What to do with the D?

Isaac335d · 06-15-2015, 09:08 AM

Really stuck on what direction to head with my 2011 335d. Many of you are much further ahead than me in your knowledge and experience (likely further ahead than my dealer too). Budget and having a reliable car to get to work in is important, here is my story:

I have a '335d that I picked up two years ago after eyeing them for a bit. I bought it with a CPO warranty to 100k and the car had about 40k on it at the time. Most of the reviews I read focused on the performance and fun aspect not the maintenance issues. I had moved and my commute was going from 3 miles in traffic to 50 miles each way all highway and my G37 was getting about 20-22 on the highway, worse when I actually drove it. With the ideal MPG and performance I thought this would be an ideal car.

The car is a blast to drive - I paid out six tickets in my first three months of ownership! It does get great MPG and the torque is fun for playing on the highway during my commute. While most of my commute is just that, I have it on the floor a few times a day and give it a good run through the gears frequently. With the torque that it has my only wish would be a 7 or 8 speed automatic, I don't think a manual transmission would be much fun on this car due to the low red line – 5th gear is a blast though when keeping it in semi-manual mode.

Even though I love this car I am also torn by what to do. I am at 94k miles and have seen the common buildup issues. The service dept at my local dealer has been good to work with but I have seen them more than I would like and eaten more free Otis Spunkermyer cookies than I should while visiting and picking up a loaner.

The car just finished its second walnut blasting cleaning with the first around 50k. I had a new transmission installed at 80k, new injectors (first two then back for the remaining) at 60k, A/C condenser at 90k, turbo service at 88k, various sensors related to the emissions system, a drive shaft sensor and something else related to it last week, and when I picked it up Saturday morning with my daughter listening to Skinamarinki-dinki-dink while enjoying a torquey acceleration onto the highway that I always miss when driving my 328 and 528 loaners, I got a DSC error and SES light. We turned around back to the dealer to take her car seat out, get a cookie, and pick up a new loaner.

My service advisor did the math and I would have spent well over $30k on repairs if I was footing the bill – sure these are inflated due to dealer pricing and the transmission but still cutting that in half is still way too much. I drive the car hard and give it the occasional italian tune up, but I don't beat on it nor track the car. And all this yet I am considering if I should get an extended warranty or dump it. As most of my issues have been related to emissions-caused problems and I have friends in Europe with the 335d and 330d who do not have the same problems I am highly considering removal of the DPF and urea injection.

I am not normally the type to mod/tune cars as usually I don't keep them more than a few years. Cost is a concern for me as I have some other priorities at the moment and my focus is on my family and work more than toys. But I love the car and my two oldest girls love when I "go faster" (which only means a few hard accelerations) for daddy-daughter time. If I can keep this thing cost-reasonable to drive by making a few changes then I am open to it. Looking forward to some advise and experienced input from others who have made the change and still keep their 335d as the daily driver.

GreekboyD · 06-15-2015, 10:09 AM

Honestly? Car sounds like a lemon. Get rid of it.

AzureHaze · 06-15-2015, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreekboyD

Honestly? Car sounds like a lemon. Get rid of it.

Yup. Replacing the transmission at only 80k is making me think it's a lemon too. Dump it and move on to something else while it still has some value in the market.

Got_Diesel · 06-15-2015, 10:39 AM

Funny because though I've had some injector related issues (been 2 years since i've seen one) and the emissions issues.

No issues like you've had. almost 70k on a 2010.

What sucks is a new 328i rwd 8spd, gets just about the same gas mileage as our 335d, albeit much less torque but if you drop gears which it does well, it moves really well.

melonbread · 06-15-2015, 12:56 PM

That's tough situation to be in and I think there are handful of us in this forum that drives the 335d as daily commuter.

I bought my car ealier this year because of my commute and trying to squeeze in little bit a of fun. I can't say your car is lemon like others did above but If i went back and did it again... I probably made same decision. thought about economical car for commuter and M3 as weekend ride/substitute weeday ride but having two cars with 100 mile commute was too much.

After getting used to 335d with BMW suspensions, not sure if I can drive anything else... I think BMW got my monies. Already thinking of going with 535d M-sports as next commuter in next year or two.

mscire2 · 06-15-2015, 01:18 PM

At this point I feel like I would keep it. Most of the expensive work and parts have all been taken care of so hopefully now its time to enjoy it.

335dFan · 06-15-2015, 06:58 PM

Well, with all those issues I would have to think a while about keeping it. I wasn't aware you could still buy an extended warranty for 100k miles and above. Good to know if true.

I have about 44k (6k miles to go) or 11 months, whichever comes first. I am also pondering what to do. Since I thus far have had zero issues, except for a couple of bad after-market struts that were replaced under warranty, and because I have quite a bit of mod (and pride) investment in the beast, I am inclined to extend the warranty and keep it for a while.

Having said that, it is (1) not my daily driver 'cuz I'm retired and don't really need to drive anywhere but (2) it would be more practical for me at this stage to have something like a Golf Sportwagen TDI, a Porsche Macan, a Legacy Outback, or something along those lines. I don't like taking the D on gravel or dirt roads unless it is for about 1/4 mile or so. And the Pacific Northwest has a lot of those kind of roads to get to nice places. Fortunately my wife's Forester is available for those situations, although it is somewhat boring by comparison.

Isaac335d · 06-15-2015, 07:05 PM

Appreciate the thoughts all. I agree with everyone is the hard part. I seriously love this car but hate the risks. At the same time I am with mscire2 who thinks much of the costly items have been addressed.

In all honesty I wasn't sure the tranny needed replacing. I had a slight delay sometimes and figured it was an adjustment issue. But I appreciate the free new tranny.

Chief Orman · 06-15-2015, 07:27 PM

Boy, I feel your pain. This car is really unique and I have yet to see another car that provides an unmatched combination of torque and economy. Given that you have had so many of the more expensive parts replaced I wonder if you are safe for a while. I am damn glad the transmission is being replaced. Once I roll of warranty I am installing the EGR blocking plates and water/meth immediately. I am hoping that will mitigate most of the emissions related problems. The engine itself seems rock solid. I'd keep it but begin undertaking the modifications to make it more reliable.

Isaac335d · 06-16-2015, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 335dFan

Well, with all those issues I would have to think a while about keeping it. I wasn't aware you could still buy an extended warranty for 100k miles and above. Good to know if true.

There are a few options for warranties but the one on my car was the BMW CPO. Covers essentially everything but noises. There is a $50 deductible but I have only paid that once or twice so I am not sure of the detail there.

kbsilver · 06-16-2015, 07:32 AM

Yes a hard decision. You definitely have had more than your share of issues. But I know what you are thinking, is this car just a money pit and will keep having things break, or have you already replaced everything that is going to break and it's now good for another 100K miles? There are lots of things to go wrong on these cars. The most common one I see is CBU, which is the only issue I've had so far at 65K miles.

I'm curious about the Transmission, what failed? That one is concerning. I thought BMW transmission failures did not happen much any more. Our 2000 540iT seems to eat transmissions. Previous owner lost reverse at about 65K miles, the front drum (that holds the main forward clutch pack) cracked on me at 125K miles. It cost $5K to repair the trans in a car worth $6K (with a working trans).

Chief Orman · 06-16-2015, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbsilver

Yes a hard decision. You definitely have had more than your share of issues. But I know what you are thinking, is this car just a money pit and will keep having things break, or have you already replaced everything that is going to break and it's now good for another 100K miles? There are lots of things to go wrong on these cars. The most common one I see is CBU, which is the only issue I've had so far at 65K miles.

I'm curious about the Transmission, what failed? That one is concerning. I thought BMW transmission failures did not happen much any more. Our 2000 540iT seems to eat transmissions. Previous owner lost reverse at about 65K miles, the front drum (that holds the main forward clutch pack) cracked on me at 125K miles. It cost $5K to repair the trans in a car worth $6K (with a working trans).

Per my earlier post, I had an input shaft bushing go bad according to the error code and input from others on this board. I was getting an F485 error code and the car would slip out of gear as though the clutch disengaged and go into a second gear only limp mode. Dealer tried fixing it with a software update. Didn't work and they will be replacing transmission under warranty. I can't begin to describe how much it would have sucked to have had this issue emerge out of warranty.

I plan on driving this car into the ground unless they start importing the M550d and fully expect dropping a lot of cash to replace the DPF.

Chief Orman · 06-16-2015, 08:43 AM

Every time I hear about someone selling their 335d a little piece of me dies.

kbsilver · 06-16-2015, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Orman

.... fully expect dropping a lot of cash to replace the DPF.

I was not aware that DPF failures were all that common. I thought there were services that could clean the DPF (off the car) so it could be put back into service.

Currently the 335D is our primary car. But if it becomes unreliable, then a plan "B" will be needed.

One interesting tidbit. We had CBU cleaning and DDE update a while back. We've now gone 17K miles since the DEF was filled and no sign of the xxx miles to no start yet. The SCR system has to be working else we would be getting an SES.

mefferso · 06-16-2015, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbsilver

We've now gone 17K miles since the DEF was filled and no sign of the xxx miles to no start yet. The SCR system has to be working else we would be getting an SES.

I drive a majority on the highway and was able to get 21k miles out of my tank of DEF before the warning came on. So you may still have a few more miles to go.

Mrchntmarine · 06-17-2015, 03:32 PM

We've got a 2010 low mileage and after the extended warranty we'll probably dump it. Too many error codes, walnuted already at only about 36k miles, new catalytic converter, etc. love the car but too many mechanical issues.

charlie fairmont · 06-18-2015, 04:01 PM

Does anyone know if there are specific parameters we can monitor that might give an indication of upcoming CBU? I only have Carly as I have yet to get my head around the more sophisticated alternatives. There are some parameters having to do with air mass per cylinder and psi at intake valves but I have no frame of reference. Any thoughts? Looking for things that might make the OP's question about keeping the car easier to answer because, selfishly, I anticipate having to make the same decision someday...

Owen81 · 06-18-2015, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlie fairmont

Does anyone know if there are specific parameters we can monitor that might give an indication of upcoming CBU? I only have Carly as I have yet to get my head around the more sophisticated alternatives. There are some parameters having to do with air mass per cylinder and psi at intake valves but I have no frame of reference. Any thoughts? Looking for things that might make the OP's question about keeping the car easier to answer because, selfishly, I anticipate having to make the same decision someday...

Pull your intake manifold and have a peek!

kbsilver · 06-18-2015, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlie fairmont

Does anyone know if there are specific parameters we can monitor that might give an indication of upcoming CBU? I only have Carly as I have yet to get my head around the more sophisticated alternatives. There are some parameters having to do with air mass per cylinder and psi at intake valves but I have no frame of reference. Any thoughts? Looking for things that might make the OP's question about keeping the car easier to answer because, selfishly, I anticipate having to make the same decision someday...

As has been stated many times, and my personal experience, the easiest way to determine CBU is loss of MPG, requires no tools or taking things apart. Until it gets real bad and sets the SES, there really are no other clear symptoms.

06-15-2015, 09:08 AM	#1
Isaac335d New Member 3 Rep 9 Posts Drives: 2011 335d Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	What to do with the D? Really stuck on what direction to head with my 2011 335d. Many of you are much further ahead than me in your knowledge and experience (likely further ahead than my dealer too). Budget and having a reliable car to get to work in is important, here is my story: I have a '335d that I picked up two years ago after eyeing them for a bit. I bought it with a CPO warranty to 100k and the car had about 40k on it at the time. Most of the reviews I read focused on the performance and fun aspect not the maintenance issues. I had moved and my commute was going from 3 miles in traffic to 50 miles each way all highway and my G37 was getting about 20-22 on the highway, worse when I actually drove it. With the ideal MPG and performance I thought this would be an ideal car. The car is a blast to drive - I paid out six tickets in my first three months of ownership! It does get great MPG and the torque is fun for playing on the highway during my commute. While most of my commute is just that, I have it on the floor a few times a day and give it a good run through the gears frequently. With the torque that it has my only wish would be a 7 or 8 speed automatic, I don't think a manual transmission would be much fun on this car due to the low red line – 5th gear is a blast though when keeping it in semi-manual mode. Even though I love this car I am also torn by what to do. I am at 94k miles and have seen the common buildup issues. The service dept at my local dealer has been good to work with but I have seen them more than I would like and eaten more free Otis Spunkermyer cookies than I should while visiting and picking up a loaner. The car just finished its second walnut blasting cleaning with the first around 50k. I had a new transmission installed at 80k, new injectors (first two then back for the remaining) at 60k, A/C condenser at 90k, turbo service at 88k, various sensors related to the emissions system, a drive shaft sensor and something else related to it last week, and when I picked it up Saturday morning with my daughter listening to Skinamarinki-dinki-dink while enjoying a torquey acceleration onto the highway that I always miss when driving my 328 and 528 loaners, I got a DSC error and SES light. We turned around back to the dealer to take her car seat out, get a cookie, and pick up a new loaner. My service advisor did the math and I would have spent well over $30k on repairs if I was footing the bill – sure these are inflated due to dealer pricing and the transmission but still cutting that in half is still way too much. I drive the car hard and give it the occasional italian tune up, but I don't beat on it nor track the car. And all this yet I am considering if I should get an extended warranty or dump it. As most of my issues have been related to emissions-caused problems and I have friends in Europe with the 335d and 330d who do not have the same problems I am highly considering removal of the DPF and urea injection. I am not normally the type to mod/tune cars as usually I don't keep them more than a few years. Cost is a concern for me as I have some other priorities at the moment and my focus is on my family and work more than toys. But I love the car and my two oldest girls love when I "go faster" (which only means a few hard accelerations) for daddy-daughter time. If I can keep this thing cost-reasonable to drive by making a few changes then I am open to it. Looking forward to some advise and experienced input from others who have made the change and still keep their 335d as the daily driver.
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06-15-2015, 10:09 AM	#2
GreekboyD Brigadier General 411 Rep 3,051 Posts Drives: 2009 BMW 335d Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 BMW 335d [8.00]	Honestly? Car sounds like a lemon. Get rid of it.
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06-15-2015, 10:39 AM	#4
Got_Diesel Second Lieutenant 20 Rep 297 Posts Drives: 335d Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: United States iTrader: (0)	Funny because though I've had some injector related issues (been 2 years since i've seen one) and the emissions issues. No issues like you've had. almost 70k on a 2010. What sucks is a new 328i rwd 8spd, gets just about the same gas mileage as our 335d, albeit much less torque but if you drop gears which it does well, it moves really well. __________________
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06-15-2015, 12:56 PM	#5
melonbread Private First Class 26 Rep 175 Posts Drives: Honda Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (0)	That's tough situation to be in and I think there are handful of us in this forum that drives the 335d as daily commuter. I bought my car ealier this year because of my commute and trying to squeeze in little bit a of fun. I can't say your car is lemon like others did above but If i went back and did it again... I probably made same decision. thought about economical car for commuter and M3 as weekend ride/substitute weeday ride but having two cars with 100 mile commute was too much. After getting used to 335d with BMW suspensions, not sure if I can drive anything else... I think BMW got my monies. Already thinking of going with 535d M-sports as next commuter in next year or two.
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06-15-2015, 01:18 PM	#6
mscire2 New Member 1 Rep 10 Posts Drives: 335d, e46m3, mcoupe, 528it/5 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: MD iTrader: (0)	At this point I feel like I would keep it. Most of the expensive work and parts have all been taken care of so hopefully now its time to enjoy it.
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06-15-2015, 06:58 PM	#7
335dFan Jumping Jack Flash 325 Rep 1,692 Posts Drives: 2021 X3 M40i Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: California (east of Sacramento) iTrader: (0) Garage List 2021 BMW X3 M40i [0.00] 2017 Toyota Prius [0.00]	Well, with all those issues I would have to think a while about keeping it. I wasn't aware you could still buy an extended warranty for 100k miles and above. Good to know if true. I have about 44k (6k miles to go) or 11 months, whichever comes first. I am also pondering what to do. Since I thus far have had zero issues, except for a couple of bad after-market struts that were replaced under warranty, and because I have quite a bit of mod (and pride) investment in the beast, I am inclined to extend the warranty and keep it for a while. Having said that, it is (1) not my daily driver 'cuz I'm retired and don't really need to drive anywhere but (2) it would be more practical for me at this stage to have something like a Golf Sportwagen TDI, a Porsche Macan, a Legacy Outback, or something along those lines. I don't like taking the D on gravel or dirt roads unless it is for about 1/4 mile or so. And the Pacific Northwest has a lot of those kind of roads to get to nice places. Fortunately my wife's Forester is available for those situations, although it is somewhat boring by comparison. __________________ 2021 X3 M40i: M Sport Differential, Adaptive M Suspension. Previous BMWs: 1971 BMW 2002, 1973 BMW R75/5, and 2011 BMW 335d Previous Other Vehicles: '67 Cougar, '70 911e, '86 Jetta Diesel, '05 and '12 Foresters, et al.
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06-15-2015, 07:05 PM	#8
Isaac335d New Member 3 Rep 9 Posts Drives: 2011 335d Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	Appreciate the thoughts all. I agree with everyone is the hard part. I seriously love this car but hate the risks. At the same time I am with mscire2 who thinks much of the costly items have been addressed. In all honesty I wasn't sure the tranny needed replacing. I had a slight delay sometimes and figured it was an adjustment issue. But I appreciate the free new tranny.
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06-15-2015, 07:27 PM	#9
Chief Orman Major 689 Rep 1,443 Posts Drives: 335D 2010 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: East Bay, Nor Cal iTrader: (0)	Boy, I feel your pain. This car is really unique and I have yet to see another car that provides an unmatched combination of torque and economy. Given that you have had so many of the more expensive parts replaced I wonder if you are safe for a while. I am damn glad the transmission is being replaced. Once I roll of warranty I am installing the EGR blocking plates and water/meth immediately. I am hoping that will mitigate most of the emissions related problems. The engine itself seems rock solid. I'd keep it but begin undertaking the modifications to make it more reliable.
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06-16-2015, 07:32 AM	#11
kbsilver Captain 143 Rep 631 Posts Drives: 340GT & '22 eDrive40 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: North Jersey iTrader: (0)	Yes a hard decision. You definitely have had more than your share of issues. But I know what you are thinking, is this car just a money pit and will keep having things break, or have you already replaced everything that is going to break and it's now good for another 100K miles? There are lots of things to go wrong on these cars. The most common one I see is CBU, which is the only issue I've had so far at 65K miles. I'm curious about the Transmission, what failed? That one is concerning. I thought BMW transmission failures did not happen much any more. Our 2000 540iT seems to eat transmissions. Previous owner lost reverse at about 65K miles, the front drum (that holds the main forward clutch pack) cracked on me at 125K miles. It cost $5K to repair the trans in a car worth $6K (with a working trans).
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06-16-2015, 08:43 AM	#13
Chief Orman Major 689 Rep 1,443 Posts Drives: 335D 2010 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: East Bay, Nor Cal iTrader: (0)	Every time I hear about someone selling their 335d a little piece of me dies.
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06-17-2015, 03:32 PM	#16
Mrchntmarine Private First Class 17 Rep 151 Posts Drives: 335d (sold) Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: LA iTrader: (0)	We've got a 2010 low mileage and after the extended warranty we'll probably dump it. Too many error codes, walnuted already at only about 36k miles, new catalytic converter, etc. love the car but too many mechanical issues. __________________ 2005 Mercedes SL55 (sold) 2006 Range Rover HSE (sold) 2006 Porsche 911 C4S Cab 2010 BMW X5 Diesel (sold)2010 335D (sold) 2010 Range Rover HSE (sold)2012 Q5 TDI (sold) 2014 Q5 TDI 2016 Audi A6(sold) 2023 Porsche CayenneGTS - sold. 2024 Cayenne POS - getting ready to sell
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06-18-2015, 04:01 PM	#17
charlie fairmont Captain 500 Rep 603 Posts Drives: His & hers, GC & X5 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Jax, FL iTrader: (0)	Does anyone know if there are specific parameters we can monitor that might give an indication of upcoming CBU? I only have Carly as I have yet to get my head around the more sophisticated alternatives. There are some parameters having to do with air mass per cylinder and psi at intake valves but I have no frame of reference. Any thoughts? Looking for things that might make the OP's question about keeping the car easier to answer because, selfishly, I anticipate having to make the same decision someday...
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