320 diesel - Yay or nay?

Eoin

TKK wrote:

Biggest problem I've found so far is the lag. I'm thinking of getting it remapped to resolve that. This should also increase fuel efficiency. At the moment the obc is telling me I'm getting 40mpg.

Really? I thought the 320D is renowned for suffering very little lag, I certainly don't notice much at all.

TKK wrote:

Also the MAF costs around E400 from the main dealer but the exact same part can be gotten elsewhere for around the E100 mark. My last car was a Golf TDi and it also suffered from the MAF failure problem.

I heard this also; I think Bosch make a MAF sensor that works in most German TD cars, well worth checking out.

Cyrus

TKK wrote:

Biggest problem I've found so far is the lag. I'm thinking of getting it remapped to resolve that. This should also increase fuel efficiency. At the moment the obc is telling me I'm getting 40mpg.

remap def wont sort the fuel efficency, itll make it worse if you drive faster with the increased power.

id imagine fuel trouble are related to the maf, im getting over 36mpg on a 323ci which is a 2.5 litre petrol so theres something wrong if your only getting 40!

Eoin

Cyrus wrote:

remap def wont sort the fuel efficency, itll make it worse if you drive faster with the increased power.

id imagine fuel trouble are related to the maf, im getting over 36mpg on a 323ci which is a 2.5 litre petrol so theres something wrong if your only getting 40!

The MPG Mc-BigE referred to earlier sounds about right for a 00 320D.

I've heard your MPG can increase slightly with a remap, especially if you do a lot of motorway miles, but the chances are - as you said - that you will drive the car harder, so it's not likely.

If you are doing big miles down to Limerick on a regular basis, then you will be getting good MPG, as a 2.5 litre engine will be well able for that, but I'd imagine it may drop in city driving conditions.

Mc-BigE

TKK wrote:

Biggest problem I've found so far is the lag. I'm thinking of getting it remapped to resolve that. This should also increase fuel efficiency. At the moment the obc is telling me I'm getting 40mpg.

That sounds like an MAF problem to me, the Turbo lag shouldn't be that noticable i.e. you should have turbo spooling in at around 1500-2000rpm, unless your in the wrong gear or something.

TKK

My mpg figure is coming from the on board computer calculations and from what I've read it could be slightly out (there's a conversion factor set that can be wrong apparently). I will be doing a couple of tests myself to see if it's correct but I was only getting about 48 in the Golf (TDi 90bhp) so I reckon it's bound to be lower for a bigger car. I wouldn't be driving any faster if I get a remap - I just want the power to come online instantly for manouvres such as overtaking and entering busy roundabouts etc. If there's no change to driving style following a remap then there should be gains in mpg.

The turbo definitely kicks in alright but there is a noticeable lag (only a couple of seconds but it annoys me) between when you put the foot down and things start to happen. Once it kicks in there's full power available. When test-driving I found the same accross a number of different cars. I've had the MAF fail on the Golf before and the turbo just didn't kick in.

Mc-BigE

TKK wrote:

My mpg figure is coming from the on board computer calculations and from what I've read it could be slightly out (there's a conversion factor set that can be wrong apparently). I will be doing a couple of tests myself to see if it's correct but I was only getting about 48 in the Golf (TDi 90bhp) so I reckon it's bound to be lower for a bigger car. I wouldn't be driving any faster if I get a remap - I just want the power to come online instantly for manouvres such as overtaking and entering busy roundabouts etc. If there's no change to driving style following a remap then there should be gains in mpg.

The turbo definitely kicks in alright but there is a noticeable lag (only a couple of seconds but it annoys me) between when you put the foot down and things start to happen. Once it kicks in there's full power available. When test-driving I found the same accross a number of different cars. I've had the MAF fail on the Golf before and the turbo just didn't kick in.

I know what you mean about the "put your foot down and wait"

But that’s normally down to faulty MAF or driving style

I good test to see if your MAF is faulty is while driving at say 30mph,accellerate in 3rd, the car should accelerate smoothly up to 4500rpm if not i.e. if there's a "flat spot" in the middle, your MAF needs replacing or at the very least cleaning (with caution!)

another test is to disconnect the cable to maf and see does it make it any worse.

TKK

In this case I think it's more down to my driving style and how quickly I would like the power delivered.

E.g. this morning at a roundabout I waited for a break in traffic and, starting from 0, moved off. A couple of seconds elapsed before I started to get the full benefit of the engine meaning I was only barely moving going into a gap of (relatively) faster moving traffic. I would like to be able to have the ability to get out of the way quickly.

Another scenario is the motorway when I'm in the inside & spot something slower moving ahead and want to move out into faster moving traffic in the outside lane. Sometimes the safest/largest gap in traffic in the other lane can be the one directly beside me at the time but I can't always get the car to respond quickly enough that I can match the outer lanes speed in order to move out. I would like the power to be available to me so that I can tap into it that bit quicker.

galwaytt

Not had a BeeEmm diesel, but MAF is very common failure on a wide variety of engines.

Also a possibility is the dump valve or EGR valve, as, slightly open or operating improperly, will severely curtail boost, and increase fuel consumption.

You could upgrade your dump valve to a Forge unit, and get better reliability and better performance, it being of much higher quality than the OEM unit.

btw, a friend of mine will be selling his 01 320d Touring (estate), in about 2 weeks, if you're interested. Mileage is 107k.

JohnCleary

galwaytt wrote:

Not had a BeeEmm diesel, but MAF is very common failure on a wide variety of engines.

Also a possibility is the dump valve or EGR valve, as, slightly open or operating improperly, will severely curtail boost, and increase fuel consumption.

You could upgrade your dump valve to a Forge unit, and get better reliability and better performance, it being of much higher quality than the OEM unit.

btw, a friend of mine will be selling his 01 320d Touring (estate), in about 2 weeks, if you're interested. Mileage is 107k.

I'm not looking for a Touring, or anything with over 80k miles. Thanks though

DanThe

TKK wrote:

The turbo definitely kicks in alright but there is a noticeable lag (only a couple of seconds but it annoys me) between when you put the foot down and things start to happen. Once it kicks in there's full power available. When test-driving I found the same accross a number of different cars. I've had the MAF fail on the Golf before and the turbo just didn't kick in.

The turbo needs plenty of exhaust gases to get going. So if we are driving along at 1800 rpm and then put the foot down there will not be enough gases to get the turbo working hard.

What I would do is drop a gear or at the risk of sounding like a clutz, maybe even two. This should get you moving fairly lively.

For taking off from a stop in a hurry, (gap in traffic as above) I find that sliping the clutch a bit more than normal to keep the revs up does the trick. You need to use you own judgment so that you aren't to hard on the car.


I don't have a 320d though, next car maybe(mpg concerns and lack of cash) . But I still get caught out in the wrong gear with my 1.9tdi waiting for the yoke to wake up!

JohnCleary

Hi again guys,
I have the search narrowed down to pretty much 2 cars.

One is a private sale, seems a decent price. 2002. It's the SE model. Has Xenon lights and Fogs, Titanium trim interior, half leather etc. Milage is 105,000

Other is a dealer sale, much more expensive. 2003. It's the ES model, no xenon lights, no fogs, standard interior. Milage is 60k. The price difference is £2k Sterling.

Personally, I prefer the 2002 as it's not the poverty spec. Is 105k miles too much to be buying?

Also, does anyone know what varience is in the models? ie. What does E, ES, SE mean?

unkel

JohnCleary wrote:

Is 105k miles too much to be buying?

The car can easily handle high mileages, provided it is properly serviced. Chances are that many of those were motorway (=easy) miles. Come resale in Ireland, you will probably have a problem or suffer in the depreciation department. If you plan to own it for years, it doesn't really matter

Is the '03 a 6-speed manual and the '02 a 5-speed manual?

JohnCleary

unkel wrote:

The car can easily handle high mileages, provided it is properly serviced. Chances are that many of those were motorway (=easy) miles. Come resale in Ireland, you will probably have a problem or suffer in the depreciation department. If you plan to own it for years, it doesn't really matter

Is the '03 a 6-speed manual and the '02 a 5-speed manual?

You've said what i'm thinking. But I plan on keeping this guy for a fair while so i'm not too bothered about resale value. I just need a nice comfortable car.

Yeah, the 03 is a 6 speed and the 02 is a 5 speed.

Just off the phone with the 02 guy, I think i'm going to go for it. The only negative thing is the 5 speed as opossed to 6 speed box. Other than that it has Xenon lights, Fog lights, Half leather interior, sports wheel, etc. Standard (5 spoke I think) 16" wheels which will suit my back nicely... None of that 18" low profile lark - My back just can't handle it. It has had a FSH until 80k miles, then he started getting his own mechanic to do the work. She's MOT'ed until the end of 07. He has replaced the full exhaust under warranty from where he bought it from. So all I need to be careful of is the Turbo. Regular oil changes and not thrashing it should do.

Oh god.... I'm buying a BMW, i'm going to be the most hated person on the road, help!

Mc-BigE

JohnCleary wrote:

Hi again guys,
I have the search narrowed down to pretty much 2 cars.

One is a private sale, seems a decent price. 2002. It's the SE model. Has Xenon lights and Fogs, Titanium trim interior, half leather etc. Milage is 105,000

Other is a dealer sale, much more expensive. 2003. It's the ES model, no xenon lights, no fogs, standard interior. Milage is 60k. The price difference is £2k Sterling.

Personally, I prefer the 2002 as it's not the poverty spec. Is 105k miles too much to be buying?

Also, does anyone know what varience is in the models? ie. What does E, ES, SE mean?

Think of it this way, the money you save (2Kstg) should easly pay for new turbo (specialist garage) if the worst is to happen.
105K, she nicely run in for you:)

E,ES,are for E90 models AFAIK, but the SE model is the higher spec in the E46, things like Spots,bigger Alloys etc.

Look out for Climate Control instead of Air-Con, you'll know the difference because the Air-con will have 3 Dials, were as the CC will have all buttons.
Also, m-function wheel, rear parking sensors. And M-pack bumpers are also nice.

BTW the 5 speed is fine, i had a loan of a 118d 6 speed from the garage while they were doing my turbo, and found the 6 speed was only good on motorways. i.e. the ratio is too low for 60mph

JohnCleary

Here are some low res pics:






It has Climate Control AND AirCon, whats the difference? It's the SE model but has the normal alloy's as you can see. She has a CD changer and uprated speakers. She has rear parking sensors also.

Mc-BigE

looking at the pictures, it has climate control, so don't worry, its the better of the two.
Nice Car!, only bit of advice.

Haggle like F*%K:D

JohnCleary

Mc-BigE wrote:

looking at the pictures, it has climate control, so don't worry, its the better of the two.
Nice Car!, only bit of advice.

Haggle like F*%K:D

LOL thanks. I'm after something standard'ish and comfortable. I'll buy a fast car when I leave college and get a real job. In the meantime, a nice economical diesel will do... I know the first question i'll be asking when I bring her back "How much for a remap"

Mc-BigE

JohnCleary wrote:

LOL thanks. I'm after something standard'ish and comfortable. I'll buy a fast car when I leave college and get a real job. In the meantime, a nice economical diesel will do... I know the first question i'll be asking when I bring her back "How much for a remap"

I wish i had a 5 year old BMW when i was in college:D

RobAMerc

climate is good to have, much better than normal a/c imo.

the lights in my 3 series are shocking I find, the xenons are a must i reckon.

JohnCleary

Can anyone describe the difference between aircon and climate control?

Does anyone know if the Xenon light's are actual Xenon lights that have the blue flicker, or are they just projector lights?

cyborg

JohnCleary wrote:

Can anyone describe the difference between aircon and climate control?

Does anyone know if the Xenon light's are actual Xenon lights that have the blue flicker, or are they just projector lights?

Air con is a system which cools air.
Climate control use this and the cars heater to set the temperature to whatever temp you specify.
If you don't have climate control you have to manually switch on/off the aircon and turn up/down the heat. simple as!

Xenon light's will have the blue flicker and proper discharge type bulbs,not to be confused with some aftermarket so called xenon bulbs, which are regular halogens with a blue tint.

dingding

Climate Comtrol you and your front seat passenger pick the temperature that they like and the car heater / aircon adjusts automatically.

Air Con just cools the car, if you want to heat the car you have to turn of the air con and turn on the heater and adjust which vents the air comes through, basically the climate control automates the process.

Is the car half leather, it looks a good spec.

Mc-BigE

op: When you are taking car for a test drive, try to drive over bad,bumpy roads, and listen out for Knocking noises coming from the front suspension, and if really bad you'll feel it thru the steering wheel.
you might have to get new bushes (if it hasn't been done) not very expensive, but budget for 200 euro ish. also important to do the maf test i mentioned in an eariler thread. New MAF is just under 300euro + ecu remap + labour.

try to drive the car cold, and listen out for siren noises in 1st/2nd gear when first starting out (with window down), sign of a tired turbo, but not always terminal short term.

JohnCleary

Thank's for that. The car I actually ended up buying now has 74k miles with a FSH so all should be good.

I have asked to be picked up from the airport in a different car and told him that i'll walk unless I can run the engine from cold. Not a problem. Thank's for the advise, im writing it all down in me little notepad!

fozz

Hey all.
I have a 02 320d SE from the UK.
Lovel car and v happy with it....all leater, 18'' M-Sport aloys etc.
Having it serviced as we speak.

I do notice that now and then the power delivery is inconsistent.
Sometimes the car shoots along when asked while other times nothing happens.
I'm readin here about MAF's and Remap's etc.
What should I be looking at here?
By the way, where does one go for a remap anyway?
Cheers!

Eoin

fozz wrote:

Hey all.
I have a 02 320d SE from the UK.
Lovel car and v happy with it....all leater, 18'' M-Sport aloys etc.
Having it serviced as we speak.

I do notice that now and then the power delivery is inconsistent.
Sometimes the car shoots along when asked while other times nothing happens.
I'm readin here about MAF's and Remap's etc.
What should I be looking at here?
By the way, where does one go for a remap anyway?
Cheers!

The remap will give it a boost in BHP and torque, but I doubt it will fix any problems. The MAF is a likely suspect - I had the same symptons and the MAF needed replacing. Replacement should be around the €400 mark, including labour. I have heard that Bosch make a product that should also work for much less cash, but I went OEM.

For a remap try www.autoremap.com in Dun Laoghaire. If you are based in Dublin, then I would recommend AC Car Sales for servicing, diagnostics etc.

fozz

Cheers for the info Eoin.
I just emailed autoremap asking for a quote etc.
I'll deffo get the remap done as reading here and on other forums strongly suggests the great gains from it.
Cheers.

Eoin

fozz wrote:

Cheers for the info Eoin.
I just emailed autoremap asking for a quote etc.
I'll deffo get the remap done as reading here and on other forums strongly suggests the great gains from it.
Cheers.

If you sign up to www.bmw-driver.net/forum (use Eoin_ as your referrer) for free, Autoremap may discount your remap for you.

Edit: I wouldn't get a remap done until you're sure that the MAF is alright by the way.

fozz

OK, understood and cheers.
I am getting the car back tomorow (hopefully) from a service and the NCT is Thurs week so I may just see how it runs after the service and get it NCT'd first and then get the remapping done.
Prob the safest approach.

Will let ya know how that goes...

Eoin

fozz wrote:

OK, understood and cheers.
I am getting the car back tomorow (hopefully) from a service and the NCT is Thurs week so I may just see how it runs after the service and get it NCT'd first and then get the remapping done.
Prob the safest approach.

Will let ya know how that goes...

Cool, just bear in mind that the MAF may not show up on the diagnostics as needing replacement. Mine went through an NCT and a service without this showing up. I think that the dealer may update your ECU when the MAF is fitted, so it is best to get a remap done when you are 100% sure that the engine is running as it should.