Hello. In this video we wanted to answer your questions about the B48 engines (b48b16 and b48b20) found in BMW Gxx series (BMW G20 320i, 330i, BMW G30 520i, 530i, etc.). We wish you all a good watch.
Some excerpts from the conversation:
Mert: Can you give us some info about the B48 engine — both as someone in the business and as a developer?
Raşit: We made a video before; if you ask what changed since then, I think it turned out the B48 engines are durable. We've used it for 2 years and haven't come close to a problem even in long-term use. If you're a normal user, we can call it a lifetime engine.
Mert: What's the car's mileage?
Raşit: 41,000 km.
Mert: We have 250 hp, 280 hp and 300 hp versions — can we get some info?
Raşit: Of course. The biggest difference between the 250 hp and 300 hp versions is preventing detonation, the engine's biggest enemy. For customers wanting 300 hp without access to ethanol, we require a methanol kit. The 250 hp version can be used with standard hardware.
Raşit: This engine's biggest advantage in Turkish conditions is its low compression; even with our poor fuel it gets little detonation. The 530i is a bit more prone to detonation under the same conditions (due to compression ratio).
Mert: Is the original cooling system enough?
Raşit: I think it's quite enough (depending on the difference between ambient and IAT).
Mert: As for the transmission, tell us a bit about the ZF.
Raşit: It uses the new-generation ZF8HP50 with torque converter, whose capabilities and limits we know very well. Honestly the transmission is trouble-free and durable, but not immortal. Its oil needs changing every 50,000 km. I'll change mine soon.
Mert: Comparing the 530i Stage 1 with our 520i 300 hp version, what's your opinion as a developer?
Raşit: With good fuel the 530i is always well ahead of the 520i; the 520i is better in big-turbo setups under Turkish conditions (because of the lower compression ratio).
Mert: Can we get info about the transmission software?
Raşit: Transmission software is asked about a lot. There's custom transmission software, and there's BMW's M Performance software. The flash we put on the N13s is another M's original software. In such cases it depends which one you're asking about. Sport coding is also called transmission software, but transmission software means shift rpm and removing torque limiters if any. What we normally do on the N13s is flashing a higher model of the same transmission version. On the ZF the transmission is up to your imagination — you can do whatever you want, but it must be read, tested and tried again and again.
Çağatay: Customers keep asking: software can't be done on BMWs made after June 2020. Can you explain?
Raşit: Very simply, the software didn't change, and this isn't specific to BMW. On ECUs Bosch produced after June 2020, they changed the connection key in the connection protocol. Since the key check formed before connecting — the system entry key — changed, forming that algorithm is a new process. My thought is we can achieve it within this year.
Çağatay: What are your thoughts on fuel consumption?
Raşit: If you're buying this car for fuel consumption, don't; this car doesn't burn under 10 liters. In my daily use (when you push it a bit) it burns 15 liters. A normal user will burn 10 liters. Diesels burn less but are a very joyless, feelingless car.
Mert: Is the software done in Ankara, Adana, İzmir and İstanbul at the same stability? Is it done by the same person? As someone doing calibration, can you explain?
Raşit: I can say that in 99.9% of our customers the software comes from the same hand. We have a template we create for calibration by car; after creating and testing the software we use it on our dealer portal. We load the prepared software to all our dealers at the same standard. When it's someone we know — friends, our old circle — we try things, but for customers we load our same-standard software without trial and error. Quality is standard.
Mert: How does software work with atmospheric-pressure differences?
Raşit: Generally for BMW–VAG, there's altitude correction. When atmospheric pressure changes, the ECU makes corrections so your turbo or hardware doesn't hit its limits. Just as the factory sets at sea level then adjusts at high altitude for testing, we make corrections the way the factory does. For example, trying to make a car that makes 1.5 bar at sea level make that pressure at high altitude means breaking the turbo. So these corrections exist in the ECU and we don't touch them — because they are our guarantee, our insurance.
Çağatay: After software, is any sensor tricked/manipulated?
Raşit: Good question — we have nothing to do with sensors. Tuning by fooling a sensor is illogical; if you want to manipulate things, you can buy and fit a box. If we do it the right way, when there's a fault in your car it still shows the fault. Only power-related wear can increase (depending on use). It wouldn't be right to say wear inside the engine won't increase when you run a 130 hp car with 200 hp software. It will be minimal if your limiters are active.
Mert: What's your exhaust recommendation for the B48?
Raşit: I tried them all — fitted a downpipe, fitted a sport cat. The car's original exhaust system is very efficient; removing the catalyst and fitting a downpipe accelerates by about 0.2 seconds and increases the raspiness. If you ask me, there's no need to remove the catalyst for such a time. On OPF versions I think removal is sensible — they split the middle silencer in two and put an OPF in half of it. There's no injection and I think they put it there just to put it there. It causes many problems, about 20–30 cm. Removing that is beneficial. If we knew it greatly increased emissions we wouldn't do it, but there really isn't much difference. I think the 2019 OPF should be removed before it fails, otherwise it strands you.
Mert: We arrived in Ataşehir and wanted to close the video here. Enjoy...
