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ALL About BMW 3 series (ALL generation)


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Why do you need the dipstick when you can measure the oil level through iDrive?

 

Btw the new bmw have no oil dipstick (seriously wtf)

 


I've never had any electronics issues on any of my 5 Series cars. [;)]

 

Yeah, this is the one thing which I'm worried about the 5 series (the tremendous amount of electronics in the car) too. I heard about it. In your opinion, does the electronic issues pops up often?

 

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Turbocharged

For me it's a quick and easy way to check oil clarity besides the level.

 

Why do you need the dipstick when you can measure the oil level through iDrive?

 

 

 

I've never had any electronics issues on any of my 5 Series cars. [;)]

 

 

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I don't leave everything to AD. I still do my own checking. Things like water lever & oil lever.

 

As my car annual mileage is about 12k, i even do a oil change in btw.

 

If battery has been used for 2 yrs, it is always better to ask technician to check it every time you sent it in for servicing. It is better to change it if it still got 40% life.

 

A lot of ppl also nvr check tyre pressure.

 

New BMWs dont even have dip stick. how do you check the engine oil level visually? Its all by sensor and transmit electronically to your screen indicating the engine oil level in your car.

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Just one more question. Heard that BMWs have higher incidence of engine overheating issues than other rides. Is this true?

 

there are various reports of pre LCI F10 overheating due to leaking radiator, but not detected by their sensor, which causes the engine oil to dry up (also not detected in iDrive)

 

solution , check coolant reservoir visually regularly and top up as required. if top up is too frequent, go in to check if radiator leaking. replace under warranty if necessary.

 

i have yet to encounter any of the above.

 

Actually I am not even comparing with Japanese cars.

 

I am just comparing amongst these makes - Merc, BMW, Volvo, Audi. My experience being primarily Merc and Volvo.

 

I admit I am not an engineering person (I go mainly for looks [:p] ) so I leave servicing and maintenance to authorised dealer. Perhaps I have been lucky as the only problem I had was a flat battery and blown bulb for the merc, and faulty electronic steering lock and erratic signal light on the volvo. The flat battery was a tat embarrasing as I could not start the car in a public area. The electronic steering lock issue I had to call a tow truck as the car also could not start. Otherwise I have not met with any engine or mechanical issue or such. So overall in my books this is considered reliable enough and trouble free.

 

As for noisy seats, upholstery and joints, or creaking body sounds etc, they are more a matter of finishing and refinement. I understand and do not expect BMW to be as refined in this area as say Merc or Lexus.

 

electronic steering lock issue was very familiar .... should be on your pre facelifted W204 2007-2008 model right?

I understand it was a common issue for the W204 then.

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New BMWs dont even have dip stick. how do you check the engine oil level visually? Its all by sensor and transmit electronically to your screen indicating the engine oil level in your car.

 

When it fails (& it does fail), jialat liao.

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Turbocharged

Ah so if I had went down today I might have run into you, I suspect they will spray your new bodykit with my spoiler, lucky for them same Color code haha. Post pics !

 

Btw your old bumper dunno can patch up and sell or not? If it's just a hole should be quite easy to putty it up.

 

 

 

Just left my car at J's magic.. will collect tomorrow.

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(edited)

 

Just one more question. Heard that BMWs have higher incidence of engine overheating issues than other rides. Is this true?

 

Technically you are correct about this. From very limited experience my BMW ran hot with coolant temps sometimes reaching 100 degrees C or more. Water can go above 100 degrees in a pressurised environment. This is taken from an OBD2 computer reading. The problem is I do not know how accurate the reading is. Assuming this is accurate, than yes, the car runs really hot.

 

In Jap cars it's usually kept at around 90 deg C. Running engines hotter supposedly helps deliver better fuel economy. Also, conti cars are known to use plastic parts for radiators, and they are prone to degradation and cracking over time. Old Jap cars of those era (early 2000s) are probably still using steel parts, but in recently years they have followed suit.

 

Also conti cars started moving to different alloys for the engine block, like the magnesium blocks found in the N46 BMW engines (E90 320i). I suspect those alloys aren't as stable as steel and tend to warp ever so slightly over time causing gasket seals to break and leak. I am not a mechanic, and these details are probably better verified with them, but I believe BMW's aim to reduce weight using new alloy engine blocks caused some distress amongst BMW owners.

 

That said, none of these are electronic issues.

 

Absolutely agree. But i also know that any running on software codes will not be immune to bugs. Just like human beings will never be perfect. There will be fail safe workarounds to ensure if any codes run into error, other components takeover to ensure the machine runs smoothly.

 

I am just amazed at the level of detail in which BMW uses electronics in their cars, to a point where the only mechanical parts are the wheels, engine, steering, brakes and the doors, bootlid and bonnet. And the newer ones with connected drive, remote access via a SIM card. Someday they probably can activate the car remotely via connected drive to "order" the car to drive "home" in autonomous driving mode.... if it is legally allowed. Drunk driving will be a thing of the past.

 

Wont be surprise when Apple starts building cars (if they ever do), everything will operated by wire including the power train, doors and wheels (4 wheels LSD?) and probably a billion sensors covering the whole car.

 

I'm a software developer and I do not disagree with you. All software have bugs. It's how well it's tested that matters.

 

I wouldn't drive a car that Apple builds. They build fancy gadgets. I don't want some software company to tell me I don't need a button here and a button there, and starts hiding everything into a single button. Hell no. I love Apple products, but there's really some things they shouldn't build.

Why do you need the dipstick when you can measure the oil level through iDrive?

I've never had any electronics issues on any of my 5 Series cars. [;)]

 

This i have to disagree. The oil level sensor sucks. You think a little capacitance and/or resistance sensor would last long bathed in oil that's being run for thousands of miles with burnt deposits from gasoline? Fat hope. I've heard it was designed so there was no place for gas to escape the engine block for emissions, but I am not sure how much can escape from a tiny dipstick tube. It's probably designed for the people who don't know how to check oil level so the car would then protect itself from a catastrophic low oil situation. It's no different then from those cars with padestration detection that engages auto-braking. The car is designed so you don't kill it or yourself.

 

If you ask mechanics, the lack of the dipstick is a royal pain in the ass when doing oil changes. When the sensor fails, it becomes inaccurate. It also requires the oil to be of the correct temps before a measurement can be taken. A 15 minute oil change becomes a 30 minute oil change, and it is very COMMON to have BMW engines overfilled because the oil sensor reads lower than what the actual amount of oil is in the car and that is BAD.

 

They brought the dipstick back in the new turbocharged engines, I thought? I may be wrong.

 

My diesel N47 also has a dipstick. Makes life so much easier.

Edited by Detach8
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(edited)

 

I'm a software developer and I do not disagree with you. All software have bugs. It's how well it's tested that matters.

 

I wouldn't drive a car that Apple builds. They build fancy gadgets. I don't want some software company to tell me I don't need a button here and a button there, and starts hiding everything into a single button. Hell no.

 

This i have to disagree. The oil level sensor sucks. You think a little capacitance and/or resistance sensor would last long bathed in oil that's being run for thousands of miles with burnt deposits from gasoline? Fat hope. It's for the people who don't know how to check oil level, and if you ask mechanics, the lack of the dipstick is a royal pain in the ass when doing oil changes. When the sensor fails, it becomes inaccurate. It also requires the oil to be of the correct temps before a measurement can be taken. A 15 minute oil change becomes a 30 minute oil change, and it is very COMMON to have BMW engines overfilled because the oil sensor reads lower than what the actual amount of oil is in the car and that is BAD.

 

They brought the dipstick back in the new turbocharged engines, I thought? I may be wrong.

 

My diesel N47 also has a dipstick. Makes life so much easier.

Doesnt matter for someone who know nuts about cars if everything is hidden in a single button. As long as it works out of the box (or garage), and it has an Apple logo on it, it will sell like hot cakes.

 

Having said that, given the amount of details they went into to build the darn Apple Watch, if they were to build a car, it will have all the attributes of a very nice looking car that works. Just dont ask them about battery life and if it is water proof.

 

 

N20 does not have dip stick ... but the engine won a few years of engine of the year for 2.0L class.

I too do not trust the sensors built into the sump tank. its so easy to build a dipstick, why remove it? i dont understand.

Edited by Miles
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(edited)

 

Actually I am not even comparing with Japanese cars.

 

I am just comparing amongst these makes - Merc, BMW, Volvo, Audi. My experience being primarily Merc and Volvo.

 

I admit I am not an engineering person (I go mainly for looks [:p] ) so I leave servicing and maintenance to authorised dealer. Perhaps I have been lucky as the only problem I had was a flat battery and blown bulb for the merc, and faulty electronic steering lock and erratic signal light on the volvo. The flat battery was a tat embarrasing as I could not start the car in a public area. The electronic steering lock issue I had to call a tow truck as the car also could not start. Otherwise I have not met with any engine or mechanical issue or such. So overall in my books this is considered reliable enough and trouble free.

 

As for noisy seats, upholstery and joints, or creaking body sounds etc, they are more a matter of finishing and refinement. I understand and do not expect BMW to be as refined in this area as say Merc or Lexus.

 

My old folks owned a S40, V50 and now a XC90. Volvo is very well built, bar the turbocharger issues on the 2.5T engine. The NA inline-5 (badged 2.4i) is a very very reliable engine, and is one of the best that they have.

 

But the Volvo creaks like an old wooden cabin except for the XC90 which is surprisingly quiet.

 

BMWs are quite refined. In the old E90 the common creaking sound came from the material of rubber used around the door seals, and in our climate it dries up and rubs against the body paintwork when going over humps causing it to creak. PML put some silly tape around the door frame, but I just use talcum powder. These days the 5 series is very refined, and is as quiet as a Merc or Audi of the same class.

Doesnt matter for someone who know nuts about cars if everything is hidden in a single button. As long as it works out of the box (garage), and it has an Apple logo on it, it will sell like hot cakes.

 

Having said that, given the amount of details the went into to build the darn Apple Watch, if they were to build a car, it will have all the attributes of a fine working car. Just dont as them about battery life and it is water proof.

 

 

N20 does not have dip stick ... but the engine won a few years of engine of the year for 2.0L class.

I too do not trust the sensors built into the sump tank. its so easy to build a dipstick, why remove it? i dont understand.

 

I have to disagree. Apple's software are poorly QC'ed these days. Trust me, I have been using iPhones from the first generation (the 2G) till current, a 5S. I am an Apple fan. I am also replying you with a Mac Mini. I just don't think they can build a car. I don't think it's necessary to shrink a car ECU like they shrunk stuff into a watch. I don't want them to start striping out the car's CAN bus and replacing it with some USB-C nonsense. It takes different skillsets to build a car. They can build the infotainment. But not the car. No way. Not now. They can go collaborate with Tesla for a start.

 

As for the dipstick, I am really not sure. Like I mentioned, it may have something to do with emissions and the leaking of exhaust by-products from the dipstick tube. But who knows?

Edited by Detach8
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My old folks owned a S40, V50 and now a XC90. Volvo is very well built, bar the turbocharger issues on the 2.5T engine. The NA inline-5 (badged 2.4i) is a very very reliable engine, and is one of the best that they have.

 

But the Volvo creaks like an old wooden cabin except for the XC90 which is surprisingly quiet.

 

BMWs are quite refined. In the old E90 the common creaking sound came from the material of rubber used, and in our climate it dries up and rubs against the body paintwork when going over humps causing it to creak. PML put some silly tape around the door frame, but I just use talcum powder. These days the 5 series is very refined, and is as quiet as a Merc or Audi of the same class.

 

F10 creaks too... sadly. It is however, very refined.

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I have to disagree. Apple's software are poorly QC'ed these days. Trust me, I have been using iPhones from the first generation (the 2G) till current, a 5S. I am an Apple fan. I am also replying you with a Mac Mini. I just don't think they can build a car. I don't think it's necessary to shrink a car ECU like they shrunk stuff into a watch. I don't want them to start striping out the car's CAN bus and replacing it with some USB-C nonsense. It takes different skillsets to build a car. They can build the infotainment. But not the car. No way. Not now. They can go collaborate with Tesla for a start.

 

Who did Tesla collaborate with when they started? Apple do not need the funds from VCs, Google or Daimler. And i am sure they will have tons of partners willing to work with them.

 

Dont worry about USB-C. A car has plenty of space on its chassis to have fibre optics running all the interconnects. Nobody gave them a chance in 2007 on succeeding with their cash cow today. And never underestimate the power of $$$. If you cant build one, just buy one. Beat it. [:)]

 

Hmm come take a seat in my F10...

 

you should sit in mine as well and compare notes.

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(edited)

Who did Tesla collaborate with when they started? Apple do not need the funds from VCs, Google or Daimler. And i am sure they will have tons of partners willing to work with them.

 

Dont worry about USB-C. A car has plenty of space on its chassis to have fibre optics running all the interconnects. Nobody gave them a chance in 2007 on succeeding with their cash cow today. And never underestimate the power of $$$. If you cant build one, just buy one. Beat it. [:)]

 

you should sit in mine as well and compare notes.

 

Well, I am not surprised if Apple buys Tesla. That would be a different story. But for now, I would like my BMW to be built by the German engineers, not American hipsters.

 

Oh, no doubt the cars are running fiber interconnects. It's been there since early 2000s.

Edited by Detach8
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Well, I am not surprised if Apple buys Tesla. That would be a different story. But for now, I would like my BMW to be built by the German engineers, not American hipsters.

 

Oh, no doubt the cars are running fiber interconnects. It's been there since early 2000s.

 

Apple would build a car in China. ... probably by Foxconn.

No, seriously i think if they were to build a car, it would be in some redundant plants in Detroit, Dresden and Japan. They will rebuild it to their standards and produce it viably.

 

I will never believe Angela Ahrents left a CEO job for a SVP job just to sell watches. There are bigger things happening in Cupertino.

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Apple would build a car in China. ... probably by Foxconn.

No, seriously i think if they were to build a car, it would be in some redundant plants in Detroit, Dresden and Japan. They will rebuild it to their standards and produce it viably.

 

I will never believe Angela Ahrents left a CEO job for a SVP job just to sell watches. There are bigger things happening in Cupertino.

 

You seem to suggest something interesting. I hope you are well invested in AAPL ;)

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You seem to suggest something interesting. I hope you are well invested in AAPL ;)

 

Erm.... i hereby declare that i neither own nor sustain any vested interest in the stocks of AAPL directly or otherwise. Any or all my contributions to this forum, blogs or social media should not be misconstrued as instruments of investment advice. Please seek your respective consultants for any professional investment advice.

 

something interesting =/ profitable ROIC

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Erm.... i hereby declare that i neither own nor sustain any vested interest in the stocks of AAPL directly or otherwise. Any or all my contributions to this forum, blogs or social media should not be misconstrued as instruments of investment advice. Please seek your respective consultants for any professional investment advice.

 

something interesting =/ profitable ROIC

 

LOL looks like you copy+pasted that from some e-mail footer.

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