Collection of JB4 Experiences

[mojo_jojo77777]

1) 1 year / 20k miles
2) Map 6 tuned by @Jesse DaBears on 93 pump gas
3) Daily drive on Map 6. Have done 2 round trips from DC to Texas in last year, never any issues. Tracked it twice now on Map 6 with no issues with IATs or cooling.
4) AA downpipe, intake and exhaust (though intake and exhaust are negligible)
5) Never dyno'd it.

I think the JB4 has its place for the intended marketed audience. At its initial price point, its budget friendly, easy to install, and achieves very noticeable power gain from OTS maps.

I got the JB4 used, and got the Jesse tune during sale, so I think my entry point was much lower than normal. If paying full price for both, I do feel there are other options to explore if just bolt-on power is not the end goal.

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[Rta95]

1) 1 year / 20k miles
2) Map 6 tuned by @Jesse DaBears on 93 pump gas
3) Daily drive on Map 6. Have done 2 round trips from DC to Texas in last year, never any issues. Tracked it twice now on Map 6 with no issues with IATs or cooling.
4) AA downpipe, intake and exhaust (though intake and exhaust are negligible)
5) Never dyno'd it.

I think the JB4 has its place for the intended marketed audience. At its initial price point, its budget friendly, easy to install, and achieves very noticeable power gain from OTS maps.

I got the JB4 used, and got the Jesse tune during sale, so I think my entry point was much lower than normal. If paying full price for both, I do feel there are other options to explore if just bolt-on power is not the end goal.

Do you remember what the average ambient temperature was when you tracked it?

 

[i3igpete]

Do you have a link to the Dinan piggy back? Curious to just read up on it

I think this is it:

https://www.dinancars.com/products/...ne-modules/dinantronics-sport/parts/D440-0047

Based on the install instructions, it only intercepts the charge pipe pressure sensor and manifold pressure sensor. So that means it can't take into account any input parameters like RPM, nor can it adjust the output signal going to the wastegate controller.

 

[mojo_jojo77777]

Do you remember what the average ambient temperature was when you tracked it?

I dont remember the 1st one, but the hotter one was last month, and ambient temp was low-mid 90's.

 

[SooopraSD]

Hey all. So I wanted to make this post to hear people's experiences with JB4. There's a lot of posts out there and I see a wide range of personal experiences and opinions on it. I have a unit I bought second hand and have been holding off installing it as I wanted to get a DP at least. I'm not trying to milk the JB4 or the car for maximum power possible, but just looking for a bump that's feelable. I wanted to be able to use it on the track, but I also saw posts saying that doesn't go that well. So if people can chime in with some of the following that'd be great. Hopefully this can be a place for reference for others too.

1) how long/how many miles have you had the JB4 on for?
2) what map are you running?
3) what kind of driving do you do with the car, set to your desired map, and how has your experience been? The good, the bad?
4) any supporting mods you think actually made a difference to the usability?
5) what gains have you made?
6) any other best practices you implemented for the best and smoothest experience?

Also, I know this thread exists (https://www.supramkv.com/threads/gr-supra-101-routes-to-big-power.17670/) but looking for more anecdotal experiences.

1) Approx. 12,000 miles.
2) Map 6 E30 Jesse tune
3) Street driving with the occasional pull. no complaints.
4) DP, water/meth injection.
5) Still need to hit the dyno.

 

[suprawr]

1) how long/how many miles have you had the JB4 on for?
probably 5-6k miles now

2) what map are you running?
normally map 2/3 been running more map 6 by jesse on E30

3) what kind of driving do you do with the car, set to your desired map, and how has your experience been? The good, the bad?
like to punch it every now and then roll or highway always smooth had no errors or cels

4) any supporting mods you think actually made a difference to the usability?
FBO w/Fuel-it Kit

5) what gains have you made?
butt dyno says maybe 50hp+ but it's more smooth the whole gear, pulled a tesla model 3 performance on a 40 roll to 100ish that was surprising

6) any other best practices you implemented for the best and smoothest experience?
it's cheap, easy to install and remove, simple plug and play for someone that just wants FBO + simple tune.

 

[Carmelo Iverson]

Had jb4 for about 10k miles on map 1, a lil jerky here and there. Finally pulled the trigger when Jesse had a sale. His custom 91 map is wayyy better. Finishing up e30 map. Car is FBO with fuel it kit. Jesse customer service is great, he always emailed back within 24 hours, even with dumb questions lol

 

[JoshuaQ]

I believe my 21 Supra is at 9000 miles. I have had the JB4 for 1-2 years. Easy to use, easy to update, etc.

I have not dyno'ed it. One day I will.
The car is definitely faster. Don't ask me how I know, I will tell you! I can hit 0-60 in 3.8 without effort. The stock numbers are 3.8 0-60. Usually stock numbers require every last ounce of functionality to get the 0-60. With the JB4 you get it without effort. I know this may not be much, but I feel it's an OK comparison to highlight the difference with JB4.

Otherwise, the car feels fine. I have a custom map6 tune for 92 octane. Initially it was rough at spots, but Jesse sorted it out for me and I've been using it for 1-2 years. Planning to get another custom tune for e30-e40. I am going to test the OTS tune first, then likely upgrade to custom, to be safe.

MPG is like 14-17 mpg the way I drive. I drive around town and floor it here and there, nothing too crazy or dangerous (Cause on the street), but I'm not all that nice to the car other than not driving it enough (21 I bought new with 9000 miles).

From time to time you may get a bogdown when taking off. It's happened like 2x and it usually only happens once before the car is warmed up and good to go (Heard it may be due to engine not being heated fully, but I always let it finish the cold start.

Overall, I would definitely recommend it. I would love a tune, but I'm still waiting for the conventional tune, if it ever happens. Until then, I am ok with the JB4 for now.

 

[JoshuaQ]

I just checked out of curiosity. In my time selling parts, I've sold about 90 Jb4s to supra, and honestly, I would say 90% of those people are more than satisfied with the results they gain, especially after some custom tuning sauce by @Jesse DaBears which really does make a difference in one of the largest complaints I hear about JB4's which is the overall smoothness of power delivery. Now is it ever going to be safer, smoother, or even really faster than a flash tune? no, it will not. Is it a great start for an easy 75-90hp bump without having to send out an ECU or do anything too complicated? yes. Is it worth the money to do it now? debatable, a Jb4 with BT new is close to $700 ( you can always save money buying used OFC) and a custom tune will run you about $600-700. so call it $1400 to get a nice custom tune on JB4. An unlock from Femto runs about $1000 USD if you arrange everything yourself with Femto, a BM3 License with one ots map is $595, 645 with the map bundle, and that gives you a full flash. Just something to keep in mind. overall it is a still great option and I have driven plenty of Jb4 cars that feel fast, smooth, and been solid. I plan to install one on my Braptor asap for an easy power gain, because just like supra's the ECU's are locked.

Why do people say it's cheaper for a tune and (SORTA) leave out the 1000+ you gotta pay and the risk you gotta take to send it overseas. I get that they don't usually get lost or anything, but still a huge risk JB4 doesn't include. JB4 is one and done if you want, tunes after a new bolt-on? Should! How much is that? How much if it gets locked at a dealer?

JB4 used with bluetooth = ~400,
Tune = (Was less than the JB4 on my initial Jesse tune). Now it's more
Dealer = no lock or unlock fears apply to JB4, I've heard horror stories, and I've heard you gotta pay again to unlock it?

Ppl keep pretending like the unlock isn't part of the price or something. So unlock + 1 tune = 1700+, ya? That's assuming the tune is $700 at every single tuners shop. Can everyone tune Supras? Nah, I've seen some posts about terrible tunes. JB4? You know what you're getting, or should.

My whole gripe is that I'm just that lazy that I don't care to know all the steps and processes to just get it tuned, and then the price to boot is more than a quick JB4 and Jesse tune.

Which is better? I'm sure a tune is, if you want to learn the process and pay the price. Until then, imo, and from what I have seen time and time again, the JB4 is cheaper, even with 2 custom tunes at $500 a piece:
JB4
JB4 - 400-600 used to new with BT
Tune 1 - lets say $600
Tune 2 - $500

Fuel-it, etc = ~500, but this cost would likely apply to tuned or JB4 so its in the middle here.

Tune + Unlock:
Unlock = $1000+
Tune = $700-1400?
New bolt on, etc? = Better retune it for proper behavior and power increase
Redo unlock = The fear of this happening = priceless, lol.

Sorry, not trying to be combative, I just don't understand maths or I don't understand how ppl sell these tunes as "Cheaper than a JB4" when it's nearly or sometimes $2000+ for a tune when it's said and done. If I am missing something, let me know, but it still feels cheaper having my JB4 for two years and a total of like $900 spent with a custom (JB4) tune/map than it would to unlock and tune it (Once).

 

[SMD001]

Put one on my 22’ Z4 M40i only other mod is the MST intake. Installed and dynoed on same day this past July. Around 102* in the shop at the time, Dynocom 5000 dyno. Made 439whp on map one. Have not tried map two and no plans to play with fuel. Unfortunately did not baseline before install.
Last fall with temps around 60* and completely stock it went 12:40@118. This summer after the install it went 12:33@112. Obviously heat soaked and pulling a shit load of timing. I’ll go back later in oct and see what it does.

 

[NitroYellowMKV]

Why do people say it's cheaper for a tune and (SORTA) leave out the 1000+ you gotta pay and the risk you gotta take to send it overseas. I get that they don't usually get lost or anything, but still a huge risk JB4 doesn't include. JB4 is one and done if you want, tunes after a new bolt-on? Should! How much is that? How much if it gets locked at a dealer?

JB4 used with bluetooth = ~400,
Tune = (Was less than the JB4 on my initial Jesse tune). Now it's more
Dealer = no lock or unlock fears apply to JB4, I've heard horror stories, and I've heard you gotta pay again to unlock it?

Ppl keep pretending like the unlock isn't part of the price or something. So unlock + 1 tune = 1700+, ya? That's assuming the tune is $700 at every single tuners shop. Can everyone tune Supras? Nah, I've seen some posts about terrible tunes. JB4? You know what you're getting, or should.

My whole gripe is that I'm just that lazy that I don't care to know all the steps and processes to just get it tuned, and then the price to boot is more than a quick JB4 and Jesse tune.

Which is better? I'm sure a tune is, if you want to learn the process and pay the price. Until then, imo, and from what I have seen time and time again, the JB4 is cheaper, even with 2 custom tunes at $500 a piece:
JB4
JB4 - 400-600 used to new with BT
Tune 1 - lets say $600
Tune 2 - $500

Fuel-it, etc = ~500, but this cost would likely apply to tuned or JB4 so its in the middle here.

Tune + Unlock:
Unlock = $1000+
Tune = $700-1400?
New bolt on, etc? = Better retune it for proper behavior and power increase
Redo unlock = The fear of this happening = priceless, lol.

Sorry, not trying to be combative, I just don't understand maths or I don't understand how ppl sell these tunes as "Cheaper than a JB4" when it's nearly or sometimes $2000+ for a tune when it's said and done. If I am missing something, let me know, but it still feels cheaper having my JB4 for two years and a total of like $900 spent with a custom (JB4) tune/map than it would to unlock and tune it (Once).

So I never said it is cheaper. It is not cheaper, but it is close enough in price where if finances are what is stopping you, it may be close enough apart to warrant taking a look at. In terms of numbers, it goes like this: I will play it with new and used parts.

New Jb4- Jb4 w/ BT- $678, Custom tune with Jesse is $700, the total is $1378

Used Parts (average) Jb4 w/ bt$450 Custom tune with Jesse is $700; the total is $1150.

New Unlock W/ BM3- Unlock with Femto $1000, Bootmod3 license w/ OTS MAP $595, total $1595

Used Unlock W/ Bm3- Unlock with Femto $1000, used bootmod3 $300, Total $1300

This bm3 license comes with one ots tune- stage 1 91/93, stage 2 91/93, e30/e50 multi map, etc. You pick one at the start, and you can buy a map pack with access to ALL of them for $50 online with a code. All of these are very fast, very well set up OTS maps, not as good as a custom tune, but still a very good tune. While there are definitely pros and cons to both options, ( I am personally not unlocking and doing a piggyback eventually).

The price between them is only about $200 in the real world. When talking about these $50,000+ cars, I would go out on a limb and say that will not make or break the bank. Now, this totally removes the warranty equation from this argument. I completely understand the reasoning behind that and agree.

 

[raiu]

Only had my JB4 for like 1000 miles. Currently running Map 2. I have a Flex Sensor but waiting to pull the trigger on a Jesse Map 6 when I have more funds put aside.

The car feels a little peppier with the JB4 over stock, but not much. I do live in Florida and it's been HOT the last few months (like real feel of 110F+) so that could also be part of the problem. I would assume a custom Map 6 E30 would be night and day over Map 2.

Mods: Catless DP, Armaspeed Intake, Exhaust. No track driving, just spirited grocery getter.

I have no experience with Jb4, what is the difference between custom jb4 map and noncustom?

 

[Awales74]

difference between custom jb4 map and noncustom?

JB4 supplies 1 size fits all tunes for like a hundred different cars. Generally they are conservative (map1) or way too aggressive (map3) because they have no idea of what you've might have done with the car.

A custom tune, either by yourself or one of our more famous forum members, can take the specifics of your car and produce a nice aggressive tune within safe limits. Even two OEM cars won't be exactly alike. It's really good, IMHO, the more you are deviating from normal. Want an e30 blend? Custom tune.

New Jb4- Jb4 w/ BT- $678, Custom tune with Jesse is $700, the total is $1378

Used Parts (average) Jb4 w/ bt$450 Custom tune with Jesse is $700; the total is $1150.

Quickly point out price corrections. 1 Fast Supra tunes are only $575. And they make a common marketing mistake of having consistent well known sales. So if you can wait for Black Friday then you know you can get it for 10 points off. The JB4 is new at $678 but you have $30 for the app itself (that's a total of almost $200 for the BT feature -- which is AWESOME -- but wow that's a lot of dollars). So total brand new no sale price is $1283.

You can get tune on sale and save you $50. You can get the JB4 -- the single most resold product in the marker -- for about $200 savings. So you can get the shooting match for 1033.

BUT I think you might be missing the point why some would still consider this wise.

The JB4 is the Easy Power path. For $700 I can put it on, decide I like it, and pull it off if I don't like it and resell it for $450. I could even buy used and resell at almost no cash if I was really hurting for cash. I wonder sometimes how often the same unit has been resold. I don't have to buy 1 Fast Supra tune right off the bat. I can have plenty of fun with Map 2 with over 4lbs of boost, check and clear codes, and logging. Zero commitment. No dollars paid to a shop for install and uninstall. etc.. etc.. I can add a tune at a literal drop of a hat.

The Femto route is another thing. I take the BRAIN of my $60,000 car and send it to a foreign country that is literally adjacent to another country who is in open war a few hundred miles to the south. To quote John Wayne -- my fault, your fault, nobodies fault your dead. Once it's done it's done. You can't really resell it. Decide that that was a lot of money and you really don't enjoy it -- be honest, extra horsepower in a daily drive is a thrill for a few days that wanes. You just paid $1000+ and you can't change your mind.

Not trying to argue. Just providing another POV that might make all those dumb people out there make a little more sense.

 

[NitroYellowMKV]

JB4 supplies 1 size fits all tunes for like a hundred different cars. Generally they are conservative (map1) or way too aggressive (map3) because they have no idea of what you've might have done with the car.

A custom tune, either by yourself or one of our more famous forum members, can take the specifics of your car and produce a nice aggressive tune within safe limits. Even two OEM cars won't be exactly alike. It's really good, IMHO, the more you are deviating from normal. Want an e30 blend? Custom tune.



Quickly point out price corrections. 1 Fast Supra tunes are only $575. And they make a common marketing mistake of having consistent well known sales. So if you can wait for Black Friday then you know you can get it for 10 points off. The JB4 is new at $678 but you have $30 for the app itself (that's a total of almost $200 for the BT feature -- which is AWESOME -- but wow that's a lot of dollars). So total brand new no sale price is $1283.

You can get tune on sale and save you $50. You can get the JB4 -- the single most resold product in the marker -- for about $200 savings. So you can get the shooting match for 1033.

BUT I think you might be missing the point why some would still consider this wise.

The JB4 is the Easy Power path. For $700 I can put it on, decide I like it, and pull it off if I don't like it and resell it for $450. I could even buy used and resell at almost no cash if I was really hurting for cash. I wonder sometimes how often the same unit has been resold. I don't have to buy 1 Fast Supra tune right off the bat. I can have plenty of fun with Map 2 with over 4lbs of boost, check and clear codes, and logging. Zero commitment. No dollars paid to a shop for install and uninstall. etc.. etc.. I can add a tune at a literal drop of a hat.

The Femto route is another thing. I take the BRAIN of my $60,000 car and send it to a foreign country that is literally adjacent to another country who is in open war a few hundred miles to the south. To quote John Wayne -- my fault, your fault, nobodies fault your dead. Once it's done it's done. You can't really resell it. Decide that that was a lot of money and you really don't enjoy it -- be honest, extra horsepower in a daily drive is a thrill for a few days that wanes. You just paid $1000+ and you can't change your mind.

Not trying to argue. Just providing another POV that might make all those dumb people out there make a little more sense.

I 100% agree, also I was quoting the flex fuel tune Jesse offers since the bm3 license comes with e30 and e50 maps, so it was the most apples-to-apples comparison. forgot about the app price, yes, sales do exist, but going into that account, I sell Bm3 licenses for a discount as well, so I wanted to keep it uniformly retail for comparison's sake. I 100% see the reason behind going Jb4 ( I am doing a piggyback myself) but I did this comparison purely from a financial standpoint of what it takes to get to a certain power level. In terms of install, Jb4 is fairly simple, most people can do it on their own, but it isn't even as close to as easy as pulling your phone out with the bm3 app and flashing it once you are unlocked, also very easy process that does not require any shop labor.

 

[raiu]

JB4 supplies 1 size fits all tunes for like a hundred different cars. Generally they are conservative (map1) or way too aggressive (map3) because they have no idea of what you've might have done with the car.

A custom tune, either by yourself or one of our more famous forum members, can take the specifics of your car and produce a nice aggressive tune within safe limits. Even two OEM cars won't be exactly alike. It's really good, IMHO, the more you are deviating from normal. Want an e30 blend? Custom tune.

But how is it custom if you aren't really change any of the parameters like a flash tune can?

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