Discussion
D4MJT said:
Are you aware you can customise the sport and sport+ profiles?
I have the lighter comfort steering on my Sport profile, and have the firmer steering on the Sport+ profile.
I was not! Now intrigued. How does one go about this?I have the lighter comfort steering on my Sport profile, and have the firmer steering on the Sport+ profile.
-EDIT-
Never mind it, found it!. A revelation.
Edited by ManOpener on Monday 25th June 16:55
Just over 6 months and about 6k miles of driving and I'm overall still absolutely loving the M140i.
Don't think I've enjoyed it quite as much as when I got back from 2 weeks in Southern Spain having done 2,200km in a diesel Mitsubishi ASX.
I do have a couple of minor gripes, which I'm looking to solve in the coming weeks/months:
Stereo
I've got the standard BMW Hi-Fi stereo- not Advanced, not HK. It's frankly not great- it does the job, but it's never going to set the world on fire. Having experienced both Advanced and HK in the last 6 months, I can say with confidence I don't particularly like the HK system- it doesn't feel that well-balanced to me. The Advanced system felt like a significant improvement over the base one, but the cost of upgrading components (under-seat woofers and amplifier) after the fact is a bit silly.
As a (cheap) halfway house, I'm intending on fitting the Rockford Fosgate T3-BMW1 component kit. This comprises two 4" two-way front speakers, with a pair of 25mm silk diaphragm tweeters. F20/F21/F22 cars not fitted with the HK audio package (or the Alpine BMW upgrade) don't have tweeter pods- the prices for these from BMW and on eBay seem to vary massively but I've managed to pick up a pair for ~£75, including the HK tweeters. I'll probably get a good portion of this back selling the tweeter components alone. They replace the plastic interior trim parallel with the wing mirrors.
With the pods fitted, the Rockford Fosgate component kit is completely plug-and-play. Once it's bought and fitted I'll look at whether or not I need an amplifier, under-seat woofers or rear speaker upgrades, but the general consensus from other people who've fitted it is that it's a huge improvement. Plenty of OEM+ options for amplifier designed to fit the existing boot cubby-hole and under-seat woofers, and the HK pods for rear tweeters are relatively cheap from BMW.
Pro Nav screen retrofit
The 8.8" Pro Nav screen is franky much nicer than the little screen- I didn't realise how much nicer until I spent a bit of time in a colleague's extremely highly specced 118i. F20-22 specific ones are really expensive to buy alone, but the F30 (3-series) one is a direct fit, only differing in some of the plastic shroud. Two lines of coding is all that's required to implement the larger screen and all of its functionality, so I'm keeping an eye out for a Pro Nav screen at the moment.
Mirrors
I had Carbon AutoID M3/4 style mirrors for about a week. The quality was pretty good, but the fit and finish of the OS one left a lot to be desired. I managed to pick up a replacement primed mirror cover from eBay for £9, sprayed it myself and fitted it. Obviously the paint finish isn't quite factory standard but it's still pretty good- this was only meant to be a stop-gap whilst AutoID made me up some colour-coded M3/4 style mirrors in Ferric Grey II. These were supposed to be shipped Friday 4th August, but still haven't arrived and it's not entirely clear what's happened to them- hopefully they'll turn up soon.
Paddles
I recently got the opportunity to drive a DCT M2, and one of the biggest differences I noticed was the shape and style of the paddle shifters. The standard paddles are a bit of a weird shape, and don't extend very far upwards- the M2/3/4/5/6 paddles feel significantly longer (they only look a little longer, but the difference felt much more significant.
M140i on left, M2/3/4/5/6 on right.
Again, these are plug-and-play, requiring no coding of any sort. They can be had fairly cheaply from the US (about $120 for a pair plus shipping).
Other
Still tempted by the M Performance exhaust and limited slip differential...
Don't think I've enjoyed it quite as much as when I got back from 2 weeks in Southern Spain having done 2,200km in a diesel Mitsubishi ASX.
I do have a couple of minor gripes, which I'm looking to solve in the coming weeks/months:
Stereo
I've got the standard BMW Hi-Fi stereo- not Advanced, not HK. It's frankly not great- it does the job, but it's never going to set the world on fire. Having experienced both Advanced and HK in the last 6 months, I can say with confidence I don't particularly like the HK system- it doesn't feel that well-balanced to me. The Advanced system felt like a significant improvement over the base one, but the cost of upgrading components (under-seat woofers and amplifier) after the fact is a bit silly.
As a (cheap) halfway house, I'm intending on fitting the Rockford Fosgate T3-BMW1 component kit. This comprises two 4" two-way front speakers, with a pair of 25mm silk diaphragm tweeters. F20/F21/F22 cars not fitted with the HK audio package (or the Alpine BMW upgrade) don't have tweeter pods- the prices for these from BMW and on eBay seem to vary massively but I've managed to pick up a pair for ~£75, including the HK tweeters. I'll probably get a good portion of this back selling the tweeter components alone. They replace the plastic interior trim parallel with the wing mirrors.
With the pods fitted, the Rockford Fosgate component kit is completely plug-and-play. Once it's bought and fitted I'll look at whether or not I need an amplifier, under-seat woofers or rear speaker upgrades, but the general consensus from other people who've fitted it is that it's a huge improvement. Plenty of OEM+ options for amplifier designed to fit the existing boot cubby-hole and under-seat woofers, and the HK pods for rear tweeters are relatively cheap from BMW.
Pro Nav screen retrofit
The 8.8" Pro Nav screen is franky much nicer than the little screen- I didn't realise how much nicer until I spent a bit of time in a colleague's extremely highly specced 118i. F20-22 specific ones are really expensive to buy alone, but the F30 (3-series) one is a direct fit, only differing in some of the plastic shroud. Two lines of coding is all that's required to implement the larger screen and all of its functionality, so I'm keeping an eye out for a Pro Nav screen at the moment.
Mirrors
I had Carbon AutoID M3/4 style mirrors for about a week. The quality was pretty good, but the fit and finish of the OS one left a lot to be desired. I managed to pick up a replacement primed mirror cover from eBay for £9, sprayed it myself and fitted it. Obviously the paint finish isn't quite factory standard but it's still pretty good- this was only meant to be a stop-gap whilst AutoID made me up some colour-coded M3/4 style mirrors in Ferric Grey II. These were supposed to be shipped Friday 4th August, but still haven't arrived and it's not entirely clear what's happened to them- hopefully they'll turn up soon.
Paddles
I recently got the opportunity to drive a DCT M2, and one of the biggest differences I noticed was the shape and style of the paddle shifters. The standard paddles are a bit of a weird shape, and don't extend very far upwards- the M2/3/4/5/6 paddles feel significantly longer (they only look a little longer, but the difference felt much more significant.
M140i on left, M2/3/4/5/6 on right.
Again, these are plug-and-play, requiring no coding of any sort. They can be had fairly cheaply from the US (about $120 for a pair plus shipping).
Other
Still tempted by the M Performance exhaust and limited slip differential...
I'm glad I specced the Advanced on my m240i, didn't get suckered into the "must have HK". The advanced is perfectly good for my purposes. Sounds like you've come up with a good solution.
I'm also perfectly happy with my smaller business nav screen, but I guess if you come from a bigger screen or get used to a bigger one, it then makes it look less adequate. But I find functionality and speed excellent.
I can't make up my mind on the M performance exhaust. Seems expensive for a back box and doesn't have a valve. I'd definitely like more exhaust noise when on a good drive, but don't necessarily want it on the motorway commute or office car park. I've been looking at the Milltek cat back that maintains a valve and also means no cutting of the original. I also much prefer the low key tip options compared the the M version. Downside is £1,100 cost and potential warranty concerns.
Other than the exhaust, I want to try the Bilstein B12 kit. Dislike the standard suspension and went for a demo in the birds car, but they don't allow you to drive it. Why would I spend £1800 on their suspension without being able to feel the difference myself? Sure I could feel the ride improvement, but not feel of the drive.
I'm also very tempted by the alcantara m performance wheel and gear stick.
I'm also perfectly happy with my smaller business nav screen, but I guess if you come from a bigger screen or get used to a bigger one, it then makes it look less adequate. But I find functionality and speed excellent.
I can't make up my mind on the M performance exhaust. Seems expensive for a back box and doesn't have a valve. I'd definitely like more exhaust noise when on a good drive, but don't necessarily want it on the motorway commute or office car park. I've been looking at the Milltek cat back that maintains a valve and also means no cutting of the original. I also much prefer the low key tip options compared the the M version. Downside is £1,100 cost and potential warranty concerns.
Other than the exhaust, I want to try the Bilstein B12 kit. Dislike the standard suspension and went for a demo in the birds car, but they don't allow you to drive it. Why would I spend £1800 on their suspension without being able to feel the difference myself? Sure I could feel the ride improvement, but not feel of the drive.
I'm also very tempted by the alcantara m performance wheel and gear stick.
Oh the business nav screen is totally fine, but the 8.8" Pro ones occasionally crop up for around £300-350. Given it was the best part of £1k as an option when new, seems like a worthwhile upgrade to me. The fancier Pro iDrive controller is even cheaper (I've seen them for as little as £150).
The main reason I'd want MPE over anything else is to preserve warranty, I've got a little over 18 months left. They sell on the second hand market for pretty much the same price as they are new so you wouldn't end up losing much.
The Birds kit is tempting, I'd also like to try a car with Koni FSDs and KW Street Comforts for comparison. KWs are supposed to be very good, the price is about the same as the Birds kit, and they're adjustable too.
The main reason I'd want MPE over anything else is to preserve warranty, I've got a little over 18 months left. They sell on the second hand market for pretty much the same price as they are new so you wouldn't end up losing much.
The Birds kit is tempting, I'd also like to try a car with Koni FSDs and KW Street Comforts for comparison. KWs are supposed to be very good, the price is about the same as the Birds kit, and they're adjustable too.
Edited by ManOpener on Friday 24th August 10:59
ManOpener said:
The main reason I'd want MPE over anything else is to preserve warranty, I've got a little over 18 months left. They sell on the second hand market for pretty much the same price as they are new so you wouldn't end up losing much.
The Birds kit is tempting, I'd also like to try a car with Koni FSDs and KW Street Comforts for comparison. KWs are supposed to be very good, the price is about the same as the Birds kit, and they're adjustable too.
Yes the MPE guarantees no warranty issues. Might take a look at the KW option as well before making a decision. Trouble is you are reliant of the reviews of other people, which is all very subjective and people appreciate different things. For me, I want less bouncy damping, a less crashy ride, but at the same time a bit less roll. Any improvement to steering feel is also appreciated.The Birds kit is tempting, I'd also like to try a car with Koni FSDs and KW Street Comforts for comparison. KWs are supposed to be very good, the price is about the same as the Birds kit, and they're adjustable too.
Edited by ManOpener on Friday 24th August 10:59
That's pretty much the outcome I wnt- a ride more in line with something like a Megane RS which I find firm but pliant, without the bounciness and crashiness on broken surfaces at high and low speeds respectively.
The M4 Lower Control Arms and Tension Struts are supposed to help the steering feel (which bothers me less than it might others because my last car had an electromechanical rack which was truly awful) and they're on my nice-to-have list, along with some lighter flow formed wheels (the Style 436Ms are very heavy). I think Dinan or one of the other tuners do a Monoball lower control arm kit which is supposed to be very good in the improving steering feel stakes, but it's more expensive than the M4 parts!
The M4 Lower Control Arms and Tension Struts are supposed to help the steering feel (which bothers me less than it might others because my last car had an electromechanical rack which was truly awful) and they're on my nice-to-have list, along with some lighter flow formed wheels (the Style 436Ms are very heavy). I think Dinan or one of the other tuners do a Monoball lower control arm kit which is supposed to be very good in the improving steering feel stakes, but it's more expensive than the M4 parts!
Another few months and few thousand miles down, nothing major to report. Picked up parts for some of the upgrades listed above, but yet to have anything fitted.
MPE might be coming sooner than I'd thought, though- this morning I had to grab something out of the boot after I'd started the car and it sounds very much like I've got the beginnings of the dreaded exhaust valve rattle. Will have to give Cotswold a call and have them have a look at it.
MPE might be coming sooner than I'd thought, though- this morning I had to grab something out of the boot after I'd started the car and it sounds very much like I've got the beginnings of the dreaded exhaust valve rattle. Will have to give Cotswold a call and have them have a look at it.
PorkRind said:
If i ever have to drop back from the c63 for any reason, ie mpg, i think ill get one of these. With a lsd and 3 door - black with the twin clutch 
.
Drop back ? its an upgrade from a C63 .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7rtLfmHrz0&ed...
I jest but a standard M140i is pretty much a match for the C63, the NA one anyway,Cheap tuning box and its goodnight.
Still rather have the C63 for the racket it makes.
Fantastic weekend, did ~600 miles across 2 days, driving some of the best driving roads in Wales with a couple of mates.
Car was absolutely faultless, supremely capable and confident.
It has, however, reinforced the need for a diff and possibly some suspension work.
Whilst the car is/was great as long as you're well-prepared and take the time to settle the chassis before the corner (and surprisingly easy to judge and place even on some of the rougher roads), it's slower to settle than I'd like and could definitely do with more front end grip under hard acceleration. Definitely rewards being nice and smooth/progressive rather than really grabbing it by the neck...
Car was absolutely faultless, supremely capable and confident.
It has, however, reinforced the need for a diff and possibly some suspension work.
Whilst the car is/was great as long as you're well-prepared and take the time to settle the chassis before the corner (and surprisingly easy to judge and place even on some of the rougher roads), it's slower to settle than I'd like and could definitely do with more front end grip under hard acceleration. Definitely rewards being nice and smooth/progressive rather than really grabbing it by the neck...
Edited by HM-2 on Monday 1st April 11:36
Easy to spend a load on making it better, I am stopping myself from fiddling beyond the tuning box.
Also, out of interest, how do you tell if you have the advanced or base stereo, I am fairly happy with the one in mine, my mate has an earlier M135i, pre LCI with the HK and cant tell any difference.
Also, out of interest, how do you tell if you have the advanced or base stereo, I am fairly happy with the one in mine, my mate has an earlier M135i, pre LCI with the HK and cant tell any difference.
HM-2 said:
If there's a sub under the passager seat, it's got the Advanced stereo. There will also be an amp in the boot, passager side.
Cheers, checked it and it does have a small metal box thing in there with wires going to it, there are speaker grilles under both front seats but they both look the same, so not sure, looks like the thing in the middle in this photo.
It sounds ok to me either way.
Edited by J4CKO on Monday 1st April 22:11
HM-2 said:
If there's a sub under the passager seat, it's got the Advanced stereo. There will also be an amp in the boot, passager side.
All BMW’s have the sub under the seat.Basically it’s like this:
No tweeters in the top corner in the door=base stereo
Plain black tweeter covers=advanced stereo
Silver branded tweeter covers and silver woofer covers=harman kardon
SteBrown91 said:
All BMW’s have the sub under the seat.
Basically it’s like this:
No tweeters in the top corner in the door=base stereo
Plain black tweeter covers=advanced stereo
Silver branded tweeter covers and silver woofer covers=harman kardon
Advanced doesn't have tweeters on the F20. Only cars with either HK or the BMW fitted Alpine system have tweeters.Basically it’s like this:
No tweeters in the top corner in the door=base stereo
Plain black tweeter covers=advanced stereo
Silver branded tweeter covers and silver woofer covers=harman kardon
I'm not sure whether that box on J4CKOs car is the symposer or amp. Think it's actually the symposer as the fins on the amp are horizontal rather than diagonal (https://m.ebay.ie/itm/BMW-Amplifier-Verstarker-Soundsystem-F20-F21-Genuine-Hi-Fi-System-9312452/253882521023)
Edited by HM-2 on Tuesday 2nd April 07:33
HM-2 said:
SteBrown91 said:
All BMW’s have the sub under the seat.
Basically it’s like this:
No tweeters in the top corner in the door=base stereo
Plain black tweeter covers=advanced stereo
Silver branded tweeter covers and silver woofer covers=harman kardon
Advanced doesn't have tweeters on the F20. Only cars with either HK or the BMW fitted Alpine system have tweeters.Basically it’s like this:
No tweeters in the top corner in the door=base stereo
Plain black tweeter covers=advanced stereo
Silver branded tweeter covers and silver woofer covers=harman kardon
I'm not sure whether that box on J4CKOs car is the symposer or amp. Think it's actually the symposer as the fins on the amp are horizontal rather than diagonal (https://m.ebay.ie/itm/BMW-Amplifier-Verstarker-Soundsystem-F20-F21-Genuine-Hi-Fi-System-9312452/253882521023)
Edited by HM-2 on Tuesday 2nd April 07:33
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