My F25 X3 35i M-Sport

Anees

Well-known member
Hi Guys,

Been a while since I updated the thread

Nothing much new except for a ECU + TCU tune 😁 😁
Nothing major, just a mild tune for a little more grunt

The car feels great to drive now. It is super responsive and just wants to go

I also carried out a front brake DIY service as well as oil service recently. Feels great to DIY

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ibs.patel

Member
Slmz. Looks like good fun :) Did you ever put the JB back or is it JB free? Also what would you say about the JB vs tune? Or use them both simultaneously
 

FILV

Well-known member
By TCU tune do you mean XHP?
What difference have you found relating to the drive?
Doe the transfer case engage faster when pulling off?
 

Anees

Well-known member
Nice update. I'm curious on more details of the tuning

I miss this car a lot....

The file is written by Idrees Wadee from Potchefstroom. He is a family friend and has written a few files for various family members over the years. They have never had any issues with his work therefore I was comfortable to go to him.

It's just a mild file with a bit more midrange punch. He also did the TCU tune for me as well. With the two coupled together, the car feels very responsive and adapts to different driving styles much faster. In comfort the car responds quicker to downshifting if having to overtake and the shifts in sport are quicker as well

Fuel consumption when cruising has also improved

I had the tune done in January and since then put on a fair bit of mileage with no issues
 

Anees

Well-known member
Slmz. Looks like good fun :) Did you ever put the JB back or is it JB free? Also what would you say about the JB vs tune? Or use them both simultaneously

Wslm

Car is JB free. The JB that was on the car was very basic when compared to actual software

I'm very pleased that I went software. Actually wish I did it sooner
 

Anees

Well-known member
By TCU tune do you mean XHP?
What difference have you found relating to the drive?
Doe the transfer case engage faster when pulling off?

Similar to XHP except that this was done by Idrees

Shifts are smoother in comfort. Shifts are quicker in sport. The car downshifts faster if having to overtake
The shifts almost seem seamless when driving in town
 

Anees

Well-known member
Update - 153 xxx km

These last 2 weeks have been a bit hectic with the X3 requiring some work

1. Radiator

Earlier this month I noticed some coolant on the garage floor when reversing the X out. Popped the bonnet and tried looking for any leaks but could not find anything at the time. Topped up the fluid and tried looking for any leaks but still nothing. Took the car to a buddy down the road from me and eventually found a hairline crack on the radiator

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At first I was looking at a Behr replacement unit but ended up replacing with a Plexus unit. The Plexus unit got some good reviews and at 50% of the Behr price I decided to go with it

2. Oil leak - Sump crack

When we removed the undertray trying to find the coolant leak we noticed oil stains on the undertray. Got some degreaser and cleaned everything up in order to try and find the leak

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After a bit of driving we had a look again and found the culprit to be a slight crack in the sump. This was totally unexpected and the last thing that I wanted to find just after having to replace a radiator

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Vehicle was stripped and sump sent in for welding. Fresh oil and filter put in and we were good to go or so I thought...

3. Wheel Bearing

After the radiator and sump, we took the vehicle out for a drive to make sure everything is working the way it should. A few minutes into the drive and we start hearing a funny noise from the rear left wheel. Took the vehicle back to the shop only to find out its the wheel bearing. An OEM replacement was ordered and fitted

A lot of unforeseen expenses for one month but hopefully these items will now last another 10 years before failing
I'm just glad all is sorted and that I managed to find these faults before they caused major damage
 

Anees

Well-known member
Update - 157 xxx km

Battery Woes


A few unpleasant battery incident were experienced with the X3 over the last month

The vehicle does not get used daily and when it does get used in town, it's for short trips

An "increased battery discharge when stationary" warning had started popping up. The vehicle had difficulty starting and was idling a bit funny

I had the battery charged by a friend and hoped that it would solve the problem. It was fine for a few days but then returned. Vehicle refused to start but after connecting some jumpers on it, it started immediately

I took the vehicle to battery center where they then once again charged the battery overnight and tested the battery at 90amp and alternator at 14.8V

After returning, the vehicle felt great. It idled smooth and seemed to have more punch. This made me want to use the vehicle more regularly. The 320d was parked off for a while and I did my daily 80km round trip with the X3 for a week. On the last day, I had the radio on with the car on ignition only for approximately 10 minutes. The car refused to start thereafter and gave me the same "increased battery discharge when stationary". Called a friend, put the jumper cables on and the car started one shot again

Drove to another battery center after this incident and they once again tested the battery at 90amp and alternator at 14.8V

I have since purchased a CTEK MXS 5.0 and keep the X on charge when not in use

This is however a situation which puzzles me. Is it normal for the battery to drain so quick? Could the issue be something else?
It is the first time in the 1 year of ownership that I experienced something like this

Any feedback would be appreciated

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MoeM2

Well-known member
Update - 157 xxx km

Battery Woes


A few unpleasant battery incident were experienced with the X3 over the last month

The vehicle does not get used daily and when it does get used in town, it's for short trips

An "increased battery discharge when stationary" warning had started popping up. The vehicle had difficulty starting and was idling a bit funny

I had the battery charged by a friend and hoped that it would solve the problem. It was fine for a few days but then returned. Vehicle refused to start but after connecting some jumpers on it, it started immediately

I took the vehicle to battery center where they then once again charged the battery overnight and tested the battery at 90amp and alternator at 14.8V

After returning, the vehicle felt great. It idled smooth and seemed to have more punch. This made me want to use the vehicle more regularly. The 320d was parked off for a while and I did my daily 80km round trip with the X3 for a week. On the last day, I had the radio on with the car on ignition only for approximately 10 minutes. The car refused to start thereafter and gave me the same "increased battery discharge when stationary". Called a friend, put the jumper cables on and the car started one shot again

Drove to another battery center after this incident and they once again tested the battery at 90amp and alternator at 14.8V

I have since purchased a CTEK MXS 5.0 and keep the X on charge when not in use

This is however a situation which puzzles me. Is it normal for the battery to drain so quick? Could the issue be something else?
It is the first time in the 1 year of ownership that I experienced something like this

Any feedback would be appreciated

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My experience has been that cars behave better when used frequently. I have had similar on my x3 in the height of lockdown - only to the point that I got the discharge error. Sent it to bmw two times whereby they charged overnight and returned the car. Complained for a third time and demanded they change the battery under motorplan instead of waisting time with the back and forth.

Once new battery in, never had the issue again. The batteries in both my f series cars lasted around 5 years and then needed replacement.
How old is the battery in your car? Could be that is just that time for replacement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Anees

Well-known member
My experience has been that cars behave better when used frequently. I have had similar on my x3 in the height of lockdown - only to the point that I got the discharge error. Sent it to bmw two times whereby they charged overnight and returned the car. Complained for a third time and demanded they change the battery under motorplan instead of waisting time with the back and forth.

Once new battery in, never had the issue again. The batteries in both my f series cars lasted around 5 years and then needed replacement.
How old is the battery in your car? Could be that is just that time for replacement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also found posts that say these cars do not like the short trips. I'll monitor it now with the charger and see how it goes

Battery is still relatively new. A new OEM BMW battery was fitted in 2020
 

VinceM

Well-known member
Unfortunately these batteries don’t like to be fully depleted, especially a few times.

I’d recommend changing it and getting a trickle charger to ensure it doesn’t fully deplete again.

Had a similar situation in one of my cars.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Anees

Well-known member
Update - 160 xxx km

A little front end TLC


A bit of a miss from my side. While reversing with a trailer and only focusing on the mirrors, I misjudged the front end and ended up scratching the front bumper corner and fender against a wall. Left a bit of a nasty scratch which I had to get sorted

There was also a slight dent on the bonnet from hitting a bird and a little parking lot trolley dent on the fender which was bugging me. Sent the vehicle in at once to have everything sorted

The bumper, bonnet and fenders were resprayed and all dents popped. I also had all the grills sprayed in gloss black

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Just needs a set of 20's now 😄
 

Anees

Well-known member
Update - 161 xxx km

Oil Service, New Battery, New Boot Shocks, Brake Fluid Change & New Tyres


It's been a busy month. The X3 was due for its 10 000km service interval which I slightly lost track off and had to extend to the 11 000km mark. I ordered the required parts and quickly did the service one Saturday morning. The lift that I always use was unfortunately occupied so I had to use the ramps at home. Worked very well though I must say

I went with Motul X-cess 8100 and Mann filter as always

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The boot shocks were tired and it was quite a struggle opening the boot and having to hold it up while loading stuff. Managed to get a new set for a good price and quickly fitted them one evening. Opening and closing the boot is now a breeze

I've been having some battery woes for a while now and eventually got Battery Center to get me a replacement unit. I was lucky that the battery still fell under warranty so managed to just get it swopped out. Battery Center replaced it with an OEM BMW battery which was great. The car feels so much more alive with the new battery and is making every drive so much more fun 😁

Brake fluid change indicator came on and I had the fluid replaced with Motul fluid. Ordered it with the Motul oil which was just easier

New Tyres are also needed. I went with the Nexen Nfera AU5's again. For the price I think they perform quite well. I got 35 000km from the current set. Not sure if that is good or bad but for the price I can live with changing tyres every 35k km

I've got a set of new OEM coilpacks in the garage which just need to be fitted. I've heard that the coilpacks start giving issues around my current mileage so will just get the new ones fitted as preventative maintenance

That's a wrap for now
 
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