If you are a BMW enthusiast, you are probably hooked on the performance, safety, and luxury of your car. In order to achieve high-grade performance levels in your BMW, you can use a BMW catalytic converter. Read through to find out how to achieve maximum utility and performance for BMWs.
What Exactly Is Tuning a Car?
If the first image that jumped into your head was the tuning of a guitar, you are not alone. However, tuning a car involves changing its variables for the optimization of peak engine performance. This increases both its horsepower and torque.
Unlike in the past when vehicles were manual, modern cars are now predominantly controlled by computers. This is a type of Electronic Control Unit which is mostly referred to by its abbreviation, ECU.
This “computer” in your car constantly gathers information from your vehicle’s sensors and calculates this data to make decisions that translate to performance. It utilizes inputs such as throttle position and outputs like ignition timing. Ultimately, the ECU on your vehicle sets the limit for the basic engine power of your car.
By tuning, you can transform two engines that are the same at the onset into distant relatives. This means that identical engines can have different performance, fuel usage, as well as other features we will later discuss.
Tuning a vehicle involves both tweaking the ECU and making adjustments to different vehicle parts to create better performance.
Why Opt for a BMW Tuner
You might be wondering what tuning your BMW will help you achieve, as it is already a superbly powerful vehicle to begin with. Whether your car is an M series, a 7 or 3 series, or even an X series or any other model, you can get more performance out of it. And you don’t even have to be an aspiring race-car driver for tuning to be ideal for you.
Here are some benefits you will get from having your BMW tuned:
Improved Acceleration
BMW vehicles are known for their smooth acceleration which contributes to the luxury associated with driving one. Conversely, a vehicle with poor acceleration experiences a degree of hesitation and jerking in addition to other unpleasant feelings. Tuning enhances performance elements like cold air intake which translates to faster and smoother acceleration for your car. Increased acceleration will ensure you get more performance from your BMW.
Enhanced Torque
The torque delivery is a vehicle’s ability to effectively deliver power to its wheels. Enhanced torque delivery allows for efficient acceleration with minimal strain on the engine. Interestingly, before the 1970s, changing the torque curve of your vehicle meant changing hardware. Since then, manufacturers have turned down the power engines produced to achieve better fuel economy.
Ignition timing and valve timing can now be varied without meddling with the hardware allowing tuners to enhance the RPM of your car’s torque curve. Furthermore, improved torque effectively allows your engine controls to widen your performance requirements, increasing efficiency.
Increased Horsepower
There are several ways to increase engine power and one of the most effective is re-working the vehicle’s exhaust pipes. Engine performance is affected by the velocity of exit of the exhaust from your vehicle. Therefore, higher velocity can be achieved by increasing the piping diameter of the exhaust while aligning exhaust pulses favorably to heighten exhaust scavenging. This, in turn, will effectively increase the power of your engine.
Other Benefits of Tuning Your BMW
While increased performance is a great reason to have your BMW tuned, you will also achieve other great benefits.
Tuned Cars Deliver Clean Burn with Less Build-up
This is not a benefit that jumps right at you. But yes, tuning your car might be good for the environment! The reason for this is that a tuned vehicle emits less exhaust as your engine will be running cleaner leading to fewer toxins being released into the atmosphere.
A Personalized Engine That Fits Into Your Lifestyle
Tuning allows you to personalize your car and thus have more control as you are driving it. As a result, you will be able to maintain power and speed with minimal effort as your vehicle will be tuned to your needs.
More Bang for Your Buck
Changes made during tuning could allow for the components of your engine to last longer due to increased efficiency. Moreover, this could also lead to fuel savings that may add up to a lot in the long run.
What Should You Do Before Getting Your Car Tuned?
- Check your oil
- Confirm that your spark plugs are up to scratch
- Fuel up. The process might use up quite a bit.
- Ensure your tires are in good condition
Is It Safe to Tune Your BMW?
This is where using an experienced BMW tuner comes in handy. While the aim is to achieve maximum power and torque, your tuner should never exceed the limits of your stock capabilities. Needless to say, when researching a provider to use, remember that in all things having to do with automobiles, safety comes first. Professional re-work should add to the safety, as well as the efficiency of your BMW’s features.
