Hey Giancarlo, I'll try to answer some of your questions
Quote:
Originally Posted by Giancarlo
Hi,
I should get my lemans blue with oyster interior 135 m sport DCT (M package, not M car).
Oyster interior is very nice. I think it's about the same as the old "lemon" interior used to be. In the beginning, people were worried that the light colored leather would not resist the effects of aging, but from what I see, the lighter interior (including my own coral red) are holding up amazingly. And le mans blue is a classic color. Great choice! if I didn't get my black/red combination, I probably would have gone blue. And M-Sport package is a MUST on these cars. The seat upgrade by itself is worth it. The regular seats have no support for the sides of your body, so when you turn you slide everywhere. The sport seats are much better, and the M-sport package have plenty of other upgrades as well.
What are things I should look for? what hidden menu's does the iDrive have?
In terms of hidden menus.. look at Dackel's awesome post here: http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=441064
Other than that.. I don't think there's anything really "hidden" in the car.
Does it have launch control? how do you do it?
DCT has launch control. However, I don't have a DCT car so I can't comment on how to use it. From what I gather, it's relatively simple though.
What to look out for? is it safe to chip? What company is best or safest?
I assume "what to look out for" is referring to warranty problems. The high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) is a common problem. However, BMW has extended the warranty on it to 10 years / 100,000 miles, and with the latest software update and replacement pump with replacement fuel injectors, the problem has not come back for many people. It looks like it's mostly fixed.. Other than that there are minor recalls. One for the seat belt tensioner. One for the tail lights. However, considering your car is new, it should have the "upgraded" / replaced parts already on it. Don't think there's anything else significant.
Most people will say it's safe to chip. There have been 3-series drivers who have been driving with engines pushing 16+ PSI (stock is about 8 PSI) for years and almost 100,000 miles with no problems. However, there have also been owners who have had their turbos melt with AND WITHOUT a tune. Generally, though, tuning these cars is safe because all of the tuners out there will put safety systems into their tunes. I don't know how the VW tuners work, but I imagine that they aren't quite as careful. The general rule is that stock is about 8 PSI. You should be able to get up to about 12-13 PSI without upgrading anything else. 15 PSI should be achievable with catless downpipes to let the turbos breathe better. 16-18+ PSI should only really be done with a methanol injection system to REALLY cool the turbos and reduce their workload.
However, with OR without a tune, you should watch for carbon build-up in the engine. Since it is turbocharged AND direct-injected, you have oil/carbon spraying EVERYWHERE. An oil catch can (OCC), preferably from Horsepower Freaks, is suggested. So is cleaning out your system with seafoam every once in a while, and I personally recommend doing a thorough cleaning of the intake manifold and the valves when you reach 50-60 thousand miles. I'm almost at this mark, and I'm scared of what I'll find in there! However, since you're coming from Audis, the turbo Audis have the WORST carbon problems I have heard of. I have heard terrible things of engines at under 50,000 miles requiring to be torn down and cleaned to run right. These cars DEFINITELY won't require that, but for optimum performance you might want to get the gunk out.
No company is "better" than any other. Many companies actually have very different goals. Here is a thread which discusses a bunch of the different tuning options for the N55 engine (I'm assuming you're getting a new car, which would have the N55 engine):
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=494316
Thanks and have a good one!!!
Giancarlo |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Giancarlo
What are the general opinions on safe tuners? I have seen the burger piggy back and ESS. But I have no idea what is safer.
Who to avoid in tuning, and who can be trusted?
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Really, everyone listed in the link above can be trusted. This isn't a bunch of idiots making your car boost to 20 PSI without thinking of the consequences. The lower the boost, the safer. However, if you follow the guidelines above (no downpipes, keep it 12 PSI and under. no meth, keep it 15-16 PSI and under), then there should be no real problems. It just depends on your preferences. A chip vs a flash tune, a conservative tune vs an aggressive tune.. etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xiosmx5
Don't open your hood with the wipers raised.
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And listen to this!!!! ^^^^^^^^
Biggest mistake new owners make!!