JB4 Issues and Impressions (F30)? - BMW 3-Series Forum (F30 / F32)

frost335 · 01-04-2013, 09:24 PM

Hey guys,
I know there are several threads discussing the JB4, and while I've seen many arguments about it, I haven't really seen any major complaints.

I'd really appreciate some feedback from F30/JB4 owners primarily, but anyone else that has experience with it on other models would be great to hear from as well. Also, it would be great to get some responses to a few questions I have:

- Are there really "ghost codes" and do you need the BT/CAN tool (or something else) to remove the codes prior to service once the hardware has been removed? I believe the F30 JB4 doesn't include any tools like the previous versions?

- Does it need to be removed for basic maintenance, oil change, software updates?

- If it is discovered, which part of your warranty could potentially be considered void?

- Does BMW Assist transmit any information to BMW if it notices the tune? I believe I read that was a concern.

- The numbers are impressive, but how much of a difference does it really make? I've had Dinan tunes on my E92 335 and E92 M3 and feel like they really woke up the cars.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Mike@N54Tuning.com · 01-04-2013, 09:58 PM

There is no JB4 for the F30 yet. Only the N55 Stage1 tune. It does not leave codes behind but if you are worried they sell a complain tool called the "CAN Tool" that will delete hidden codes. Alternatively you can get the BT Tool which lets you read codes via laptop from all modules on the vehicle.

Gains are 40-50hp and well worth the 5 minute install time.

Mike

frost335 · 01-04-2013, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike@N54Tuning.com

There is no JB4 for the F30 yet. Only the N55 Stage1 tune. It does not leave codes behind but if you are worried they sell a complain tool called the "CAN Tool" that will delete hidden codes. Alternatively you can get the BT Tool which lets you read codes via laptop from all modules on the vehicle.

Gains are 40-50hp and well worth the 5 minute install time.

Mike

Thanks for the info, Mike! If you purchase the Stage1 tune are you able to upgrade it to the JB4 or whatever the next version is? When do you expect to have an actual JB4 for the F30 and will it come with a CAN tool?

Camnyc · 01-05-2013, 08:56 PM

Following this as I would like additional info and would like to know if the stg1 will be upgradeable to stg2 when available.

Mak135i · 01-05-2013, 09:19 PM

I had the JB4 in my 135i and it was always upgradeable (I went thru 3 upgrades) and always free.

I expect the same for this. If you go on their web site (and forums) you will get all the information there

RollingLower42 · 01-06-2013, 03:58 AM

I got Stage 1 and I love it. Definitely can feel a lot more power. For the price, it was totally worth it.

fotios335i · 01-06-2013, 01:46 PM

Ive had it for a while and its been flawless. great power combined with amazing sound from the I6 turbo makes it a very fun car to drive. Stg 2 shoud be coming soon. The maker of JB products will have his own f30 soon. so I heard

ljt335msport · 01-06-2013, 02:15 PM

I have Stage 1 and have put about 3000 miles on it. I love it! Big horsepower and torque gains. No loss of mpg's. Turbo spool up is immediate and the turbo whistle is much more noticeable than stock. The only complaint I could make is that you can feel the turbo hit hard and then a second or 2 later you can feel the boost drop off. I love it though. I'm looking forward to stage 2 because this thing is already a beast! FYI, I have the 8-speed. If anyone is on the fence I'd say go for it!

John

Mike@N54Tuning.com · 01-06-2013, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Camnyc

Following this as I would like additional info and would like to know if the stg1 will be upgradeable to stg2 when available.

To do the Stage2 upgrade you must already own the Stage1. There is no set ETA or timeframe for the Stage2 upgrade.

Mike

J-boogey · 01-06-2013, 02:46 PM

literally just ordered stage 1 from you mike!

bosz · 01-06-2013, 02:50 PM

your guys are tempting me to get stage 1! Im trying to wait for stage 2..bc i want to feel a sudden increase in power vs stage 1 to stage 2 will probably not be as noticeable as stock -> stage 2

J-boogey · 01-06-2013, 02:52 PM

I'm coming from a FBO n54 e92, so i needed to pull the trigger and get the tune, the car feels so damn slow.

martinf79 · 01-07-2013, 02:17 PM

Newbie to this. Was thinking of getting the PPK but w/ the delay, minor power boost (20hp) and anticipated cost, thinking this might be a better route to take.

What should I know before going this route? Engine failures, warranty issues (is it really untraceable), reliability, etc?

Would appreciate a view on this.

Also - what is involved in the install. The PDF isn't clear at all on the JB website. Really need to know exactly what needs to be plugged into what. I see like 9 connections on the harness, and yet it indicates that the F30 only needs 2 connections???

tdizzle · 01-07-2013, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinf79

Newbie to this. Was thinking of getting the PPK but w/ the delay, minor power boost (20hp) and anticipated cost, thinking this might be a better route to take.

What should I know before going this route? Engine failures, warranty issues (is it really untraceable), reliability, etc?

Would appreciate a view on this.

Also - what is involved in the install. The PDF isn't clear at all on the JB website. Really need to know exactly what needs to be plugged into what. I see like 9 connections on the harness, and yet it indicates that the F30 only needs 2 connections???

I'm debating the same ideas as you... JB4 for approx double hp/tq and far cheaper, but the small potential for warranty issues.

As far as the install, everyone who has done it says it's really simple once you do it, but the instructions are a bit confusing. The 2011 used all 3 connections, but the F30 apparently doesn't use one of them. I'm not sure about the 9 connections, but you're basically plugging the jb4 connection into the car's connections then the cars back into the jb4 (kinda rerouting everything to the jb4 then back to the car). Hopefully that makes sense...

Someone who has actually done the install may be able to explain better. I'm told it's about a 15 mins job (or less if you've done it before), more if you want to do some fancy rerouting of cables into the car or something.

spideypm · 01-12-2013, 08:07 AM

Tried to install jb4 to my car today...... Found out the adaptor or the intake sensor only had 4 pins when the slot had 5 pins..... Is it because my unit was for e9x???

RollingLower42 · 01-12-2013, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spideypm

Tried to install jb4 to my car today...... Found out the adaptor or the intake sensor only had 4 pins when the slot had 5 pins..... Is it because my unit was for e9x???

Did you get the wrong harness? I think there was a "A" and "B" harness. If you have the F30, you need the B harness I believe..

bananachipz · 01-12-2013, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martinf79

Newbie to this. Was thinking of getting the PPK but w/ the delay, minor power boost (20hp) and anticipated cost, thinking this might be a better route to take.

What should I know before going this route? Engine failures, warranty issues (is it really untraceable), reliability, etc?

Would appreciate a view on this.

Also - what is involved in the install. The PDF isn't clear at all on the JB website. Really need to know exactly what needs to be plugged into what. I see like 9 connections on the harness, and yet it indicates that the F30 only needs 2 connections???

you need 3 connections.

the documentation is crap. it's literally a 5 min install. I'll take pics tomorrow and upload.

bananachipz · 01-12-2013, 03:07 PM

btw.. the jb4 is not for the f30. It's the JB N55 which is basically the JB3

spideypm · 01-12-2013, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RollingLower420

Did you get the wrong harness? I think there was a "A" and "B" harness. If you have the F30, you need the B harness I believe..

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'm pretty sure I have harness B.

spideypm · 01-12-2013, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bananachipz

you need 3 connections.

the documentation is crap. it's literally a 5 min install. I'll take pics tomorrow and upload.

That would be awesome! I also found a 20-sec video clip on YouTube which was just as confusing...

TreDirtyFive · 01-12-2013, 10:00 PM

the Stg 1 on the F30 only uses 3 of the 4 connectors (or 2 if you do not choose to use the boost solenoid).

spideypm · 01-12-2013, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreDirtyFive

the Stg 1 on the F30 only uses 3 of the 4 connectors (or 2 if you do not choose to use the boost solenoid).

Understood, it's the intake connection I had issue with. The connector looks to fit 4 pin but my intake has 5 pin... Am I looking at the wrong place?

01-04-2013, 09:24 PM	#1
frost335 New Member Drives: F30 335 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Earth Posts: 5 iTrader: (0)	JB4 Issues and Impressions (F30)? Hey guys, I know there are several threads discussing the JB4, and while I've seen many arguments about it, I haven't really seen any major complaints. I'd really appreciate some feedback from F30/JB4 owners primarily, but anyone else that has experience with it on other models would be great to hear from as well. Also, it would be great to get some responses to a few questions I have: - Are there really "ghost codes" and do you need the BT/CAN tool (or something else) to remove the codes prior to service once the hardware has been removed? I believe the F30 JB4 doesn't include any tools like the previous versions? - Does it need to be removed for basic maintenance, oil change, software updates? - If it is discovered, which part of your warranty could potentially be considered void? - Does BMW Assist transmit any information to BMW if it notices the tune? I believe I read that was a concern. - The numbers are impressive, but how much of a difference does it really make? I've had Dinan tunes on my E92 335 and E92 M3 and feel like they really woke up the cars. Thanks in advance for your help! Last edited by frost335; 01-04-2013 at 09:29 PM.
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01-04-2013, 09:58 PM	#2
Mike@N54Tuning.com Lieutenant General Drives: 07335i Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Earth Posts: 12,208 iTrader: (77)	There is no JB4 for the F30 yet. Only the N55 Stage1 tune. It does not leave codes behind but if you are worried they sell a complain tool called the "CAN Tool" that will delete hidden codes. Alternatively you can get the BT Tool which lets you read codes via laptop from all modules on the vehicle. Gains are 40-50hp and well worth the 5 minute install time. Mike __________________ Lowest Price GUARANTEED on ALL PRODUCTS!! JB4 G5 On Sale - FREE Shipping Click Me - NEW JB4(N55) & DCI's $95.00 NEW F30-328 N20 Tune(Stage1) BMS Oil Catch Can (On Sale)

01-05-2013, 09:19 PM	#5
Mak135i Second Lieutenant Drives: C63 AMG, MX-5, 335i Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Posts: 225 iTrader: (2)	I had the JB4 in my 135i and it was always upgradeable (I went thru 3 upgrades) and always free. I expect the same for this. If you go on their web site (and forums) you will get all the information there __________________ Gone but not forgotten: 2008 BMW135i Vert Added: 335i, BSM/BLK, M-sport, Sp. Auto, Prem, Tech, HK, 19", Apps, Lots of Plastidip, H&R Sport

01-06-2013, 01:46 PM	#7
fotios335i Major General Drives: 12 BSM F30 sportline 335i Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: cape cod MA Posts: 6,370 iTrader: (61)	Ive had it for a while and its been flawless. great power combined with amazing sound from the I6 turbo makes it a very fun car to drive. Stg 2 shoud be coming soon. The maker of JB products will have his own f30 soon. so I heard __________________ 2012 335i sportline/Msport, M adaptive and vss, sport 8 AT, fully loaded, Black saphire, black dakota leather, M performance front grills, M performance shifter, M performance rear spoiler, M performance power kit, M performance exhaust, 19" 401's, morr vs8.2's coming someday..., front aero lip & more coming....

01-06-2013, 02:46 PM	#10
J-boogey Major Drives: F30 335xi Msport Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oceanside, New York Posts: 1,248 iTrader: (1)	literally just ordered stage 1 from you mike! __________________ 2013 F30 335i xdrive \| Estoril Blue \| Black Dakota Leather \| Aluminum Hexagon trim \| M-Sport \| Cold weather \| DHP \| Premium package \| Tech package \| Harmon Kardon \| PDC \| Rearview Cam \| IND Painted reflectors \| BMW performance grills \| JB4 stage 2 \| ER downpipe

01-05-2013, 08:56 PM	#4
Camnyc stance whore Drives: 2013 f30 335i Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: nyc Posts: 47 iTrader: (0)	Following this as I would like additional info and would like to know if the stg1 will be upgradeable to stg2 when available.

01-06-2013, 03:58 AM	#6
RollingLower42 First Lieutenant Drives: 2012 BMW 335I Join Date: May 2012 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 330 iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW 335I F30 [0.00]	I got Stage 1 and I love it. Definitely can feel a lot more power. For the price, it was totally worth it.

01-06-2013, 02:15 PM	#8
ljt335msport New Member Drives: Alpine White 335i M Sport Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: South Carolina Posts: 8 iTrader: (0)	I have Stage 1 and have put about 3000 miles on it. I love it! Big horsepower and torque gains. No loss of mpg's. Turbo spool up is immediate and the turbo whistle is much more noticeable than stock. The only complaint I could make is that you can feel the turbo hit hard and then a second or 2 later you can feel the boost drop off. I love it though. I'm looking forward to stage 2 because this thing is already a beast! FYI, I have the 8-speed. If anyone is on the fence I'd say go for it! John

01-06-2013, 02:50 PM	#11
bosz Lieutenant Drives: F30 335i Ordered Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: toronto Posts: 546 iTrader: (0)	your guys are tempting me to get stage 1! Im trying to wait for stage 2..bc i want to feel a sudden increase in power vs stage 1 to stage 2 will probably not be as noticeable as stock -> stage 2 __________________ JB Stage 1 2012 F30 335i/BSM/Coral Red Interior/Diamond Black Trim/Premium Pack/BMW Apps/Ext Blue Tooth/Sirius XM/Sport Auto W/Paddle Shifters/Sport Suspension

01-06-2013, 02:52 PM	#12
J-boogey Major Drives: F30 335xi Msport Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Oceanside, New York Posts: 1,248 iTrader: (1)	I'm coming from a FBO n54 e92, so i needed to pull the trigger and get the tune, the car feels so damn slow. __________________ 2013 F30 335i xdrive \| Estoril Blue \| Black Dakota Leather \| Aluminum Hexagon trim \| M-Sport \| Cold weather \| DHP \| Premium package \| Tech package \| Harmon Kardon \| PDC \| Rearview Cam \| IND Painted reflectors \| BMW performance grills \| JB4 stage 2 \| ER downpipe

01-07-2013, 02:17 PM	#13
martinf79 Lieutenant Drives: F30 335i M Sport Join Date: May 2012 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 592 iTrader: (0)	Newbie to this. Was thinking of getting the PPK but w/ the delay, minor power boost (20hp) and anticipated cost, thinking this might be a better route to take. What should I know before going this route? Engine failures, warranty issues (is it really untraceable), reliability, etc? Would appreciate a view on this. Also - what is involved in the install. The PDF isn't clear at all on the JB website. Really need to know exactly what needs to be plugged into what. I see like 9 connections on the harness, and yet it indicates that the F30 only needs 2 connections??? __________________ 2013 335i ///M-Sport \| AW \| Alum Hex Black Line Trim \| BD Leather \| 19” M-Sport Rims \| M-Sport Brakes \| Adaptive M-Suspension \| Variable Sport Steering \| Premium Package \| Enhanced Bluetooth \| Sirius \| BMW Apps \| Heads Up Display \| Speed Limit Info \| M Performance Grill \| Front/Rear Painted Reflectors

01-12-2013, 08:07 AM	#15
spideypm Private Drives: 2013' 335i M Sport Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Taiwan Posts: 64 iTrader: (0)	Tried to install jb4 to my car today...... Found out the adaptor or the intake sensor only had 4 pins when the slot had 5 pins..... Is it because my unit was for e9x???

01-12-2013, 03:07 PM	#18
bananachipz Captain Drives: F30 Mineral Gray 335i Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 738 iTrader: (0)	btw.. the jb4 is not for the f30. It's the JB N55 which is basically the JB3

01-12-2013, 10:00 PM	#21
TreDirtyFive Captain Drives: 335i Coupe Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 866 iTrader: (8)	the Stg 1 on the F30 only uses 3 of the 4 connectors (or 2 if you do not choose to use the boost solenoid). __________________ 335 F30 MSport: N55.Tech.NAV.+ 135 DCT:N55.Prem.Sports.NAV.IPod X-335 E92: Prem.Sports.NAV.IPod Audi A3: Sports.Tech.NAV.sways.DP.K2 Coils.Flash.etc X-67 Baracuda Fastback: DragGears.Sway.etc.

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