BMW and M Power Owners

Are the current BMW ones metal or plastic centre caps? I found the plastic ones sit tighter, the metal ones can "spin" under acceleration and work loose. And also scratch the alloy! There are various tab types on the plastic ones though, the black tabbed ones sit the tightest in my experience as they have the most tabs.

Unless it's bowed or otherwise damaged just leave the rad alone - replace it if/when it goes or if you've got other items to swap out meaning you'll be draining the coolant anyway

I will heed this advice, but if my engine blows up one day, I will be coming for you :p




;)
 
Speak to Jason at http://www.bwchiptune.co.uk. He's considered to be one of the best.

Thanks mate, they just gave me a quote of £350 cash in hand. About right for a good job, why are they so highly recommended? I guess it's not a couple of mugs who hired a rolling road and call them selfs professionals then? But instead guys who know what their doing.

They need a weeks notice, I'll get it done in a couple of months.

That looks in superb nick given its age.:)

Thanks chap! It really is, there are a fair few swirl patterns on the paintwork from shoddy cleaning, but nothing a few weekends of polishing wheels and elbow grease won't sort. On the passenger rear door, there are 2 tiny little dents, only noticeable if you look for it standing behind the car, carpark dents most likely. Smaller than a penny.

I'll see if I can knock them out, but they are so small I'm not overly fussed. The gear knob has worn, as has the paint on the plastic inside the centre console arm rest, the cubbyhole. I'll take this out and give it a nice respray. 30 minute job. They had the drivers seats leather touched up with a specialist when they got the car in, so no leather paint needed neither.

Ummmm, think that's it, I was very scrutinous when looking around it.
 
Seems to me that guy is a complete crook, stupid really as he shouldn't get any repeat business with practices like that. Tell your friend to look at the guidance online from trading standards regarding The Supply of Goods and Services Act, looks like this work would blatantly breach requirements for it to be "done with reasonable care and skill" and be "of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose".

will do thanks. i thought about small claims court but with the guy advertising the work with a months guarantee then i doubt there would be any point.
 
will do thanks. i thought about small claims court but with the guy advertising the work with a months guarantee then i doubt there would be any point.

Well, he doesn't know that. Threaten with it, pay a lawyer £50 to look into it, give the garage a call. Might be enough for him to just do the work, suddenly, saved your self £150...
 
It also gives better economy, which for me doing many motorway miles will add up and pay for it's self in 12 months.

It doesn't - this is largely a hearsay snake oil effect. The benefit is increased performance and it really ends there.

It will likely be around 270-280bhp from 230bhp (give or take due to age). Then from 500NM to around 600NM (give or take) of torque.

It's up to you but I genuinely do not believe you can reliability get 280bhp and 600nm out of a 10+ year old M57 engine and I think you are asking for trouble having somebody who claims you can map it. Even with 10 subsequent years of progress BMW have not quite managed to reach that with the x30d and that's despite an all-new engine not an engine that first appeared in 1998 - it's already at it's safe design limits in 231bhp form (it originally appeared with just 184bhp as it's maximum power output).

Why would they have gone to the trouble of developing the 335d in order to obtain 280bhp if it was so easy and consequence free to get it from the 330d?

Gearbox will probably be ok though as I believe it's a ZF6HP26 which is rated at 600nm (Though at 10 years old you'll probably accelerate the need for a rebuild).

You've not even got the car yet, personally I'd just enjoy it as it is, at least for now. You've managed to find an exceptionally rare decent condition low mileage example, don't be in such a rush to tune it to the max, fit Ebay lights, etc etc.
 
[TW]Fox;28364660 said:
It doesn't - this is largely a hearsay snake oil effect. The benefit is increased performance and it really ends there.



It's up to you but I genuinely do not believe you can reliability get 280bhp and 600nm out of a 10+ year old M57 engine and I think you are asking for trouble having somebody who claims you can map it. Even with 10 subsequent years of progress BMW have not quite managed to reach that with the x30d and that's despite an all-new engine not an engine that first appeared in 1998 - it's already at it's safe design limits in 231bhp form (it originally appeared with just 184bhp as it's maximum power output).

Why would they have gone to the trouble of developing the 335d in order to obtain 280bhp if it was so easy and consequence free to get it from the 330d?

Gearbox will probably be ok though as I believe it's a ZF6HP26 which is rated at 600nm (Though at 10 years old you'll probably accelerate the need for a rebuild).

You've not even got the car yet, personally I'd just enjoy it as it is, at least for now. You've managed to find an exceptionally rare decent condition low mileage example, don't be in such a rush to tune it to the max, fit Ebay lights, etc etc.

I really see no downside to a remap, seriously. Rebuild the gearbox? I really don't think it's going to be the case any time soon. Unless, as said, I'm hooning it every chance I get, every day, none stop from A - B. But the truth is, 3 days of the week, it's motorway running, the other 2, sat at home on the drive whilst I'm in London.

As for better economy, again, this is something that's claimed a lot and I am taking it all with a pinch of salt until I see my self.

A friend of mine at work said mapping his 320d was probably one of the best things he's done to his car. Simply as it 'runs, pulls and drives better' (his words, not mine).

I'm not arguing that your points are not valid, I'm just saying that from what I've read and heard about, it's a 'mod' that adds to the car. And I've yet to read any horror stories from doing a remap.

And the bloody angel lights, this is cosmetic, I prefer it. It's like telling one of the Reliant Robin crew they are wrong because they love their 3 wheelers. Whilst they are strange folk, it's their opinion and preference. Not 'wrong' or something that shouldn't be done. Now, if I had ordered a plethora of M badges to slap all over the car, devised a plan to debadge the 330d and tint out the front windows. Then yes, hate upon that.

But simply changing a halogen to LED? It's aesthetics, one that I like.

At the end of the day, I'm reading and taking in your input/advice on the matter, which I really do appreicate. This thread is full to the brim of good advice, hints, tips and generally people who know much more than most of the numpties at the BMW garages. But it's my car and I feel a remap will enhance my driving experience with the car. And no, this isn't something I'm doing on day one. Who knows, I might like the current pull of the motor and think the remap isn't worth the money.

It okay, whack those injectors up to 11, they'll last, no problem.

88mph.
 
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I really see no downside to a remap, seriously.

why, faced with the need to market a higher performance diesel variant, did BMW go to the trouble and expense of developing a twin turbo solution if they could simply achieve the power they wanted out of the engine they already produced?

Of course there is a downside - the more power you put through the engine and ancillary components the more wear that takes place the higher likelihood that something won't be able to cope with the strain. That's why the 280bhp E90 diesel has two turbos not one.

Many people make the calculated decision that any reduction in lifespan of components won't manifest itself until after they are done with the car - which is fair enough - but this car is already 10 years old and is a variant not known for staggering reliability in the first place so why take the risk?

Rebuild the gearbox? I really don't think it's going to be the case any time soon.

Frankly you can't really say that irrespective of remap, it's hardly rare that a ZF box needs a rebuild once it gets to about 8-13 years old.


But the truth is, 3 days of the week, it's motorway running, the other 2, sat at home on the drive whilst I'm in London.

So why isn't the 231bhp it has as standard suitable? You've not even owned the car yet so why are you so desperate for the remap before even knowing how the car's hardly poor stock level of performance fits into your usage profile?

A friend of mine at work said mapping his 320d was probably one of the best things he's done to his car. Simply as it 'runs, pulls and drives better' (his words, not mine).

To be fair a standard 320d is a fairly horrible thing to drive anyway so every little helps, the 330d is already smoother and drives better.

I could remap my 530d tomorrow and have 310bhp. If it was as risk free and no-brainer a decision as you say it is, don't you think I'd have done it? :p
 
If you find yourself almost never using the extra power a map brings you'll soon forget all about the fact it's on there - mine was removed from the Honda and tbh I never particularly missed it (though I was also concerned about the ckutch/fly of that car). It never helped economy either, didn't hurt it though

Do what you like with the car but it's already got a nice engine with a good balance of power and nice box to go with it. I wouldn't personally waste the money on it. I'd remove the swirl flaps as planned though and keep your remap money to go towards a turbo or the likes should it need it during your ownership

It's also more difficult to sell this sort of car with any sort of modification
 
Again, not chomping at the bit, the only things I plan to do in the next 4 - 8 weeks is replace the gear knobs plastics (urgh), replace halogens for LED's, respray the centre console cubbyhole due to plastic peeling and finally, replace the swirl flaps and fit blanks.

You might be right, I might think the car is just fine without the remap. But until I've had a good few weeks in it, I'm not deciding either way :)

Actually, just looking around on the net, the plastics can easily be resprayed as well. Saving me the chance of getting some skanky chinese remake.
 
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Do what you like with the car but it's already got a nice engine with a good balance of power and nice box to go with it. I wouldn't personally waste the money on it. I'd remove the swirl flaps as planned though and keep your remap money to go towards a turbo or the likes should it need it during your ownership

It's also more difficult to sell this sort of car with any sort of modification

It just sounds like a box ticking exercise. He's not taken delivery of it yet, he's barely driven it aside from a short test drive but internet says 'yea its totally free power with zero downsides!111' so it's on the mod shopping list before he even knows if he's got an issue with the standard power offered by the car.

Slow down, get the car, enjoy it for a bit.
 
[TW]Fox;28364912 said:
It just sounds like a box ticking exercise. He's not taken delivery of it yet, he's barely driven it aside from a short test drive but internet says 'yea its totally free power with zero downsides!111' so it's on the mod shopping list before he even knows if he's got an issue with the standard power offered by the car.

Slow down, get the car, enjoy it for a bit.

Sigh... Are you not reading my responses?

Anyway, to those who gave advice/thoughts on the other bits such as swirl flaps, thanks.
 
[TW]Fox;28364999 said:
You don't need a crystal ball to work out somebody who posted a reply at 18:05 was probably typing it before you hit submit at 18:04 :p

Yea, just realised, thought you was being sarcastic. Then I looked, hence the edit to NVM lol.

Moving away from the whole remap and onto refreshing the car due to age. I forgot to ask, is there anywhere I can buy little bits like the BMW wheel caps, but genuine, or as good as?

I'm always nervous buying those sort of things online, as 9 times out of 10. They often turn out to be Chinese knock offs and awful. I'd much rather pay the proper price for the proper item.

Just a decent store to get the parts.
 
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