[marco_polo]

Model Year Differences - very rough guide.

Summer 2012 - M135i Launched with small turbo featuring Pneumatic Waste Gate (PWG), - Advance Speakers are free initially
Summer 2013 - Turbo upgraded with larger outlet, Electric Waste Gate (EWG), and slightly more power. Auto lights and wipers now standard.
Spring 2014 - New steering wheel & in-wheel pressure / temp sensors
Summer 2014 - SOS button / comms box standard
Spring 2015 - Life Cycle Impulse (cosmetic Face Lift), Extended storage standard, LED headlights replace Xenons.
Summer 2015 - Sat Nav and Full Black Panel standard
Summer 2016 - M140i replaces M135i with new more powerful / efficient B58 engine, firmer suspension and new auto ratios. Melbourne Red now available
Summer 2017 - LCI2 released. New dashboard & dials. Shadow Edition introduced, new wheel option. Sunset Orange replaces Valencia, Glacier Silver discontinued. Cognac replaces Coral leather.
Spring 2018 - M140i finally upgraded with much-needed 'Rock Guards' - see post 24 below.
Summer 2018 - All M-Lites engine fitted with Petrol Particulate Filter in the exhaust making them quieter (and possibly less free reving). Man-box discontinued.

 

[marco_polo]

Ping/Knock/Twang/Crack When Reversing on Full Lock

It's perfectly normal and correct to hear a ping/twang/thud/creak when reversing on full lock due to the Ackermann geometry. It's literally dragging the tyre, which eventually has to catch up when the force overcomes the sidewall deflection & grip. Both of mine have done it on full lock reverse, always seems much more noticable when the tyres are cold / during cold snaps, especially on tyres which are bad when cold like MPSS.

Porsche, Mercedes (and other RWD cars) are known to make the same noise. Nothing to worry (or PM me) about.

 

[.Griff.]

Rattling noise from the rear on cold startup

What's the issue?

Many B58M owners are experiencing an issue where the valve in the left exhaust rattles on cold start-up.

Some cars appear to be affected more than others with some owners reporting issues days after collecting the car while others have gone months with no issue at all. This would suggest a manufacturing or tolerance issue and it appears to be down to poor luck whether your car is affected or not.

Here is an example courtesy of JD on Youtube -

Source/Credit - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-lwdFbpzoIb7kT20qOgDLQ

What's the cause?

BMW state it is due to "Exhaust valve / rear silencer intolerances in the warm-up phase"

In other words, the valve/spring assembly isn't staying closed resulting in the noise that can be heard.

What cars are affected?

According to BMW the following models are affected -

F30, F32, F21, F20, F31, F22, F33, F36

Engine range - B58M

From start of production.

What can I do about it?

It's important to note that BMW is more than aware of the issue. At the time of writing this article, there is an ongoing PuMA case within BMW investigating the fault and looking for a resolution. More on this to follow.

If you find yourself affected by the fault and it's severe enough to bother you then make an appointment at a BMW centre to give them the opportunity to inspect the exhaust. It is important that as a customer you give the manufacturer this opportunity regardless of the outcome.

The standard response from BMW falls into one of two categories.

A, It's a characteristic of the car/engine.

B, BMW are looking for a fix.

While it's true that BMW are looking for a fix the "characteristic" statement is open to debate. After all, why would there be an ongoing PuMA case investigating the fault if it's merely a characteristic? Why don't all cars equipped with the B58M engine have the same noise? If it's a characteristic then surely the noise should have been present throughout.

What is a PuMA case?

PuMA is short for - Problem und Mebnahmenmanagement Aftersales. Essentially an internal database of faults and associated fixes.

This is the PuMA case regarding this issue, note I have censored certain information not relevant to this article -

I've seen some people getting MPE's fitted for free. How?

It's important to state that it is VERY unlikely that BMW will offer to replace the standard exhaust with an MPE. This is poor business practice for them and hurts them financially so it's very much a last resort.

However, if your car is relatively new and you purchased it via PCP/PCH then your chances are increased.

As I said earlier it's critical that you log the fault with BMW and give them one opportunity to inspect it and offer a fix. More likely than not you'll be told one of the two responses I mentioned earlier but you've fulfilled your obligation of allowing the manufacturer the opportunity to rectify the fault. That is the aim of this step.

I recommend emailing, rather than telephoning, BMW UK Customer support - customer.service@bmw.co.uk - with your complaint.

If you have little or no success with BMW UK CS and you financed the car then email BMW Financial Services - csescalations@bmwfin.com - with your complaint.

How you word your complaint is down to the individual however I suggest you leave emotion out of it and stick to concise facts and explain your displeasure in driving an expensive and premium vehicle with an embarrassing fault.

Should you want any more assistance don't hesitate to PM me directly. Always happy to chat and help a fellow owner -

http://www.babybmw.net/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=25210

 

[marco_polo]

Aftermarket M-Lite wheel sizes / offsets.

Firstly, if you're going to buy a new set of wheels, make sure they're strong and of good quality. As a rule, cheap cast wheels are best avoided, as are inexpensive, poorly made replica rims, and cheapo junk from eBay.

Forged wheels (also know as roll-forged / roll-formed / RF / HLT / flow-formed / ff / flow-forged) are the ones to go for. Also, lighter is better to keep the all important unsprung weight down. Sadly finding cheap, lightweight, strong wheels isn't going to happen. You can pick any two of those qualities, but not all three. It's usually worth coughing up for a premium product, buy cheap = buy twice, or worse.

Stock wheel and tyre sizes:

7.5J x 18 ET45 - 225/40/18
8.0J x 18 ET52 - 245/35/18

5 x 120mm PCD, 72.6mm centre bore, 60° tapered bolt holes.

Optional BMW 19" Wheel Sizes:

7.5Jx19 ET45 - 225/35/19
8.0Jx19 ET52 - 245/30/19

It's important to note the front offset, as this is very carefully taken into account by the BMW suspension engineers. Going too far from this figure will mess with your scrub radius and KPI, which is obviously bad news.

BMW Performance Options

As a rule, most BMW rims aren't up to much, stock 436m's seem to be particularly soft/heavy/low quality. The notable exceptions are the 19" 624m and 405m wheels, which are lightweight forged wheels in the correct offsets. The only downside to those particular BMW rims is they tend to come with awful Runflat tyres, but they can always be replaced of course.

Common aftermarket sizes.

A square setup is a popular choice, most people go for 8.0J or 8.5J ET40 (plus or minus a couple of mm of offset).

For a staggered set-up, most people go for the above fronts, with 8.5J or 9.0J ET45 rears (again, plus or minus a couple of mm of offset).

Both of these will work with the stock tyres, or you can step up to a 245mm front if (like me) you find the skinny fronts a bit 'melty' under proper braking.
If you go for the wider staggered rears, you can step up to a 255mm rear if you wish (provided you've followed the offset guidance).

Stray too far from these sizes and you'll often end up with contact. For example, an 8.5J ET45 will rub on the front struts, and an 8.5j ET35 will poke out of the sides of the rear arches. The rear is generally considered to be the fussier fit, if you want to avoid your pride and joy looking like a Chav rollerskate.

Alloy Wheel & Tyre Fitment Calculator. Offset, Tyre Stretch and Speedo Error | Will They Fit

Alloy Wheel & tyre fitment calculator - it calculates inset, poke, speedo error, tyre stretch and loads more.

www.willtheyfit.com

is a useful site for comparing wheel specs, get a bit nervous if the new wheel pokes out much more than 18mm over stock, or is more than 10mm closer to the strut. Also, double check your new wheels will definitely clear the wide Brembo front callipers before buying:

If you have any doubts, or have non-standard suspension (longer M4 wishbones, etc), please feel free to throw up a 'will these fit' thread. Better to double check than be sorry.

Warning - Metal Dust Caps

If you have the active TPMS system with the thick metal valve stems, please use the plastic dust caps that came with your car (or a different plastic cap if you prefer). Fitting metal dust caps to metal valve stems usually results in them corroding together sooner or later. That results in snapped valves = flat tyre & stranded car.

 

[marco_polo]

B58 Radiator Weakness

Why has my car done a big wee on the drive?

There is a well known weakness with the radiator on the B48 & B58 engined cars (M140i, M240i, etc); this does not apply to the stronger N20 & N55 powered vehicles (M135i, M235i, etc). The B58 radiator is particularly flimsy, and prone to bursting from relatively minor stone strikes, losing all the coolant. Replacements cost circa £800 and are not usually covered by warranty, so ignore this post at your peril.

BMW themselves have effectively admitted this is a major problem by fitting cars built after December 2017 with two 'Rock Guards' (and new radiator mounts), pictured below.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/sho...mw/enUS/showparts?id=1W91-EUR-10_2015_F21N_BMW_M140i&diagId=17_0977#17118485042

:

The prevailing advice is to remove your bumper, and retrofit some mesh to help prevent against Rad punctures. Most people are going with black aluminium mesh from Halfords, neatly fixed with cable ties. One pack should do both bottom grills, but you'll need two if you're protecting behind the kidneys too.

How to remove your bumper:

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/...a/en/f20-m140i-sha/repair-manuals/51-body-equipment/51-11-front-bumper/Gu5BR3NS

Mesh photos, courtesy of 'Michellesburns':

Another useful guide for this important topic from Williams327 :

https://babybmw.net/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=112118

 

[marco_polo]

Other Common/Known Niggles

3 Door paint wear

3 door cars suffer paint wear on the door shut over time, thanks to the two hard rubber seals on the door:

The fix is 2 nice neat strips/boomerangs of helicopter tape on the B Pillar from new:

Towing eye Vanishing

The M Sport bumper Towing Eye covers do not come with a lanyard, and often get pinched or even fly off when driving about. It's recommended to secure yours with a small blob or two of clear silicone sealer/similar non-permanent adhesive, or make your own leash if you're feeling cunning.

Rattley boot trim

Please see:

http://www.babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=70666

Corroding Exhaust Tips

I don't know what comes out of the tail pipes on our cars, but it's pretty nasty stuff. The driver's side (permanently open) gets the brunt of the corrosive compound.

It's recommended to keep them clean, basically. A little FK P1000 can help protect them too. If they corrode during the warranty period BMW will often replace them without too much of a fight. If you're outside of warranty, the chrome tips from a 435i are a popular replacement - they still pit and corrode though, but not quite as fast.

TPMS Sensors

The TMPS sensors are generally reliable, however they aren't super-accurate. Typically they will under-read by around 2psi as a BMW margin of safety. They can be moved from wheel to wheel if swapping to a different set of alloys, absolute worst case you might need a inexpensive seal kit - not normally needed though.

Steering Column / Steering Stiffness

If you suddenly find your steering is stiff after being sat for a while, or it suddenly gains resistance when trying to turn the wheel, the usual culprit is a corroded universal joint on the steering column. Heat from the turbo certainly doesn't help matters. Some people have had some luck lubricating them, but the prevailing advice is to have it replaced fairly promptly. Unexpectedly losing your steering is significantly worse than losing your brakes.

Boot Lid Rust Bubbles

Before your car is 3 years old, check the boot lid panel carefully for rust / blisters. We've had a few reports now, much easier to get sorted FoC within the initial paintwork guarantee period. Once that's expired, they don't want to know until you can see through the panel, when the 12 year 'perforation' warranty is applicable.

 

[marco_polo]

NewTIS Workshop manual:

https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/f20-m135i-sha/

EDIT: sadly closed down by BMW.