Is chip tuning in BMW safe? Modifications and their impact on the operation of the car

BMW driver question

I have an unusual question. Is it safe for the transmission and engine to chip tune a BMW E60 car. The car is from December 2008, in the diesel automatic version has driven 58,000 km. It was serviced at an authorized dealer.

Response from BM Cars service

Unfortunately, there is no so-called “safe” for the engine and other components “chip tuning”. Any way to increase the power of the engine above the factory power is associated with the risk of faster damage (wear) to the components of both the engine and other components of the transmission and braking system. Very often vehicle users forget that the power of the engine and its torque are matched to the transmission components, clutch, driveshaft and rear axle with half-shafts.

The cooling system and braking system are also different. The above matching allows the car to run trouble-free during the maintenance intervals, i.e. as indicated by the on-board computer. If we already decide to increase the power and torque of the engine in our BMW, we should be aware that we will have to change the oil in the engine more often, the pads and discs will wear out faster, and we may have problems with maintaining the right engine temperature (especially in summer).

Similarly, the clutch and the 2-mass wheel will wear out faster, and in the case of an automatic, the transmission and the torque clutch may be damaged. Also the rear axle, which will not be able to transmit the increased torque, will wear out faster.

The BMW corporation withdrew several years ago from close cooperation with AC Schnitzer, which was at one time the flagship tuning company for BMW cars. BMW Performance power-boosting factory kits, which also include cooling and brake components, are now available for some models.

The discovery of non-original chip tuning during inspection activities is equivalent to the revocation of the factory warranty on the BMW car.

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