VF Hex Tuning Stage 1

[jdOTM4]

Hi Guys,

I'm thinking about getting the VF Hex Tuning Stage 1 for my DCT M4 for my birthday coming up and I just had some questions about it for those who have the tune.

I was wondering for those who have the tune how do you like it? Do you have any problems daily driving it? and if the TCU upgrade is necessary?

Would love to hear your guys's feedback as I know there are many tunes on the market but, the VF Stage 1 just looks so appealing.

[VF-Engineering]

Originally Posted by jdOTM4

Hi Guys,


Would love to hear your guys's feedback as I know there are many tunes on the market but, the VF Stage 1 just looks so appealing.

Thank you for the interest,...and appealing for very good reason!


The allure of lesser expensive options, even with customizable
features/functionality, is not always a benefit.

We have always felt that there is high value in a fully validated
product, specifically for discerning owners who simply want to
get out and drive!

Our dyno plots on standard pump full (tested and validated on
91 Octane) are proven to be some of most consistent and
repeatable results you will find.

[Bmwlmr99]

I have a VF TUNE....64.000 miles , no issuses....not a check engine , drive train error....no problems , stage 2 dp, mpe exh....awesome power and reliability

[BayAreaF80]

I'm currently running Hex Stage 2 and love it! It has been reliable since day one and blows the doors off of damn near anything I run with. Buy with confidence. VF and their customer service is great!

[jdOTM4]

Originally Posted by BayAreaF80

I'm currently running Hex Stage 2 and love it! It has been reliable since day one and blows the doors off of damn near anything I run with. Buy with confidence. VF and their customer service is great!

That's awesome to hear, do you DD your car? If so, are you on DCT or 6speed? I'm just curious to the effects of the tune on efficient mode (since thats what I mainly drive on since I commute a lot).

[ruley74]

I ran the VF tune as a daily for about 12 months. During that 12 months I was in constant communication with both the Australian distributor and VF via this forum to try and work through what I seen as issues with the tune. I ended up switching as I could not put up with it any longer, my second tune proved you can have a tune without the issues.

I thing I will give the VF tune, the stage 1 tune is powerful no question, but that's worthless without drivability which is the tunes Achilles heel.


Oh, and their version of cold start removal is the best by far, still has a slightly raised idle cold like a mild auto choke.

[KRUZNM3]

Do not waste your time and money with VF. Garbage ass tune. Once installed, your car will be extremely jerky. You'll never be able to drive in Sport Plus. Your car will jump forward itself. I had the tune for a little over a year and hated my car. The best decision I made was to remove that POS tune. I have over 20 emails with them in regards to this issue. Their solution, send some BS ass file and tell me to reset my adaptations. It won't fix their tune because its just a garbage tune.

I recently switched to BM3 after driving 2 other F8X with the BM3 tune. I won't name which vendor I worked with since I don't want VF thinking this is some marketing crap, but my car is smooth with no jerks or hesitations.

Save your money and don't buy a wack product like VF's.

[VF-Engineering]

The drivability issues discussed above as "jerkiness" / "bucking" is
a known issue,... not only on some aftermarket tunes from various
tuners (not solely related to VF / HEX),... but also well documented
on completely stock GTS and Comp. models.

Our initial explanation, which we still stand firmly behind, is that
Sport+ was NOT intended to be used for city / stoplight-to-stoplight
type driving, and should be reserved for for WOT (wide open throttle)
and spirited highway use.



NOTE: There is absolutely no power difference between the various
Efficient - Sport - Sport+ modes, which means that it is no longer
necessary to drive in Sport+ for the car to feel more exciting and
lively after it has been tuned.


All that being said, the way that various other tuners resolve this
issue is by applying the throttle tables from Efficient or Sport mode
to Sport +, which in turn "dumbs down" the throttle and eliminates
the benefit of having multiple drive modes in the first place.

We also offer this strategy by request, but as we've stated above,
prefer to leave all three drive modes functional as BMW's own
engineers intended,... and allows the driver to choose their
preferred mode for each intended use.

Once tuned, drivers who originally used Sport + mode regularly, no
longer feel the need to use it as often as the extra power from the
tune is soo much more prevalent in all modes!

[VF-Engineering]

Here is a link to a discussion (with video content) on the same
topic from last year;

"Throttle Sensitivity on GTS and CS models" ← (click link to jump)



Adaptation will resolve this issue more than 9 out of 10 times, but
in those rare circumstances where it is not easily resolved, we'd be
happy to provide the alternative 'Tuned' file with the modified drive
modes.



Keep in mind that we have been tuning the F8X M3/M4 since 2015, and
the only rare complaint we have received is in regards to a known issue
related to throttle sensitivity.

The general consensus has been almost entirely positive, which is almost
unheard of in the tuning world, especially with such a high volume product
and the wide range of customer types/usage/combination of modifications/
and various vehicle conditions.

[jvfc2332]

Originally Posted by VF-Engineering

[COLOR="Blue"]

Here is a link to a discussion (with video content) on the same
topic from last year; [/COLOR]

[COLOR="Red"]"Throttle Sensitivity on GTS and CS models"[/COLOR][COLOR="Black"] [SIZE="6"]←[/SIZE] [SIZE="2"](click link to jump) [/SIZE]



[COLOR="Blue"]Adaptation will resolve this issue more than 9 out of 10 times, but
in those rare circumstances where it is not easily resolved, we'd be
happy to provide the alternative 'Tuned' file with the modified drive
modes.



Keep in mind that we have been tuning the F8X M3/M4 since 2015, and
the only rare complaint we have received is in regards to a known issue
related to throttle sensitivity.

The general consensus has been almost entirely positive, which is almost
unheard of in the tuning world, especially with such a high volume product
and the wide range of customer types/usage/combination of modifications/
and various vehicle conditions.


[/COLOR]


[/COLOR]

I have had the tune for a year and a half. No issues whatsoever. The throttle isn't an issue once you get used to modulating it with your foot. I have found it easy to do. I commute in rush hour traffic in sport with 2 bars showing on the DCT.

[Mandi90TT]

Huh, interesting. Most of the posts that are negative about the VF tune have been removed. Why am I not surprised?

[VF-Engineering]

Originally Posted by Dave 90TT

Huh, interesting. Most of the posts that are negative about the VF tune have been removed. Why am I not surprised?

(3) posts were deleted ...

The (2) by other vendors soliciting for another brand, and
our (1) reply pointing out that it was against forum rules.


All reviews, good or bad, are still present which maintain the
context and integrity of the thread. That's good moderating
across the board, and something we always advocate for!


(edit)
Looking back at some screen shots, there was a (4th) post
removed by the same vendor that simply offered no value
to the conversation = same end result!

[Mandi90TT]

Originally Posted by VF-Engineering

(3) posts were deleted ...

The (2) by other vendors soliciting for another brand, and
our (1) reply pointing out that it was against forum rules.


All reviews, good or bad, are still present which maintain the
context and integrity of the thread. That's good moderating
across the board, and something we always advocate for!

False. You are either misinformed, or flat out lying. There were significantly more than 3 posts deleted, including, specifically, a search link for VF tune reviews, which brought up the significant amount of bad reviews.

For the OP, I suggest you do some searching on the forum, and off of it, for reviews on VF tunes. You will find a good number which may help you decide which way to go.

[VF-Engineering]

Originally Posted by Dave 90TT

False. You are either misinformed, or flat out lying. There were significantly more than 3 posts deleted, including, specifically, a search link for VF tune reviews, which brought up the significant amount of bad reviews.

For the OP, I suggest you do some searching on the forum, and off of it, for reviews on VF tunes.

I don't recall seeing a post with a search link; and our apologies
if that was missed; but that is great advice nonetheless.


NOTE: Be sure to read thoroughly as we always do our best to reply
in detail with pertinent information that helps create context, and
shows the level of pre-sale / post-sale / and general customer
service that we strive for.

Originally Posted by Dave 90TT

You will find a good number which may help you decide which way to go.

We are also happy to address any potential negative review(s) that
you feel are relevant, since you seem to feel that there are some
out there that warrant further scrutiny.

[FriedPiston]

Originally Posted by Dave 90TT

False. You are either misinformed, or flat out lying. There were significantly more than 3 posts deleted, including, specifically, a search link for VF tune reviews, which brought up the significant amount of bad reviews.

Originally Posted by VF-Engineering

I don't recall seeing a post with a search link; and our apologies
if that was missed; but that is great advice nonetheless.

It was my post. Apologies accepted. Fortunately, I have good memory, and can type 93wpm with 98% accuracy, so here it is again:

Welcome to Bimmerpost, OP! You must've been lurking for a bit since you already have an idea of which tune you're interested in getting for your birthday. This also means that you know how to use the [Search] function at the very least. There are tons of information on just about any major tune available for this platform, including VF-E's Hex tune.

Here's a quick search example for reference: https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/go...php?q=VF%20Hex

Best of luck with your tuning endeavor!