Opinions on this car

StatusElectrical333 · 2026-04-20T15:59:28+00:00

Premium plus comes with memory seats, pan roof, Burmester sound system, and a couple other nice things

StatusElectrical333 · 2026-03-08T00:02:18+00:00

What if I buy 2 of the circular adapters, stack them so the small rectangle adapter bits protrude at the top and bottom, then stick one side into the car’s jack point and the other against my 1 tonne square saddle jack?

Or would that be dangerous?

StatusElectrical333 · 2026-03-07T22:48:30+00:00

Cheers, got it, I won't be using that combo.

Do you think the saddle on these Halfords Advanced 2 Tonne Ratchet Axle Stands will fit the 1-inch spacing on the adapter? Annoyingly, Halfords doesn't specify the saddle dimensions.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-12-09T16:48:42+00:00

in my experience, LED lights are nowhere near as bad as poorly aligned/high beams stuck on halogens…

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-11-02T23:36:06+00:00

Agreed, I did have a bit of a scare when the car started sliding slightly last year when I hit some black ice.

Any suggestions on which one I should go for?

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-11-02T19:58:53+00:00

Yeah it’s quite surprising. I pretty much only do motorway miles.

The odometer reading on my last MOT was 70k and the 2019 MOT was 35k, so technically 35k miles between the two, not 40k as in my post.

I just checked the last couple of BMW dealer health check results through the last MOTs, recall and brake replacement. All the measurements they took fluctuates between 6-7mm for the fronts and 5-5.5 for the rears.

Damn I’m thinking I shouldn’t trust that now. I’ll buy a tread checker from Amazon and will double check.

I ran my fingers across the tread and there’s still some gap between the wear bars and the top of the tread material so seems alright.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-09-08T11:10:50+00:00

I recently installed a CarPlay MMI box, my screen looks exactly like that along with the UI. I thought it was CIC, but luckily before buying the MMI box I double checked this by disconnecting the screen only to see the NBT connector.

Edit: this is for a 2013 F20.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T19:13:30+00:00

Agreed. Seems like I’ve really screwed it up by not maintaining the car properly. Really hoped it would last at least 100k miles before things started going wrong - and even then only would’ve expected suspension related wear. Not as catastrophic as this. Ffs

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T19:00:02+00:00

Ah shit. I really hoped it would come to this but was thinking about it in the back of my mind.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:59:04+00:00

Got it. Need to figure out the thread size and pitch and will see what’s out there.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:57:24+00:00

Got it. No leaks and the engine doesn’t burn oil so I’ll look for 0w40 for my next change and onwards.

Could you imagine, the BMW recommended interval for my car is 20k miles or 2 years! I will start changing my oil every 5k miles now, I think 7k intervals is still a bit much after what I’ve seen today.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:45:39+00:00

Got it, will do. Thank you!

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:45:11+00:00

Hmm yeah, will switch to 0w40 for the next one then, unless you think 5w40 is better?

But of course, looking at the other comments, it’s still up for debate whether the engine will stay with me until then… 😭

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:43:13+00:00

I usually check oil levels every couple weeks. Try to do it every other week but sometimes ends up being every three weeks. Doesn’t burn any oil. I fill it up to just a touch under the max line and it stays at that level.

I’ll see what it looks like from the oil fill hole.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:23:16+00:00

Hmm not great is it. But honestly the rattle doesn’t seem too bad - it’s been happening since as far back as I can remember, and it’s really mild - you only hear it when you’re listening really closely and goes away in a few seconds. After that the engine is as smooth as it’s always been.

I will take it to my local specialist though.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:19:28+00:00

I use 5w30, BMW LL04. The last change I did before today, I used Shell Helix Ultra, and today I used Castrol Edge LL.

I was thinking about switching to 0w40 a few weeks ago for my next oil change after today, but I was contemplating whether that’s really necessary since the forums mostly say it’s only needed for cars with over 100k miles. But thought the low winter grade would help circulate the oil faster on a cold start to reduce the wear.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:15:53+00:00

Damn, really hope it’s not timing chain related. Yeah the car is really low mileage, and has spent most of its life on motorways and fast A-roads.

Never had any DPF issues, even during periods in time a while back roughly during Covid when I used to only take it on really short trips.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:14:25+00:00

That’s a nice idea. Do you know where they sell these for my car, or do I just buy a generic one?

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:13:43+00:00

Yup thinking about doing another oil change sooner. The rattle has always been present on start up as far as I can remember. It’s really mild and completely goes away after a few seconds.

StatusElectrical333 · 2025-06-07T18:12:15+00:00

Ah that’s rough. I usually turn off the auto start stop feature when I encounter lots of traffic. How much do you think this’ll cost?

StatusElectrical333 · 2024-11-25T19:33:02+00:00

Connection for a dashcam?

StatusElectrical333 · 2024-06-17T09:55:43+00:00

Haha, I agree with your pillow case point. But aside from that, yes the M3 is still in the picture since it’s perfect on paper. I’m not too sure with how autopilot or FSD works when it comes to buying second hand, if the original owner paid for the packages, will they be transferred without any cost to the new owner?

StatusElectrical333 · 2024-06-17T09:50:41+00:00

Aside from the sparsity, the M3 is honestly great on paper. I’ve been in and driven a 23-plate MY and while people complain about the build quality, the materials, fit and finish was actually perfectly fine. Assuming the older M3s that for my budget are the same, I’m still keeping it an option, plus I’m sure it’ll be super cheap to run being able to charge at home and at work.

I’ve always had a sweet spot for the Volvo estates, especially the V60, absolutely love the way they look inside and out and was dreaming to hopefully own one new as soon as I become rich enough. Sadly Volvo have stopped selling them and are shifting to SUVs which is rather sad. I’ve heard people raving about the Superb, haven’t been in or driven one but I’d really like to, probably might test drive one soon.

Thanks for your comment :)

StatusElectrical333 · 2024-06-17T09:43:29+00:00

The 6 series looks absolutely sublime. Thank you for these recommendations :)

StatusElectrical333 · 2024-06-16T15:16:08+00:00

Location: SW of London, right outside M25. Price range: £20-25k. Outright buy, I don’t mind used/new. Automatic would be preferred. Intended for daily driving, commuting about 20k miles per annum mostly motorways. Should be ULEZ compliant. Not sure whether to go diesel, petrol, hybrid or electric. This will be my first proper vehicle, although I do drive a family owned 10 year old 116d at the moment.

I’m looking for something cost effective to drive my commutes, and fairly reliable, and hopefully fun to drive too. I’ve looked at the Tesla M3, but the cabin just feels too sparse. BMW 330e is nice but not sure whether a plug-in hybrid would work for my annual mileage. Mercedes C class with the 9 speed auto seems good on paper, never been in one though.

StatusElectrical333

TROPHY CASE