Pulley change - ECU or No ECU upgrade? Newbie needs help, please.

[lwlam]

I am very new to MINIs, so thank you for your patience. I have spent the last several days reading through this site and performing searches within the forums as well as on the web but still need a little help.

I will be buying a 2005 MCS and absolutely want to install a smaller pulley increase the blower's boost. I am trying to understand the differences in performance and overall effect of combining the the pulley change with an ECU upgrade.

1. As I understand it, an ECU change is NOT required with a pulley change. It this true?

2. If so, what are the negative aspects of leaving the stock programming with the new pulley?

3. Finally, any suggestions on tuners in the Los Angeles/ Orange County areas to perform the pulley change? (I am fairly mechanical, but have never performed a pulley change and don't want to feck up.)

Thank you very much. This forum has been very educational.

Lester

[Berthil]

I watched your question but did not see any answer yet so I reply although I do not have a 100% answer. I have tuned my MCS with a Digi-Tec kit to 210 bhp. I have a new pulley, airfilter, chip programming and new spark plugs (Bosch FR6-DTC). The Digi-Tec tuning is tested extensively against other tuning packages and consistently has won any comparison against simular packages. I can confirm the torque-gain at lower revs is awesome.

The Digi-Tec package is a set of alterations which fit together. That is may be also my answer to your question. Why only do a pulley upgrade if there are fully tested and award winning packages on the market? Because of this set I also have a lower fuel comsuption than the stock MCS, and you can be sure I use the extra bhp when the engine is warm and the road clear.

I got the Digi-Tec dealer address from my BMW dealer! He also said he had complete confidence in Digi-Tec and it would not void my warrenty! And also Digi-Tec give a 5 year warranty on engine, drive train etc. for an extra 100 euro, so I have double warranty.

[MINIAC]

Quote: Originally Posted by lwlam

As I understand it, an ECU change is NOT required with a pulley change. It this true?

Yes, but an ECU remap for a 15% reduction pulley will give you even more horsepower and torque

Quote: Originally Posted by lwlam

... any suggestions on tuners in the Los Angeles/ Orange County areas to perform the pulley change?

Found the following links by doing a search:

Knowledgable Mod shop in SoCal

SoCal MINI aftermarket installer

You may also want to check the following:

Pulley Party Central

[Back2DTM]

Quote:

Finally, any suggestions on tuners in the Los Angeles/ Orange County areas to perform the pulley change? (I am fairly mechanical, but have never performed a pulley change and don't want to feck up.)

yes. I did mine in San Gabriel, LA. its called Impex. pm me for more info.

[lwlam]

I think I understand the general opinion: if you're going to do the pulley, then do the ECU as well. Sounds like there is no real detriment to doing the pulley alone, but the additional gains make an ECU upgrade worthwhile.

I have read that the older versions of OneCLick would cause the EML light to come on and the engine would stall at higher RPMs. Does this still occur or has this issue been addressed?

[Fabio]

Quote: Originally Posted by Berthil

I watched your question but did not see any answer yet so I reply although I do not have a 100% answer. I have tuned my MCS with a Digi-Tec kit to 210 bhp. I have a new pulley, airfilter, chip programming and new spark plugs (Bosch FR6-DTC). The Digi-Tec tuning is tested extensively against other tuning packages and consistently has won any comparison against simular packages. I can confirm the torque-gain at lower revs is awesome.

The Digi-Tec package is a set of alterations which fit together. That is may be also my answer to your question. Why only do a pulley upgrade if there are fully tested and award winning packages on the market? Because of this set I also have a lower fuel comsuption than the stock MCS, and you can be sure I use the extra bhp when the engine is warm and the road clear.

I got the Digi-Tec dealer address from my BMW dealer! He also said he had complete confidence in Digi-Tec and it would not void my warrenty! And also Digi-Tec give a 5 year warranty on engine, drive train etc. for an extra 100 euro, so I have double warranty.

how much did the digi-tec kit cost??

[Berthil]

Quote: Originally Posted by Fabio

how much did the digi-tec kit cost??

It was 1249 Euro but I also got an extra sports air filter for 70 euro. And I also got tinted windows of the doors since the back windows were already tinted by BMW. They made me a good package deal. I LOVE the extra power, especially at low revs. I have read an extensive review of a German guy who was really pushing his MSC to the limit for hours on the German freeway on numorous occasions, hours at full speed. His Digi-Tec MCS didn't have one hickup of any kind. I know they give a 25% reduction if your car is older then 3 years, but mine is 1,5 years old. I seemed a lot of money to me, but I am very glad I did this. Much better than all the chrome interior rings, decals etc. I could have bought

[Fabio]

Quote: Originally Posted by Berthil

It was 1249 Euro but I also got an extra sports air filter for 70 euro. And I also got tinted windows of the doors since the back windows were already tinted by BMW. They made me a good package deal. I LOVE the extra power, especially at low revs. I have read an extensive review of a German guy who was really pushing his MSC to the limit for hours on the German freeway on numorous occasions, hours at full speed. His Digi-Tec MCS didn't have one hickup of any kind. I know they give a 25% reduction if your car is older then 3 years, but mine is 1,5 years old. I seemed a lot of money to me, but I am very glad I did this. Much better than all the chrome interior rings, decals etc. I could have bought

Thanks
I'll look further into it. I am not sure what i want cause i dont want to have any insurance/warranty/resale problems by modding the car.

[allan michael]

you are only going to get 6 more hp with the ECU upgrade on top of the pulley. I didnt bother. It is almost as expensive as getting the pulley upagrade, too.

allan

[bkwalker]

only 6 hp??!!

i would have thought more than that.. why do people bother getting it then?
i got a 15% pulley a few days ago now and i am planning on getting the AmD ECU...
ive heard it just contributes to making the drive a whole lot better..

[greatgro]

Quote: Originally Posted by allan michael

you are only going to get 6 more hp with the ECU upgrade on top of the pulley. I didnt bother. It is almost as expensive as getting the pulley upagrade, too.
allan

Allan - check out the GIAC ECU upgrade. Phenomenal results. It completely changes the way the MINI drives. Great power and smoothness and maybe best of all, the MINI actually can pull off the line fast and smooth! Can't recommend highly enough!

[allan michael]

GG

i have been checking into GIAC's chip, but, i want torque. I feel the car with the CAI and 17% pulley launches and runs smooth as it is. ?!

allan

[lwlam]

I read some posts here that tell about occasions when a MINI One would cut out at redline when using the AMD OneClick.

Is this problem limited to the MINI One? Does this affect MINI Cooper S as well?

Thanks.

Quote: Originally Posted by bkwalker

only 6 hp??!!

i would have thought more than that.. why do people bother getting it then?
i got a 15% pulley a few days ago now and i am planning on getting the AmD ECU...
ive heard it just contributes to making the drive a whole lot better..

[MINI-Morgan]

Doesnt the ECU remap also put in more fuel to keep the engine cooler at higher rpms?

[sergio rollerfunk]

Quote: Originally Posted by Berthil

I have tuned my MCS with a Digi-Tec kit to 210 bhp. I have a new pulley, airfilter, chip programming and new spark plugs (Bosch FR6-DTC). The Digi-Tec tuning is tested extensively against other tuning packages and consistently has won any comparison against simular packages. I can confirm the torque-gain at lower revs is awesome.

Berthil,

I have the same 210HP Digi Tec package on my S, plus the Borla Race catback exhaust and the Mini Madness CAI. Altogether, my S should be pushing around 220-225 hp at the crank, (around 190-195hp at the wheels). I took my car to Apex R Motorsport in Tucson to get it dynoed, and to my surprise only 175,6 whp showed up, which translates to 201-202 hp at the crank. A stock MCS engine pulls a realistic 168-172 hp, and since the 15% pulley adds around 17hp, and the exhaust and CAI altogether about 10-12 hp, that leaves a mere 3-5 hp from the ECU. I know that I don't have a lemon because my car goes like stink, and I have no complains about performance.
But what gets me off is tuners over-inflating their HP claims, and Digi-Tec might be one of them. I know that a few conditions could have mask the final HP readings, such the fact that I was using 91 octane gas, (the only available in the area), high room temperature (90 degrees) and Tucson's 3,000 feet altitude above sea level. I doubt that those factors took away 20 whp.

The only thing that saved that day was a 99 Civic V-Tec with a Jackson Supercharger kit pulling just 165 whp...