[Sirahi5731]

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to share my experience with purchasing, installing and testing out the JBD for my E90 2011 335D. Unfortunately, i didn't get a chance to take pictures - too excited to install it, heh. If anyone is curious about the process though, feel free to ask and I will try to get some pictures in.

Ordering Experience
First and foremost, I want to thank BMS for creating such an easy way to improve the power output of our diesels. I know our cars reach a fairly niche market, and I'm glad that someone out there is paying attention to us folks .

Ordering process was smooth and simple. Went on BMS website, ordered on Saturday and it arrived in the mail on Tuesday. The package was a simple bubble-wrapped envelope with the JBD, a CAN tool and the adapter(?) to connect to the laptop. I haven't triggered an error code yet, so haven't really looked into the CAN tool. If I end up using it, I'll update this post to reflect my experience there.

Package
The JBD has two standard phillips screwdrivers securing the device, with a set of cables coming out that are protected by a plastic wire guide. Unfortunately, there is around a 1-inch gap on both ends of the wires that the guide does not protect -- I would have preferred full coverage, as the environment for the wires could get quite hot.

Once I unscrewed the JBD, there was a small blue dial to turn the power up or down. There are 10 tick marks on the dial, corresponding to 10% with each tick (clockwise for more power). I used a jeweler/eyeglass screwdriver to turn the dial, which I turned to 80%. The consensus on user reports seems to be that 80% is a safe point without triggering codes. I'd rather deal with a little less power if I can avoid the hassle of code-clearing, so 80% it is.

Installation
I had just completed a 100-mile trip when the package arrived, so had to wait about 6 hours for the engine to cool down before working on it. Before I left the car to cool, I popped the hood and left the keys in the house to avoid activating the ECU inadvertently. My BMW mechanic actually suggested I disconnect the battery before installing since he says that's standard procedure when they work on the cars. I didn't disconnect the battery, and the ECU seemed to take the installation quite fine. It's a tossup if you want to disconnect it, but I believe there's no harm if you want to be extra safe.

I am closer to a computer geek than a car mechanic, so I'm definitely not mechanically-inclined. I pulled up the JBD quick install guide and, per the guide, proceeded to remove the engine cover. Unlike the X5d, the 335d has 5mm allen bolts holding the cover down, 5 in total. 4 of the bolts were a piece of cake. The last bolt was a PITA, since the screw was slightly under the horizontal weather cowling(?). I was eventually able to get the screw out without removing the cowling, but I would highly suggest getting a proper allen screwdriver or removing the cowling before attempting this.

Once I removed the bolts, I was able to get the cover out by pulling slightly up, then sliding the cover out horizontally. I noticed under the cover was some thermal/vibration dampening material, so make sure to re-align it properly before re-installing it.

Installing the JBD itself
The JBD quick install guide covers the X5D, so the installation is just slightly different for 335d and tripped me up for a sec. Here is where the differences are:
The install guide points to the control port that you need to remove and install in-line with the JBD. Well, the 335d has what looks like two control ports. One of them has the white plastic insert and is connected to what looks like the fuel injection rail, and the other..no idea. I went with the one with the white plastic insert. Also, note that the white plastic insert is held in there with clips, not just friction alone. Instead of grabbing it with pliers, I pushed the clips using a flathead screwdriver to release the lock. Once you loosen the clips, the white insert can be pulled out with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Once you get the white insert out, it's a simple affair to plugin the JBD. The connections are shape-matched, so it's pretty hard to mess it up.

Once I plugged in the JBD, I re-arranged the wires and rerouted the JBD control unit to the right side of the engine bay, taking care that none of the exposed wires would be touching a hot part of the engine. Putting the cover back on was easy -- just keep in mind that some of the bolts aren't exactly vertical into the hole; some are slightly slanted. Just make sure to line them up before screwing them in.

The X5D has what looks like a small platform on the right side of the engine bay to rest or tie the JBD. I originally had some industrial-strength velcro set aside to secure the JBD, but as it turns out, the 335d doesn't have this platform, but it does have a little nook that I shoved the JBD in. I haven't heard any rattles, and after a spirited drive the JBD has stayed put, so I think just shoving it there would be fine.

The Experience.
Wow. That's all I can say about the power. I felt all giddy again, like the first time driving the 335d on my test drive. This is the type of mod that literally pushes your head back into the headrest if you dare to go WOT. When the car is stock, "D" mode can feel pretty anemic at times, especially at speed on the highway. Back when I had the car stock and I pushed the throttle, the engine would hesitate, then downshift for the power. "DS" mode was much better, as the right gear was already selected and you could hear the engine rev up to deliver the power. Now with the JBD, I don't feel any hesitation at all even in "D" mode -- just gobs and gobs of torque. I actually feel like the engine doesn't even bother to downshift anymore, because all the power it needs is right where it wants. Paradoxically, it's the type of power that makes me want to drive *slower*, just to feel the torque when I accelerate up to speed. On the highway, i felt like I was driving through a parking lot, that's how easy it was to catchup and pass other cars.

There are two slight niggling thoughts I had about the JBD -- there was slightly more vibrations in the cabin and steering wheel, and the long-term reliability is still fairly unknown. The extra vibration was very slight, only detectable if you rest your hand on the steering wheel at idle. At speed, the vibrations from the road easily cover it up. The long-term reliability -- well, I am planning to get the extended warranty anyways, so it may be a good investment if you plan on keeping the car for the long haul. In addition, I would recommend setting the JBD to lower than 100%. I heard slight talkings that BMS was going to reset the 80% to be the new 100%, but haven't heard any update on that. I'm happy with the 80% level of power, but if you have no problems clearing codes then I'm sure 100% would be fine as well.

My thoughts about the JBD is this: if you are comparing JBD vs stock, it's a no-brainer: GET IT. If you already decided on a tune and just comparing JBD vs Evolve (and other tunes), I believe it may be wise to wait and see how Evolve turns out. Some time ago, Ron1n/Stugots mentioned that he ran into some long-term issues with an overloaded DEF, which may or may not have been exacerbated by the JBD. I'm not sure if Evolve and other tunes prevent such a problem, but it may be worth investigating the long-term effects of these tunes. Just keep in mind that you might be waiting a while for the companies to sort out the kinks.

It's been a pleasure reading these forums and sharing the exciting new developments with 335d with you guys; I feel that the big tuning parties are starting to step in and pay more attention to us. It's a great time to own a BMW, and even more so a diesel. In fact, just today I passed a gas station that listed diesel as $0.30 cheaper than regular 87. Take that, N54!

[GreekboyD]

So your BMW mechanic told you how to do this? Lol

[Sirahi5731]

Lol i should say that he's not MY mechanic per se, just a friend who happens to be a master BMW technician.

[GreekboyD]

Ahhh...good stuff man.

[Coolieman1220]

Great write up,


"My thoughts about the JBD is this: if you are comparing JBD vs stock, it's a no-brainer: GET IT. If you already decided on a tune and just comparing JBD vs Evolve (and other tunes), I believe it may be wise to wait and see how Evolve turns out. Some time ago, Ron1n/Stugots mentioned that he ran into some long-term issues with an overloaded DEF, which may or may not have been exacerbated by the JBD. I'm not sure if Evolve and other tunes prevent such a problem, but it may be worth investigating the long-term effects of these tunes. Just keep in mind that you might be waiting a while for the companies to sort out the kinks."

this is what keeping me away. I plan on keeping this car past the warranty period. I've heard of diesel tuners from pick up trucks that ended up with sooted up turbo's and now with the DPF and urea injection it adversely affects that too.

If only it was just a power button, I want the boost in it, push it and there you go!

[Sirahi5731]

Yeah, I would definitely encourage careful thought for those who plan on keeping their car for the long term. The way I see it, as long as the DEF chain falls under the powertrain warranty, I should have a safety blanket in that time. Now what happens after that, I have no idea -- but honestly, if I can get this kind of increased performance for 100k miles, it is well worth the expense.

[Doug Evans]

Here are some pictures of my install, pretty straight forward, the correct relay is on the right as you face the front of the engine. So far it is great power but the mileage is down a bit, it could be the heavier foot.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

BMS is a great tool and I almost bought them , but the mere fact of having it disconnected everytime I went to the dealer detracted me, I went with the flash from RENNtech although cost is higher I dont worry about dismantaling the car. Anyway i know Terry @ BMS is an excellent person having emailed him a couple of times. Good Luck and BTW dont worry about the soot just try to deal with it later these DIESELS will out last Hell anyway!!!

[NRG]

I've been running JBD for almost a year now and DPF gets clogged in now time as you supplying more fuel to the rail all the time. A proper ECM reflash is the way to go with diesels imo. I'll be trying the Mega-Speed Germany software later this month.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

NRG post dynos when u can ok

[cssnms]

Originally Posted by NRG

I've been running JBD for almost a year now and DPF gets clogged in now time as you supplying more fuel to the rail all the time. A proper ECM reflash is the way to go with diesels imo. I'll be trying the Mega-Speed Germany software later this month.

As far as the DPF is concerned there is no difference between a reflash and pisggyback. Both supply more fuel, it's just a function of how they do it.

And for the record, I too have been running the JBD for over a year at 100% and I do not notice that burn-off occurs with anymore frequency then before.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

Im with Chris on this any program you install in ur vehicle should be great, its just a matter of what u want, I opted for RENNtech due to the above reasons mentioned earlier, thats all. And plus previous experiences with them on m 02 MCS

[NRG]

You right about adding more fuel in both scenarios. It's a common sense you add more fuel equals to higher exhaust volume result a faster clogged DPF. In any case diesel piggybacks are on/off switch in power delivery. Here is good read: http://www.endtuning.com/dieseltuningboxes.html

[cssnms]

Originally Posted by NRG

You right about adding more fuel in both scenarios. It's a common sense you add more fuel equals to higher exhaust volume result a faster clogged DPF. In any case diesel piggybacks are on/off switch in power delivery. Here is good read: http://www.endtuning.com/dieseltuningboxes.html

I understand how they work and I have seen that article. While informative, nobody is debating the benefit or lackthereof of one vs the other.

While the article does contain some good data points, the argument made against piggy back boxes (by a tuner selling a flash tune nonetheless) that increasing rail pressure vs increasing injection timing places any more stress or increases wear on the fuel pump is subject to debate -- I have not seen any evidence one way or the other. BTW, increasing turbo boost pressure isn't necesiarly a good thing and doesn't necessarily translate into making more power.

Both options (flashes or piggybacks) currently available for the BMW diesel yield about the same result in terms of power increase, it's just a matter of how they go about doing it and the choice boils down to preferance and or what one's budget will allow.

[335dM]

Originally Posted by NRG

You right about adding more fuel in both scenarios. It's a common sense you add more fuel equals to higher exhaust volume result a faster clogged DPF. In any case diesel piggybacks are on/off switch in power delivery. Here is good read: http://www.endtuning.com/dieseltuningboxes.html

Ohh fu$k.... Makes me want to remove my JBD.... It's been on my car for 70 000km now :~

[NRG]

Are you for real? Have you read through the thread? I'm running JBD @100% for 45k km in my X5.

[335dM]

Originally Posted by NRG

Are you for real? Have you read through the thread? I'm running JBD @100% for 45k km in my X5.

I mean after reading the link, it scares me a bit.

[NRG]

Originally Posted by 335dM

I mean after reading the link, it scares me a bit.

Sorry I understood differently

[NRG]

@cssnms

JBD is a solid cost effective solution that is easy to install/remove, but you get what you pay for - period. You can't compare a proper ECM remap that takes control over everything to a single rail pressure sensor controller. For me, JBD always left me with "wanting more" then the on/off switch feeling, not power wise, but the way the power is delivered.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

@NRG I cannot attest for the JB program I can only vouch RENNtech, but for the money Id go for JB but knowing how I am I decided RENNtech as I stated before Ive dealt with them for 10 yrs now and the product is great. If I did not have money to spend Id go JB but its warranty is one year vice RENNtech's 2 yrs on programming. I owned an 02 MCS and did a dyno few years ago and got 194 whp with the RENNtech Flash, put it this way the guy who bought the MINI took the programm out he was scared to drive it LOL!!!

[NRG]

Originally Posted by Puerto Rican 335d

@NRG I cannot attest for the JB program I can only vouch RENNtech, but for the money Id go for JB but knowing how I am I decided RENNtech as I stated before Ive dealt with them for 10 yrs now and the product is great. If I did not have money to spend Id go JB but its warranty is one year vice RENNtech's 2 yrs on programming. I owned an 02 MCS and did a dyno few years ago and got 194 whp with the RENNtech Flash, put it this way the guy who bought the MINI took the programm out he was scared to drive it LOL!!!

I completely agree with you. JBD is great for what it's worth. Regarding ECM flashes, I'll put it this way - I always ended up with a flash in my both 3 series after running TurboTuner, Xede, PROcede 1-3, JB1-3, finally I found my tune with GIAC in my 335i N54 and Mega Speed in my 330i N52.

[Puerto Rican 335d]

I guess its two of us with Flashes