Help me choose a BMW
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Had a bit of a result with this, took it into the local BMW dealer to see about getting the security update done and pick up a new rear light cluster as the offside LED had failed - long story short there is a recall (or Technical Advisory) on the 1 Series Coupe and Convertible to do with the seals on the rear lights - if you notice one go out have a word with your local dealer, they should be able to assist.
Car is getting a "health check" whilst it's in, so we'll see what they say about the lights. They want £100 for enough BMW badges to get rid of the carbon effect ones though....
Car is getting a "health check" whilst it's in, so we'll see what they say about the lights. They want £100 for enough BMW badges to get rid of the carbon effect ones though....
Great choice of car. I have been running my '09 123d coupe for nearly 5 years, and have had no nasty scares.
The best thing I did was replace the run flats as soon as they wore out. I initially ran on Falken FK452s (and still have them on the front), but the newer tyre they make doesn't review well, and I have put Goodyear on the back now. Whatever brand you choose, you will find the ride is better on the 18" / M Sport setup than with the runflats. Certainly compared with first-gen run flats you'll also find non RFT quieter, and they certainly wear better.
You may also consider a set of winter tyres / wheels; it's surprising how well a powerful rear wheel drive car will cope on the right rubber. Look out on eBay for these, as quite often they come up when people change their cars.
Have fun!
The best thing I did was replace the run flats as soon as they wore out. I initially ran on Falken FK452s (and still have them on the front), but the newer tyre they make doesn't review well, and I have put Goodyear on the back now. Whatever brand you choose, you will find the ride is better on the 18" / M Sport setup than with the runflats. Certainly compared with first-gen run flats you'll also find non RFT quieter, and they certainly wear better.
You may also consider a set of winter tyres / wheels; it's surprising how well a powerful rear wheel drive car will cope on the right rubber. Look out on eBay for these, as quite often they come up when people change their cars.
Have fun!
Replacing the run flats is definitely on the menu, as I'm really starting to notice the bunny hopping people describe with these, and the DTC light seems to be flashing at times it really shouldn't be flashing (accelerating softly up a slightly bumpy road in the dry). The current tyres appear to be pretty much brand new, so am tempted to wear them out first, I can see it getting a bit annoying in the meantime though. Out of interest did you go for a spare wheel or the can of tyre weld and AA membership approach?
Car got a clean bill of health from BMW, only issues were a fault code for non-OEM headlights (saw that one coming), and a slight feathering of the edge of the front drivers side tyre (that was explained by "They all do that sir"). Said tyre also seems to be developing a slow puncture - joy.
Absolutely no regrets about the choice of car however, it really is a fantastic little machine. Almost like an E30 with stability control and rust proofing
Car got a clean bill of health from BMW, only issues were a fault code for non-OEM headlights (saw that one coming), and a slight feathering of the edge of the front drivers side tyre (that was explained by "They all do that sir"). Said tyre also seems to be developing a slow puncture - joy.
Absolutely no regrets about the choice of car however, it really is a fantastic little machine. Almost like an E30 with stability control and rust proofing
I went for a space-saver spare - needed to be 17" to clear the brakes - ordered from Cotswold BMW with a discount and free delivery. Not cheap though! Depending on the miles you do, you may want to go for the can and AA membership, though it's nicer to be able to repair a flat for £20 rather than throw the tyre away. Depends also on how much you need your boot space!
bodhi said:
Replacing the run flats is definitely on the menu, as I'm really starting to notice the bunny hopping people describe with these, and the DTC light seems to be flashing at times it really shouldn't be flashing (accelerating softly up a slightly bumpy road in the dry). The current tyres appear to be pretty much brand new, so am tempted to wear them out first, I can see it getting a bit annoying in the meantime though. Out of interest did you go for a spare wheel or the can of tyre weld and AA membership approach?
Car got a clean bill of health from BMW, only issues were a fault code for non-OEM headlights (saw that one coming), and a slight feathering of the edge of the front drivers side tyre (that was explained by "They all do that sir"). Said tyre also seems to be developing a slow puncture - joy.
Absolutely no regrets about the choice of car however, it really is a fantastic little machine. Almost like an E30 with stability control and rust proofing
You can sell RFTs on ebay for decent money. Non-RFTs will not completely remove the hopping completely but will help. The front tyre outside wear is indeed "normal". Over-inflating bu 0.3bars when you get non-RFTs will help. M3 lower front control arms would be ideal. They can be bought for £130 a pair (TRW branded with the //M filed off) and 45mn labour + alignment. You can get up to 1.5 deg of neg camber which evens out tyre wear and balances the car to almost neutral.Car got a clean bill of health from BMW, only issues were a fault code for non-OEM headlights (saw that one coming), and a slight feathering of the edge of the front drivers side tyre (that was explained by "They all do that sir"). Said tyre also seems to be developing a slow puncture - joy.
Absolutely no regrets about the choice of car however, it really is a fantastic little machine. Almost like an E30 with stability control and rust proofing
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