After hundreds of hours of testing, Vishnu came up with the PROcede Tuning System. While 'tuning system' may be a bit overstated for a small box and a wiring harness, you can't argue with the results. The car showed 345 hp and 391lb-ft of torque at the wheels on the dyno.
Pathak is more than happy to share exactly how his product works and what went into making it work. When they started, there was no data available on the car; the dealer couldn't even provide them with a list of error codes. They had to log every code, determine what caused it, and work out what each meant. Every pin in the ECU harness had to be traced back to the sensor by hand-obviously, very tedious.
When they actually started tuning, they began with 16 channels of data, but soon found that only four channels were really necessary to achieve what they were looking for. This means that aside from those four aspects the PROcede is modifying, your car is running on factory programming. The customer can, however, specify different channels to be used for different features. Gear based boost control and launch control are just a few of the options available.
The big question is always about the warranty. This part gets sticky for everyone. Unlike a standard reflash, in the event of a catastrophic failure the car owner could pull out the PROcede box and no one would ever know. The factory ECU would show that the engine was operating within factory specs when the failure occurred and they would have a tough time not honoring your warranty. Does this mean you will have to remove the system every time the car goes in for service? Pathak assures us the only way to find the Procede unit is to physically look for the box; the dealer won't find it through the OBD-II port.
Vishnu Tuning originally only offered the Procede direct to customers at dyno days. After large amounts of testing on different cars, in different conditions, they have proven the product is useable everywhere. You can now order straight from Vishnu's website and they will send out the computer and instructions for you to install it yourself. -Michael Febbo
2005 Bmw M3 SuperchargedLayoutLongitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine
3.2-liter in-line six, dohc, 24-valve, supercharged and intercooled
Transmission
Six-speed manual
Suspension
H&R RSS coilovers
Brakes:
Stasis/Alcon six-piston monobloc calipers, 14.4-inch rotors (f)Rear- Stasis/Alcon four-piston monobloc calipers 13-inch rotors (r)
Wheels and Tires
Volk Racing LE 37T, 19x8.5 (f) 19x10.5 (r)Toyo T1-R, 245/35 (f), 275/30 (r)
2007 BMW 335iLayoutLongitudinal front engine, rear-wheel drive
*Engine
3.0-liter in-line six, dohc, 24-valve, turbocharged and intercooled, PROcede performance computer
The Juice...
In the quest for balanced testing, european car will standardize its fuel with Texaco. In an effort to level the playing field on all testing, we have determined that the consistency and quality of Texaco fuels will eliminate variations in testing and reduce outside influences on the testing process. A premium quality fuel allows the car to run at maximum efficiency while testing without having to worry about knock or detonation. The proprietary detergent additive package in the fuel allows fuel injection components to operate as designed, reducing the likelihood of variation.-Michael Febbo
The dyno graphs above really illustrate just how different the power delivery is on these two cars. The 335i, with its two small turbos, is all about low-end torque and instant power. The supercharged M3 behaves exactly as it did stock, high revving and high-strung. The 335i feels like a bigger engine, you might even say similar to a V8. You can cruise at low revs and the power is always there. Turbo lag doesn't exist, even at the low end. By 6000 rpm, the show is over and it doesn't reward you to bang the thing off the rev limiter. The M3 feels like a smaller, naturally aspirated race engine. You want to keep this thing on the boil all the time. Below 4500 rpm, there isn't much going on, but past there things happen in a hurry. Unlike most supercharged engines, this thing wants you to swing the needle all the way around. Power just keeps building until 7750 rpm. Once someone swaps some larger turbos into a 335i, it will feel closer to the M3. Until then, these two will remain night and day.