[mikon]

Originally Posted by GTO

Am wondering what people do with 500 BHP cars in cities. The only place you can really have fun with them is on the highway. I'm willing to bet a 100 bucks with anyone that a Mini Cooper S will be more fun to drive in India than a Ferrari.

I agree with you! I enjoy driving the Mini on a daily basis - It's small, agile, fast and easy to drive than the F Type S. On the highway, its a different ball-game.

However, the itch of upgrade to 500+ Bhp cars still remains

It's nice to see your 530d reports - makes me miss mine.

[GTO]

Just returned from a 2 day 650 km road-trip from Mumbai -> Sula -> Nashik -> Shirdi -> Shanishingnapur -> Pune -> Mumbai. And guess what - I'm going for another road-trip this long Republic Day weekend .

Drove like a dream. A rare luxury car that appeals to the heart (fun to drive, opulence) as well as the head (reliability, ground clearance etc.). Redlined her on the open road and crawled over bad roads = she took them all with no complaints.

Long tank range is a boon. Did the full trip on a single tank (try that in a 535i!!!) and came home with ~20% to spare. No worries about adulterated diesel on the highway.

She's a keeper. Seeing so many F10s with 1+ lakh km on the odo only reassures me of her long-term potential (check this one out with 200,000 km).





A smile that summarises the ownership experience thus far:

[GT3]

GTO are you satisfied with the way the F10 carries itself around corners? Do have any plans regarding upgrading with a set of coilovers or stiffer sway bars?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by GT3

GTO are you satisfied with the way the F10 carries itself around corners?

Very happy with it. No doubt, it's more 'luxury sedan' than 'sports sedan' (as the E60 was), but the car still has a lot of talent. I'm in my 40s now and have started valuing ride quality more (10 years younger & I would've preferred the bone-jarring ride + tighter handling of the E60).

Do have any plans regarding upgrading with a set of coilovers or stiffer sway bars?

No man, no plans to deviate from the stock setup. What I would really love to do is switch to Michelin Pilot Sports at the next tyre change, but their availability in the 275 mm size is a big challenge. I know the Michelin guys so will reach out to them (at the company level) next time I'm buying tyres.

[graaja]

Hi GTO,

As there have been several inputs in my Jetta upgrade thread to go for a used 530D, I am considering that option as well now, and am checking out some options. I have a few questions.

1. So far, I have come across 3 cars with a running between 30K to 50K and manufacturing year 2014 and 2015, and none of them has active warranty. The owners never bothered to get extended warranty. Is it a definite NO to get the 530D without extended warranty? Or if the car ticks all other boxes (like well maintained, no warranty or major insurance claims etc), is it ok if I earmark some amount for future failures? If yes, how much should I plan to set aside? I understand, this may be very difficult to predict?
2. How much should I plan towards regular maintenance like service cost, tires etc? I have seen some comments that say the service costs for the 5 series is almost 2x the 3 series.
3. With lots of discussions coming up about Government going to ban diesel cars, is it a good decision to get a diesel car now? If I plan to keep the car for 5 to 6 years at the least, would it lose all it's value? I understand, this would be pure speculation, but I would like to have your thoughts on this.
4. How is the refinement of the engine compared to your brother's Jetta?

Thanks a lot in advance for the inputs.

[Turbanator]

if the car ticks all other boxes (like well maintained, no warranty or major insurance claims etc)

Try to involve Local dealership and route via them, If I am not mistaken, if you buy the car via dealership you get 12-month warranty with an option to extend. So if you are keen to have something with the warranty, can pay them 50K or so and let them first buy and then sell to you.

I have seen some comments that say the service costs for the 5 series is almost 2x the 3 series.

Not necessarily apart from some consumable like oil, which will definitely 1,5 X given the difference in capacities of engines

If I plan to keep the car for 5 to 6 years at the least, would it lose all it's value? I understand, this would be pure speculation,

No one can touch your car as long as it has a valid RC. Worst case, they won't renew if you fall under Metro areas but then you can always get it transferred elsewhere. But I don't think you will enjoy this car after 10 Years, we change with time very fast, I have 2009 X6 that I bought new and believe me every single thing already feels dated.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by graaja

So far, I have come across 3 cars with a running between 30K to 50K and manufacturing year 2014 and 2015, and none of them has active warranty. The owners never bothered to get extended warranty. Is it a definite NO to get the 530D without extended warranty?

All things being the same, always pick a 30k km vehicle over a 50k one. I frankly don't have the appetite for a 530d without a warranty, but it really depends on you. That said, my car has so far had excellent reliability, save for the water leakage issue.

How much should I plan towards regular maintenance like service cost, tires etc?

I've only seen Rs. 20,000 - 30,000 services so far. I believe the major ones will cost 40 - 50k.

Tyres are 1 lakh for the staggered runflat setup. Take a look at the last couple of pages; I've given periodic updates on the services, costs etc.

Your annual insurance cost will probably be higher than any services (I pay ~70k for zero dep with hydrostatic lock cover etc.).

With lots of discussions coming up about Government going to ban diesel cars, is it a good decision to get a diesel car now?

HELL YES! Get a torque monster before they are phased out. The industry is downsizing engines, and EVs etc. are coming. Enjoy powerful internal-combustion 6 to 8 cylinder engines while you can.

Even if your city puts a cap of 10 years on diesel cars, you still have 5 - 7 years to enjoy it. Frankly, these cars aren't built for ownership over 10 years as the electronics are too complex. The day that the repair costs exceed its book value, owners will start abandoning them.

If I plan to keep the car for 5 to 6 years at the least, would it lose all it's value?

Not at all. IIRC, DBHPian Sahil sold his 9 year old 525d for 12 lakhs or some figure like that.

How is the refinement of the engine compared to your brother's Jetta?

6-cylinders = smooth as silk. There is no comparison.

P.S. I'll still insist you hold onto your Jetta for another 1 / 2 / 3 years.

[lancer_maniac]

My BMW 520d has come up with an unusual issue from last week. The blower switches on and off every now and then. Initially I thought it might be because of the ac automatic temperature control. But then when I changed the A/c to the manual mode also same thing is happening. Once it automatically switches off, it takes another 5 minutes for it to switch on again. Ac cooling and everything is normal when it switches back on again, though it cuts off completely again within 2 minutes. When I took it to the service centre they after scanning told that the blower unit has to be changed .

I then took it to a local garage for a second opinion, what they told me even without checking is, it wont be the blower unit and must be some electronic module failure as if it is the blower, then one side blower should be working as it has a dual zone AC. Technically I guess he is correct as when the blower is cutting off, its not one side - all the vents including the back are cutting off. Dual zone means there should be two blowers right? Correct me if I'm wrong. Any help on this will surely help me as I'm in a dilemma what to do .

Mods- Please move it to the correct thread if this post doesn't belong here.

[Maverick5490]

Originally Posted by lancer_maniac

Any help on this will surely help me as I'm in a dilemma what to do .

Mods- Please move it to the correct thread if this post doesn't belong here

If you leave just the blower ON with compressor off does the blower switch OFF?

How old is your car battery? the blower can also cut out if the electrical consumers are high, but it wont be in the fault pattern you mentioned.

Most probable cause would be the compressor not cutting off causing the evaporator to freeze and block the airflow. Once the evaporator temperature rises, the airflow would resume for a while. When the AC works is the airflow very cold?

Hope this helps!

[lancer_maniac]

Originally Posted by Maverick5490

If you leave just the blower ON with compressor off does the blower switch OFF?

yes even with just the blower on it is the same

How old is your car battery? the blower can also cut out if the electrical consumers are high, but it wont be in the fault pattern you mentioned.

Battery is 2 years old.But I don't think the issue is with the battery

Most probable cause would be the compressor not cutting off causing the evaporator to freeze and block the airflow. Once the evaporator temperature rises, the airflow would resume for a while. When the AC works is the airflow very cold?

yes when the ac works the cooling is there but then the blower speed is low even in the Max mode.

Hope this helps!

But if it is the blower issue, will both the blowers get effected at the same time or is it because both the blowers are connected to the same module?? (Just my assumption).

And if I do change the blower unit, will it come along with the module or is it a separate part? In that case if it is indeed the module issue, what is the use of spending 30k for the blower unit and if it doesn't solve the issue, do I have to change the module?

[GTO]

Adding 3 more points to the review:

1. These Continental Runflats sure wear out quickly! It's barely 10,000 km since I got them installed and I can already feel the rear end sliding more when I floor the pedal (in 1st or 2nd gear), and the ESP kicking in earlier under fast cornering. The only other tyre I've experienced such a fast wear rate in is the Eagle F1 (related thread). Next change, I'm going to be tempted by Michelin Pilot Sports, although sourcing in this size will be a headache.

2. The car did approximately 9,000 km in the last year. That's higher than I expected as it's used only on nights, weekends and for all highway trips. Good thing, I say!!

3. Both rear passengers buckled up - pic taken after Shirdi darshan. Always have your passengers buckle up, no matter if they whine & complain:

[karan561]

Originally Posted by GTO

Adding 3 more points to the review:

1. These Continental Runflats sure wear out quickly! It's barely 10,000 km since I got them installed and I can already feel the rear end sliding more when I floor the pedal (in 1st or 2nd gear), and the ESP kicking in earlier under fast cornering. The only other tyre I've experienced such a fast wear rate in is the Eagle F1 (related thread). Next change, I'm going to be tempted by Michelin Pilot Sports, although sourcing in this size will be a headache.

What tyre pressure are you maintaining ?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by karan561

What tyre pressure are you maintaining ?

30 - 32 PSI buddy. Anything higher is too much for Indian roads (ride quality).

[karan561]

Originally Posted by GTO

30 - 32 PSI buddy. Anything higher is too much for Indian roads (ride quality).

Exactly these are the best tyre pressures for Indian roads which will give a great grip as well as good ride quality + ensuring your run flats are safe.

BUT the recommended pressures would be higher (36 psi rear ?) hence the tyres are wearing out quickly.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by karan561

BUT the recommended pressures would be higher (36 psi rear ?) hence the tyres are wearing out quickly.

German car manufacturers are known to suggest unusually high PSIs (some high-end VWs come with 40+ PSI recommendations) for - among other things - better fuel economy.

But 36 and over PSI is simply impractical for our roads. Ride quality being one, and the other being tyres / alloy wheels more prone to damage.

I think 32 PSI is the max I'll go to.

With reference to the tyre wear, that's a bane of this particular tyre model. Look up what other 530d owners have to say (including on this thread). On tirerack, they have a 4.1 / 10 rating for wear.