E320 CDi Anyone tried the Van Aaken smartbox Mod??

[skemball]

Has anyone experience of trying the Van Aaken 'SmartBox' mod?

At £470 with no money back if not satisfied option etc. Im not prepared to spend that kind of money. Their claims are:
42BHP increase and 24Lbft torque increase.

They are very local to me and were not prepaered to do a before and after comparison on their rolling road either.

Are they really that good that they can afford to be so complacent?


I do fancy some extra BHP to keep me ahead of the Audi A4 / BMW 320 etc. diesal reps!

 

[prprandall51]

With an attitude to customers like that, I would not go near them. There is a company advertising in the back of Autocar - called DMG or something like that - that also claims to chip the 320 CDi. I was tempted to find out more (but I haven't done anything yet).

Philip

 

[Mambo]

With an attitude to customers like that, I would not go near them. There is a company advertising in the back of Autocar - called DMG or something like that - that also claims to chip the 320 CDi. I was tempted to find out more (but I haven't done anything yet).

Philip

Think they are called DMS, can't find them in google though....

**EDIT** Found em: DMS

 

[GrahamC230K]

DMS WILL do a money back if not satisfied if you ask/persist. I even negotiated a completely random price based on the difference they made to my car.

I know Van Aaken as specialist diesel tuners - are you sure they are the same company as DMS?

 

[prprandall51]

Hi Graham,

We are saying that DMS appear to be a separate company to Van Aarken offering a similar product.

Does your post mean you have fitted a DMS chip? If so, how did you get on with it?

Does DMS look like a reputable company? Their web site is a bit "thin" (but then, so is my comany's own one )

 

[GrahamC230K]

Hi Graham,

We are saying that DMS appear to be a separate company to Van Aarken offering a similar product.

Does your post mean you have fitted a DMS chip? If so, how did you get on with it?

Does DMS look like a reputable company? Their web site is a bit "thin" (but then, so is my comany's own one )

They are ruptable from my experience, highly recommended by many, but didn't produce any power gains for me.

 

[skemball]

Van Aaken do seem to have a good reputation as I know of at least one mate who fitted one to a petrol BMW and 'raved' about the perofrmance increase.

To me the obvious candidate for improving power is the turbo - I am assuming the smartbox approach does not affect Turbo boost but merely enriches fuel supply - thereby more power.

I think the MB turbo uses a vacumn feed that controls the bypass valve to limit RPM ? maybe some sort of mechanical intervention in this area could be carried out to increase boost pressure (RPM) and thereby give more ooommmpph at higher engine revs????


don't try this at home though!

 

[GregE240]

Whats wrong with the Brabus upgrade for this engine? Cost?

DMS do offer a good upgrade for this engine though......

 

[Bazzle]

Increasing fuel is a good way to increase overall power. Most diesels have this cut back nowdays to reduce smoke emissions when new.
It will increase power through out the rev range.

A boost increase will not necessarily give any more power only more air. Diesels respond well to extra fuel.

Cruising or level throttle will still give same mixture as before as motor only uses the fuel supplied.

Bazzle

 

[turbominor]

"I think the MB turbo uses a vacumn feed that controls the bypass valve to limit RPM ? maybe some sort of mechanical intervention in this area could be carried out to increase boost pressure (RPM) and thereby give more ooommmpph at higher engine revs????"


I know on the tdi golf's if you bleed a little air out of he pipe going to the boost presure sensor you can increase the boost slightly buy putting a small hole in the supply pipe to the sensor, but there is a point that the ecu will stop you fronm going to far..

early conventional turbo diesel(no ecu) you can uncrease the boost by drilling 1 or 2 1mm holes is the pipe to the waste gate(make sure you dont drill the oil supply) and this will let 1-2psi out, so the turbo will be able to supply the original boost plus the bit leaking out..

 

[vixpy1]

Been a bit buys guys so sorry i have'nt been around.

I would get a Tandem tuning box, its only £250 ish and we have seen a 44bhp increase on the E320cdi.

If anyone needs a back to back, then I'm always willing to accomadate

Cheers,

Charlie

 

[Richard W]

I know on the tdi golf's if you bleed a little air out of he pipe going to the boost presure sensor you can increase the boost slightly buy putting a small hole in the supply pipe to the sensor, but there is a point that the ecu will stop you from going to far..

It's much more reliable to simply change the boost control valve for one from a Golf with a higher boost level....

BTT - Van Aaken have an excellent reputation and have been in the tuning business for a long time. I'd go with vixpy's recommendation, he's got experience of these things.