BMW and M Power Owners

BennyC said:
Love the 5 series, got a real soft spot for the front end. Shame about the 20d :p
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Its not exactly slow though either, coupled with the 8-speed auto its not a bad car, I had a new 520D M-Sport and I was not upset with its performance and the handling/grip was very surprising in a good way, probably the 275 section rear tyres though. ;)
 
This is the thing people tend to forget when comparing the likes of the 320/520d - they're actually a bit quicker than any of the mainstream equivalents whilst still being (generally) a nicer place to be.

As a company car I'd have no hesitation in having one, just not for my own cash
 
Gaygle said:
It's not " very uncompetitively priced" at all. I paid £17 for 5 litres of the stuff and bare in mind the BMW stuff is down to -63 which means you can dilute it many times more than the 3rd party guff you buy, meaning it goes much further.

And yes 3rd party stuff will lead to sludging in the tank and pump, which are both difficult to get to.
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thewanted said:
Did you buy it directly from BMW for that price, or online? What sort of mix ratio are you using?
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I finally got round to visiting my local BMW dealership today to pick up some screenwash, and they only sell the 1 litre bottles :/ Since I really needed some, I handed over the £4.50 they wanted for it.

I looked for some last night on the BMW Direct store on ebay, but they don't stock it either. Is it usually so difficult to find the 5 litre bottles?
 
rodenal said:
This is the thing people tend to forget when comparing the likes of the 320/520d - they're actually a bit quicker than any of the mainstream equivalents whilst still being (generally) a nicer place to be.

As a company car I'd have no hesitation in having one, just not for my own cash
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I have been driving a 520d a lot lately in F11 guise. Paired with the ZF 8 speed gearbox it is the least irritating 4 cylinder diesel I've ever driven. Infact to be honest its absolutely fine - its quick enough, the soundproofing and refinement in the cabin is sufficient that the diesel din isn't anything like as annoying as it usually is, etc etc.

You can, however, tell it's a 4 cylinder diesel. Still not sure I'd want one personally but it's far from the runt of the litter that it has traditionally been. Certainly in SE guise they make a lot of sense if you want a quick enough, economical comfortable wafter.
 
[TW]Fox;25994330 said:
I have been driving a 520d a lot lately in F11 guise. Paired with the ZF 8 speed gearbox it is the least irritating 4 cylinder diesel I've ever driven. Infact to be honest its absolutely fine - its quick enough, the soundproofing and refinement in the cabin is sufficient that the diesel din isn't anything like as annoying as it usually is, etc etc.

You can, however, tell it's a 4 cylinder diesel. Still not sure I'd want one personally but it's far from the runt of the litter that it has traditionally been. Certainly in SE guise they make a lot of sense if you want a quick enough, economical comfortable wafter.
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Pretty much how I felt, that 8 speed box has given the car beneficial extra performance. :)
 
thewanted said:
I finally got round to visiting my local BMW dealership today to pick up some screenwash, and they only sell the 1 litre bottles :/ Since I really needed some, I handed over the £4.50 they wanted for it.

I looked for some last night on the BMW Direct store on ebay, but they don't stock it either. Is it usually so difficult to find the 5 litre bottles?
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http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=131085128981 :)
 
Have a look at the VW screenwash, it's ridiculously cheap from memory. I believe it's Quantum branded stuff and is something like £5 for 5l.
 
Atari said:
Have a look at the VW screenwash, it's ridiculously cheap from memory. I believe it's Quantum branded stuff and is something like £5 for 5l.
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The only reason that I am pursuing the BMW stuff is because I have seen testimonials from people online saying that a certain filter got clogged up in their windscreen washer system which costs £60+ to replace.

I have no doubt however that BMW is simply buying the screenwash from someone like Quantum and slapping a fancy label and exorbitant price on it. Unfortunately, without being able to prove this, I may just have to stick with the official screenwash.
 
Ah fair enough, hadn't heard that before so interesting to know.

I've cleaned out the filter for the E46 when I first got it but can't say I've noticed it getting clogged up since (most of the bottle was covered in gunk though so I'd imagine that was what clogged it up in the first place).
 
What's the general consensus on 'BMW Service Inclusive' & 'Service Inclusive Plus' for an E92 3 series covering between 10-15k/pa? After sales prices are a little higher but I wonder if these are good value for money or not?

I haven't done the math to see if there is any saving, obviously the higher your annual mileage the better. I have a current service pack that came with the vehicle with 15k/13 months left to run.
 
My views are:

a) Service packs available from new are excellent value and you'd mad not to buy it.
b) Service packs available for approved used are medicore value and need careful weighing up of the actual requirements of your specific car versus what you'll get
c) Service Inclusive Plus is very expensive and likely only worth it for very high mileage drivers.
 
[TW]Fox;25997621 said:
My views are:

a) Service packs available from new are excellent value and you'd mad not to buy it.
b) Service packs available for approved used are medicore value and need careful weighing up of the actual requirements of your specific car versus what you'll get
c) Service Inclusive Plus is very expensive and likely only worth it for very high mileage drivers.
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Thanks,

As I thought, depending on what's due & when (how quickly this comes around) it may well be money down the drain.
 
I suspect the battery in my 335i, the original now 4 years old, is on its last legs. It took noticeably longer (a few seconds to turn over) this morning, has generally seemed a bit laboured turning over the last two weeks and my rear screen is taking a very long time to clear. I’m fairly certain the battery is considered a consumable and will not be covered by extended warranty nor would a service package cover any labour.

A local indy has quoted £36 to code (I presume including fitting – I can do this myself if need be). There might be a local forum member willing to help but £36 isn’t going to break the bank. The same Indy is quoting ‘the same prices as dealers’ for parts, which is a bit suspicious...

I can’t find any OEM BMW batteries online, I’ve tried BmMiniParts and found part numbers via RealOEM. I’ll try my local dealers but expect it can be had cheaper elsewhere, can anyone recommend a supplier? I would expect fitting a 096 Bosch S5, whilst it would do the job, would give BMW wriggle room for any warranty claims later down the line?

Thanks.
 
You absolutely sure it isn't a symptom of the fuel pump dying? You had any codes from the laboured start?

I only ask because 4 years for a battery is not very long at all. Mine is double that and hasn't missed a beat.
 
IME batteries are often recoverable too, with a decent conditioner. I bought a decent CTEK conditioner after i was convinced that i trashed my SL500 battery, it restored it 100%. Ive since done the same to a couple of others which seemed as though they needed replacement. I am now fairly convinced that most batteries are thrown out unnecessarily.
 
Gaygle said:
You absolutely sure it isn't a symptom of the fuel pump dying? You had any codes from the laboured start?

I only ask because 4 years for a battery is not very long at all. Mine is double that and hasn't missed a beat.
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No faults or discharge messages shown on the iDrive but the suggestion of the electronics being limited would point to the battery or the battery charge sensor?

I've just checked the voltage with ignition on but car not running at it was flicking between 11.8/11.9 volts. I'll check with it running before I leave work, don't want to start it for the sake of it.

Jez said:
IME batteries are often recoverable too, with a decent conditioner. I bought a decent CTEK conditioner after i was convinced that i trashed my SL500 battery, it restored it 100%. Ive since done the same to a couple of others which seemed as though they needed replacement. I am now fairly convinced that most batteries are thrown out unnecessarily.
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Does the above sound like something a CTEK conditioner could 'mend'?

Pass me some ice, dealer price for new battery £257 inc VAT. :eek:
 
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It's a battery, get a Halfords special for £70 or so with the correct amperage.

Still on the original battery in my 13 year old, no signs of fading
 
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