[sboddup2]

Originally Posted by svkndv

After a lot of evaluation between X1 and 320d, decided to go with 320d prestige white
Any suggestion will help me during delivery, I requested them not to deliver with conti tyres.

Should I replace stock tire? Any suggestions?

I decided on keeping them stock. I didn't want to add any sensitivity to the warranty. I will, however, change to tubeless tires after the run flats are done.

[sboddup2]

Originally Posted by sboddup2

I bought it on a work trip to the US. I did not have any issues with customs on my way in but that being said, I was surprised by that. I had a receipt and all that ready with me in case I had issues.

I'll post some pictures and thoughts on the system after my install this weekend.

As promised, here's an update on the Bavsound Install + DIY Sound Deadening

What you'll need:
1.) Extra door clips: They run cheap on ebay and amazon. Buy 30 and keep them around. I broke 8 during the process and just swapped them out.
2.) Goo Gone: Any solvent like Goo Gone will help get rid of all the gunk that the dynamat (or any other sound deadening material) will inevetably leave behind on the body of the car. It's pretty tough stuff to take off
3.) Bavsound tool kit: You can pretty much take your entire car apart with what's provided in the kit. It's a good buy.
4.) Felt Tape: Works miraculously on clips and plastic on plastic rattles. I still have a little one left on the driver's side door but I will find it someday.
5.) Scissors: A high quality scissors is needed to cut through the dynamat.
6.) Time and Patience: I would say the whole project (Bavound + Sound dampening + felt lining) took about 10 hours. Be also prepared for some tired hands and fingers

Pro Tips:
I'm not a pro, but I imagine these are the things a pro would tell me had I reached out for advice on the project.
1.) This isn't as "DIY" as you would think. I honestly don't think these class of cars are built for panel removal and reinstall. They are built to last in their shipped configuration. An example of this is in the midrange driver on the dash. When I installed the BavSound version 1 screw refused to go in. The hole in the dash material wouldn't accept the screw as the hole was rendered useless after one unscrewing of the factory stock speaker. Had to let that one go and be happy with the 2 that went one in
2.) You aren't Jason Seaver: I've exchanged a couple of emails with Jason from Bavsound and his videos are great and he's very helpful. That being said the videos on youtube really oversimplify the process. For example, the front doors tend to be easy to unclip top down and the back from the bottom up. Also, don't think that you are in a rush to finish this. I did this over a course of 3 days.
3.) Work bottom up: Any dings that you leave on the doorpads are less conspicuous at the bottom. When clipping the door back, also lay on the ground and clip the bottom clips back in first. Those are the easiest to break especially if you move top down and can't really see the clips lining up.
4.) Tough love: Think about the door panels as a child that won't cooperate. You want to show the child who's boss but at the same time be gentle. The door panels do require a fair bit of effort to pull out.
5.) Keep the door panels connected: You don't need to unclip the entire door, keep it wired and rest it on a blanket or a soft material. The window trim is next to near impossible to pry out and just leaves you terrified. I did it only for one door and left the rest on while I did the process.
6.) Awareness: Be aware of your surroundings, you tend to bump your head here and there. Stay hydrated as well.
7.) Know how big the door pads are: I put dynamat in places that the doorpad didn't cover and it was really very difficult to remove.
8.) Grab handles: I would like to find the person who designed these and ask them what they were drinking when they designed these. They creak, fit poorly and are painful to put back in. Start with the bottom clip and work your way up.

Here are some pictures:

There's a little gap between the rubber and the grab handle trim that you can use to work your way through the clips


Door pad removal. Start in a location that people can't see should you put a ding on the panel. Use the PLASTIC trim tool only. Metal will just destroy the thing. I also found the rear panels much harder to remove for some reason.


Use as much dynamat as you please, but be mindful of the door panel needing to cover it all. Also make sure the material is warmed up (I used a hairdryer) and use a roller to get on firm


The Bavsound drivers have wires through the back (vs. the front for stock Hi-Fi) and you will need to pry a little opening between the metal and this foam to pull the wires back up.


Getting in the dynamat behind the speaker is hard. Make squares, fold a little bit and go for an area that's uncovered. Be prepared for some cuts on your fingers; the material is sharp on the edges. Make sure again to roll it all in nicely. On the outer panel, make sure that you are not covering any holes for the clips and the screws.


Door clips: Your best friend on this project


This is what I meant by making sure how much your door panel can cover. Removing these little strips was extremely painful


Some more pictures of the install:









I also did some other improvements to my car while I was at it:

Door Panel LEDs: The Pre-LCI has a really low intensity LED that runs through the glass piping on the door. They changed that with the LCI. I found out the part number and bought them online. Here's a pic of the part and swapping it out:


Dynamat - Trunk and Rear Seat:





Those who know me well will tell you I'm a stickler for rattles and creaks. That being said the F30 has a ton. It's fast and fun but a quiet ride it is not. I felt lined some high creak areas and this stuff really works well.



Finally, here are some pictures of the car after the roof and the diffuser wrap. The fin wasn't done well. I'm going to use an exactoknife and remove it, get it wrapped and then reattach soon:




Verdict:
1.) Bavsound Stage One: I paid $550 for this and it was money well spent. The sound stage in the car is now just at a higher level. Of pleasant surprise was how much bass this produces considering I didn't opt for the Ghost woofer upgrade (I will next time I travel). The downside is this project definitely took a lot longer than expected and it was of a higher complexity as well. That being said, I couldn't think of anyone I could trust with my car so I decided to do it myself

2.) Dynamat: If the 3 series was economy class and the 5 business, I would say that dynamat definitely put my car somewhere inbetween. It's much better damped, quieter, and just a nicer place to be in. For $170, it's definitely worth it.

Cheers!

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by sboddup2

Verdict:
1.) Bavsound Stage One: I paid $550 for this and it was money well spent. The sound stage in the car is now just at a higher level. Of pleasant surprise was how much bass this produces considering I didn't opt for the Ghost woofer upgrade (I will next time I travel). The downside is this project definitely took a lot longer than expected and it was of a higher complexity as well. That being said, I couldn't think of anyone I could trust with my car so I decided to do it myself

2.) Dynamat: If the 3 series was economy class and the 5 business, I would say that dynamat definitely put my car somewhere inbetween. It's much better damped, quieter, and just a nicer place to be in. For $170, it's definitely worth it.

Cheers!

Very nice and classy upgrades. Car looks sporty, but still retains a certain executive sedan charm.

Props to you for doing it all DIY. Interior work, damping is quite painful and needs patience, good to see it all being done right, and producing the intended results.

You given me a few ideas for utilizing the felt tape and dampmat in my figo. Would want to listen to the BAVSound 1 upgrade, the stock system was Average as per my recollection, more bass is good to hear, more the merrier.

Any alloy/wheel upgrades planned? What suspension mod do you have in mind? The current 3 cuts a fine line between sporty/flat cornering and a comfy ride on india roads. Getting stiffer springs/dampers may just make the ride on our potholes/rutted roads a tad uncomfortable?

[Arjun Reddy]

Guys, a sales guy from Navneet motors Bangalore sent me a text.

Six December 16 , 320 i's , Luxury line available with them at 43 lakhs OTR Blore. If anyone interested pls contact Joel at Navneet Motors.

Have nothing to do with the dealership or BMW. Just passing on the juicy news.

[CarguyNish]

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

Six December 16 , 320 i's , Luxury line available with them at 43 lakhs OTR Blore. If anyone interested pls contact Joel at Navneet Motors.

I guess this offer includes Road Tax & Insurance being paid by dealer themselves. So, basically you are paying the current Ex-Showroom price on a December 2016 car.

Someone who will be registering outside Bangalore won't be able to get this deal I guess. For them, they have to deduct road tax amount from Ex-Showroom Price itself to pass the benefit.

Or else, offer the car for 43 lakhs, pay road tax for the concerned RTO just like what they are doing now for locals.

[nikhil_pon]

This looks like a good deal, please see the attached car price from Carwale. It is quoting around 55lakh

[TaciturN]

Originally Posted by The Saint

Changed from 17 inches & 18 inches, staggered set up again- 225/45/17 and 255/40/17.

- MPPK kit (power kit from BMW).
- 18 inches alloys (gunmetal) (staggered set up)- 328 i rims.

You mean 225/45/18 and rear 255/40/18?

Are these "397 style" rims or are they OEM rims? If they are indeed 8J in width (OEM), how do you find 255 on them? Isn't the max recommended width 245 on 8J rims?

From the 3rd pic (the one with an Omni behind) it looks as if the rear tyres are "bulging" out a bit when compared to the front tyres.

Lastly, the MPPK is still available for the N47 engine? Any idea if it's available for the newer B47 engine?

Thanks

[The Saint]

Originally Posted by TaciturN

You mean 225/45/18 and rear 255/40/18?

Are these "397 style" rims or are they OEM rims? If they are indeed 8J in width (OEM), how do you find 255 on them? Isn't the max recommended width 245 on 8J rims?

From the 3rd pic (the one with an Omni behind) it looks as if the rear tyres are "bulging" out a bit when compared to the front tyres.

Lastly, the MPPK is still available for the N47 engine? Any idea if it's available for the newer B47 engine?

Thanks

they are 18 inches rims that come with 328i (original), i was running the same set up in the 17 inches as well, the tyre is very much recommended by bmw india as a staggered set up, have driven on the same set up in 17 and now in 18, there are no issues whatsoever. they bulge out more than the front due to the profile and i like the look when parked and rolling

no idea on the mppk kit question. sorry for that

cheers

[abhi182]

Another DIY update
I recently got a F34 LL and was under the presumption that it comes with enhanced bluetooth as i need to keep 2 phones connected.
Unfortunately neither do we have a choice to add options in India nor does the India site clearly state what options the car comes with.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was able to activate the same by:
a) Patching a CAT5 cable to a OBD connector
b) Using esys to activate the EBT option on the Head unit

While I was at it, I would have also liked to update the access system to set car's Auto Start/Stop function to start in the last used setting (e.g. Off) when the engine is started

However I did not do so as mods on the access system may end up having an impact on the warranty

[karan561]

Originally Posted by TaciturN

You mean 225/45/18 and rear 255/40/18?
Are these "397 style" rims or are they OEM rims? If they are indeed 8J in width (OEM), how do you find 255 on them? Isn't the max recommended width 245 on 8J rims?

Originally Posted by The Saint

they are 18 inches rims that come with 328i (original), i was running the same set up in the 17 inches as well, the tyre is very much recommended by bmw india as a staggered set up, have driven on the same set up in 17 and now in 18, there are no issues whatsoever. they bulge out more than the front due to the profile and i like the look when parked and rolling

@ The Saint, You may not have issues running that wide, but TaciturN is correct as the max tyre width recommended on style 397 rims i.e. 8J is 245mm. For putting 255mm 8.5J is ideal like the 320d M Sport which is running a staggered is having 8.5J rims at the rear.

Have a quick look at this chart for reference;

[Santoshbhat]

Petrol lovers can rejoice, the 330i is here. BMW India website is updated with specs and price. Looks like the 320i is gone and the 330i takes its place. 252 hp - 350nm - 0 to 100 in 5.8 secs

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Santoshbhat

Petrol lovers can rejoice, the 330i is here. BMW India website is updated with specs and price. Looks like the 320i is gone and the 330i takes its place. 252 hp - 350nm - 0 to 100 in 5.8 secs

And its cheaper ex showroom than the 320d. Had I not got such a large discount on my 320d I would have been a very angry person now

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

And its cheaper ex showroom than the 320d. Had I not got such a large discount on my 320d I would have been a very angry person now

Cheaper than a 320d that's shocking to say the least. A sub 6 second 0-100 sedan in that range was missing for a long time. Don't know why they got it in the GT before the sedan.
Wait a few months and delhi dealers will be doling out deals on the 330i too!! They did it on the 320i even though it was a CBU. Any ideas whether this one is a CBU too?

And Akshay a little OT, but when is the ownership thread coming? Not talking about the 320d, I'm asking about the V8

[FAIAAA]

BMW gurus ( Akshay1234, drmohitg, karan561, coolboy007, Turbanator et al)
I have finalized a 2017 320d prestige model and taking delivery in the next few days.
From this thread and individual ownership reviews, have surmised the following :
- extended warranty - should be taken. can opt in till the 23rd month. Question - Apart from inflation, is there any risk in deferring the ExW purchase? Also 6th year is steep? Should I consider 2+3 at best.
- BSI - optional. Question - my annual run will be ~ 15-18k kms per year. Largely moderate with occasional hard Driving. Does this warrant BSI? Or better off saving on upfront investment / interest cost?
- tyre pressure - 32 all round on the 16 inchers - / - paint protection. Question - Not sure of the verdict here - go/ no go for 3M protection or will periodic polishing suffice?
- Vin - bimmer.work mentions production date as mar17 while bmwvin.com shows it as nov16? Last 5 digits are C36379
- run in - 1st 2000 kms - below 3500 rpm and 160 kmph - got that.
Anything else I should keep in mind?
Thanks in advance.

[TheARUN]

Originally Posted by FAIAAA

I have finalized a 2017 320d prestige model and taking delivery in the next few days

My 2 pence
- Insurance coverage, the most comprehensive one you can get, especially one covering hydrostatic shock
- Space saver spare wheel and tools if you plan on keeping the run flats
- Don't let the after market electrical goods guys fidget with your car electrical circuits
- Premium HSD from day one
- Talk to the 3M guys and use your judgement skills to get the best package, the best package would be one that makes your car look good and also add onto to its resale value a few years down the line
- Keep extended warranty purchase for the last month, "touch wood", if you want to exit the car earlier than when the factory warranty expires, then you would have to face unnecessary additional financial loss
- Delhi is a nice place to own a BMW, there are so many of them and there is comfort in numbers. Work on having a good relationship with the Dealer and work with more than 1 Dealer since things can go wrong in a heartbeat

Wish you all the best, and mark my words, you will be driving much more than 15,000 kilometers a year because you now have an ULTIMAT3