Installed my MarkD chip today

[colin86325]

I got a 91 octane chip as part of the group buy and saved $48--Thanks Mark!

Anyway, this is a great upgrade, folks. I've had somewhat of an uneven idle due to an intake cam and a single-mass flywheel, but the chip actually smoothed out the idle.  At one point I actually looked at the tacho to make sure the engine was running. LOL.  Overall the engine runs much smoother/linear, and the top end is much more lively. Power is increased through the rpm range, and my friend Robert (Peerless) was impressed. The increased rev limiter is nice, too, but I haven't had a chance to rev that high yet.
IMHO, it doesn't make sense to keep the stock chip in.  Our cars require 91AKI octane  anyways, so you're leaving a bunch of power and driveability on the table by not switching to the MarkD chip.

Anyway, I know a few other guys from this site probably were part of the same group buy, so they might chime in as well.

[JP 91iS]

I received mine last week, but haven't installed it.  I didn't see the point yet since I don't have a functioning fuel pump.  Mark accidentally sent me the 93 chip instead of the 91 I ordered.  Which as it turns out is ok since I found a place to buy 93.  The only thing that worries me is if I'm traveling and can't find any 93.  Can I just carry a bottle of octane booster or something that I can add to a tank?  I'll probably also keep the stock chip in my glovebox in case of emergency.  I saw a guy somewhere that wired up 2 or 3 chips at remote locations and could toggle between them with a switch - not worth the hassle in my case, but I thought it was cool.

[ak96ss]

Multiple chips would be pretty cool...  and I think not that hard to do. I'll have to ponder that a bit, and take a look at my Mouser catalog! I've got the 93 octane chip, which is no problem here where there is 93 everywhere, but I can see that it might be an issue if you were traveling or even just living somewhere where there is limited availability.

[tjts1]

Multiple chips would be pretty cool...  and I think not that hard to do.

Its really easy to setup. Scroll down.
http://www.motortraders.net.au/groups/group.asp?group=1&menu=1&article=3

I was going to do this with my fleabay chip until I got a spare ECU at the JY. Now I can just swap ECUs on a whim.

[JP 91iS]

Its really easy to setup. Scroll down.
http://www.motortraders.net.au/groups/group.asp?group=1&menu=1&article=3

Cool link, but that seems out of my DIY skill set.  How do you find all this stuff?

[roundel318]

I have two ECU's with each chip loaded, swapping the ECU takes 2 minutes.
Getting a used one on eBay for $40 is easy, and it's great for diag or backup purposes.
With fingers that close to the electronics on the PCB on the go, static buildup potential is probably higher and the convenience of popping and swapping a metal box is nice over taking the top off.
Anyone that has chipped a Motronic 3.3 E34 540i would probably like it that much more, as it contains 2 PCB's that must be taken apart with care.

[BMWManiac]

I tried to install the chip today and I thought the ECU was in the same place as on my 97 M3....where is the ECU?

[tjts1]

Inside the glovebox above the plastic panel.

[BMWManiac]

Ah, got it done!  Thanks!