Are the Updated MHD Maps Actually Better? (135i N55 DCT)

I expected the latest map update to be the better maps, but are they really? I decided to put them all to the test to see if I should be running the new or old maps on my 2012 BMW 135i. I originally assumed the that V1.84 maps were superior but after seeing some comments on my original video, I figured I would look into the matter some more and was surprised with what I found on MHD’s Facebook page as well as some forums. Hopefully this video gives you the right idea of which map you should run, and remember to run some data logs so you can see exactly how your car is handling each tune.

[@DrewH-zv9iz]

Another perfect video for a current owner of a 135i n55…thank you for your service to the n55 community 👍

[@JasonJoyrides]

Appreciate you brutha!

[@DrewH-zv9iz]

Appreciate you! I ran the 1.60 map w/ and w/o linear throttle mapping. W/o linear mapping it’s definitely peakier. I liked it. Now I’ll run a little 95 oct on the 1.60 map stage 2+ see how that feels

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@DrewH-zv9iz where you getting 95??

[@DrewH-zv9iz]

Making it with Royal Purple Max Boost. The map will take advantage of the higher octane rating in theory

[@DrewH-zv9iz]

I ran a 95 map on version 1.84. It liked it. Gave it a little longer legs higher up the rpm range

[@minulachis]

Very good and informative video, someone finally tackled the two versions of maps and see the differences, thank you Jason. Did you notice in the logs any difference in boost? As ideas for next vids, you can do a set-up presentation, which mods you have on the car etc. I saw in the comments you are also looking to make some vids about xHP, waiting to see that also. It really changes the way the transmission reacts. Maybe another video you can do with putting the logs into Virtual Dyno and see what it says hp wise, you can already use the logs you have so atleast you don't have to play with the car again haha. As other mods, I saw the oil thermostat mod which I also just bought, waiting for it to arrive (the actual thermostat, not that little thing that just blocks it on open, it's about 20 euros)

[@JasonJoyrides]

I noticed that it was generally not hitting target boost more on the V1.84 maps, which would explain why it is a little slower. This seems to be the problem for most that I have seen. Thanks for the suggestions I'll definitely want to look into the Virtual Dyno.

[@paulli2390]

really appreciate this. I started my MHD journey with 1.84 stage 1 (N55 e92). Was really underwhelmed. Switched to 1.60 after your video and made a world of difference.

[@JasonJoyrides]

I’m so glad it helped!!

[@DrewH-zv9iz]

I went with the Pure 500 because I just felt it would be better suited to daily driving on 93. Probably better spool characteristics than the 750 and no intention of upgrading fueling. Although the 500 may call for more fueling to get the most out of it. Cost wasn’t the issue, real world driving scenarios was the deciding factor. I can always just romp on the 500 if I’m not happy and upgrade to the 750 after she gets tired of the abuse

[@veldmannn]

Love the videos! I daily drive my 135i, pretty much everything has been changed to my car, from interior, exterior and suspension, only thing left is the pure500 turbo! then I'll also go custom map

[@JasonJoyrides]

Hey man! I actually remember watching your 125i trailer video before buying my 1er. Cool that we ran into each other here! Your 135i looks amazing. Perfect stock body set up. Mind me asking what all you have done on the interior as well as suspension? I would say those are the two areas I want to focus on next for my car.

[@TacticalClan]

just installed my pure 500 couldn’t be happier this turbo just wants to keep pulling!

[@veldmannn]

@@TacticalClan very good to hear! on what car, tuned by who and any idea 100-200 times?

[@TacticalClan]

@@veldmannn right now i’m on mhd stage 2 + on the v1.60 map. the car is a 2011 e92 so it has a pwg but it still pulls like never before. i’m definitely getting it tuned by a shop soon! I would say 100-200kmph is somewhere around 5 seconds haven’t timed it yet but will soon. i have the pure turbos inlet and outlet pipe aswell as a few other mods.

[@hollowtian6148]

Had issue with 1.8 stage 2+. When I push the throttle and the rev goes up but no/slow power delivery. Then I flash back to 1.6 and had zero issues. Everything is smooth, the shifting, power delivery etc. And even 1.8 wasn’t that “new”, but I don’t think they will update maps for N55e anymore

[@JasonJoyrides]

Yeah I guess “new” maps is a general term. I agree though I think their focus is on the B58 and S55/S58 now

[@hollowtian6148]

@@JasonJoyrides yeah, I didn’t mean to disagree with you, I was trying to express the frustration that they stop updating and the “newest” is the 1.8😩😩😩

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@hollowtian6148 at least we got an update lol F series N55 owners are stuck with the one version...

[@theXvisions]

good vid, same here.. i am on 1.60 stage 2+ and it deffo feels more aggressive :)

[@e92jj]

I’m running a pure 500 with the 1.8 version and it feels so off compared to stock turbo on 1.6 Power delivery is more linear but less torque. it does pull all the way to redline compared to stock turbo.

[@JasonJoyrides]

Have you tried switching back to 1.60 with the pure500?

[@robertpurvis6106]

removing the cold start wrecked my start ups. i would throw engine lights and it would stall. v1.84 gave me rough idles and i had choppy acceleration. put cold start back and tried the older map and everything went away. i did like the v1.84 linear acceleration but it did not mesh well with my car. new injectors, hpfp, and lpfp regulator btw so it was not any of those problems. only weird thing that lingers, is sometimes my cold start stops after a second or 2 randomly. keeps the revs up the same during, but that loud roar just goes away. i wish it would do it only in the morning for my neighbors sake but its random. was thinking of removing mhd completely and reinstalling but seeing as it's just a sound thing i might leave it alone as its' running great.

[@JasonJoyrides]

Yeah I have heard only bad things about the cold start delete so I never enable it. If you’re really worried about the noise you could always get baffles that insert in the exhaust pipe temporarily while the car warms up. There’s a possibility that the extra momentary noise could be from an exhaust leak. I’m currently dealing with that where it’s super loud and then goes away as the exhaust heats up and creates a better seal. Haven’t had time to dig into it and track it down but I have my suspicions that it’s my turbo to DP v band. Apparently it’s very common for the v band bolt to come loose after a DP instal because the v bands are really supposed to be multi use.

[@robertpurvis6106]

@@JasonJoyrides interesting. I got a new clamp when I had the downpipe done this year. I got a slight rattle that seems to be coming from the stock resonator forward but i swore i had it before downpipe. Its slightly louder now after removing cat. I thought i might have a leak somewhere i need to investigate. I was going to investigate with berk mid pipes. Lol. A little justification in my head for it. Hehe.

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@robertpurvis6106 sounds like an excellent reason to me.... haha

[@jaybird9862]

I use cold start delete and have no issues now. I used to have issues with my cold starts when I had an aftermarket intake, but once I switched back to stock my cold starts have been fine. I think the aftermarket intakes don’t fit the MAF well and you get a small vacuum leak that the ECU has a hard time adjusting for. I know some people use aftermarket intakes and have no issues so it could be a case by case thing.

[@robertpurvis6106]

@@jaybird9862 ya some have no problems with cold starts. I think it only effects some with n55e tune. I only have drop filter. Trying aem dry atm. Tried bmc before too. I know a guy down the street with open burger and he has no problem. I don’t think I will ever try an intake. I could try the stock filter for a week and see if it still happens. Its like the valves in muffler are closing but as far as i know, dinan axelback doesn’t have valves.

[@base1y]

Damn good video bro, thanks! 👏👏👏

[@JasonJoyrides]

I'm here for you bro! Thanks for the inspiration for this one. Let me know what else you want me to look into. I have some xHP videos coming up that I would like to make but running out of basic stuff after that without having to go crazy with mods, which I'm just not ready to do yet.

[@ProjectZGarage]

Good information I just bought the MHD software for my F10 535i and interested in what the difference will be for the different stages. My car did come with the M Power Kit which I believe is just a tune from the dealer.

[@JasonJoyrides]

Nice! I will let you know that I believe the F10 535i has different map packs from my E82 135i, which means that you have the regular N55 license from MHD which does not actually have different versions to choose from like the N55e platform shown in this video.

[@ProjectZGarage]

@@JasonJoyrides I did not know that thanks. Have you dyno your car to see what the difference in power is? I have done the stock dyno which put me at 300hp/323tq interested to see what the MHD tune does.

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@ProjectZGarage no sir I have not dynoed it. I will eventually when I get a custom tune. The butt dyno can definitely tell a difference though, especially if I go back to stock after being on stage 2+ for a while.

[@aacar4095]

Great video! Just about to go stage 1+. I’ve always said rolling single gear pulls like you did are the best for the average person to gauge upgrades/tunes. You were at full throttle and no shifting when you made the comparison correct? And it wasn’t affected by throttle responsiveness or the transmission or anything?

[@JasonJoyrides]

Single gear pulls are what I do for data logging, however for the time comparisons, I wanted to see what the difference was between the maps when I was getting the most out of the car. I thought about doing a 4th gear pull from 30 mph however, I didn't have a location long enough to do that unfortunately so I opted to accelerate like I would if I was racing, so starting from 3000 or so RPM (peak torque) and shift at around 5500-6000 RPM before the power falls off on the stock turbo. Also, since my car is a DCT, every shift is the same and lightning quick, so I have confidence that the gear changes didn't skew the results. Besides all that, the butt dyno definitely says that the V1.60 maps are more powerful. If you are curious to see the original runs I did on the V1.84 maps, you can check out the first video I did on MHD tuning called "Straight Forward Comparison of Every MHD Tuning Stage".

[@pos335i]

I’m running 1.84 stage 2+. On a ps2 turbo. Fbo. Seems to be running great

[@JasonJoyrides]

That’s great man I’ve read that people with upgraded turbos don’t have some of the same issues with the new maps

[@1Clean.E93]

Been stage 2+ on 93 for about 30k with xhp stage 3 custom settings haven’t had any isssues , just getting ready for a p750 or 6466 idk need more info on the p750 pwg before I choose

[@joshuamolina2986]

lol I’m on stage 2+ and I’m only reaching 6 psi, I think I have a boost leak haha

[@JasonJoyrides]

Big oof! Hopefully it's not due to something too expensive

[@coreman8087]

@Jason Joyrides What about knock and cylinder timing correction? Did you notice any difference? Which update is better on stage 2 or 2+?

[@JasonJoyrides]

I would say that knock or timing correction is usually more of a hardware issue than a tune thing. You definitely want to be running an upgraded intercooler if you want to run stage 2+ because the intake air temps are really important for it to be able run the timing it does on stage 2+. As far as which version is better on stage 2+, the V1.60 map definitely hits harder than the V1.84 map. Based on my research and own experience, it is due to the way it holds boost targets. If you just want to flash your car once, I would just say go with V1.60. But if you want to experiment with it, try both versions and run some logs to see how well you're hitting boost targets and make sure it isn't cutting any timing. Also, this goes without saying but I'll mention it just to cover all the bases, be sure to replace your plugs and coils if they haven't been done in a while, and be sure to upgrade your charge pipe to an aluminum one before you go throwing more boost at it, as well as the upgraded intercooler to help with IATs. Get your hardware right before tuning. You probably know this already, but I don't want to assume!

[@coreman8087]

@JasonJoyrides will try that... as I have a full bolt on upgrades on my 2016 x5 x35i, with spark plugs and coils changed too running RON 95 Oct 91 2+ ... had a lot of cylinder timing correction... went back to stage 2, still have the correction but less... will try the other map flash version.

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@coreman8087 ohhhhhh. So I made this video specifically for the E series N55. MHD has two separate N55 platforms. My understanding is that the F series did not get an update :/ so you unfortunately do not have another option. At that point, I would recommend going for a custom tune from someone like Twisted Tuning. Theres several good ones on the N55. I can't really recommend one over another because I have not gotten that far yet, I only mention Twisted because I know they exist lol.

[@Levrrrrr]

Interesting will be to see if you compare it with JB4 tuner.

[@JasonJoyrides]

At this point in time I do not plan on doing that however I have a friend that may be purchasing JB4 so I could compare then if he does.

[@Levrrrrr]

@@JasonJoyrides it will be perfect content

[@Levrrrrr]

@@JasonJoyrides it will be perfect content

[@ricardoaviles6172]

Well I have the 08 135i N54 i haven't get any issues to be honest I'm running with stage 1 no mods fully stock and it really feels so fast! And it is faster!

[@JasonJoyrides]

This video is targeted at the e series N55 maps. The N54 has gotten a lot more support from MHD than the N55e. Glad it’s working well for you!

[@jooilim]

How about comparing it to Dinan S2 tune? It’s just $250 now + whatever fee your official installer will charge for installation. Have been reading through various old forum articles comparing MHD and Dinan.

[@JasonJoyrides]

I would love to do that comparison if I knew someone that was running that tune! I’m guessing you’ve seen what people have said about it on the forums in the past?

[@jooilim]

@@JasonJoyrides like you, I’ve recently acquired a 2013 135is for my high schooler son. Looking at both MHD and Dinan tune. Being an old Gen X, Dinan was the pinnacle and too expensive to justify it. Granted now, the company has been sold off but still the tune seems to run factory like without any issues from reading the forum. People didn’t like it back then because it was conservative and costing more than $2k. Then slowly priced around $1000 back in 2017. $800 in 2020. And finally in 2021, it went to $250. Reading recent owners of 135i who bought the car used, almost everyone is doing MHD like you. Thought it would be interesting to see someone comparing it in 2024 with a tune that used to cost $2k.

[@jooilim]

@@JasonJoyrides btw, enjoyed your 1600 mile journey to acquire the car. We flew 600 miles a few states over to buy the 2013 135is and drove it back. Fortunately, it was smooth sailing and nothing broke.

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@jooilim perhaps you were wiser than me and waited until you got home before you gave it the beans! It was quite the trip but an awesome memory and time with my buddy Christian. I hope to make many trips like that over the course of my lifetime. Seems like I can never find the cars I’m looking for in close proximity either.

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@jooilim about the Dinan tune, I will say I think that it was a bit overpriced back in the day. Dinan seems to be a company that is basically OEM+ which is what most BMW owners are looking for, but they demand a high price for that factory feel. I’m glad they brought the price down, but I will say it probably happened for a reason. It seems that the other tuners on the market have passed them in performance so they couldn’t justify such a steep premium. I do recall reading one forum post about some guy that had the Dinan tune and dumped it for MHD because MHD is just more powerful. I went with MHD because I had a friend that was running it on his N55 and had never had issues, and an added bonus is that the tuners on the N55 platform usually operate with MHD, so when I eventually get a custom tune somewhere down the line, I will already have the licenses to flash. Your situation is different to mine however, considering that the car is being driven by your high school son. I can imagine that if I were in your shoes I would appreciate the Dinan tune because you can trust that it will retain the factory feel, add performance without getting out of hand, but still allow your son to feel like he’s got something special with his Dinan tuned BMW. I think both are great options. Perhaps Dinan is better for you in this case.

[@teamthree6mafia862]

how do you switch back to the older version maps? cant find it lol

[@JasonJoyrides]

Which platform do you have? Engine/chassis

[@teamthree6mafia862]

@@JasonJoyrides i’m on the F chassis n55

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@teamthree6mafia862 ah I gotcha yeah so my car is using MHD's N55e platform, which had 2 versions. To my knowledge MHD has only released one version for the F series N55

[@Tight--LiNeZ]

When "progress" aint progress.

[@malinoisnation9392]

I think 7 is the best for my e60

[@JasonJoyrides]

You have N54? I saw that there's a crap ton of versions for N54

[@malinoisnation9392]

@@JasonJoyrides I think 10

[@thingsforfree27]

I’m on 1.6 version

[@JasonJoyrides]

Good choice. Which stage you running?

[@thingsforfree27]

@@JasonJoyrides stage 2 plus I’m running right now Jason and I thought e series n55 tuning were dead already lol thanks for making a video for our n55 cars

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@thingsforfree27 yeah man I’m new to the platform so this is all new to me! Haha I know I’m behind the game but as these cars continue to get more accessible to people I know they will continue to gain popularity

[@1Clean.E93]

@@thingsforfree27tuning is somewhat dead u less u want a custom tune MHD said it them self many of times n55 is dead and they don’t care really just be lucky they update us

[@JustLuuchi]

Can’t go back to the old maps they definitely felt more aggressive on stage 2 plus not loving this update

[@JasonJoyrides]

Can't go back? Why not?

[@JustLuuchi]

@@JasonJoyrides when I click on it stage 2 plus it only has one version unless I’m doing it wrong

[@JustLuuchi]

I didn’t even know you could go back to older versions how do I do that

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@JustLuuchi when you first connect to the wifi dongle it lets you choose V1.60 or V1.84

[@JasonJoyrides]

@@JustLuuchi If you are already able to view the stages you need to hit the back arrow at the top left. If you hit the back arrow enough it will take you to the home screen that says "Flash a MHD map", "Flash a backend map", and "Flash a custom map". When you hit "Flash a MHD map" the next thing you should see is "V1.84" and "V1.60".