For a while I've been racking my brain as to whether I should get the Shark Injector or the Sprint Booster for the effect I wanted, which was improved throttle response. Rev-matching was a pain in the ass and always resulted in a little jiggle as the clutch came back up due to the poor lack of response from the throttle during the blip.

I pulled the trigger and bought a Shark Injector for my E46. I bought it from Turner Motorsport (turnermotorsport.com) because they are located relatively close to me and because their price was pretty much the same as elsewhere. Bought it Monday evening, had it Wednesday night.

The benefits of a Shark Injector, according to the website, include:
* Raised redline
* Removed top speed limiter of 155mph
* Optimization for 91+ octane fuel
* Increase in horsepower and torque
* Increased throttle response
* Smoother running engine with fewer dead spots
* Easy installation / ability to restore to factory default
* Injector can be "upgraded" to accomodate additional mods

Cost: $299

After installation, I have noticed a few improvements. The number one thing that I was concerned with was throttle response. Let me be happy to report: The throttle response problem has been solved. I can now perform perfect rev-matches with ease, unlike before. I've been heel-and-toe downshifting all day with a major success rate of perfect shifts, which is a LOT more than could be said compared to stock.

The car does seem to have a very minimal added kick, mostly due to the elimination of a known (and very annoying) dead spot between ~3.5-4.5k rpm. I can now pull cleanly through the rev range without feeling any hesitation or dead spots.

I haven't tested the top-speed limiter removal, nor do I have any plans to. My rev-limit seems to have stayed the same, though on some sites they claim that a software update will not change the limit for the ZHP as it already has a raised limit. I could've sworn that I saw very close to 7k on the tach before fuel cutoff, so I'm not 100% sure on this. I will have to do further testing on the rev limit.

Installation was definitely an interesting thing. I had numerous problems with the install, not because it's difficult to install, but because of the hardware I was using. My battery was factory original, just over 6 years old. The car started and operated fine, but if you were to leave some accessories on without the engine running (heated seats, climate control, radio, etc.) for aout 10 minutes, the car wouldn't start anymore. Even with a battery charger hooked up and a fully charged battery, the software update would not complete due to a lack of voltage. There must be at a minimum of 12.5 constant volts at the battery for the update to complete. Otherwise, the shark will not update. It does a couple of voltage checks throughout the process, once before starting, and once after it has finished copying files but before it starts to reprogram.
I later learned my battery put out 12.4 volts when FULLY charged. It was time for a new battery. Even with the new battery (AutoZone 49DL [DuraLast yellow-top]), however, a charger is required. If that voltage isn't maintained during the programming phase, you run the risk of damaging your computer systems if the battery's voltage drops too much. The charger must provide at an absolute minimum 10amps, 20 if you have Daytime Running Lights enabled. For those of you with Angel Eyes, you will have to disconnect your angel eyes to prevent them from drawing too much power, as the lights will most likely be on during the process.

Overall, the flashing process took about 20-25 minutes, depending on whether you are actually standing there waiting for it to finish.


If anyone needs installation instructions, I will post them up. Until then, this should do.