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Is Dinan worth it?

5K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  PDACPA 
#1 ·
Own a 2004 325i i know the whole thing with dinan not voiding ur warranty but is it really worth it? our should i just wait till warranty is over? also resale.. lets say i go to sell this thing does dinan hurt resale? 500+$ for a cold air intake is NUTS but i dont wanna give up my warranty. let me know thanx
 
#2 ·
i dont know much about DINAN and their products, but if i were you i would never give up my warranty, your warranty is your friend, you never know what can happen with new cars. and with bmws, thats some serious dough you'll be giving up along with your warranty
 
#3 ·
I agree with TMac325is - $ 500.00+ may seem like a lot for the cold air intake but the money you would save by going non-Dinan - and therefore voiding your warranty - is chump change compared to something major going out on your car and you having to pay for it yourself due to the warranty no longer being valid.
 
#4 ·
I have a 2003 325xi and this was one the decisions that i had to make as well. I wanted to add some performance to my car without sacraficing my warranty. I chose to spend the extra money and keep my warranty because who knows what can go wrong in the next four years. Also you can get the non carbon fiber intake for less than $500 so you might want to check into that as well, and just out of curiousity what did you want to add to your new car?
 
#5 ·
computer upgrade, transmission upgrade, cold air, exhaust, throtle body. thats about it.. i know what i should do jsut dont wanna fork out the dough for it.
 
#6 ·
computer upgrade, transmission upgrade, cold air, exhaust, throtle body. thats about it.. i know what i should do jsut dont wanna fork out the dough for it.
 
#7 ·
are you thinking about doing this all in one shot by getting one of the packages that dinan offers or is this a mod here and there type thing? In the end its all up to you and if you wanna pay the money or wait it out.
 
#8 ·
their packages are to expensive mainly cause they are figuring things like floor mats and sutff like taht.. i more than likely would just order the parts have them shipped to my dealership and have them put them on. all at one time btw
 
#9 ·
My friend told me about the Dinan performance chip for my 2004 325ci saying how its only a few hundred and it doesn't void the warranty and he claimed it adds around 50hp. Is all this true? if so does anyone know where i can purchase one and where i would have to go to have it installed once i have purchased it? thanx


-Jay
 
#10 ·
J325ci04, the only way you will get 50hp more out of your car is nitrous or a supercharger. The chip will give you between 5-8hp at the rear wheel. I have a 325i and I've explored almost every performance option. This motor is difficult to extract more hp out of without spending lots of money. This has been confirmed by Dinan, Bavarian, and Racing Dynamics. As for the warranty, the only way a mod will void your warranty is if the mfg/dealer can prove the mod caused the problem. This is a federal law.
 
#11 ·
Some BMW Centers are certified DINAN dealers and have Dinan trained technitians on hand, where as you don't keep your exact showroom floor warrenty, you are going to be offered an extended dinan warrenty. Dinan is good, but the price may leave a sour after taste. If you want performance modification AND warrenty find out which Center near you is DINAN certified and they should be able to answer any other questions you may have
 
#13 ·
I decided to with Dinan on my 323 because of the warranty issues. I got the aluminum cold air intake and the computer software upgrade for around $1200. Ouch! There is a considerable service charge for removing the front bumper to install the intake. You could save a few bucks if you did that youself. There is definate performance increase and a great sound in the 4500+ rpm range @WOT. They claim about 16hp. Check out the Dinan website-use the keyword Dinan when you search.
 
#15 ·
dinan has no supercharger for 330.

as an aside: it is true that the manufacturer has to prove that the damage was caused by the mod. so what happens is that the manufacturer refuses warranty rights to you in all cases but dinan.

you gonna take them to court??? even if you win, that move will costs you enough to buy a new 745.....
 
#17 ·
Hey guys. New to this Forum, regular on Pelican, E46fan, and a few others. I have an 02 330Ci. I went strictly with the Dinan performance upgrades as I bought my car from a dealer with a CPO and full maintenance. I wanted no hassle in proving my aftermarket modification did not cause the fault (uphill battle that will cost more in time, court/attorney fees (if you go that route) and just plain aggravation.

Dinan offers a warranty that runs parallel to the BMW factory warranty (which is 4 yr 50k miles and if your a CPO, then the CPO kicks in after the factory runs out for another 2 yrs or 100k miles). It does not replace, it just kicks in if their part caused a failure. Think of it as a second warranty. If your BMW dealer is not a BMW dealer, I am sure you will have to go to the Dinan dealer for any failures as the non Dinan BMW dealer will try and say the parts voided your warranty.

If your BMW dealer is also an authorized Dinan dealer, they will get the parts and do the installs for you. I always get a loaner for any Dinan stuff being installed or coordinate it with some service. Can you imagine the dealer that I bought and had install the parts try and claim my Dinan stuff caused any problem! Not. But bottom line is that you end up with upgrades and warranty.

As for all the claims of Dinan being expensive, yes its a bit more expensive, but not in all areas. A Gruppe M intake (which many like for E46's) is about $349 and I think the Dinan is $399. Shark software is about $349 and the Dinan is $399 for Stage 1. If you move up to Stage 2 (have to have the intake) they just charge you $100 more.

I have installed, so I am speaking from experience, Dinan Stage III software, Dinan Cold Air Intake (Carbon Fiber, found a tube for sale), Dinan Engine covers (both of them), Dinan Throttle Body, Dinan Front Strut, Dinan Rear Shock Tower, and the Dinan Automatic Transmission software. There is a big difference in my car compared to it when it was stock. Much more responsive, feels much quicker, stays in gear in manual mode of my steptronic so I control the shifting, higher redline etc.

I recommend the Dinan products, especially with the warranty issue, and they are well tested and work well. They may not push the envelope to the max, but they are a good combination of upgrade and preservation of all that makes your car a BMW.

If my car was not under warranty, I would probably shop around mix and match Dinan and non Dinan products and find some products that were maybe less expensive, but well tested (Gruppe M, Shark, different exhaust, suspension) only because I was not worried about my warranty being voided and I could save some money.

As for resale, I saw a 540 and a Dinan 540 onsale at my BMW Dinan dealer in the used car department. There was a premium for the Dinan and the cars were virtually identical other than for the Dinan products. People will say on the trade in the dealer gives you nothing (yet sells them for more), but that all depends on your negotiation skills and research. You have a car that has more value than your car that is not. Especially if they did all the installs.

Good Luck. :driving
 
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