Powerchip Australia Pty. Ltd.

Phone : (03) 9681 6888

Fax : (03) 9681 6999
[email protected]

Digital Adrenaline For Your…

BMW 528i E39 2.8
Powerchip technology enhances your BMW to its ultimate level,
delivering faster, smoother acceleration in all driving conditions.
Whether you enjoy a leisurely weekend cruise or a hard racetrack
drive – there is no easier and more effective way to release the
potential from your 528i E39 2.8.

The following information is an overview of the performance the

Powerchip will deliver. If you have any questions, your Power
Consultant will assist you as best as possible. We look forward to
giving you the best performance possible from your BMW.

Make BMW
Model 528i E39 2.8
Engine M52
Year Apr 96 to Nov 00
Powerchip Code BMW0037

Power
In standard form the BMW 528i E39 2.8 produces 142 kw at the
flywheel, and Powerchip improves the engine power to 153 kw.
Power (kw)
Bronze/
Standard Gold Gold 98
Silver
142 N/A 150 153

Power Increases (kw)

Bronze Silver Gold Gold 98

N/A N/A 8 11

The extra performance achieved by the Powerchip allows your

vehicle to respond much better than stock 528i E39 2.8s. You will
notice an effortless push back into the driver’s seat, to give you a
much more enjoyable and at times safer driving experience. The
Powerchip will tap into your BMW’s ‘hidden reserves’, to give you
an immediately noticeable improvement from your vehicle – we
guarantee it!
Torque
Torque is a measurement of your engine’s pulling power, and it is
torque that pulls you up hills, allowing your engine a more linear
and aggressive acceleration curve. With the Powerchip, you notice
the increase in torque right throughout the rev range, which gives
you far greater flexibility at low engine revolutions. Towing will
become less demanding, and you will no longer feel the need to
take the engine to the redline in each gear to get the performance
you demand... It’s always there for you, when you really need it
most!
Torque (Nm)
Bronze/
Standard Gold Gold 98
Silver
280 N/A 296 302

Torque Increases (Nm)

Bronze Silver Gold Gold 98

N/A N/A 16 22

Acceleration
Increased Power and Torque results in faster acceleration. And it
is not just standing start acceleration that is improved, your in-
gear acceleration is as well.

If overtaking is important to you, you will feel safe knowing that

you spend less time on the “wrong side of the road”, improving
the safety of your car, for you and your family or passengers.

Perhaps you feel that you need that extra bit of power when you
are lined up at the "traffic light grand prix" against another car
with similar (or more) power? If you want to have the unfair
advantage that will give you more ‘GO’ away from the lights, you
need a Powerchip performance software upgrade for your 528i
E39 2.8.
Fitting Details
Your car contains the latest technology ECU that can be re-
programmed through the on-board diagnostic port (OBD-II).
Specialised software interfaces with your vehicle’s engine
management system to extract the electronic code via serial
download. Once the information has been read, Powerchip
technicians apply the performance changes and upload the
performance program back through the OBD-II port. Installation
cannot be performed by the end user. Programming must occur
at an Authorized Powerchip Office or at authorised Powerchip
Platinum dealers. The programming takes approximately 2 hour's
to complete.

On Road Development
Where Powerchip really shines out over its competitors is the
emphasis and time spent refining the program for drivability and
enjoyment. Much more a ‘real world’ gain than full throttle horse
power runs on a dyno, part throttle refinement is a gain everyone
uses every time they drive the vehicle. Flat spots and poor off the
line performance are smoothed out in this process, and transient
throttle conditions are made razor sharp for the ultimate in
response. Real time changes to tables like throttle response and
power enrichment are done on road to fine tune the driving
experience of the vehicle, with acceleration timing equipment
used to ensure consistent and measurable gains in part throttle
drivability.
Drivability
Powerchip technicians do not spend their whole research and
development focus tuning the full throttle performance of each
vehicle. A significant emphasis is placed on the part throttle
performance. We understand that driving in everyday conditions is
more than just flat out acceleration, with your foot flat to the floor.

With Powerchip performance software, your car will perform to its

potential, even when you are not demanding the peak
performance. You no longer need to mash the throttle to take off
briskly, and in-gear overtaking can be performed without needing
to change down gears.

One of the main benefits of choosing to enhance your vehicle with

the Powerchip is the improvement you will feel in all driving
situations, no matter what your driving style is...

Manufacturers Tolerances
BMW unfortunately leaves large tolerances in the performance
characteristics of its entire fleet to allow for drivers that are
negligent on maintenance, and who are non-enthusiasts. The
528i E39 2.8 is ‘de-tuned’ to be able to run on the poorest grade
of fuel that the car is likely to encounter anywhere in the world,
and also to allow for the small percentage of owners who put their
cars reliability to the test due to their lack of mechanical
understanding. In most cases, our clients are enthusiasts who
place more emphasis on the performance characteristics of their
vehicle, and therefore the Powerchip does not need to be
programmed as conservatively as the stock software.
Modified Spark Advance
In the old days the ignition distributor controlled the engine spark
timing. Changes to the position in the distributor will result in
changed ignition settings, and is a good method of ‘tune-up’ for
older vehicles. Modern engine ignition is controlled by a series of
tables or maps. These maps give the engine any instructions
required to operate, under ALL load and rev per minute access
points.

Similar to the old systems, advancing the point of ignition within a

cylinder results in increased power and toque. It is important not
to advance the timing beyond the capabilities of the fuel used, or
else detonation can occur. Peak kilowatts are achieved when
ignition timing is set as close to the point of detonation as
possible, without exceeding it. This is the primary purpose for
asking the octane rating each client uses most frequently, so that
the software is set to the correct level of ignition advance for the
fuel used.

The end result of ignition advance changes is increased power

and torque, resulting in better acceleration and various other
driving benefits.
Octane ratings
The Powerchip is designed to get the best from your engine, and
to do this it is recommended that you use a high performance
fuel. When ordering your Powerchip upgrade, your Power
Consultant will ask you for the octane rating you would like your
program to run. The advantage of using better fuels can be
explained in further detail by your consultant.

Powerchip Gold is designed to run on fuel with an octane rating of

95 (Premium Unleaded, Caltex Vortex, Ampol Gold). Powerchip
Gold 98 is designed to run on fuel with an octane rating of 98 or
higher (Shell Optimax, BP Ultimate, Mobil Synergy 8000). We
highly recommend that you use the highest-octane fuel available
to you.

Our Satisfaction Guarantee

Every Powerchip sold in Australia comes with an 14-day money
back guarantee. This ensures that the Powerchip will live up to
your expectations, not ours! If for any reason you are unsatisfied
with the Powerchip, you may return the Powerchip to your place of
purchase for a full refund of the purchase price (not including
shipping and handling, installation and removal etc.).

Our satisfaction guarantee offers you total peace of mind, and

makes the purchase of the Powerchip risk free. By purchasing a
Powerchip you have nothing to lose – and everything to gain!
Servicing
In a regular service it is very unlikely that the dealer would
perform any tasks that are additional to those required by the
manufacturer. The dealer tool may be able to detect that modified
software has been fitted to the vehicle. The vehicle can still
continue to be flashed by the dealer with any software updates
that become available. The Powerchip does not 'lock out' the
dealer from reflashing the car. The Powerchip software does not
make it any different to service than a vehicle with out a
Powerchip. All 'Fault Codes' continue to able to be read, just like a
standard car
Reflashes
In the event of a dealer flashing over the Powerchip software, we
offer inexpensive reflashes to the original purchaser of the
software. For $100 (plus the cost of shipping) we will reflash the
same Powerchip software that was originally purchased back into
the ECU that is sent to our office for the duration of the warranty
period.
Warranty
All Powerchip upgrades come with a three-year, unlimited
kilometer warranty, for the original purchaser, which means that if
anything occurs to the Powerchip in that time, we will replace it
without charge to you.

The terms and conditions of the Powerchip warranties can be

viewed in detail on our web site at
http://www.powerchipgroup.com/products/warranty.asp
Value for a Lifetime
The investment you make in the Powerchip will last for as long as
you keep your car, and for most of our customers, that is normally
for 3 or 4 years. So when you consider the benefits of the chip
over a number of years, it is not a lot to pay for extra performance
you will probably use nearly every day. As a percentage of the total
cost of your car, the Powerchip works out to be very cost effective.
Also, with the Powerchip, you can expect your car to command a
higher price when it comes time to sell!

Cost Effectiveness
As we all know, modifying late model vehicles is not a cheap
exercise, however, when you look at it on a kw per dollar basis,
the Powerchip comes in ahead of any other modification you
could make to your BMW. Have a look at just how well the
Powerchip stacks up:

Price $1290
kw Gain 11 kw
Price/kw $117.27

The Powerchip is designed to offer excellent value for money

compared with other modifications you might be planning in the
future.

Cost AUD($)
Bronze Silver Gold Gold98

Price (Inc GST, N/A N/A $1290 $1290

freight additional)
Ask the Experts
Your Powerchip Power Consultant is trained to provide you with
the best information about getting more performance for your car.
We have a specific Power Consultant who is responsible for the
BMW range, and he is an expert at answering all of your technical
questions, especially about the 528i E39 2.8. If you would like to
speak with your Power Consultant about any aspect of the
upgrade, please telephone our Australian headquarters in
Melbourne, Victoria on (03) 9681 6888 or email your BMW Power
Consultant directly at [email protected].

© Powerchip Group, All Rights Reserved. Reproduction by any means is prohibited.

 Gold Performance Data for your...
BMW 528i E39 2.8 *
R.P.M. kW STD kW Powerchip kW Gain Nm STD Nm Powerchip Nm Gain
1500 40 41 1 255 263 8
2000 54 57 3 260 273 13
2500 69 74 5 265 281 16
3000 86 90 4 273 287 14
3500 102 107 5 278 292 14
4000 117 123 6 280 294 14
4500 130 137 7 275 292 17
5000 139 147 8 265 281 16
5500 142 151 9 247 262 15
6000 135 143 8 215 228 13

kW Powerchip kW STD Nm Powerchip Nm STD

160 1000

900
140
800
120
700
100
600

kW 80 500 Nm

400
60
300
40
200
20
100

0 0
1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5500

6000

R.P.M. * This graph shows figures

Powerchip Gold

MODEL ENGINE VERSION CAPACITY Max kW Max Nm 0-100 Auto 0-100 Man
528i E39 2.8 M52 Standard 2793cc 142 280 N/A N/A
528i E39 2.8 M52 Gold 2793cc 150 296 N/A N/A
 Gold 98 Performance Data for your...
BMW 528i E39 2.8 *
R.P.M. kW STD kW Powerchip kW Gain Nm STD Nm Powerchip Nm Gain
1500 40 41 1 255 264 9
2000 54 58 4 260 276 16
2500 69 74 5 265 284 19
3000 86 91 5 273 289 16
3500 102 108 6 278 295 17
4000 117 124 7 280 297 17
4500 130 139 9 275 295 20
5000 139 149 10 265 284 19
5500 142 153 11 247 265 18
6000 135 145 10 215 230 15

kW Powerchip kW STD Nm Powerchip Nm STD

180 1000

160 900

800
140
700
120
600
100
kW 500 Nm
80
400
60
300
40
200

20 100

0 0
1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

5500

6000

R.P.M. * This graph shows figures

Powerchip Gold 98

MODEL ENGINE VERSION CAPACITY Max kW Max Nm 0-100 Auto 0-100 Man
528i E39 2.8 M52 Standard 2793cc 142 280 N/A N/A
528i E39 2.8 M52 Gold 98 2793cc 153 302 N/A N/A
Real Wheel Dyno Graph
Customer Testimonials I fitted you Powerchip myself in less than an hour
Customer Name: Erwin E, Mornington with no other adjustments, and like magic, instant
Car: 528i E39 2.8 smooth idle and no more hesitation. The car is now
Testimonial added: Apr 4 2003 a delight in traffic. There is definite mid range power
Customer Comments: increase and the motor revs out like my old 528i did.
"Dear Powerchip,
I am very impressed with the improvements made to Your service has been fantastic and your product
my 528. impressive so I am happy ro recommend you to
I had the chip installed last week and noticed the anyone contemplating a purchase.
increase in power, smoothness, and economy
almost immediately. Its given my car that edge. I'm Yours faithfully"
yet to tow the caravan with it, will let you know.
Thankyou so much. Customer Name: Adrian Z,
Erwin." Car: 535i E34 3.4
Testimonial added: Apr 1 1998
Customer Name: Jurgen L, Hillbank Customer Comments:
Car: 535i E28 3.4 "I thought you would like to know of another
Testimonial added: Sep 24 2003 satisfied customer.
Customer Comments:
"I am delighted with the performance of my BMW I purchased for my 535i Motorsport a Powerchip two
535i E28 since having a Powerchip Gold 98 fitted. months ago and I can honestly say it was a very
The 'driveability' is noticeably improved and the worthwhile investment (additional fun).
improvement in acceleration is very impressive,
especially when overtaking at highway speeds. I am My manual car now runs out to 6,600 RPM which is
pleased to say that Powerchip has delivered some 500 more than with the standard chip. I also
everything that it claimed it would. The courtesy of am impressed with the increased low down torque
the staff has been excellent, at all levels, at all times which makes turning in and out of corners much
especially post-sales." more enjoyable due to quicker response to my
driving needs.
Customer Name: Wayne R,
Car: 535i E28 3.4 The car not only feels quicker, but it is noticable
Testimonial added: Apr 1 1998 when challenging my friend's 911SC."
Customer Comments:
"I have just spent a week driving my car fitted with
your 'Powerchip' and am delighted with the result.

In 1988 I purchased a new BMW 535i (E28) auto

and from the start the car had a rough idle and an
annoying hesitation when moving from idle to light
throttle in traffic. Two BMW Dealers and one private
specialist tuner have had no success in removing
the problem.