BMW M140 (at last!)
Discussion
MB140 said:
Ignore the pads indicator. Mine has been sat at 3200 miles for about 10000 miles. Every time I have a look there is still loads of life in the pads.
I’m up to 40000 now and they will need doing soon though. Decision is do I go BMW oem (textar I believe) or maybe something different.
I’m loathed to pay BMW prices if they are just a textar pad with a BMW logo stuck on it.
I’ve heard that, so it’ll be interesting to see. I’m up to 40000 now and they will need doing soon though. Decision is do I go BMW oem (textar I believe) or maybe something different.
I’m loathed to pay BMW prices if they are just a textar pad with a BMW logo stuck on it.
Batteries are the same; the BMW ones are a rebadged Varta.
Not sure what I’ll do when it comes to replacement, will see how much BMW want to shaft me for the pads. Will also see how much they are from Williams Performance.
MB140 said:
Replaced my battery last week (5 years old) with a varta one and then used bimmercode to recode it. Dead easy.
I had to do the battery on my other half’s 125 the other week. Was easy enough with Carly. Cotswold BMW weren’t too expensive (cheaper than Halfords). I bought one from Tayna which seems to have done the job. Lynch91 said:
OP lovely looking car.
I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on the carbon / alcantara trim for a while, which dealer did you get it from? And if you don't mind sharing, what was the cost?
Cheers. I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on the carbon / alcantara trim for a while, which dealer did you get it from? And if you don't mind sharing, what was the cost?
I bought it from Cotswold BMW who were the cheapest I could find. Will send you a PM with the price....still extortionate mind.
My very understanding other half indulged me in another day of car cleaning, this time it was the turn of my 140i for some love. Following the wet winter it was tar spot central. So....
Snowfoamed with Garage Therapy Decon shampoo
Washed with the decon shampoo
Dried
Chemical decontamination Trix followed up with BH Korrosol, rinsed
Washed again with the decon shampoo
Light claying to remove the last of the old wax and any stubborn tar and iron spots
Polished with Menzerna 2500 and a Hex Logic green pad
Polished again with Menzerna 380l and a Hex Logic white pad
Wiped over with G Techniq panel wipe
Two coats of Dodo Juice Supernatural polish
Tyres dressed with G Techniq T2
Glass cleaned with Car Pro Clarity
Interior vac’d
Leather cleaned Angle Wax Heaven for Leather
Plastics cleaned with Koch Kemie all surface cleaner
It’s not perfect, but the paint looks pretty good under the bright sun today.
Still need to do the arches and wheels properly but I didn’t order any G Techniq C5 ready for today, so I’ll save that fir another weekend.
I’m going to fit the rear Bilstein B8’s on Sunday whilst my other half pops out.
Snowfoamed with Garage Therapy Decon shampoo
Washed with the decon shampoo
Dried
Chemical decontamination Trix followed up with BH Korrosol, rinsed
Washed again with the decon shampoo
Light claying to remove the last of the old wax and any stubborn tar and iron spots
Polished with Menzerna 2500 and a Hex Logic green pad
Polished again with Menzerna 380l and a Hex Logic white pad
Wiped over with G Techniq panel wipe
Two coats of Dodo Juice Supernatural polish
Tyres dressed with G Techniq T2
Glass cleaned with Car Pro Clarity
Interior vac’d
Leather cleaned Angle Wax Heaven for Leather
Plastics cleaned with Koch Kemie all surface cleaner
It’s not perfect, but the paint looks pretty good under the bright sun today.
Still need to do the arches and wheels properly but I didn’t order any G Techniq C5 ready for today, so I’ll save that fir another weekend.
I’m going to fit the rear Bilstein B8’s on Sunday whilst my other half pops out.
The weather was nice today, so I cracked on with changing the rear dampers.
Took this opportunity to change to the slightly shorter M Performance bump stops too.
Crappy (and rather grubby OE damper)
Few bits removed
And fitted
These were easier to fit than the dampers on the E88 primarily because I didn’t have to take the boot apart, it’s loads easier with the top mounts being held in with three E-torx bolts. The pass through socket set was a decent investment. I gave the fear arches a quick clean whilst the wheels were off.
The car seems to think that it’ll need rear pads in 4,800 miles but looking at the pads there’s loads of life left in them yet. New pads in 25k seems a tad soon, so I need to keep an eye on them.
I took the car for a quick spin this afternoon and there seems to be a noticeable improvement; there is still some jiggle, particularly at 30mph or less, but there is a big improvement in comfort and ride quality as the speeds increase. The car felt much more controlled over a couple of bits of road locally that really upset the OE dampers; one a sharp ridge and the other a funny compression. In both cases it felt like the dampers were still trying to figure out what to do 50 yards down the road. Looking forward to sone longer drives to get a better reading.
Took this opportunity to change to the slightly shorter M Performance bump stops too.
Crappy (and rather grubby OE damper)
Few bits removed
And fitted
These were easier to fit than the dampers on the E88 primarily because I didn’t have to take the boot apart, it’s loads easier with the top mounts being held in with three E-torx bolts. The pass through socket set was a decent investment. I gave the fear arches a quick clean whilst the wheels were off.
The car seems to think that it’ll need rear pads in 4,800 miles but looking at the pads there’s loads of life left in them yet. New pads in 25k seems a tad soon, so I need to keep an eye on them.
I took the car for a quick spin this afternoon and there seems to be a noticeable improvement; there is still some jiggle, particularly at 30mph or less, but there is a big improvement in comfort and ride quality as the speeds increase. The car felt much more controlled over a couple of bits of road locally that really upset the OE dampers; one a sharp ridge and the other a funny compression. In both cases it felt like the dampers were still trying to figure out what to do 50 yards down the road. Looking forward to sone longer drives to get a better reading.
F1GTRUeno said:
What's the fuel economy like in real terms?
Debating an M135 or M140 as my next car but interested to see how much you get from a full tank.
Know that's an odd thing to think about with a 3.0 twin turbo but still.
My long term since June 19 is a smidge under 29mpg.Debating an M135 or M140 as my next car but interested to see how much you get from a full tank.
Know that's an odd thing to think about with a 3.0 twin turbo but still.
It was just under 31 before COVID when it was doing more commuting. If you’re sensible the economy can be pretty good but it plunges pretty quickly if you’re silly in it.
At the moment with lots of short journeys I’m getting about 260 miles to a tank whereas before it was 300 or so. The tank is small though.
cerb4.5lee said:
I'd love to be as handy as you are Sam with cars for sure. It looks so nice and I've really enjoyed seeing the improvements that you've made with it big time. 
Thanks Lee.I’m not all that handy to be honest and it’s only since this and her previous 1 series that I’ve really started to muck about with cars myself.
stevep944 said:
Is changing the dampers an easy diy job - top mounts all accessible from under the car or do you go inside the boot etc? Thinking of changing my stock ones to B6s.
Had mine 3mths now and getting 26 mpg with mostly short journeys, can't wait to get out for some longer runs!
It’s a piece of piss.Had mine 3mths now and getting 26 mpg with mostly short journeys, can't wait to get out for some longer runs!
All done via the arch; remove the plastic aero piece held on with four 10mm bolts, three E torx bolts at the top and then one 18mm bolt at the bottom. Compress the damper to give yourself room to wiggle it out. Pry off the plastic cap at the top to reveal the bolt holding the damper to the top mount. 16mm pass through socket and a 5mm allen key to get that off.
Fitting is the reverse although the Bilstein bolt with the dampers is 17mm.
My other half’s E88 required the entire boot to be dismantled to gain access. This was much easier.
So, today I actually used my car properly for the first time in ages...
With life feeling a tad more normal and some restrictions lifting myself and two friends organised a driving trip to North Wales. Quite a lot of super unleaded was used and lots of fun was had.
We met in Oswestry which meant a properly early morning start. Left the house before the sun was properly up.
Quick pit stop at Telford for a Maccy D’s breakfast and to fill up. Sunrise on the M54.
We met up just after seven in Oswestry; Matt’s Golf need topping up with oil before we headed to Wales.
First decent roads were in and around Dolgellau which were lots of fun with the limited traffic. From here we headed over to Llangynog. We passed a large group of guys in Lotus’s heading the other direction. These roads were even better, although there were some pretty savage pot holes to dodge.
Quick stop at the top for pictures.
We then headed to Bala and stopped for pictures etc.
Next up was two thirds of the Evo triangle. Great roads but ruined up average speed cameras, although I can see why they were installed. We stopped at Corwen and Denbigh for photos and arsing around. There might have been some silliness on a gravel car park. Maybe.
We picked up a LBB M2 who followed us to Snowdon. Seeing that in my rear view bumper certainly hasn’t quelled my want for one; it looked bloody imposing and the speed which he was able to carry through the corners was very impressive. The driver seemed quite happy with a bit of mild tail out action too.
Lost track a bit of where we went after Snowdon. The cafe we hoped would be open for a drink was closed so we headed off to find fuel and something to eat (we kept it classy and stopped at Greggs
).
The decision was made to head over to Barmouth for a final stop and brief chill before heading home.
The drive home was pretty hard going, especially Welshpool to Shrewsbury with numerous rolling road blocks refusing to bother the speed limit let alone leave gaps etc.
Overall was a fun trip out and it was nice to use my car properly. It behaved pretty well, with the B8’s on the rear offering a noticeable improvement over the stock dampers.
With life feeling a tad more normal and some restrictions lifting myself and two friends organised a driving trip to North Wales. Quite a lot of super unleaded was used and lots of fun was had.
We met in Oswestry which meant a properly early morning start. Left the house before the sun was properly up.
Quick pit stop at Telford for a Maccy D’s breakfast and to fill up. Sunrise on the M54.
We met up just after seven in Oswestry; Matt’s Golf need topping up with oil before we headed to Wales.
First decent roads were in and around Dolgellau which were lots of fun with the limited traffic. From here we headed over to Llangynog. We passed a large group of guys in Lotus’s heading the other direction. These roads were even better, although there were some pretty savage pot holes to dodge.
Quick stop at the top for pictures.
We then headed to Bala and stopped for pictures etc.
Next up was two thirds of the Evo triangle. Great roads but ruined up average speed cameras, although I can see why they were installed. We stopped at Corwen and Denbigh for photos and arsing around. There might have been some silliness on a gravel car park. Maybe.
We picked up a LBB M2 who followed us to Snowdon. Seeing that in my rear view bumper certainly hasn’t quelled my want for one; it looked bloody imposing and the speed which he was able to carry through the corners was very impressive. The driver seemed quite happy with a bit of mild tail out action too.
Lost track a bit of where we went after Snowdon. The cafe we hoped would be open for a drink was closed so we headed off to find fuel and something to eat (we kept it classy and stopped at Greggs
).The decision was made to head over to Barmouth for a final stop and brief chill before heading home.
The drive home was pretty hard going, especially Welshpool to Shrewsbury with numerous rolling road blocks refusing to bother the speed limit let alone leave gaps etc.
Overall was a fun trip out and it was nice to use my car properly. It behaved pretty well, with the B8’s on the rear offering a noticeable improvement over the stock dampers.
My car has developed the dreaded exhaust rattle on start up. Before it would only do it when it was properly cold (ie left over night) but it’s getting worse and now comes back if the car is left for a couple of hours. Joy.
Booked in for a few weeks time.
Seems to be a pretty common issue relating to a spring getting baggy.
Booked in for a few weeks time.
Seems to be a pretty common issue relating to a spring getting baggy.
HM-2 said:
You may find it just goes away of its own volition. I had a really bad rattle for about a week then for whatever reason it just stopped.
I’d hoped that but it’s got worse over the last few weeks. It was going to intermittently, then every day etc. It’s a horrible noise that bake the car sound like a proper bag of spanners. MB140 said:
Armchair_Expert said:
Thats a shame ypur rattle has worsened, mine seems to have disappeared. Problem I have now is a constant rattle / vibration coming from the dash, garage noticed it during a road test and now they have pointed it out, it is driving me insane. Mostly low speeds and a constant plasticy rattle that is like a tuning fork. I fear it is going to be a labour intensive dashboard strip to identify.
I had something similar in my m135i, I found that by pulling the instrument binnacle down it would stop. I took some felt strip and used a trim removal tool to push the felt between the binnacle and the dash. Not cured it completely but certainly reduced it. The worst rattle I experienced was in my old vRS; something around the drivers seatbelt rattled and that was pretty much right next to my ear. That did my head in.
My car is in with BMW today for them to look at the rattle on cold start; as expected the exhaust valve is dead. In the health check you can see how floppy it is.
They’re replacing the backbox which seems a bit extreme given people manage to fix it themselves but it’s under warranty so I’m not too fussed.
Looks like I need a pair of front tyres too, so I may mix tyres for a short time until the rears are dead too. I don’t really want to be paying our for four new ones this month because VED is due and my insurance is due next month too. I believe the MPSS has been discontinued as well, so I don’t want to pop a pair on now and find out that I can’t get more when the rears need doing. Currently torn between PS4’s and Good Year Asymmetric 5’s.
I’ve been given an F40 118i as a courtesy car. The interior is a pretty nice place to be and feels really good quality but the basic seats are s
t, they’re so uncomfortable, I can’t believe they were ever signed off. The safety features which turn on every time you start the car are annoying especially the lane assistance...that needs to be in the bin. People gave the F20 a hard time re the steering but this is worse I reckon.
They’re replacing the backbox which seems a bit extreme given people manage to fix it themselves but it’s under warranty so I’m not too fussed.
Looks like I need a pair of front tyres too, so I may mix tyres for a short time until the rears are dead too. I don’t really want to be paying our for four new ones this month because VED is due and my insurance is due next month too. I believe the MPSS has been discontinued as well, so I don’t want to pop a pair on now and find out that I can’t get more when the rears need doing. Currently torn between PS4’s and Good Year Asymmetric 5’s.
I’ve been given an F40 118i as a courtesy car. The interior is a pretty nice place to be and feels really good quality but the basic seats are s
t, they’re so uncomfortable, I can’t believe they were ever signed off. The safety features which turn on every time you start the car are annoying especially the lane assistance...that needs to be in the bin. People gave the F20 a hard time re the steering but this is worse I reckon.MB140 said:
I was in the same boat reference tyres (only I needed rears), I switched from MPSS to GY Asy 3 last time, I’ve now changed to Asy 5 times n the rears so I’m running Asy 3 front until they wear out and new Asy 5 on the rear.
I don’t drive at 8/10ths and mine is solely a road car and daily. I found the MPSS not great in greasy cold wet conditions, I personally found the Asy 3 better in those conditions and I’m hoping the Asy 5 will be an improvement.
Don’t think you will go wrong with either PS4 or Asy 5.
I’m the same as you in that regard.I don’t drive at 8/10ths and mine is solely a road car and daily. I found the MPSS not great in greasy cold wet conditions, I personally found the Asy 3 better in those conditions and I’m hoping the Asy 5 will be an improvement.
Don’t think you will go wrong with either PS4 or Asy 5.
Having watched some reviews, it seems like the Asymmetric 5 is slightly sportier with stiffer side walls than the PS4. Might match the MPSS better until they die (only 2.5mm to go until they stop working well).
So, my time with the M140i is drawing to a close.
It’s been a great car, but I have the opportunity to get out of it with a few quid my way due to strong (possible overly high used values at the moment). I’m barely using the car at the moment and I can’t see my usage sky rocketing any time soon, so I’m taking the opportunity to get out now and run something older and less expensive for 12/18 months. It seems ridiculous to have a relatively expensive car sat in the drive either not moving for a few days or doing maybe four miles a day.
It’s been a really really good car but I’m not 100% sure that I truly love it; it’s very fast, pretty comfy, doesn’t cost much to run and discreet but it doesn’t quite tickle my funny bits, especially with such limited use. If I’m honest, I’m currently regretting not buying an E9x M3. Yes it would have chonged through fuel and possible bitten my wallet with rod bearings etc, but they’re aging well and the noise. The noise.
My criteria for a cheaper car was that it still had to interest me and have at least six cylinders. I’ve looked at all sorts of stuff from older performance cars that I couldn’t afford when they were current but prices are mental which ruled out an E46 M3 or a B7 RS4. I looked at a few barges, Bangle’s 6 series looks great value used but they’re big, the V8’s are a pain in the arse and they don’t seem quite as cheap as they did a while back. I was very tempted my a 630i down the road from me, facelift car with a great spec (HUD, pano roof, heated seats etc) but my other half’s hated it and they’re big. Bloody big. The N53 engine worried me a wee bit WSP with no evidence of a HPFP etc.
E9x was high the agenda but most have a st spec (no xenons), a well spec’d E91 is a unicorn that isn’t available at the mo. Lots of E92’s are falling into the wrong hands and have interesting MOT histories.
So, all being well I’ll be moving into a 130i Limited Edition on Friday. It seems like a really good car with what looks like enthusiast owners.
It’s been a great car, but I have the opportunity to get out of it with a few quid my way due to strong (possible overly high used values at the moment). I’m barely using the car at the moment and I can’t see my usage sky rocketing any time soon, so I’m taking the opportunity to get out now and run something older and less expensive for 12/18 months. It seems ridiculous to have a relatively expensive car sat in the drive either not moving for a few days or doing maybe four miles a day.
It’s been a really really good car but I’m not 100% sure that I truly love it; it’s very fast, pretty comfy, doesn’t cost much to run and discreet but it doesn’t quite tickle my funny bits, especially with such limited use. If I’m honest, I’m currently regretting not buying an E9x M3. Yes it would have chonged through fuel and possible bitten my wallet with rod bearings etc, but they’re aging well and the noise. The noise.
My criteria for a cheaper car was that it still had to interest me and have at least six cylinders. I’ve looked at all sorts of stuff from older performance cars that I couldn’t afford when they were current but prices are mental which ruled out an E46 M3 or a B7 RS4. I looked at a few barges, Bangle’s 6 series looks great value used but they’re big, the V8’s are a pain in the arse and they don’t seem quite as cheap as they did a while back. I was very tempted my a 630i down the road from me, facelift car with a great spec (HUD, pano roof, heated seats etc) but my other half’s hated it and they’re big. Bloody big. The N53 engine worried me a wee bit WSP with no evidence of a HPFP etc.
E9x was high the agenda but most have a s
t spec (no xenons), a well spec’d E91 is a unicorn that isn’t available at the mo. Lots of E92’s are falling into the wrong hands and have interesting MOT histories.So, all being well I’ll be moving into a 130i Limited Edition on Friday. It seems like a really good car with what looks like enthusiast owners.
cerb4.5lee said:
Hopefully exciting times ahead with the 130i LE then Sam.
I've really enjoyed following your thread on the M140i for sure, but I've also always been a big fan of the 130i too. The N52 engine is a belter for certain.
Wishing you all the best going forward with the 130i and I look forward to following another one of your Readers Cars threads all being well.
Cheers Lee, I have a few plans for the new car already.I've really enjoyed following your thread on the M140i for sure, but I've also always been a big fan of the 130i too. The N52 engine is a belter for certain.
Wishing you all the best going forward with the 130i and I look forward to following another one of your Readers Cars threads all being well.
I think it’ll suit my current usage profile a bit better than my car.
Armchair_Expert said:
Sad times, can't believe your leaving. I am also tempted to get out of mine for no apparent reason, just feels like a year of fun had and a good time to get out.
It wasn’t really planned. On the back of the used car value thread on here I got a quote and it tuned out it was worth more than I owe so it seemed like a good idea to get out whilst values are high. In three / four years time when the very good run out deals are coming to an end there’ll be glut of them on the market.Plus I’m paying out a load of cash for something that’s not really get used which seems a bit daft. I’ve enjoyed the car, but it hasn’t got under my skin like others have.
ScoobyChris said:
I swapped my rear MPSS for PS4 and they feel like a pretty good match stiffness-wise with the MPSS on the front, with the main difference being that they inspire so much more confidence so much better in wet weather.
Funny you mention you're selling up. The thread on WBAC prices had me doing the sums, but scouring Autotrader and nothing really tempted me - I guess the balance of accessible decent performance and very sensible running costs is a hard combination to beat.
Enjoy the new motor!
Chris
Thanks Chris.Funny you mention you're selling up. The thread on WBAC prices had me doing the sums, but scouring Autotrader and nothing really tempted me - I guess the balance of accessible decent performance and very sensible running costs is a hard combination to beat.
Enjoy the new motor!
Chris
Yeah, that thread sent my off to the classifieds!
it’s only because I can get out with cash that I’m doing it. I paid £28k for the car in June 2019 and have agreed an offer at £23.5k which seems good.Ideally I’d have jumped into an M2 but there’s not too many around and prices are firm. I guessed that buying something for not too much cash limits my exposure to Covid pricing. I might regret it, I might not.
MDifficult said:
Cough
MINI!
Cough
Ha, was tempted but the lure of a six pot was too strong. This is the third time I’ve tried to buy a 130i, so I’m hoping it’s third time lucky!MINI!
Cough
First time was back in 2013. Find a cracker on here but missed out but the owner called me back yo tell me what a great car it was!
Missed out in a well spec’d one in January then got impatient and bought a 125i cab.Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff