Quick Review on M4CSL and M3CS Transmission Maps on the G87

Reesnat · 01-03-2024, 01:22 AM

Coming from the F87 comp, the DCT sharpness was something I missed on this car. Granted the upshifts on this trans was just as fast, but the downshifts left a bit to be desired. Also a weird delay sometimes near redline.

To address this I initially thought of going XHP, but XHP has a lot of options to fiddle with and I am not looking at spending hours and hours fiddling with them to find what works for me. I want a fit it and forget it type of solution that works as smooth as stock, but adds a bit of a kick in the more aggressive settings. I do know XHP have some OTS maps, but even there some tweaking may be needed to get it right, from what I hear.

Enter M4CSL transmission flash as an option. This got a lot of positive feedback on the M3/M4 forums and seemed like a safe choice considering its an OE map. Was in touch with kubax86 to flash this, he seems to have done many cars on this forum and seemed reliable so decided to go ahead with him.

Paid him via PayPal and later that night he flashed the map remotely. Within the first KM of driving the car I knew this may not work for me. The M4CSL map is surprisingly aggressive and jerky even with the gearbox in its lowest setting. On an open road with the most aggressive settings it was violently fast and enjoyable, but the jerkiness and 'on it all the time' setting was not something I could have lived with in the long run.

I spend 70% of my time in this car cruising to wherever good roads are to be 'on it' 30% of the time. So giving up the comfort during that 70% if the driving time was not something that made sense to me. After all, the whole benefit of the ZF is how smooth it can be for normal driving.

To be fair kubax86 did mention that the M4CSL map is super aggressive and he suggested the M3 CS map instead which is smoother. In my head I was like I am hardcore Bro, coming from the previous DCT

, not that hardcore after all, apparently

So after an hour of driving it, we swapped to the M3 CS map. One of the main worries I had with this was that its designed for an XDrive car, but being the same transmission, it should work. So with the CS map flashed, I was back on the road and the car immediately felt similar to the stock car. I took it for a longer drive the next morning and managed to floor it a few times WOT, and it seemed like it was a touch quicker, but not by much vs stock. I tried launch control to see if it worked, but it didn't, I guess this is to be expected considering its launch control was designed for XDrive and this is RWD.

Overall, the M3 CS map added some refinement and part throttle drivability back while being aggressive enough when WOT. Is it noticeable quicker/better than stock, I'm not entirely sure yet, maybe after some more driving I will get a better feel for it. From a timings perspective, I did a couple 100-200 runs and the numbers were exactly the same as stock, so no measurable difference there.

Thanks to kubax86 for his patience, and service!

Hope my experience helps others who may have been considering these.

Bee Pee · 01-03-2024, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reesnat

Coming from the F87 comp, the DCT sharpness was something I missed on this car. Granted the upshifts on this trans was just as fast, but the downshifts left a bit to be desired. Also a weird delay sometimes near redline.

To address this I initially thought of going XHP, but XHP has a lot of options to fiddle with and I am not looking at spending hours and hours fiddling with them to find what works for me. I want a fit it and forget it type of solution that works as smooth as stock, but adds a bit of a kick in the more aggressive settings. I do know XHP have some OTS maps, but even there some tweaking may be needed to get it right, from what I hear.

Enter M4CSL transmission flash as an option. This got a lot of positive feedback on the M3/M4 forums and seemed like a safe choice considering its an OE map. Was in touch with kubax86 to flash this, he seems to have done many cars on this forum and seemed reliable so decided to go ahead with him.

Paid him via PayPal and later that night he flashed the map remotely. Within the first KM of driving the car I knew this may not work for me. The M4CSL map is surprisingly aggressive and jerky even with the gearbox in its lowest setting. On an open road with the most aggressive settings it was violently fast and enjoyable, but the jerkiness and 'on it all the time' setting was not something I could have lived with in the long run.

I spend 70% of my time in this car cruising to wherever good roads are to be 'on it' 30% of the time. So giving up the comfort during that 70% if the driving time was not [...]

M4CSL has stiffer engine and tranny mounts so perhaps with CSL Trans SW flash, the aggressiveness is perhaps exaggerated (as opposed to dampened) due to having std g8x drivetrain mounts ??

WhiteRqbbit · 01-03-2024, 11:24 AM

How much is that? M4CSL sounds like a blast

kubax86 · 01-03-2024, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteRqbbit

How much is that? M4CSL sounds like a blast

you can check the pricing in my webstore (link in signature)

Reesnat · 01-04-2024, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bee Pee

M4CSL has stiffer engine and tranny mounts so perhaps with CSL Trans SW flash, the aggressiveness is perhaps exaggerated (as opposed to dampened) due to having std g8x drivetrain mounts ??

That could be a factor to some degree, yes. But I also found it holds onto revs much higher in the lowest gearbox level. Its like the CSL gearbox software starts at level two of what the G87 gearbox does.

So far I'm really liking the CS map, part throttle drivability seems a lot better than stock and smooth, yet responsive at all times. Will report back once I've had more time with it.

Ahmadg87 · 01-10-2024, 05:14 AM

Does this work with a jb4 installed?

kubax86 · 01-11-2024, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ahmadg87

Does this work with a jb4 installed?

Yes, not affected.

M Division · 01-30-2024, 07:01 AM

I did the CSL steering flash which was great, but to me doing the ZF flash wasn't worth loosing drivetrain warranty.

baj_baj · 01-30-2024, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M Division

I did the CSL steering flash which was great, but to me doing the ZF flash wasn't worth loosing drivetrain warranty.

Is there a big difference with the steering? That's my biggest gripe with the car, I feel like I can run over a curb and not feel anything through the wheel.

M Division · 01-30-2024, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baj_baj

Is there a big difference with the steering? That's my biggest gripe with the car, I feel like I can run over a curb and not feel anything through the wheel.

Yes, it's a nice upgrade not so much to feel but removes the dead spot at least

01-03-2024, 01:22 AM	#1
Reesnat Private 132 Rep 91 Posts Drives: BMW G87 M2 Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: India iTrader: (0)	Coming from the F87 comp, the DCT sharpness was something I missed on this car. Granted the upshifts on this trans was just as fast, but the downshifts left a bit to be desired. Also a weird delay sometimes near redline. To address this I initially thought of going XHP, but XHP has a lot of options to fiddle with and I am not looking at spending hours and hours fiddling with them to find what works for me. I want a fit it and forget it type of solution that works as smooth as stock, but adds a bit of a kick in the more aggressive settings. I do know XHP have some OTS maps, but even there some tweaking may be needed to get it right, from what I hear. Enter M4CSL transmission flash as an option. This got a lot of positive feedback on the M3/M4 forums and seemed like a safe choice considering its an OE map. Was in touch with kubax86 to flash this, he seems to have done many cars on this forum and seemed reliable so decided to go ahead with him. Paid him via PayPal and later that night he flashed the map remotely. Within the first KM of driving the car I knew this may not work for me. The M4CSL map is surprisingly aggressive and jerky even with the gearbox in its lowest setting. On an open road with the most aggressive settings it was violently fast and enjoyable, but the jerkiness and 'on it all the time' setting was not something I could have lived with in the long run. I spend 70% of my time in this car cruising to wherever good roads are to be 'on it' 30% of the time. So giving up the comfort during that 70% if the driving time was not something that made sense to me. After all, the whole benefit of the ZF is how smooth it can be for normal driving. To be fair kubax86 did mention that the M4CSL map is super aggressive and he suggested the M3 CS map instead which is smoother. In my head I was like I am hardcore Bro, coming from the previous DCT , not that hardcore after all, apparently So after an hour of driving it, we swapped to the M3 CS map. One of the main worries I had with this was that its designed for an XDrive car, but being the same transmission, it should work. So with the CS map flashed, I was back on the road and the car immediately felt similar to the stock car. I took it for a longer drive the next morning and managed to floor it a few times WOT, and it seemed like it was a touch quicker, but not by much vs stock. I tried launch control to see if it worked, but it didn't, I guess this is to be expected considering its launch control was designed for XDrive and this is RWD. Overall, the M3 CS map added some refinement and part throttle drivability back while being aggressive enough when WOT. Is it noticeable quicker/better than stock, I'm not entirely sure yet, maybe after some more driving I will get a better feel for it. From a timings perspective, I did a couple 100-200 runs and the numbers were exactly the same as stock, so no measurable difference there. Thanks to kubax86 for his patience, and service! Hope my experience helps others who may have been considering these.
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01-03-2024, 11:24 AM	#3
WhiteRqbbit Private First Class 81 Rep 106 Posts Drives: BMW M2 G87 Join Date: Oct 2023 Location: NC, USA iTrader: (0)	How much is that? M4CSL sounds like a blast __________________
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01-10-2024, 05:14 AM	#6
Ahmadg87 Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: bmw m2 g87 2023 Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: kuwait iTrader: (0)	Does this work with a jb4 installed?
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01-30-2024, 07:01 AM	#8
M Division Captain 1198 Rep 636 Posts Drives: G87 M2, G42 M24, X6, R34 GTR Join Date: Sep 2022 Location: Earth iTrader: (0)	I did the CSL steering flash which was great, but to me doing the ZF flash wasn't worth loosing drivetrain warranty.
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