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xHP dealer · fitted in-house in Maidstone, Kent

BMW automatic gearbox tuning.
Which gearbox have you got?

xHP retunes the gearbox's own control unit, not the engine. It takes out the torque limits that clip a remapped engine, speeds up the shifts and changes when the gearbox decides to shift. What it can do depends on which of BMW's three automatic gearboxes your car has, so that's where we start.

Or get a quote for your car. There's no set price list for this.

What the gearbox is doing now

Why a BMW automatic needs its own tune

BMW set the gearbox up for comfort, economy and emissions. That's fine on a standard car. Remap the engine, though, and the gearbox becomes the bottleneck.

It limits the torque

The gearbox has its own torque limits, and they're set for the engine it left the factory with. On the 8-speed it's usually third and sixth gear that are held back, and on the 6-speed it's fifth. A remapped engine runs into those limits, and the extra torque you've paid for never reaches the wheels.

It shifts slowly on purpose

Shifts are softened so nobody feels them, and Sport mode is a milder version of what the gearbox can actually do. xHP rewrites that shift logic mode by mode.

It changes up early

For economy, it gets into the top gears as soon as it can. That's why a tuned car can feel lazy until you put your foot down. A gearbox tune changes where it shifts as well as how fast.

Start here

Pick your gearbox

Three different gearboxes, three different sets of hardware, so each stage does slightly different things on each one. Not sure which you have? Put the registration in above, or send it to us and we'll check it before anything's booked.

ZF 8HP

ZF 8-speed automatic

The torque-converter automatic in the vast majority of automatic BMWs you'll see today, from 1 Series to 8 Series and X1 to X7, petrol and diesel, and the M cars built on them.

Also covered: the Toyota Supra, Alpina models (xHP's list runs up to the Alpina B5), and the Aisin 8-speed in the MINI Clubman (F54) and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and X1 (F45, F46, F48).

Stage 1

Limits off

The gearbox's torque limits come out, so a remapped engine can finally use what it makes. How it shifts stays exactly as BMW made it.

  • Torque limits set above 1,000Nm
  • Line pressure raised for high-power cars
  • Gear display on the dash, D1 to D8
  • Standard shift behaviour in every mode
Stage 2

Full remap

Everything in Stage 1, plus a full remap of the shift logic: quicker shifts, harder blips on the downshift in Sport, and a sharper throttle response.

  • The gear lever sets where it shifts, the drive-mode switch sets how fast
  • That gives you twelve usable combinations of D, S and M with Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport and Sport+
  • Holds off eighth gear for longer in D
  • Shows the gear you're in, even in D
Stage 3

Race level

The quickest shifts xHP makes, trading some comfort for speed. The most popular stage for tuned cars.

  • In S with Sport+, it keeps the revs above 4,000rpm and won't change up before 6,500rpm
  • Race-style automatic shifting in Sport+
  • Hard blips on the downshift as you brake for a corner
  • Launch control reworked
On the 8-speed

Launch control is set with the gearbox in S and the car in Sport+ or Traction. Hold the brake firmly, then go to full throttle including the kickdown. It won't arm with DSC switched fully off. Valet mode is available on F-series cars but not on G-series. On G-series cars with the basic analogue cluster the gear can't be shown in D; the digital clusters can show it.

xHP write the maps for each model, so the exact detail for yours is what we see when we connect to the car. The Stage 3 figures above are from xHP's own 8-speed maps.

ZF 6HP

ZF 6-speed automatic

The earlier six-speed torque-converter automatic, in the E-series BMWs from roughly 2005 to 2013 before the 8-speed took over. For example the E90 to E93 3 Series and the E60 and E61 5 Series.

Also covered: MINI's 6-speed Aisin automatics (F55, F56, F57 and F60). Some early E9x and E6x instrument clusters can't show the gear in S without a software update to the cluster, so xHP leaves that off unless it's been done.

Stage 1

Limits off

The 6-speed's lowest factory limit sits in fifth gear. Stage 1 takes it out, so the extra torque from an engine remap finally gets to the wheels.

  • Factory torque limiters removed
  • Clears the way for the extra torque
  • Gear display on the dash
Stage 2

Full remap

The same full remap as the 8-speed's, but for six ratios instead of eight: shifts land quicker, the downshift blip hits harder in Sport, and the throttle sharpens up.

  • Everything in Stage 1
  • Faster shifts
  • Stronger blips on the downshift in Sport
  • Sharper throttle response
Stage 3

Race level

The sharpest shift behaviour xHP offer on this gearbox, built for cars that are driven hard.

  • True manual mode: it won't change up for you at the limiter
  • Throttle blips on the downshift, on most Stage 3 maps and the N54 and N55 engines
  • Shortest shift times in the sport modes
  • Launch control reworked
On the 6-speed

Launch control works by limiting torque in first while you brake against it. On a rear-wheel drive car that usually starts around 450Nm; an xDrive car usually needs no limit at all. Drag race mode, where it's used, switches on in M. From cold, the 6-speed keeps its lock-up clutch open to warm the oil, and xHP can switch that off if you'd rather it didn't.

The 450Nm figure is typical, not fixed. Yours may be set higher or lower once the tool's connected to the car.

7-speed DCT

7-speed DCT dual-clutch

BMW's seven-speed dual-clutch, badged DKG on some cars. It's mainly an M-car gearbox: the E9x M3, the F80 M3, F82 and F83 M4, F87 M2, F10 M5 and the F06, F12 and F13 M6. It was also offered on the 135i, 335i and 335is and the Z4 sDrive35i.

Why it's different: there's no torque converter and no per-gear torque limits like the ZF boxes have. What holds a tuned DCT back is clutch pressure, so that's where the work goes: clutch control, shift speed, shift points and launch.

Stage 1

Limits off

Lifts the gearbox's limits so the extra torque from an engine remap gets through to the wheels.

  • Everything else about the gearbox stays as BMW made it
Stage 2

Full remap

The clutch control gets the same full remap treatment: faster shifts, harder blips in the sport settings, and a throttle response that comes in sooner.

  • Everything in Stage 1
  • Faster shifts
  • Sharper throttle response
Stage 3

Race level

The quickest shifts xHP make on the DCT, with race-style automatic shifting in the sportiest setting and launch control reworked.

  • Shortest shift times
  • Race-style automatic shifting
  • Launch control reworked
On the DCT

Standard clutch pressure is 17 bar on the E-series cars and 18 bar on the F-series. xHP have 20 bar mappings for every DCT car, meant for engines making around 1,000Nm.

Launch control on the DCT is set by revs; the car's traction control looks after wheel slip. There's also a separate kickdown launch, with a burnout or performance setting and the revs it bites at. On the M cars it engages gently around 1,000rpm with DSC on, and hard around 2,800rpm with DSC off.

Creep can be switched on or off, it can pull away in second in D, and on the M cars there's a true manual mode for each Drivelogic setting. If the differential's been changed, the final drive ratio can be set to match.

Beyond the stages

Custom setup

Any stage can be fine-tuned further. Tell us how you drive the car and we'll set these up when we fit it. If the off-the-shelf maps aren't right for your car, we can write a custom map.

Shiftpoint editor

Four presets to start from, then every upshift and downshift in D and S can be moved either way. Up to three setups can be saved.

8-speed6-speedDCT

Launch control

On the 8-speed, how much torque it allows off the line and how quickly that builds. On the 6-speed, how much gets through before the car moves off. On the DCT, the revs it launches at and how much wheel slip it allows.

8-speed6-speedDCT

Torque limiters

The rpm it shifts at on full throttle, and a torque limit for each gear from 300 to 1,000Nm, with starting points for rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. The DCT has the shift rpm but no per-gear limits.

8-speed6-speedDCT: shift rpm

Throttle blip

How hard it blips the throttle to match revs on a downshift, from half as much to half as much again. In M and S on the 8-speed, in M on the 6-speed.

8-speed6-speedDCT

Valet mode

For when someone else is driving it. Revs are capped at around 2,500 to 3,000rpm, the gearbox stays in its slowest mode, and launch control and brake boost are switched off.

8-speed F-series6-speedDCT

Drag race mode

No torque cut during the shifts, maximum shift pressure and higher clutch protection limits, to get the full power down. It switches on with launch control and in Sport+ with DSC off on the 8-speed, or in M on the 6-speed, above a throttle position you choose. xHP are clear it wears the gearbox faster, so it's for the strip.

8-speed6-speedDCT

Also available, depending on the gearbox: pulling away in second, kickdown on or off, true manual mode, stop and go, the gear display, and switching off the standstill decoupling that can make an older gearbox feel hesitant pulling away.

Fitted here, not posted out

How we fit it

We're an xHP dealer, and every install is done in our workshop in Maidstone. It's software only, so nothing on the gearbox is changed physically.

01

Check the car is supported

From the registration we confirm which gearbox it has and which xHP maps exist for it, before you book.

02

Check the gearbox first

A full diagnostic check for existing faults. There's no sense remapping a gearbox that's already got a problem, and we'll tell you if it has.

03

Battery stabiliser on

The gearbox control unit is sensitive to voltage drops while it's being programmed, so the car goes on a stabiliser first. Skipping this is where a lot of home installs go wrong.

04

Flash and set up

The stage you've chosen goes on, then any custom settings. Give it 50 to 75 miles of normal driving afterwards while it settles in.

Priced per car

Get a quote for your car

What it costs depends on the gearbox, the car and the stage you want, so we price yours rather than quote a figure that might not fit it. Start with the registration and mention gearbox tuning in the last step.

Before you send, want our discount codes?
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Got it. We will come back with which gearbox your car has, the stages available for it and the price.

If you know them, these help us get the quote right first time. Entirely optional.

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Straight answers

BMW gearbox tuning questions

Which gearbox does my BMW have?
Most automatic BMWs from the F and G generations have the ZF 8-speed. E-series automatics have the ZF 6-speed. The 7-speed DCT is mostly on the M cars. The quickest way to be sure is to send us the registration and we'll check it, along with which xHP maps exist for it.
Do I need an engine remap as well?
Not necessarily. Stage 2 and Stage 3 change how the gearbox drives on a standard engine. Stage 1 is mostly for a car whose engine has been remapped, because it's the gearbox's torque limits that stop the extra torque reaching the wheels. If you're having both, we set the gearbox up to match the engine.
Can it go back to standard?
Yes. The original software is backed up before anything is written, and the factory map can be put back at any time.
What happens if a BMW dealer updates the car?
A dealer software update can overwrite the gearbox tune. It isn't a problem: bring it back and we'll put it on again.
Will it affect my warranty?
It can, and anyone telling you flatly that it can't is guessing. It can be put back to standard whenever you need it to be. Our warranty page sets out where you actually stand.
Is it hard on the gearbox?
The stages are written to work within what each gearbox can take. The one setting xHP are open about wearing a gearbox faster is drag race mode, which is for the strip, and we'll tell you honestly if what you're asking for isn't sensible for a car you drive every day.
How much does it cost?
It depends on which gearbox you have and which stage you want; a Stage 1 on a 6-speed is a shorter job than a Stage 3 with custom setup on an 8-speed. Send us the registration and we'll come back with a price for yours.
Do you fit it or send it to me?
We fit it, here in our workshop in Maidstone. That means the car is checked for faults first, it's on a battery stabiliser while it's programmed, and it's set up for how you drive before it leaves.
While it's with us

The rest of the car

Engine tuning

Stage 1, 2 and 3 for the engine, mapped on our own 2,000bhp rolling road. The gearbox and engine work best tuned together.

See the stages →

BMW tuning

Everything we do on BMWs, with real cars we've tuned.

BMW tuning →

Gearbox oil change

A gearbox that's being asked to work harder deserves fresh oil.

Gearbox oil change →

Torque limiters, explained

Why a gearbox limits torque, when raising that limit is sensible and when it isn't.

Read the guide →
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