Mafam & TU3 Tuning box - all my fault!

Roverron · May 3, 2006

Hi everyone, I'm Roverron of Mafam and Tuneam Tu3 tuning box fame.

I'll be only too pleased to answer any queries anyone has relating to the BMW diesel engine.
Not soley on tuning, but anything to do with faults and mods.

I admit to not owning a TD4, but that engine (as in my 75) is a cracker, its just a pity BMW would only supply it in a detuned version to third parties. (A pre-emptive knobbling of any possible competition??)

On the TU3 front, I've just this week finalised a Freelander specific version called the TU3F. It has a couple more medium power settings, but otherwise is the same as the Tu3b.

The Synergy STF is now available too. This combines a Tu3f and a Mafam MF75p in one digital module to make it a very unique device.

My website homepage is 45zs.info from where you can navigate to the TD4 page and Tu3, Mafam & Synergy pages.

First and foremost though, I am an enthusiast, supplying tuning modules to other owners is secondary and I hope this, my first post, won't be taken as a 'selling' one. Its not meant to be.
I look forward to helping where I can.

Ron

willo · May 3, 2006

Hi Ron,

Thanks for the message and welcome to the forum, I am sure everyone on here (owning Td4 engine) will appreciate your presence onhere. Hope you will enjoy the forum and that you will keep looking at it. Take care.

Roverron · May 3, 2006

willo said:
Hi Ron,

Thanks for the message and welcome to the forum, I am sure everyone on here (owning Td4 engine) will appreciate your presence onhere. Hope you will enjoy the forum and that you will keep looking at it. Take care.

Are sure you? They are probably sick of me on the Mg-Rover.org forum!

I will help where I can, Pms and emails are always welcome if I'm not logged in.
Ron

Ps I have added a link to the forum on my Td4 page - hope you don't mind.

outlander · May 3, 2006

Roverron said:
First and foremost though, I am an enthusiast, supplying tuning modules to other owners is secondary and I hope this, my first post, won't be taken as a 'selling' one. Its not meant to be.
I look forward to helping where I can.

Ron

Hi Ron and welcome chap!!

Just in case anybody was wondering, I spoke to Ron this afternoon and kinda invited him here via email so I can concur that he isn't here purely to sell his magic boxes - looking forward to getting mine and letting you know how it works soon.

Roverron · May 3, 2006

outlander said:
Hi Ron and welcome chap!!

Just in case anybody was wondering, I spoke to Ron this afternoon and kinda invited him here via email so I can concur that he isn't here purely to sell his magic boxes - looking forward to getting mine and letting you know how it works soon.

Built and tested and will be mailed tomorrow.
Please let me know how the 'towing' setting on the dash switch is.
I can finetune it or change it one of the other settings so I always welcome feedback. What suits me may not suit everyone else.

Ron

ming · May 3, 2006

Hi Ron , heard nothing but good reports of your knowledge and products, so a very warm welcome, as you may have read in some of my threads the td4 owners have problems with the Bosch maf seems very unreliable past 30k miles, whats yer views on this subject. . .

Roverron · May 3, 2006

ming said:
Hi Ron , heard nothing but good reports of your knowledge and products, so a very warm welcome, as you may have read in some of my threads the td4 owners have problems with the Bosch maf seems very unreliable past 30k miles, whats yer views on this subject. . .

Yes, I agree 30k miles and it's in need of a mafam.

Bosch have a lot to answer for, though thanks to them I sell a lot of mafams, and Pierburgh sell a lot of mafs, and Bosch just get a bad name!

I think any diesel with Bosch maf and Bosch injection suffers, Vag, BMW & Nissans certainly do. Bosch obviously never did any long term testing!

Disappointing that some manufacturers pretend there isn't a problem though.
Ron

ming · May 3, 2006

Ron what would you recommend say past 30k miles on the td4 [1] a pierburg maf , or [2] a mafam, or is it more complicated than that, and what in yer own opinion is the best way , i ask the question for myself but i.m sure others would like to know. . .

Roverron · May 4, 2006

ming said:
Ron what would you recommend say past 30k miles on the td4 [1] a pierburg maf , or [2] a mafam, or is it more complicated than that, and what in yer own opinion is the best way , i ask the question for myself but i.m sure others would like to know. . .

In the vast majority of cases a Mafam MF75 is all you need to restore your driving enjoyment!
Its relatively rare for the maf sensor to fail completely.

Should you buy a MF75 and then later need to change to a Pierburgh maf, then I can upgrade the MF75 to a MF75p by retro fitting the air temp sensor the PB maf lacks.

Ron

tinytdi · May 4, 2006

Hi Ron

Welcome to the forum. We have spoken a few times in the past and you have given me some cracking advice on modifying my L Series. (Also thanks for the pre heat relay advice - she now starts perfectly). I have a tunit 2 fitted to my L series which cost me a small fortune, however I find I keep having to ajust it every now and again and am not totally happy with it.
Do your boxes offer an improvement on this as I am seriously considering slinging it in the bin. I dont actually know what the tunit does but one setting can work reat one day then another day a turn or two the other day can work better....Then a few days later - back again...Grrr!!!

Roverron · May 4, 2006

tinytdi said:
Hi Ron

Welcome to the forum. We have spoken a few times in the past and you have given me some cracking advice on modifying my L Series. (Also thanks for the pre heat relay advice - she now starts perfectly). I have a tunit 2 fitted to my L series which cost me a small fortune, however I find I keep having to ajust it every now and again and am not totally happy with it.
Do your boxes offer an improvement on this as I am seriously considering slinging it in the bin. I dont actually know what the tunit does but one setting can work reat one day then another day a turn or two the other day can work better....Then a few days later - back again...Grrr!!!

I don't know what's in the Tunit, but I'm surprised its unpredictable. For that sort of money it should be perfection. The sdi boxes are analogue so there should not be any such behaviour and mine connect to same wires and operate on the same basic principle.

I have never ever had anyone complain about this sort of thing with my Tu1 or Tu2. In fact the odd problem has been due to bad connections. Scotchloks aren't ideal and hardwiring with crimp or soldered joints is preferable.

Ron

tinytdi · May 5, 2006

Hi Ron

Yeah, I had a problem with the scotchlocks initially so now it is soldered directly to the ECU pins. Perhaps my L series is just a bit wierd!! As per your advice I have gutted the cat, and tweeked the turbo. Made a great diference! Recon I could give a KV6 a run for its money!

outlander · May 5, 2006

OK let me state before I say anything that I am in no way affiliated to / sleeping with / marketting for Roverron or his magic boxes.

Just fitted one of Rons boxes with an in cabin control- what can I say?? The difference in performance is something else, it feels like I have finally got the car that I paid for!! I spent the first few hundred miles thinking that engine would loosen up as it seemed so 'restrained' but it just didn't happen. I am well aware that BMW make a bloody good engine and I just could not understand why the performance was so lacklustre!! Only done about 50 miles or so with it on so far and I reckon that I will be saving money in fuel as I am able to be far lighter with my right foot.

Cheers Ron!! Every TD4 should have one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tinytdi · May 5, 2006

Hmm... I would be interested to see how well one of Rons boxes work in comparison to my mega bucks tunit2... I get a sneaky feeling I may have been slightly ripped off with my purchase. Don't get me wrong - it does make a difference but nothing more than the de-cat did... I actually returned it to the manufacturer at one point suspecting it may be duff but after testing they said it was working fine. I just cant seem to set it up properly..As per the instructions I have wound the screw clockwise ...witing for a lumpy idle and black smoke.....but nothing changes. I can wind it up and up and up until it goes right round and resets but still no plooms of black smoke on revving. As you can imagine - this has left me a bit vague setting the thing up..drive it - ajust it...drive it - ajust it...Grrrrr!!!

Roverron · May 8, 2006

tinytdi said:
Hmm... I would be interested to see how well one of Rons boxes work in comparison to my mega bucks tunit2... I get a sneaky feeling I may have been slightly ripped off with my purchase. Don't get me wrong - it does make a difference but nothing more than the de-cat did... I actually returned it to the manufacturer at one point suspecting it may be duff but after testing they said it was working fine. I just cant seem to set it up properly..As per the instructions I have wound the screw clockwise ...witing for a lumpy idle and black smoke.....but nothing changes. I can wind it up and up and up until it goes right round and resets but still no plooms of black smoke on revving. As you can imagine - this has left me a bit vague setting the thing up..drive it - ajust it...drive it - ajust it...Grrrrr!!!

The L series Tunits are not very sophisticated being analogue. Nor is my Tu1 but works as well (better by the sonds of it in your case Tinytdi!) for a lot less dosh.
It would be unprofessional to comment further on the prices chargerdfor other tuning product, so I'll just end by saying that I would be laughing all the way to the bank if I charged their prices.... retire in a couple of years... villa in Spain... yacht in the Med... etc
Right, prices are going up!!

Ron

Blippie · May 8, 2006

What are your thoughts about using one of your boxes off road?

You caution against using them when towing. Would offroad use risk similar stresses?

Cheers

Blippie

Roverron · May 8, 2006

Blippie said:
What are your thoughts about using one of your boxes off road?

You caution against using them when towing. Would offroad use risk similar stresses?

Cheers

Blippie

Because any tuning uses up the over-engineering / safety margin built in by all manufacturers, it is advisable to less than the maximum increase when the engine is working hard continuously.

This would be when towing depending upon the load being towed and the terrain or under arduous off-road conditions.
Conversely, one-up, on public roads, you can exploit the over engineering to boost the performance substantially.

Obviously these are the two extremes so the driver, has to make a judgement on how hard to push the engine.

This is where the adjustability, which I believe is essential in any tuning product, of the Tu1,2,3,Synergy and mafam, helps.

The Tu3 and Synergy are also available with a 3 position Dash Switch so you can choose economy/towing/off/fast road. The fast road setting being the one set by the control knob on the module. (there are 8 settings)

Ron

Blippie · May 9, 2006

Brilliant, thanks for confirming that.

This sort of thing would suit our 1998 L-series Freelander. Whilst it is great fun, and we have a 2002 TD4 for longer journies, a few hours on a A-road the other week highlighted that the potential improvement offered would be nice.

... Just need to wait until finances are a bit more stable! Perhaps will buy one for my wife to celebrate our anniversary ...

Cheers

Blippie

willo · May 9, 2006

Applied for a Visa card to be able to pay via Paypal so that I can order a mafam at Ron's. (This in view of being able to put a Pierburg maf when needed instead of the pricy Bosch. Mafam and Pierburg together will cost less than one Bosch maf alone).

ming · May 9, 2006

willo said:
Applied for a Visa card to be able to pay via Paypal so that I can order a mafam at Ron's. (This in view of being able to put a Pierburg maf when needed instead of the pricy Bosch. Mafam and Pierburg together will cost less than one Bosch maf alone).

Let us know how it go's Willo thinking of doing the same. . .

Mafam & TU3 Tuning box - all my fault!

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