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Old 6th December 2008, 17:24   #61
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23,000 kms / 13 months - Report

Well it's been over a year and one month exactly since i got the car, should have put up a report last month itself but like they say, better late than never

The one year birthday gift: I treated her to exterior and interior detailing at Rhyme & Rhythm (GTO's reference) in Colaba. Was reluctant to send the car to them as most often I have got such jobs done at my premises itself. Nonetheless it was well worth it as they had an interior dry cleaning machine which was not easily transportable. I had been using armor all leather cleaning solution and vaccuming the interiors on a monthly basis or so, inspite of which the grey leather was beginning to show slight shades of brownish tinge due to dust and dirt. Grey is not the easiest color to maintain, lesson learnt !
However once the car was back i was very satisfied with the job done, the leather looked completly new so did the every corner of the car. The exteriors were in good shape already but the waxing,etc did add that extra shine. Although the key scratch that was made by a jealous onlooker in the past could not be removed by their wet sanding technique, but it's not very noticeable anyway.

Overall Performance: A year on and I still haven't gotten the urge to plonk any of the plenty powerbox/remap options available, although they deliver excellent results. Even after reading such good reviews on these magic boxes from BMW forums, I still don't have an urge clearly show that the car keeps me satisfied well ! The torque surge keeps bringing a smile to my face and so does the handling, even though it runs on dunlop runflats that don't have good handling characteristics as per consumer surveys.
BMW transmissions have a learning mode where in it adapts to your style of driving after learning it for a few thousand kms. Most often the tranmission gets lazy after it locks the driving style so I reset the tranmission as per the 25 second trick and voila it feels like new, downshifts in a flash, smooth as butter, lets you stay within gears longer. And also makes the DS mode back into lunatic mode.

Usage/FE: I believe in buying cars to enjoy and use them to the fullest rather than treat them as show piece. This car is the most widely used out of all the 4 cars we have here. It shuttles us between Bombay-Pune via the expressway every fortnight or so. And used extensively within the city too.
City with traffic 8.5-9kmpl
Highway 13-13.5kmpl
Of late I have noticed a slight increase in FE.

Problems: The part most have been waiting for
Couple of months back I noticed that the car was beginning to release smoke from the exhaust which i had never noticed till date. Now being a diesel it is understandable that there would be some smoke evident as i have seen new S320CDi's,Q7,X5 etc discharge some smoke during downshifts too. But my problem was worse and unacceptable. The car left a small cloud of smoke at barely 2000-3000 rpm !This was noticeable only at night when you look on the left rearview mirror while the car behind has its highlights on, in the day it would go unnoticed. I sent the car to Infinity where I had gotten the 1st service done too. The service advisor informed that there defiantly would be something wrong as such a problem should not occur and blamed it on poor diesel quality/adultration, i flatly denied it as i fill up from a reputed company owned HP pump. They did a detailed check and traced the problem in the turbo, there was some oil found in it which was causing the smoke. Was told that it is a very minor oil leak found and can be rectified but for my satisfaction they would replace the entire turbo/intercooler assembly. I asked them to go ahead with the replacement as I didnt want to wait for the problem to reoccur. The problem was solved to an extent but i wasn't content.
Thats when i decided to contact Maverick, he explained that because of our traffic conditions the car runs on rich fuel mixture due to idling. And advised me to floor the car once in a while to get rid of this. I sent the car to him and he found that one of the components that should have been replaced to get rid of the oil had not been done, which was replaced shortly. The problem is nearly solved now but there is a little discharge of smoke under hard acceleration at times.
Other problems, my dad hit a pothole at high speed on the highway so I had we had to replace one run flat tire for 20,000rs .. ouch ! Another crime he committed was jumping a speed breaker, but this was not at much speed, resulted in one of the front left suspension arm joint snapping off. Had to get the car towed to Navnit. Sushil informed that this problem occurred on several cars especially the 3 series as it had a recall of these parts sometime back.
Lastly, squeaky brakes !! Got them cleaned and the problem stops but it comes up again. Its not always there but mostly when the brakes are hot they get loud and at times they are silent. Brake pads and rotors will be changed during the next service so I will wait till then.

Cost/Service: All of the above mentioned problems besides replacing of the tire was replaced free under the BSI+R warranty.
I got the first service done at Infinity motors which went off well and the car felt more refined and open after the first service, but them not being able to rectify the black smoke problem made me switch to navnit.
I should have made the switch long back as the service quality at Navnit has been excellent and ofcourse the peace of mind that a Team-Bhpian is looking over your car is the most comforting factor. Navnit motors has been very professional and extremly helpful at all times even taking in special requests on an urgent basis if required. They give you no reason to argue over issues and are focused on keeping the customer happy at the end of the day.
Opting for the maintenance plan has made the ownership experience hassle free and smooth, dealers too give you an edge once they have the car covered under this.

Phew!! Over and Out ! Pardon any errors, lazy to proof read
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Old 7th December 2008, 18:58   #62
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this is the best car money can buy sahil! looks too good.
however the tyre giving off due to a pothole and the suspension arm joint breaking is not a good sign considering indian road conditions.

and your car number "525" is too good for a BMW 525d!
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Old 7th December 2008, 19:32   #63
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sahil that is one cool report!!
i could feel the torque of your monster just reading the report. a very expressive write up and i love it.
post some pics of the interior also.
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Old 9th December 2008, 03:24   #64
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Thanks for the report.Can we see some pics of interiors and exteriors too.
Cheers
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Old 16th December 2008, 00:03   #65
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Fantastic review, Sahil! Thanks for sharing this. With so many prospective BMW owners on the forum, your updates will help others.

1. What is the 25 second tranny trick? Can you elaborate?

2. Glad you aren't thinking of the powerbox just yet. The 525 is quick out of the box and you do have the BSI coverage too. Don't want that getting affected.

3. I am most eager to see how BMWs long-term reliability pans out (in the Indian context). We are well-familiar with Mercs reliability (or the lack of it). A turbo + intercooler replacement within the first year is not encouraging, neither is the dislocated arm joint. The BSI-R plan rocks though, for the peace-of-the-mind factor that it offers.

4. Bet you are just waiting to upgrade your tyres to regular Michelins!! Nearly 25K up...I say go for it!

Sachin from Rhythm & Rhyme does a great job. My C has been to him twice over the past 12 months (one only recently) and I am satisfied with his quality of work.
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Old 16th December 2008, 04:20   #66
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"in no time the was garland up in the air thanks to teh 400nM of torque!"

awwww man. it must be so much fun to drive it, no wonder do the call it the ultimate driving machine.

hey can u tell me whats the difference between 520D 525D (your) and the 530D. i think 530D has a bigger 3 liter v6. but whats the difference between 520D and 525D.

and whats do they offer in the highline model. the 530D highline. i think you got everthing as standard what else is so special about the highline?

congratulations on your BMW
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Old 16th December 2008, 19:31   #67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Caramelo View Post
"in no time the was garland up in the air thanks to teh 400nM of torque!"

awwww man. it must be so much fun to drive it, no wonder do the call it the ultimate driving machine.

hey can u tell me whats the difference between 520D 525D (your) and the 530D. i think 530D has a bigger 3 liter v6. but whats the difference between 520D and 525D.

and whats do they offer in the highline model. the 530D highline. i think you got everthing as standard what else is so special about the highline?

congratulations on your BMW
the 525d and the 530d have the same engine but the 530d is in a higher state of tune. the 520d has the same engine as the 320d.
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Old 16th December 2008, 19:37   #68
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Caramelo View Post
hey can u tell me whats the difference between 520D 525D (your) and the 530D. i think 530D has a bigger 3 liter v6. but whats the difference between 520D and 525D.

and whats do they offer in the highline model. the 530D highline. i think you got everthing as standard what else is so special about the highline?
The N43 series motors from BMW were designed keeping in mind twin turbo configuration.
The 520D motor is same as the one found in 320, but in the 5 series it is twin turbo and in 3 series, it is one turbo. 525 and 530 are different state motors.
520D is four cylinder and 530 is 6 cylinder motor.

In case of highline, IMHO, sunroof and xenon lights are offered.

@sahil : I am unable to know how come the arm break off. This is certainly related to quality of BMW sold in India. This should not have happened.

Last edited by aaggoswami : 16th December 2008 at 19:41.
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Old 16th December 2008, 20:59   #69
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Good report Sahil. Congrats on completing 1 year and treating the car the way it should be (by driving it and not keeping it as a display piece). However the only gripe I have from BMW's is their stiff ride. Have they done any modifications on the Indian suspension ? and how have you found the ride quality on Indian roads?
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Old 22nd December 2008, 18:13   #70
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Sorry for the delayed reply, am traveling so haven't checked this thread.

@GTO: The 25 second trick resets the tranny to its original settings. All you got to do is plonk in the key, press the start button once(without pressing the brake,hence the engine wont start up too) till the idrive and other electronics turn on. Then just press the accelerator all the way down for 25 seconds and you're car feels a whole lot different.
Yes, I am eager to switch to tubeless but not sure if it's gonna be Michelin because of the numerous sidewall bulges that have been reported. And these tyres still seem to have a considerable amount of life left in them, but i think there is a small bulge once again one of the front tyres and I am sure this ones not because of any mishap. I paid a heavy price for it last time but I might put a a fight this time to a replacement with BMW.

@no-limit: The ride quality is just about average, but its the run flats to blame here. The E-class is more comfy over broken roads but that rides on regular tubeless. So to give BMW a fair comparison it would be best for me to comment on the ride once the run flats are out.

@Caramelo,aagoswani: Xenon and sunroof are standard. The 530 highlines get 18inch wheels,sports steering and night vision.

The 2nd service is coming up soon !
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Old 23rd December 2008, 11:45   #71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
...The 25 second trick resets the tranny to its original settings....
I've done the same thing on an E55 and it made a huge difference when reset (after months of sedate driving).

I'm unsure if it only resets the tranny behaviour, or some of the stored ECM values too.

This has been talked about here as well : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...rive-wire.html

cya
R
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Old 23rd December 2008, 23:47   #72
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Originally Posted by Rehaan View Post
I've done the same thing on an E55 and it made a huge difference when reset (after months of sedate driving).

I'm unsure if it only resets the tranny behaviour, or some of the stored ECM values too.
cya
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On my C230 I did the reset and it felt like a totally different car. Months of sedate highway driving made the car a real pig. Some people on the merc forums advised not to reset the tranny atleast 6 months before any pollution check as it will clear all ECM data.

Lucky that my new 3er is Manual tranny... I can switch from sedate and aggressive driving so easily.
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Old 12th March 2009, 20:49   #73
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@Sahil: I had one question. How much oil does the 5 series consume? Is 4L in 7500km/1 year the norm or an exception?
Also, I am giving one of our cars to Rhyme and Rhythm hopefully soon. Thanks for the details with it when I asked (a long time ago).
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Old 12th March 2009, 22:24   #74
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dude, honestly I wouldn't know because of the BSI plan I don't even bother to check the bills to see how much oil it drinks. But it seems normal, diesels usually drink more.
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Old 26th March 2009, 18:10   #75
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The Younger brother: 520d

A new addition to give the 525d company will be the 520d. Just booked the car today, Alpine white with Natural Brown interiors from Navnit Motors.

Will be changing tyres to tubeless right away on delivery. Tired of the run flats that have almost worn out on the 525d too, so both cars will get new shoes together. Will be getting the space saver spare wheel kit for both.

There are a few new features added to the 5 series lineup:
Bluetooth
USB Port
New iDrive knob with shortcut keys.
Two new colour options: Space grey & Platinum Bronze(Goldenish)

Had placed an order for a space grey first but the white has been an all time favourite, unfortunatly it wasn't available when i got the 525d. Hence I fulfilled that urge now.

Drove the 520d this morning, very smooth engine, great performer. But its not a patch to the 525d, it will get a smirk on your face when you push her but won't make you grin like a Colgate model like its older brother. Since this car will be chauffeur driven for the most part and would be located in Pune it's the best bet for it's price tag.

Will defiantly be adding the 5 year/60,000km service pack for 2.17lakhs to ensure peace of mind !

Last edited by Sahil : 26th March 2009 at 18:18.
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