[sekhon]

To make a long story short, I found a great CPO 2020 230i w/ Performance Package, Premium Essentials, and a manual transmission I wanted in the province over.

I searched for around 2 weeks and found nothing local, and all prospects would have to be shipped to me.

All in, the 230i is costing me 39K CAD, and I think I got a wicked deal all things considered. 2 years on the road, clean repair/service history, and 1 owner. Last owner seemed to have tire issues, but that is it.

The car has 2 years of servicing left, and 3 years of the limited CPO powertrain warranty.

On to the list of questions:

I was offered to extend that 3 year warranty to 6 years bumper-to-bumper for $4700 CAD. Do you guys reckon it is worth it?

I haven't heard of many people having that many issues with the B48 engine, but perhaps the peace of mind might be worth it?

Would swapping the exhaust for the 235i/M240i version void the warranty?

Is there a repair and service manual I can purchase?

What is the recommended maintenance schedule and what should I be taking care of?

Should I consider walnut blasting to deal with the carbon buildup?

Any preventative repair recommendations, and at what mileage?

Any modifications do you guys recommend?

Wheel size recommendations? I was thinking of getting Michelin Pilot Super Sports for my summer tire, and was hoping that one of you could recommend a quality winter tire.

Any other recommendations you guys can make to a first timer bimmer owner?

 

[HotGrbg]

Not too many issues with B46/48. A few coolant leaks and purge valve issues but that stuff is minor. I’ve heard people that boost them up real high are having piston issues but that’s just rumors I’ve heard.

swapping your exhaust will not void any warranty…except maybe the factory exhaust warranty lol.

the best manual is ISTA, tons of links around the forum. 100% worth it.

as far as preventative maintenance just follow what the car says and make sure to get oil changes yearly as well. You want to make sure you keep your warranty valid and not doing oil changes on time is certainly a way to void it.

IMHO the best winter tire is a Nokain Hakkapeliitta. Most people never heard of them but those that do can vouch. Nokian specializes in winter tires and they are the biggest snow tire manufacturer for Nordic countries. I don’t know about you but my thought is that maybe Nordic people are used to dealing with the worst winter can throw at them. As usual you can never really go wrong with Michelins too. Tire recommendations are a Bit like assholes. Everybody has them.

as far as mods go I cant help much in this aspect. I do know there is no blow off valves any more and boost is managed through vanos and Valvetronic so putting a cold air intake on makes them sound aggressive and you can hear the turbo spooling and the boost dumps.
I’ll let you know as I ordered one but I haven’t taken delivery yet of my B46 G20.

Other recommendations is stick around and read a lot! Welcome and hope you love it!

 

[jaye944]

ditto on everything HotGrbg advised.

BUT I would say do your oil changes often, I dont EVER follow the BMW CBS, that's like 15k or something ridiculos.

Mine is a bit overkill, but my old 128 ran like a dream, no vanos issues. your OIL is the lifeblood of your car

Here's my tips

* Change twice yearly:
I do it seasonly with the tire change over. So every 6 months, regardless of millage
I also mid year just pull the oil filter and change that
I also never reset my CBS for the oil change when I or a non-bmw shop does it, but when it comes up I do it then, so some years I can actually do 3 times a year, and I ALWAYS do that one at a dealer because I want the documentation for my car and the warranty

* OIL
I only ever use the following
1> either BMW branded oil OR oil which follow BMW specs, I've never ever done that, except in a top up, but I always carry a BMW oil as a spare
2> I always follow BMW recommendations when I'm dropping it off or in the parts shop
3> I only ever use BMW branded filters

I think bobtheoilguy said, it doesnt matter what you use as long as you change it frequently, my 944 s2 got her oil changed every 5000miles.

Oil is like blood, don't skimp on that aspect, your car will not forgive you

as far as preventative maintenance just follow what the car says and make sure to get oil changes yearly as well. You want to make sure you keep your warranty valid and not doing oil changes on time is certainly a way to void it.

 

[HotGrbg]

As far as warranty is concerned I was advising not to skip or be late on any. I should have been more clear

 

[sekhon]

@HotGrbg and @jaye944 ; thanks for the input and the advice! Feels great to be part of a new community and I can't wait to do a bunch of little modifications to this car.

I was going to do my oil changes twice a year, twice what was recommended by BMW essentially... so on that front I feel pretty safe.

I will look into the ITSA manual and follow their maintenance schedule, and read what they say about some preventative repairs. I when it drops out of warranty I will take the car to an independent shop and see what they have to say about replacing certain parts are certain mileage points.

I came from a 2018 A4 that was beyond fully loaded to this beautiful little car that doesn't feature all the options and as a result there was some things about this car that I didn't like at first... but, once I drove it, all of the other stuff vanished. I can not deny that this car is no where close to as refined as my previous, but when I take this thing around a corner, or drop it from 6th to 4th on the highway... I can help but smile. I really wish there weren't any posted speed limits, because I would feel more inclined to get a M240i or M2... but I feel like I am already going to get into trouble with this peppy 2L 4 cylinder. I am already considering getting a laser defense system... because of the parking assist that it will provide me of course! Surely not to fight the dragoneye's in Vancouver.

I think for modifications, I was thinking of getting:

• a short throw shifter
• either getting a longer clutch stop, or doing a CDV delete (leaning towards the longer clutch stop)
• Dinan Shockware
• Possibly a Dinan Stage 1 from my local BMW dealer (will talk to them about warranty implications...they seem like a mod friendly dealer, hence them selling Dinan tunes)
• Strut Bar and other chasis rigidity modifications
• Possibly a LSD to also change the final drive ratio … I need to do a lot more research into this and find the sweet spot. I figure since the car is electronically limited, and I don't see myself getting anywhere close to that limit anyways, why not increase the torque I am sending to the wheels and drop the speed limit of the car below its electronic gate
• Exhaust modifications
• Intake
• Charge pipe
• and much, much more that is TBD

I will likely take a long while to do all these modifications, I will likely wait till the end of the warranty to do the ones that will effect the coverage I have on the vehicle's powertrain. Who knows what I actually end up doing, or not doing... just been thinking about what I can do to make the car more enjoyable is all.

 

[jaye944]

ISTA, is more of a BMW mechanics how to, there's not too much on preventative that you can pull, unless you look up a specific procedure, it's mainly diagnostics and how to, but don't let that stop you. ISTA will show you the proper BMW way to do things (not always the easiest) it cuts the BS that some people say, it gives you tools, torques and all that kinda jazz, that being said, I've found onlineother ways to do things to make life easier.

Dont forget, the manual assumes a new car in a garage with the correct tools, LOL not with rusted bolts on a 5 yr car on jack stands under a shade tree LOL

As far as warranty, my understanding is, modifications won't necessarily void you guarantee, as an example

1> You put non standard wheels on your car and your idrive dies... not related so no problems
2> You code something or add a MOD , BMW find out that your mod or coding "could have" caused the issue, they will want to take your car software back to factory (for a cost) then repair maybe FOC maybe not
3> To be totally safe (as I will and did) no mods or coding or programming.

I'm still working on trying to get the dashcam back up and running and hesitant about them hard wiring to the fuse box

@HotGrbg and @jaye944 ; thanks for the input and the advice! Feels great to be part of a new community and I can't wait to do a bunch of little modifications to this car.

I was going to do my oil changes twice a year, twice what was recommended by BMW essentially... so on that front I feel pretty safe.

I will look into the ITSA manual and follow their maintenance schedule, and read what they say about some preventative repairs. I when it drops out of warranty I will take the car to an independent shop and see what they have to say about replacing certain parts are certain mileage points.

 

[sekhon]

Thank you for explaining that to me! I will likely blend ITSA with the casual style of life for things that don't need to torqued to spec... like interior bolts and pieces! 😅

We will see what I do with modifications... I think I am in that haze of having a coupe for the first time, instead of a practical 4 door yacht. I will try to take it slowly and do things naturally as they come.

I admittedly have already coded my car with bimmercode... and I think I am just going to change it back for when I bring the car in for service. From what I heard, dealers are very accepting of bimmercode, but I would rather air on the side of caution.

I noticed some very light curb rash; I am going to sand that, touch it up, and then cover it with Alloy Gators.

Next, go to a BMW dealer and pick up some OEM oil and Filters (Ill wait till after warranty ends for liquimoly and mann filters).

Finally, I will install a dashcam... I don't know if I should bother with a rear dashcam... but we will see. I was thinking of picking up a battery pack to have sentry mode.

After I finish this list I will get back to dreaming... perhaps a wrap or ceramic coating!

I am elated to have found a community with this car as well.

Cheers guys!

 

[jaye944]

I admittedly have already coded my car with bimmercode... and I think I am just going to change it back for when I bring the car in for service. From what I heard, dealers are very accepting of bimmercode, but I would rather air on the side of caution.

kool as I said all depends

Next, go to a BMW dealer and pick up some OEM oil and Filters (Ill wait till after warranty ends for liquimoly and mann filters).

my personal pref even when the 128i went out of w'tee is OEM oil and filter, my car lasted with NO nasty issues, but thats just me

Finally, I will install a dashcam... I don't know if I should bother with a rear dashcam... but we will see. I was thinking of picking up a battery pack to have sentry mode.

I have a Thinkware, it "could use a battery pack," but no real need to, in "sentry mode" they call it something different, it doesnt use a lot of battery power, but there is a setting for minimum battery level, so if the battery does have problems, then it will shut off (purely a software thing) I didn't use that and I never heard any problems on either thinkware or BMW boards.well worth it

laters

 

[HotGrbg]

Changing your software back before going to the dealer does nothing. The dealer can tell and this only makes you look sneaky.
They watch checksum errors, flash counters, sensor values, and an array of other things. Some I probably don’t even know about.
It’s 100% fine to mod your vehicle and it’s your right ( unless it’s a lease ) but you have to accept the potential risks involved.

 

[sekhon]

Changing your software back before going to the dealer does nothing. The dealer can tell and this only makes you look sneaky.
They watch checksum errors, flash counters, sensor values, and an array of other things. Some I probably don’t even know about.
It’s 100% fine to mod your vehicle and it’s your right ( unless it’s a lease ) but you have to accept the potential risks involved.
View attachment 1034629

I figured as much ; the coding I have done so far is all minor and unrelated to performance anyways. Just QOL stuff w/ comfort access!

 

[shazzyk]

Changing your software back before going to the dealer does nothing. The dealer can tell and this only makes you look sneaky.
They watch checksum errors, flash counters, sensor values, and an array of other things. Some I probably don’t even know about.
It’s 100% fine to mod your vehicle and it’s your right ( unless it’s a lease ) but you have to accept the potential risks involved.
View attachment 1034629

Some dealers are okay with you modding a leased vehicle. When I leased my 3 series I spoke with the service department and then said they said that they want the vehicle back in original condition. That's all they care about.

Regarding the warranty, if the mods cause damage then the warranty will not cover that. Dinan has their own coverage outside to BMW. If faults occur that are not due to the mods then the warranty would be valid, as per my local dealership. Others might be different.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[jaye944]

I think it's really a matter of personal choice.

1> I often wonder what is the point of modding a car (brand new) that engineers have spent millions on developing, even back in the day my 944 s2, really could not be modded any better than Porsche had done, the engineers got every single BHP and ft.lb of power outta that thing, you COULD modify buy were not talking about $1-200 bolt on's, I mean some seriously seriously money for thoes types of mods

2> I used to spend 1000's on all of my cars (per-Porsche) electronics, bodywork, tuning, but when you added it up you were better putting that extra money and the cost of the car and actually buy what you want.

3> I find it hard to find what my OLD BMW and my NEW one needs, one reason I went BMW, if you have the right package, you usually have EVERTHING you ever need.

4> Unless your a fanatic of the F&F franchise and modding up your car so you can race the mean streets of Mississauga like some kinda Dom Torreto, I mean whats the point, tickets, constant police harassment, not being able to get a MOT (safety) and NO RESALE value on the after market. I used to get stopped all the time, so I had better have all my paperwork. Since the Porsche, NO-ONE (LEO's) took a second glance.

5> Coding, I get it, you want to delete something or add something or that kinda stuff, problem that can happen, and I have heard it, is problem that can happen

6> Hating: I'm not, honestly, I've learnt and have a lot of appreciate for modders ( AHR for example, Rust to riches, and the one where 3 drivers race there own cars against a supercar, all thoes shows) some make me wonder though if they still live with there mom's, I mean I know with a wife and a kid, I have to think about buying a pizza for myself, as that's babies shoes, let alone a new black box or rims for $1000 LOL

7> The reason for buying CPO or new is FOR THE WARRANTY, I could have just kept my 2012 1 vert and just drove it into the ground. Not sure why I would buy a new (211kms) at marked down price but still BS&T to go cock up the warranty, I would be doubly extra careful. I rock the whole official BMW software package, not Carly, so I keep an eye on everything, ISTA, INPA, WINK2FP, the whole enchilada. When I got my dashcam wired in I checked for codes, but I still swear the circuit they used caused some problems on my 1vert

Anyway, just a mild soapbox, no dis-respect to anyone on this thread, my only words of advise, if you have a CAR in WARRANTY or a LEASE BE CAREFUL.

LOL

I put some expel strips (clear bra) "Wheel Opening" on my car on the wheel arches, looks good

 

[jaye944]

When they hard wired the dashcam, car was under warranty, 6 months later had a FULL electrical breakdown, they ripped everything apart, pulled all the modules, reprogrammed and put the car on the latest software, never mentioned anything about the dashcam, I guess, the fault had nothing to do with that ! / no voided warranty

 

[HotGrbg]

BMW won’t void your warranty for something like a dash cam and probably doesn’t care much about bimmer code as most of the selectable options are already in the vehicle. I would speculate that even if you did have as an example an injector fail on a tuned car BMW probably won’t object but They very much do care if you slap a JB4 on, modify the boost and stuff, drop a piston and try and be sneaky and remove the tune before calling the dealer to fix your ride under warranty. It simply won’t fly as they will throw a fault for “suspicion of engine tuning” or “manipulation protection max air mass” and will be forever flagged into shadow memory.
There’s nothing wrong with tuning and modification as it’s your right as long as you accept the risks involved.

 

[jaye944]

When the dashcam company fitted it (I actually pulled open the fusebox to check (I'll put a link) they used a fuse adaptor, to tap into an existing fuse, if you look VERY carefully, there is a bit of solder joint which is pretty close to the next fuse and could have caused an arc or short if water (from above had dripped on it), also tapping into BMW fuses, can cause problems, error codes especially if it does not recognize the issue, I was worried about this, but I think that the actual error was water egress in the boot. or something similar.

I know they ripped open everything but did NOT find the actual fault. If they had a feeling that wiring had caused the issue, they would have charged me and or taken the wiring out.

I've read enough to know other dealers have given some mods and people a hard time. when your talking about any kind of warranty, it's about money, they don't want to spend, they want you to spend, so they will use a get out.

But sure, HotGrbg, you do make some good points for sure

 

[jaye944]

fusebox starts at 1:14 mark

 

[Lauren_PedalCommander]

To make a long story short, I found a great CPO 2020 230i w/ Performance Package, Premium Essentials, and a manual transmission I wanted in the province over.

I searched for around 2 weeks and found nothing local, and all prospects would have to be shipped to me.

All in, the 230i is costing me 39K CAD, and I think I got a wicked deal all things considered. 2 years on the road, clean repair/service history, and 1 owner. Last owner seemed to have tire issues, but that is it.

The car has 2 years of servicing left, and 3 years of the limited CPO powertrain warranty.

On to the list of questions:

I was offered to extend that 3 year warranty to 6 years bumper-to-bumper for $4700 CAD. Do you guys reckon it is worth it?

I haven't heard of many people having that many issues with the B48 engine, but perhaps the peace of mind might be worth it?

Would swapping the exhaust for the 235i/M240i version void the warranty?

Is there a repair and service manual I can purchase?

What is the recommended maintenance schedule and what should I be taking care of?

Should I consider walnut blasting to deal with the carbon buildup?

Any preventative repair recommendations, and at what mileage?

Any modifications do you guys recommend?

Wheel size recommendations? I was thinking of getting Michelin Pilot Super Sports for my summer tire, and was hoping that one of you could recommend a quality winter tire.

Any other recommendations you guys can make to a first timer bimmer owner?

Hi there! Worked at BMW for 3.5 years as a genius, delivery specialist, and around service as well. Personally, we have an E38 740il, 2020 330i, and a 2018 X5 50i.

Absolutely to the warranty. I think it's dumb for people to buy CPO cars and not have the warranty. Anything can happen, and it will, especially that all cars now have so many electronics. We purchased an extended warranty on our X5. It will need it for sure, and it's better to have it, pay a small deductible (if there is one) than pay hundreds or into thousands for a repair.

Whether or not swapping the exhaust would be at your dealer's discretion. Nothing you can do about that. I don't believe it will, but I've heard of dealerships (not the one I worked at) voiding a warranty over a window tint.

BMW has its own recommended maintenance schedule called "condition-based services". They need things more than a non-German car. I can tell you that having an older BMW sets an example. Doing preventative maintenance rather than waiting until it really needs it makes a huge difference in owning a German Car. Usually, your dealer can provide you with a menu of what is due at that mileage, or you can find it online. You should also be able to find a manual for the repairs/service online It's going to need more than just oil changes. We also added the maintenance plan onto our X5.

Mods - that's up to you and what might affect your warranty. I recommend DINAN or Akrapovic as to my understanding, they will both work with BMW's warranty.

Michelin Pilot Super Sports are one of the BEST tires for BMW. I recommend them to people, we have them, personally. We love the grip, handling, wear. It depends on which you want - they're summer performance but they will also be good for rain. They last the longest, if you do proper tire maintenance such as alignment and balancing.

My recommendation for BMW is, don't cheap out on anything. Premium fuel, premium parts, preventative maintenance.