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Just a quick one, Im looking at getting a new car and have found a BMW 120d i like,

Only down side is its pushing 100k miles. Im gonna go have a look at it but what sort of things shuold i be looking out for with a car thats done that many miles i know about cambelt and service jobbies but what about things like gear boxes and clutches? Whats the life time on these things?

Thanks,

Like any car it is a gamble. Could be a diamond likewise a heap of shit.
A detailed history and a tidy general condition does point to a well cared for car. If its done 100k the cambelt should have already been done for instance.

Yea, i know its pot luck which is why im reluctant to get rid of my Golf as its been perfect, not had to spend a penny on it. But working in newbury now i need something a bit more economical.

Thanks for the help, but i've just rang the garage and its gone already.

BMW. Economical.

Please explain.

industry leading diesel engines

And when you factor in servicing & maintenance costs?

i've owned one and they're not as bad as you might think although obviously non premium brands are cheaper. From memory about £250ish for a major service, with 2 year intervals.  unless we were talking about a M car in which case they are hideous.

theres a decent independent bmw/merc specialist just outside lydiard milicent too.

You have no worries about a cambelt change, it's not got one.

They're economical to run as long as nothing goes wrong. I bought a private warranty with mine, cost me 300 odd quid but is very comprehensive, including parts that are found to need replacing at service.

Get it remapped and you can drive like a total cunt. Just like I do...

Have you got a beemer now then steve?

I said more economical, (than my current car)
VW Golf 1.8t GTI - Average of 35mpg and 192g/km
BMW 120d Average on 49mpg and 146g/km

Explained

Maybe try a golf gt diesel, get it mapped.... 200bhp and over 40 mpg and gallons of lovely torque (whatever that is).

This.

I have a Golf GT TDi 2.0 and i run it from Munich to Austria every weekend. I can get 500 miles out of a tank easy and that includes screaming it down the autobahn at 130 mph. (mine is not mapped though)

sorry to show my lack of knowledge on cars....what does get it "Mapped" mean?

It means changing the software on the ECU, basically it adjusts fuel delivery and the turbo compression rate etc.

Or simply, gives it more bollocks

Not as expensive as you think.

Run flat tyres are expensive, mine cost 300 quid each but servicing is quite reasonable.

BMW diesel engines are fantastic and very economical. Car tax is also low.

Wish I'd got a diesel now.

i was all set on remapping my current golf until i got my new job.

I've heared re-mapping diesels isnt really worth it, due to much smaller gains compared to pertol cars?

that was what i thought it meant :)

its the other way round mate, big bhp and torque gains on diesel

If I remapped my golf, would I have to declare it on my insurance? If I didn't declare and I wrote my car off, would they know it was mapped when they inspected it and nullify my claim?

Does it put any strain on the engine, causing future problems?

If it's done wrong it can be catastrophic.

How many miles has the car done?

fuck me what make and size are they? i just bought a pair of Bridgestones for 300quid

94000

Yes, you need to declare it

255/30/19.

Bridgestone Potenza Run Flats.

You'd probably want to get the turbo checked out before you get it mapped.

Fucking hell thats as thick as a rubber band!

My last four cars have been Beemers and as i do a lot of miles i have taken all of them from 40-50k up to 130-150k, although admittedly i've never had a 1 series. Cambelt is not an issue, as BM's are chain driven. The gear box and clutch should be spot on still at 100k, but as with buying any car it will only be as good as the last owner. Specifics to look out for are suspension joints, bushes and arms, they usually need changing at that sort of mileage, depending on if you are looking at an SE or M-sport the cost of that will vary, but it isn't bank braking either way. The only other thing to watch for are the swirl flaps on the BM diesel engines, look through a couple of forums for information on that. Other than that, just check the things you normally would when buying a car. As for servicing, at 100k the main dealer history of the car won't be as important as at say 40k, so take it to a specialist, i have used Emtec in Salisbury many times over the years and would highly recommend them, all depends where you're based i guess mate. Happy hunting

Yep.

Why do you buy run flats? They add unsprung weight and reduce the handling. Surely as a car nut I'd have thought you'd be onto some lightweight tyres and alloys.

They say unsprung weight is equivalent to 6-10 times the amount of sprung weight. Reduce tyre weights by 2kg a corner, you then have a weight reduction in terms of feel, of up to 80kg or nearly like chucking a 13 stone passenger out.

I completely agree, i always change the existing runflats on mine to regular rubber. Myself, like you won't be blessed with a spare, although i've not had an issue yet, i will just call the AA and get them to take the car to a tire shop and i'll simply replace it. Looking at your tire size i'm guessing you drive a 3 or 5 series m-sport with big wheels? If so you will be aware of the, how shall i say, very firm and jerky ride, changing to regulars drastically improves this in fact you almost wouldn't recognise it to drive. Not to mention improved handling at speed, although that does depend how keen a driver you are  ;)

Because the car came with run flats from new, has a pressure indicator built in and no spare wheel !

The ride is fine and it handles fine. I don't chuck the car about anyway. Too nicer car and I'm 30 not 18.

 :D

Fair enough, mine is exactly the same in terms of sensors and no spare, It's personal preference i guess. I can just never resist offering an opinion about Bimmers. I'm also 30, however it sounds like i may be immature then  ;D

Sensors still work though don't they? (And I'm also immature!)

Yeah they work exactly the same as they would on runflats, it's basically a little individual unit on each wheel, which i only know as i had to replace one on a previous car a few years back, not a cheap bit of kit either (£70 per sensor). It does exactly what it says on the tin though, it's set to the air pressure inside the tire and will alert you when there is a difference (of 5psi I think) from the set parameters.

Fitting non run flats will also invalidate your warranty. BMW are fussy about stuff like this.

I know a guy off a BMW forum who bought a brand new 335i Coupe. After 10k miles he changed all the tyres to non run flat Michelins. The car developed a problem with the tracking and was wearing the inside of the tyres very badly. BMW refused to fix under warranty because he'd not fitted BMW approved tyres.

That is also very true, i do hate BM main dealers with a bit of a passion though. How a tire of the same exact size and probably make could cause a tracking problem is anyone's guess. I think this i where i differ as i don't worry about warranties, i don't buy cars any newer than 3 years old purely for the fact you get better value at that age. I do a lot of miles each year, so i only keep a car for 18 months max. If i had just spent some hard earned cash on a new one, i probably would have done the same as you.

On a totally different note as there are some BM owners here, in anticipation of some snow this year i've ordered a pair of snow socks, purely to get me out of the village to the main road as in recent years i haven't even got close to getting up the drive. Has anyone tried them before?

No. I walk everywhere when the snow comes down or use my dad's Ford Ranger !

Beemers are utterly useless in the snow. Mine has the worse possible combination, rear wheel drive + massive wide tyres + auto gearbox.

Snow socks might be better on a car with thinner tyres though.

Snap, other than the walking bit as most of my clients are a bit too far for that. I've read some pretty positive stuff about them, although i'm not expecting much success, more of a £50 punt really. I'm not one of these people who soldier on through, which usually ends in an accident or getting stuck, but it does wind me up when people have been getting about for a few days after the weather has cleared and i still can't get my car up the drive.

Jeez, get a room you two.

The snow socks are meant to be good on front wheel drive cars. Certainly give more traction.

The problem in this country is most people don't use different tyres for summer and winter. In some European countries, you can be fined for driving with summer tyres during the winter months.

Mine does 80mpg motorways 69 mpg combined by the book. The motorway one is not far off that in reality, the combined is probably nearer 55. The only thing two things to think about with a bmw, are they are very undignified getting in and out of, and never ever erver drive one in the snow, bar that best car I've ever had.

Very interesting exchange of views about beemers.

I've never been able to afford a decent one unfortunately, so it's usually a slightly more reliable (hopefully) Ford Focus or a Vauxhall of some description for the Delta clan.

Must be ace to actually own one though. I do envy you guys that are lucky enough to have one parked on the driveway.

I wonder if any of you would know if BMW still offer optional indicator packs on new models? I know they used to include them in the on-the-road price in the early 90's, just not sure if they still do.

And do they still come with porcupine-trimmed seat covers?

Ouch that almost stang even though it was lifted from Top gear 1992.

Wish I could get near those figures. I don't do many miles though. On a recent run to Scotland, I averaged 27 mpg.