NZ New BMW’s and Petrol Particulate Filters

[BlackrazorNZ 83]

Hey all

Since about April this year, BMW has been fitting PPF’s (petrol particulate filters, not the paint protection ?) to the M140i and a lot of its other higher performance vehicles, in order to meet the EU emission standards. 

Doesn’t have any impact on performance, as they just tune the engines slightly to compensate for the somewhat restricted airflow. However, reportedly it does reduce the pops and other exhaust noises that are part of the charm of these cars. Plus it prevents you from fitting an M Performance Exhaust if you want to. 

EU/UK get PPF’s, US and (anecdotally) Aus do not. Anyone know if NZ BMW’s get them now?

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by BlackrazorNZ

[balancerider 758]

Don't have firm info but the NZ/AU 40i B58 engines have a lower compression option (S858) c.f. the euro market ones (due to poorer quality fuel - mainly in Australia) - so they may continue to omit it?

[kiwi535 538]

if aussie dont have them we wont

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2959]

2 hours ago, kiwi535 said:

if aussie dont have them we wont

Really, and why would that be..?

[kiwi535 538]

because our market these days is a sub market of aussie.I think it is unlikely they would have different cars for aussie and nz at the basic mechanical level.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2959]

New. Zealand is a seperate market to Au and has a number of key differences, most notably the fact of the ADR that applies to all new cars in AU that do not apply in NZ.

As a result of the different homologation requirements all Aussie cars have to be built as Market specific, NZ only the general EU compliant model code. Not all Models offered in NZ are offered in AU and vice versa.

There are usually a number of new technologies and features on cars in NZ that are not “allowed” in AU - I think they have finally given the green light to head-up display after it being in NZ for many years.

So yes there are differences, and some fairly significant ones.

[balancerider 758]

Guess that's why we get a better range of tourings than AU?

they're stuck with 520d/530i in the G31 and nothing bigger than a 330i in the F31.

[Olaf 3320]

16 hours ago, balancerider said:

Don't have firm info but the NZ/AU 40i B58 engines have a lower compression option (S858) c.f. the euro market ones (due to poorer quality fuel - mainly in Australia) - so they may continue to omit it?

what information do you have on fuel quality of Australia vs NZ?  I thought we had fairly sh%t quality fuel regardless, though would love some fact.

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by Olaf

[BlackrazorNZ 83]

I asked my dealer for a sample VIN number from a floor-stock M140i, and this one does not show a PPF on the options list via the VIN decoder (option code S1DEA). 

So I am hopeful NZ does not get them, hopeful because it means at a later date I can fit an MPE if I want.

I guess from here it's just a case of wait and see

[BlackrazorNZ 83]

7 minutes ago, Olaf said:

what information do you have on fuel quality of Australia vs NZ?  I thought we had fairly sh%t quality fuel regardless, though would love some fact.

 

Ironically, it may be our sh%t fuel that saved me the indignity of a PPF - it appears PPF's don't work well on 95 RON or below.

[qube 3570]

bit off topic but MPE is awesome

though I am biased since I have one..

[balancerider 758]

56 minutes ago, Olaf said:

what information do you have on fuel quality of Australia vs NZ?  I thought we had fairly sh%t quality fuel regardless, though would love some fact.

 

NZ currently legislates 10ppm sulfur for diesel and petrol. Australia has 150ppm for 91 and 50ppm for 95/98, not sure about their diesel. I believe our 98 Octane (not the Gull stuff with ethanol in it) is imported refined from Singapore (which has very exacting specifications.

[E30 325i Rag-Top 2959]

1 hour ago, BlackrazorNZ said:

Ironically, it may be our sh%t fuel that saved me the indignity of a PPF - it appears PPF's don't work well on 95 RON or below.

It's not related to the fuel quality, it is related to the emissions level required by the market. Only markets that have to meet the tougher Real World Emissions Testing (WLTP or RDE in BMW speak) require the additional emissions control systems, which include the particulate filter, to be fitted. As the additional controls are quite expensive to add to the vehicle they are only fitted when necessarily.

NZ is still only an EU4 emissions level for new petrol vehicles, so the EU6 version without the ppf more than meets the homologation requirements to be sold in NZ.

I think the VIN decoder you are using may still have old descriptions for the option codes, as option 858 has been referred to as "engine for poor-fuel countries" for a while now rather than the "lower compression engine" - probably more managed through the knock-sensors and ignition advance timing rather than a mechanical change in the engine.  My understanding is that it is the sulphur levels in both the diesel and petrol that can be available that cause the issues.

[BlackrazorNZ 83]

So via my dealer I got a definitive answer from BMW NZ - looks like no PPF's in NZ.

Pretty happy with that, means the M Performance Exhaust upgrade is still on the cards!