BMW

BMW M5 Tune on the F90 Chassis

DME Unlock, Bench Unlock M5
In the Beginning

The F90 BMW M5 was, as usual, a very anticipated platform and there was an immediate desire for an F90 BMW M5 Tune. The F10 M5 had proven quite capable (albeit with a bit of a glass cannon engine), and the F90 is the same overall layout with technological updates, and the addition of an All Wheel Drive system. With the increasing popularity of BMW’s at public racing events, and the introduction of drag racing leaderboards such as Dragy, many folks are finding themselves lined up in the driver’s seat of an F90.

As the S63 engine is equipped with twin-scroll turbos and valvetronic, it is an absolute torque monster and unlike the F10, the F90’s AWD system allows that torque to be used. This allows the F90 to ‘get out of the hole’ quite well, something the F10 could not achieve. Additionally, the F90 returned to an automatic transmission, and in today’s high-technology climate an automatic transmissions cannot be beat.

Utilizing the advanced engine management system which ties directly into transmission management, shifting is able to be perfected in terms of line pressure management, torque management, and boost pressure management. Complicated systems require complicated solutions. Unfortunately, many companies have proven themselves incapable with claims such as the myth that it is ‘required’ to upgrade the manifold pressure sensors to run above 1.5 BAR relative boost.

BMW M5 Tune
F90 BMW M5 Tune from Cedar Performance Dallas
Tuning the M5

As the engine was pretty well understood already, tuning development on the BMW S63R engine began virtually immediately once the car was released. Companies like Pure Turbos, CSF, and RK Autowerks began releasing products, upgrades were made, tuning was done, and quickly the limitations of the engine were confirmed.

In order to reach the limitations of the S63 engine, there is only a need for a slight increase in efficiency or octane. Our recommended way of doing this is simply running full E85. Before Cedar Performance became the authority on S63 engine performance, other ‘tuners’ attempted this by installing inefficient methanol injection or installing oversized and overly expensive turbocharger upgrades.

Pairing these upgrades with improper and lazy tuning (particularly the ridiculous combination of a “back end flash” and a “piggyback tuner”) has lead to hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars in engine rebuilds. In virtually every single one of those cases, the vehicle owner or BMW GmbH was left with the bag. “Back End Flash” tunes are specifically designed to remove limitations in the factory computer that typically work to protect your vehicle from exceeding desired parameters.

What do you do when the engine internals are not strong enough? Simple. Tune it accordingly, or I suppose you could forge it.

BMW M5 Tune Dyno
BMW M5 Dyno Tune Results from Cedar Performance
Forging the M5

With rising cylinder pressures as a result of increased boost from upgraded turbochargers, it was quickly realized that the S63R rods were no stronger than the previous S63 engines, and the need to forge the motor was high.

Forged Engines have proven to be quite difficult. Companies like Arsenal Motorsports were completely ruined by S63 engine failures after forged upgrades were sold and later failed. Success was so unlikely, many ‘BMW Specialist’ engine rebuilders simply declined to rebuild and upgrade the engine.

Fortunately as time went on, more engineers began testing methods for forging the S63 line of engines. Some had luck, others went bankrupt. Some have horror stories still able to found on the internet about engines that never arrived, or engines that immediately failed.

As the dust settles, and as information on successfully rebuilding the S63 engine line becomes more widely known, more and more success stories are being heard. It seems as though at least a couple of companies have sorted out forging the S63, others have answers for the transmission, and building an F90 capable of beating a McLaren in the standing 1/2 mile is entirely feasible.

BMW M8 Tune
BMW X3M, X5M, and M8 Software Upgrades
Where are we now?

These days the F9x world is in a pretty good spot. There are multiple options for upgraded turbochargers, engines, charge coolers, tuning platforms, tuners, and even communities. Modifications for the interior, exterior, and chassis are all available. Most tuners still advertising software seem to have learned the limits of the engine and most remaining builders appear to have figured out a good blueprint.

F90 M5 Engine Tuning Myths

There are quite a few myths associated to tuning an F90 M5. Frankly, there are many myths associated to tuning any BMW. Let us dispel some.

Will tuning my BMW M5 void my factory warranty?

In the USA, it is illegal for a manufacturer to void your warranty simply because you have modified the software in your DME/ECU (Engine Control Unit). The Manufacturer is required to provide proof that your modified software (or hardware) caused the damage they are denying repair on under warranty. For more information, research the Moss Magnuson Act, and the Right to Repair Act.

Please keep in mind, it is unfortunately still somewhat common for us to hear reports of various dealerships (particularly in rural areas) claiming that a “tune was detected, and the vehicle ‘has been flagged'”. BMW learned their lesson in 1975, however lately it appears in some cases history has been forgotten.

Will products like ‘M-Boot’ protect me against dealer updates in the future?

Do not believe the myths. Products like “M-Boot” simply CANNOT guarantee what they promise. There is no way to prepare a bootloader that will always report the most recent software numbers (or iStep versions). You can only report the most recent software available at the time the vehicle was flashed. This is only possible if you are sure you reprogram your ECU every time you desire to visit the dealership. This is simply a gimmick and not worth the additional costs.

So-and-So Tuning offers a warranty on their tunes. Should I buy this?

While offering a warranty on a tune in itself isn’t a bad thing, it really isn’t of any value. When you read the fine print on these warranties you will quickly agree. Many of these warranties clearly state that they are warranties on software alone. Furthermore, they often require the vehicle be diagnosed ONLY at their facility, and any diagnostic done elsewhere will void the warranty. Here is an example from Carbahn:

CarBahn Autoworks will repair or replace, at its sole discretion, any defective CarBahn Autoworks component. This warranty does not include reimbursement for repairs to any original vehicle manufacturer’s component(s) that may have been affected by a CarBahn Autoworks component.

*Warranty exclusions:

Software update labor.

https://carbahn.com/warranty/

The above clause clearly indicates that Carbahn will not repair your vehicle if their tune damages it. Based on the verbiage, it also appears possible Carbahn will attempt to bill you for the ‘software update’ for your ‘warrantied’ tune. Hilarious.

To obtain service under this warranty, the vehicle or Noelle product must be brought, upon discovery of a malfunction or defect in materials and/or workmanship, to any Authorized Noelle Programming Facility during normal business hours. Failure to do so will void Noelle Performance’s Limited Warranty coverage on your vehicle.

https://www.noelleperformance.com/warranty-eula/

The above clause clearly indicates that Noelle Performance requires you visit one of their dealers for any sort of warranty claim. If you do not, your warranty is void. If you do not live near any of these dealers, this warranty is therefore useless. Furthermore, out of the 24 dealers listed on Noelle Performance’s website, we have been unable to vet any of them in the performance world. It appears these businesses are not tested for qualification in any way, and often times do not own any sort of dynamometer or even datalogging equipment to verify your tune.

And finally:

Noelle will repair or replace, at its sole discretion, any defective Noelle component upon receipt of the item and proof of the original purchase in the form of a lawful invoice. This warranty does not include reimbursement for repairs to any original vehicle manufacturer’s component(s) that may have been affected by a Noelle component.

https://www.noelleperformance.com/warranty-eula/

And again, this clause states that Noelle will replace any defective Noelle component upon receipt of the time and proof of the original purchase. Considering Noelle Performance only appears to offer software, we really do not see the value of this. If the tune causes engine failure, and you ship your car to a Noelle dealer, they will replace your engine software and leave you with the $30,000 invoice for a new engine. Where is the value?

As you can see, these warranties are completely and utterly useless. Do not give your money to deceptive companies. Let it be understood, any time you are tuning your vehicle, you are doing so at your own risk. No company will offer support in the event of an engine failure or otherwise. At least do business with a company that shoots straight, and does their own research before selling you software.

BM3 is required for tuning, MHD is required for tuning, or similar.

This is completely false. Any tuner that limits you to one platform or another is simply a limited tuner themselves, and you should avoid them at all costs. While it is acceptable to have a preference, it is absurd to ask a customer to spend $500+ on a license simply because you have a preference.

In reality, the reason these tuners request you switch to one platform or another is simply because they are unable to work inside of another platform. Some tuners are banned from certain platforms. Other tuners do not own the tools required to work in a particular platform. The truth of the matter is, if you are a competent tuner, it simply does not matter on an S63 engine which platform you are using for flashing. If it does matter, again, your tuner is the limit, not the platform.

“Our Stage 1 F90 makes 740HP”

Again, this is completely false. It is close to accurate, but definitely a stretch. Tuning companies like to make false claims and blame things like low octane/knock control, or perhaps hardware issues whenever their tunes do not meet their advertised values. This is flat out false advertisement, and I am sure millions of dollars of profit have been made with this strategy.

Often times you may hear excuses such as:

  • “The dyno you are using reads low.”
  • “Your octane level is not high enough.”
  • “There must be x, y, or z wrong with the hardware on the vehicle”
  • “740 HP is including 15% drivetrain loss.” So their stage 1 tune makes 629 WHP?

Excuses, excuses, excuses. None of it makes complete sense. Again, at least do business with a company that shoots straight.

BMW F90 Performance Calibration (DME Tuning) developed by Cedar Performance

Our F90 BMW M5 Tune can make as much as +150 WHP over stock, on the stock engine.

Additionally, our BMW M5 Tune can make as much as +300 WHP OVER STOCK, on a forged engine.

Dyno, street, and track-tested on vehicles all over the planet.

Thanks to full and complete software development, our tunes are considered 100% safe regardless of location, assuming proper octane is present.

Fully functional, completely OEM like, and customizable by request. Here are some frequently asked questions:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you tune a BMW M5?

Yes you can tune a BMW M5.  There are multiple tuning options available for these cars. Some year models require unlocks, some do not. See below.

Can my BMW M5 run E30?

Yes, our BMW M5 Tunes, Stage 1 and Stage 2 are safe for E30. 30% Ethanol Maximum.

Can my BMW M5 run E85?

Yes, our BMW M5 Tune Stage 2 E85 is calibrated completely for 60-85% Ethanol. Please note that F90 M5 High Pressure Fuel Pumps are required for full E85.

How much HP does the F90 BMW M5 have?

Typically, a stock BMW M5 F90 will make 550-600 WHP on a dynojet.  They often make 700 WHP with our tune.a

Do I need Bootmod3 or MHD to tune my F90 M5?

No, our F90 BMW M5 Tune can be installed without a Bootmod3 or MHD License.  All files can be exchanged right here through our support portal.  That being said, Bootmod3 and MHD are very useful and convenient for datalogging to optimize your tune.

Do you offer an F90 BMW M5 Burble Tune?

Yes. The very popular Burbles or “Pop & Bang” settings are absolutely available upon request. Typically burble tunes are for Stage 2 cars with modifications.

Can my F90 BMW M5 Tune run Flex Fuel?

No. There is no “true” flex fuel integration on any V8 BMW. Tunes are written specificatlly for a 15-20% range of ethanol content. That being said, we can calibrate for all levels of ethanol from pump gas to 98% ethanol provided your fuel system is capable.

Should I tune my F90 BMW M5?

Yes. Some people believe there are risks involved and that may be true, but BMW absolutely leaves power on the table in all of their vehicles. Our calibrations engineering team has put in hours and hours of work to develop 100% safe and worry free calibrations to access some or all of this power. Keep in mind, when it comes to keeping things safe, less is more.

How do I tune my F90 BMW M5?

Simple. You buy it from Cedar Performance. Just purchase the software from this website, and we will send you the necessary files for tuning and provide support along the way.

Say less. How do we get started? I’m ready to tune the M5.

To begin with tuning, follow the steps for the applicable flashing program below:

For Bootmod3 Tuning:
  1. Firstly, to tune your BMW M5, you need to purchase the tune from this website.
  2. Secondly, go into your Bootmod3 account and go to the “My Maps” page.
  3. After that, select “Request Custom” and name the tune. Example: Stage 3 E85 Tune
  4. Additionally, select Cedar Performance Dallas as the tuner.
  5. Once you have done that, submit the request.

At this point, Cedar Performance’s calibrations team will develop software specifically for your car.

Finally, program the map into the vehicle. Additionally, test the software and provide feedback.

For MHD Tuning:
  1. First, to be eligible for a tune you must purchase the tune from this website.
  2. Second, connect to the vehicle and open the MHD Application on your phone. MHD provides instructions for these steps.
  3. Next, navigate to the diagnostics/read codes page inside of the app, and take a screenshot of the hardware/software versions displayed.
  4. Save this screenshot, and open a support ticket here. Attach the screenshot to the support ticket, and list your modifications.
  5. Patiently wait for our calibrations engineering team to develop your bespoke software.
  6. Once released, download your software from your support ticket.
For Femto Tuning:
  1. To tune your BMW M5, first you need to purchase the tune form this website.
  2. Next, Cedar Performance will send you a SINGLE-VIN Femto flashing executable.
  3. To continue, extract the software do your desktop and run the executable file.
  4. Firstly, select “ZGW Detect”.
  5. Secondly, select “Identify”.
  6. Thirdly, Select “Read ECU”.
  7. Afterward, save the read file to your desktop.
  8. Finally, open a support ticket here, and upload your file.

At this point, Cedar Performance’s calibrations team will develop software specifically for your car.

Lastly, program the map into the vehicle. Additionally, test the software and provide feedback.

F10 BMW M5 (S63T)2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
F12/F13 BMW M6 (S63T)2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
F85 BMW X5M (S63T)2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
F86 BMW X6M (S63T)2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
F90 BMW M5 (S63R)2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
F92/F93 BMW M8 (S63R)2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
F95 BMW X5M2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
F96 BMW X6M2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

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