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Old 1st March 2021, 22:49   #571
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

Late Post: New Brake Pads & Disc Skimming;

Odometer Reading: 36,5xx Kms.

Early in Dec. 2020 the F30 got New Brake Pads (All 4) & the Discs Skimmed (All 4).

Textar Pads (Suitable for F Chassis 3'ers & X3's)

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_1600.jpg

Old v/s New;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-cb9fd3a450514ee0b9fa3deb8e66f824.jpg

Done;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_1601.jpg

I usually get the work done at Authorised Service Centres only but they don't perform Disc Skimming hence this work was done at a friends workshop & total costs including labour was INR 18300/-

Job Well Done
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Old 13th August 2021, 13:03   #572
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

Annual Service Update;

Odometer Reading: 37,718 kms.

This Annual Service was conducted at Infinity BMW, Turbhe workshop & as as per the iDrive recommendation there was only Brake Fluid Replacement scheduled. Other than that there was regular Scanning/OBD Diagnostics done & a power wash with interior vacuuming.

A Job well done. Special thank to BHPian, friend Maverick5490 for taking care of my F30 like always.

Here's a Heroic pic of him with my F30 in the backdrop ready for delivery;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_3167.jpg

Total Cost Of Service Incl. Taxes & Labour was INR 4655/-

Last edited by karan561 : 13th August 2021 at 13:06.
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Old 5th November 2021, 22:03   #573
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

During this festive season out of all the cars I own the F30 was the only one which got TLC as I got it detailed (Interior + Exterior).

The exterior was detailed after almost 2 years;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_3960.jpeg

& the Interior was detailed for the 1st time since ownership;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_3961.jpeg

Results;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-d36cd555a8ca46adb7d22f31d69cc60d.jpg

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_3963.jpeg

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_3973.jpeg

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_3970.jpeg

Took the car out for a nice dinner date the same night & it was a special feeling;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_3994.jpeg

The car has seen 9 Diwali's but after this Detailing job it seemed it was its 1st Diwali

Last edited by karan561 : 5th November 2021 at 22:05.
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Old 25th December 2021, 13:00   #574
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Enjoying the view, more than the Coffee;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-68c9509811014c5186ad0a7810de5756.jpg

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Old 13th April 2022, 15:22   #575
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

My F30 recently gave company to a German visitor & kept it entertained;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-img_5581.jpg


Last edited by karan561 : 13th April 2022 at 15:26.
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Old 21st August 2022, 16:20   #576
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

Today, this BMW completes 10 years of ownership since the delivery day back in 2012. Like any car ownership which has its ups & downs today as we are celebrating 10 years of this car's ownership I have charted out 5 Things i Love about this car & 5 things I don't. A lot of ex-F30 owners too will relate to this video and this can be a good buyers guide as well;



LOVE;

- Engine & Gearbox Combo;

The F30 was born during an era when the Turbo Petrols were taking over. The 328i in this case which has the N20 engine was solely responsible for making the 6 cyl non turbo engines obsolete from the E90 era because with its 4 cyl turbocharged technology making this 3 series not only faster but more economical than the 6 cyl counterparts.
Overall complementing this engine was the stellar 8 Speed ZF Unit which really let the engines explore its true potential I believe the e90s that time at least the early models were running 6 speed ZF units. So yes the Engine-Gearbox combination is a strong Like.

- Ride Quality;

The Suspension tuning was very good (to aid comfort over handling) in the F30 & this probably might be the most comfortable 3 series of all time.

- Space;

Having experienced the e90 and also as i currently also own the e46 the space, specially the rear seat was tight, but in this F30 generation BMW really freed up space for the rear passengers and made the 3 series a true family sport sedan.

Feature Packed;

Well priced for its time and was a really feature rich package when I got it in 2012. Right from a 9 speaker system which actually sounds as good if not better than the 16 speaker HK System i have in my M340i, features like the HUD, Memory Seats & large iDrive which still is still very intuitive for a 10 year old system all in all reiterating the fact that if you get the basics right then it's easy to be timeless & that's what this interior is all about.

Looks (Exteriors/Interiors);

The F30 is a great looking car. Remember this was the 1st car in the BMW line up which had started the Headlight-Grill Integration design language. At the time there was no M-sport variant (finally was introduced in the LCI) still the kit was really sporty and likeable without the need to enhance / mod the car cosmetically. The proportions continue to be sporty at the side as well as the rear. The Interiors too were really fascinating last decade and are still looking modern enough in today's day & age. Style 397 rims (standard on 328i's) IMO are one of BMW's best design & distinguishing my F30 from the sea of 320d's.

Dont LOVE;

- Handling/ Bouncy Rear Suspension;

I Know that in the likes i have mentioned the Suspension as a strong point for the Ride Quality, but the flip side is the handling takes a back seat & literally the rear suspension is to be blamed for that as its too soft and makes the rear bouncy on uneven surfaces which causes a lot of unpredictability. Hence this is one of the strong dislikes for me in this F30 generation of 3 series.*New owners (recently pre-owned purchases) should consider a upgrade. However the facelift (LCI) cars were re-engineered to solve this to satisfactory levels.

- Runflats;

My F30 had come equipped with Good Year runflats at the time and those were touring spec. I personally feel that the generation of runflats of the last decade v/s the current gen runflats there is a huge difference. The rubber quality was hard, they were brittle and my setup being a 18" caused me a lot of trouble with side wall damages and tears. I had to immediately switch to a non rft setup which i had imported a staggered set of PSS and then currently i am running on a Yokohama Advan Sport (V105S) setup. My message to the new owners who are still on factory runflats would be to immediately switch to tubeless.

- Drivetrain Errors;

Out of nowhere the F30 might just throw a " Drive train error / malfunction " and this is really scary to read on your iDrive or your cluster. I Say this because the system has categorised all sorts of errors under the umbrella of " Drive train Errors ". Be it something like a rat bite or some boost related issues or oxygen sensor etc. the error is common. Need a scanner to read the exact code. It would have been better if the system would have been more accurate in saying whats wrong with the car other than just categorising all the errors into 1 which being " Drivetrain Error" which sounds a lot serious.

- Sticky Door Handles;

Sticky Door Handles has been one ergonomic problem faced by most F30 owners. Common issue with other F Chassis cars like the F10 5 series as well.

- Wheel Speed Sensor Issues;

The Car Eats up wheel speed sensors particularly if its having more hp / torque than the factory numbers. Also these failures are most common during & post monsoon if you drive through heavy rain, mucky environments or also through dusty areas. The fix is easy (as the wheel speed sensor is just a wire gone bad) but expensive (At official BMW Workshops) because they charge anywhere in the range of INR 9 - 12k / Wire. After market shops charge around INR 3k - 6k depending on your rapport & the quality / brand of sensor. Also note that each wheel has a Wheel speed sensor its not a one time fix.

Final Thoughts;

To conclude things id like to summarise by saying that the F30 is a fairly stable, predictable & reliable chassis / generation of the 3 series. Not too many issues if you take care & have a good parking garage other than the ones mentioned / explained above. A Decade done, many more to go ...

Last edited by karan561 : 21st August 2022 at 16:33.
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Old 24th August 2022, 08:53   #577
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

That was a good short review Karan, I hope your BMW serves you well in the future.
Can you share the average service cost?
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Old 24th August 2022, 12:58   #578
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Piyush Kanthak View Post
That was a good short review Karan, I hope your BMW serves you well in the future.
Thanks for the good wishes & glad you enjoyed the video

Quote:
Can you share the average service cost?
The average service cost would be around INR 18k I believe. All the services done & costs incurred have been mentioned on the thread which you can refer. Here's a link of the last service carried out;

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5124003 (The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module)
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Old 24th August 2022, 13:55   #579
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by karan561 View Post
Annual Service Update;



Total Cost Of Service Incl. Taxes & Labour was INR 4655/-
Service cost only 4655/- ? Typo ? I paid a whopping charge here this month !
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Old 25th August 2022, 10:13   #580
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ravich View Post
Service cost only 4655/- ? Typo ? I paid a whopping charge here this month !
Not a typo. The service cost was low in the last service because as per the iDrive's recommendation only the Brake Fluid replacement was required. Also older cars get some discount (This initiative is to encourage owners to not go to unprofessional aftermarket shops & % Discount structure is based on the how many years old the car is) if they service at official BMW Service Centres.

Last edited by karan561 : 25th August 2022 at 10:32.
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Old 25th December 2022, 17:00   #581
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New Suspension, Steering Parts & Tyres.

Mega Update on this thread for my F30;



^ In this video you can witness the car installed with a Brand New Suspension, Bushes, Rack components & Fresh Tyres to regain Day 1 feels.

For those who prefer text may read on;

10+ years into ownership & it was finally a good time to refresh the suspension & its parts. The Shocks chosen were OE Genuine BMW Shocks. I was also considering the M Performance upgrade option but that had a drop which I did not want & also aftermarket options were not readily available and were expensive. So finally went in for the OEM option. Ask any knowledgeable BMW guy which is the most comfortable 3 Series of all time & the answer will be F30. F30 genetics were always comfort oriented and I did not want to disturb that as for performance I have the G20 M340i which is an M Performance car with the M Sport suspension (lower than the regular G20 330i by 10mm) & for fun I have the E46 328i which has an adjustable KW coilover setup. Hence for the F30 I wanted to retain the OE comfort levels so went with the OEM option to gain back the original factory feel;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.32.17-pm.png

As the 4 shocks were changed it was always a good idea to change other critical components which would have worn out over the years and will complement the new shocks.

New Stabiliser Link Rods;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.32.51-pm.png

New Tie Rods;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.33.07-pm.png

New Control Arm Bushings;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.33.41-pm.png

Steering Rack Rebuild Kit;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.34.16-pm.png

As the car was in the workshop some other jobs were done;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.36.39-pm.png

New Tappet cover & gasket - As there was a bit of oil sweating observed hence this job was necessary to safeguard the engine & restore performance which may have been missing due to the leak.

New Spark Plugs - The last time I changed the spark plugs was about 5 years ago, hence again a good thing this was done.

New Engine Oil & Oil Filter - Routine.

New A/C Filter - Routine.

New Tyres;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.35.15-pm.png

I have always experimented with tyres & tyre sizes on my F30;

OE size: 225/45 R18 (Squared) - RFT
Experiment 1: 225/45 (Front) 245/40 (Rear) - Michelin Pilot Super Sports - Tubeless
Experiment 2: 245/40 (Squared) - Yokohama Advan Sport V105 - Tubeless
Experiment 3: 245/45 R18 (Squared) - Michelin Primacy 4 - Tubeless

As in this experiment I was going for a higher profile hence did not opt for a drop or other aftermarket options as the OE seemed accommodating 45 profiles. Hence this comfort oriented tyre profile and model selected (Primacy) was tuning the F30 as a Performance Comfort Tourer.

Alignment being done;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.36.25-pm.png

Time for a test drive;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-screenshot-20221225-4.37.39-pm.png

A decade down & now hope these parts will help the car sail through smoothly for another decade, until next time

Last edited by karan561 : 25th December 2022 at 17:02.
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Old 25th December 2022, 18:57   #582
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Re: The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Mo

Interesting that you're running 245/45. I've seen that configuration on an F30 and it looked like it might rub on the inside, especially under a full load.
Are you experiencing any rubbing at all?
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Old 25th December 2022, 19:17   #583
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Re: New Suspension, Steering Parts & Tyres.

Nice Suspension OH job performed on your car. New set of tires along with a suspension OH job go hand in hand.

Quote:
Originally Posted by karan561 View Post
Mega Update on this thread for my F30;

New Tappet cover & gasket - As there was a bit of oil sweating observed hence this job was necessary to safeguard the engine & restore performance which may have been missing due to the leak.

New Spark Plugs - The last time I changed the spark plugs was about 5 years ago, hence again a good thing this was done.
The video at (6.41 \ 8.49) point mentions "Engine tappet cover and Gasket change". This got me curious:

(1) By new "Engine tappet cover" do you mean "Plastic valve cover"?
(2) By "Gasket change" do you mean "Valve cover gasket kit"?

If 'a bit of oil sweating' by which I assume you meant 'burning oil smell or oil getting through rubber seals'. If that is the case, without replacing the plastic valve cover, SA could have performed the "Valve cover gasket kit" replacement . Is that the case?

If the answer to the above is 'yes' then plastic valve cover may not have been replaced , its just "Valve cover gasket kit" replacement.

Another question: Did the manual mentioned such a change or the SA during his diagnosis figured it out?

The above questions that I put across to you came to my mind as I was going through the below video, because I was a bit curious about that particular job:



Another question: Isn't it a good practice to replace ignition coils along with spark plugs? Yet, only spark plugs were changed in your car!
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Old 26th December 2022, 14:57   #584
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Re: New Suspension, Steering Parts & Tyres.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostrider View Post
Interesting that you're running 245/45. I've seen that configuration on an F30 and it looked like it might rub on the inside, especially under a full load.
Are you experiencing any rubbing at all?
Hi ghostrider, there's no rubbing noticed so far on solo runs as well as with 3 pax & luggage.

Here are some more pics (Closeups) for everyone's reference;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-01492d78dbc64a13b653482667cabe97.jpg

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-5d41365c46194c44a1edd44c3e1f9691.jpg

Quote:
Originally Posted by ritedhawan View Post
Nice Suspension OH job performed on your car. New set of tires along with a suspension OH job go hand in hand.
Thanks

Quote:
The video at (6.41 \ 8.49) point mentions "Engine tappet cover and Gasket change". This got me curious:

(1) By new "Engine tappet cover" do you mean "Plastic valve cover"?
(2) By "Gasket change" do you mean "Valve cover gasket kit"?
1) Yes;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-a16e11426fe44b888b7f92c1b7991405.jpg

This comes in as a set. Also was recommended by the workshop as mandatory procedure, presumably as there was some internal design change. Also did not want to retain the old cover anyway because of the age of the car and intentions to keep it healthy for another decade at least.

2) Yes;

The ULTIMAT3- F30 BMW 328i. EDIT: Upgraded with ///M Exhaust, Injen Intake & Steinbauer Power Module-bb94da313cf647bcb0f57c84cd85ade2.jpg

Quote:
Another question: Did the manual mentioned such a change or the SA during his diagnosis figured it out?
This oil sweating was observed & job was recommended to be done soon during the last service in 2021 hence anyway had to be done during this one.

Quote:
Another question: Isn't it a good practice to replace ignition coils along with spark plugs? Yet, only spark plugs were changed in your car!
Not necessary, but new Spark plugs were recommended as per the scheduled change defined in the guide where as no mention about the ignition coil change.

Last edited by karan561 : 26th December 2022 at 15:21.
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Old 28th December 2022, 16:11   #585
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Re: New Suspension, Steering Parts & Tyres.

Quote:
Originally Posted by karan561 View Post

10+ years into ownership & it was finally a good time to refresh the suspension & its parts. The Shocks chosen were OE Genuine BMW Shocks. I was also considering the M Performance upgrade option but that had a drop which I did not want & also aftermarket options were not readily available and were expensive. So finally went in for the OEM option. Ask any knowledgeable BMW guy which is the most comfortable 3 Series of all time & the answer will be F30. F30 genetics were always comfort oriented and I did not want to disturb that as for performance I have the G20 M340i which is an M Performance car with the M Sport suspension (lower than the regular G20 330i by 10mm) & for fun I have the E46 328i which has an adjustable KW coilover setup. Hence for the F30 I wanted to retain the OE comfort levels so went with the OEM option to gain back the original factory feel;
Feels awesome to see that you are keen to keep the car in prime condition and not go through the discard after some time route.
You can keep the existing suspension setup and just change the lower arms to M3 one (it will be a direct fit and negative camber will make it an awesome handler). I did the same thing but for a different reason with my E84, I had installed a lift kit from EIBACH but ordered x-drive version instead of s-drive version. This led to a change in the camber to Positive and the outer edge for the front tyres was getting gone in less than 2k km. To compensate for the change in camber I got the M3 arm kit and the car was awesome after that. Lifted with 200 mm Ground clearance, awesome handling of progressive springs and corrected camber readings. The rear had no issue hence was kept with stock arms.

Also, you can swap suspension springs from later generation cars, this setup was a bit stiff and better handler (if you prefer a firm BMW-like ride)
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