[Bengt18T]

This thread is a bit long so I've given it labels in Bold if you want to skip ahead to any particular section. I have no connection with Bootmod3 or Protuning Freaks. This is just my honest review based on a day of a fair amount of driving on it. If anything changes I'll update accordingly.

The Car:
2019 BMW X3 xdrive 30i
Pyhtonic Blue with Cognac Interior
Fairly well optioned, however not fully loaded
Only real mods: 50% tint on front 2 windows and some storage trays
Current Tune: Bootmod3 OTS 91 oct

Intro:
While I'm somewhat younger than many on here I'm old enough to be part of different car forum entities in the late 90's and early 2000's when most forums were just beginning. Back then it was almost entirely about sharing knowledge, discussing mods, sharing ideas, problem shooting, how to's, and plan on connecting with others that enjoyed the same passion. All of these things are prevalent today, however I've come to see a huge amount of trolling, arguing about pointless topics, and just plain old BS.

Background:
I've had a bit of everything from turbo diesel trucks, a Caddy, a few Toyota trucks and SUVs, but I really came up on imports, specifically VW's. I've had tuned VW TDI's, 1.8T's, 2.0T, and pretty much every generation until recently, so tuning turbo cars is not new to me. This is actually my second BMW. First was a 1997 BMW 528i.

Goals:
I've learned a tremendous amount from others in forums over the last 20 years, but typically don't post much on any of them. I want to give a full in depth review of something I haven't seen a lot of. Most here know of Bootmod3 but then again most here are enthusiasts, and most enthusiasts have a M40i or higher. I want to give my opinion on Bootmod3 on a G01 30i. Not a lot of tuners even have tunes for the car, so a real life opinion on one I'm sure will be refreshing for anyone thinking about it.

Why I didn't get a M40i?:
This is the real question, right? If I like power, why didn't I get an M40i? The simple answer is cost. When I got the car last year a like optioned M40i was about $8,000-$10,000 more than this car. I would personally classify the 30i as a "quick" car whereas the M40i is a "fast" car. As much as I like power and fast vehicles, the performance difference wasn't enough to justify the added cost, TO ME. Everyone is different. For me, the 30i was a great balance of all around luxury, performance, cost, insurance rates, and practicality. I bought knowing I'd probably mod it in the future, but when and to what extent was unknown.

So on to Bootmod3, right? Well, not quite yet.

Stock Driving:
What was the stock power like you say? In my opinion I'd say adequate or a bit more than adequate. The 30i power train is one of the smoothest 4 cylinder turbos around and I thoroughly enjoy driving it, even at stock power. It balances nicely with the cars stock suspension and transmission. I only have a few gripes. One would be the standard steering feel in comfort mode. It's a bit dead at center and wanders slightly on the highway. I do appreciate how light it is for slow maneuvers though. This is easily corrected in sport mode though.
It's then tight and crisp and I can put the car exactly where I want it. The second thing is the delay in the gas pedal from when your foot goes down until the car goes. I HATED this at first. It was a bit of adjustment to get used to from other vehicles, but now I understand it's there, and while I still don't enjoy the throttle delay, I anticipate it and live with it.

Previous Power Mods:
So last fall the itch for more power got a hold of me. I wanted a bit more power for a reasonable amount of money. After some research I decided on a JB+ from Burger, which I left on the stock setting. I have to say the JB+ is a good product, especially considering it is a few minute install, produces nice power gains, and only costs $200. Please understand this is not a JB4 and that's why I liked it. For the low cost and the simplicity. And that's what it gave me. A good power bump in both comfort and sports modes.

There was one thing that I don't like about the JB+ and that is how smooth it is. When it was first installed I immediately noticed a bump in power but also noticed a "surge" type feeling during partial throttle. Under full throttle, it made great power and wasn't noticeable, but under partial throttle, where I spend a lot of my time, it was definitely there. This feel smoothed out some as the car adapted a bit, however only ever went about halfway away. It was more pronounced in sport. It almost sounded/felt like the car would overboost/surge, then cut back, then do it again. Someone else on here described it best when they said it felt like "steps" in the throttle/boost. You'd push the pedal down, get power, then the further you push it, not much until the next step, and that felt like a surge, over and over. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, or hell, I may have had a defective unit, but to me it was a characteristic that I didn't care for.

This led me to search for other solutions which brought me back to Bootmod3.

Bootmod3 Install:
So Bootmod3, huh? If you made it through everything above, congratulations.

I decided a few months ago to get Bootmod3 but was going to wait until after winter. Why? Who knows. Maybe delayed gratification. So not long before we went into lock down here in PA I ordered the cables from Amazon. An OBD II to Enet cable and Enet to USB adapter. After much understandable delay the cables came yesterday. I had already downloaded the agent, created an account, and just needed the cables to rock n roll. I'm not going to go through the process, but I started everything at 5:00 pm and had everything downloaded, unlocked, some adjustments, flashed, and put away by 5:25 pm. The actual unlocking and flashing part only took 3-4 minutes, MAYBE 5 mins max. I did end up with a CEL about shift leverl something or other, but when I looked I had the laptop pressing up against the lever and most likely the button, which is probably what caused it. Very easy to read and clear the code and everything was back to normal. Very quick, very clear user interface, and all around I'm extremely happy with the ease of install.

Bootmod3 Power & Delivery:
All I can say is WOW! Like seriously, WOW!! I chose the OTS 91 oct map. We do have 93 oct readily available here in PA, however some stations carry only 91 or 92 oct as the highest. I debated on the 93 oct tune, however decided on 91 because the power difference between the 2 wasn't a lot, and 91 is available everywhere I'll go including occasional trips to locations without 93.

I fully expected the tune to be smooth, which it is. To me, it feels just as smooth in power delivery as the stock tune... just a lot more power. And that is what actually surprised me the most. A LOT more power. I expected there to be a bit more power than the JB+ and smooth. What I got was probably a bit more hp than the JB+ but a lot more torque. You can definitely feel it. Up top, down low, through the middle, it's there throughout. Personally, I don't know how accurate the hp and ft-lbs is on the sports displays, but with the JB+ it was maxing out at 285-290ish hp and 290-300ish ft-lbs. Now I can easily peg the ft-lbs at 320 without effort and even max out the hp at 320 as well. Honestly, I don't care if the numbers are right or not, because I thoroughly enjoy the way the car drives now.

Conclusion:
At this point I am 100% satisfied with Bootmod3 on the 30i. I have absolutely no problem recommending this to anyone. I'm going to watch to see if the car adapts some, and if so, if anything changes. I don't really have a handle on the burble or customization settings at the moment, but that's for future fun.

If you are on the fence about this tune, don't be. It is nothing short of fantastic so far. If anything changes I'll be sure to update the post.

I'm also here if anyone has any comments, questions, or concerns. I'm definitely no expert on anything, but am willing to share anything I know. Now I can't wait to make excuses up to get back in the car and drive!

[Fronttwelv]

Would you say it's similar to going APR stage 1 on a 2.0t??

Do you have plans for a down pipe or going stage 2?

[Bengt18T]

Quality of smoothness and power delivery, I'd say it's right up there with APR. And IMO APR is one of the best VAG tuners out there. Power wise I'd say about a bit better. It's hard though comparing 2 diff cars, manufacturers, and drivetrains. The X3 is more fun to drive to me.

No plans to go stage 2. I'm good for the time being. Next is summer wheels and tires, audio, and then we'll see.

[Prepay16]

How is the mpg before and after? I have the same car and thinking about this. Is bootmod easy to revert in case the car needs to be taken to the dealer? Thanks!

[Bengt18T]

Haven't driven enough to give you detailed mpg feedback yet... but I will. Still on the first tank. I've been getting into it a good bit to feel the power I paid for. So far it seems about the same though if not slightly down due to the added "fun". If it's like any of my previous tunes on VW's it should be about the same, which I anticipate.

The Bootmod3 interface is really user friendly and easy to flash. I haven't gone back to stock but if you have a laptop and internet connection you can revert back to the stock tune in minutes. That's how quick it is. It took like 5 minutes max to unlock the DME and flash the first time. After the unlock it's like a minute or 2. Awesome product! I remember when we used to have to remove the ECU from the car, desolder the mapping chip, and resolder the new tuned chip on, and reinstall. Now that was a PITA, but even then on the old VW 1.8t still worth it

[Rhidium]

Nice review.. You have the same exact X3, down to the colors.

Question about the acceleration delay. I hate it, hate it, hate it.. Did the bootmod3 fix it?

[Bengt18T]

It did help some with the throttle delay. But it is def still there some as well. I hate it as well but I've gotten used to it and it's livable now

[Alias1431]

Originally Posted by Bengt18T

It did help some with the throttle delay. But it is def still there some as well. I hate it as well but I've gotten used to it and it's livable now

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being insane turbo lag, 1 being a great naturally aspirated engine, and 5 being a turbo engine where you wouldn't really notice turbo lag unless you were on the lookout for it... I'd give the M40i about a 7.5 when the transmission isn't in sport mode. Maybe 8 on a bad day.

What would you rate it before and after?

[Bengt18T]

Before I'd say 6-7. I think the 30i has less lag than the M40i but that's just me. After I'd say 4-5 if I had to rate it. Still not ideal, but better than stock for sure

[justanotherx3]

I've been looking for an in-depth testimonial like this. I have the same car, down to the model year, exterior and interior color.

Do you have any warning lights or anything finicky happens after flash? My wife will still be driving the car a good bit, and don't want anything too whacky with the driving experience for her. For example, in my old car (a 2011 Mustang GT 5.0) I bought flash tuner and would flash "race" tunes on it. Sig other at the time could barely drive it because the aggressive tune would have the backend slide out on every gear shift at much lower throttle than stock. Can't have that with this (although I'd love it...)

[Destryr08]

Bengt,
Where in Pa you located... I'm in Mechanicsburg and bought my X-3 from Sun Motors.

[Bengt18T]

Nothing out of the ordinary going on. Just more power.

I'm in Chambersburg. I bought the car in Catonsville, MD but have been doing services at Sun.

[Destryr08]

Bengt,
I used to work in Chambersburg, @ Letterkenny... Was the Installation Security Manager from 2015 until late 2017.

[Alex C.]

Originally Posted by Bengt18T

Quality of smoothness and power delivery, I'd say it's right up there with APR. And IMO APR is one of the best VAG tuners out there. Power wise I'd say about a bit better. It's hard though comparing 2 diff cars, manufacturers, and drivetrains. The X3 is more fun to drive to me.

No plans to go stage 2. I'm good for the time being. Next is summer wheels and tires, audio, and then we'll see.

I have a 2019 x3 xdrive 30i in silver. Im planning on switching from my current jb4 to bm3 stage 2. I currently have ER chargepipe and catless downpipe as well as the bms intake and ftp intake pipe. Im located down in Bel Air Md which is fairly close to pa. I also have done an entire audio system on my ride. I have the base hifi and replaced all the speakers with bavsound and added the bimmertech amp along with a custom sub box built for 4 10inch sundown subwoofers. Even with my jb4 tune, throttle delay is awful. May look into the pedal comander or burgertuning version of one. I know this post a a bit jumpy but blame it on quarantine shutdown

[Bengt18T]

I think you're right. I'd say the only way to eliminate or drastically reduce the throttle delay is a pedal tuner.

[LimiX4m40]

Originally Posted by Bengt18T

This thread is a bit long so I've given it labels in Bold if you want to skip ahead to any particular section. I have no connection with Bootmod3 or Protuning Freaks. This is just my honest review based on a day of a fair amount of driving on it. If anything changes I'll update accordingly.

The Car:
2019 BMW X3 xdrive 30i
Pyhtonic Blue with Cognac Interior
Fairly well optioned, however not fully loaded
Only real mods: 50% tint on front 2 windows and some storage trays
Current Tune: Bootmod3 OTS 91 oct

Intro:
While I'm somewhat younger than many on here I'm old enough to be part of different car forum entities in the late 90's and early 2000's when most forums were just beginning. Back then it was almost entirely about sharing knowledge, discussing mods, sharing ideas, problem shooting, how to's, and plan on connecting with others that enjoyed the same passion. All of these things are prevalent today, however I've come to see a huge amount of trolling, arguing about pointless topics, and just plain old BS.

Background:
I've had a bit of everything from turbo diesel trucks, a Caddy, a few Toyota trucks and SUVs, but I really came up on imports, specifically VW's. I've had tuned VW TDI's, 1.8T's, 2.0T, and pretty much every generation until recently, so tuning turbo cars is not new to me. This is actually my second BMW. First was a 1997 BMW 528i.

Goals:
I've learned a tremendous amount from others in forums over the last 20 years, but typically don't post much on any of them. I want to give a full in depth review of something I haven't seen a lot of. Most here know of Bootmod3 but then again most here are enthusiasts, and most enthusiasts have a M40i or higher. I want to give my opinion on Bootmod3 on a G01 30i. Not a lot of tuners even have tunes for the car, so a real life opinion on one I'm sure will be refreshing for anyone thinking about it.

Why I didn't get a M40i?:
This is the real question, right? If I like power, why didn't I get an M40i? The simple answer is cost. When I got the car last year a like optioned M40i was about $8,000-$10,000 more than this car. I would personally classify the 30i as a "quick" car whereas the M40i is a "fast" car. As much as I like power and fast vehicles, the performance difference wasn't enough to justify the added cost, TO ME. Everyone is different. For me, the 30i was a great balance of all around luxury, performance, cost, insurance rates, and practicality. I bought knowing I'd probably mod it in the future, but when and to what extent was unknown.

So on to Bootmod3, right? Well, not quite yet.

Stock Driving:
What was the stock power like you say? In my opinion I'd say adequate or a bit more than adequate. The 30i power train is one of the smoothest 4 cylinder turbos around and I thoroughly enjoy driving it, even at stock power. It balances nicely with the cars stock suspension and transmission. I only have a few gripes. One would be the standard steering feel in comfort mode. It's a bit dead at center and wanders slightly on the highway. I do appreciate how light it is for slow maneuvers though. This is easily corrected in sport mode though.
It's then tight and crisp and I can put the car exactly where I want it. The second thing is the delay in the gas pedal from when your foot goes down until the car goes. I HATED this at first. It was a bit of adjustment to get used to from other vehicles, but now I understand it's there, and while I still don't enjoy the throttle delay, I anticipate it and live with it.

Previous Power Mods:
So last fall the itch for more power got a hold of me. I wanted a bit more power for a reasonable amount of money. After some research I decided on a JB+ from Burger, which I left on the stock setting. I have to say the JB+ is a good product, especially considering it is a few minute install, produces nice power gains, and only costs $200. Please understand this is not a JB4 and that's why I liked it. For the low cost and the simplicity. And that's what it gave me. A good power bump in both comfort and sports modes.

There was one thing that I don't like about the JB+ and that is how smooth it is. When it was first installed I immediately noticed a bump in power but also noticed a "surge" type feeling during partial throttle. Under full throttle, it made great power and wasn't noticeable, but under partial throttle, where I spend a lot of my time, it was definitely there. This feel smoothed out some as the car adapted a bit, however only ever went about halfway away. It was more pronounced in sport. It almost sounded/felt like the car would overboost/surge, then cut back, then do it again. Someone else on here described it best when they said it felt like "steps" in the throttle/boost. You'd push the pedal down, get power, then the further you push it, not much until the next step, and that felt like a surge, over and over. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, or hell, I may have had a defective unit, but to me it was a characteristic that I didn't care for.

This led me to search for other solutions which brought me back to Bootmod3.

Bootmod3 Install:
So Bootmod3, huh? If you made it through everything above, congratulations.

I decided a few months ago to get Bootmod3 but was going to wait until after winter. Why? Who knows. Maybe delayed gratification. So not long before we went into lock down here in PA I ordered the cables from Amazon. An OBD II to Enet cable and Enet to USB adapter. After much understandable delay the cables came yesterday. I had already downloaded the agent, created an account, and just needed the cables to rock n roll. I'm not going to go through the process, but I started everything at 5:00 pm and had everything downloaded, unlocked, some adjustments, flashed, and put away by 5:25 pm. The actual unlocking and flashing part only took 3-4 minutes, MAYBE 5 mins max. I did end up with a CEL about shift leverl something or other, but when I looked I had the laptop pressing up against the lever and most likely the button, which is probably what caused it. Very easy to read and clear the code and everything was back to normal. Very quick, very clear user interface, and all around I'm extremely happy with the ease of install.

Bootmod3 Power & Delivery:
All I can say is WOW! Like seriously, WOW!! I chose the OTS 91 oct map. We do have 93 oct readily available here in PA, however some stations carry only 91 or 92 oct as the highest. I debated on the 93 oct tune, however decided on 91 because the power difference between the 2 wasn't a lot, and 91 is available everywhere I'll go including occasional trips to locations without 93.

I fully expected the tune to be smooth, which it is. To me, it feels just as smooth in power delivery as the stock tune... just a lot more power. And that is what actually surprised me the most. A LOT more power. I expected there to be a bit more power than the JB+ and smooth. What I got was probably a bit more hp than the JB+ but a lot more torque. You can definitely feel it. Up top, down low, through the middle, it's there throughout. Personally, I don't know how accurate the hp and ft-lbs is on the sports displays, but with the JB+ it was maxing out at 285-290ish hp and 290-300ish ft-lbs. Now I can easily peg the ft-lbs at 320 without effort and even max out the hp at 320 as well. Honestly, I don't care if the numbers are right or not, because I thoroughly enjoy the way the car drives now.

Conclusion:
At this point I am 100% satisfied with Bootmod3 on the 30i. I have absolutely no problem recommending this to anyone. I'm going to watch to see if the car adapts some, and if so, if anything changes. I don't really have a handle on the burble or customization settings at the moment, but that's for future fun.

If you are on the fence about this tune, don't be. It is nothing short of fantastic so far. If anything changes I'll be sure to update the post.

I'm also here if anyone has any comments, questions, or concerns. I'm definitely no expert on anything, but am willing to share anything I know. Now I can't wait to make excuses up to get back in the car and drive!

Can you install it via bluethoot obd connector or do you need connection cables?

Want to di it this weekend

[Bengt18T]

Bootmod3 offers a "wi-fi agent" for an additional fee, but I believe it's different from the Bluetooth readers. I used a cable and adapter I got from amazon for $38 . The worst part was actually waiting for the package to arrive.

[LimiX4m40]

Originally Posted by Bengt18T

Bootmod3 offers a "wi-fi agent" for an additional fee, but I believe it's different from the Bluetooth readers. I used a cable and adapter I got from amazon for $38 . The worst part was actually waiting for the package to arrive.

Ok thanks will look how i will make it

[lefthander]

How many psi does the OTS map has?

[Bengt18T]

I personally have no idea. Maybe someone else or Protuning Freaks can help out with that one.

[LimiX4m40]

I have a question, there is writen that this obd to enet cable is just for f series, bit the obd port is the same or not? (On g series)

[VipinLJ]

Originally Posted by LimiX4m40

I have a question, there is writen that this obd to enet cable is just for f series, bit the obd port is the same or not? (On g series)

It’s the same. I used a similar enet cable on my G20. The port is the exact same as the F series.