[Ishallownabmw]

Hey guys, this is going to be a long post. I should have made the first thread in January ideally and the ownership experience now. Better late than never. So going to combine both into this one.

After I read GTO post, I knew my next car was going to be a pre-worshipped BMW 5 series 530D. I began my search two years back in Hyderabad. I had a max budget of 15 lacs.

You must be thinking this is a new crazy right? Yup, you're right. It was an obsession of the heart, with the brain thinking "He's never going to find one at that price point anyway. So I'll leave him be." By the way, you will also find out that i'm an idiot down the line not just insane. That's just me.

Dealer likes me, I can't avoid.

This was the primary route because, it was also the easiest.

Sometime in 2021

Car 1 - White BMW X1, Year - 2017, 38kms done on the odo. Belonged to a theatre owner in Hyderabad, primarily driven by his wife. The car was in pristine condition. Quote - 30 Lacs. The first time I ever drove a BMW.

Why the X1? it was the first car available and the dealer was pushing me to take a test drive as it was sent by the owner. I willingly agreed.
Boy, the germans know how to build cars. I was sold. Forget ambient lighting, forget the badge, forget the 530D, the excitement I felt when the turbo kicked in was all that my head was wrapped around on. The way the car cornered is something I'll never forget. I came back home, the grin on my face made it evident to my wife that there's deep trouble brewing. By the way this dealer taught me how to start a BMW, how to engage the car into drive mode and finally neutral and park it in P.

Decision Post convincing the home minister, I extended my budget and put in an offer for 25 lacs. Yup, I did that. The dealer however would not budge below 29. I had to give up. It's one of those gut feelings, deep down you feel that everything is right with this car. Depressing, dark days since I couldn't buy the car.

In hindsight, I got very lucky. I didn't follow one piece of advice listed here. Link (ARTICLE: How to buy a *USED* Car in India). Don't ever let adrenaline and excitement get over you. Easy for me to say, it's a lot more difficult than that. Imagine if the dealer agreed for 26, I might have even pushed my budget to around 26-27 and what if I landed a lemon or an accident repaired vehicle?

Car 2 - BMW X1 20D, - 2011, 90,000kms, in an elegant Emerald colour, Quote - 13 Lacs.

Why a X1 again? I had ample time get over the car 1 and hit reality. The mind said don't extend your budget by two folds. The dealer I approached had a park and pay system in place. There were no 530D available within my budget. I was getting to drive another car and I didn't complain. The car exteriors were in a deteriorated state. The interiors had been abused. The engine was beautiful and purring. The suspension set up was very firm as compared to the 2017 X1 20D. A second look at the interiors told me not to indulge any further. Wear and tear is understandable, but you can clearly make out when the interiors have been abused. I wish I had kept pictures of both the vehicles.

As time passed, I started to realise the following -
1) The second hand car market in Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad is way too overpriced. It has plenty of options when it comes to luxury cars or even sport cars.
2) Within my budget, I would always find cars (5 series) that had done over 70K kms and I was apprehensive about the mileage even though I knew they were mile munchers when maintained well.
3) Service history was vague (some dealers don't even want to share) and in cases where the service history was well maintained and in detail, the price shot up.
4) Second hand diesel vehicles started to get more expensive as manufactures decided not to make them anymore. The new emission norms perhaps? My shitty luck?
5) It is very difficult and hard to distinguish between a genuine dealer and a bad dealer. To be honest, I could never figure that out.

Tried multiple dealers with no luck. There was no car within my budget that was well maintained, or it would be pre F30 generation. The search with dealers continued all the way till October 2022 and then I finally gave up on the dealer route. Below is an example of a quote from a dealer from October 2022. Neither could I justify the price, nor was it within my budget.

Classifieds - Err most of them are dealers again?

I knew I had no chance with dealers. Started to browse on Quikr, car wale, droom, spinny and what not. 90% of the time, I ended up speaking with dealers. I would find vehicles with high mileage and registered to a different state, 2011 CH registered 525D 85K ODO within my budget. There are tons of youtube videos about how you can buy these cars from different states and the dealers will help you with everything you need. I do have a high risk appetite, but if I wasn't trusting dealers from my state it didn't make sense to trust them from different states. Plus, I have zero trust in youtube influencers as well.

One route or the idea that kept repeating in the mind was the BH registration method. Probably buy a car from Delhi because of the 10 year ban rule and then get it BH registered. I'm not entire sure why I discarded this idea but the constant travel to Delhi to check cars wasn't a feasible one.

Two years of searching for that 5 and the irony of the entire hunt was I never got to drive a 530D from a dealer. I was so firm on my budget, that I would not even test drive a car if it was out of the budget. I made this mistake once and I wasn't going to repeat it. I knew I'd be sold the moment I drove a 530D. The ones within the budget were poorly maintained that I didn't even want to take a chance. The car doesn't need to have all the bells and whistles. The engine mattered most, so if I did test drive a car that was poorly maintained and found out the engine was good, my devilish mind would start playing tricks again. I kept having second thoughts about well it's just the interiors, the car mechanically looks solid enough, maybe that's what I get for my budget. Thankfully, my wife kept me in check. If you're a person like me who thinks about cars with his heart, find someone else who uses only their head to keep you grounded.

Alternatives Considered
1) A Merc C220D - The car belonged to a friend, was registered in AP and was driven in Mumbai for all its life. A 2013 model which had done 50k on the Odo. Knowing multiple of his friends had used the car for weeks and sometimes months altogether made me avoid the car.
2) Bmw X1 220D - Drove all sorts of X1 from 2010 - 2018. Waterlogging is real in Hyderabad. Link of an article where several luxury cars were affected by this. Though this is from 2023 everyone who has lived in Hyderabad has experienced this during the monsoons. Fell within my budget, could handle the rains somewhat better than the 5.

I started to give up. I spent quite an amount of time invested in searching for the 5. Mentally, it was exhausting, disheartening and I started to loose interest. My first car was a Skoda Rapid and my thoughts slowly turned towards the new Slavia. The thought of paying taxes, depreciation was what drove me towards the pre-worshipped route in the first place. Decided a new car was out of contention. Life was mundane until everything changed that one day.

Team-Bhp and a Bhpian come to the rescue!

What if a dream which started after reading GTO thread on team-bhp got fulfilled as a different dream on team-bhp forum itself? Am I making any sense?
Events
January 20, 2023 - On team-bhp classifieds, a listing catches my eye. Fellow bhpian @ballfry puts up a 2012 F-30 320D Luxury line for sale that belongs to his father. The 3 was never on the radar. The car had done 41k approx.

The home minister reluctantly approves. She's been behind my back on how good the Merc's look and we should get a Merc. The words enter through one ear and automatically exit through the other ear.
January 20, 2023, 3:36pm - I reach out to @ballfry on whatsapp saying I'm interested. He is a little tied up at work and we decide to speak later.
January 20, 2023, 7pm - We speak for the first time and by 7:20 pm, I have pictures of the car and recent service records.
The first time I laid my eyes on the car.








Notice the blue sticker which says BMW Luxury and how it's still intact? That kinda started me thinking seriously about the 3, because it was well looked after.


The BMW service history was not available as the guys over at BMW were fussy about privacy and were asking to drop emails as @ballfry dad was the second owner. I was going through the used car checklist and this was a miss. Meanwhile, @ballfry also offered to follow up with the service centre for the records.

January 21, 2023 - I was filled with doubts. It's still not a 6 cylinder, it isn't the 5. Service history was one, the car had aged well but hasn't done anything much on the odo. I was worried about why only 41K kms in over 10 years? I make up my mind and decide it's worth taking a look in person. How do I come to this decision? The looked car like it had been maintained very well, was within my budget and a bhpian had warranted my trust than any outsider.

January 24, 2023 - We decide to meet around 6:30 pm. I had just played a game of cricket and I was also in the passenger seat of the new Skoda Octavia L&K petrol variant my close friend purchased. The car literally glides, more on this later. Ideally a test drive in the morning, a cold start would have been a good way to go. Since I had a match and @ballfry had commitments, evening it was. I was also worried since it was on team-bhp classified the chances this car would be grabbed early were pretty high. Me and my wife reach his place around 6:30 pm and @ballfry brings the bimmer out of the basement.

Initial impressions - Those LED headlights and the road presence. The 3 isn't a small car by any means. The car looked spotless inside and on the outside. Spanking white. You could still smell the leather and the dash. Impeccably well maintained by @ballfry and his family. I don't know how to put this, the owl like or those round halo like led lights had a strange attraction. The puddle lamps were on and the car was glowing.

Test Drive - I was a bit nervous, the car was so neat that I was worried of giving it any dents or scratches. Peak traffic hour, Hyderabad is filled with retards who should never be eligible to earn a driving license. It shouldn't be called driving. Peak kondapur traffic is no fun. The car was big. In traffic, adjusting to the width of the car was difficult at the start. Took a little time to get adjusted to it. Comfort mode the car was a pleasure to drive. The suspension was on the stiffer side way too stiff. Remember, I had been in new Octavia earlier? That car goes over roads like a magic carpet. Almost made me feel is this how air suspension feels like? Back to the bimmer. The braking was strong in bumper to bumper traffic. Stop/Start function was on. It's a bit jerky in nature and the first time it did catch me off guard. @ballfry had warned about me about the stop start earlier. On open road the sports mode was a beast waiting to be let out. Forget the X1 cornering, it's nothing compared to what this 3 can do. I couldn't feel any body roll as compared to the X1 or even the soft set up Octavia. The push back of the head when the turbo kicked in bought a grin. The headlights were brilliant. The high beam is overkill for the city as any high beam should be. The AC was functioning perfectly to keep the cabin chilled and I had no doubts that it would perform the same in extreme heat. Drove the car back to his place, move the beautiful gear lever to N, press the P engaging the parking mode and proceeded to have a chat with @ballfry.

What's funny is that, this was also the first 3 I had driven. Never in my search over the 2 years, had I considered the 3. I assumed it was always underpowered, wouldn't have the oomph feeling. Sounds stupid doesn't it? The X1 has the similar engine which made me fall in love with it and yet I never considered the 3 or test drove it or made an enquiry for it. I am stupid.

The Chat The reason i'm getting into this is because it made me buy the car. Before the chat even during the test drive, I was like if this is a 320D, what would the 530D be like? Double this performance? Even better than double? With the car parked under the apartment, I had asked about the low odo. Due to @ballfry parents professions, they always had an office car provided to them. The 3 was used only for attending parties was rarely driven out of the city. The tyres had just been replaced recently, the car had been serviced recently. The engine mounts were replaced. The rear brake pads, rotors had been replaced.

That answers the odo. No official BMW service history is still risky. @ballfry then tells me what's wrong with car per his knowledge. The suspension needs to be changed. Upfront he told me that it would cost me 1.5 - 2 lacs. The bonnet couldn't support itself as hood struts were gone. Same with the tailgate. 6k for the front and 6.5k for the back. He sends me the RC. The original BMW manual is present in the glove compartment and car was in stock condition. That was a good sign. There was mutual respect and trust. He did mention during the covid period the old tyres gave in and since the car didn't have a chance to move it was just sitting all by itself. Rather than selling it to a dealer (Hyundai had already made an offer) he wanted someone who would enjoy the car. Post the chat I request if I can get the car checked and @ballfry suggest we go to Man and Machine a competent FNG where the 3 and rest of the cars from his company/family get serviced and repaired.

The interiors and exteriors maintained so well, an owner who cared about the car, knew about the nitty gritty details of the car, told me about it's defects openly and also offered to get the stop/start function cleared with his obd scanner if that was a problem. Discussed about his garage, what he drives right now and what cars the family maintained. The heart said yes, this was still a decision of the heart. Buying a 11 year old car with known issues doesn't mean more won't creep in. The mind said the known devil is better. I may or might not find a 530D but the white devil is right in front of you, so pick it up.

January 27th, 2023 - I tell @ballfry I'll take the white devil off him and invite it to my place. I'm going to buy it.

January 28th 2023 - Around 7 am me and @ballfry meet at Man and Machine to get the car checked. The car is hoisted and the underbelly guard comes off for a thorough check. Suspension needs changing, could be done at the next service, the steering makes a small squeaky noise which is a known issue with pre-LCI F30 models. BMW has come out with a ball joint of some sorts that can take care of this. Costs around 2k ish. No need to replace the entire steering rack which is upwards of 2 lacs and we can't find a new one. No other faults. Man and Machine (FNG) didn't charge us anything as they had performed no work on the car. We get into our respective cars and drive back home.

For peace of mind, I ask my friend from badminton who recently purchased a 2015 BMW 320D sports variant if I should get this check with BMW again. He replied that his brother knew an internal employee and got this check done for his car. When the car was being checked they constantly kept bringing up issues because the car wasn't serviced at an authorised service centre. I reach out to another FNG called as Karmic performance where my badminton friend gets his 3 serviced and they had nothing but good words to speak about Man and Machine.

January 31st 2023 - At around 11:45 first part of the payment is done. Me and @ballfry decide to meet at 2 pm at the RTO office.
Around 2pm, The second half of the payment is done. We take the professional help of a broker at the RTO who finishes the entire procedure in 5 minutes and asks me to collect the RC a day later. Just 5 minutes can you believe it?

Me and @ballfry shake hands, he takes one last photo of the car and hands the key over. We have conversation for about 15-20 minutes post that. I offer to drop him back to his office, but he decides to take a cab. Before he leaves, he tries to ask if I'm interested in how the USB to AUX tune2air bluetooth works, I tell him I'll figure it out. Was way too excited. My wife drives her Activa back home as she had come to the RTO from her workplace and was heading to work.

The heart flutters as I unlock the door for the first time and get in. I'm elated. There's a sense of pride in there as well, maybe because of the badge or maybe because it took two plus long years? As a coincidence, it was exactly 10 years since I had bought the Skoda Rapid. I finally drive the 3 to get it's puja done.

It's home!

[Ishallownabmw]

Ownership Experience

8500+ kms covered by both of us together. It was around 41k+ when I had bought it. I drive it with no destination in mind. People usually park their car at an airport and wait for passengers to arrive. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad if you find the white devil going around in circles, that's me driving it. While i'm writing this post, I have an itch to take the bimmer out. I just take it out for no good reason and always take the long way back home.

What I like about the car

1) Looks - How the car has aged. Personally, I think the F30 Gen has some of the best looking bimmers made till date. The white devil still make heads turn, whether it's standing a signal or when it's in motion. Hyderabad has a decent number of luxury cars and it feels nice when your car grabs attention. It has a long wheelbase and good road presence. Simply put, it still looks relevant and gorgeous.

2) Build Quality - The one I have is a CBU. It's the F30 Pre-LCI model and it's built solid. The car was parked at the badminton court and while I was playing, someone had managed to hit the bimmer while trying to reverse their two wheeler. Found this out via cctv footage. Loss of paint and a huge black spot on the front left side of the bumper. How one manages to miss a white big car is still a mystery to me. One of my friend at the badminton court somehow managed to hit the back of my bimmer with his Harrier . I was standing right there and apart from some loss of paint and my temper, the rear bumper took it like a champ. A delivery executive grazed the front bumper towards the drivers side at an approximate speed of 40kms/hr and again loss of paint.

3) Interiors - The Beige interiors age well and look classy. There's wood on the dash, the Idrive is also located inside a wood panel. Do they ooze luxury since it's the Luxury line variant? To be honest, I don't know. What I do know they have been maintained like a baby. The credit goes to @ballfry and his family. The rear seats look like they've never been used.

4) Features - Old school tachometer. The infotainment system and the dash are angled towards the driver. Driving modes, traction on/off can be easily switched by the tap of a button. The Idrive is very easy to use. Shows all relevant info like mileage, type pressure monitoring system, oil levels, how long before it's time to service, front rear, break pads status, etc. Has one usb port, folding ovrms, dual climate control, 2 memory modes for the driver seat positioning. White and red ambient lighting. Using the tune2air usb to bluetooth, I can stream music and make audio calls wirelessly. There's the 9 soft touch programmable keys. I haven't even programmed them yet with functions like one touch to auto dial call to your home minister, etc. I hope she isn't reading this. Auto headlamps, adjustable hand rest are some of the features the car has to offer.

5) Engine and Gearbox - The 2.0 litre diesel engine loves to be revved. When the turbo kicks in, your head hits the headrest with a grin on your face. It's very addictive. The 320D is no 530D but it isn't a slouch either. You will be hitting 3 digit speeds in no time without the engine breaking a sweat.
The ZF gearbox is a torque converter not a DSG? In comfort mode the gear shifts happen between 1500 - 2000rpm and they are quick. I've never have had to put the car in sports mode for a quick overtake, more on the modes later. I believe the 3 can do speeds northwards of 150+ without straining itself. To give more perspective, the rpm range is below 2000 when the car is cruising at 100.

6) Headlights - Those owl/angel halo type headlights are one of my favourite things about the car. The throw on low beam is excellent, the high beam is perfect for the highways. They turn on when you unlock the car and more often than not when it's parked in the night, it gets people looking at them. I've read the original review and they are called as corona rings!

7) Engine noise is audible inside the cabin - This may be a turn off for some as it's not a pleasant experience to hear your engine making sounds in a luxury car right? Not for me, my Skoda always used to make noise, I love hearing the engine in the 3 as well. Sometimes that's the only music I need and the radio/music playing is turned off so that I can hear the engine. This isn't for everyone, it's a very personal thing.

8) Modes - The 3 modes are as unlike each other. The eco-pro is fantastic for getting more mileage per km. It's not great fun to drive in, it's good to have in city traffic. The comfort mode is a mix of both eco and sports in a way. It's perfect within the city and on the highway as well. The sports mode is beast incarnate waiting to release the devil of it's shackles. In automatic mode the shifts do take place. Pull the gear lever left and then all hell breaks loose in manual mode.

9) Mile Muncher - I've never gotten tired after driving this car for a long time. Usually I get into a zone and drive 300 kms in one go before taking a break. That was how it was with the Skoda. I do 300 in the 3 and I don't realise it. I have to be aware and start taking breaks.

10) Value - Last but not the least, the pre-worshipped route gives you let's say more. Everyone has their own preferences, likes and dislikes. Personally, I believe I have saved a lot of money and ended up with a value for money deal. There's more value in terms of the badge, there's value in not paying atrocious road tax in Telangana, new car registration costs and insurance. To provide better context, the registration costed us 3000 (including broker fees) which was split between me and @ballfry. I still owe him 500 bucks. Just to provide more context, the official registration costs without broker fees was 935 Rupees. The insurance costed 17,000, it would have been 12k ish if I hadn't missed out on digit drive you as you pay.

What I dislike about the car
1) No spare tyre! - How do you make a luxury car for a country like India and provide no spare tyre? Apart from saving space in the boot, I can't fathom as to just why? Isn't loosing boot space makes more sense than being stranded anywhere with a puncture? Have other luxury car makers gone down this road or is it only us the lucky BMW owners. Finding the right and original alloy for this car is going to be a difficult job as well.

2) Melting Interiors - You leave the car parked out in the sun and not under the shade and the interiors will melt away. I'm talking in Bangalore, if it was in Hyderabad I wouldn't possible have any interiors. The soft touch buttons on the dash become sticky as they start to melt. This car has to be parked under shade constantly. If you don't have a proper overhead covered parking space you are done for. Neither can you leave it under the sun if you are out on an errand for a long time. I have to find shade constantly when I'm out to play cricket matches. I'll have pictures depicting this.

3) Cabin sounds - If I go over a bump, the the plastic under the hand rest seems to rattle and make sounds that plastics make. The steering wheel makes squeaky noises. Most people can't hear these noises if music is playing. The engine noise and music hide them well. However, this cabin makes noises due to age. Subtle, but it's there.

4) Mysterious TMPS sensor - This started in Bangalore when I had done Hyd-Blr-Coorg-Madikeri. On completing the trip and heading back to Hyderabad from Blr, the rear right tyre had less tyre pressure and the warning popped up. I had the tyre checked no puncture, got the tyre inflated and reached Hyd. In Hyd it started throwing up the error once a week initially. I thought it was due to a leak in the valve? All of a sudden the warning stopped after resetting the tyre pressure system one day. It only pops up when the car is at high speeds now. I know the tyre pressure is low right now, but the sensor fails to recognise it. I wonder why it recognises at speeds over 60-80 and not below. It's so sensitive at high speeds that, I had filled air pressure the very same evening. The rear had 35psi, the moment I was close to airport, I had done around 24 kms before the warning popped up again.

5) Expensive to maintain - All parts are expensive. Paint is expensive, the synthetic oil the car requires is expensive. The front brake pads and disc rotors need to be changed and they cost you 24k excluding labor. A bonnet strut which helps you keep the bonnet upright costs around 6k. The suspension requires change and that puts me back by another 2 lacs. Heck you go to buy something with the white devil, vendors start increasing their prices looking at the car. Thanks to @ballfry again, he just got his air suspension done on one of his cars and it makes me feel the suspension on the 3 is a little less expensive.

6) Features - Just like it has features, it's missing features. This isn't a deal breaker for me at all. No reverse camera. You get a sound assist along with an animated visual which shows how close you are to an object. This is very glitchy, has a noticeable lag. Just like @ballfry mentioned, I'm used to it now. I've never had reverse cameras in any of my cars and I stick to the old use 3 mirrors and rotate your head while reversing. No cruise control, it would have been perfect for this car. Only one usb port, unless there are more and I couldn't find them. It's occupied by the tune2air aux to bluetooth converter, so have to use a power bank to charge the phone. None of the fancy Car play, or Android Auto, no navigation.

7) Automatic mode for wiper - It has a mind of it's own. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. A couple of drops, it's super excited and responsive. When it's pouring, the sensor probably thinks it's in a car wash and there's no need to activate. I just control it manually.

8) Engine Temperature - This might not be a bad thing, but it takes forever to reach 100 degrees. The distance from my house to the badminton court is 4.6 kms. Take around 30 minutes in peak traffic hour at around 5:30 pm. I reach the court and yet it doesn't reach 100 degrees. To save the turbo, I always spend one minute idling the car after a cold start and keep driving below 2k rpms. I guess, since I'm light on the pedal and don't push the car beyond 2k rpms, it does take its own sweet time.

9) Ingress/Egress - If you are old like my mother, my in laws and not fit, its a nightmare. Sometimes they need assistance when they are trying to get out of the car. My brother in law initial reaction was this feels like sitting in a F1 car. He drives an eco-sport. My initial feeling when I drove the swift after the Bimmer was as if I was seated in a SUV.

10) Sedan - While you might love the way it corners, low centre of gravity, you will end up with migraines sooner or later. Most people who drive in Hyderabad have high beams on. I live in centre of the city where there is no shortage of street lights. To give more context, I'm surrounded by 3 Taj hotels. What is wrong with people? People driving two wheelers have their high beam on. 8-10 cars had high beams on at 7:30 in the evening. Driving in the evenings and in nights is turning out to be so annoying. Should probably find a solution for the windshield or wear protective glasses. Need to research on this.

11) Suspension - It's surprisingly not as stiff as I had initially felt when I test drove the car. On the contrary, it's soft for my liking. It's all good when you are driving in the city, hit the highway it's a different story. The rear is a roller coaster. At triple digit speeds the rear goes in the air and comes down pretty quickly when there are undulations on the road.

12) Low Ground Clearance - This can be misleading so please excuse me. I have managed to scrape the bottom only twice. Both times, my fault. The first time was over a speed breaker in between Mysuru to Coorg. Instead of slowing down, I was overly confident that I went over so many in Karnataka that the 3 can do it at speed as well. Wrong, it was me being an idiot. The second time, the car was loaded with 5 folks and luggage. My apartment is located on top of a hill. The entrance is very steep and despite the low tyre pressure warning, I decided not to inflate the tyre when I had the chance.

Monsoons are a real pain. The constant fear of waterlogging is always on the back of my mind since the car is low slung.

Overall, the car has been reliable and always fun to drive. Apart from one bonnet open warning, tyre pressure loss warning there have been no more. Touchwood. Lot's of reading! Time for some pictures!

Pictures

The way those back seats were maintained!


Notice how the rubber melts in the next two pictures when the car is not parked under shade.




Thanks to @ballfry for finding the second key! I knew I could trust you on this.


Last but not the least, the first picture I've taken from the inside of the car.

[Ishallownabmw]

Service Experience

The Idrive and the tacho both confirm service is due.

Aug 9, 2023 - I reached out to Dinesh at Man and Machine for an appointment to get the service done. A prompt reply asking me to come down to Man and Machine on 11th August between 6am - 1pm as those are the FNG timings.

Aug 11,2023 - I drove it to Man and Machine at around 7:30 am in the morning. I am greeted by Dinesh and I'm asked what coffee I would prefer. It's always been an Espresso. Dinesh places an order for a double shot. It's complimentary. Takes the car out for a drive before the service and asks me if I feel anything else is off.

The following service was performed -
1) Oil Filter
2) Air Filter
3) Cabin Filter
4) Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil
5) Distil Water
6) Consumables

The service is completed within an hour and a half.

Dinesh asks me to leave home as he would whatsapp me the invoice and I can make the payment post receiving the invoice. Trust earned.

I spent most of the time in the garage watching them perform the service on my car. I like being present during the entire service rather than leaving the car. Also gives me an opportunity to see work being performed on different luxury vehicles. Funny enough and the irony, Dinesh tells me that the 530D are more reliable than the 320D right before I leave.

Here are some pictures from the service.

























Advice required
The suspension is done for. Replacing the front would cost me 1.4-2 lacs as per Man and Machine. Now, I'm stuck in a dilemma. Does the entire suspension need to be changed because the car is old or only some parts of it. Man and Machine had advised the entire suspension overhaul whereas when I got the car checked at Karmics (Another FNG) they mentioned the front can be done for around 50k without replacing the entire front suspension.

@ballfry suggested that I try Bilstein B6 if my running is low and Sachs which is the original OEM if my running is high. @ballfry is technically more gifted and knows about his cars. I'm still learning. I might be doing around 10-12k kms on an average per year. Man and Machine suggested not to move away from the stock setup as there's plenty of research put in by the German engineers and it's best to keep it that way.

[ex-innova-guy]

Congratulations on getting the Bimmer!

If only you had the option to change your username to "Iownabmw", it would be icing on the cake.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by Ishallownabmw

The suspension is done for. Replacing the front would cost me 1.4-2 lacs as per Man and Machine. Now, I'm stuck in a dilemma. Does the entire suspension need to be changed because the car is old or only some parts of it.

I'd say doing the front and leaving the back on worn parts would be a bad idea unless you're in a financial crunch.

You deserve the full BMW handling experience after all!

[AbhiJ]

Congratulations on buying a brilliant car.

My F30 320D just turned 10 years old in January 2024! And its still a joy to drive!

I have upgraded my vehicle slowly over years and can share my experiences!

For the melting door handles I would avoid getting the handles changed. It introduces new squeaks and rattles to the car (Even if you get it done in the authorised workshop - Ask me how I know!)

Just source this!
https://www.amazon.in/N-Carbon-Handl.../dp/B097TRX22V

Its just a plastic piece which clips on only the sticky area. No glue, no screws. Its a simple user install and takes 30 seconds per door. Solves the problem for lfe without even opening the door pads. Its blends in well and is almost invisible when installed.

Other upgrades that I have done on my car

1) 12 Inch Screen added - Adds wireless Android Auto, Carplay, Bluetooth, Reverse Camera - Install is straight forward and maintains OEM look - Did the install DIY style (Apart from camera) - Not exactly this - Similar - https://p-y3-www-amazon-in-kalias.am.../dp/B0BHFB3DQD

2) M Sport Steering Wheel with Paddle Shifters (Install is DIY)
https://www.reddit.com/r/F30/comment..._335ix_highly/

3) Coding - Unlocks a few features, makes the gearbox shifts fiercer.

4) Stage 1 Tuning - Added a kick to the car - Not that it really needs it
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...ics-remap.html (Tuning new life into my 9-year old BMW F30 320d | TuneOTronics remap)

5) Almost forgot - New Kidney Grill
https://www.amazon.in/Car-Craft-F30-...7418960&sr=8-3

[Pythonista]

Wow! Awesome car and awesome review!

I too, dream of owning a Bimmer one day. One day, I shall.

Do keep us posted about updates!

P.S: Time to change your display name

[facelyft]

Congratulations man

I did a similar purchase a couple of years ago. Since we live in the suburbs of Hyderabad, SUV is a practical choice. 2017 X3 from a reliable dealer. I take my car to the same Man & Machine for servicing. I am now planning to change the head unit to give it a refresh. I will post more updates in my next post. Cheers mate.

[shiv11bhargava]

An amazing car that drives like a dream and that 20d engine is just iconic! So glad to have found this. Hopefully, I can get a 3 someday in the future. Wishing you make many smiles and memories with her.

[ballfry]

Reading this thread got me nostalgic about the car!

Wish you many more amazing miles in the 3.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by Ishallownabmw

The suspension is done for. Replacing the front would cost me 1.4-2 lacs as per Man and Machine. Now, I'm stuck in a dilemma. Does the entire suspension need to be changed because the car is old or only some parts of it.

You need to change the entire strut assembly. There are no bits and bobs to replace that will extend the life of the strut.

A regular oil service does not cost a lot more than your average VW or other German car. Its down to the Oil you pour in and what else needs to be replaced. As an example, replace Mobil 1 with Castrol Synthetic and see what the saves you. The latter isn't an inferior oil.

You can buy a sun shade to put across your windscreen when your car is parked. Makes a world of a difference in reducing cabin heat when the car is parked. Will also extend the life of your dashboard and steering material.

The gauge you have there is for oil temperature. Not water temperature. It takes longer for oil to reach operating temperature.

Melting plastic door handles are a known issue with this series. You can do the solution another FM has posted or replace the hand grip itself, which again, do it only if you can DIY this or if the labor is cheap. With the right tool, its no more than a 15 to 20 minute job, per door handle.

You can update the interior by installing a Road Top touch screen unit which will offer wireless or wired Apple car Play or Android Auto. Its a bit of an involved install. Worth it if you plan to hold onto the car. I suspect your car will running the older CIC head unit aka larger head unit. You basically need to run a microphone wire tap from the roof plus use the Aux input under the arm rest to get audio to the after market system. I have done this and its totally worth it.

You can improve the ride by installing tube less tires. I switched my rears to tube less and will be doing the same when the front wears out. There is a risk but not so severe that you can't mend yourself with a puncture repair kit and tire inflator. Or just keep some road side assist handy if you want someone else to do it. Aged rubber can also result in a edgy, noisier ride.

Tread cautiously with these old German machines. Don't be on a frantic mission to fix each and everything. Cause if you do, the purposes of accessing a car like this on the cheap will fall apart sooner than you think. On internal rattles, if you can't DIY them, don't bother. Eg: door lock stubs.

[lamborghini]

Congratulations on a brilliantly kept machine!

Given the popularity of the F30 on the forum, there are many threads and posts worth checking out that will cover everything from suspension, to brakes, to upgrading the ICE, etc.

Firstly - if there is a doubt about the suspension - can have it shown to BMW for their professional (and chargable) opinion. If you can get a contact with a service advisor through a friend / BHPian, can check with them on the costing too before dropping it off - BMW has been known to give discounts on older cars spares.
You can even figure out after market options for lower cost & maybe better dynamics - many F30 owners have gone the after market route though for many they have lowered cars as a result. I myself got Koni FSD's on my W205 C220D and they are a revelation compared to the stock suspension though it took around 2K kms for them to settle in.

If you don't want to change the dynamics much, there are options like the Bilstein B6 which is used in many other german cars with owners by and large happy with the result & also OEM non branded options too - try and see if you can get the F30 LCI suspension in, those were slightly stiffer resulting in better dynamics on undulating roads.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by Ishallownabmw

[
Advice required
The suspension is done for. Replacing the front would cost me 1.4-2 lacs as per Man and Machine. Now, I'm stuck in a dilemma. Does the entire suspension need to be changed because the car is old or only some parts of it. Man and Machine had advised the entire suspension overhaul whereas when I got the car checked at Karmics (Another FNG) they mentioned the front can be done for around 50k without replacing the entire front suspension.

@ballfry suggested that I try Bilstein B6 if my running is low and Sachs which is the original OEM if my running is high. @ballfry is technically more gifted and knows about his cars. I'm still learning. I might be doing around 10-12k kms on an average per year. Man and Machine suggested not to move away from the stock setup as there's plenty of research put in by the German engineers and it's best to keep it that way.

Congratulations, 3 is a lovely car to own and it can do a lot more miles given you maintain her religiously. Most of the issues with F30 are very well documented and should not be a problem to fix. One very important thing to check will be the timing chain, IIRC 2012 302d has N47 engine which was plauged by timing chain issues and it was fixed by BMW in 2014.

As far as I remember pre-LCI F30 had HID headlamps and not LED so keep that in mind while replacement. You can see the HID projector in one of the photos as well. And it does seem like a Luxury variant as the wheels are from Luxury trim, you can decode the VIN and see all the options the car was manufactured with.
Regarding your query, I think a lot of member have already answered what should be the correct way.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

I'd say doing the front and leaving the back on worn parts would be a bad idea unless you're in a financial crunch.

You deserve the full BMW handling experience after all!

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

You need to change the entire strut assembly. There are no bits and bobs to replace that will extend the life of the strut.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Firstly - if there is a doubt about the suspension - can have it shown to BMW for their professional (and chargable) opinion. If you can get a contact with a service advisor through a friend / BHPian, can check with them on the costing too before dropping it off - BMW has been known to give discounts on older cars spares.
You can even figure out after market options for lower cost & maybe better dynamics - many F30 owners have gone the after market route though for many they have lowered cars as a result. I myself got Koni FSD's on my W205 C220D and they are a revelation compared to the stock suspension though it took around 2K kms for them to settle in.

Just gonna add on top of this, simply go to BMW if you have any questions or unsure about the ride quality with aftermarket route. I would get the suspension done first before spending money on any other mods.

I am running Eibach lowering springs with my stock M Sport suspension so if you are looking for bit more handling then something like this can be thought as well. Also get rid of the RFTs if not done already, get sticky tubeless tires which change the character as well.

[Ishallownabmw]

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

Congratulations on buying a brilliant car.

My F30 320D just turned 10 years old in January 2024! And its still a joy to drive!

I've come across your tuning thread! Congratulations on the 10 years!

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

I have upgraded my vehicle slowly over years and can share my experiences!

For the melting door handles I would avoid getting the handles changed. It introduces new squeaks and rattles to the car (Even if you get it done in the authorised workshop - Ask me how I know!)

Just source this!
https://www.amazon.in/N-Carbon-Handl.../dp/B097TRX22V

Its just a plastic piece which clips on only the sticky area. No glue, no screws. Its a simple user install and takes 30 seconds per door. Solves the problem for lfe without even opening the door pads. Its blends in well and is almost invisible when installed.

Makes total sense, I'll get these, if it's a fix for life, it's worth it. My car is parked in a proper overhead covered parking space. This is a fix that warrants it though.

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

Other upgrades that I have done on my car

1) 12 Inch Screen added - Adds wireless Android Auto, Carplay, Bluetooth, Reverse Camera - Install is straight forward and maintains OEM look - Did the install DIY style (Apart from camera) - Not exactly this - Similar - https://p-y3-www-amazon-in-kalias.am.../dp/B0BHFB3DQD

I love the fact that you're doing the installs yourself. I don't know if I'm technically gifted to do it myself, though there are plenty of youtube videos. That being said, I'm not too fussy about the default screen. I have a aux to bluetooth converter gifted by the original owner @ballfry and it works flawlessly. For navigation, I have a magnetic placeholder for my phone and it does it's job. I have no doubts that Android Auto and Carplay give you a lot more. I'm not sure it's a need as of now, more luxury I guess. Same with reverse cam, I just am old school rear view mirrors and use the head to rotate. The reverse camera however, might be a good add. Irrespective of how old school I am, it's better to be on the safe side.

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

2) M Sport Steering Wheel with Paddle Shifters (Install is DIY)
https://www.reddit.com/r/F30/comment..._335ix_highly/

I am drooling over that steering wheel. Okay, time to go make more money, I need that steering wheel with paddle shifters. Ugh! This so reminds me of the 530D.

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

3) Coding - Unlocks a few features, makes the gearbox shifts fiercer.

The sports mode itself is quite fierce, I guess our need for more fierce is justified

Originally Posted by AbhiJ

4) Stage 1 Tuning - Added a kick to the car - Not that it really needs it
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...ics-remap.html (Tuning new life into my 9-year old BMW F30 320d | TuneOTronics remap)

My wife is going to kick me. She thinks the car in default sports mode wasn't meant to be for a country like India. I have to find an excuse to cover this up, maybe I will say better diesel or it was a free upgrade by being loyal customer at Man and Machine.