E91 Straight Six Bearding

[gizlaroc]

cerb4.5lee said:

I had a E90 330d M sport for 6 years and I had a E90 330i M sport for 4 years, and I had a E92 330d SE as a loan car for a week that I did 180 miles a day in.

The SE ride is night and day better than the M sport for me. Although handling and cornering wise the SE felt like a boat in comparison to the M sport with loads of roll in the corners. If you want comfort then go for a SE...but if you enjoy handling more then it has to be the M sport for me.

On proper tyres or run flats?

[cerb4.5lee]

gizlaroc said:

On proper tyres or run flats?

The M sports were on run flats and I presumed that the SE was on run flats too. Do SE cars come on run flats as standard or is it just the M sport?

[g3org3y]

cerb4.5lee said:

I've always thought that the ride was fine with the M sport suspension and run flats on smooth tarmac, but as soon as you hit broken tarmac or pot holes it turned into being really harsh for me.

The OEM Bridgestones are particularly bad though and that is the tyre I always had.

Yes, I don't really like those Bridgestones. I think the RFT Goodyears are much better. I think you can get Pilot Sport (3 iirc?) RFT now.

The roads around here are especially bad for potholes. My wife has form for hitting them.

13 inch steelie (on our old Polo)

ferrisbueller said:

Z4 on 18s, with OEM Bridgestone RFT and sports suspension is about as bad as I've experienced in recent times. I swapped onto PS3s and it was appreciably better.

Going to ditch the RFTs on the Z4. Genuinely makes it unpleasant to drive. Will probably go for Michelin Pilot Sports.

[gizlaroc]

JakeT said:

That's a nice ad, I like the film over the reversing lights. Price is competitve too, I paid similar for my E91 in July. 30k more, but manual.

Were it me I'd be getting rid of the F11, freeing up more cash helps, in addition to having less of a depreciation bill as time goes on. Not to mention that sounds like a sorted E91.

For a DAB solution, I am thinking about getting a FISTUNE unit from Kufatec and fitting it. Nav cars only I believe, but acts like a CD changer. Before that I think it's combox time though.

What Nav have you got? CIC?
Has anyone actually tried to hook up the external dab module on one? I have searched and searched over the years to see if anyone has actually tried, but never seen any one say they have.
I know it is now built into the CIC next to the FM board, but has anyone tried to hook one up?

Fistune would be my choice, with a decent glass mount antenna. Some are really good now if you ground them properly.




If I sell the F11 I will probably end up buying a 340i Touring, I doubt I will free up any money. Haha
To be honest I don't mind really, however my F11 is paid for and obviously so is the 330i.

But I would probably buy something for £20-22k or so, put £10k-12k in, finance it over 60 months and leave a £3-5k balloon, something I can pay off at the end without having to think too much about it. I can get 2.9% apr, so £100 a month.
£100 a month I won't even notice. But I am not going back to £400+ a month or even £400 a month on 2 cars like I have in the past.

I was looking at the new M340i Touring, but reality is £700 a month no matter how you try and convinces yourself by ignoring deposits etc.
That is £8400 a year, bugger me, need to earn £12500 to cover that, so the reality is £50,000 of wages gone over 48 months to drive around in a new 340i touring. Fook that these days!
If I put that into my main mortgage, which is now £210k I could have it paid off in 8 years time.
That is not even considering the £1000 for insurance and road tax.
Or the £2855 on fuel, or the £250 on tyres each year.
So reality is more like getting onto spending the first £19k or so of your wages on a car each year, or £100,000 every 5 years.


However....
WBAC have offered £9400 on my F11, 64 plate LCI se with 90k on it, prof nav etc.
Plus I have some 18" rims on there, I could put the old wheels back on for trade in and get £500 for those, maybe even a bit more as I have winters on them and a set of Goodyear Eagle F1s with 7.5mm on them as well.
So that is £10k, I would struggle to get more than that privately to be honest and a lot less hassle.


Why am I even thinking about changing them?
I guess it is vanity?
Nicer to have a new car sometimes, just feels nicer turning up to places where everyone is in their new motors and not being in some old model. That's terrible, but it is one of the reasons.
I'm not sure I even like them as much, I have loved the last few weeks in this 330i. I have done over 2000 miles in January in it. The F11 has sat there. Tell a lie, I went to Brixton in it on Thursday, but even then that was because I had pulled the window regulator out waiting for the new one to arrive, and the warning was going off every 30 seconds, so it wasn't because I wanted to take the F11, just that gong would have driven me mad.

Solihull Monday, Bond Street Tuesday, I will take the 330i to both of those, especially as I now have factory dab too. I can shout at LBC all the way there. haha

[gizlaroc]

cerb4.5lee said:

The M sports were on run flats and I presumed that the SE was on run flats too. Do SE cars come on run flats as standard or is it just the M sport?

Yeah SE comes on run flats too, you can get away with them a bit more, but the run flats on M-Sports, especially Bridgestones are just horrid.

M-Sport on proper tyres is more comfy than SE 17's on Run Flats still.

I just sold a 57 plate SE touring on run flats before I had the 330i sport, so went from one to the other, the difference between tyres makes far more of a difference than between suspension.

[Mr Tidy]

cerb4.5lee said:

The M sports were on run flats and I presumed that the SE was on run flats too. Do SE cars come on run flats as standard or is it just the M sport?

As far as I know they all came on run-flats because there is nowhere to store a spare wheel (even if it was a space-saver), but SEs had 17s and Sport/M-Sports had 18s.

Although because my E91 325i and E90 330i were SEs they both had 16"/17" run-flats. But neither had Bridgestone Potenzeas thankfully. Pirellis, Contis and Hankooks were much better!

[cerb4.5lee]

gizlaroc said:

cerb4.5lee said:

The M sports were on run flats and I presumed that the SE was on run flats too. Do SE cars come on run flats as standard or is it just the M sport?

Yeah SE comes on run flats too, you can get away with them a bit more, but the run flats on M-Sports, especially Bridgestones are just horrid.

M-Sport on proper tyres is more comfy than SE 17's on Run Flats still.

I just sold a 57 plate SE touring on run flats before I had the 330i sport, so went from one to the other, the difference between tyres makes far more of a difference than between suspension.

Thanks.

I remember when I swapped the run flats to proper tyres on the 640d(M sport) it completely transformed the ride for sure. The only trouble I had was that because they were 20" wheels with hardly any sidewall I ended up suffering with a few punctures. So on that I wished that I'd stuck with the run flats, but the difference in ride quality was incredible though.

[cerb4.5lee]

Mr Tidy said:

cerb4.5lee said:

The M sports were on run flats and I presumed that the SE was on run flats too. Do SE cars come on run flats as standard or is it just the M sport?

As far as I know they all came on run-flats because there is nowhere to store a spare wheel (even if it was a space-saver), but SEs had 17s and Sport/M-Sports had 18s.

Although because my E91 325i and E90 330i were SEs they both had 16"/17" run-flats. But neither had Bridgestone Potenzeas thankfully. Pirellis, Contis and Hankooks were much better!

Yes and thinking back the SE did have 17" wheels on it thanks.

The Bridgestones were pony for sure!

[ATM]

cerb4.5lee said:

Mr Tidy said:

cerb4.5lee said:

The M sports were on run flats and I presumed that the SE was on run flats too. Do SE cars come on run flats as standard or is it just the M sport?

As far as I know they all came on run-flats because there is nowhere to store a spare wheel (even if it was a space-saver), but SEs had 17s and Sport/M-Sports had 18s.

Although because my E91 325i and E90 330i were SEs they both had 16"/17" run-flats. But neither had Bridgestone Potenzeas thankfully. Pirellis, Contis and Hankooks were much better!

Yes and thinking back the SE did have 17" wheels on it thanks.

The Bridgestones were pony for sure!

One of my mates had an e91 4 pot diesel se spec on 16 inch wheels recently and even though it wore run flats it was ok to drive. Once you start going lower profile with 17 and 18 then that changes. Over 10 years ago my mate had an early e90 335d with optional 19 inch wheels and run flats. They were shockingly bad.

So yes as far as I know all E9x cars came with run flats except the m cars. BMW starting using them on all the models released from e60 forward which I think was 2003. My mate had an e60 lci with the optional 19 inch spider alloys brand new and they were go flats from the factory which was surprising. He also had a can of gunk and pump in the boot too. The e65 was launched before the e60 and it had go flat tyres and a spare, then the newer 7 was run flat. My mate had a brand new 645i from BMW and it had run flats. Even the x5 started using them too so basically all their cars. Some BMW dealers even started knocking part ex prices down if you took your car back without run flat tyres that's how entrenched they were. I heard a very heated exchange between a sales guy and his sales manager about exactly that when I was collecting my car one day.

I think the newer run flat tyres are getting better but I just dislike them. Sure I understand they get you home but that's the only problem they solve. I think our roads are getting worse too. Even motorways now have patches where the top surface of the road has broken up in places. Not sure how to describe it but just surprising considering they are motorways. Google pic below. Let's call them potholes.

Recently BMW have started offering some cars with go flat tyres which I think was an option. I think the m135i shipped with go flat super sports for example and I've seen some 330e m sport cars with go flats too.

[g3org3y]

ATM said:

I think the newer run flat tyres are getting better but I just dislike them. Sure I understand they get you home but that's the only problem they solve. I think our roads are getting worse too. Even motorways now have patches where the top surface of the road has broken up in places. Not sure how to describe it but just surprising considering they are motorways. Google pic below. Let's call them potholes.

I've mentioned the E91 is my wife's car for ferrying the baby around. Hence in the interests of her being able to get home safely, I've kept it on run flats (albeit changed to Goodyears). I'd rather she didn't have to worry about punctures, spares, calling the AA or trying to change the wheel herself (which she can do to her credit).

[ATM]

g3org3y said:

I've mentioned the E91 is my wife's car for ferrying the baby around. Hence in the interests of her being able to get home safely, I've kept it on run flats (albeit changed to Goodyears). I'd rather she didn't have to worry about punctures, spares, calling the AA or trying to change the wheel herself (which she can do to her credit).

If she can change a wheel she must be a keeper. Last week 2 girls at work asked me for help with their cars. 1 was for screen wash and the other air in a tyre.

[JakeT]

gizlaroc said:

What Nav have you got? CIC?
Has anyone actually tried to hook up the external dab module on one? I have searched and searched over the years to see if anyone has actually tried, but never seen any one say they have.
I know it is now built into the CIC next to the FM board, but has anyone tried to hook one up?

Fistune would be my choice, with a decent glass mount antenna. Some are really good now if you ground them properly.

It's got CIC, with 2015 maps and firmare so can do full postcode entry, and the like. I wouldn't have entertained CCC really, since it feels ancient now.

I did some reading, and a few have done it, but it seems like a big faf. The Fistune looks good, and I'd mount the aerial onto one of the rearmost windows for ease. Then means everything can be left in the boot.

If you're not using the F11 as much, that would say it all to me. I don't think the early E91 looks too bad either, considering they were in production up to 2011/12.

340i touring sounds nice though, supposedly really quite good fuel economy and not a lot of effort for lots of power, too!

g3org3y said:

I've mentioned the E91 is my wife's car for ferrying the baby around. Hence in the interests of her being able to get home safely, I've kept it on run flats (albeit changed to Goodyears). I'd rather she didn't have to worry about punctures, spares, calling the AA or trying to change the wheel herself (which she can do to her credit).

Were I in your situation, I would do the same. My plan of action on regular tyres now is a can of goo, Google for a mobile tyre fitter, and I have one of the BMW spacesaver kits if I am taking the car abroad. I'd rather carry it and not need it than be stuck at the mercy of the French toll road operatives.

[gizlaroc]

JakeT said:

gizlaroc said:

Has anyone actually tried to hook up the external dab module on one?

I did some reading, and a few have done it, but it seems like a big faf.

Interesting.

If you stumble across the links please let me know.

I have found nothing.



I can't see why it wouldn't work, it is just another device on the MOST ring, I can't see why it is any different to the FISTUNE, I get that emulates an MP3 CD Changer, but still, sure it must be possible through coding.

[g3org3y]

ATM said:

g3org3y said:

I've mentioned the E91 is my wife's car for ferrying the baby around. Hence in the interests of her being able to get home safely, I've kept it on run flats (albeit changed to Goodyears). I'd rather she didn't have to worry about punctures, spares, calling the AA or trying to change the wheel herself (which she can do to her credit).

If she can change a wheel she must be a keeper. Last week 2 girls at work asked me for help with their cars. 1 was for screen wash and the other air in a tyre.

Her dad taught her when she was younger.

To her credit she actually managed to change the wheel on the Polo when she suffered the pothole related damage posted above.

Because the E91 comes from the factory on runflats, I'm not actually sure whether it actually has a jack.

JakeT said:

g3org3y said:

I've mentioned the E91 is my wife's car for ferrying the baby around. Hence in the interests of her being able to get home safely, I've kept it on run flats (albeit changed to Goodyears). I'd rather she didn't have to worry about punctures, spares, calling the AA or trying to change the wheel herself (which she can do to her credit).

Were I in your situation, I would do the same. My plan of action on regular tyres now is a can of goo, Google for a mobile tyre fitter, and I have one of the BMW spacesaver kits if I am taking the car abroad. I'd rather carry it and not need it than be stuck at the mercy of the French toll road operatives.

Safety is the priority. If that means sacrificing some ride quality, so be it.

[Mr Tidy]

g3org3y said:

Because the E91 comes from the factory on runflats, I'm not actually sure whether it actually has a jack.

The E86s and E9* models didn't come with a jack or a wheel-brace because they had run-flats as standard.

I bought a 17" space-saver, jack and wheel-brace for my E86 that I have just sold because my E86 is now also for sale.

But only because I've bought an E86 M as a replacement which doesn't have run-flats, and BMW only supplied a compressor and a can of goo!

As I've got a single 18" wheel I wanted a jack and got one from Quarry Motors for £19.99 delivered that is from an E46, so it fits the jacking points.

For a 3 litre E86 or E9* you would need at least a 17" wheel to clear the front brakes.

[Manmoths]

If it's any help, I've kept runflats on my E91 LCI 335d, but just gone up in profile slightly. I run the same spec as the M140i now, front and rear. So 225/45/18 front and 255/40/18 rear. Both Pilot Sport 4 ZP.

They're noticeably better-riding than the old PS2 ZP in the narrower profile that I used to run. They also fill the arches better and have a nice, chunky look to the sidewall.

[ATM]

Manmoths said:

If it's any help, I've kept runflats on my E91 LCI 335d, but just gone up in profile slightly. I run the same spec as the M140i now, front and rear. So 225/45/18 front and 255/40/18 rear. Both Pilot Sport 4 ZP.

No

The M140i uses 225 40 18 and 245 35 18

[Sufyaan]

Hello all,

Nearly a year into ownership of my 330i (saloon) and really enjoyed the experience so far. A brilliant all rounder for sure! Drives well around town and cruises along comfortably on the motorway. Impressed with the fuel cost on long runs too - not much different to my previous diesel! Also very quickly turns into a totally different car when required too. Surprising others and myself too

The car has finally convinced my brother into wanting something similar. He is looking at 335i or 335d.

I've noticed a few members on here have recently purchased the 335 models. Forgive my lack of knowledge but I thought the 335s are known for issues with injectors, high pressure fuel pumps and possibly other common problems. Is this correct? Or was there a particular window/years where 335s don't suffer such issues?

Edited by Sufyaan on Monday 27th January 16:14

[gizlaroc]

Have a look through this thread on e90post....

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12...

[Manmoths]

Sufyaan said:

Hello all,

Nearly a year into ownership of my 330i (saloon) and really enjoyed the experience so far. A brilliant all rounder for sure! Drives well around town and cruises along comfortably on the motorway. Impressed with the fuel cost on long runs too - not much different to my previous diesel! Also very quickly turns into a totally different car when required too. Surprising others and myself too

The car has finally convinced my brother into wanting something similar. He is looking at 335i or 335d.

I've noticed a few members on here have recently purchased the 335 models. Forgive my lack of knowledge but I thought the 335s are known for issues with injectors, high pressure fuel pumps and possibly other common problems. Is this correct? Or was there a particular window/years where 335s don't suffer such issues?

Edited by Sufyaan on Monday 27th January 16:14

Out of the two, go 335d. MUCH more reliable engines, better on juice and just as quick in the real world. I love mine.