What is the difference between a custom tune, an “Off The Shelf” map and our PRO TUNE OTS+ maps?
A platform “OTS” map is a general tune, meant to be safe, reliable and run decent across all engines, setups and deal with a varying degree of fuel quality from one geographic location to the next. While the OTS maps are good, a custom tune from JordanTuned, LLC is built specifically for your engine, setup and fuel and meticulously dialed-in for your exact engine, setup and fuel with safety continuously monitored through the process.
Every engine is different due to factory tolerances. Some engines will make more power than others naturally. Other factors such as the combination of aftermarket parts, varying fuel quality, prevailing local meteorological conditions, altitude and how the engine was broken-in all play roles in how an engine needs to be tuned.
Our PRO TUNE OTS+ maps are based on our many years of BMW tuning experience, performing over 15,000 custom tunes around the world. The PRO TUNE OTS+ maps are flash and run, no datalogging needed and are more aggressive than a regular platform OTS map, but a step below a full Custom Tune.
What are the risks?
Tuning, in-general, can be risky, but choosing the correct tuner can mean the difference between a well running and performing setup and a poorly performing setup or worse, a blown engine. Tuning is complicated and a good calibrator has a lot of variables to take into consideration to ensure an engine always remains powerful and stays safe, even in less-desirable conditions. Bad/incorrect fuel, high ambient temps, potential cooling malfunctions……etc. can all lead to disaster if the custom tune isn’t calibrated correctly. Going fast is only one part of the equation, staying safe is the most important.
There is no way to guarantee absolute safety when doing ANY aftermarket modifications, but great care is taken on our part to ensure it’s as safe as possible, using our 20+ years of world-wide internal combustion engine tuning experience. All safety features are kept in-tact and some even improved upon, all in the interest of absolute safety.
JordanTuned, LLC has the record to back our claims up as a “Trusted Name In Custom Tuning”.
How does the process work?
For modern BMW engine tuning, we use Bootmod3/BM3 (www.protuningfreaks.com) and MHD (www.mhdtuning.com). Bootmod3 and MHD are the best tuning platforms currently available for modern BMW engines. JordanTuned, LLC is very proud of our close working relationship with the creators of both Bootmod3 (ProTuningFreaks) and MHD.
U.S. MARKET CUSTOMERS: Pursuant to the Clean Air Act of 1970 - In the U.S. Market, deleting emissions control devices are ILLEGAL and will not be tolerated. Our services do NOT require the use of aftermarket downpipes/catalytic converter deletes. We will not offer our products for sale to anybody that we know has deleted an emissions control device, such as a catalytic converter. If we learn that this has been done after purchase in the US market, we will TERMINATE support offered to you and there will be NO REFUNDS - WE DO REQUIRE TOTAL COMPLIANCE.
For BM3:
Once the custom calibration has been purchased you will need to log in to your Bootmod3 account and send a custom tune request. If you do not already have a Bootmod3 account/license, once can be purchased directly from us here.
Once payment is sent, please send us a custom tune request from your BM3 account by going to “My Maps” and then clicking on the red “Request Custom” button. From there, title the map making sure to include the fuel being used (in title) and select our name from the tuner pull-down (JordanTuned, LLC).
Please provide the following info in the comment section of the custom tune request:
Full Name (if dealer, please let us know your dealer name AND the customer's name)
A good email address (if dealer, please give us the customer's email address)
Your IG/Forum name (if contacting us through Instagram or forum)
Fuel Type:
Turbo:
Auxiliary Fueling(PI/Methanol)/ HPFP/LPFP Upgrades:
Order Number (If tune was purchased through our website)
If purchased outside of the website, please state what method was used to make the payment (if using PayPal, please include the PayPal account email that you used)
State whether you want to do: Datalogging Only Tuning (or) Remote DYNO Only Tuning.
At that point, you’ll flash the custom file using your Bootmod3 account and datalog using the provided instructions. Once data-logging is completed, you’ll send a “request update” from the custom file in your Bootmod3 account. This gives us access to your datalogs and allows us to make the needed changes to your custom file. Once we’ve made the needed changes, we’ll send it back (release to flash) once again and the process repeats until the custom tune is completed. All communication is handled in the Bootmod3 platform and there is no need to email datalogs.
The above instructions are also sent via email upon checking out from our shopping cart.
For MHD:
Once payment is sent, please submit a custom tune request via email to support@jordan-tuned.com. Please provide the following info in the custom tune request email:
Full Name
A good email address
Your IG/Forum name (if contacting us through Instagram or forum)
Fuel Type:
Turbo:
Auxiliary Fueling(PI/Methanol)/ HPFP/LPFP Upgrades:
Order Number (If tune was purchased through our website)
If purchased outside of the website, please state what method was used to make the payment (if using PayPal, please include the PayPal account email that you used)
Vehicle Software info from the MHD App’s Diagnostics Screen
State whether you want to do: Datalogging Only Tuning (or) Remote DYNO Only Tuning. (At this time, we are booked out several weeks in advance with existing customers for Remote-DYNO tuning.)
All communication will done via email (support@jordan-tuned.com).
The above instructions are also sent via email upon checking out from our shopping cart.
How long does the custom tuning process typically take ?
Under normal circumstances, turn-around time to get the process started is typically 24-48 hours. However, we don’t work weekends or holidays. If you purchase on a Friday, you may not receive a response until the following Monday. How many revisions are needed depend greatly on engine, setup and fuel. Most S55 custom calibrations typically take 4-6 revisions to complete, for instance.
During the tuning process, we take our time to ensure maximum engine safety and drivability. It’s very important to slowly bring power up and to catch things before they become real issues. This is 100% bespoke tuning, we aren’t using OTS maps and making small tweaks - each of our custom calibrations are like finger prints. Just like each engine and setup, they are all different. All of our base-maps are developed and built by us.
If I’m running a full-E85 custom tune, can I run pump gas?
For non-FlexFuel setups - Yes. However, you need to run the correct calibration file for the fuel you put in the tank.
If you have E85 or other ethanol blend (E30, E50, E60, E70…etc), you’ll want to run the appropriate custom flash tune for the fuel that’s in the tank. If this isn’t a “FlexFuel” setup, the DME doesn’t have a way to adjust for massive changes in ethanol content (Going from E85 to E10 pump gasoline, for instance).
Our custom calibrations do have some wiggle-room built into them for instances where your local E85’s ethanol content changes, but nothing less than E60-70 should be used if tuned for full-E85, for instance.
For FlexFuel setups (S55, N55, B58, S58…etc) - We take a base fuel and your E85 ethanol and blend between the two. This option does require the use of some external hardware to make it all work, there are several kits available on the market. Please see our “shop” and select “FlexFuel” for the engines offered.
How do I convert to E85 from pump gasoline?
For a non-FlexFuel setup, detailed info on how to convert to and switch back and forth between ethanol-based fuels and gasoline-based fuels is sent with all ethanol-based custom calibrations. To put it simply, you’ll take your tank down to “——” on the Estimated Distance to Empty gauge on your dashboard. Once you go past “0” on the EDE, you’ll see “——” indicated on the gauge. This means you’ve reached your “reserve tank”, which is typically ~1 gallon of fuel left in the tank. The fuel gauge itself isn’t accurate and therefore can’t be trusted to measure actual fuel level. The only time we really know exactly how much fuel is in the tank is around the “——” indicator on the EDE. Once at “——”, you would completely fill-up the fuel tank with E85 and then flash to the appropriate E85 custom calibration. Once fully converted to E85, you can fill-up whenever you’d like, at any remaining fuel level.
For FlexFuel, you just flash, fill-up and go!
What about an ethanol mixes (E30-E60)?
For ethanol mixes (E30-60), you’ll have a similar process, but you’ll need to make precise calculations using your tank’s actual size, the ethanol content of your local E85, the content of your local pump gasoline (typically %10 ethanol or E10 for the US) and the desired ethanol level. In this case, fill-ups always have to be performed at “——” to ensure the calculation is never thrown off by an unknown amount of fuel left in the thank.
For FlexFuel setups, you don’t need to worry about mixes, we handle everything, please see above for FlexFuel.
If running E85, do I need to run pump gasoline through the fuel system occasionally?
While engines like the S55 have ethanol-safe fuel systems, there are some fuel system maintenance considerations we must be mindful of when running E85 for prolonged periods.
Alcohol fuels such as E85 (ethanol is an alcohol fuel) are what’s called hygroscopic, meaning they attract water. If they are exposed to the atmosphere (especially in high-humidity environments), they will pull the water from the atmosphere and hold it in the fuel. There are other contamination issues beyond water contamination as well, especially when running pump E85.
It is recommended you cycle a tank of pump gasoline through the fuel system AT LEAST once every 3 months or 3k miles. There are some good fuel system conditioners and stabilizers on the market from the name-brands and those are fine to run, however it’s still recommended to cycle a tank of pump gasoline through the system every 3 months or 3k miles at the very least.
Do not store E85 for long periods. If you plan on storing your car for longer than a week, completely fill-up your fuel tank with E85 so that there is little-to-no air in the fuel tank. If longer than 2-3 weeks, switch over to pump fuel for the storage period.
It is best to keep your car’s fuel tank full of E85 to avoid having any excess air in the tank (air contains moisture). If you store your E85 in your garage, do not store it in plastic fuel cans for long periods, even ethanol-safe fuel cans, as they are not air-tight and the E85 will not store very long before water contamination becomes an issue. E85 can be stored for longer periods in air-tight barrels, so long as you keep the barrel as full as possible to avoid excess air being trapped inside the barrel with the E85.
We also very much recommend extra fuel filtering via an aftermarket in-line fuel filter kit. There are several on the market, we recommend one that utilizes the ID F750 Fuel Filter.
Should I spot-check my E85 and if so, how often?
We recommend spot-testing your E85 using an ethanol tester (also known as a gasohol tester), which can be found in most home improvement stores (Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ace) in the small engine section (lawnmowers...etc), or can be picked up for about $12 on Amazon.
Please check the ethanol quantity and quality before your initial first fill-up to know the exact ethanol percentage of your local E85. Also be looking for particulates in the sample, as this will indicate particulate contamination and should absolutely be avoided. Keep in-mind that each station is different, so we encourage you to test the stations around you and pick the station that has the highest ethanol level with the cleanest sample. It’s also encouraged that you use the same station for each fill-up and that you spot-check your E85 every few fill-ups.
I see you offer a Remote Dyno Tuning 2-hour Block, what is this and how does it work?
There are two different ways to achieve custom tuning: 1. Closed Course/Track datalogging (aka “Track Datalog-Only Tuning”) and; 2. Chassis Dynamometer (aka “Remote Dyno-Only Tuning").
Data-logging is performed in both instances, but the difference is that “Dyno Tuning” allows us to measure actual engine output in a safe and controlled environment. “Dyno Tuning” is preferred because being able to measure actual output shows us precisely how far the tune can be taken safely and allows us to accurately mold the torque curve. You will be required to state whether you want to do “Track Datalog-Only Tuning” or “Remote Dyno-Only Tuning”
If “Dyno-Only Tuning”, we will coordinate with you and with the shop on a date and time. We typically stay booked-out 2 to 2.5 weeks in-advance for remote dyno tuning.
While we can typically get you pretty close with “Track Tuning”, we have no way of measuring actual output therefore have to rely on our experience. We only push track tunes to a certain level that we know is safe from experience. When we are “Dyno Tuning” we remove any doubt and can tune for maximum safe power output. Sometimes our track tuning is within 5whp of maximum safe power. Other times, it’s a good bit below maximum safe power output, as illustrated in the S55 Full E85 Stage 2+ Dyno Graph below:
Illustrated above: The difference between a street tune and a dyno tune can sometimes be significant.
(NOTE: JordanTuned, LLC doesn’t condone the violation of ANY state or local traffic laws, “track tuning” is OFF-ROAD ONLY and should be done on a closed-course, not on public roads.)
What if I decide to dyno my car without you being there remotely?
As mentioned above, a dynamometer measures engine output, in a safe and mostly controlled environment. However, if you decide to run your car on a dyno, not involved in an active remote dyno tune session with us, there are some things you must do to get the best results.
Reset Adaptations: When taking a modern BMW off the street and putting it on a dyno, the DME’s adaptations must be reset before making the first pass. You can achieve this in one of two ways. 1. Go into the “diagnostics” menu of BM3 and click on the “reset adaptations” button. 2. Flash the custom tune again, which automatically resets all adaptations.
Learn the “Roller Mode” for your car. Some BMW cars have a software mode called “Roller Mode”. This is activated differently depending on the car.
Be sure to dyno in the correct gear. For DCT and 6MT cars, 5th gear is your 1:1 gear. For ZF 8AT cars, 5th gear is preferred, but you may experience downshifting - in this case, using 4th gear normally stops the automatic downshifts and allows a full pass.
After each flash and/or a manual reset of adaptations you must roll on the dyno in 5th gear at around 3000rpm for a legitimate 90 seconds at the minimum. This allows all the O2 sensors to warm up and come online and allows the DME to adapt. Not doing so will cause all kinds of weird things to happen, especially with fueling from fuel adaptations and/or Primary O2 sensors that not online or not up-to proper operating temp.
In any case, we do prefer to be present remotely when a client wants to dyno their car. Modern BMW’s are complicated and less than desirable results can occur if dyno’d incorrectly.
Do I need to upgrade my spark plugs?
Spark plugs have 2 main purposes:
To ignite the air/fuel mixture; and
To act as a heatsink from the combustion chamber, into the head and subsequently into the coolant system where the heat is transferred to the heat exchanger.
These 2 things are critical to how the engine runs.
When increasing power, heat is increased in the combustion chamber and therefore a cooler heat-range plug is typically selected. However, increasing power usually means increasing boost pressures and therefore a smaller gap must be run to keep the spark from being “blown-out”. The use of alcohol fuels such as E85 and Methanol require even smaller gaps and shorter firing ends to help protect the spark from being blown-out. You want to run the largest gap possible. However, running too large of a gap will cause misfires and running too short of a gap will increase firing-end temps and, if firing-end temps raise high enough, can cause pre-ignition and plug damage. Also, small gaps increase wear on the ground strap and electrode of the spark plugs and thus decrease service interval times due to the increased wear. As a spark plug wears, the gap opens up and the electrode is rounded off and thus misfires can and do occur as well as loss of efficiency.
For modern BMW engines, there are several plugs available on the market and are typically made by 2 different manufacturers - Bosch and NGK. Bosch makes amazing engine electronics and ignition systems, but NGK is known world-wide as the best spark plug manufacturer. For performance tuning, we almost always recommend running the following:
N20, N54, N55, S55, N63, N63TU, S63, and S63TU:
NGK 97506 plug (for pump gasolines, gapped at .022” and E85 gapped at .020”) and the;
NGK BMW Germany F8S N20 Flex Fuel spark plugs (for E85 gapped @ .020”)
Brisk Racing Silver 2MOR10S plugs (E85: .020” / Gasoline Based Fuel: .022”)
The NGK 97506 being totally adequate for pump gasoline, isn’t the best choice for E85 usage, whereas the NGK BMW Germany F8S plug should be used. The NGK 97506 plugs are more readily available and can be used with E85, but won’t last as long nor have equal performance to the NGK F8S Flex Fuel Plugs.
Both Bosch and NGK make OEM plugs for these BMW engines, but the NGK variants are vastly superior, especially in extreme cases.
The S55 and N55 are very different engines, and have different spark plug requirements. We only recommend the NGK F8S spark plugs for the N55 when running a high-powered full-E85 custom tune with an aftermarket turbo (500+whp), otherwise the NGK 97506 is almost always adequate.
N20 and N26 engines are similar to the S55 in plug requirements as both can run full-E85 on the stock fuel system.
B58 Gen 1 and B46/48:
NGK 97506 plug (very early Gen 1 Engines with older style coil) (E85: .020” / Gasoline Based Fuel: .022”)
NGK 94201 plug (Later Gen 1 engines) (E85: .020” / Gasoline Based Fuel: .022”)
S58 and B58 Gen 2 Engine:
NGK 96206 plug (E85: .020” / Gasoline Based Fuel: .022”)
Where can I find a dealer in my area of the world?
While we offer remote support for all our clients, some people prefer to go through a Dealer/Shop to have the custom tune performed. A world-wide list of our Dealers/Shops can be found here.
Does JordanTuned only tune BMW engines?
Currently, we only offer custom calibrations for modern BMW engines (S55, N55, N54 (upon request) N20, N26, N63, S63, B48, B46, B58, S58). While we have vast experience tuning other platforms, we are currently dedicated to tuning all the modern BMW engines, but do have plans to start offering custom calibrations for other German and non-German platforms in the near future. If you have an Audi, Porsche or Mercedes Benz, please check back in the future or sign-up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page and you will be notified when we start offering tuning for your platform.
