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I have been running a JB4 on my 2016 VT DCT for about 2 months and wanted to share some experiences and invite any questions since there seems to be a fair amount of people that ask questions around here and just get responses like "piggybacks suck".
Firstly, let me tell you about myself. I am about 40yo and have been working on cars since I was a kid helping my dad. I have had several cars over several years, from 4cyl Hondas and straight 6s from Datsun and BMW to a couple V8s. One of my biggest projects was a 1965 GMC that I bought from someone for $400 with a seized 350ci and TH400 that had sat through a flood. I know a lot about how engines work and what makes them work better, and what makes them break. I have never blown an engine. I did ruin a Honda engine once a long time ago by mistakingly loosening the timing belt tensioner bolt when trying to access something else and crashed the pistons into the valves. I am also a software engineer by trade, so I know a lot about programming and can often convey this knowledge to a great understanding of the computer systems that control modern cars.
I have been a fan of BMW for a long time and have been observing Burger Motorsports for more than a decade (Burger Motorsports' origin was strictly BMW). I have also been an advocate against piggyback tuners for a long time. The origin of piggyback tuners, to my knowledge, was mostly tuners that would do things like apply more voltage to fuel lines almost arbitrarily or modify things like intake temp to cause the ECU to enrich the fuel mixture because it would think the air was cooler/denser. Since I grew up in California, which has some of the most strict SMOG laws, I frequently saw people use piggyback tuners or other removable power-adders because they would have to pass SMOG a year later. Burger Motorsports has always been more advanced than that and I was very pleased to find out that they have a tuner for the Veloster. I have had my Veloster since 2019. I bought it with 24K miles on it and I am over 60K on it now thanks to my old commute that was about 85 miles each way. Now that I do not have to make that commute every day, I decided to get a JB4 and start tinkering with it. I was making quite a bit of additional power before the JB4 with a custom intake, better plugs, and running E15, aka "Unleaded 88". My exhaust is stock, and I actually like it that way because all of my sound comes from intake and engine noise and it sounds bone stock when I am not mashing the pedal (even with the tune). I have also done some mods to alter the airflow for air coming through the grille for cooling and the air intake. Some mods have been done to reduce weight, and I also learned that the Tech Package VT has a bit lower of a final drive gear ratio which really helps with acceleration. On a cool morning last year I could regularly do 0-60 in the 5.5-6 second range.
If you aren't already aware, one of the best features about the JB4 is that it communicates with both the CAN bus and the OBD-II port. This allows it to watch damn near every sensor and reading in your car to help it make power reliably. If someone knows of a single VT that has blown an engine or had any other mechanical failure with a JB4, I would love to learn more about it. I cannot recall how many posts and comments I have seen about people with ECU tunes on their second or third engine and/or chasing down problems with heat or other performance problems, often because they get their car tuned and get sent on their way and then perhaps start changing stuff like neglecting oil changes, running lower octane to save a few bucks at the gas pump, etc. Sometimes they try to make even more power and probably should have the tune reviewed. Sometimes they just found some dude on craigs**** or FB with a USB dongle that thinks he knows what he is doing. I am not saying that a JB4 is foolproof, I am just stating that it is certainly not inherently foolish.
With my JB4, I have spent quite a bit of time trying out a few of the maps. A couple aren't applicable to me. Yesterday was a slick, rainy day here, so I did all my driving with Map 4 (Valet mode) and I really appreciated how well-behaved the car was. Today it's nice and sunny so I switched back to Map 5 for a little more fun. I am running an ethanol/octane blend (around 30%) that works well with Map 5 and boosts as high as 25psi (the boost limit is set to 24psi and there is a slight continued increase in boost as it reacts to hitting the limit). If you are curious, I am still running the stock BOV/recirc valve and NOT venting to atmosphere. I am starting to research customizing and running Map 6 because that has some nice features like detuning when the transmission is being shifted automatically. Future plans include the pedal remap add-on for the JB4 and a new BOV/recirc valve. I am also looking into a wheel and tire package to get some wider tires for more traction. I live north of Tampa, FL and am looking for a dyno to see what my numbers are since all I have right now is stats from apps.
Firstly, let me tell you about myself. I am about 40yo and have been working on cars since I was a kid helping my dad. I have had several cars over several years, from 4cyl Hondas and straight 6s from Datsun and BMW to a couple V8s. One of my biggest projects was a 1965 GMC that I bought from someone for $400 with a seized 350ci and TH400 that had sat through a flood. I know a lot about how engines work and what makes them work better, and what makes them break. I have never blown an engine. I did ruin a Honda engine once a long time ago by mistakingly loosening the timing belt tensioner bolt when trying to access something else and crashed the pistons into the valves. I am also a software engineer by trade, so I know a lot about programming and can often convey this knowledge to a great understanding of the computer systems that control modern cars.
I have been a fan of BMW for a long time and have been observing Burger Motorsports for more than a decade (Burger Motorsports' origin was strictly BMW). I have also been an advocate against piggyback tuners for a long time. The origin of piggyback tuners, to my knowledge, was mostly tuners that would do things like apply more voltage to fuel lines almost arbitrarily or modify things like intake temp to cause the ECU to enrich the fuel mixture because it would think the air was cooler/denser. Since I grew up in California, which has some of the most strict SMOG laws, I frequently saw people use piggyback tuners or other removable power-adders because they would have to pass SMOG a year later. Burger Motorsports has always been more advanced than that and I was very pleased to find out that they have a tuner for the Veloster. I have had my Veloster since 2019. I bought it with 24K miles on it and I am over 60K on it now thanks to my old commute that was about 85 miles each way. Now that I do not have to make that commute every day, I decided to get a JB4 and start tinkering with it. I was making quite a bit of additional power before the JB4 with a custom intake, better plugs, and running E15, aka "Unleaded 88". My exhaust is stock, and I actually like it that way because all of my sound comes from intake and engine noise and it sounds bone stock when I am not mashing the pedal (even with the tune). I have also done some mods to alter the airflow for air coming through the grille for cooling and the air intake. Some mods have been done to reduce weight, and I also learned that the Tech Package VT has a bit lower of a final drive gear ratio which really helps with acceleration. On a cool morning last year I could regularly do 0-60 in the 5.5-6 second range.
If you aren't already aware, one of the best features about the JB4 is that it communicates with both the CAN bus and the OBD-II port. This allows it to watch damn near every sensor and reading in your car to help it make power reliably. If someone knows of a single VT that has blown an engine or had any other mechanical failure with a JB4, I would love to learn more about it. I cannot recall how many posts and comments I have seen about people with ECU tunes on their second or third engine and/or chasing down problems with heat or other performance problems, often because they get their car tuned and get sent on their way and then perhaps start changing stuff like neglecting oil changes, running lower octane to save a few bucks at the gas pump, etc. Sometimes they try to make even more power and probably should have the tune reviewed. Sometimes they just found some dude on craigs**** or FB with a USB dongle that thinks he knows what he is doing. I am not saying that a JB4 is foolproof, I am just stating that it is certainly not inherently foolish.
With my JB4, I have spent quite a bit of time trying out a few of the maps. A couple aren't applicable to me. Yesterday was a slick, rainy day here, so I did all my driving with Map 4 (Valet mode) and I really appreciated how well-behaved the car was. Today it's nice and sunny so I switched back to Map 5 for a little more fun. I am running an ethanol/octane blend (around 30%) that works well with Map 5 and boosts as high as 25psi (the boost limit is set to 24psi and there is a slight continued increase in boost as it reacts to hitting the limit). If you are curious, I am still running the stock BOV/recirc valve and NOT venting to atmosphere. I am starting to research customizing and running Map 6 because that has some nice features like detuning when the transmission is being shifted automatically. Future plans include the pedal remap add-on for the JB4 and a new BOV/recirc valve. I am also looking into a wheel and tire package to get some wider tires for more traction. I live north of Tampa, FL and am looking for a dyno to see what my numbers are since all I have right now is stats from apps.
