Only118d

This popped up on the WWW. I assume this has come up many times on the forum. My 118d (B47) was on a 15,000km factory oil change interval (on the onboard system) which I always thought was too long.... Interesting to see the related engine tear down on youtube. This Broken BMW Engine Is Proof You Should Ignore Factory Oil Change Intervals (motor1.com) BMW's turbocharged four-cylinder engines of the mid-2010s have developed a reputation for unreliability. That reputation comes from a number of different problems, the biggest of which—brittle plastic timing chain guides—caused a failure on this particular engine. The I Do Cars YouTube channel managed to get its hands on a failed N26 four-cylinder for its latest teardown video, giving us an inside look at why so many of these engines fail. The leading theory is BMW's 15,000-mile oil change interval suggestion, allowing varnish and sludge to build up inside the engine while ruining the plastics and rubber. This engine certainly supports this theory, going by the dark brown-stained metal in the head. Eric, the video's host, begins to find chunks of timing chain guide—which were plastic from the factory—as he digs deeper. His discoveries culminate at the oil pickup tube, which has been fully blocked by pieces of timing chain guide. The chunks were plentiful enough to clog the oil's path to the pump, starving the engine of vital oil and eventually causing lots of wear and damage. Surprisingly many of the internals were salvageable, so at least it's not all bad news. These days, BMW recommends changing the oil on its cars every 10,000 miles—far fewer than before, but still not the 5,000 to 7,000-mile interval that you probably should follow. If this teardown is any proof, oil changes should always be a priority. Otherwise, you'll be paying the price down the line.

Hello Rogan, if you want to try the wheels on your car give me a message.

So a new M5 weights 2,440 kg..... At 5,390 pounds, the new M5 weighs about 400 pounds more than two Mazda Miatas in their heaviest configuration. I did the math, believe me. The hybrid bits alone have added nearly 900 lbs over the previous-generation model. To make matters worse, the car is substantially bigger, so there's even more bulk than before. The Internet seemingly hates the sports sedan because of this. BMW has read the negative comments on social media, and it's a bit pissed. BMW Is Annoyed People Are Calling the M5 Fat (motor1.com)

It did ride okay on 17" RFT Msport suspension however i am used to my 97WRX which is firm. It certainly looks good on the 17" rims. A pity I sold it or you could of driven it to feel what it was like.

Thanks Rogan, a good idea, but my requirements have changed..... I managed to get another second hand tyre and also another full set of correct Msport wheels and tyres. However i have now sold the 118d and i still have the wheels for sale.... A bargain for someone. BMW 17” Msport Wheels and Tyres (full set of 4) | Trade Me Motors Trademe listing #4972055728

In case you missed. Diesel BMW Driver Smashes Solo Coast-to-Coast Cannonball Driving Record (roadandtrack.com) A traffic-free L.A. allowed Stowell to reach the Portofino Inn in just 27 hours and 16 minutes. That time absolutely smashed the previous verified solo record of 27 hours 54 minutes set by Carl Dietz in a Cadillac ATS back in April 2020. Stowell also beats the pre-COVID overall record of 27 hours 25 minutes set by current record holders Toman, Tabbutt, and Chadwick. He managed to do this by averaging a speed of 105 mph, with a top speed of 151 mph. He also had the benefit of only needing to refuel every 800 miles or so, owing to averaging around 23 mpg during the attempt. .... Despite coming from a line of Audi S6 models, Stowell was convinced to purchase a 2015 BMW 535d by a buddy with an E90-generation diesel 3 Series of his own. The car isn’t exactly stock, with a stage 2 tune removing most of its factory emissions controls. An ECU tune brought output to around 400 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque, allowing for great passing power on the highway. A series of aftermarket fuel cells were installed before settling on the final unit, which was outfitted with some tank foam to limit fuel sloshing. This cut a few gallons out of the tank, but left Stowell with around 40 gallons of total capacity. An Insta360 radar detector was the main piece of anti-cop hardware, but Stowell didn’t run the several units we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in these cars. He told R&T that he plans to continue driving this BMW, and didn’t want to tear up the interior for this challenge. .....

Thanks Neil, i have been scouting out TradeMe also and those are a great option, although a bit more than i need, as my wheels and front tyres are as new already.

Hello everyone, as per my “New Member Intro” I now need to replace the rear tyres on my 118d (F20). It has the staggered width 17” Msport wheels and the rear tyres are 245/40R17. The tyres are Bridgestone Potenza S001 245/40R17 91W RFT (runflat) and as per Olaf’s and Balancerider’s suggestion I will try and stick with these. I have managed to damage one tyre (I ran over something solid) and both rear tyres have only about 2 to 3 mm tread. I was quite impressed how well these runflat tyres stood up to the impact. So if anyone has one or two of these for sale I would like to hear from you. I am looking for one worn (3mm tread) or two good tyres to match what is on the car now. Otherwise this is the saga of trying to find tyres………… for you information. It appears these aren’t too common a tyre size/type so I suspect pricing is never going to be good. See the attached where used screen shot. The Bridgestone list price is $553 each. Although it is May and Bridgestone has their “buy 1 get 1 half price sale”, these tyres don’t apply (arrrrrrgh). A couple of North Shore Tyre Shops have quoted me $499 each (fitted, balanced, new valves etc). Including the new Tyrewise fee :-). The cheapest I can find is $479 from directyre.co.nz in East Tamaki (all inclusive). I also talked to Costco and Jackie there was really helpful. Their price was $491. So if I wasn’t skint (poor) I would buy two new tyres from Directtyre.co.nz. And I don’t want to buy the Winrun Runflat equivalents even though they are only $265. If anyone has any feedback or ideas on alternative suppliers that would be good to hear.

I finally fixed / replaced the O2 sensor. The new O2 sensor is the Bosch unit (0 281 004 746) as provided by BMworkshops. Redoing the continuity / bell test across the red and white wires (heating circuit) returned a positive result on the new sensor. Where the old unit didn’t so I am sure the heating circuit of the old O2 sensor had broken/burnt out. So I fitted the new O2 sensor and cleared the ECU fault codes. After running the engine there are no more ECU fault codes showing so I am hoping all is fixed now.

Thanks Palazzo, that is a great price. I will add Spareto to my "check first for parts"

So I have ordered a replacement from BMworkshops ($300 + gst). It will be a week or so before it arrives and I am offline for a couple of months before I can fit it anyway. Note the price from CC-BMW was $700 + gst.

Thanks kwhelan, I have reset the codes and it comes back repeatedly unfortately.

Thanks for that and I am certainly now convinced the S001 is the way to go. I just need to find them at a good price.

Thanks Olaf for the extra info and your timing is perfect. I happened to check the tyre depths on the 118d and the rears (245/40R17) are getting low. The car is actually already fitted with Bridgestone Potenza S001 (RFT) both ends so it is great to hear they are good. I will look to refit the S001/RFT on the rear although they are $400 each (about double what i am used to spending). PS i am not looking forward to using the tire goo if i have to....

My F20 118d (2016) is showing P0036 and P0038 codes on my cheap OBDII reader. Note I didn’t/don’t have a CEL (check engine light) on the dash, I was just checking my OBDII scanner on the car. So before I blow $200 to $500 on a new O2 sensor does the following make sense or has anyone got any ideas on what else I can check first? As I understand these codes pertain to the post Cat O2 sensor heater circuit. So I found the post cat O2 sensor underneath after removing two covers. I couldn’t see any obvious damage or issues to the sensor, wires or connectors. So I thought I would check for continuity of the heater circuit of the O2 sensor as I think this is all you can check for in this case. However I can’t work out the wiring of the sensor as the wire colours aren’t the usual (they are black, white, grey and red). Normally there would be two (2) white wires for the heater circuit. I am guessing the heater circuit is the red and white wires based on some searching on the www (and some deduction). So I continuity (bell) checked between all pins in the O2 sensor connector including between red and white but none appear to be connected. So I think the heater circuit in the O2 sensor is toast/burnt/broken. So in summary: 1. I assume the heater circuit for the post Cat O2 sensor isn’t super important or I would get a CEL? a. Although I would still like to fix it. 2. Does anyone know the colour coding of the O2 sensor wires? a. And what the resistance should be on the heater circuit. 3. Is there anything else I should check before buying a new O2 sensor? 4. Does anyone have a good/cheap source for a replacement O2 Sensor? a. OEM part number 13628589104 (I think). 5. Is there anything else I need to consider or check or should i just change out the O2 sensor. Thanks

Thanks Olaf for the feedback on RFTs.

As an update, The Bimmer is helping me sort this out. Big Thanks to him. It looks like the previous software update by CC-BMW nuked the head unit.

It was a bit wet......

Does everyone know about this, there is normally a fantastic turn out of cars. On Sunday 03 March 2024 Lloyd Elsmore Park, Pakuranga, Auckland. 10am to 3pm. Auckland Brit & Euro Classic Car Show | Home (briteurocarshow.nz)

Thanks Gaz, that site gives great information about my cars spec and the relevant BMW part numbers. Thanks

Thanks Eagle, i checked out the Penrite (Australia?) site, and it is comprehensive. Although it did suggest a strange engine oil selection for my 118d/B47. However, I will use it again. You are correct as Bentley Publishing don't have a manual for my 1 series unfortunately. There does seem a lot of information for BMWs on line. Even more than for MX5 and WRX which i though was quite good. Thanks again for the reply and information.

Hello everyone, I am after the service information for my 118d/F20 as the owner’s manual (found on the www) doesn’t list out everything. Also when I search the www I get different answers depending where I look. So I was hoping someone had experience with any of these sources of information or could recommend something else. 1. The Haynes Manual. I have used these before and they are usually reasonably good. It appears there is now a manual for F20 available but it is not a hard book but an online system called “Haynes autofix” which has videos and other stuff. Has anyone tried these new online Haynes manuals? 2. Workshop manual . Has anyone downloaded one of these? An actual BMW one or other? 3. Or should I just be using the wisdom of you all on Bimmersport.co.nz. At this stage I am just after the basics: Engine oil (5w-30 LL04)? Trans fluid (ZF only?) Coolant (Green ethyl-glycol)? Diff oil (75w-90) Brake fluid (I bought the BMW DOT4 LV).

Thanks Danch for the welcome. And apologies to everyone in advance as i have so many questions......

Hello Bimmersport world, I wasn’t planning on joining team BMW as they always seemed too expensive and complicated for me (but fantastic cars). However a friend was selling his 2016 118d F20 after being deported/relocated to the West Island (Australia) and I have got to like the 118d a lot. Although I have always hankered for an M car especially after seeing an M5 wagon (the V10 version) at Continental Cars Parts department the other day and the M3 CS at CC-BMW looks the business but $283,000 although East Auckland BMW has one for $270,500. The 118d it is a nice package for not much money. She has done a few kms (150k) so I am working through a list of maintenance items to attend to (I will be posting a few questions if I can find answers already in the forum). I am hoping on getting 300k out of it before anything major is required (optimistic?). I am more familiar on running pre 2000 Japanese cars (WRX, MX5, Corolla, Demio,…) which all need 6month WOFs and don’t have OBDII so the 118d is quite different. (See my separate post on fixing my disappearing iDrive). The 118d has the ZF 8speed Auto which seems a fantastic gearbox both to use and own/maintain. It is my first auto so hopefully I can get my iDrive back so my left hand has something to do, other than changing the Drive Mode button (another great feature). Do some cars have steering wheel paddles for manual gear changes with these gearboxes? I am not sure about the run flat tyres and I will probably look to change them if that makes sense…..although no spare wheel location. A diesel engine is also a new thing for me, so lots to learn about these and EGR and DPF and dodgy timing chains (or is that just the N47 and not the B47) I am looking to get the engine uprated to 165 kW / 450 Nm at Autoupgrades.co.nz on the North Shore. This would make the 118d almost as quick as my WRX but with half the fuel cost. This is more than just a rechip and seems like excellent value. Although I still need to research brake capacity and transmission strength etc. They also do a gearbox reprogram for the ZF 8 speed for quicker/better changes. When and if I do this I will report back. That’s probably enough waffle from me at this stage and I look forward to using the Bimmersport NZ Forum in the future.

Done