The car belonged to a fellow BHPian and was extremely well maintained with only 41,000 km on the odo, so it seemed like a no-brainer.
BHPian suhaas307 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Hi folks!
I have recently acquired a super-clean 328i that Vid6639 discovered on T-BHP Classifieds.
The car belonged to a fellow BHPian and was extremely well maintained with only 41,000 km on the Odo, so it seemed like a no-brainer. I closed the deal in a week after mutually agreeing on the price.
At first, I wasn’t sure about the red leather interior, but in person, it actually wasn’t bad at all. Now, I have gotten used to it and personally think it’s one of the best spec 328i variants out there.
The car needed some mechanical work, including a suspension overhaul and brake rotor replacement, both of which I got done within a month of taking delivery. I have replaced the dampers with OEM+ Bilstein B4 struts and new top hats. The bushes, links, and other components seemed to be in good nick so I did not meddle with them. Rotors are from BMW’s OEM supplier – Zimmerman, paired with EBC Ultimax pads.
I also took this opportunity to splurge on a few modifications, including (1) Wagner Evo1 Intercooler, (2) FTP Charge Pipes + Boost Pipe kit, (3) MST Turbo Inlet Pipe and (4) Active Autowerke Axleback exhaust.
I have also recently purchased the BootMod3 licence key and tune package with unlimited tunes and I am waiting on the ENET cable + phone adapter from the US. I have also bought a 200-cell sportcat from Evolution Racewerks, with thermal cera-coating for heat management. Hopefully, I can get this installed in the next few months.
I am also aware that the 2012-2013 cars are plagued with timing chain issues, with the chain guides and even tensioners failing prematurely. But since the car has done only 41k on the ODO, I think the timing chain overhaul can wait a while.
However, I needed some advice on a few things:
1. This being a 2012 car, is it wise to change the transmission oil + pan? I know that the transmission oil is supposed to be a ‘lifetime’ thing, but I am skeptical. The shifts do seem a little jerky at the moment and not absolutely smooth.
and..
2. Being a 2012 car, the turbo is supported by a Pneumatic Wastegate (PWG) and the wastegate actuator flap appears to be plagued with the infamous “play” which is causing a characteristic rattle on cold start and for the first 20 minutes of driving, after which it seems to settle down. I am aware of the wastegate actuator repair kits available online and I know of some folks who have attempted this repair job successfully. Initially, I considered buying a replacement hybrid-turbo thinking it will come with a new wastegate, but MHI’s big turbo for the N20 requires PWG to be reused from the old turbo, so it seems like a pointless and unnecessarily expensive exercise.
Inviting suggestions from all those experienced with the N20 328i, please.
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