[Kelly66]

Originally Posted by Kelly66

I took my car for an evaluation yesterday. The struts on FR and FL were found leaking. Since I was also getting a steering noise while turning extreme left and right, they ask me to change the guide support as well since the greasing may have gone. It wasn't visible from top though. Other parts to be replaced include washer gasket, spring pad (lower) and some bushing. I will be getting them replaced next Saturday along with wheel alignment. Estimate is around Rs.1.09L.

Guide support cost around 28K for a pair. I could have tried greasing and taken a chance but if noise comes again, will have to wait another week for the part then labour will have to be paid again. Couple of SAs in CBE BMW also advised me to change it now.

Work done. Front struts, guide supports with washer gaskets (paper like material) and rubber dampers replaced (2 yrs unconditional warranty) and wheel alignment done. : Rs.92766/-

[motooctane]

I recently replaced both front and rear struts, rubber dampers and dust cap of my 320D. Three out of four struts were found to be leaking, with no damping action. May be the potholes packed Kerala roads could have caused the damage.I chose Bilstein B4 over OEM(Sachs?) which has a little bit more firm ride than the OEM.

[Kelly66]

Cost of maintenance per km for a Luxury car:

I am sure many of you track your cost of maintenance per km. German cars are generally more expensive to maintain. I just spent nearly a lac on front suspension. Assuming a luxury car is one which costs >Rs.40 L at today's price, would be good to know what is your cost of maintenance per km.

Here's my cost:

Make: BMW 320d F30 LCI
Regn: 31/3/17
Age on 12/11/23 : 2417/365 days = 6.62 yrs
Odometer: 37019 kms
Vehicle Maintenance Expenses (VME) (Service, Spares, BSI/BRI expenses, etc) : Rs.220129/- = Rs.5.95 per km or Rs.33242/- per year.

My Fuel Expenses: Rs.177281/- = Rs.4.79 per km.

I find this reasonable, although going forward expenses would increase. For my previous Chevy Cruze the VME was Rs.4.94 per km or Rs.29700/- per year in 6.44 yrs.

How much is yours?

PS: Mods you may move this to a separate thread if it's worth tracking for other cars!

[Kelly66]

Originally Posted by Kelly66

Cost of maintenance per km for a Luxury car:

I am sure many of you track your cost of maintenance per km. German cars are generally more expensive to maintain. I just spent nearly a lac on front suspension. Assuming a luxury car is one which costs >Rs.40 L at today's price, would be good to know what is your cost of maintenance per km.

Here's my cost:

Make: BMW 320d F30 LCI
Regn: 31/3/17
Age on 12/11/23 : 2417/365 days = 6.62 yrs
Odometer: 37019 kms
Vehicle Maintenance Expenses (VME) (Service, Spares, BSI/BRI expenses, etc) : Rs.220129/- = Rs.5.95 per km or Rs.33242/- per year.

My Fuel Expenses: Rs.177281/- = Rs.4.79 per km.

I find this reasonable, although going forward expenses would increase. For my previous Chevy Cruze the VME was Rs.4.94 per km or Rs.29700/- per year in 6.44 yrs.

How much is yours?

PS: Mods you may move this to a separate thread if it's worth tracking for other cars!

Sorry friends, to err is human! I found a mistake in my sheet. I had taken 2 yr addl warranty in 2019 for Rs.72924/-. So, here's the updated one:


Cost of maintenance per km for a Luxury car:

I am sure many of you track your cost of maintenance per km. German cars are generally more expensive to maintain. I just spent nearly a lac on front suspension. Assuming a luxury car is one which costs >Rs.40 L at today's price, would be good to know what is your cost of maintenance per km.

Here's my cost:

Make: BMW 320d F30 LCI
Regn: 31/3/17
Age on 12/11/23 : 2417/365 days = 6.62 yrs
Odometer: 37019 kms
Vehicle Maintenance Expenses (VME) (Service, Spares, BSI/BRI expenses, etc) : Rs.293053/- = Rs.7.92 per km or Rs.44255/- per year.

My Fuel Expenses: Rs.177281/- = Rs.4.79 per km.


This looks more realistic now.

[Kelly66]

Zero-dep policy benefits:

I damaged my front right headlight while taking the car out from a mall parking lot. Even though only the outer glass is broken I have to replace the entire headlight assembly, which is going to cost me around Rs.2.75L. See how BMW makes money. They don't offer just the outer glass as replacement.

Fortunately, since I have a zero-dep policy I will get 100% reimbursement other than a compulsory deductible for Rs.2k. However, I will lose my 50% NCB discount of Rs.7k when I renew next year. If I had NCB protection, I would have saved this too, but wasn't aware of this add-on. So, anyone who has NCB should definitely take this add-on.

I read somewhere that insurance companies don't offer zero dep for older cars.

Does anyone know at what age do they stop offering zero-dep?

Thanks!

[ex-innova-guy]

Originally Posted by Kelly66

I read somewhere that insurance companies don't offer zero dep for older cars.

Does anyone know at what age do they stop offering zero-dep?

Iffco-Tokio offered us zero-dep policy for the 7th year Insurance term on our Innova. Not sure if they offer it after that too. You can ask the same question on this thread (Automobile Insurance Queries? Ask me).

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Kelly66

[h3]I read somewhere that insurance companies don't offer zero dep for older cars.

Does anyone know at what age do they stop offering zero-dep?

I got a zero-dep policy for the 3'er until year 10 of the car. It wasn't possible post year 11, so you can be fairly certain some insurers will offer you likewise.

[db01]

Hey All!

My dad is considering picking up an F30 330i. The car generally seems clean, except for a whining sound on acceleration. After reading some forums online, this seems to be common with the ZF8 gearbox, with BMW claiming the sound is characteristic and doesn't cause mechanical issues. Wanted to know if anyone has experienced this in their cars and whether or not this sound is a cause for concern.

[motooctane]

Does this whining sound heard only when the AC is on?

[db01]

Originally Posted by motooctane

Does this whining sound heard only when the AC is on?

It can be heard all the time and increases proportionately with the revs. Can't hear it when revving the car in neutral, so it has nothing to do with the timing chain. Based on some threads on Bimmerpost, this is quite common with the ZF gearbox. It might also be something to do with the diff, but nothing too concerning.

[motooctane]

Originally Posted by db01

It can be heard all the time and increases proportionately with the revs. Can't hear it when revving the car in neutral, so it has nothing to do with the timing chain.

I also don't suspect timing chain. My F30 320d produce an annoying whining sound only when the AC is turned on. The sound increases with revs till 2k RPM after which it is gone!! Just wanted to crosscheck whether this is the case with you as well

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by db01

My dad is considering picking up an F30 330i. The car generally seems clean, except for a whining sound on acceleration.

I have a 2013 328i sedan which has 98,000 on the odometer. This whine is present mostly when cold. There is zero whine from the gearbox post warm up.

The other whine is from the AC compressor and that can be heard internal to the car, when you are sitting inside, windows and doors shut. If you pop the hood and try listen for it, you won't hear it. Its more a drone filtering in than a whine. Has a sort of rubbery, stretchy sound to it. If this is what you are hearing, walk away from the car. Thats basically the AC compressor on its last leg. It can either continue to work like that or just seize up one day which is going to cost A LOT to replace. Its a sort of variable load compressor. Not the usual ON/OFF ones.

I would inspect the car thoroughly and check if oil changes have been carried out in time. Check the dates and mileage reading on the bill. I'd be a bit reluctant if its a high mileage car, especially when you buy in India. The F30 is old now in terms of generation.

[suhaas307]

Hi folks!

I have recently acquired a super-clean 328i that Vid6639 discovered on T-BHP Classifieds.



The car belonged to a fellow BHPian and was extremely well maintained with only 41,000 km on the odo, so it seemed like a no-brainer. I closed the deal in a week after mutually agreeing on the price.















At first, I wasn't sure about the red leather interior, but in person it actually wasn't bad at all. Now, I have gotten used to it and personally think it's one of the best spec 328i variants out there.

The car needed some mechanical work, including a suspension overhaul and brake rotor replacement, both of which I got done within a month of taking delivery. I have replaced the dampers with OEM+ Bilstein B4 struts and new top hats. The bushes, links and other components seemed to be in good nick so I did not meddle with them. Rotors are from BMW's OEM supplier - Zimmerman, paired with EBC Ultimax pads.

I also took this opportunity to splurge on a few modifications, including (1) Wagner Evo1 Intercooler, (2) FTP Charge Pipes + Boost Pipe kit, (3) MST Turbo Inlet Pipe and (4) Active Autowerke Axleback exhaust.

I have also recently purchased BootMod3 licence key and tune package with unlimited tunes and I am waiting on the ENET cable + phone adapter from the US. I have also bought a 200 cell sportcat from Evolution Racewerks, with thermal cera-coating for heat management. Hopefully, I can get this installed in the next few months.

I am also aware that the 2012-2013 cars are plagued with timing chain issues, with the chain guides and even tensioners failing prematurely. But since the car has done only 41k on the odo, I think the timing chain overhaul can wait a while.

However, I needed some advice on a few things:

1. This being a 2012 car, is it wise to change the transmission oil + pan? I know that the transmission oil is supposed to be a 'lifetime' thing, but I am skeptical. The shifts do seem a little jerky at the moment and not absolutely smooth.

and..

2. Being a 2012 car, the turbo is supported by a Pneumatic Wastegate (PWG) and the wastegate actuator flap appears to be plagued with the infamous "play" which is causing a characteristic rattle on cold start and for the first 20 minutes of driving, after which it seems to settle down. I am aware of the wastegate actuator repair kits available online and I know of some folks who have attempted this repair job successfully. Initially, I considered buying a replacement hybrid-turbo thinking it will come with a new wastegate, but MHI's big turbo for the N20 requires PWG to be reused from the old turbo, so it seems like a pointless and unnecessarily expensive exercise.

Inviting suggestions from all those experienced with the N20 328i, please.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Inviting suggestions from all those experienced with the N20 328i, please.

The car looks immaculate. You got lucky with the paddle shifter. Mine did not come with that so am forced to use the Tiptronic using the stick (For that once in a year moment when I feel like it).

It looks like your car suffers from the melted or melting door grab handle issue. The drivers side grab handle on my car is a goner.

No harm done replacing the transmission fluid. Get it done by a garage who knows what they are doing. In saying that, I don't think the transmission shifts will smoothen out all that much. The shifts are jerky from time to time, especially when you spend a lot of time in traffic. That is how the gearbox is.

I am not sure what this rattle is that you're talking about. How do you know its from the waste gate actuator flap? The fuel pump makes such a rattle (on cold start up) that you can't hear anything else.

The N20 engine has a long list of fixes or preventive maintenance things that you can read about on the internet. I would not necessarily action them unless there is a problem in the way the car drives, responds on the road. In the end, timely maintenance matters the most. Do what is specified in the manual and you should be good.

Out of curiosity, how much did the exhaust kit cost, how did you procure the unit, ease of fitment and how loud is it? I am looking for a exhaust swap but don't want something thats going to be intrusive or noisy as my car is a daily drive (I am not a big fan of induced pops and bangs either. This sounds best on a car fitted with a carburettor).

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

The car looks immaculate. You got lucky with the paddle shifter. Mine did not come with that so am forced to use the Tiptronic using the stick (For that once in a year moment when I feel like it).

It looks like your car suffers from the melted or melting door grab handle issue. The drivers side grab handle on my car is a goner.

No harm done replacing the transmission fluid. Get it done by a garage who knows what they are doing. In saying that, I don't think the transmission shifts will smoothen out all that much. The shifts are jerky from time to time, especially when you spend a lot of time in traffic. That is how the gearbox is.

I am not sure what this rattle is that you're talking about. How do you know its from the waste gate actuator flap? The fuel pump makes such a rattle (on cold start up) that you can't hear anything else.

The N20 engine has a long list of fixes or preventive maintenance things that you can read about on the internet. I would not necessarily action them unless there is a problem in the way the car drives, responds on the road. In the end, timely maintenance matters the most. Do what is specified in the manual and you should be good.

Out of curiosity, how much did the exhaust kit cost, how did you procure the unit, ease of fitment and how loud is it? I am looking for an exhaust swap but don't want something thats going to be intrusive or noisy as my car is a daily drive (I am not a big fan of induced pops and bangs either. This sounds best on a car fitted with a carburettor).

Hi Sandeep!

Thank you for your thoughts and suggestion! Appreciate it!

1. Yes, got super lucky generally because the car itself is immaculate. I’m surprised some variants of these cars came without paddle shifts?! Is there no way to retrofit them?

2. I have managed to find replacement black inner door handles online and I replaced the melted ones a few weeks ago.

3. I’m quite certain it’s from the wastegate actuator flap since it is coming from the turbo itself. And it tallies with the symptoms of this issue that I have read about extensively on the internet. The play causes the flap to remain open even when it is supposed to be shut, leading to loss of boost and overall performance. If it gets very serious, it will throw a drivetrain error and send the car into limp mode, which I am trying to prevent in the future.

4. Yep, I seem to have a fondness problematic engines. The EA111, then the EA888.2 and now the N20 🤣 I have decided to shorten the service interval from the usual 10k to around 6k.

5. The Active Autowerke exhaust is an axleback unit. It cost me around $670 + customs and shipping. I may have spent around 1-1.1 lakh landed. It isn’t noisy or intrusive at all. Just a little bassy. In fact, at higher RPMs the exhaust tends to get drowned out by the engine note altogether, so that should tell you that it is well within acceptable levels. However, it does make the car sound “serious” if you know what I mean! Installing it was super easy - it requires you to cut the stock muffler at the dimple (on the stock pipe leading to the muffler) and slip this on with a clamp to tighten it. It does not pop/bang but it does make the slight burbles in Sport mode audible, but again not intrusive at all. That said, I suspect it may get too loud for me once I install the 200 cell sport cat - and if it does, I may consider swapping it with the stock exhaust again. If it does get too loud and I decide to swap it out, I could consider selling it to you, should you wish.