[gippy]

hi folks,

i was hoping you guys could give me the low down on generally how i should treat the car, what things i need to look out for etc...
to give you an idea of just how out of depth i am, here is my car history:

1998 vauxhall corsa 1.4 16v.
1999 Citroen Xsara 1.4
1993 Mazda 323
1993 Opel (yes, Opel) Calibra 2.0 16v
1998 Nissan Almera 1.6
2002 Mazda 6 2.0
2011 Citroen C4 2.0 Hdi
..............August 2016 BMW 440i.

I did run an FK2 type R for 1 year but it wasn't mine.

So....i'm utterly at sea. I pick the car up from the dealer next weekend, and I don't have a clue where to start. I have questions like.

1. iDrive updates - are they free?
2. With the B58 engine, can i treat it like any other normal petrol engine? Do i have to wait for it to warm up? (not to redline it or anything silly, i just mean, is it safe to use the car for very short journies, or is that not advisable)
Can the car be left running for ages without overheating?
3. Obviously other than thoroughly reading the manual front to back - is there anything i should know that the manual won't give me?
4. Paint protection? Is it worth it?
5. When it comes to the MPPSK.....or whatever its called - that sound and power kit - Is this the only way I can get a better sound with the car and keep the warranty? I'm assuming throwing an aftermarket exhaust on it will void it?
6. Any other tidy BMW accessories you guys could recommend that are useful? (excluding design or visual things)

[wilbur_the_goose]

OK - First thing, the BMW is a car. Just a car. A very, very nice car, but it's still just a car. My other car is a Honda Civic - I treat them both the same, other than filling the BMW with high octane fuel (that's important, but if you don't, your car will still work).

Treat the engine like you would any new engine. Same for brakes. For the first 500-1000 miles, drive her gently. Brake gently. Give your engine, brakes, and tires time to break in.

The only thing I observe is to not start the engine and turn it off within a minute or two when it's cold (under -10C).

See bmw.com/update fror iDrive updates. You may be able to get yours online from the iDrive itself.

I wouldn't worry about accessories until you've had your new car for 6 months. Give yourself time to enjoy.

For your first mod, I strongly suggest that you consider selling your run-flat tires and putting on some traditional tires. I had a 328d loaner from my dealer this week, and I forgot how much I dislike run-flats.

Lastly, make sure your tires are inflated in accordance with the air pressure listed in the pillar.

Oh yeah - parking. For some reason, people seem to love to park next my red F30 - even if I park it out in the boonies of the parking lot. Even if that's true - park away from the crowd.

And be nice to other drivers. BMW drivers have a bad rap due to a few idiots. Don't be an idiot.

[Feddersen]

Most important is to be careful. Your BMW will have so much more power than your previous cars that you have to be careful. In wet conditions it might spin the wheels at 50mph when overtaking other cars which can surprise you.

Do some driving courses in the car. Maybe even trackdays. They are not just fun but also very helpful in learning your new car.

[tuco44]

Nice first BMW, congrats.

Live with the car a while before deciding what to add or not to it. Personally, I don't mod my cars, but you may like to.

Most of your queries are already answered, but as to your #4, I think a really good waxing done regularly is as good as any paint "protection" purchased, I would decline it at the dealer's, a large margin profit item for a dealer. If you still want "protection", a private shop can likely do it cheaper than the dealer. Your call.

Enjoy your new car, BMWs are made to be driven, not pampered like Fabrege Eggs (sic).

[rackjuediger]

Regarding your warranty options, Dinan is a BMW approved tuner and in most circumstances, you warranty will not be voided while making Dinan modifications. If you want some extra grunt and sound from your 440i I suggest getting a Dinan exhaust and a stage 1 tune

[Fuller]

Congratulations on purchasing your first bmw. You picked a great one too. The 440i is a beautiful, stylish car with performance chops to back up its appearance.

[simonelwell]

I recently bought a 440i GC - advice from my dealer was to keep the car under 4K RPM for the first 1200 miles. I use it for long and short journeys - all that changes is the fuel consumption. Can't speak for paint protection - have never bought it. Have never had an overheat - even stuck for ages in traffic.
MPPSK - drive the car and see whether you think it's underpowered... of all the things I've thought about mine - I've never found myself thinking I needed more power - I just don't have the roads to use it on. Yes it improves the sound but the car sounds good anyway...

[rjd_F30]

wilbur_the_goose answered most of your questions just as they should be answered in post #2. Like he said, it may be a BMW, but it's still just a car. I drive my 328i fairly hard, just as I would any other car, and you have a more stout motor than I. As long as you take generally good care of it, like letting it heat up and cool down properly, using the right oil, premium gas etc., it will treat you well back.

On another note, warranties can't be voided entirely for one modification. The dealer can only void a warranty on a part if it was impacted by the addition of an aftermarket part. For example, they can't deny warranty work on the AC compressor because you put on an exhaust. Just something you should know .
Enjoy the new car, and don't be intimidated by it! It's only a car, just a bit nicer than most others

[technologic]

Great answers, my main highlight is to let the engine warm up before really stomping on the accelerator.

[NorCalAthlete]

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Pretty good list. Two things as mentioned forget the paint protection. Had a 2004 the was kept on the driveway for 10 years. Paint was as good as new with normal washing & a pro detail every few years. This truck is 20 years old sits on the driveway 24/7 & gets dtrailed every 4 years or so.



The switch to get flats. Use the RFT for at least 1500 miles & see if you like them. Current versions of the RFT are very good & IMHO don't need to be swapped out if you are not doing track days.

[wilbur_the_goose]

Originally Posted by technologic

Great answers, my main highlight is to let the engine warm up before really stomping on the accelerator.

Do NOT stomp on the accelerator until the car has at least 500 miles. 1000 is even better.

[cfm56d7b]

Congratulations - great car!

Did you lease or purchase the vehicle (likely case since the car is a 2016 model)? Does it have M Adaptive suspension?

Few suggestions...

- There are many coilover options which will significantly improve suspension behavior. If your suspension is not adjustable, the choices are plentiful: Ohlins, Bilstein, KW

- MPPSK is worth it, although it's a bit expensive

- Akrapovic exhaust is also worth considering

- Standard brakes are fine. M Performance brakes are better. Brembo or AP Racing BBK with 6 piston calipers in the front, 4 piston calipers in the rear are even better - at a price of course. My humble perspective is that there is no such thing as over engineered brakes.

Above all, just enjoy the car.

[gippy]

thanks for all the responses so far guys, some excellent suggestions.
Just to clarify, it is a BMW approved used car, Aug 2016, with 19k miles on it. Its got the M plus pack on it + Msport brake upgrade, no adaptive suspension.

i'm already looking into mods because i was ultimately looking for a performance car, but can't afford an M4 yet - unless i threw my entire savings at it, which i didn't want to do.

that FK2 i had was a revelation, and made me realise how nice it is having a decent road car. Up until that point i was never interested (hence the list of bangers), i got my driving kicks from doing lots of palmersport trackdays. But yeh....just being able to plant my foot down building up to motorway speeds, for those short bursts after a stressful day at work....really does make a big difference to life!

when I took the FK2 to donnington, it ultimately proved pretty dull after 10 or so laps - just managing understeer coming out of apexs gets boring quickly, and i yearned for RWD.

i'm pretty sure i won't track this car, i want to cherish it for 4 years - its likely i'll put a birds quaiffe locking diff on it and the MPPSK, but ultimately i want to look after it and continue doing palmersport when i get the chance.

i couldn't explore its qualities at all on the test drive, other than concluding it was as fast as the FK2 to keep me happy on slip roads to motorways, and cornered flat enough for me to enjoy taking it through corners - i detest bodyroll.

so really as per my original post, i was just after tips on looking after it and maintaining its condition as best as possible, and of course performance mods which improve upon what will obviously be a decent starting point. I'm so used to driving old cars, and not caring at all about them!

here she is anyway...i pick it up at the weekend. very excited. (oh and the reason why i asked about whether its safe to leave the car running idle for long periods - because i can imagine myself sat in it studying idrive for an hour.... and wouldn't want the battery running flat!)

[rackjuediger]

Looks beautiful! Congratulations and welcome to the family!

[cfm56d7b]

Great car. Enjoy!

[Southern Jay]

Congrats on the new car mate, every journey is an event, enjoy it.

I would look into getting the car detailed, so glad I did with mine not long after collecting mine.

A simple mod that won't break the bank. Front grilles. Also black exhaust tips.

I've gone overboard in modding mine, but love the end result.

[DarkStarBimmer]

Nice looking car. Mazel Tov!

[Kailec]

Originally Posted by Southern Jay

Congrats on the new car mate, every journey is an event, enjoy it.

I would look into getting the car detailed, so glad I did with mine not long after collecting mine.

A simple mod that won't break the bank. Front grilles. Also black exhaust tips.

I've gone overboard in modding mine, but love the end result.

I think everyone goes overboard eventually. For me it all started with the grills and cf spoiler...

[wilbur_the_goose]

^^^
nah - not everybody. Once you get to a certain age, stock is A-OK.

[Kailec]

Originally Posted by wilbur_the_goose

^^^
nah - not everybody. Once you get to a certain age, stock is A-OK.

Thats probably true too. this is my one and only time I'll be modding to this extent.

[BMWiltshire]

Originally Posted by gippy

hi folks,

i was hoping you guys could give me the low down on generally how i should treat the car, what things i need to look out for etc...
to give you an idea of just how out of depth i am, here is my car history:

1998 vauxhall corsa 1.4 16v.
1999 Citroen Xsara 1.4
1993 Mazda 323
1993 Opel (yes, Opel) Calibra 2.0 16v
1998 Nissan Almera 1.6
2002 Mazda 6 2.0
2011 Citroen C4 2.0 Hdi
..............August 2016 BMW 440i.

I did run an FK2 type R for 1 year but it wasn't mine.

So....i'm utterly at sea. I pick the car up from the dealer next weekend, and I don't have a clue where to start. I have questions like.

1. iDrive updates - are they free?
2. With the B58 engine, can i treat it like any other normal petrol engine? Do i have to wait for it to warm up? (not to redline it or anything silly, i just mean, is it safe to use the car for very short journies, or is that not advisable)
Can the car be left running for ages without overheating?
3. Obviously other than thoroughly reading the manual front to back - is there anything i should know that the manual won't give me?
4. Paint protection? Is it worth it?
5. When it comes to the MPPSK.....or whatever its called - that sound and power kit - Is this the only way I can get a better sound with the car and keep the warranty? I'm assuming throwing an aftermarket exhaust on it will void it?
6. Any other tidy BMW accessories you guys could recommend that are useful? (excluding design or visual things)

I had my 440i M-Sport+ for 9 months before I caved in and got the MPPSK upgrade - it completely transformed it and I can't recommend it highly enough, yeah there's more power but also the sound is now spectacular by comparison to the stock system. Although as others have said i'd probably just enjoy the car as it is for a little while before modding it. Shop around for sure, my local dealer wanted £3K+ for MPPSK but a dealership in Reading (recommended by people on this forum) did it for just under £2k.