questions about our first bimmer (E60)

[kashrahman]

Hi everyone, Kash here (Jamilaz's husband -- she posted our ED trip). Her baby (04 E60 - our first bimmer) is scheduled for redelivery in late June (we live in NYC now, will pick up in Maryland during our move to Indiana), and I had a few general questions. (Sorry if they are stupid questions.)

1) I saw the posts about wiring in a Valentine 1 for the E39s; has anyone tried it in an E60? Jamila called the dealership, but they were hesitant to do it (I sent a link for the post; but the post deals with the E39s; they weren't sure if it would apply to the E60).

2) Brake pads and rotors. In general, are BMW brakes good -- ie, do they last a long time or need to be replaced frequently? Jamila is an average; not aggresive driver. I ask because Mitsu Diamantes are known for having poor brakes --- myt stock pads were changed about once a year; stock rotors ever 2 years ----- until I bought cross-drilled and slotted rotors and better pads. Instant improvement in braking performance and after 30K miles, the rotors are still like new!! I wouldn't make any changes now, but later on, is it worth considering cross-drilled and slotted rotors? (or does it come with them already?)

3) Bug screen -- personally I think "car bras" are tacky, but I don't want her new bimmer covered in bugs (remember, we're going to Indiana). I have heard about a clear screen that is painted (?) or applied (?) to the car, so that it looks practically invisible, but protects paint, etc. Has anyone heard about this? Thoughts?

4) Speaking of Indiana, I have been warned that in the rural areas, deer sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between wandering through woodlands versus the road -- I was going to get a pair of deer horns (non-electric, work by wind passing through when you go over 40 mph) and placing them under the bumper (out of sight). any thoughts or suggestions?

5) Leather seats -- the car will be parked indoors, but would it be a good idea to do some leather protectant or cleaner once a year?

that's it for now. I appreciate everyone's help! Kash

[AB]

1) I saw the posts about wiring in a Valentine 1 for the E39s; has anyone tried it in an E60? Jamila called the dealership, but they were hesitant to do it (I sent a link for the post; but the post deals with the E39s; they weren't sure if it would apply to the E60).



If you take it to a stereo shop, I am sure they would hardwire it for you for $40 to $50 bucks. It is a fairly simple DIY process on an E46, but I am not sure about an E60.

I couldn't find any solid DIY for a V1 hardwire for my 911, so I took it to a stereo shop who did a VERY clean hardwire for me for $50.

[kashrahman]

I found some answers about the clear car bra. Has anyone tried this?

http://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/detailing/detailing.htm

http://www.detnews.com/2003/autosconsumer/0307/02/g03-207715.htm

thanks, Kash

[Terry Kennedy]

1) I saw the posts about wiring in a Valentine 1 for the E39s; has anyone tried it in an E60? Jamila called the dealership, but they were hesitant to do it (I sent a link for the post; but the post deals with the E39s; they weren't sure if it would apply to the E60).In general, it is very simple - you just need to find a source of 12V that is switched with the ignition. In most BMWs, the universal garage door opener connector in the headliner is used for this (it has 3 wires - ground, switched 12V, and lighting dimmer for the buttons). Your dealer can get wiring diagrams out of the DIS shop computer if they aren't sure. And if they don't want to do the work out of liability concerns (my dealer doesn't install non-BMW accessories for that reason) they can print out the diagram for you.
2) Brake pads and rotors. In general, are BMW brakes good -- ie, do they last a long time or need to be replaced frequently? Jamila is an average; not aggresive driver. I ask because Mitsu Diamantes are known for having poor brakes --- myt stock pads were changed about once a year; stock rotors ever 2 years ----- until I bought cross-drilled and slotted rotors and better pads. Instant improvement in braking performance and after 30K miles, the rotors are still like new!! I wouldn't make any changes now, but later on, is it worth considering cross-drilled and slotted rotors? (or does it come with them already?)My 325xiT has the stock brakes at 24,000 miles / 19 months. I had to have the front rotors replaced for warpage at about 7,000 miles, but that wasn't related. In general, BMW brakes are very good for street use. Once you're past the free replacement program, you can switch to better-performing components. The only reasons I hear of people switching before the free maintenance is up are a) wanting less brake dust or b) tracking / autocrossing their cars.
3) Bug screen -- personally I think "car bras" are tacky, but I don't want her new bimmer covered in bugs (remember, we're going to Indiana). I have heard about a clear screen that is painted (?) or applied (?) to the car, so that it looks practically invisible, but protects paint, etc. Has anyone heard about this? Thoughts?At least on the 3-series, the leatherette car bra attaches with fold-down tabs and some velcro. I have the instructions somewhere if you want to see them. I wouldn't leave it on long-term (I only put it on for long road trips) as stuff gets caught under it. The clear bra (3M, Xpel, etc.) are a lot less problematic if installed carefully. On lighter colored cars, you may see a line across the hood where the material ends, and particularly on darker colored cars, you have to be careful not to get wax build-up at the line (or you'll have an ugly white or pink line where the wax has built up). I normally don't have anything on the car and use Zaino car polish (a synthetic, not a wax). Bird droppings and most bug guts wipe off with just a spray of 25% Z6 / 75% water.
4) Speaking of Indiana, I have been warned that in the rural areas, deer sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between wandering through woodlands versus the road -- I was going to get a pair of deer horns (non-electric, work by wind passing through when you go over 40 mph) and placing them under the bumper (out of sight). any thoughts or suggestions?Consider an electric one. Search for "XP3" or "Hornet" and "deer whistle". It lists for $39.95 and they'll pay your deductible if you hit a deer. I have one on my BMW (in my case, wired into the switch for the rear fog lights). See my BMW page (http://www.tmk.com/bmw).
5) Leather seats -- the car will be parked indoors, but would it be a good idea to do some leather protectant or cleaner once a year?I use the BMW leather conditioner / cleaner every 6 months or so (I have gray seats, which tend to pick up and show dirt).

[kashrahman]

Thanks for all those answers! I checked out your web page -- wow!! I didn't realize there were so many euro-only options! I am also impressed by how you installed everything; yet it looks stock. I will try to get wiring diagrams for the V1; haven't decided what to do about the deer horn yet.

I also found one that is non-electronic; works by air passing through at 40+ mph. I thought I read somewhere that the electronic deer alert makes a high pitched sound sometimes audible to people, so Jamila shot that idea down. Do you hear anything from yours? Thanks, Kash

[andy_thomas]

2) Brake pads and rotors. In general, are BMW brakes good -- ie, do they last a long time or need to be replaced frequently?

They are good, but a corollary of the good cold performance is they emit lots of dust.

3) Bug screen -- personally I think "car bras" are tacky, but I don't want her new bimmer covered in bugs (remember, we're going to Indiana).

Interesting. Round here, the dirtier the car the better (it shows you use it more) :). My brother and I used to have "how black is your alloy" competitions after lengthy road trips...

4) Speaking of Indiana, I have been warned that in the rural areas, deer sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between wandering through woodlands versus the road -- I was going to get a pair of deer horns (non-electric, work by wind passing through when you go over 40 mph) and placing them under the bumper (out of sight). any thoughts or suggestions?

Can I plug Terry Kennedy's site without asking him? He has installed deer horns on his 3er Touring. Try www.tmk.com/bmw.

5) Leather seats -- the car will be parked indoors, but would it be a good idea to do some leather protectant or cleaner once a year?

BMW sells a leather care kit which suggests a six-monthly treatment. I'm not sure how much good it really does, especially in the short term (the leather in my car hasn't even seen a damp cloth, and at 16 months old still looks brand new).

[sj3]

It's not hard to wire in a V1 in the E60. There's a post on another forum with pictures and describes which wires to use. Care needs to be taken to prevent an electric fault requiring a trip to the dealer to reset. The right steps are outlined. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post the link here so either PM me or someone can post here saying it's ok.

Sam

[gdavis]

We have an abundance of deer in the area where I live, and I don't know anyone who has ever installed any kind of horn or 'deer repelling' device. I've lived here for over 20 years and only know of 1 person ever to have hit a deer, so I think the odds are pretty low (in Indiana as well). I've seen them many times in our area, but never hit one.....

You might want to wait until you move there and ask others what they've done for it....

It may not be as big a problem as you'd think.

[Terry Kennedy]

I also found one that is non-electronic; works by air passing through at 40+ mph. I thought I read somewhere that the electronic deer alert makes a high pitched sound sometimes audible to people, so Jamila shot that idea down. Do you hear anything from yours?If I run it while the car is parked, I can hear it with the windows down, though it isn't that loud (it points out front, so most of the sound is headed away from the car). From the XP3 Hornet web site:

Q. Is The Hornet a deer whistle?
A. No. The Hornet should not be compared with air activated deer whistles. In the lab and field testing we performed on deer whistles from 1995 to 1998, we found that air activated deer whistles require a minimum of a 48 M.P.H. Direct air flow to produce any measurable sound level. In our opinion, air activated deer whistles have little to no effect on deterring deer/vehicle accidents.

More here (http://www.xp3hornet.com/),

[Terry Kennedy]

We have an abundance of deer in the area where I live, and I don't know anyone who has ever installed any kind of horn or 'deer repelling' device. I've lived here for over 20 years and only know of 1 person ever to have hit a deer, so I think the odds are pretty low (in Indiana as well). I've seen them many times in our area, but never hit one.....

You might want to wait until you move there and ask others what they've done for it....

It may not be as big a problem as you'd think.I drive from NYC to Illinois and back every month or two. There's a deer carcass on the side of the road every couple miles, and back when I had the Talon I had one run right in front of my car. If I hadn't swerved, I would have hit it (fortunately it was late at night with no traffic in the other lanes).

Somebody has to be hitting all those deer, and I'd rather it wasn't me. $39 seems like cheap insurance.

[kashrahman]

I'll wait till we get to Indiana to get the deer horn installed (have it done locally), but I agree it's cheap insurance and worth it. More importantly, though, is getting that V1. I just ordered it on saturday so Jamila can use it the moment she takes redelivery. Thx! Kash

[sph17]

I lived in WV for 8 years back in the late 70's early 80's. I put about 40K a year on my personal car and on my work vehicle. I had three deer strikes, and saw a lot of vehicles taken out by deer. I had a deer run into the side of my MB one week after we took delivery, while I was driving at highway speeds. I had a deer run into the side of my work vehilce while I was stopped dead in the road while a herd of deer was crossing in front of me. The third deer strike was again into the side of my work vehicle while I was driving on the highway.

Don't know what to suggest about anti-deer technology.

Good luck.