Powerchip Inc. Phone : 1800-495-0777 Fax : (949) matt@powerchipgroup.com
Digital Adrenaline For Your

BMW 328i E46 2.8

Powerchip technology enhances your BMW to its ultimate level, delivering faster, smoother acceleration in all driving conditions. Whether you enjoy a leisurely weekend cruise or a hard racetrack drive there is no easier and more effective way to release the potential from your 328i E46 2.8. The following information is an overview of the performance the Powerchip will deliver. If you have any questions, your Power Consultant will assist you as best as possible. We look forward to giving you the best performance possible from your BMW.
Make Model Engine Year Powerchip Code
BMW 328i E46 2.8 M52 Jan 99 to Dec 00 BMW0078
In standard form the BMW 328i E46 2.8 produces 193 hp at the flywheel, and Powerchip improves the engine power to 204 hp.

Power (hp) Standard

Bronze/ Silver

Gold 91

Gold 93
The extra performance achieved by the Powerchip allows your vehicle to respond much better than stock 328i E46 2.8s. You will notice an effortless push back into the drivers seat, to give you a much more enjoyable and at times safer driving experience. The Powerchip will tap into your BMWs hidden reserves, to give you an immediately noticeable improvement from your vehicle we guarantee it!

Torque

Torque is a measurement of your engines pulling power, and its torque that pulls you up hills, allowing your engine a more linear and aggressive acceleration curve. With the Powerchip, you notice the increase in torque right throughout the rev range, which gives you far greater flexibility at low engine revolutions. Towing will become less demanding, and you will no longer feel the need to take the engine to the redline in each gear to get the performance you demand. Its always there for you, when you really need it most!

Torque (lb.ft) Standard

Acceleration
Increased Power and Torque results in faster acceleration. And it is not just standing start acceleration that is improved, your in-gear acceleration is improved and faster. If overtaking is important to you, you will feel safe knowing that you spend less time on the wrong side of the road, improving the safety of your car, for you and your family or passengers. Perhaps you feel that you need that extra bit of power when you are lined up at the "traffic light grand prix" against another car with similar (or more) power? If you want to have the unfair advantage that will give you more GO away from the lights, you need a Powerchip performance software upgrade for your 328i E46 2.8.

Fitting Details

Your car contains the latest technology ECU that can be reprogrammed through the on-board diagnostic port (OBD-II). Specialised software interfaces with your vehicles engine management system to extract the electronic code via serial download. Once the information has been read, Powerchip technicians apply the performance changes and upload the performance program back through the OBD-II port. Installation cannot be performed by the end user. Programming must occur at an Authorized Powerchip Office or at authorised Powerchip Platinum dealers. The programming takes approximately 2 hour's to complete.

On Road Development

Where Powerchip really shines out over its competitors is the emphasis and time spent refining the program for drivability and enjoyment. Much more a real world gain than full throttle horse power runs on a dyno, part throttle refinement is a gain everyone uses every time they drive the vehicle. Flat spots and poor off the line performance are smoothed out in this process, and transient throttle conditions are made razor sharp for the ultimate in response. Real time changes to tables like throttle response and power enrichment are done on road to fine tune the driving experience of the vehicle, with acceleration timing equipment used to ensure consistent and measurable gains in part throttle drivability.

Driveability

Beyond the impressive torque and power gains on full throttle, many hours were spent refining the part throttle timing maps for maximum throttle response and driveability. Both the full throttle and part throttle maps are changed for improved driveability in day-to-day driving. In other words, you dont need to be on the racetrack to notice the Powerchip performance improvement.

Manufacturers Tolerances

BMW unfortunately leaves large tolerances in the performance characteristics of its entire fleet to allow for drivers that are negligent on maintenance, and who are non-enthusiasts. The 328i E46 2.8 is de-tuned to be able to run on the poorest grade of fuel that the car is likely to encounter anywhere in the world, and also to allow for the small percentage of owners who put their cars reliability to the test due to their lack of mechanical understanding. In most cases, our clients are enthusiasts who place more emphasis on the performance characteristics of their vehicle, and therefore the Powerchip does not need to be programmed as conservatively as the stock software.

Modified Spark Advance

In the old days the ignition distributor controlled the engine spark timing. Changes to the position in the distributor will result in changed ignition settings, and is a good method of tune-up for older vehicles. Modern engine ignition is controlled by a series of tables or maps. These maps give the engine any instructions required to operate, under ALL load and rev per minute access points. Similar to the old systems, advancing the point of ignition within a cylinder results in increased horsepower and toque. It is important not to advance the timing beyond the capabilities of the fuel used, or else detonation can occur. Peak horsepower is achieved when ignition timing is set as close to the point of detonation as possible, without exceeding it. This is the primary purpose for asking the octane rating each client uses most frequently, so that the software is set to the correct level of ignition advance for the fuel used. The end result of ignition advance changes is increased horsepower and torque, resulting in better acceleration and various other driving benefits.

49 State Emissions Legal

The Powerchip complies with U.S. EPA Memorandum 1A, or it has not been found nor is believed to be unlawful for use under the provisions of the Clean Air Act. Currently, Powerchip is not legal in California for vehicles that may be used on a highway. Powerchip is currently undergoing testing for certification under the Californian Air Resources Board (CARB) exemption process.
Our Satisfaction Guarantee
Every Powerchip sold in North America comes with an unconditional 14-day money back guarantee. This ensures that the Powerchip will live up to your expectations, not ours! If for any reason you are unsatisfied with the Powerchip, you may return the Powerchip to your place of purchase for a full refund of the purchase price (not including shipping and handling, installation and removal etc.). Our satisfaction guarantee offers you total peace of mind, and makes the purchase of the Powerchip risk free. By purchasing a Powerchip you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Octane ratings

The Powerchip is designed to get the best from your engine, and to do this you must use a high performance fuel (91 Octane minimum). It is not possible to improve the performance on late model fuel injected vehicles using poor quality fuels, such as 87 or 89 octane. When ordering your Powerchip upgrade, your Power Consultant will ask you for the octane rating you would like your program to run. Powerchip Gold 91 is designed to run on fuel with an octane rating of either 91 or 92. Powerchip Gold 93 is designed to run on fuel with an octane rating of 93 or higher. We highly recommend that you use the highest-octane fuel available to you, such as 92, 93 or 94 octane if a higher than 91-octane fuel is available.

Warranty

All Gold 93 Powerchips come with a three year, unlimited mile warranty, which means that if anything occurs with the Powerchip in that time, we will replace it without charge to you. An optional extended Powerchip warranty is also available at an additional $90 at the time of ordering. This extends the warranty period on any Power chip to six years. The terms and conditions of the Powerchip warranties can be viewed in detail on our web site at
http://www.powerchipgroup.com/products/warranty.asp
To briefly summarize the information: if your car is covered by a new or dealer warranty, the dealer may not void a warranty simply because you have fitted an aftermarket product. SEMA, the automotive aftermarket industry body in North America has made the following statements regarding aftermarket products such as performance chips. "The vehicle manufacturer is not allowed to void the vehicle warranty just because aftermarket equipment is installed on the vehicle." ".In cases where such a failed aftermarket part is responsible for a warranty claim, the (vehicle) manufacturer must arrange a settlement with the part manufacturer, but the new vehicle warrant is not void under the law." "If the failure to honor a claim involves the new-vehicle warranty, and it appears that the (vehicle) manufacturer is improperly denying a claim, the incident should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)." The fitment of the Powerchip will not have a detrimental effect on your vehicle performance or engine longevity, and therefore does not interfere with the manufacturers warranty in any way.

Value for a Lifetime

The investment you make in the Powerchip will last for as long as you keep your car, and for most of our customers, that is normally for 3 or 4 years. So when you consider the benefits of the chip over a number of years, it is not a lot to pay for extra performance you will probably use nearly every day. As a percentage of the total cost of your car, the Powerchip works out to be very cost effective.

Cost Effectiveness

As we all know, modifying late model vehicles is not a cheap exercise, however, when you look at it on a hp per dollar basis, the Powerchip comes in ahead of any other modification you could make to your BMW. Have a look at just how well the Powerchip stacks up:

Price hp Gain Price/hp

$hp $62.73
The Powerchip is designed to offer excellent value for money compared with other modifications you might be planning in the future.
COST USD($) (not including shipping/handling) Bronze

Silver

Ask the Experts
Your Powerchip Power Consultant is trained to provide you with the best information about getting more performance for your car. We have a specific Power Consultant who is responsible for the BMW range, and he is an expert at answering all of your technical questions, especially about the 328i E46 2.8. If you would like to speak with your Power Consultant about any aspect of the upgrade, please telephone Toll Free North American headquarters in California on 1800-or email your BMW Power Consultant directly at tcattach@powerchipgroup.com
Powerchip Group, All Rights Reserved. Reproduction by any means is prohibited.
Gold 91 Performance Data for your.

BMW 328i E46 2.8 *

R.P.M. hp STD hp Powerchip hp Gain lb.ft. STD lb.ft. Powerchip lb.ft Gain 9 8
hp Powerchip 140 hp 2000 2500

hp STD

lb.ft. Powerchip

lb.ft. STD lb.ft. 0

R.P.M.
* This graph shows figures for Powerchip Gold 91
Max hp Max lb.ft. 0-60 Auto N/A N/A 0-60 Man N/A N/A
MODEL 328i E46 2.8 328i E46 2.8

ENGINE

VERSION Standard Gold 91

CAPACITY 2793cc 2793cc

M52 M52
Gold 93 Performance Data for your.
R.P.M. hp STD hp Powerchip hp Gain lb.ft. STD lb.ft. Powerchip lb.ft Gain 10 10
* This graph shows figures for Powerchip Gold 93

VERSION Standard Gold 93

Customer Testimonials
Customer Name: B. B, Car: Z3 3.0 E36/7 Testimonial added: Jun Customer Comments:

"I drove the Coupe on two long test runs on country roads this weekend. 90 miles the first day, all aggressive driving. And then a 30 mile fuel economy test the second day. I also did a separate 20 mile comparison test in my other Z3. an 01 Roadster, with the identical M54 engine, and stock ECU programming.
The drive by wire throttle lag caused by the electronic accelerator, is now mostly gone. Not just at low, start off, rpms. It is very noticeable how the formerly lazy throttle is now very responsive during all mid-throttle positions. The engine is more responsive and has better drivability across all rpm ranges and loads. Yesh!! This was the primary reason I bought the software.
The two bonus items I was not expecting: One of my primary concerns over changing the ECU software was introducing a greater likelihood of knocking, which of course, would shorten the engines life. With stock programming, the M54 knocks a little when traveling up a slight hill. Its just the right amount of load on the engine, combined with being into the throttle 15%. If you accelerate (get into the throttle a good 40% or more) the knocking will stop (changing fuel, air, and spark to a friendlier zone). Of course, continually accelerating through the residential streets isnt very practical. Ive had two mechanics tell me that this small amount of knocking is normal. So my hope was that the Powerchip software would not make this any worse. To my total surprise, it not only didnt make it worse it eliminated it all together. You cannot get the engine to knock. Doesnt matter what grade of hill, how much load there is on the engine, what gear your in, or how much you have the throttle pressed (light or heavy). It will not knock. I was amazed, and very pleased.
The things I noticed on the Z3 Coupe are: A little more powerful across the whole rpm band in general. Then. starting at 4200 rpm there is a noticeable power band increase. On the non-Powerchip Z3 some boost in this range is partly detectible in first gear, so I think these engines have some tendency for that designed into them. But in second gear, there is no extra power band. The response is flat through the entire rpm range. In the Powerchipd Z3, first and second gear have a noticeable increase in power starting at 4200. You can literally see it on the tach, and it does it every time (not wishful thinking). The needle literally, visually, noticeably accelerates its sweep rate. from 4200 on up to red line, actually causing you to say, Whoa. holy ___ the first time you see and feel it. Third gear has much of this as well, though not as visually obvious in the needle. And obviously in all this, Im definitely feeling that the car is faster. I just thought the tach needle accelerating like that (no longer a flat response rate) was pretty cool, how it provided a measurable performance improvement.

My mileage on the first, performance, test drive was not particularly note worthy. 20mpg. But then again, I had my right foot into it the whole 90 miles. Bunches and bunches of acceleration tests. The next day I did a 30 mile mileage test. Three long roads, with only two stop signs. There was some head and cross winds. The country road was most definitely not flat. Lots and lots of rollers, plus two really large hills. I drove at 60mph (Thats actual. As Bimmer speedos are off [slow], I was holding the needle at 63mph). I was completely shocked to get 35.4 mpg !! This is amazing. On a perfectly flat section of interstate highway and holding my speed steady, with the stock programming I could get 30.5, which. I thought. was really good before. These cars are only factory rated to get 27mpg highway. I was stunned that with the new software I was getting 35.4 mpg. That is a huge increase in mileage.
Testimonial added: Jan Customer Comments:
Good job with the software guys. Youve really got it fine tuned. This was the right direction for me to go. P.S. Also posted my full review here: http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/z3coupe/6761987-1.html"
Customer Name: Greg R, Winston Salem Car: 325i E46 2.5 Testimonial added: Jul Customer Comments:
"First of all, X5 rocks after Powerchip. I added a few Dinan bolt-ons and this is a real BMW, not a truck anymore. Wasn't a real truck to start with (4.6), but you know what I mean. By mistake when Dinan stuff was added also Dinan software was installed, and it was actually reasonable, not as good as Powerchip though, but certainly more competitive than M5 Dinan versus M5 Powerchip. For M5 which I also had both Dinan first and Powerchip later hands down to Powerchip, nothing even to compare to Dinan. However, there was a problem with loading software on X5. The key for serial kit would work only once. So I downloaded the original software with a key sent. When Powerchip file was sent to me I couldn't load it because key wasn't recognized by the X5 ECU. Powerchip sent me a new key and it worked. But, there is more. After this I had Dinan mods and Dinan software mistakenly loaded. When I tried to reinstall Powerchip the key was again not recognized by ECU, so Powerchip sent me another key, and it worked. So they sent me 3 keys to fix my X5. You can look at this 2 ways: something is wrong with X5, or my X5 and Powerchip keys, or how Powerchip guys were really professional and send me all these keys to finally get right software in my X5. I aplaud them for not making me sent my ECU to California. Jessie is one smart young guy. Looking forward to Powechiping any car I get a hold of."
Customer Name: STUART V, Car: 528i 2.8 I6 E39 Testimonial added: Jan Customer Comments:

"After the chip was upgraded I could feel a improvement to the Power and Torque throughout the power band. The acceleration improvement is noticeable. GJR"
Customer Name: Alex B, Short Hills Car: X5 E53 4.6is
"I have noticed smoother idling when cold, a much more effortless swing to red line, smoother shifting and an overall improved feeling of torque and acceleration. Install was a breeze. Nearly a night and day difference that I would highly recommend."