Project: 2014 328i xDrive Wagon F31

[JustinG]

Thanks for the info sir

[Steve85]

Earlier this spring I finally installed the roof mount bike rack I got for Christmas. Not sure I was really going to be comfortable with a roof mount, but even through it's a pretty cheap unit it holds up to wild side to side challenges. I like that it's not in the way of the rear hatch especially since most of the time I have it up there it's on the way to and from soccer practices (I ride the trails in the same park) where the kids need to access the rear hatch.



This happened a while back and I mentioned it on the FB but wanted to followup here. I was sitting in a line of traffic on an exit ramp off 81 north in the right turn lane north of Winchester, in Stephenson. This area is a mess, lot's of crossroads and lights for 81 access with small boxes that don't clear well. We moved up a bit and I looked behind as we were coming to a stop and the car behind clearly wasn't going to stop so I braced for impact and was rear-ended and pushed into the car in front of me. Luckily this was low speed and not a car coming directly off 81 at full bore. The damage:







Left a nice BMW signature on the rear bumper of the car in front:




I arranged repairs with a  local shop and his insurance covered the rental. For 2 weeks I drove a CVT equipped Nissan Sentra SV for 2 weeks that included "simulated shifts". FFS, no wonder people hate cars these days...

$5800 total damage included front and rear bumpers, tailgate skin, and some misc braces and tow hook covers. I had a cracked fog light so ordered one and they threw it n there while they had it all apart. When I picked it up, the bumper to hood alignemt was off, the bumper was higher than hood:



I let them know and the owner was quick to make it right. Just some simple adjusting but it's frustrating because the guy who did it originally, no way he could think, "Yup, just like the factory". I mean, it took 10 minutes when I brought it back for them to fix it, just...give a shit about your work.

Recently broke though the 70K mark


A couple issues that have creeped up:
1. Twice, after a couple hours of driving in hot weather, the system will prevent the cool air from flowing through the vents. It's apparently due to freezing of the evaporator. There are a few TSBs on it. Older models require a temp sensor spacer and newer models (2014+) some sort of HVAC unit reflash. It's frustrating because "not letting the air flow" seems an illogical response to be programmed in... 
2. Pretty sure I smell coolant, so I need to monitor levels. The shop that does oil changes has never mentioned a leak so maybe it's just that I'm always surrounded by 90's pickup trucks and they all leak coolant?

[ScottyB]

This happened a while back and I mentioned it on the FB but wanted to followup here

NOOOOOO

so glad you were well up the ramp. i have nightmares about being at the end of a line of cars stopped on the highway and seeing the next car approaching in the rearview and not slowing down. glad it was only some minor stuff.

For 2 weeks I drove a CVT equipped Nissan Sentra....no wonder people hate cars these days...

sounds very familiar!