How to increase the power on a 3.0i
- Thread starter TONYL
- Start date
It's a traditional normally aspirated engine that has been fairly highly tuned to start with - it's not the best choice to get power gains from (not for reasonable money).
MInor gains can be had from a free flow air filter / upgrade exhaust with sports cats & a remap - this costs somewhere in the region of £1500 and may make you 20bhp, but it will sound a lot better (more throaty is that is what you want - speak to the exhaust guys & they will make it however you like).
If you want more gains than that, you are into serious money for major engine work / bolt on turbos / supercharger kits (think £5k upwards).
If bigger power is what you want, may be a lot cheaper to sell the car & move to one of the turbo models.
They are faster to start with, plus easier to tune for a few hundred pounds if you want serious speed.
Matt
MInor gains can be had from a free flow air filter / upgrade exhaust with sports cats & a remap - this costs somewhere in the region of £1500 and may make you 20bhp, but it will sound a lot better (more throaty is that is what you want - speak to the exhaust guys & they will make it however you like).
If you want more gains than that, you are into serious money for major engine work / bolt on turbos / supercharger kits (think £5k upwards).
If bigger power is what you want, may be a lot cheaper to sell the car & move to one of the turbo models.
They are faster to start with, plus easier to tune for a few hundred pounds if you want serious speed.
Matt
Everything I have read on here says that a remap is just not worth it. One or two have fitted a supercharger but that's a pretty major step. I guess nox would also be possible.
Sorry if you know this already, but just in case you don't, the easiest and cheapest(ie free) mod for a great sound is the sound generator. This is basically a black plastic tube down the side of the engine from the inlet to the firewall which BMW fit as standard to the 3.0i to allow induction sound into the cab. The tube has a piece of foam at either end acting as sound moderators. If you remove the foam from the cab end of the tube and put everything back together the sound when the throttle is really opened is fantastic but is unchanged from before at cruising throttle positions. Some have removed both pieces of foam but most end up putting one back in as it is really loud then. The sound is of course induction, not an exhaust sound but it can really be heard outside the car, as well as in it. Just do a search on here, lots about it.
Sorry if you know this already, but just in case you don't, the easiest and cheapest(ie free) mod for a great sound is the sound generator. This is basically a black plastic tube down the side of the engine from the inlet to the firewall which BMW fit as standard to the 3.0i to allow induction sound into the cab. The tube has a piece of foam at either end acting as sound moderators. If you remove the foam from the cab end of the tube and put everything back together the sound when the throttle is really opened is fantastic but is unchanged from before at cruising throttle positions. Some have removed both pieces of foam but most end up putting one back in as it is really loud then. The sound is of course induction, not an exhaust sound but it can really be heard outside the car, as well as in it. Just do a search on here, lots about it.
Wrong car mate, it's an E89.. 
Thanks-what was I doing not checking- Up at 4.30 this morning, think I'm still asleep!
Thanks-what was I doing not checking- Up at 4.30 this morning, think I'm still asleep!