BMW and M Power Owners

[Havana_UK]

The M3 threw up an EML yesterday on the way home. Took it into my local garage who did a quick code read (misfire on cylinder 6 apparently) and cleared the code, but it came up again on the way home today.

Now booked into local BMW dealership under warranty to be sorted (I assume it's a coil pack or similar). Apparently they'll only replace the failed part under warranty, so if it is the coil pack the other 5 won't be changed.

What's Motors' advice? Change all 6 whilst at it (and hopefully get it for parts cost only since the labour for diagnosing and changing one of them will effectively cover all 6), or just do the one?

 

[wingman]

Now booked into local BMW dealership under warranty to be sorted (I assume it's a coil pack or similar). Apparently they'll only replace the failed part under warranty, so if it is the coil pack the other 5 won't be changed.

Is the car always going to be under warranty?

 

[lee1101]

Test drove a new M135i last weekend as there a few good deals on them at the moment.

My god its ugly. I thought it would be one that grows on you when you see it in the flesh but it really doesn't. The short stubby bonnet and massive plastic kidney grills look even worse in person. Its not terrible from the rear, but it looks like an MPV from the side.

The interior was also underwhelming and a bit bland. The build quality is great and everything feels premium and soft to touch, however I much prefer the interior of my A class, even if it is a bit blingy.
The actual drive was really good though, plenty of power and endless grip. Didn't sound great but then none of the new cars in this bracket do. Seats were very comfy and the heads up display in this particular model was very clear and I found myself not even looking at the dials. The digital dials are a bit lacklustre and not as good as the Mercedes or Audi equivalents.

I have a test drive in a 330i this weekend. Completely different car I know but I much prefer the looks compared to the M135. The interior also feels a lot better, despite the obvious similarities.

 

[Havana_UK]

Is the car always going to be under warranty?

Probably for the foreseeable future, but I have the £250 excess, so I'm thinking I might be better to fork out a bit extra myself to get all 6 replaced (assuming that's what's failed) at once rather than 6 separate warranty claims with a £250 excess every time.

 

[wingman]

Probably for the foreseeable future, but I have the £250 excess, so I'm thinking I might be better to fork out a bit extra myself to get all 6 replaced (assuming that's what's failed) at once rather than 6 separate warranty claims with a £250 excess every time.

You'll presumably be charged the lower of the warranty excess and the costs involved, depending on what it is, it could go either way.

For me it would be a simple case of figuring out which option is cheaper, if the cost to replace one is considerably more than £250 then don't bother doing the lot. I know it's not ideal having a misfire but it could be a complete one off, and if it happens again it's unlikely to leave you stranded.

 

[Havana_UK]

You'll presumably be charged the lower of the warranty excess and the costs involved, depending on what it is, it could go either way.

For me it would be a simple case of figuring out which option is cheaper, if the cost to replace one is considerably more than £250 then don't bother doing the lot. I know it's not ideal having a misfire but it could be a complete one off, and if it happens again it's unlikely to leave you stranded.

This is what I'm unsure of at the moment. I can't even detect a misfire and it feels fine and like it has full power, but obviously something's thrown the code. I'm pretty certain it's going over the warranty excess, because they are £120/hour labour (!) and there's a minimum 1 hour charge for them purely to diagnose the issue (I don't KNOW it's a coil pack yet), then the work for them to actually change it. There's a lot of gubbins to remove just to get to the plugs/coils on these engines, so a fair bit of labour simply to start and finish the job itself.

I'm expecting the coil packs to be ~£50-60 each, and I'll get the old (working) ones back which I can bung on ebay to recoup some of the cost of the new ones, then I'll have peace of mind that they're all new.

 

[wingman]

This is what I'm unsure of at the moment. I can't even detect a misfire and it feels fine and like it has full power, but obviously something's thrown the code. I'm pretty certain it's going over the warranty excess, because they are £120/hour labour (!) and there's a minimum 1 hour charge for them purely to diagnose the issue (I don't KNOW it's a coil pack yet), then the work for them to actually change it. There's a lot of gubbins to remove just to get to the plugs/coils on these engines, so a fair bit of labour simply to start and finish the job itself.

I'm expecting the coil packs to be ~£50-60 each, and I'll get the old (working) ones back which I can bung on ebay to recoup some of the cost of the new ones, then I'll have peace of mind that they're all new.

I don't know how easy it would be for them to diagnose, quote you, and then for you ask them to tell you the value before they're putting the parts back together. Then you can say "whilst you're in there... do the lot please" - might be worth speaking to your dealer, depending on how much you trust them not to try and convince you either way, to get a better understanding of your options.

If it were me I'd let them do this one, find out the total cost and then if another one happens to go, then go get the lot done in one go.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Probably for the foreseeable future, but I have the £250 excess, so I'm thinking I might be better to fork out a bit extra myself to get all 6 replaced (assuming that's what's failed) at once rather than 6 separate warranty claims with a £250 excess every time.

For what it's worth this is why I am not a fan of the £250 excess option. For me the purpose of the warranty is to remove decisions like this and wondering about the best way to sort an issue, which the £250 excess doesn't do as unless it's a massive problem there is always this question about the best approach.

 

[mjt]

Test drove a new M135i last weekend as there a few good deals on them at the moment.

My god its ugly. I thought it would be one that grows on you when you see it in the flesh but it really doesn't. The short stubby bonnet and massive plastic kidney grills look even worse in person. Its not terrible from the rear, but it looks like an MPV from the side.

The interior was also underwhelming and a bit bland. The build quality is great and everything feels premium and soft to touch, however I much prefer the interior of my A class, even if it is a bit blingy.
The actual drive was really good though, plenty of power and endless grip. Didn't sound great but then none of the new cars in this bracket do. Seats were very comfy and the heads up display in this particular model was very clear and I found myself not even looking at the dials. The digital dials are a bit lacklustre and not as good as the Mercedes or Audi equivalents.

I have a test drive in a 330i this weekend. Completely different car I know but I much prefer the looks compared to the M135. The interior also feels a lot better, despite the obvious similarities.

My parents just ordered a 330i Touring. Very nice. Almost as big as an E39 though!

Haven’t driven a 135i, but have driven an X2M35i. The 3 is much more relaxing obviously and less frenetic and “on-edge” all the time. Obviously it has a much nicer interior as well. Think mini-5 rather than big-1, like it was with the F series cars.

The 330i is a good balance between the 320i (underpowered IMO) and the M340i (complete overkill for 90% of people).

 

[Simon]

For what it's worth this is why I am not a fan of the £250 excess option. For me the purpose of the warranty is to remove decisions like this and wondering about the best way to sort an issue, which the £250 excess doesn't do as unless it's a massive problem there is always this question about the best approach.

to echo this

V8 coil packs are £200 for 8 from the states. Easy enough to diy on your surely ?

infact. https://uk.redbrain.shop/redirect/r...4HxWRjztL6e7cvwYJT0MOZTsCc5N6okkaArKoEALw_wcB

 

[D4N]

Taxed my E36 toady. Took it for a quick spin, and the front offside caliper is sticking a bit. I’ll have to sort that out now before going out in it again. Fresh oil should be delivered tomorrow ready to change at the weekend.

 

[IC3]

The M3 threw up an EML yesterday on the way home. Took it into my local garage who did a quick code read (misfire on cylinder 6 apparently) and cleared the code, but it came up again on the way home today.

Now booked into local BMW dealership under warranty to be sorted (I assume it's a coil pack or similar). Apparently they'll only replace the failed part under warranty, so if it is the coil pack the other 5 won't be changed.

What's Motors' advice? Change all 6 whilst at it (and hopefully get it for parts cost only since the labour for diagnosing and changing one of them will effectively cover all 6), or just do the one?

I've seen a few people having injector failure on cylinder 6, its the hottest running cylinder and with the recent temperatures we had it might that.

 

[Havana_UK]

For what it's worth this is why I am not a fan of the £250 excess option. For me the purpose of the warranty is to remove decisions like this and wondering about the best way to sort an issue, which the £250 excess doesn't do as unless it's a massive problem there is always this question about the best approach.

I hear you, but my thinking was it's still a relatively new car, properly maintained and not abused. The £100 excess option from memory was substantially more expensive than the £250 option so I opted for the greater personal risk/lower price route. I don't mind the risk of the higher excess, and given the circumstances I'd still be asking the same question if the excess were the lower level (if it turns out to be the coil pack should I change all 6 at once whilst all the labour is effectively covered by the warranty claim?).

I've seen a few people having injector failure on cylinder 6, its the hottest running cylinder and with the recent temperatures we had it might that.

Maybe, but I'm driving it so little these days I expect it's unrelated. The car has covered 74,000 (pretty easy) miles so it's at that point where I can expect some things to start needing to be replaced.

 

[theone8181]

I hear you, but my thinking was it's still a relatively new car, properly maintained and not abused. The £100 excess option from memory was substantially more expensive than the £250 option so I opted for the greater personal risk/lower price route. I don't mind the risk of the higher excess, and given the circumstances I'd still be asking the same question if the excess were the lower level (if it turns out to be the coil pack should I change all 6 at once whilst all the labour is effectively covered by the warranty claim?).

Maybe, but I'm driving it so little these days I expect it's unrelated. The car has covered 74,000 (pretty easy) miles so it's at that point where I can expect some things to start needing to be replaced.

I went for 250 on mine as I figured anything jnder that I wouldn't bother for warranty work. My main worries were engine and dct gearbox as then are expensive when the go wrong.

 

[Havana_UK]

I went for 250 on mine as I figured anything jnder that I wouldn't bother for warranty work. My main worries were engine and dct gearbox as then are expensive when the go wrong.

Exactly...lots of very expensive things to go wrong, so the warranty gives peace of mind, and I've had the warranty for two years and so far saved more than the £150 difference between the two excesses in lower premiums.

 

[M1k3H]

I went for 250 on mine as I figured anything jnder that I wouldn't bother for warranty work. My main worries were engine and dct gearbox as then are expensive when the go wrong.

That was my thinking too. Smaller items I can fix at an independent garage, larger items can be done under warranty. Combined with the fact that I already had loads of components (iirc battery, wiring, alternator, starter motor, HP fuel pump, injectors) changed already under approved used warranty and the difference in price it was a no-brainer.

 

[kona786]

What brand and type of coolant is recommended for modern BMWs. F Series in particular.

Would this be classed as quality coolant

Millers Oils Alpine Antifreeze / Coolant BT

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Millers-...-/161174861915?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

 

[[TW]Fox]

You can buy coolant inexpensively from the dealer, I'd just stick with that.

Though perhaps more importantly - how come you need some? There is no replacement interval on it, its a lifetime fill, and it shouldn't use any unless there is a problem..

 

[kona786]

You can buy coolant inexpensively from the dealer, I'd just stick with that.

Though perhaps more importantly - how come you need some? There is no replacement interval on it, its a lifetime fill, and it shouldn't use any unless there is a problem..

Good point on the dealer availability.

There isn't a problem on my car per se, however I'm used to replacing the coolant every few years on my previous cars.

I'm asking about the B48 engined MINI JCW F56. Asked in here as I couldn't see a MINI thread and the B48 applies here.

I came across the following...

Https://www.lohen.co.uk/blog/which-coolant-can-i-put-in-my-mini.html

For newer Gen 3 F series engines, it requires changing less frequently. Whilst it is designed to be a ‘lifetime’ coolant, citing protection for up to 20 years, MINI and BMW recommend you change this coolant every 4 years to ensure that the corrosion inhibiting properties of the coolant are still effective.


At Lohen, we typically use Alpine Antifreeze BT Blue from Millers Oils when changing coolant, as this is compatible with everyday driving in new MINI engines. Classed as a HOAT, this is free from nitrates, amines and phosphates (NAP free) and can offer protection of up to -42 degrees celsius when mixed at a 1:1 ratio. It’s ideal to use as it can perform well when mixed with both hard and soft water, and protects your internal engine components for around 2 years before needing to be replaced.

My car is 2016 with 23k miles. Is a coolant change here completely unnecessary or is it good practice just to get it flushed and renewed?

 

[RobG]

Hi guys,

Quick question for those in the know.

I'm in the final dealings on a new (to me) used car from Sytner BMW. I'm able to buy for p/x + cash with no finance required on my part, but the dealer is offering a £500 contribution if I take out a Hire Purchase agreement. It is 9.9% APR (which is insane) but apparently (according to the sales manager) there is no penalty to ending the finance early.

I know it's a bit of a song and dance, but I'd be up for saving £500 in exchange for completing some paperwork on day of purchase and then calling to settled 2 days later.

Am I missing something here? Is there a penalty that they can levy on me for early termination?

Thanks!