DASC driving experience

[318ti_Portugal]

Hello...

How are you doing?
Can someone with a dasc please post their driving experience?
I've search the forum and found lots of things about the dasc, performance, upgrade stages, etc... But I found nothing on what I'm trying to know.
How is it to drive a ti with a dasc?
Does the dasc change the engine character? Or is the engine still a BMW engine, but with more punch? When you installed the dasc, how do you describe the first time you went for a drive?
Does the car lose it's NA feel too much? How is throttle response? Still NA? Or does it have lag like a turbo car? Does the car still rev happily to the red line?

I'm sorry for all this questions, but from what I read, the dasc is starting to appeal to me, but I really want to understand the driving feeling of the car, rather than just the raw performance numbers. :)

Thanks!

regards!

[DustenT]

Here is a video I made last summer, it kinda gives you an idea of what it's like. You see the engine revs much faster and it makes a cool sound. :)

http://180customs.net/video/DASC-Video.wmv

[cali-ti]

having driven dusten's DASC'd ti, i would say it's the same feel/response as before, just more power. there's no lag like a turbo and throttle response is the same, but with a lot more power with the same amount of throttle as you used before.

[moku]

Overall driving experience is much better. The throttle response is a little snappier, and it pulls a lot quicker when you need it. At high speeds, it still feels like it has more to give at the touch of the gas.

And there's no lag... that's a turbo related issue. Superchargers are driven by a belt, so it doesn't have turbo-lag. The power is there when you need it.

I enjoy driving my car much more than I did before. I love the whirling sound of the supercharger and the slight whistle that it emits during acceleration. In my opinion, this is the way the car should have originally come.

[Calgary98TI]

How much does the DASC affect your gas mileage?

[moku]

How much does the DASC affect your gas mileage?
Doesn't really affect it much at all. I'm still getting about an average of 26-28 miles/gallon. However, if you're not already using 91+ octane, you'll need to after installing the DASC. So, your fuel costs may go up.

[96 3 1 8 ti]

correct me if I am wrong, but is the DASC carb legal in CA? Thanks!

[HuGo]

correct me if I am wrong, but is the DASC carb legal in CA? Thanks!

i hear it is. Man, is it cuz i drive in streets and freeway a lot cuz i feel like i only get 20 mpg. If lucky a lil more. But i did drive 1hr 30 mins straight no stopping and i got about 30mpg.

[cali-ti]

from their website. i'm guessing that they got it certified, but if you want to confirm, give them a call:

Some final notes: The DowningAtlanta 1.8/1.9 liter BMW supercharger kit is undergoing certification to be 50 state legal by the EPA and California Air Resources Board.

www.downingatlanta.com

[andy]

Last I heard, it was CARB legal (as per their ads in Roundel, Bimmer, etc) but doesn't hurt to check. It sounds a lot like a Mini Cooper S; probably just more torquey. If I had a street 318ti, I'd definitely go with one.

[slacker]

When you receive the kit, you also receive a California Air Resources Board legal decal that mounts in the engine bay.
This is not a cheap item, nor is it a 6 hour install as Downing says, but once in, you would NEVER go back! You will LOVE the car and the change it makes. You will also be able to take long freeway trips with no loss in gas mileage.
Drivability is as the others have described. Slight change in sound and because you also get a K&N CAI, you have more intake sound. Check the posts, do all the replacements of cam sensor, plastic cooling fittings, and starter BEFORE you get this in if yours is older and high mileage.
Gary

[DustenT]

When you receive the kit, you also receive a California Air Resources Board legal decal that mounts in the engine bay.
This is not a cheap item, nor is it a 6 hour install as Downing says, but once in, you would NEVER go back! You will LOVE the car and the change it makes. You will also be able to take long freeway trips with no loss in gas mileage.
Drivability is as the others have described. Slight change in sound and because you also get a K&N CAI, you have more intake sound. Check the posts, do all the replacements of cam sensor, plastic cooling fittings, and starter BEFORE you get this in if yours is older and high mileage.
Gary


Note: Your "reported" MPG via the OBC will be artificially high. This is do to the over utilization of the factory injectors (raised fuel pressure). To find the actual MPG, multiply your displayed (OBC) MPG by 0.75; I get 25.5 MPG on the highway and about 20 MPG in the city. I drive hard.

[kelso]

im not gonna lie. that video made the charger seem weak. have never felt a charger on a ti but mine has a TMS chip and its decent. were you taking it really easy or is just not a massive power gain? i guess my expectations were a bit high:cool:

[96 3 1 8 ti]

I'm sure it would be a different story if on a track.. you can't push it around residential areas:biggrin:

[DustenT]

im not gonna lie. that video made the charger seem weak. have never felt a charger on a ti but mine has a TMS chip and its decent. were you taking it really easy or is just not a massive power gain? i guess my expectations were a bit high:cool:

Stick with TMS chip, it probably adds way more than forced induction. I made the video to show what it SOUNDED like (as the title clearly states). I'm sorry you didn't like it. Next time I'll try to be more extreme for you.

[kelso]

whoa whoa dude you totally took that the wrong way.i meant that mine with just a chip seems nearly as fast just from watching the video. i know a 10 horsepower chip isnt going to do as much as a charger, i just thought that after spending thousands of dollars, it would be a pretty wickid car. i couldnt tell if you were pushing it or not, but i just had to assume you were since you made a video and all.that being said, it didnt seem all that fast in the video. like i said, ive never even seen a supercharger on a ti or rode in one but ive been in many other cars that got forced induction and i always saw huge gains. im talking about a turbo cavalier, supercharged jetta, a few corrado's and countless others. i honestly wasnt saying that the chip is better but just that i wasnt seeing the big gain i expected. the author of the thread was wanting to see the power of a supercharged ti, was he not? im still wondering though, were you pushing it hard at all?

[moku]

im not gonna lie. that video made the charger seem weak. have never felt a charger on a ti but mine has a TMS chip and its decent. were you taking it really easy or is just not a massive power gain? i guess my expectations were a bit high:cool:
I think Dusten's video is fine. It may not show the DASC at its extreme, but it's definitely not weak. A TMS Conforti chip in a ti adds maybe about an additional 10 horses and 20 lb.ft. of torque. The DASC provides a lot more than that.

I think you should ride in a DASC ti to get a more accurate feel for what it can do, because a video isn't going to do it.

[Mendi3]

whoa whoa dude you totally took that the wrong way.i meant that mine with just a chip seems nearly as fast just from watching the video. i know a 10 horsepower chip isnt going to do as much as a charger, i just thought that after spending thousands of dollars, it would be a pretty wickid car. i couldnt tell if you were pushing it or not, but i just had to assume you were since you made a video and all.that being said, it didnt seem all that fast in the video. like i said, ive never even seen a supercharger on a ti or rode in one but ive been in many other cars that got forced induction and i always saw huge gains. im talking about a turbo cavalier, supercharged jetta, a few corrado's and countless others. i honestly wasnt saying that the chip is better but just that i wasnt seeing the big gain i expected. the author of the thread was wanting to see the power of a supercharged ti, was he not? im still wondering though, were you pushing it hard at all?

Dusten video it is pretty cool. However, there is no way that a ti with any chip it is even close to a DASC. Trust me, you can tell the difference. It is like night and day. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I agree with Moku, to have a real good idea, you need to ride in a DASC ti to gauge the power difference.

[96cali]

We need a video of a DASC ti vs. stock ti, side by side, racing. Maybe on a drag strip?

Kelso- what is the weight:hp ratio of a stock VR6 Corrado? My wife had a '92 beauty a while back. Weren't they around 168 crank hp? Maybe 180hp? Not sure of the weight.

[halek]

We need a video of a DASC ti vs. stock ti, side by side, racing. Maybe on a drag strip?


A three horse race would be good:
stock vs DASC vs M3 swap, hard to organise I know but it would put everything into perspective.

[DustenT]

My car is always available to "test drive". All you have to do is find your way to Wisconsin or Chicago.

[stormos]

saves hiring a car i guess if i go to the states for a week ;)

[Mendi3]

A three horse race would be good:
stock vs DASC vs M3 swap, hard to organise I know but it would put everything into perspective.

Maybe I'll be able to find a stock ti and a M3 swap that are willing to do it against my DASC down in Santa Barbara at the Bimmerfest this weekend....

I will let you know.

[andy]

My ti dynoed at 125/119 with a conforti chip that was aggressive to the point that it wouldn't run properly on 91 gas. I'd guess the DASC is a good deal faster than that. :)

[AlaskaBlue]

My car is always available to "test drive". All you have to do is find your way to Wisconsin or Chicago.


I may have to take you up on that one sometime dusten:smile:

[kalimot]

i dont own a ti (318is), but having an M42 i guess counts. anyway, is it true that after the engine gets pretty hot, the DASC loses some performance? i read this either from this forum or bf.c, but i just need to confirm if the loss is noticeable. im excited about the idea of having DASC on my M42 and im hoping to grab one soon!!!

[moku]

i dont own a ti (318is), but having an M42 i guess counts. anyway, is it true that after the engine gets pretty hot, the DASC loses some performance? i read this either from this forum or bf.c, but i just need to confirm if the loss is noticeable. im excited about the idea of having DASC on my M42 and im hoping to grab one soon!!!
I haven't noticed a difference, but then again, I may not have been paying attention.

[Mendi3]

i dont own a ti (318is), but having an M42 i guess counts. anyway, is it true that after the engine gets pretty hot, the DASC loses some performance? i read this either from this forum or bf.c, but i just need to confirm if the loss is noticeable. im excited about the idea of having DASC on my M42 and im hoping to grab one soon!!!

It hasn't happened to me. However, when we did the DASC installation we changed the thermostat. I'm using a lower temperature thermostat.

[96cali]

saves hiring a car i guess if i go to the states for a week ;)

LOL best witty retort of the day goes to Stormos! :biggrin:

[kelso]

again i wasnt claiming that my chip was capable of outpowering any form of forced induction, i actually am quite knowledgable on stuff like that. i just expected a lot of power.then again, i was watching a video of an m3 gtr supercharged at nurburgring around that same time so it probably skewed my perception a bit.

i dont know the power to weight ratio of corrados but g60 supercharged ones have like 160 stock and i think vr6 corrados had 190 stock. my brother had 2 g60 corrado's and he was running about 13.3 at the 1/4 mile. that motor was then put into my good friends jetta which weighs less but is geared different and he's done a few more things to it( replacing the clutch right now, then selling it) and i wouldnt be surprised if he hit high 12's.

[DustenT]

again i wasnt claiming that my chip was capable of outpowering any form of forced induction, i actually am quite knowledgable on stuff like that. i just expected a lot of power.then again, i was watching a video of an m3 gtr supercharged at nurburgring around that same time so it probably skewed my perception a bit.

i dont know the power to weight ratio of corrados but g60 supercharged ones have like 160 stock and i think vr6 corrados had 190 stock. my brother had 2 g60 corrado's and he was running about 13.3 at the 1/4 mile. that motor was then put into my good friends jetta which weighs less but is geared different and he's done a few more things to it( replacing the clutch right now, then selling it) and i wouldnt be surprised if he hit high 12's.


Just for reference, I did 14.43 @ 101mph with an automatic transmission. I haven't done a 1/4 since then, but will this summer with the 5 speed.

Just a question to all the ricers on the forum: Do you really HAVE $3500 to spend on a supercharger? If not, PLEASE don't post, there are plenty of articles/threads about the DASC, MASC (your welcome:tongue: ), and SEAM chargers. Do some damn research! There is a button in the upper right side of your screen, it says "SEARCH", give it a try, it's a lot of fun!

[Adog2107]

midnight autowerks has a kit out putting 214 rwhp down, not too bad it's 3500 for stage 3, 42 lb. injectors smaller pulleys, plus thats what stock evos throw down i believe. But then again do you want to trust a brand called midnght autowerks, oh well.

[REDIS]

Just for reference, I did 14.43 @ 101mph with an automatic transmission. I haven't done a 1/4 since then, but will this summer with the 5 speed.
Hey dusten, you ever go to Rockfalls Raceway in WI? I was there yesterday watching my buddy for sport compact day. My car still isn't running yet but I should be ready for the next one on May 6. It might be cool if we could make a meet out of it. it is $37 to race and $10 to watch.

[DustenT]

Hey dusten, you ever go to Rockfalls Raceway in WI? I was there yesterday watching my buddy for sport compact day. My car still isn't running yet but I should be ready for the next one on May 6. It might be cool if we could make a meet out of it. it is $37 to race and $10 to watch.

PM me the info on the track. I'm pretty busy this summer with the local BMW CCA chapter, they have a track day at Road America and BlackHawk.

[REDIS]

pm sent

[G.T.]

I must say that getting into the ti for the first time, I was a bit disappointed. The DASC (in a lighter car) had me unrealistically expecting it to be like my Street Prepared M3 but obviously, they're two completely different animals.

Overall, the motor pulls quite hard, specially in the higher RPMs. When the DASC kicks in, it's like a triple shot of (gasp!) VTEC. There's no lag, either…torque is there from the get-go. I can imagine having to downshift twice as much if the car were normally-aspirated. It's very tractable and city-driving-friendly…it's an awesome streetcar!

The one downside is that I really think this car is going to get me in trouble! It's so much fun to toss around,…so agile and nimble. Adding more power to that the rev-happy motor and you have recipe for misbehavior!

[dead4ever]

Only liked the video enough to whatch it about 10 or eleven times! I have had my 99 ti m for about 9 months now and I'm going for the DASC. Going to use search to find out what engine prep I need to do first. I have 95k on the car. Always appreciate any tips.

[DustenT]

Only liked the video enough to whatch it about 10 or eleven times!

I'm glad someone liked it!

I plan on making a new video soon, now that it's warmer outside.

[FATHER]

Guys in the MA website their have a video of one z3 with a supercharger vs. a z3 with a M3 swat... http://www.eatonm3.com/video.htm

[acs-e36]

im curious to know how a dasc m44 does aganst a 330 or e36 m3. you got to have some stories to tell.

[DustenT]

im curious to know how a dasc m44 does aganst a 330 or e36 m3. you got to have some stories to tell.

DASC'd m44 will keep up with both cars. It depends on the driver, but I've never had a problem keeping up with anything other than an e46 m3.

[nuvolarossa]

Dusten, I will wait your video!!! I want to see how much DASC can slip the tires... and what can do your LSD:eek: :biggrin:

For curiosity: in the USA all 318ti have the ASC or not? (traction control) Your?
thank you

[DustenT]

Dusten, I will wait your video!!! I want to see how much DASC can slip the tires... and what can do your LSD:eek: :biggrin:

For curiosity: in the USA all 318ti have the ASC or not? (traction control) Your?
thank you

Here you go: http://180customs.net/video/BMW-WI-Donuts.wmv

Yes, I have traction control, but it's turned off for this video..

[nuvolarossa]

Hi, I have that video... waiting for news...:biggrin:

[DustenT]

Hi, I have that video... waiting for news...:biggrin:

You probably won't see anything like that again. I didn't care for the Kumho 712s I had on the car, so I burned them off. Now I have the Kumho MXs and I really like them, so no smoke shows.

I'm having my supercharger rebuilt and getting the rotors coated with teflon. While the charger is out for repair, I'll probably send my ECU out to NickG for tuning. Those 2 videos are the last of the "stock" DASC kit. Someone else needs to make a video!!

[nuvolarossa]

For all who have masc, dasc, seam... based on eaton supercharger:

It's normal if, with the car started, you hear a little of mechanical noise from sc with the hood open? (At a distance of 30 cm circa and with the car at idle or low rpm)?
thank you

EDIT: Another question: how much is the fuel pressure (idle and WOT) of a normal DASC with only the RRFPR that come in the kit?

[DustenT]

For all who have masc, dasc, seam... based on eaton supercharger:

It's normal if, with the car started, you hear a little of mechanical noise from sc with the hood open? (At a distance of 30 cm circa and with the car at idle or low rpm)?
thank you

EDIT: Another question: how much is the fuel pressure (idle and WOT) of a normal DASC with only the RRFPR that come in the kit?

I can't hear my SC when the car is idling. Is your supercharger new?

Fuel pressure should be about 45psi at idle and around 70psi at WOT (if I remeber correctly).

[moku]

I don't hear it at idle, but my engine definitely sounds different than the way it did without the DASC. And when I rev the engine, there's a slight whirl.