BMW 335d touring daily driver

[zsdom]

With my 3.2 Vr6 Audi TT starting to show it's age & a promotion at work doubling my weekly fuel cost it was time to move on.

I was set on a BMW, either a 435d coupe or a 335d touring but the idea of a fast estate car won me over and after seeing a car in Bideford an 8 hour round trip from Birmingham at an average of 31mpg in my TT left a deposit on this:






Then a train ride to Exeter then to Barnstaple saw me take it home at an average of 50mpg, already on to a good start!

The car was pretty much perfect for what I wanted, heated seats and steering wheel, pano roof, car play cruise control exterior comfort package and an aftermarket low line kit, I would've liked a reverse camera and in an ideal world radar cruise but they wasn't deal breakers and so I dont have much plans for mods or do much with it other than enjoy it

First thing when it was home was to make it 'me' clean, it was covered in fallout!







Then the start/stop button was looking rubbish so decided to replace it, I dont know why blue but I like it

Old



New





Then I put my private plate on & a camping trip to RIAT






Some 3d printed umbrella holders







I decided to replace the puddle lights, not to everyones tastes but again I like them

Fronts



Rears

Edited by zsdom on Tuesday 5th May 11:52

[zsdom]

Then a few small things broke, it s first MOT failure on the rear shocks, no pics as I was time restricted but 45 minutes each side and I was back on the road

Then with the snow in January I lost my front splitter having to go out and reacue my stuck Mums Kia

A bad picture and forgive the weeds but you get the idea



Then a biggie, with the state of the roads I walloped a pot hole and caused an horrendous wheel vibration which I couldnt locate, I had the wheels balanced twice, I checked the suspension and all mountings and bolts but nothing, then on my way back from a trip to Swindon I hit another pot hole only for this to cause a grinding rotating noise and blue smoke out the back to the extent a van driver had to flash me to alert me to its presence cue a nightmare 8hour recovery home

Once home I whipped the wheel off and relived (for want of a better word) to find the pot hole had pushed the shock through the hub mount and pushed the wheel up onto the bottom spring cup



The clean part is the tyre hitting the shock



Turns out the first pot hole had misshaped the tyre which the vibrations then loosend the pinch bolt and the last pothole cause enough shock to push the strut through so decided to ditch the run flats and Costco came up with a good deal on some Michelin PS4 and a new splitter on order thats where we are today



Oh and it will need a new battery soon

Edited by zsdom on Tuesday 5th May 13:13

[danb79]

Superb car; every credit to you

I love our F31 325D M Sport; it's such a good car and has been since I collected it Jan 2023 - I'd wholly recommend a suspension overhaul if/when you get chance; I replaced all the suspension parts, but fitted Bilstein B4S shocks with Eibach pro-kit springs - the car now drives and handles so much better

However my F31 is RWD; so that does make it easier when it comes to parts.

That; a full Brembo 370/345mm brake overhaul (fitted from factory); but braided HEL lines all round plus Motus RBF600 fluid makes them a much better system when it comes to feel

And 18s - it come on 19" 403Ms, they got binned ASAP - fitted 400Ms with winters whilst it was still winter and then stuck with 18s - it now sits on 397s with Goodyear Vector Gen3 all seasons - it's the wife's car now as she has to commute to her office weekly; and up/down the M65, just made sense leaving them on etc



Looking forward to seeing your project grow - book-marked

[Pica-Pica]

There is a peg on the strut, and that will snap off if you hit a pothole hard. It is there, presumably, as a designed in failure point to save stut mount body damage. Modern run flats are OK (I now have Hankooks) but you need 18" wheels.
My F30 335d is coming up to 10 years old and on its original battery, but I don't think I will chance it for next winterm

[5 In a Row]

With that sort of impact you probably damaged the run-flats although in my experience it's very hard to spot a bulge in them unless you're lucky with the light and angle catching them.

Lovely car though

[zsdom]

danb79 said:

Superb car; every credit to you

I love our F31 325D M Sport; it's such a good car and has been since I collected it Jan 2023 - I'd wholly recommend a suspension overhaul if/when you get chance; I replaced all the suspension parts, but fitted Bilstein B4S shocks with Eibach pro-kit springs - the car now drives and handles so much better

However my F31 is RWD; so that does make it easier when it comes to parts.

That; a full Brembo 370/345mm brake overhaul (fitted from factory); but braided HEL lines all round plus Motus RBF600 fluid makes them a much better system when it comes to feel

And 18s - it come on 19" 403Ms, they got binned ASAP - fitted 400Ms with winters whilst it was still winter and then stuck with 18s - it now sits on 397s with Goodyear Vector Gen3 all seasons - it's the wife's car now as she has to commute to her office weekly; and up/down the M65, just made sense leaving them on etc

Looking forward to seeing your project grow - book-marked

Thanks Dan, a suspension overhaul is on the cards, as much as I like how it sits & the attention it gets it's just that bit too low for our roads, I'll be looking to go down the Bilstein & AC Schnitzer route but that's probably a next spring/summer project!

Pica-Pica said:

There is a peg on the strut, and that will snap off if you hit a pothole hard. It is there, presumably, as a designed in failure point to save stut mount body damage. Modern run flats are OK (I now have Hankooks) but you need 18" wheels.
My F30 335d is coming up to 10 years old and on its original battery, but I don't think I will chance it for next winterm

The little tab thing is still there, I just think the bolt came loose which caused the issue, it wasnt tight at all when I was repairing it, its been fine since I repaired it although is something I will keep an eye on & check its still tight regularly

For the battery I wouldnt worry about it til you get a warning through the car/app

5 In a Row said:

With that sort of impact you probably damaged the run-flats although in my experience it's very hard to spot a bulge in them unless you're lucky with the light and angle catching them.

Lovely car though

It did damage the run flat which caused the issue, since they've been replaced the cars been a dream

[BrownEaredDog]

That's lovely, there's just something very "right" about the F31 design. I like the blue start button as well

[5 In a Row]

zsdom said:

5 In a Row said:

With that sort of impact you probably damaged the run-flats although in my experience it's very hard to spot a bulge in them unless you're lucky with the light and angle catching them.

Lovely car though

It did damage the run flat which caused the issue, since they've been replaced the cars been a dream

I just meant its very hard to see.
I damaged 2 runflats on a massive pothole and in the absence of any vibration or obvious sidewall damage thought I'd got away with it.
A month later I had the car parked with a small amount of lock on and with the sun directly overhead and the tiny bulge at the top I actually saw it - I'd inspected the tyres a couple of times after the impact but never saw it.

[zsdom]

BrownEaredDog said:

That's lovely, there's just something very "right" about the F31 design. I like the blue start button as well

It really is, I’m coming up to a years ownership and I still look back everytime I walk away!

5 In a Row said:

I just meant its very hard to see.
I damaged 2 runflats on a massive pothole and in the absence of any vibration or obvious sidewall damage thought I'd got away with it.
A month later I had the car parked with a small amount of lock on and with the sun directly overhead and the tiny bulge at the top I actually saw it - I'd inspected the tyres a couple of times after the impact but never saw it.

Oh absolutely, I’d had the wheel off 3-4 times and had it balanced twice & no one could find it

Glad I’ve got rid of them now though

[danb79]

zsdom said:

BrownEaredDog said:

That's lovely, there's just something very "right" about the F31 design. I like the blue start button as well

It really is, I m coming up to a years ownership and I still look back everytime I walk away!

I did similar but couldn't help myself and went red Genuine F8x M3/M4 button via eBay UK as new it was a silly price:




I replaced the interior trim for the genuine BMW dry CF/alcantara trim too; that wasn't cheap, but it does look good



And the finishing touch was a re-trimmed wheel by RSW in alcantara with M tri stitching and the dry CF trim

[Terminator X]

Great looking cars, fast too. Tiny bit slower than the 335i afaik.

TX.

[SJfW]

zsdom said:

danb79 said:

Superb car; every credit to you

I love our F31 325D M Sport; it's such a good car and has been since I collected it Jan 2023 - I'd wholly recommend a suspension overhaul if/when you get chance; I replaced all the suspension parts, but fitted Bilstein B4S shocks with Eibach pro-kit springs - the car now drives and handles so much better

However my F31 is RWD; so that does make it easier when it comes to parts.

That; a full Brembo 370/345mm brake overhaul (fitted from factory); but braided HEL lines all round plus Motus RBF600 fluid makes them a much better system when it comes to feel

And 18s - it come on 19" 403Ms, they got binned ASAP - fitted 400Ms with winters whilst it was still winter and then stuck with 18s - it now sits on 397s with Goodyear Vector Gen3 all seasons - it's the wife's car now as she has to commute to her office weekly; and up/down the M65, just made sense leaving them on etc

Looking forward to seeing your project grow - book-marked

Thanks Dan, a suspension overhaul is on the cards, as much as I like how it sits & the attention it gets it's just that bit too low for our roads, I'll be looking to go down the Bilstein & AC Schnitzer route but that's probably a next spring/summer project!

IIRC the AC Schnitzer springs are just Eibachs, which are cheaper to buy without the extra branding.

[otolith]

Terminator X said:

Great looking cars, fast too. Tiny bit slower than the 335i afaik.

Bit quicker than the 335i

[Terminator X]

otolith said:

Terminator X said:

Great looking cars, fast too. Tiny bit slower than the 335i afaik.

Bit quicker than the 335i

Ah ok, fair play.

TX.