[vyasachetan]

Hi,

Love your thread! The style of writing is very entertaining.

I have a f30 320d Prestige variant in Bangalore, Connected with DealKarde after reading about it on your post.

Do you recommend I go for their Headlight swap option, I wanted to get the existing halogen light headlamps changed to the one with DRLs. But wanted a reliable one.

Thanks,

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by vyasachetan

Hi,
Love your thread! The style of writing is very entertaining.
I have a f30 320d Prestige variant in Bangalore, Connected with DealKarde after reading about it on your post.
Do you recommend I go for their Headlight swap option, I wanted to get the existing halogen light headlamps changed to the one with DRLs. But wanted a reliable one.

Thank you Chetan, appreciation is always appreciated.

The guys at DealKarde are very honest, in my experience, but I'd still stay away from getting the headlights from them since it's something aftermarket, and you don't want to muck about with electricals on these finicky fräuleins by venturing into parts unknown.

The only ones I've heard decent reviews are the Depo headlights, and even though they don't cost that much (about $600), shipping and customs and what not will kill it price-wise. So my advice would be to grin and bear it, and to not change the headlights.

[vyasachetan]

Thanks man, ya I agree, if there was way to get OEM’s at a reasonable price here it would have been good. Discussing with him for a bumper swap let’s see😄

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Thank you Chetan, appreciation is always appreciated.

The guys at DealKarde are very honest, in my experience, but I'd still stay away from getting the headlights from them since it's something aftermarket, and you don't want to muck about with electricals on these finicky fräuleins by venturing into parts unknown.

The only ones I've heard decent reviews are the Depo headlights, and even though they don't cost that much (about $600), shipping and customs and what not will kill it price-wise. So my advice would be to grin and bear it, and to not change the headlights.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by vyasachetan

Thanks man, ya I agree, if there was way to get OEM’s at a reasonable price here it would have been good. Discussing with him for a bumper swap let’s see😄

Consider upgrading to LEDs as a temporary option, or else keep an eye out in the classifieds for any that come up for sale.

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

but I'd still stay away from getting the headlights from them since it's something aftermarket, and you don't want to muck about with electricals on these finicky fräuleins by venturing into parts unknown.

Man, your car is looking sweet with the M Kit.
Any change in GC / getting on & off ramps?

Completely agree about after-market lights. I was tempted to change the tail lights of the F30 to the ones on the LCI from them (since a part of the OEM LED has conked off), but thinking of just getting an OEM from BMW.

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Man, your car is looking sweet with the M Kit.
Any change in GC / getting on & off ramps?

Thanks man! No, I haven't run into any issues as yet. The slight temptation is there to add a front lip, but that would 100% run into GC issues.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Completely agree about after-market lights. I was tempted to change the tail lights of the F30 to the ones on the LCI from them (since a part of the OEM LED has conked off), but thinking of just getting an OEM from BMW.

Damn, that sucks. Just get an OEM one when the time comes, leave it be for now. I say consider grabbing those lemons life is throwing your way and whipping up some lemonade; the OEM shadowline tail lights are about 450 euros from Schmiedmann. Wait for Black Friday to swing around in a few months (although every Friday is black right now, but whatever), and you can grab yourself a sweet deal on these.

[vyasachetan]

Thanks for the suggestion bro, LED bulbs?
Any suggestion on which classifieds to watch?

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Consider upgrading to LEDs as a temporary option, or else keep an eye out in the classifieds for any that come up for sale.



Man, your car is looking sweet with the M Kit.
Any change in GC / getting on & off ramps?

Completely agree about after-market lights. I was tempted to change the tail lights of the F30 to the ones on the LCI from them (since a part of the OEM LED has conked off), but thinking of just getting an OEM from BMW.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by vyasachetan

Thanks for the suggestion bro, LED bulbs?
Any suggestion on which classifieds to watch?

LED bulbs will give you the white light, and better visibility. However you will miss the DRLs.

Classifieds: T-BHP, OLX, etc. but make sure it is genuine so best to pick it up in person and inspect.

[Moontan]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

I'll call my local FNG,
And install that Blackvue dashcam

Hi. Could you post pics of where the cameras are mounted, especially the rear one? I ask as the only reason I'm hesitating on installing a rear cam is because most have it mounted in the center of the rear windshield due to the retractable sunscreen. That looks terrible, IMO.

I'm also getting the kit, including the Magic Pro battery saver, for about USD 450 shipped to me.

What fuse number did you connect it to in the rear fuse box?

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Moontan

Hi. Could you post pics of where the cameras are mounted, especially the rear one?

What fuse number did you connect it to in the rear fuse box?

Hey Moontan! Below are pics of both the cameras, as requested.

If you ask me, the rear camera doesn’t look ugly at all in its placement. It’s such a tiny thing, it’s barely even noticeable. Your mileage may vary, check the pics for reference. The front camera is just about visible below the internal rear view mirror up front.

As for the wiring, I have little to no clue about these things. I simply googled the install video, pinged it to my FNG, and asked them to get busy. AFAIK, it’s plugged into the front, as you can see just behind the gear lever. There’s also a small console below the steering rack to manually switch the dashcam on or off. Forgot to get a snap of that, so added a stock pic of it. Trust that helps!

The rear cam as installed



A close-up



Front setup, with the camera peeking just below the mirror


Stock picture of the power magic pro controller, which I installed below the steering

[Moontan]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

As for the wiring, I have little to no clue about these things. I simply googled the install video, pinged it to my FNG, and asked them to get busy. AFAIK, it’s plugged into the front, as you can see just behind the gear lever.

Thanks for this pics. It appears that you have not hardwired it then. There is an 'Always On' fuse in the rear fuse box that this should be hardwired to. This then works in parking mode and starts recording when it detects movement around the parked car. The lighter socket goes to sleep a little while after the car is switched off so it will won't be able to power the camera then.

The Magic Pro when on, is the power management system especially for parking mode to regulate and limit battery drain when parked. This was my understanding.

Have I got it wrong?

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Moontan

Thanks for this pics. It appears that you have not hardwired it then. There is an 'Always On' fuse in the rear fuse box that this should be hardwired to. This then works in parking mode and starts recording when it detects movement around the parked car. The lighter socket goes to sleep a little while after the car is switched off so it will won't be able to power the camera then.

Yes, I haven't hardwired it. However, Parking Mode still works just fine and it keeps on recording when movement is detected. I had even shared a video of the camera at work (below), and it keeps on recording these little bits and pieces of action, even though the car is largely sedentary nowadays.

https://youtu.be/DCtvOGLqFn8

Originally Posted by Moontan

The Magic Pro when on, is the power management system especially for parking mode to regulate and limit battery drain when parked. This was my understanding.

Have I got it wrong?

I believe your understanding is right, that is the system's primary use.

The way this works (and I don't get all of it, I admit), is there are 2 buttons on the power controller I have to keep on (marked 1 and 2, don't know why that is so. Maybe it commands a pair of invisible goblins?), and parking mode does its thing. Always has been so.

I dearly wish I could explain the inner workings of this better, but the sum total of my knowledge in this matter can be penned on the back of a stamp, with space to spare.

[iliketurtles]

wanderlust
/ˈwɒndəlʌst/
noun

A strong desire to travel, often with Google Maps taking you on an unknown route. Seriously Google, what kind of non-existent road have you led me down?

I think all of us have developed cabin fever at some point or the other in these last several months of house arrest, and are now starting to wander out of the safe confines of our homes looking like cavemen (or women, I don’t discriminate).

On one fine day when I could take being cooped up no more, the friends and I cooked up a plan to drive down to Goa at short notice. Because what antidote could there be for a brave, crazy new world than doing the same old things we used to know and love? Old wine in a new bottle and all that. Not made in China, mind you.

I won’t bore you with the nitty gritties; we took 2 cars along for the ride, and turned off at Nipani to take the Amboli ghat into and out of Goa (the rains have done a number on the Chorla ghat, by all accounts), and the trip was…eventful. I’ll get to that in a bit.

For those of you that want the short version, I’m going to exercise creative license and paraphrase Robert Frost,

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
but damn, those potholes were steep,
And several miles still to go *beep* *beep* *beep*
And several miles still to go *beep* *beep* *beep*”

So, how were the roads?

Roads? What roads?

In a word, bumpy. There were of course the usual ribbons of smooth asphalt, that made me purr like a kitten, but they were far and few in between. Take your SUV/hatchback on stilts if and when you go. Ugh. Can’t believe I just said that. Apologies to sedan brethren everywhere.

So, what went wrong

I did the usual checks on fluids, filters, brakes, et al heading out of Bombay. But life is what happens to you while you’re grandstanding and making plans of your own. Let’s detail life’s little curveballs here

ABS sensor error

About 150-200 kms from Goa, a wheel sensor started to go on the fritz before completely dying out on me in Goa. No biggie, if you’re in Bombay. If you’re in Goa, and it’s the weekend, it means you’re frantically calling around to see if anyone knows anyone that can fix it (they did, and they did), and I ended up getting this fixed the evening before I departed for Bombay. A vacation well spent.

Mo electronics, mo problems

Surprisingly, despite the underbelly scraping, the car has taken it like a champ

No brakes. No problem

Heading out of Bombay, the brake pads indicated approx. 7000 kms left on the rear pads, and 13000 on the front. This dropped suddenly to 900 kms whilst ambling through Amboli, causing another headache. Goa being Goa, everyone was lazy over the weekend, and given the narrow window I had of being there, there was no chance anyone could ship EBCs or anything else to me. Long story short, I picked up a set of pads from an unknown brand (to me, at least) called Roulunds. No, I’m not making that up. Yes, I tittered at the name too.

I have no idea how good/bad/ugly they are, but prima facie, I think it’s not as grabby as the EBC yellow stuff, and I will swap it out for them in a month or two. Not like I’ll be driving a lot in that interim. Truth be told, I had these pads installed only because they’re from Roulund.

Sometimes, you write the jokes, and sometimes, they write themselves. The problem arises when I’m the punchline.

Corona has worn us all down, just as I wore these brake pads down

Check Engine Light

Ok, I know this one is a doozy, but stay calm. It really isn’t. You see, I flashed an updated version of the Bootmod3 tune running on the car the day before I left for Goa, and the car was noticeably punchier even in Comfort mode, which is what I drove in predominantly. I think it was just a heat of the moment or heat of Goa thing, because the light popped up for one evening, with the car driving absolutely normally. Like the Ghost of Check Engine Lights past, it disappeared the next morning, never to be seen again. I’ll keep an eye on things, and if it does re-appear, downgrade the tune to the previous version.

Ambient Sensor error

Can hell freeze over? Is Acche Din ever coming? Can it ever be -40°C in Goa? Apparently, my ride believed one of these three things was possible, and there are no prizes for guessing which one.

When I took the car in for the ABS sensor and brakes, I pointed this out too, and they said they fixed it, but it popped up again like a frigid Jack-in-the-box on the way to Bombay. Guess I’m just going to have to get this fixed. Again. Happy times.

There be the dangly erroneous sensor that was "fixed"

Checking out of rehab. Happy times. Yay.

Blue screen of death(?)

This is a new one, and one I’m fairly stumped by. The iDrive central display unit decided to get in a Goa mood and developed blue waves on it, as if it were immersed in a sea of its own. This just happened randomly in Goa (as many things do). I can’t explain it, so I’ll share a pic below, and kill two (hypothetical) birds with one stone by satisfying the urges of the kitna deti hai public as well.

If anyone knows of how and where I can get a reasonably priced replacement screen, please hit me up and help me drive the blues away.

But how was Goa?

Goa is Goa. Goa is love, Goa is life.

No, dum dum. How is it in the age of Covid?

Ah, gotcha. I stayed in the south for a bit, and in the north for a bit. The south was quite dead, with not much crowd at all. You might or might not like that, and most restaurants were shut. North Goa was still happening in places (the wifey and friends dig that vibe, me no likey), and people were out and about like there was not much happening anywhere in the world.

Corona? No thanks, I’m a teetotaller.

SU-wheeee?

I like to think of myself as a fairly broad-minded person open to several perspectives and world views, but one of my unflinching opinions is that I’m firmly in the sedan camp, lowered or not. They’re just more elegant, timeless, and get a needless bad rap, and I’ve often looked down on most SUVs, and most definitely look at compact “SUVs” with a lot of disdain.

This trip made me re-evaluate that. Seeing my buddy's Q3 hop, skip, and jump over roads I was crawling over and fretting about made me appreciate SUVs (proper ones, not those raised hatchbacks that are the flavour du jour) a heck of a lot more.

Given that we’ll be traveling by car a lot more for trips in times to come since I can’t stomach the idea of traveling by plane (for now), the wifey is insistent our next car is an SUV, which leaves me with such limited options, as such few fun ones exist. I can think of the Endy 3.2, X3/5 3.0 off the top of my head, and that’s it. Am I missing anything? Leave your comments in the section below, and don’t forget to hit subscribe. Here are some pics for your viewing pleasure, and as a reward for making it this far, you poor thing.

Cleaned and ready to go. Note the gap in the front bumper, where my knee pushed the headlight washer in as I stretched to get a spot on the hood


Still my favourite angle of the car


Used this baby to get a gloss going. Seems to be the business!


Picturesque evenings like this are bliss. Pardon the wifey ruining the pic.


True story: Right after this, I got up and saw I was sitting on a "No pics on the boat" sign. Oops.


Until next time...

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
but damn, those potholes were steep,
And several miles still to go *beep* *beep* *beep*
And several miles still to go *beep* *beep* *beep*”

Attachment 2064541
Picturesque evenings like this are bliss. Pardon the wifey ruining the pic.

iliketurtles: great post - looks like you enjoyed big time! Poor Robert Frost must be turning over in his grave, as I also used his work of art in a post yesterday.

Firstly, did your new bumpers get through unscathed? I'm desperate to drive to Goa myself.

Secondly, really really admire your guts. I'd be executed by anti-aircraft fire if I commented like this. I clearly recollect my admiration for your words when the She Hulk ripped off the AC vent in your Jetta
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post4458186 (Back in Black! A VW Jetta Highline DSG comes home EDIT: Sold!)

[TheGearBox]

I'm cringing at the thought of your lowered 3 driving on our Goan roads.

Anyway, hope your trip was fun. If I had known you were coming down, we could've met up. But Covid is not really gone yet, so probably not....Would've loved to see your car in person, though.

BTW any plans of upgrading to an SUV now?

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Picturesque evenings like this are bliss. Pardon the wifey ruining the pic.

You are a brave guy isn't your partner subscribed to this thread

Sedans are nice to drive, they have their own challenges though especially in our conditions. Stick with BMW. If you are on budget, find out a 6 cylinder X3 but if you have funds, go for the X5.