DAY 17 - Car Wash

It's been raining. Water spots abound. I can't stand a dirty car, so we took a trip to the do-it-yourself car wash. It was a quick in and quick out and $1.75 later we were on the way home. When we arrived I wiped off the remaining water drops with a microfiber towel, including inside the hood, trunk, and doors. I felt much better afterwards.

The temperature was around 85 degrees today. We spent some time hard-driving on the interstate, and the oil temperature got up to 250 degrees for the first time. From what I've read, that's not out of line or excessive. I did notice during our highway trip that the cabin seemed a bit nosier than the old Lexus as I remember it. Perhaps I just didn't drive that fast in the Lexus. And it didn't have run-flat tires. I'm sure I'll get used to it. Even at 85 mph, the car still seems to be begging for more speed. It's tempting, but we're still in the break-in-stay-under-100-mph period. But we've passed the 500 mile mark now so it won't be too much longer.

And that's about it for the news today. Oh, still haven't checked that BMW Assist button again to see what happens. Supposedly, according to my SA, they were going to get that taken care of. I'll check it tomorrow and let you know what I find out.

DAY 16 - BMW Assist

I decided to check my BMW Assist button yesterday. I was surprised and a bit disappointed when I got a recording stating that my vehicle wasn't enrolled in the program. Hmmm, thought I, perhaps my vehicle did not come with the BMW Assist option.

A quick check of my spec sheet showed that my car did, in fact, include the BMW Assist option. In addition, an internet search informed me that the BMW Assist option automatically comes with any vehicle that includes the Premium Package. It appears that my dealer failed to enroll my vehicle in the program. That's not an issue at this point, since we've caught it in time. However, it COULD have been an issue if we hadn't discovered it. According to BMW USA, owners have to enroll within the first 60 days or lose the option.

I wanted to get this fixed as soon as possible (I hate loose ends) so I placed a call to BMW. Unfortunately, they're not in today. Naturally, the dealership isn't open either. So, I'll need to remember to give them a call tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm sending an email to the SA at the dealership to inform him of the issue. Hopefully, I can handle the enrollment with BMW by phone. After it becomes active, I'll let you know how it works.

UPDATE: Just received a call from my SA. He said he would take care of it, and it should be activated within an hour or so. We shall we what happens.

DAY 15 - Oil Level Checking

We previously touched on this subject, but only briefly. Let's take a little longer look at it, shall we?

As mentioned in an earlier post, the 335i has no dipstick. Since it's missing an old friend that a lot of us grew up with, how do we go about checking the level or the considtion of our car's vital fluid. Never fear, technology comes to the rescue in this vehicle and makes it an easy task to get the information we need. Actually, there are a couple of methods we can employ.

If you have Voice Command you can simply press the talking head button on the steering wheel. After the chime, say "Vehicle Status," and the control center monitor will bring up the Vehicle Status screen. Turn the iDrive wheel clockwise until you get to the icon of the little oil can or whatever that thing is. Click it and you will see a vertical graph with "Min" and "Max" lines. It will show where your oil level is and will (hopefully) give you a readout that says "System OK" or "Oil Level OK" or something like that. I can't recall exactly what it says.

The other method involves the steering wheel stalk on the top left side. There's a little toggle button you can move up or down. Move it until you see "Oil" on the readout and then press the BC button on the end of the stalk. This method will give you the same info as the other one.

There's one thing you need to remember. You won't get a reading until the engine is warmed up. The oil temperature needle has to move off the peg before the system will give you a reading. And there you have it. Oil checking the new way. Enjoy.

DAY 14 - The Turbo

I watched a movie last night entitled The Black Legion. It was a 1937 film starring my long-time favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart. I did a little research afterwards and learned, to my total surprise, that he and Lauren Bacall had a son named Stephen Humphrey Bogart.

Now that in itself isn't anything astonishing. However, the amazing part is that Stephen was born on January 6, 1949. I couldn't believe it! My favorite actor's son and I were not only born in the same year, we were born on exactly the same day, maybe even at the same time! Wow. How cool is that? But, as interesting and phenomenal as that may be, that's not what this blog is about. So let's get back to the subject at hand.

It's been two weeks today since picking up Zelda and bringing her home. We've clocked a little over 400 miles in those two weeks, and I'm anxious to give that Turbo a little kick in the pants. But we're still in the break-in period, so I can't.

I did a little research tonight to figure out how that Twin Turbo on the N55 engine works. To be honest, all the details left me a little verklempt, but I got the basic technology of the system through my thick skull. At least partially. So, here's an attempt at 'splaining it to my readers, if there are any.

First of all, the N55 is not actually a "twin" turbo, as was the N54. BMW redesigned it and currently calls it a Twin Scroll Turbo. The way I understand it, turbocharging involves putting more air, or pressurized air, into the cylinders. It uses the exhaust to spin the turbo fins which compress the air. Naturally, when it's compressed, heat is produced, so it has to be cooled before being forced into the cylinders. The Twin Scrolling feature is related to "turbo lag" and this technology reduces or eliminates that undesirable feature.

And that's about all I was able to learn. But if you'd like to read a more detailed narrative, you can find a really good explanation HERE. Check it out.

DAY 13 - Run-Flat Tires

The BMW 335i comes with run-flat tires. If you’re not familiar with them, I thought I would write a post today that would give you a primer on them and the pros and cons. 

There is a long-running argument about them. Some drivers love them. Others hate them. But, beyond all of this disagreement, it’s safe to say that no one in their right mind looks forward to experiencing the inconvenience and danger of a blow out. 

Also, it’s never cool to be stranded on the side of a busy highway waiting for roadside assistance or, heaven forbid, having to figure out how to use that jack that’s been hiding in the trunk since the car was new.

But exactly what is a run-flat tire and what makes it different than the tires we grew up with. According to Edmunds.com:

Run-flat or zero-pressure tires are intended to support the weight of the car for a short time, providing the driver with 100 or so miles of range to get off the highway and find a repair shop. Two kinds of zero-pressure tires exist in the market today. Both types still require the usual amount of air to provide day-to-day performance. Self-supporting tires (SSTs) are the original and most common run-flat type. Heavily reinforced sidewalls support the vehicle after air departs the scene. This sort of run-flat is designed to fit on normal wheels with no modifications. Michelin's PAX, a patented auxiliary support run-flat system, is a relative newcomer. PAX sidewalls, while still stiffer than normal tires, are not as rigid as SSTs. Instead Michelin designed a unique wheel that positions a semi-rigid "support ring" inside the tire to hold the car up when the air goes bye-bye. A non-standard bead design is necessary where wheel and tire meet.

Since these tires have stiff sidewalls, they don’t appear flat, even when they’re out of air. So how does a driver know if their tires are low on pressure without continually checking them?

Edmunds.com says:

TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system, ed.) has become mandatory in run-flat applications. Since run-flats only provide a limited zero-pressure driving range, TPMS is critical to help the driver know when the mileage clock starts ticking, and more importantly, when time is up.

Do the advantages outweigh the negative aspects? Let’s see.

PROS:

You can drive on a flat tire. You’re typically limited to 50 mph and 100 miles maximum distance.

Better stability after a blowout. Since these tires can support the car without air, steering and handling remain pretty much normal after a blowout.

Repairability —Run-flat repair guidelines are similar to standard tires, provided the speed and distance limits are not exceeded after a flat.

CONS:

You have no spare. Of course, you really don’t need one with a run-flat tire. That’s the whole idea behind them.

You’re going to get a harder ride. The stiff sidewalls that are the prime design feature of the run-flat tire result in a harder ride.

They don’t last as long. The jury is still out on this, but most resources tell us that run-flats tend to wear more quickly.

Blowouts are still possible, as they are with standard tires.

Run-flat tires are heavier, due to the weight of the reinforcement.

Run-flat tires are more costly. Compared to standard tires, expect to pay double, or more.

And one other thing that Edmunds failed to mention is that run-flat tires are a little noisier than standard tires. The Goodyear Eagles I had on the Corvette were terribly noisy. When I switched them out for the MIchelin Pilot Sports, the sound level dropped dramatically.

So there you have it. And just so you know, the new 335i currently has a little over 400 miles on it. The break-in period limitations on speed are partly in place so that the new tires can get a little wear on them so they grip the road a bit better. 

DAY 12 - Problem Solved!

If you've been reading along, you know the recurring issue I've been trying to resolve. In case you haven't been following closely, the issue is the continual appearance of the radiator icon indicating a low coolant level. Thanks to the experts on the Bimmerfest forums, I've learned that you're not supposed to add antifreeze, unless it's the BMW branded variety. I was also advised to speak to a service assistant rather than a salesperson regarding what to do to resolve this issue.

This afternoon I called the dealership and spoke with the service manager. He verified the accuracy of the Bimmerfest poster's suggestion of not adding antifreeze. He also told me it was perfectly fine to add regular tap water to the coolant reservoir (which is what my sales associate correctly advised).

So, this evening, after everything had cooled down, I began the process. It took approximately two cups of water to bring the level above the "minimum" level indicator. I could have added more and brought it up a little higher, but I opted to leave it at that level and test it. When I started the engine, my familiar radiator icon failed to appear. That was a good sign, but I decided to dig a bit deeper to be sure. I checked the "vehicle status" on the iDrive and went to the "Check Control" data field. Instead of the usual "Low Coolant Level" announcement, the computer gave me a message I had never seen before: "All Systems OK."
Can you tell that I'm more than just a little happy about that outcome?

DAY 11 - Stormy weather

The weather continues to deteriorate tonight as more storms move in. That factor makes it an easy segue to the rain-sensing wipers on the BMW. These are standard equipment on the 335i, which was a bit of a surprise to me when I found out I had them. Since then, I've been wondering how they work. I found the following explanation at the JDPower website.

The technology behind rain-sensing wipers is not complicated. A small area of the front windshield glass (usually located on the outside of the vehicle, opposite the rear-view mirror) is monitored by an optical sensor. The sensor is designed to project harmless infrared light at the windshield at an angle and then read the amount of light that is reflected back. A clean windshield will reflect nearly all of the light back, while a wet or dirty windshield will cause the light to scatter. The optical sensor can determine the necessary frequency and speed of the windshield wipers by monitoring the amount of light reflected back into the sensor.

As a safety precaution, and to prevent damage to the wiper mechanism, nearly all rain-sensing wipers must be activated each time they are used. The activation process prevents the system from automatically wiping a frozen windshield, or triggering while the vehicle is in a car wash; both instances could damage the blades or electric motor powering the wipers.

So, there you have it. Just in case you were wondering.