine lower is transitory at best.
I have a few friends that have the mini coopers. Just keep an eye on the oil level, one friend lost a motor due to use of oil. Lady who never checked between oil changes.
Why did you not unpin the wires that are not melted and reuse them In the new connector
Checked the comments to say the same thing. I'm curious too.
If you are going to install a performance chip, get one from Dinan. Don't buy counterfeits. Dinan has a very high level of quality control. There are not many performance chips for my E32 and most that are don't support the CEL (check engine light) which technically makes it illegal to use on a car operated on public roads. Many of sellers of these chips exaggerate the improvements for marketing purposes. The facts are that most of these chips simply remap the fuel maps, raise or remove rev limiters, etc. This may result in a modest performance gain (+20 maybe) but not the exaggerated 50 to 100 hp. Lastly don't buy cheap Chinese counterfeits. I doubt a Chinese company is going to replace your ruined engine. Buyer beware.
Nice work. And nice patience. Most mechanics I know wouldn't take the job.
Why not de-pin and replaced the housing and just effected wires?
Would it have been worth trying to de-pin the original connector and then swap across pin by pin to the new one? Assuming the pins and wire weren’t too damaged.
The second that I saw you setting up to do the work I immediately thought about how sore my back would be.
Nice, doing it right 👍 I put a bsr stage one rechip one in my last two Saabs, no problems, but not cheap 600 ,$. 35 more hp. 50 more torque.
So something like a Jb4 or Eurosport power pack, junk, but what about something from Dinan or APR? Some of those tunes let you keep your factory warranty?
So is not worth it buying a performance chip??? Thornton tuning for E350 w212 mbz
Pin by pin. Did that back in the day converting Speed-Density EFI to Mass Airflow. No InterWeb, TH-cam or anything, it didn't exist. Nothing but wiring diagrams.
Can use the lift to slightly raise the car up so you won’t strain your back so much?
The safest way to tune a car is by installing REPUTABLE tuners map onto original DME. Some cheap tune might be catastrophic to the engine as much as this "box". Or, REPUTABLE piggyback, like JB4 when it comes to turbocharged BMWs/Minis. Map is usually cheaper though and all the failsafes are still in place!
Johnny thanks for posting. I love your channel and appreciate your posts.
My back hurts just watching this, you're brave
What are the Ninja's thoughts on an ECU Re Flash type of tune? Like the ones offered by APR or Unitronic? Not just for Mini's but for VW, Audi and the rest?
Yeah. I used a flash tune on my w204 C63 AMG for about 85k miles. No issues. Quality stuff should be no issue. And I hardly ever think a car is “fast enough” as the car ninja says 😂
I just bought the Thornton stage 3 performance chip and I tell you, it works, kinda. It definitely has some hp gain obviously "not" 60, but it has maybe given me 15 to 20 more HP. The new problem is, I've only gotten to drive it twice now and im enjoying the new "getty up" so much that im pushing it through the gears so NO noticable mpg increase yet, still "Totally" worth it. 😁👍
If you got supporting mods for a stage 3 tune would think you would get more than 20 hp 🤔i got "stage 2" in my volvo and went from 250 to 360hp, but then again i did get a fully custom tune on a dyno.
Car Ninja saved the day for that Mini. Many shops wouldn’t touch that job.
You could also extract the pin, and put it into new housing ....
@ 7:26 why use a flame when you have a hot air-heat-gun on the soldering station?
also, isn't 480 a little too hot?
Ninja are forever, John is ninja
weird to see a performance chip be the thing that had a meltdown rather than the engine. wonder if the performance chip caught fire due to poor design or due to bad install that allowed arcing.
Probably just a resistor that got red hot, most of these chips seem to just be resistors
I have NEVER looked at an ECU chip, tune or flash for "more power" as a desirable item on a vehicle...As Jonny says, If the manufacturer wanted that much power/torque/fuel mix, etc in the vehicle they would have made it that way...Just save up your money, BUY A FASTER VEHICLE! - LOL. After you spend $6k tuning your $4500 Honda, then it breaks or catches on fire, you have to get a new engine, bleh bleh bleh, You have spent the amount it would've cost for a faster vehicle...Thank you for bringing this to light Jonny...
I have an E350, heard one of those $6 ebay chips will make it run like an E63...
2:10 I work in a large scrap yard (salvage yard) in Nova Scotia and we would 100% sell you a pigtail lol. Or you could just go to a u-pull
i have had a bully dog programmer on my 5.9L cummings for 14 years and over 100k miles. Drives at 550+hp year round and tows my RV like a champ. IDK what trash this guy was running, but quality stuff is available.
Idk if you get it from a reputable tuner mabey and it’s just a bolt on car don’t see anything wrong with it. If your dealing with a fi / moderately modified car you need a dyno tune from someone who knows what their doing.
I'm only 28 and I'm already feeling his back pain
What was the chip ?I run I piggyback on my car from race chip so far no issues
Thank you very much! Liked, subscribed and shared. My absolute favorite TH-cam channel by far.
Wish you had your business in Wiltshire, UK.
So hold on chipping or remap is bad ?
So how do you feel about the JB4. Many BMW users use it. I've had it installed in my Maserati Ghibli SQ4 for the last 2 years. No issues.
That's not ebay junk. I ran a Cobb tuner on a Subaru for 100k miles....zero issues related to the tune. Pay for quality and everything is fine.
I like de-pinning and transferring the good ones and only splicing what’s damaged.
Great to hear a follow up to the fat gasket M3 saga.
Ones that actually work fool the ECU into thinking it's less boost so ramps up the pressure a bit, and a decent box will then make the injector pulse harder by ramping up the fuel pressure.
These ones actually make more power, but are still no where near a good remap.
Very smart and wise mechanic listen to the man who knows what's best for you car not snake oil salesmen telling you can get cheap horse power
car ninja do u recommmend bilstein shocks as a good replacement to oem
Depending on the car, sometimes bilstein is the oem brand.
Bilstein also have different grades of shocks within its own brand at different price points too
Absolutely!!!
Don't the individual pins release in these connector blocks? Be a lot easier on your back.
How do you feel about smaller supercharger pulleys for these minis.
so you don't recommend aftermarket tunes that raise the boost to get more power?
A proper tune and a chip are two different things,
Dinan is a reputable company but they're not cheap, they don't support older cars or that counterfeit chip you bought from Ebay.
Those Mahle AC machines are all super slow like that. Our old RobinAir 134a unit finally gave out about two years ago and the replacement was a Mahle. It's so slow it's almost useless.
The risk / reward equation isn't worth it. Way too much risk for just a little reward. That overheating could have become a much more involved vehicle fire. Just not worth it. Jonny, as always, a great video. Please don't stop doing what you do!
And voids car insurance so you are up for cost of replacement including any finance owed
BMW had something for the Cooper S from this period, the John Cooper Works Kit! It was a dealer installed option on my Cooper S convertible back in 2005. Modified head, supercharger pulley, intake and exhaust as well as bigger breaks and - not for the convertible - lowered springs. I had everything but the back part of the exhaust and it came out just under 200bhp 🤣 Not too bad for what was basically the engine from a Chrysler PT Cruizer.
Ditto on my 2005...factory approved, installed at the dealer, add cool badges!
A guy I used to work with at VW used to say you know these Engineers and R&D people at these car manufacturers are paid a lot of money for a reason.
I have a different brand 1234yf machine at my shop and I absolutely hate doing ac work with it because it takes forever as well!!
How do you feel about a proper tune on say ‘somebody’ had a 2017 Audi A4 😂…? I was considering for just a lil’ extra fun on back roads. Definitely not to abuse and go to tracks.
PROPER tunes are great. We just don't recommend plug and play, one size fits all gizmos.
That Piggy back is toasted!
Why did you soldered and I just re-crimped ?
Remember kids, you know more about your car than the engineers that designed your car.😁
Depends on how obsessed you are 😉
I'm sure it cost at least a grand to have you fix their screw-up.
I still don't know how you matched up the wires that were the same color. I think you said there were four of them.
The car electrician did it...
Look at the pin(number) were the wire goes to and connect it to the same spot on the new connector.
Where are you located Jonny. I'm an E39 guy & could always use a good man to work on my car .... Bill
Totally agree with you Ninja, do NOT use these stuff. If you really want then go to a PROPER ECU tuner that will fine tune your ECU software, but don't use stuff that "lie" to the ECU...
There are decent ones around, but they are not less than 500$ and you need to have a programmer to tune it, so, in the end, it's cheaper and better to just do the software job on you own ECU.
You can always rely on Urination Bob. 👍😁
Good advice from the Car Ninja leave things alone
The only benefit from all the "strap on" crap they'll sell you for your car goes to the speed or accessories shop that sells the junk.
Electric superchargers work in the mind of the 18 year old that buys them
Being that you said it was an 07 and it’s still supercharged, is it a convertible? I think 06 was the last year of the supercharged MCS hardtop but I think the convertible stayed a S/C version until 08?
Ahh I see it now at 10:00 that it is in fact a convertible…
i bought my winter beater bmw e53 from a used dealer, found a dinan tuned ecu under the hood to my surprise
Piggy backs, and pre-programmed tunes are the biggest risk you'll ever take. Do it right, get it to a professionally who can read and record live data on a dyno and street before reprogramming/reflashing the OEM ecu.
How do you feel about a flash tunes like APR or Unitronic?
Most of us have never heard of these places. Don't be surprised when the company "evaporates" at the first sign of trouble then sets up shop elsewhere under a new name.
@@houseofno Apr and unitronic are two very popular big name tuners in the US. The chip stuff that was pulled out, might be some weird, no name piggyback on eBay. And I agree they are junk.
He was lucky to get away with just one connector melted. BTW what was he trying to with that stuff on an R52 mcs??? And looks like it's a JCW😱 it's already as powerful as it can be