一仔 has a new sound

BMW performance exhaust has been installed for a week now. Here are my thoughts:

In pure sound terms, it has better lower rev rumbling that the stock exhaust lacks. Stock exhaust has a silencer which makes street driving not as satisfying. It feels like there is something restricting the air flow at low speed. It feels like the 1er has asthma. :D.

The performance exhaust sounds the best when it is low speed, cold and is close to wide open throttle. In cruising, there is a low tone rumble and may annoy someone. I used to own a stock Honda Integra DC2 Type R. The Honda does 4000rpm @ 110kph on 5th gear. That is way more annoying I tell you.

How should I describe the noise. Let see the video below. It is hard to pick it up with the video camera and I had to enhance the recording to reflect as best and as truthful as I can.

I would describe it as a very dry low tone noise. “Dry” as if you have a very sore throat without any mucus on your throat. Sorry for the medical analogy here but at least this is more familiar with me.

The only disappointing thing is when the car is FOT in high rev, the new exhaust is not that much different from stocky. However, after 100km. It opens up one time today when I press hard at low rev, the pop comes in when changing gear.

It is certainly a different exhaust. I never have a tubro car before so the character is totally different from an NA car. You see NA car exhaust will make enormous sounds in high rev, making you wanting to rev the car more. Tubro exhaust like this one is totally opposite, wanting you to press on low rev and low speed – so I want to make someone heard when I pass you on the street!!!

Bye Bye 325… hello back TAKA-1

After about 2 weeks,  the parts arrived by air from Germany. However, after changing over the headlight parts. They found the headlight module also faulty and has to be replaced. That is a sealed box that has to be changed as a whole. The parts is located in the head office in Sydney. After another half a week, they have sorted by car. They also washed by car to test out the new headlight. :). They said every thing is fine. So fine…

Now make me think a little – the car has a headlight warning signal before but it also dies before the car went to BMW.

On the same token, I had to return the 325i I borrowed. My thought of the car is that it is very comfortable. Handle well. But 2.5L engine drinks a lot (13L/100km), and it goes only moderately well.

The update iDrive is a must for all the BMW ... although it took me a few days to fully know all the functions, but once it is all sorted and explored, it work better than most units out there. The navigation of the route is easy to understand and speak well. It also has lane directions. The only draw back is the navigation menu is difficult to access fast, even if you know where to go.

I manage to do 8.1 sec from 0-100kmh. I thought the car was quicker.

Wheel repair… OU>>CH!

I have hit a kerb!
The damage is heart breaking. I was made aware of people doing mobile alloy repair in Sydney by lovely people here in 1addicts.... so after crawling the web I have found the following website called www.thesmartguys.com.au. Their number is 1300 WHOOPS haha... I was going to repair it at Morrabin but I also have a dent from I dunno when. So it is more convenient for me. Wheel cost $150 to repair and dent is $100.
I was not intending to replace the wheel but I called BMW to get a quote.... $1025 each back wheel!
Before

After

Before

After

This is how they fixed my wheels. Firstly they smooth it out with an orbital tool. Then put some fillers in. Then cover all the parts (brake disc, caliper, body, logo on the wheel etc). Then 2 coats of paint (undercoat and cover).

Sun tan treatment :)

Racing Dash LED light installed

I went to a local BMW “cosmetic” shop today call Carware @ Keysborough for this kit. As I told many others, from my reading the RDash does not give the brightest light but it is white. Really white that it is whiter than the D1S Xenon. Since I hate the yellow ring so much, I am prepare to sacrifice the brightness for some whiteness. If you want brightness, go for GT Thunder or MTEC bulbs.

This is the ballast and the bulb, the bulb will spray open when it lights up. I guess if it does not return back, it will get damage when I remove it. So when you install it, make sure you are surely secure and fitted properly before lighting it up. Otherwise you may not be able to fit it in!
 

Taken from Carware, this is the before and after photos. See how white it is but it is not as eye catching in day light. Even with Xenon on at the left. It is still brighter.

This is the photo of one light being installed (on the right)
 
You can still see the reflection from the door of the ring.
 
Colour matching the Xenon very nice though.
 

A day with one-three-FIVE!

I went to spend a day with my car… well I just went to do a few things. I went to Andrew @ SouthernBM to have an oil change. 1 hour and $189 dollars later it is time to move on with my day. He did the job professionally and so fast that it is just out of the world. He does not care about the 110 degree oil! Thanks Andrew! Worth the hour of traffic to get to Moorabbin.

What I found after the oil change are 2 things:
Firstly the car feels looser. The new oil free up the engine nicely and it even makes the turbo kick @ 3000rpm stronger.
Secondly the fuel economy is way better. When I drove on the way to SouthernBM… the fuel gauge said 15.0L/100km for about 150km. I drove about another 1/4 tank today and finish with 13.9L/100km. What an improvement!

After that I went to did some 0-100kmh on freeway.

The first run I did with traction control on…
The 2nd run I had left foot on the brake and mess up the run
The 3rd run I had left foot brake and with traction control. I had to correct the steering a bit on the run
The 4th run is the easiest. DTC off. Just launch from idling and floor it. I don’t even change – the car changes itself hehe..

  

(graph: Green – speed; Yellow – Altitude)

After some run I went to clean the car and polish it. I brought some new microfiber cloth to fit the 10” orbiter. I am tight ass so I just use the Autoglym ultra deep shine after I clay bar the car for the dirt build up only after a month (A hand test on the clean surface can usually tell – no dirt build up is silky smooth).

Here are some finishing shots!

TAKA-1 on dyno… not sure they have done it right

I have put the car on dyno, expecting around 180kW. It did not disappoint and get 176.2kW. Not sure they have done in the D/S mode but sure even D mode dyno the same right?

I filled the car up with BP ultimate with a bottle of octane booster. I am sure it works but it pulls well on the street. Wayne dyno his manual 135 and get 184kW in a different dyno on a different day. I guess I am in the ball park.

Here is the video of it.

I have decided to change oil next week or so. Book it in with SouthernBM on Tuesday for the following Tuesday.

BMW M style valve cap

From eBay. $7.95

TAKA-1 arrived

After a long wait the car has eventually arrived. Look at the black grill I asked the dealer to install for me. It looks so nice with the white background. The wheel is clean for now but already gathering brake dust after a 30km drive today.

You can see Leah my dealer lady on the phone selling cars!~

I also received a delivery gift. I asked if there were any freebies. So there it is. It is low quality fabric but there is an alloy wheel like wheelie wheel… and a BMW badge.

 

Then we set the kids seats. See Hung has a new harness in my car. They quickly went asleep as the car is quiet.

Finally I took some pictures of the portable sat nav, which is just a re-batched Garmin Nuvi. It is rather nice coz it is a word recognition model, so it was about $700 2 years ago when we got our old Garmin. It now prob not worth much. It is bluetooth able too, but the car has voice recognition phone system and it works well. I even dial home by calling the number using voice only.

  

More photos in good location soon.

 

The car has arrived at stealership

I went to the dealership today and check out my babe.

Love at first sight…… it looks bigger in the photo. It is realistically tiny in real life.

Perhaps the only time I will see it silver.

Red leather stands out heaps. The “P” on the left side means priority . I am pushing them for Tuesday delivery. Let's hope. The top left corner label has my surname on it. So it is my car .

 

Notice one thing very interesting. Red interior matches with red wiper rubber . I love BMW. I did the same to my old Integra R