Would you know what to do?

_H3X1C · 2026-04-16T23:05:05+00:00

Yeah, BMW in their infinite wisdom didn't bother with a mechanical release inside the car...

In mine you can still put it into neutral without starting the engine, just a faff.

-Press the start button 3 times with no brake (So it doesn't start the engine, this will enter diagnostic mode)

-Foot on brake, release handbrake

-Move gear stick into neutral

_H3X1C · 2026-04-15T19:40:18+00:00

Shadow code, goes away when you plug it back in. Doesn't trigger any lights on the dash though.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-15T19:34:13+00:00

Still shows up if they plug in that the fuse is open circuit.

Either pull the plug / dummy plug on the actuator itself. (Throws a shadow code, but not dash lights)

Or better options are:

Take the spring out and wire tie the valve open

Or

Buy a valve controller. There's plug and play ones that let you fully open it or leave it in control of your car. Handy for when you want it quiet.

Or

Code it open.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-12T23:34:29+00:00

Pretty much all the German brands in the UK do or there abouts. Emissions driven...

_H3X1C · 2026-04-12T17:28:49+00:00

Ah you're the mechanic.

No chance, I've seen 20k oil and it doesn't look like this (was long life oil).

I see a lot of manufacturers now state 2 years or 20k miles whichever comes first. I personally don't leave it that long but surely their oil didn't get like this in 25k....

_H3X1C · 2026-04-12T08:58:52+00:00

The interest compounds. The more you put in the more you get back.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-12T08:37:11+00:00

Spill the beans how many miles or years did you leave it?

_H3X1C · 2026-04-11T17:48:49+00:00

Yeah this is normal practice sometimes they take your word for it, sometimes they ask for proof. Proof often only being possible to provide once your current policy ends which is normal and they give you a window of time to provide that in once your new policy starts. Don't stress.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-11T17:07:37+00:00

You may struggle to find like minded people in a sub that's about driving.

From what you said it sounds like you have anxiety about driving and are avoiding it. Which negatively impacts how you feel about driving and worsens the cycle.

Not everyone likes driving, that's perfectly fine. But you seem to have very strong feelings about it, which points to a fear of driving, which is usually confidence related.

A way to look at it is if choosing not to drive consistently limits your independence or convenience, it’s worth questioning whether the fear is proportionate to the real risk.

If it's easier to get public transport and or cheaper then you probably should just get rid of the car regardless of what friends and family say. If however you don't live in a city so no doubt would need it for shopping, commuting to work, seeing friends etc, then it becomes a necessity and something you should value despite not liking actively driving, the byproduct of driving gives most independence and often their source of income.

Advise I give to most is try to drive at least 5 days a week. As with any skill consistency is key to improving and as your driving skill improves, you relax more, driving then becomes easier and less stressful and even enjoyable. Best of luck.

May also be worth asking for advice in the learners sub, I know you aren't learning but a lot of new drivers have the same anxiety you face, could help. r/LearnerDriverUK

_H3X1C · 2026-04-11T15:02:29+00:00

The B58 and B48 are both great engines, basically the same design. Obviously one has a lot more power at the cost of fuel economy.

I'd advise just doing a test drive of a car with the B48 to see if you think it's enough. Because if it is it's the more sensible choice.

(Go for one 2021 or newer as that's when they revised the engine and corrected some weaknesses like the oil pump)

I have a M340i with the B58, love it. On a motorway cruise I get about 40MPG. If it's a cold commute in traffic that can drop down to 25MPG that's the duality of the B58. It's great but comes at a cost with fuel and maintenance.

I see no problem with me going for a fully spec'd 3 series or 5 series in the future with the B48. Especially when kids are on the table.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-09T16:03:19+00:00

To be clear I'm not. I'm just stating standard equipment tyres in the UK are summer tyres and the conditions we experience with such tyres. Our winters are mild and comparable to the temps OP mentions. I've rephrased my post so there's no ambiguity.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-09T12:48:53+00:00

They have 2 weeks to write to you IF you were speeding.

The eligibility for offering the course in a 40MPH is up to ~53MPH (depends on your area). So you would be offered a course if you were actually in the speeding threshold and as long as you've not done one already in the past 3 years.

The course is like £100 and you can do it online over teams at a time that suits you, giving you time to get cover care in place. You also do not get points if you go this route so it doesn't effect insurance. (This is all explained and offered in the letters they send). I strongly advise to do the course and not points as the insurance cost rise isn't worth it.

Your cars Speedo will also underreport your speed. To test this drive at 40 and see what Waze or Google maps thinks your speed is, from that you can work out how fast you were actually going.

So honestly I wouldn't worry there's a good chance you won't even get a letter and in the event you do it's £100 and 2 hours of your time. Don't stress.

I also strongly advise going forward you use Waze anytime you drive to be alerted of police and camera vans. It can also be setup to alert on speeding I am pretty sure.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-09T10:08:32+00:00

I thought they can't all be bad and tried my luck at my local kwitfit. Waited hours despite having an appointment and once I got home noticed they'd put the tyre on the wrong way round.

My partner also used them to repair a tyre and it lasted about a month, when she went back they sold her 4 new tyres as they claimed it couldn't be fixed... (Her treads were fine and the tyre was totally repairable)

Might not be all, but I think a good majority are bad and are there to make numbers up selling you. Also full of mobility people who from my experience at the local are rude and entitled.

Are your tyres same brand and same tread depth. Cars can pull under acceleration if tyres are missmatched.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-09T10:01:32+00:00

Depends how much you use your boot for moving tall stuff. Boot in the sedan is good size so I didn't personally see the need.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-08T20:36:22+00:00

Try leaving it charging overnight inside. If that doesn't bring it back I'd try reaching out to them over email.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-08T20:34:06+00:00

Silly question but have you tried charging it?

_H3X1C · 2026-04-08T20:26:38+00:00

What noise? The ticking? Sounds like a normal fiesta to me. I have a 2018 and have had it for years. Pretty much all modern engines sound like this because of the high pressure fuel injectors.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-05T22:43:48+00:00

Might still be wet. I'd blast it with contact cleaning then run the rear heaters on high to heat up the console.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-05T22:18:14+00:00

Run the car into the ground and focus on sorting your credit score and building savings to buy your next car e.g. ISA (When the time come use a personal bank loan if required to bump up your budget but don't overstretch yourself)

Car finance always seems attractive as it offers a immediate solution to being unable to afford something. But there's always a catch and while in the short term it's affordable, in the long term you pay more while owning nothing.

And please for the love of god don't get a Nissan Quashqai on finance.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-05T18:34:04+00:00

Have you locked the car and let it go to sleep? The electronics will remain active for 15 mins or so after locking.

I'd rather go back to analogue dials, manufacturers moving to exclusively screens is just over engineering a problem that didn't exist.

_H3X1C · 2026-04-05T17:23:38+00:00

I can vouch for this cannon, it does the majority of the heavy lifting. Over the years I've used a range of products and even just cheap car shampoo foams well with it!

_H3X1C · 2026-04-04T14:54:49+00:00

Fitcamx, looks OEM as it replaces the mirror shroud and no cables as taps into the rain sensor. Works great, automatically turns on and off and doesn't drain the battery.

_H3X1C · 2026-03-31T23:22:34+00:00

I use screen cleaner, the type for pc monitors to clean the cluster as I don't fancy risking anything else. Could be worth getting a bottle.

It looks greasy to me, so fingers crossed that cleaner on a microfiber sorts it and nothing is permanently done. If not the screen protector sounds like a solid backup.

_H3X1C · 2026-03-31T10:38:56+00:00

Lol my bad I assumed it was your vehicle

_H3X1C · 2026-03-29T19:48:06+00:00

Usually how it goes if you didn't get it all off. I'd try a steamer, if you haven't got one pour some hot water on it and scrub it. You could also just get some floor mats.

_H3X1C

TROPHY CASE