[mobike008]

40,000 Miles- Service Report

Prologue

I was away on work to India and while I was gone, I told my better half to keep shifting between BMW and Tesla which she did when going to work.

As I was approaching 40K miles, I thought of getting the regular service done in advance at my current odometer reading of 39,000 miles ( 62,000 kms)

Touchwood there are absolutely no issues in the car and it drives like a dream and just like when I got it out of the showroom on Day 1 around 3.8 years ago.

I reached out to another local BHPian who has the same car, same variant, same color too. LOL!….He clocks lot of miles and his 2019 X3M40i must now be at 75,000 miles and he too has zero issues till date.

I didnt want to go back to BMW dealership as they like any other dealership would like to fleece you. Rahul (BHPian) recommended this garage called -Signature Independent which does work exclusively for BMW and Mini.

Called them up and booked an appointment for Friday 3:00pm and reached there on time. I met with Eric who is the owner and he was super friendly and ran some diagnostics and came back and suggested the following

1. Oil & Oil Filter Replacement
2. Air Cabin Filter Replacement (Replaced at 20K miles by BMW Dealership)
3. Engine Filter Replacement (Replaced at 20K miles by BMW Dealership)
4. Spark Plugs Replacement (Never replaced till date)


There was absolutely no push for anything. I could have walked out doing just the Oil and Oil Filter Replacement and Air Filter replacement which would have costed me just some $150 bucks.

But, I decided to get the Air Cabin and Engine Air Filter also replaced.

There are 6 Iridium spark plugs that go into the car and I was bit shocked to see the actual plug cost is so minimal but, labor was too much. I skipped this one for now and will get them done at my next service which Eric said is totally fine as current ones are in good shape according to him.

They even gave me a print out of a full CARFAX report free of cost that tells you the full service history.

Total time taken from in and out was 1 Hour and 15 minutes. I felt little disappointed they didn’t wash the car. But, hey at least they were super friendly and unlike the dealership didn’t push hard on anything and were super honest.

Important Notes

1. My new tires have done around 7,000 miles and they went down 30% of their life which means, I can drive them for another 20,000 miles easily.

2. Welcome to the world of “M Brakes” despite my hard driving and braking, I was surprised to note that after 60,000 kms the brake pads have worn out only 30% which is shocking (In a pleasant way). Brake pads start at 10mm and they are currently at 7mm and 6mm and Eric said I can drive until 2mm (3mm on safer side). Which means, these pads will last another 30,000 miles…. Wohooooo !!!

Feeling after the Service ?

Car feels exactly the same. There is no special feeling after the service. It drove beautifully before the service and drove exactly the same after the service.

Summary : I have finally spent some dollars from my pocket on the Blau Rakete. Yup, this is my first ever spend on maintenance activity ever since I bought the car. $454 bucks is so darn cheap for a car of this stature. I’m super happy with the overall outcome.

To celebrate the service, I drove back home from the back roads (it’s all forest and twisty for 20 miles) in “Sports +’ with paddle shifters and unleashing the beast on the curvy roads and scaring folks on road with pops, crackles and bangs…LOL

Cheers to BMW X3M40i !!!

Estimate Given





Estimate that I agreed upon...





Outside the garage..





Odd Reading after the service.

[mobike008]

Forgot to post the picture of the brakes condition.

As you can see the brake pads are still in awesome condition even after clocking so many miles.

[Theyota]

Isn't the recommended Air Filter and Cabin Filter change schedule 40k miles unless you are driving mostly in dusty gravel roads? I think your maintenance is an overkill for normal Washington roads.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Theyota

Isn't the recommended Air Filter and Cabin Filter change schedule 40k miles unless you are driving mostly in dusty gravel roads? I think your maintenance is an overkill for normal Washington roads.

BMW recommends Air Filter change every 30,000 to 45,000 Miles.

BMW recommends Cabin Filter change every 15,000 miles.

Considering above and also the minimal cost involved. I got it changed and it doesn't matter if it was an overkill. Precautionary measures are always good than reactionary measure.

And, you are right that Washington is mostly dust free and we are blessed with clean air and AQI (10-30) through out the year.

[mobike008]

Tire Rotation Update-40,000 miles/64,000 kms

Blau Rakete has never undergone any kind of tire maintenance. Never for the OEM ones that I got (Pirellie RFT's). But, I have learnt a lesson that tire rotation is a good habit.

Micheline Pilot Sports 4S All Seasons have completed 7,500 Miles (12,000 kms) and touchwood there is zero issues or punctures till date.

I thought this is opportune time to get a tire rotation done. Discount Tire offers free tire rotation for the life of the tires, so it makes even more sense to get it done.

Yesterday, booked an appointment and was in and out in about 20 minutes.

One funny thing, In India they do tire rotation differently (Front Left goes to Rear Right) and (Front Right goes to Rear Left). Here they swapped FL to RL and FR to RR.

Anyone knows what is the right method?

Checked the tire condition and it was 8/10 which means in 7,500 miles the tire has lost just 20% of its life. Wohoooo !!!

Absolutely smashing customer service (filled gas) and are super courteous folks. Even gave me a quick quote for Tesla Tires (they are due replacement soon).

P.S : The entire crew works with some hard rock music " Guns & Roses" "Metallica" playing the background. Looks like they know how to keep the employees motivated.

All in All, it was a great quick trip to the local DT store for this exercise.

[Motorfanatic1]

One funny thing, In India they do tire rotation differently (Front Left goes to Rear Right) and (Front Right goes to Rear Left). Here they swapped FL to RL and FR to RR.

The owners manual prescribes the tire rotation, for directional tires, it will be always front to rear on the same side. But for nondirectional tires, crisscross tire rotation is possible (refer to the tire rotation figure as an illustration). I assume that this wont be specific only to India.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Motorfanatic1

The owners manual prescribes the tire rotation, for directional tires, it will be always front to rear on the same side. But for nondirectional tires, crisscross tire rotation is possible (refer to the tire rotation figure as an illustration). I assume that this wont be specific only to India.

Thanks for the note. Interesting & valid point which I completely missed as I'm doing this literally after 7-8 years as I never did tire rotation to any of the 4 brand new cars that I owned over this period. Now this mystery is resolved.

I just hope to god that Michelin Pilot Sport 4 AS are directional because I know the regular Pilot Sports are Non-Directional.

On a separate note :

Last weekend, we were up in the mountains (Yup, none other than the mighty Mt. Rainier) with a friend visiting Seattle.

He took this picture with his Samsung S24 Ultra. One of the rare pictures that I liked from an Android.

The way the sun falls on the car and hues make it look "HOT". What say?

[mobike008]

Transforming a Beast into a Monster——BootMod3 Stage 1 Tuning

1. Why Bootmod3?

BootMod3 is one of the earliest tuning companies to come into the market and their company foundation is highly focused on tuning BMW cars. Their tunes are predominantly for BMW cars and especially the most popular performance engines like the N55, B58 and S58.

Within a few seconds, the Stage 1 map tune can be converted back to a stock tune (Bootmod3 stores the stock map for reversal, if ever required)

2. What is Bootmod3?

It is a software license that you buy from the company (Protuning Freaks) which costs $600 for a life time ownership of the software license (transferable once if you wish to sell when you sell your car).

Connecting to BMW :

To connect to the car, you can go the traditional way of getting a wired adapter but, I decided to get their latest product- BM3 Wifi adapter that costs $100.

Since I bought the wifi version of the adapter, Once the adapter is connected to the OBD port, I can only use an iPhone to connect to it.

Tuning/Flashing Process :

You can tune or flash the car from a laptop or your phone. The process is relatively simple (at least that’s what I thought but, I tried it once and failed in the first attempt as my phone is unable to connect to the wifi adapter. Reached out to customer support and they are prompt and respond within minutes. Will try again over this weekend.)

Once the car is tuned, there are multiple Stock (Unmodified BMW’s) maps available like for example

Stage 1, Octane 91
Stage 1, Octane 93

Stage 2, Octane 91
Stage 2, Octane 93

Stage 3, Octane 91
Stage 3, Octane 93

Other than above, they have stock maps for cars that are already modified with downpipes, intercooler added etc. All these are readily available in the Boatmap 3 App to be flashed to the car.

You can also request a “Custom Tune” via. The iPhone App and Protuning Freaks will design a custom tune for your car at no extra cost.

Now comes the fun part :

The app on the phone is super simple and has many configurations once the map is flashed like :

A) Make the exhaust note aggressive and schedule it in between gearing
B) Make changes to the burbles, pops, crackles of the B58
C) Exhaust Flap Open and Close

Finally, if you have installed more than one map on your phone, then you can switch between the maps on the fly (Through the steering wheel cruise control buttons)- Isn’t that cool?

——And, many more which I need to learn and understand.

3. How much bump in horsepower & torque you can expect?

Minimum gain is 50 horsepower-Maximum Gain is 500 Horsepower.

Yup, you read that correct. When I came across this product last year, I was in complete disbelief but, over the year have seen many videos and BMW owners who have done it are super happy with the power gain and overall reliability.

This is an insane amount of power addition to an already powerful engine.

Excerpts from the article (Please read this article for detailed information which predominantly focuses on the B58 engine) :

https://onyxperformance.co.uk/blogs/...%20590%2D620Nm

The Benefits of B58 Stage 1 Tuning :

Now that you know what goes into Stage 1 tuning, let's explore the benefits:

Thrilling Performance: The most apparent benefit is the surge in power. Your BMW will feel noticeably quicker, making overtaking on the motorway or conquering winding roads in Slough a breeze.

Improved Throttle Response: Throttle response becomes more immediate, offering a more engaging and responsive driving experience.

Reliability: A well-executed Stage 1 tune won't compromise your BMW's reliability. It's engineered to provide a significant power boost while maintaining the engine's integrity.

Enhanced Drivability: Whether you're navigating city streets or enjoying open roads in Slough, Stage 1 tuning enhances drivability across the RPM range.

Fuel Efficiency: Surprisingly, some drivers report improved fuel efficiency with Stage 1 tuning. This occurs because the engine operates more efficiently with the optimized software.

I’m already feeling like a kid who has a candy in front of him. Just could not control the excitement.

Stock B58 itself is so powerful and basic Stage 1 map will increase the horsepower by 20%-30% as per ProTuning Folks is making me drool with excitement even more.

Imagine getting closer to the magic-500 BHP mark with a simple tune s what real dreams are made of. Wohooooooo !!

Cheers & Stay Tuned !!

Once it’s installed and I put in some miles, I will share a detailed review of “Life After BootMod3-Stage 1” .

Bootmod3 Software License Price



BM3 Wifi Adapter Price



My spark plugs are stock and have done ~ 40K miles (64,000 kms) and are in good condition as per recent service. However, I decided to change them prior to the tune so got this highly recommended NGK plugs which is going to take the excitement to a whole new level.

[mobike008]

Next Steps to Tune- Install the new Spark Plugs before the Tune.

Life is busy and apart from driving just didn't get the time to complete the tuning process after failing the first time. Also, based on the recommendation by Bootmod3 folks and Bimmer forums, it's advised to change the spark plugs before getting the tune. If no tune was planned, these spark plugs can go for another 10K-15K miles.

I'm super bad in DIY as I can't hold a spanner properly to save my life. so I had to take the help of my friend & BHPIan- Crackhead

He has a garage that's unlike an Indian guy's garage. He has every tool that you need to work on a car or home and he is on my speed dial for help. LOL!

He is an extremely nice guy and always ready to help and when I told him about this project- he just said, come over whenever you are free (his home is close to my work place) so earlier this week, I decided to drop by his home after work and we got around to installing the plugs.

Background : Signature BMW (External 3rd Party BMW Service Center) quoted $300 for labor (it's in the 40K service bill in previous post) which is a lot so we decided to do this project ourselves.

I had to buy a long spanner ($12) from Amazon just to reach the last plug which was at the far end of the engine bay.

Process :

1. First and important step is to open the bonnet and drool at the B58 for a long time- This is mandatory before we begin any work on a B58 engine.

2. Unscrewed the coil covers for all 6 spark plugs (Remember, this is a 6-cylinder engine. Yummy !!)

3. First 5 plugs came off easily but, the last one was far back so had to remove the rubber cladding at the back.

4. One after another, we removed the coil cover, removed the old spark plug and installed the new one.

It was a 1-hour job and we were able to successfully complete it.

I’m now ready for the Bootmod 3 Tune. Stay Tuned !!!

The gorgeous B58





Old Spark Plug- It's still in pretty good shape.



Shiny new NGK Plugs



Comparison of old vs. new after 40,000 miles (64,000 kms)



The internals of this monster of an engine.

[mobike008]

When a BMW, Porsche and Tesla go to the mountains :

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post5846704 (Porsche, Tesla & BMW-Day Trip to Mt. Rainier National Park !!!)

[mobike008]

It's rare that our timings match on when we get back home.

Last week, it so happened I saw a beautiful blue BMW ahead of me and then it struck me- "Heck, that's the Blau Rakete" and I silently followed the car to see if it was lovingly driven or was given the stick.

Well, I was disappointed as it was "lovingly" driven as it was driven by my better half.

Watching it from behind and hearing it's roar from a distance makes me love this beauty even more.

Btw, I completed 40,000 miles last week (currently at 40,400 miles) so another small milestone completed.

Cheers !!

Our home route...




Never get bored of this view. On a clear day, snow capped mountain is visible.





Slightly visible but, its not snowcapped.







40 clicks done...Yahooo !!

[mobike008]

Bootmod3 Update- I had a nightmarish experience with them and totally upset with them. After the BMW being in the garage for almost a week. It came back home in its fully glory yesterday right in time for "Ayudha Pooja". .....A detailed update in a separate post on that unfortunate story coming up soon.

Wish all BHPians and Auto Lovers a Happy and Prosperous Dusshera !!

As is our tradition, we do "Vahan Pooja" each Dusshera praying god that these beasts keep us safe and most importantly, the prayers include "asking god for a suitable upgrade" in future.

Pooja was conducted this morning around 9:00am in a foggy, chilly and beautiful fall weather.

Some pics of our beasts !!

[mobike008]

Bootmod3- Nightmarish Tuning Experience

If you own a BMW, tuning the car and making minor to major modifications is probably always on your mind. I have always liked powerful vehicles and owned plenty of them and I’ve always been power hungry and searching for more power.

As a stock car, my X3M40i with a B58 is ridiculously powerful and even though I like to consider myself as a fast driver, I may have not even explored more than 40%-50% (at a rough guess), its true potential.

Owning an expensive car like this one, I didn’t want to make a lot of modifications to it like downpipes, inter-cooler and all that jazz.

I wanted a simple tune that runs on fuel available here and gives a boost of 20%-25% additional power.

Bootmod 3 has more than 15 tuning maps on its software. I was interested in the most basic ones of Stage 1 and Stage 2 running on below easily available fuel.

Fuel Types easily available in US

1. 91 Octane (Similar to XP100 as marketed by IOC in India)
2. 92 Octane
3. 93 Octane

My regular feed to the car is always 92 Octane as I get that easily in Costco.

I purchased the software and a wireless OBD adapter for a total price of $700.

I was excited to tune the car and didn’t want to do it alone. Myself and BHPian Crackhead, tried to do it together. We tried connecting the wireless adapter to the OBD port and would always run into an issue.

It would connect to the Bootmod 3 cloud but, the car would not connect to the OBD port as it would show as RED. I can flash the maps only when it turns green.

What transpired was an email saga with Bootmod3 folks, I have to say they are quick in response (typically 15 mins, they'll respond) but, problem is they are in EST timezone and would stop responding after 2pm PST which is super inconvenient to folks living in West Coast.

Anyways, next try was with a friend of mine (BMW group folks and Egyptian boys) who have modified BMW’s (M340is, 3 Series modded to 500 HP etc) and I visited this friend home and he tried with wireless then asked me to buy a wired adapter which I did from Apple Store and we tried with that, it would continuously throw up some error.

Next we tried disconnecting the battery (as suggested by tuning company) and then tried flashing as it became green for a few minutes. And, here is where the problem started.

We first downloaded the stock tune on the phone. Then tried flashing the Stage 1 and in middle of the process, it failed (don’t know the reason-internet connection, software issue)

Due to this, car got bricked and it would not start.

Primary Issue

1. BMW Cars with DME (Digital Motor Electronics) or more popularly known as ECU manufactured after June 2020 is locked.
2. Only BMW cars that can be flashed with a tune are DME manufactured before June 2020

DME Unlock Process

1. FEMTO is the only company based out of Finland that can unlock a BMW DME which means the DME has to be shipped to FEMTO and they will unlock it and send it back. It’s a 2 weeks’ process and they charge $850 for unlocking it.

I was not aware about this until I was in the process of tuning the car and due to which the car got bricked.

Bootmod3 conveniently sold me the software license despite knowing that it’s a 2021 model and my DME will be locked. I disputed the charges with my credit card company and hopefully will get the full money back as they are unwilling to accept their fault and citing that the error code will flash that a “FEMTO Unlock” is required. How the heck do I know what is a FEMTO unlock? It was their job to warn me before selling the license which they failed to do.

Anyways, my car was parked outside Egyptian friend's home and, we tried jump starting the battery but, to no avail.

I decided to get the car towed. Thankfully, my original warranty will expire on January 2025 and due to which a tow to BMW Dealership is “Complimentary Service”

Based on recommendations, I got the car towed and sent to BMW Dealership and feigned ignorance. I just told them the car won’t start.

They tried the battery first and got approval from BMW to replace my battery with a brand new one. Then they identified the DME was not reading so they flashed it with an original stock tune (only BMW dealerships have this ability) and after trouble shooting it for 2-3 days they were able to get the car started.

I collected the car after almost a week of this nightmare and glad to note in this process got a brand new OEM battery from BMW.

The whole process was at $0 cost to me and super happy that my Blau Rakete is back to its original glory.

Car tuning dreams have been shattered and now if I have to do it, then have to send the DME to Finland and get it unlocked first. I think will skip it for now and continue to enjoy the powerful stock B58 engine.

Cheers to my stupidity and ignorance…

DME is manufactured in November 2020 which means it cannot be flashed without an unlock.



Some screenshots of the bunch of errors that it threw up during the process.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Bootmod3- Nightmarish Tuning Experience

Any DME after July 2020 is locked, and needs to be sent to FEMTO to be unlocked.

Bootmod3 is just a tuning service for enthusiasts. The risk of course is yours. Due diligence also should be done by you. Also bootmod does have a disclaimer asking if the ECU is unlocked by Femto when one starts the tuning process. And I remember this because I helped a friend load a tune with bootmod on his F90 LCI M5 a week ago.

Another correction, 91 octane in the US is equal to 95 RON here. 93 octane in the US is equal to 98 RON here.

You have not done due diligence, and have disputed the card charges which IMHO is wrong.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Due to this, car got bricked and it would not start.

They tried the battery first and got approval from BMW to replace my battery with a brand new one. Then they identified the DME was not reading so they flashed it with an original stock tune (

I think you need to visit a Porsche dealership ASAP. Macan GTS is what I will recommend you. Though I was not entirely convinced with the flat out acceleration (you are aware why ) but handling is something that you won't get in cars costing two or three times more. No BMWs including M5 or M8 will come close to this as far as handling is concerned.

Glad that the BMW dealership did not think about your adventures, it's very easy for them to get this info. from the car. Your battery must be weak so their investigations pointed towards those. I hope your dealer is not reading this ownership blog