KiwiTT

Thanks Glenn for helping me get my BMW 330i M-Sport - I still love the car. Now to find another reputable BMW specialist who can do my next service. Not keen on going to a BMW dealer if I can avoid it. Recommendations?

http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/local/bmw-recalls-14m-vehicles-due-to-risk-of-under-hood-fires BMW is recalling more than 1.4 million cars and SUVs in two U.S. recalls due to the risk of fires under the hood. The biggest recall includes over 740,000 328i, 328xi, 328i xDrive, 525i, 525xi, 528i, 528xi, 530i, 530xi, X3 3.0si, X3 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive30i, Z4 3.0i, Z4 3.0si and Z4 sDrive30i vehicles from 2007-2011. Also included is the 2008-2011 128i. Documents posted Friday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that a heater for the positive crankcase ventilation valve can overheat and cause the valve to melt, increasing the risk of a fire even when the vehicle is not in use. No injuries have been reported. Dealers will replace the heater. The second recall covers nearly 673,000 cars including the 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and M3 from the 2006-2011 model years. Also covered are the 2007-2011 328i xDrive, 335i xDrive and 335is, and the 2009-2011 335d. Wiring for the heating and air conditioning system can overheat and cause connectors to melt, also increasing the fire risk, even when vehicles are unattended. Four drivers reported injuries. Dealers will replace the wiring and connectors. Both recalls begin Dec. 18.

It is great that BMW are still contacting and supporting drivers of these now really old cars.

I thought the LCI 3-Litre N53 engines would be more unreliable due to the Direct Injection does not work well with our high sulphur content fuels - http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/n52.html

An Update: Now at the 6 months point, and I still feel happy to own my BMW 330i M-Sport. Just a few things of Note: 1) Switching to 'Sport Mode' makes it like a whole different car, the responsiveness is awesome, However, even in 'normal' it is more than adequate 2) Fuel economy, for short while I worried about it, but as I just use about $100 every 2-3 weeks with Mobil Supreme+ 98, it is not really that expensive for the joy of driving it. 3) Still have not taken out for a really long open-road cruise in the country, but feel it will perform well when it does and have not yet enabled or used cruise control 4) Noticed a little safety feature the other day, when the temperature outside dropped from 5 C to 3 C at little dashboard warning light came on alerting me to the possibility of 'black ice' - Nice! 5) It is still a great looking car stock, with its M-sport kit, and I still have not decided whether I will put on "M-sport badges" on the grill and on the rear boot lid. 6) Changed the Japanese Import tyres to new Bridgestones and it felt a whole lot better, especially in the wet. Next up, will be it's first service in about October with Glenn in Botany Motor Worx and subsequent WoF, which I suspect it will pass.

I have been reading that some cars electronics will break down long before the mechanical and body issues will come to light. How reliable are BMW electronics on average.

Well I have the RE050As on and the car feels much more composed. Now to see how they will feel in the wet. Probably helped that the wheels were balanced and also had a wheel alignment which showed it was significantly out. Also comes with lifetime puncture warranty, so I will get a new tyre if I get a puncture, until they are worn out. As I do about 7,500km per year ... it will take ages for them to wear out.

As I have the full M-sport package, I suspect this applies; - "The Potenza RE050A II RFT (Run-Flat Tire) is Bridgestone's Max Performance Summer run-flat tire developed exclusively for selected BMW 3 Series cabriolets, coupes and sedans equipped with BMW's optional sport packages. " - https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Bridgestone&tireModel=Potenza+RE050A+II+RFT Yeah ... the way insurance companies work ... if they can find a way to not to pay out, they will. So not really worth the risk

I have decided to go with the Bridgestone RE050A RFT as these are the ones that BMW specify, and as I have a 4 year Autosure warranty, and should I develop a suspension fault in those 4 years (the likely life of my tyres - I do about 7,500km a year), they won't have an 'out' because I have non-OEM tyres.

The other thing I have thought is from what I have read is that the suspension has been calibrated for the RFT stiffer sidewalls. This is what I read also in the BMW 3 Series development book. “Suspension system designed for run-flat tires Benefit • Optimum riding comfort The relatively stiff sidewalls and greater weight of run-flat tires call for specific suspension tuning. On vehicles where both regular and run-flat tires are offered, riding comfort may be somewhat compromised with the run-flats. Because the new 3 Series is engineered “from the ground up” for run-flat tires, its suspension is optimally calibrated for them. This means that riding comfort is optimum; in other words, the new 3’s ride” So I may notice other issues if I change from the OEM setup. 330i_Book.pdf

I have got a quote for Pirelli P Zero - BMW fit for the same price as above - $1650, but I can also get Bridgestone OEM RE0050A RFTs for $1247 (currently 4 tyres for the price of 3) special until 17 March. Is it worth the extra $400?

I am noticing a few times now with this wet weather at 50km/h speeds that I am getting the DTC warning light flashing a few times per day with driving on wet roads. I don't really feel confident driving them in the wet because of that, so am considering changing my tyres well before the tread depth requirement. They may still have the original tyres that they were important with from Japan, so I am not sure the age and tyre rubber can 'age' I believe, so having new tyres with more grip might better sooner rather than later. I still want to go with RFT anyhow, so I have read some reviews and Pirelli or Bridgestone mat be the better option. And leaning towards Bridgestone as they seem to be more readily available. http://www.bridgestonetyrecentre.co.nz/tyre/t290/Passenger/ Online reviews seem to indicate that they are quite a poor option. The Pirelli's seem harder to get ? Requested a quote from - http://www.tyrepower.co.nz/

I did consider a 335i, but was put off by the more potential problems they may have and do have and the extra power would hardly be used in most everyday driving. I did consider a 323i, but for an extra $3,000 I could get a 330i which I did. The E90 first generation 330i is probably a better bet. The Facelift 330i LCI have the Direct Injection motor N53 which is not good for our high sulphur fuels.

When you consider that it is under a minute slower than some pretty exotic cars - it is very impressive - https://nurburgringlaptimes.com/lap-times-top-100/

I knew this car is good, but did not realise it was this good!