BMW and M Power Owners

Caporegime
Joined
25 Nov 2004
Posts
25,812
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On the road....
Just had a brown trouser moment on the slip road in the M2. As I was joining the motorway, must have put my foot down a bit too much for the conditions (tires may have been cold as I had only set off 10 mins before), it felt like the back end of the car snakes about 1 metre side to side. God knows what the car in the lane next to me was thinking.

Clearly I haven’t quite got used to RWD life but the greasy conditions probably did not help.

This car seems to attract idiots though as the car in the other lane was so eager to push on from the lights I thought it was going to crash on the corner.

I seem to attract some idiot on a daily basis, usually someone tailgating me for no reason. I really don’t understand it.
Did the traction control not cut in?

I’m guessing you lifted off the gas completely which more often than not results in quite a violent “snap” in the other direction...

Reducing rather than lifting off completely is the better option.

If your not used / confident in RWD then look up a skid pan course and get yourself on it, I did one years back (in a truck) and it was undoubtedly the most useful thing I’ve done behind the wheel.

It won’t turn you into a driving god but it will prepare you for the unexpected and how to counter it.

As for the cretin behind you, sod him, your in front let him be as eager as he likes - once he’s past you - never allow yourself to be effectively driven by the fool behind.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Oct 2004
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5,216
Location
location, location
I'll just quickly weigh in on the M3/M4. I've a 65 plate F80 M3 (non CP), and I don't have any noise from the roof, and the turbo lag is really minimal. I've done ~27k miles in it so far, so I have some experience to speak from!
 
Caporegime
Joined
21 Oct 2002
Posts
26,251
Location
Here
I still can’t understand why the roof would creak. Maybe it’s bits of trim near it creaking.

I’ve never seen it mentioned and google suggests it’s never been mentioned before

Oh and this weather you have to be very smooth with throttle
 
Man of Honour
Joined
29 Jun 2004
Posts
21,490
Location
Oxfordshire
I still can’t understand why the roof would creak. Maybe it’s bits of trim near it creaking.

I’ve never seen it mentioned and google suggests it’s never been mentioned before

Oh and this weather you have to be very smooth with throttle

Creaking might be the wrong word

You know when you have ice on the roof and you can hear it crack and stuff expand/contract as it warms up. It was more like that noise but more constant
 
OcUK Staff
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
38,205
Location
OcUK HQ
From memory the metal ones are welded. I'd hazard that what's creaking is the roof against the internal supports. I don't believe it's bonded to them.

No idea on that series M car, but I know when I had the carbon roof fitted to my E46 the metal roof was riveted and sealed on, don't recall any welding as Geoff Steel had it off in no time by drilling out the rivets, though those rivets could have been welds, I really can't remember sorry.
They bonded carbon roof in, its never creaked or leaked.

The only creaking in my car is normally from the false rear interior and parcel shelf area but for a track car all in all its pretty quiet.
 
Caporegime
Joined
23 Dec 2011
Posts
32,910
Location
Northern England
No idea on that series M car, but I know when I had the carbon roof fitted to my E46 the metal roof was riveted and sealed on, don't recall any welding as Geoff Steel had it off in no time by drilling out the rivets, though those rivets could have been welds, I really can't remember sorry.
They bonded carbon roof in, its never creaked or leaked.

The only creaking in my car is normally from the false rear interior and parcel shelf area but for a track car all in all its pretty quiet.

They'll have been spot welds. Nice and easy to drill out.
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Sep 2007
Posts
11,095
Location
West Yorkshire / Market Bosworth
Did the traction control not cut in?

I’m guessing you lifted off the gas completely which more often than not results in quite a violent “snap” in the other direction...

Reducing rather than lifting off completely is the better option.

If your not used / confident in RWD then look up a skid pan course and get yourself on it, I did one years back (in a truck) and it was undoubtedly the most useful thing I’ve done behind the wheel.

It won’t turn you into a driving god but it will prepare you for the unexpected and how to counter it.

As for the cretin behind you, sod him, your in front let him be as eager as he likes - once he’s past you - never allow yourself to be effectively driven by the fool behind.

I've been testing the car out tonight as it was really bad rain, lots of standing water on the country roads. Obviously trying with no one around and with plenty of space, I had the car in comfort mode and floored it from 10mph. Traction control kicked in but it still went fairly quick, no signs of the rear feeling unsettled like it did last night.

Thinking back now shortly before setting off last night I was toggling the different modes comfort to sport then sport plus and back again etc. Perhaps I left it in sport plus without realising which is traction control mostly turned off, or even sport mode which allows a little slip and is a bit more lively. There is no M buttons in the M2 (only now available in the M2 comp) to customize the drive settings, its basically all or nothing. :p

You're right though I need to get on a skid pan day.
 
Caporegime
Joined
25 Nov 2004
Posts
25,812
Location
On the road....
I've been testing the car out tonight as it was really bad rain, lots of standing water on the country roads. Obviously trying with no one around and with plenty of space, I had the car in comfort mode and floored it from 10mph. Traction control kicked in but it still went fairly quick, no signs of the rear feeling unsettled like it did last night.

Thinking back now shortly before setting off last night I was toggling the different modes comfort to sport then sport plus and back again etc. Perhaps I left it in sport plus without realising which is traction control mostly turned off, or even sport mode which allows a little slip and is a bit more lively. There is no M buttons in the M2 (only now available in the M2 comp) to customize the drive settings, its basically all or nothing. :p

You're right though I need to get on a skid pan day.
I'd guess you'd left Sport + on without realising it - and it will bite in such conditions in that mode - my sister astounded me when she first took me out in their M4, shes as unable a driver you could wish to meet yet the way the car masked her inablity to use the M4's power in poor conditions was nothing short of remarkable! :D

But yes man, skid pan, absolutely, you won't regret it.
 
OcUK Staff
Joined
17 Oct 2002
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38,205
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OcUK HQ
I've been testing the car out tonight as it was really bad rain, lots of standing water on the country roads. Obviously trying with no one around and with plenty of space, I had the car in comfort mode and floored it from 10mph. Traction control kicked in but it still went fairly quick, no signs of the rear feeling unsettled like it did last night.

Thinking back now shortly before setting off last night I was toggling the different modes comfort to sport then sport plus and back again etc. Perhaps I left it in sport plus without realising which is traction control mostly turned off, or even sport mode which allows a little slip and is a bit more lively. There is no M buttons in the M2 (only now available in the M2 comp) to customize the drive settings, its basically all or nothing. :p

You're right though I need to get on a skid pan day.


Massive difference in grip between a full wet road a an early morning damp/cold/greasy road.

Dry cold greasy mornings can be like ice!

Full wet conditions can be surprisingly grippy. My M3 is on like what must be 4-6yr MPSS now and in full wet they are like poo to a blanket I can drive fully committed in the wet and full throttle 2nd gear up obviously helped by NA and linear not much torque power delivery and my DSC is generally always off as no track or sport mode in my DAC it’s either full on or full off undortunately.

I hate dry greasy conditions or damp and greasy it’s so hard to judge so I generally just drive like Mary Poppins, full dry or full wet then it’s game on.
 
Associate
Joined
26 Nov 2017
Posts
234
I've been testing the car out tonight as it was really bad rain, lots of standing water on the country roads. Obviously trying with no one around and with plenty of space, I had the car in comfort mode and floored it from 10mph. Traction control kicked in but it still went fairly quick, no signs of the rear feeling unsettled like it did last night.

Thinking back now shortly before setting off last night I was toggling the different modes comfort to sport then sport plus and back again etc. Perhaps I left it in sport plus without realising which is traction control mostly turned off, or even sport mode which allows a little slip and is a bit more lively. There is no M buttons in the M2 (only now available in the M2 comp) to customize the drive settings, its basically all or nothing. :p

You're right though I need to get on a skid pan day.

M5 has done similar to me a couple of times recently, wet conditions have been the factor and I would guess air temps have been reasonably mild on both occasions. Tyres haven't been that warm either (less than 5 miles from start off). When you put it in M-mode, it doesn't automatically change the traction control, as it is all configurable. I've experienced the back end snap out at around 50-60mph, and on both occasions I wasn't really accelerating at full chat. What I suspect is the case is the M cars are torque-limited in 1st and 2nd gear. So when you're pushing on at 50-75% throttle in 3rd and 4th, the rear wheels are having to deal with more torque than they would in your 'from 10mph' test.

Also, perhaps, from rest or 10mph, you're distributing more weight to the rear of the car (or distributing it more quickly) by taking off at a greater rate than the car will accelerate from, say, 50-70mph.

This might all be bollcks of course, but just my 2p. I have some winter wheels coming today lol.
 
Associate
Joined
13 Sep 2013
Posts
1,662
Location
Aberdeen
Looking for a new towing car. 2015 330d touring m sport x drive is top of the list.

1. Quite a difference between the 320d and 330d with regards to oomph. Even though primarily for towing, it'll be my daily. Is the 320d pokey enough or quite lazy?

2. Not really familiar with bmw option list, what are the must haves? Heated electric fronts would be one option I want.

3. Milage. Not a great difference in price between 30-60k on the clock. How are these price wise on official servicing? What intervals are the majors at?
 
Soldato
Joined
16 Oct 2009
Posts
8,917
Location
Essex
Looking for a new towing car. 2015 330d touring m sport x drive is top of the list.

1. Quite a difference between the 320d and 330d with regards to oomph. Even though primarily for towing, it'll be my daily. Is the 320d pokey enough or quite lazy?

2. Not really familiar with bmw option list, what are the must haves? Heated electric fronts would be one option I want.

3. Milage. Not a great difference in price between 30-60k on the clock. How are these price wise on official servicing? What intervals are the majors at?

1. They are completely different cars tbh. The 4-cylinder diesels are noisy, unreliable and quite boring to drive. The 3 liter diesels are surprisingly quiet and refined, with enough torque to make them a fun daily driver.

2. The 3-series unfortunately doesn't come with a lot of options in the base models. When I was looking for one, my must haves were xenon/LED headlights (most come with the horrendous halogens...), professional satnav (huge difference in the interior), sports or comfort seats, m-sport styling and Harman Kardon speakers (the stock audio is absolutely rubbish). I believe the M-Sport Plus pack comes with most of these options.

3. Service intervals normally depend on driving style and how many miles you do in a year. I think it's semi-fixed at 18k miles/2 years, with alternative major service. On top of that it's the usual tyres, brake pads/discs, wipers, etc.

https://www.bmw-service.co.uk/

You can go on the above site, enter your reg and mileage and it will tell you how much the service would be and how frequently it's meant to be done.

Some cars come with a 5 years service plan included, so that would be a bonus.

Ideally, you should be looking at a facelifted 2016 model, if you can stretch. The price difference won't be that large, and it is a better car overall, that should retain value a little longer.

Alternatively, I would look at an F10 530/535d Touring. Much better cars overall, if slightly larger.
 
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