Yet another fine reason for me to stay away from this kind of tuning, sadly. It’s super interesting, but voiding the warranty and having to replace stuff like that just isn’t within my budget (I suppose that 20-30k would be easy to reach). I might spend those money for racing a couple of times with a proper team instead, if I wanted so. But yes, that’s a totally different thing.
JB4 Thread for Lotus Emira AMG i4 (M139 Engine) – Tuning, Setup, Results & Support
- Thread starter ManuelB
- Start date
My personal opinion is JB4 maps 1 & 2 are probably safe for the additional HP to the engine. The I4 m139 engine came with 469hp in some Mercedes applications. I feel like you are safe from engine issues up to this HP.
As for the unit itself causing issues? I have no idea, but the manufacturer appears to be highly respected.
Personally I would wait until my warranty is up to install, because I like the piece of mind of knowing I am covered if any issues arise.
It's an easy remove if needed for any warranty issue if required
Perspective is needed. In the rare event you need warranty work comprehensive enough that the jb4 would be discovered, it can be removed in a few hours. To further simplify I made the intercooler sensor wire easy to remove from the JB4 without having to get to the sensor. Will only take me minutes.
Perspective indeed, the fact that you had to stray from the prescribed process and tweak to accommodate an easier install/removal, says it all. Don't get me wrong, for those of us that have quickjacks or a full blown lift, a nice full tool chest and time, it can certainly be done (throw in a side of bruised/scraped knuckles). However, most that have done it would NOT label this project as "easy".
BTW, not a dig at you, simply want to make sure any of our i4 brothers not familiar with this one aren't mislead into thinking it's easy like an oil change or air filter swap which most of us would likely describe as "easy". "easy", this one is not...
BTW, not a dig at you, simply want to make sure any of our i4 brothers not familiar with this one aren't mislead into thinking it's easy like an oil change or air filter swap which most of us would likely describe as "easy". "easy", this one is not...
I represent, maybe, the best case of dummy user that never got his/her hands dirty on car mechanics and stuff. I would not be able to make sure something like the intercooler sensor wire is easy to remove, nor have I access to tools or anything needed. Also, I would need to fully trust the one doing the job. Maybe waiting for the warranty to be up is the better choice.
I'm sure you could, you just have to cut the jb4 boost wire and make two easy detachable connectors from that. Im no mechanic by any means and my tools are mediocre
None taken but when I say perspective I mean how often would you need to remove it completely for warranty work. The only time that you would really need to remove it is something catastrophic or major. In that event you could have it done in an afternoon. Even quicker if one just makes a quick disconnect for the one boost sensor wire.
No need, it will be discovered whether the unit is present or not if a serious warranty work is needed.
I'm hoping that my the time my warranty expires in 2027, there will be an ECU unlock available. In the meantime, I'm in the too much hassle/risk for not enough gain camp.
I keep hearing mention of progress with the ECU here and there but still nothing concrete. I'm guessing the first ones will need to be done by the tuner but eventually perhaps we'll get a remote mapping solution.
I keep hearing mention of progress with the ECU here and there but still nothing concrete. I'm guessing the first ones will need to be done by the tuner but eventually perhaps we'll get a remote mapping solution.
Well according to Burger Motorsports and other similar units that is not the case. Due to its design and how it operates there is no way to know once removed
Of course they will say that to sell their products, every piggyback company says the same thing how it is undetectable comparing to ECU flash as one of their advantages. Don't get me wrong, I love my JB4 but I am also well aware this is a false claim. If your warranty claim is serious enough such as any engine related issues, you bet manufacturer will pull data to support that. Like I said on another post before, another owner got his injector warranty claim declined because Lotus Hethel was able to pull data to support intake flow was more than factory design which could only be modification. You can't really mod a modern car's engine performance without leaving a trace, but believe whatever you believe in...
Well you speak in generalities perhaps Burger Motorsports can give them more in-depth understanding of the technical reasons
Agree, a quick scan might not find much but a thorough investigation could show:
Torque intervention events (where ECU tries to pull back but the actual result doesn’t align)
Overboost/pressure plausibility codes
Fuel trim or AFR corrections outside expected range
Knock events from running higher load than requested
These could lead them to deny coverage based on those for example that show a pattern. Remember like all modern Mercedes engines ours uses torque request (which also makes doing dyno runs a little funky sometimes) and it will log differences in requested torque vs delivered torque. The JB4 is doing wizardry to manage all this but the ECU would have logged data right up to the point of something going wrong. Again, I personally feel these catastrophic scenarios are highly unlikely and for now JB4 is like getting an exhaust, should just be on your mod list. I mean it's a third of the cost for an exhaust and pretty much transforms the torque delivery. Just don't have the approach that fooling Lotus service is the strategy should something happen.
At the end of the day, we have to be accountable for the actions we take. If we want to "fiddle" with our cars, know that there is a possibility that a warranty claim can be denied. Yes, you can cry, kick and scream about it, but why? A manufacturer, clearly states the terms of their warranty. If we as car people elect to disregard it and something goes wrong, that is on us and our wallets. Anything beyond that, should be considered a gift.
This idea that everything should be covered is right up there with people wanting their cars picked up and shipped back 200+ miles each way because there is no dealer near by. Again, no one forced the purchase, you had to individually understand the service circumstances you were "buying" into.
This idea that everything should be covered is right up there with people wanting their cars picked up and shipped back 200+ miles each way because there is no dealer near by. Again, no one forced the purchase, you had to individually understand the service circumstances you were "buying" into.
I agree with this. It’s just that being robbed of 40 bhp just because “EU”, really hurts. But yes, no one is forcing me to fill that gap and as I already said (agreed with actually), waiting for the warranty to expire is the way to go for me. I will try to preserve the engine and the car value (…) as much as possible, then who knows. Maybe I’ll find some exhaust mod validated for EU regulations to start with, I don’t know.
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