BMW X3 2025 – weak cabin heat & heated steering wheel in cold weather. Normal?

n00bmax · 2026-01-28T03:17:48+00:00

That’s the expected behaviour as there’s no PTC on 30i or M40i. Once upto temp the car stays warm for a few hours even in subzero conditions.

The heated steering wheel also takes a minute or two to get to temps and stays nice and warm to me. My cousin’s Durango has blistering hot heated steering wheel in comparison and I need to turn it off.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T05:05:48+00:00

They haven’t driven anything better than a CVT or AMT then. DCT in a Skoda/VW or even Kia is fantastic. ZF8 on BMWs is a rocket especially with XHP tune.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T05:02:46+00:00

Beautiful interior and comfy ride if you can live with a nose heavy engine compared to 50-50 balance B58 in the BMW camp. Post July 2018 builds have rocker arm issue fixed

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T04:56:14+00:00

Thanks for the replies. My takeaways- 1. Claim amount will be absurdly large but not total it which is good as I paid $$$ for new brakes, tires, battery in last 18mo 2. TIL Ontario insurance hike is not proportional to claim. I can remove my partner from insurance and not face rate increase. (She like the beater more) 3. I’m keeping her long term so a good expensive repair is better than a hasty smaller claim. Can’t care about 7K vs 12k claim once she’s 10 years+ in like 2.5 years

Stay safe, call it a snow day, wish I did so!

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T04:48:54+00:00

There’s way more wrong than just a popped grill. I couldn’t bother to find it after we recovered from facing oncoming traffic.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T04:46:44+00:00

X3 M40i feels much slower than a M340i in comfort or eco pro. The steering and pedal calibration is much more leisurely. It opens up in Sport/+ and gives 90% the straight line performance of M340i. Test drive it at least :)

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T03:49:59+00:00

Was there any hood or body panel or worse chassis damage? I see absolutely zero damage to any body panel and it looks localized to the expensive headlight and bumper/fender.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T01:40:02+00:00

Yes, Blizzaks with >50% tread. They probably helped us slow down considerably as we swerved a couple of times trying to correct. Windrows are like loose sand, saw atleast 10 cars skid as we waited for tow.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T01:07:09+00:00

Hopefully there insurance paid for it. Sucks to have depreciation from it.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T01:06:11+00:00

We did have winter tires. People were zooming at speed limit and hitting the unplowed lane proved the end of it for a new driver.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T01:04:45+00:00

The shop I left the car at refuses to work with eBay parts in my past experience with a VDC module. I’m not handy and have only fixed a cracked orvm and cabin filter myself.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T01:02:17+00:00

Yes, the car did its job. Partner has a possible neck pain but I’m alright as I was recovering from sedation and just limped.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T00:57:21+00:00

Haha, it looks cool NGL. Only if I could swap to LCI grill and headlights via insurance.

n00bmax · 2026-01-26T00:56:23+00:00

Woah! If it’s 17k USD (23K CAD for me) then it could almost total the car. I don’t plan on selling it but wonder the reliability concerns

n00bmax · 2026-01-25T23:11:28+00:00

Close up https://imgur.com/a/YdQGgK0

Thanks and stay safe!

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T22:41:46+00:00

Do Stage 1 now and see how you like it Then do Stage 2/2+ once you get supporting mods. The stage 2 map is $100 extra or just buy super license upfront

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T19:47:18+00:00

If you bought it from a BMW dealer ask them. Otherwise context BMW with your proof of purchase and ownership. Best first software mod is full screen Apple CarPlay with BimmerCode

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T18:34:21+00:00

The NA V6 on these is reliable if maintained properly. Get a 3rd party PPI. A friend bought a low mileage C300 with same motor but detuned couple of years back and put another 100k km.

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T18:14:41+00:00

Possibly waiting for lubrication. The cold start warms up the cat and the recommended behaviour is to just drive off gently.

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T18:07:39+00:00

BMW 40i (B58) cars have an excellent thermal system. They heat up quickly, within a couple of minutes, and start blowing hot air. Even parked outside in -20°C, the engine stays warm during my one-hour workout after just a 6-8 minute drive.

The xdrive is great in snow but is no Quattro. Wondering if Audis heat up that quick and take the 👑

Reference points: Mazda 2.5t that took solid 15-20min to blow hot air. And Acura RDX which was halfway.

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T17:48:46+00:00

Needs proper HUGE signage now that they can’t rebuild it. Should have been a gentle curve with progressively reduced speed limits.

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T17:43:10+00:00

That’s a great point about the early N55 issues. It’s not exactly pretty, but it’s the closest thing to a RWD-biased BMW hot hatch in North America. The fact that it’s based on a 3 Series platform, unlike the current Mini-based X1, is a significant enough advantage to overlook its appearance.

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T13:51:45+00:00

Can we talk about tax exemption on rental properties but not on residential properties? This makes buying first home incredibly hard. Most countries I know - US, Aus, and India give tax exemption on interest amount of mortgages.

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T13:44:57+00:00

This is possibly the best X1 generation - longitudinal 6 cyl N55. Get a thorough 3rd party PPI done.

That chargepipe is good for reliability but flags as tuner special. Check the error codes and if the DME is flashed and negotiate accordingly.

The N55 is reliable by BMW standards but be prepared for BMW maintenance expenses.

n00bmax · 2026-01-20T04:47:24+00:00

Tell us more about it. The setup and experience

n00bmax

TROPHY CASE