[TK - 421]

Hi guys,

Due to pick up a used 2011 F25 3.0d M Sport next week, (been away from the brand for a while, was time to get back) but am having difficulty trying to work out what the suspension setup is on it.

The buIld sheet States standard suspension 225 , next to the gear selector is a switch set with 'normal' 'sport' ..

Anyone any idea of working out if I have damper control of if said switch will affect ride/firmness.

Have read so many thread about this, but finding it difficult to work out what's what

I also know the car gas performance control 2VG?..

Also will it have ECO Pro?

Head hurts lol

Thanks guys

[ianfp]

Most M Sports have the sport suspension as standard. Less common is the VDC variable damper control. The switch on the centre console will have no effect on ride stiffness if VDC is not fitted. It does effect the mapping of the gear box and it will have ECO Pro as one of the options.

It is possible that the car has M Sport suspension deleted and this would mean softer standard springs and dampers. This is probably more commom than the VDC option.

The best way of finding out the precise configuration of the car is via the VIN number. Another option would be to call a BMW dealer and ask if they could give you the details, as it will all be logged in the BMW system.

Congrats on the car!

[gIzzE]

To get the spec sheet, put the reg in here, it will give you the vin....

https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/BMW/Login/Index

Then put the vin in here...

http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

It will give you the full build sheet and allow you to save it as a pdf.

[TK - 421]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

To get the spec sheet, put the reg in here, it will give you the vin....

https://www.bmw-warranty.co.uk/BMW/Login/Index

Then put the vin in here...

http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

It will give you the full build sheet and allow you to save it as a pdf.

Thanks for the replies guys..

Have used this trick before, great isnt it!

Spec just shows 225 delete standard suspension..

vehicle is running on 19"'s so not sure if how i feel about the suspension, had plenty of cars with firm ride, personal i prefer that as it makes the vehicle feel more connected to the road.

However, further reading it would seem that dealers were removing the sport suspension as they felt it was to firm without the VDC installed, also caused skipping on the rear end when pushing on? not sure how true that is.. I've had my fair share of M Sports and they used to tram line and hunt for pot holes!

anyone got the same set-up as me?

Maybe a blessing in disguise

[gIzzE]

I wan't interested in anything but an M-Sport, and had VDC on the 5GT and F11 and wasn't impressed with it so wrote that off, more crashy than the regular sport set ups.

I then tried one on 19s and hated it, great on a smooth surface but was horrid on 90% of British roads, the back end just had zero grip it would hop about on anything other than a billiard table smooth road.
I know a lot was down to the run flats, but still had enough BMWs to know it was over damped.

I was then lent a 20d SE for the day, it was on 17s and se suspension, and it was a revelation, much quicker on the twisty roads I know well and far more planted.

I ended up searching for an SE in black with Sport Seats or an M-Sport with the SE deletion.

Got the SE in the end, on proper tyres.
Extremely comfortable, handles superbly and if anything, I feel I could go to an 18 or 19" wheel, with proper tyres it would work well.


So I really wouldn't worry about it, having dampers that can actually absorb our poor roads is not a bad thing.

[TK - 421]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

I wan't interested in anything but an M-Sport, and had VDC on the 5GT and F11 and wasn't impressed with it so wrote that off, more crashy than the regular sport set ups.

I then tried one on 19s and hated it, great on a smooth surface but was horrid on 90% of British roads, the back end just had zero grip it would hop about on anything other than a billiard table smooth road.
I know a lot was down to the run flats, but still had enough BMWs to know it was over damped.

I was then lent a 20d SE for the day, it was on 17s and se suspension, and it was a revelation, much quicker on the twisty roads I know well and far more planted.

I ended up searching for an SE in black with Sport Seats or an M-Sport with the SE deletion.

Got the SE in the end, on proper tyres.
Extremely comfortable, handles superbly and if anything, I feel I could go to an 18 or 19" wheel, with proper tyres it would work well.


So I really wouldn't worry about it, having dampers that can actually absorb our poor roads is not a bad thing.

Thanks for that G, this confirms what i read..

Getting a tad excited now...

TBH i never even considered an X3, mainly because the image i had in my head was the first gen, that was until i had a little by-pass battle in my Golf MK7 GTD with a F25 3.0d.

I knew the sound of the 3.0d as I've owned so many of them, but when we both launched from the lights, I was quite surprised at the performance of it...he was on it for sure! made me smile

The GTD was remapped so it is/was a pretty quick car, one the twisty s the GTD would be gone thanks to its amazing trick diff (XDS i think, unreal handling to be fair) but the X3 was still there with me, unmapped id of been in trouble lol, which is great.

ive always proclaimed the bmw 3.0d is THE best diesel engine out there.. i stand firmly by that still today

so me thinks ill be getting the 3.0d mapped

[Peter_R]

By the sounds of it, I think you will be happy with the 3.0d. I have had my Ex BMW manager's X3 xDrive 30d M Sport car for 10 months now and it still brings a smile to my face when many small hot hatches try to take it on at the lights.

I do not have a problem with Run Flats on the staggered 19" wheels and after having a problem some years ago on standard tyres I would never go back. Horses for courses as they say.

The only comment I would make is that it feels like a bouncy castle on the M Sport suspension on the Oxfordshire rural B roads, but this was after my F31 320d Sport and my very crashy e91 325d M Sport that made me wince when driven over potholes and the uneven road surfaces.

[clivem2]

I had sport suspension for 3 years, it was fine mostly. I drove the standard suspension and it was horrible mostly...too under-damped. I now have VDC and it's better than the fixed setups in every way.

Btw no hopping with sport suspension.

[ianfp]

Clive, your X3 sounds like the perfect machine! I drove a demonstrator X35D with VDC a few days ago and couldn't believe how fast it was! If I had £48k to spend, it would be my ideal car - but apart from the cost, I really only need the 2.0D and even that beats most average cars from the lights without difficulty.

[TK - 421]

Originally Posted by Peter_R

By the sounds of it, I think you will be happy with the 3.0d. I have had my Ex BMW manager's X3 xDrive 30d M Sport car for 10 months now and it still brings a smile to my face when many small hot hatches try to take it on at the lights.

I do not have a problem with Run Flats on the staggered 19" wheels and after having a problem some years ago on standard tyres I would never go back. Horses for courses as they say.

The only comment I would make is that it feels like a bouncy castle on the M Sport suspension on the Oxfordshire rural B roads, but this was after my F31 320d Sport and my very crashy e91 325d M Sport that made me wince when driven over potholes and the uneven road surfaces.

I think so too, to be fair will be looking at another vehicle later in the year to scratch the performance itch

Can I also ask, how accurate the VIN decoder is for spec?
Also are all F25's keyless start? Or was that an option?

Thanks again guys

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by Anygreg

Also are all F25's keyless start? Or was that an option?

Thanks again guys

From what I remember, the Keyless Start was in the very first production vehicles and shown in the original road tests and is standard.

This must not be confused with Keyless Entry.

Originally Posted by ianfp

the 2.0D and even that beats most average cars from the lights without difficulty.

I would suggest that is debatable. Most people are not taking you on at the lights, by that I mean if you accelerate hard then you will almost certainly beat others from the lights, as they are not looking to beat you. It was the acceleration of the 2.0d that made me steer away from it, because the in-gear acceleration of the 3.0d made me feel safer with less time on the opposite side of the road whilst negotiating slower traffic on our single lane roads. But hey, if you are satisfied then there is no problem.

It is all down to personal choice and that is most probably the reason the Original Poster likes the 3.0d. Lets face it, unless you are driving on the continent, the top speed is irrelevant. It is the acceleration that makes the car feel so much different. In my case 3.0d is just as good, if not better than my remapped 2007 pre lci e91 325d that I kept for more than 5 years from new.

[TK - 421]

Originally Posted by Peter_R

From what I remember, the Keyless Start was in the very first production vehicles and shown in the original road tests and is standard.

This must not be confused with Keyless Entry.



I would suggest that is debatable. Most people are not taking you on at the lights, by that I mean if you accelerate hard then you will almost certainly beat others from the lights, as they are not looking to beat you. It was the acceleration of the 2.0d that made me steer away from it, because the in-gear acceleration of the 3.0d made me feel safer with less time on the opposite side of the road whilst negotiating slower traffic on our single lane roads. But hey, if you are satisfied then there is no problem.

It is all down to personal choice and that is most probably the reason the Original Poster likes the 3.0d. Lets face it, unless you are driving on the continent, the top speed is irrelevant. It is the acceleration that makes the car feel so much different. In my case 3.0d is just as good, if not better than my remapped 2007 pre lci e91 325d that I kept for more than 5 years from new.

Thanks for that, just questioned the keyless thing as it doesn't state it anywhere on the spec list so wondered if there was anything else missing on the vin decoder?

The spec does look good so far from what I can decipher. Xenons, adaptive, high beam assist, dimming/folding mirrors, pro nav, loud speaker upgrade, 19", heated seats, Internet, connected BMW portal etc.. Power control, extended light pack, plus some other stuff.. Looks pretty good! Damper control would of been the icing on the cake, but happy with that spec, looks a pretty well specd rare beast!


Going to look into upgraded interior lights to LED as well, had it on most of my cars and miss it when I haven't got it, prefer the white light. Just need to get a list of bulbs to get, are they all 501's??

Thanks again guys... Great to be nearly back in the BM fold...

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by Anygreg

Thanks for that, just questioned the keyless thing as it doesn't state it anywhere on the spec list so wondered if there was anything else missing on the vin decoder?

The spec does look good so far from what I can decipher. Xenons, adaptive, high beam assist, dimming/folding mirrors, pro nav, loud speaker upgrade, 19", heated seats, Internet, connected BMW portal etc.. Power control, extended light pack, plus some other stuff.. Looks pretty good! Damper control would of been the icing on the cake, but happy with that spec, looks a pretty well specd rare beast!


Going to look into upgraded interior lights to LED as well, had it on most of my cars and miss it when I haven't got it, prefer the white light. Just need to get a list of bulbs to get, are they all 501's??

Thanks again guys... Great to be nearly back in the BM fold...

That is definitely a great spec. Very similar to mine. I do not have VDC either, but hey beggars cannot be choosers. I carried out a price comparison using the price of the car and its accessories at build and it came in at around £51k. Just too much in my opinion and I would not have paid that new. I am glad mine came with 10k miles on the clock and was £15k cheaper 11 months later. Mine also has the Panoramic roof. It does not have speaker upgrade nor the internet. I can live without those.

The best part is the flappy paddles allowing me to go up and down the box whilst nipping through slower traffic. Great with the 3.0d. If you do not have these, have no fear just use the gearbox as though it is manual in those conditions.

Note the fuel consumption over the past 7k miles. This is likely to come down a little because I have been doing long runs on motorways where there are mandatory 50 mph limits

[clivem2]

Originally Posted by Peter_R

I would suggest that is debatable. Most people are not taking you on at the lights, by that I mean if you accelerate hard then you will almost certainly beat others from the lights, as they are not looking to beat you. It was the acceleration of the 2.0d that made me steer away from it, because the in-gear acceleration of the 3.0d made me feel safer with less time on the opposite side of the road whilst negotiating slower traffic on our single lane roads. But hey, if you are satisfied then there is no problem.

My take on this is that the 20D delivers most of its performance surprisingly easily. It's when you ask it for a bit more you realise there isn't a lot more, hence the concern about overtaking. In reality the 20D does have very decent performance but then not a lot in reserve. Performance is much more than adequate.

[TK - 421]

Originally Posted by clivem2

My take on this is that the 20D delivers most of its performance surprisingly easily. It's when you ask it for a bit more you realise there isn't a lot more, hence the concern about overtaking. It reality the 20D does have very decent performance but the not a lot in reserve. Performance is much more than adequate.

I had a Killed In Action Sportage lol the 1.7 crdi a few years back, only 114hp, but, it kinda suited the vehicle. (The only reason I initially got the car was due to friends family discount, £5k off list If I remember rightly)

But, I did grow to love that car, would pull the dick off a chocolate frog, but had enough to do what it needed to do. Low down grunt with little lag, and the spec was mind boggling... For the cost of it, it was a fantastic car. Point being the engine suited the drive... It was a radio 2 listening kinda car.

And for someone that was brought up on the chemical brothers and the prodigy, I initially thought I would hate it, the opposite happened.

Having said that if they had done a 3.0d I'd of bought it

[ianfp]

[QUOTE=Peter_R;18240180]From what I remember, the Keyless Start was in the very first production vehicles and shown in the original road tests and is standard.

This must not be confused with Keyless Entry.



I would suggest that is debatable. Most people are not taking you on at the lights, by that I mean if you accelerate hard then you will almost certainly beat others from the lights, as they are not looking to beat you. It was the acceleration of the 2.0d that made me steer away from it, because the in-gear acceleration of the 3.0d made me feel safer with less time on the opposite side of the road whilst negotiating slower traffic on our single lane roads. But hey, if you are satisfied then there is no problem.

MY experience with the 20D performance away from the lights is not up for debate and you do not have a clue as to whether someone is trying to take me on or not. With auto hold, manual sport mode selected and superior torque and traction compared with most average cars, I will beat them away from the lights. This is not a threat to you in your 3.0D, so quit being argumentative and contradictory.

[Peter_R]

duplicate

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by ianfp

MY experience with the 20D performance away from the lights is not up for debate and you do not have a clue as to whether someone is trying to take me on or not. With auto hold, manual sport mode selected and superior torque and traction compared with most average cars, I will beat them away from the lights. This is not a threat to you in your 3.0D, so quit being argumentative and contradictory.

Never felt threatened and was not being argumentative. You made the statement...

Originally Posted by ianfp

the 2.0D and even that beats most average cars from the lights without difficulty.

I was just stating facts about people pulling away from lights in the normal everyday driving situation.

[ianfp]

Originally Posted by Peter_R

Never felt threatened and was not being argumentative. You made the statement...



I was just stating facts about people pulling away from lights in the normal everyday driving situation.

I have made a statement of fact concerning my experience with the 20D.

Let me repeat that this is a statement of fact concerning my experience and therefore cannot be debated by you.

At this point, you will generally say "lets get back onto topic". I would suggest that this is what you do!

[ianfp]

Originally Posted by clivem2

My take on this is that the 20D delivers most of its performance surprisingly easily. It's when you ask it for a bit more you realise there isn't a lot more, hence the concern about overtaking. In reality the 20D does have very decent performance but then not a lot in reserve. Performance is much more than adequate.

This is a fair statement and I would agree with you Clive. If I was doing a lot of motorway driving, I would prefer the power of the 30 or 35D.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by ianfp

I have made a statement of fact concerning my experience with the 20D.

Let me repeat that this is a statement of fact concerning my experience and therefore cannot be debated by you.

At this point, you will generally say "lets get back onto topic". I would suggest that this is what you do!

I am sorry you do not like my opinion, but it can be debated by me and I will do so. This is the very reason we have a forum such as this to exchange opinions and views. I am only giving my reason for me not purchasing the 2.0d when I went for a comprehensive test drive in one to see what the acceleration was like. I had gone with an open mind to the dealer when I was driving an F31 320d Sport. If it had felt anything like that engine in that car, then I would have gone down that route, but because it did not (not unexpectedly because of the extra weight) , the dealer brought the 3.0d across from their other garage and within a matter of a few minutes my wife and I grinned at each other and said.....Sold.

OK...then ...back on topic.

Anygreg

Once you get the car, check your Navigation Map version. I might have something to your advantage that I can send you through the post.

You will need to PM me though.

[ianfp]

[QUOTE=Peter_R;18241033]I am sorry you do not like my opinion, but it can be debated by me and I will do so. This is the very reason we have a forum such as this to exchange opinions and views. I am only giving my reason for me not purchasing the 2.0d when I went for a comprehensive test drive in one to see what the acceleration was like. I had gone with an open mind to the dealer when I was driving an F31 320d Sport. If it had felt anything like that engine in that car, then I would have gone down that route, but because it did not (not unexpectedly because of the extra weight) , the dealer brought the 3.0d across from their other garage and within a matter of a few minutes my wife and I grinned at each other and said.....Sold.

OK...then ...back on topic.

Your opinion is irrelevant in connection with my factual experience.