Advice on Intercontinental (Sea) Transport of 1M

[ozinaldo]

So, if there will not be a last minute and very unlikely deal and it gets sold next week, my 1M is going back to the home continent where it was born.

In around two weeks it will be in a container ship, sharing space with our household goods to Portugal. It is a long and humid journey and (not counting buying a new car) this is my first experience in this kind of transport so I thought I could ask advice on tires, battery etc.

Transport company's rules are clear and basic: battery will be off, as little as possible gas in the tank. I will do a last minute detailing and paint care with the long&humid voyage in mind, the car needs it anyway so I thought some special waxing and paint protection would not hurt.

As tires, I am all ears! I just put on my new PSS set because to carry new tires with our personal things rather than installed could create issues at the customs in Portugal, so I want to keep them as fresh as possible.

Anyone with this kind of knowledge and experience please chime in and post what I should consider doing or refrain from. It will be around a month long journey on the sea and maybe a bit longer overall in the container.

[Berra]

Asked our friend Google, this might help:

http://www.litco.com/news/desiccant/...desiccants.htm

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Berra

Asked our friend Google, this might help:

http://www.litco.com/news/desiccant/...desiccants.htm

Interesting read which will make me ask questions to my transport company regarding their containers and what they do to keep inside as dry as posible.

Also, I just learned thanks to google that it is advisable to disconnect battery only after making sure the car goes into "sleep" mode, which can take up to 16 minutes without touching the remote or door handles etc. They advise to open the trunk and wait for the trunk light go off itself to make sure and then disconnect.

Another guy seriously suggests to use some old carpet or likewise material under the tires to prevent flat spots which also makes sense to me.

What about tire pressures?

[Hobbe]

Don't worry about the tires.
There will be no flat spots in such short time.
I keep my 1M in the garage during winter (up to six months) so I know

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Hobbe

Don't worry about the tires.
There will be no flat spots in such short time.
I keep my 1M in the garage during winter (up to six months) so I know

Thanks for that; since I installed them 2 days ago and have just 50 km. on them, I kind of was worried about them more than the rest of the car. It would be ideal to send the car on old rubber and install these only in Lisbon but I am pretty sure customs there will make an issue out of brand new tire set getting in the country in addition to the car. Used ones will be way easier to justify.

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

Interesting read which will make me ask questions to my transport company regarding their containers and what they do to keep inside as dry as posible.

Also, I just learned thanks to google that it is advisable to disconnect battery only after making sure the car goes into "sleep" mode, which can take up to 16 minutes without touching the remote or door handles etc. They advise to open the trunk and wait for the trunk light go off itself to make sure and then disconnect.

Another guy seriously suggests to use some old carpet or likewise material under the tires to prevent flat spots which also makes sense to me.

What about tire pressures?

would be interested to learn about the advantage of waiting for sleep mode (So I might read that link).

As an extra precaution open the left side of the rear back seats, if somebody accidentally slams the trunk shut and the battery is disconnected, you'll be happy to be able to open it from the interior of the car

My car made that journey twice (in opposite directions) and for your piece of mind try to get the name of the vessel asap so you can track it and know when to start nagging the offloading company for a release date.

There was advise to inflate tire pressure a bit, but forgot the recommended value. As part of all transport it stood an indoor location for ~6 months and there was not the slightest sign of flat spots.

My biggest regret: I forgot a beach hat within the car and hoped it'd show up after release in EU, but no such luck: do not attempt to transport any items inside the car other than are OEM supplied with the car. Customs people will power-trip and remove even innocent or screamingly worthless personal items

[Artemis]

Slightly off-topic, Oz, but did you give "The Pagani/Enzo Man" (or his brother) a ring to check if they are still frantic to quickly give your car a good home ? (http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showp...5&postcount=15)

Otherwise, ship it to The Old Continent, come to "Sella 1.0" (2014) or a possible "Sella 2.0" (2015) (http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=978769) and trade it in for an M2 in Winter 2015-2016.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Artemis

Slightly off-topic, Oz, but did you give "The Pagani/Enzo Man" (or his brother) a ring to check if they are still frantic to quickly give your car a good home ? (http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showp...5&postcount=15)

Otherwise, ship it to The Old Continent, come to "Sella 1.0" (2014) or a possible "Sella 2.0" (2015) (http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=978769) and trade it in for an M2 in Winter 2015-2016.

It was publicly on sale so no I did not knock any particular doors or tried to sell it no matter what. I am offering it for a good price with lots of extras and if it still doesn't work in this market because they want to take it from the hands of a 'gringo' well it won't happen. Already had various offers but ones matching my price was including trading with some other cars (M3s, old 911, 370Z, 135i etc.) which is out of question in my case because I can't sell those cars on time or take with me to Portugal. Fully cash offers came close to -5000 USD but stopped there. I did not leave it for a dealer of course. And to my luck 2 guys who were fine with the price had to sell their cars first (a Jaguar and a 135i) which didn't happen till now.

I plan to keep it a few months max and make a few little trips in/around Portugal; maybe a day or two on Estoril track (depends) and then sell it without hurry to its next owner, since I will be in EU, it can go to another country as well. Replacement will be walking to job and back for me, a change of life style, and either a new X car or a Porsche Macan for the wife and for our family week-ends and trips.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by eeghie

would be interested to learn about the advantage of waiting for sleep mode (So I might read that link).

As an extra precaution open the left side of the rear back seats, if somebody accidentally slams the trunk shut and the battery is disconnected, you'll be happy to be able to open it from the interior of the car

My car made that journey twice (in opposite directions) and for your piece of mind try to get the name of the vessel asap so you can track it and know when to start nagging the offloading company for a release date.

There was advise to inflate tire pressure a bit, but forgot the recommended value. As part of all transport it stood an indoor location for ~6 months and there was not the slightest sign of flat spots.

My biggest regret: I forgot a beach hat within the car and hoped it'd show up after release in EU, but no such luck: do not attempt to transport any items inside the car other than are OEM supplied with the car. Customs people will power-trip and remove even innocent or screamingly worthless personal items

Thanks eeghie. I've read the advantage/caution regarding the sleep mode in a BMW Forum linked below. A few people commenting there that disconnecting before sleep mode has potential (just potential but happens they say) to fry certain electronical settings (related to GM III module) which are more important than audio, hour-date etc.

Here:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ecting-Battery

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by ozinaldo

Thanks eeghie. I've read the advantage/caution regarding the sleep mode in a BMW Forum linked below. A few people commenting there that disconnecting before sleep mode has potential (just potential but happens they say) to fry certain electronical settings (related to GM III module) which are more important than audio, hour-date etc.

Here:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...ecting-Battery

THX. Interesting, but I doubt it's applicable for the 1M: Quite some articles and replacement services show up for the apparently frail E39 GM III module. Fortunately the E8x/E9x electrical platform does not include a GM III module. From it's pinning it appears to be similar to our NFM3 module that does all sorts of things (lighting, mirrors, windows etc) .

I'd be open to learn more about the perfect way to disconnect the battery on our cars, but so far I've not heard of a sensible argument to wait till sleep mode. Also a main source of input for this is that E89 BMW EBA manuals (produced by BMW, targeted at BMW dealer staff) also do not prescribe this. Personally, while researching some electronics behavior on my car, I must have disconnected some 20-30 times in total and nothing unusual ever happened to the electronics nor the battery.

Regardless of sleep mode or not, my experience is that you'll loose date, time, and revert back to default settings for languages and units etc. You will keep radio presets, but I suppose you'll have to find some new ones in the new country anyway

Bon voyage!

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by eeghie

THX. Interesting, but I doubt it's applicable for the 1M: Quite some articles and replacement services show up for the apparently frail E39 GM III module. Fortunately the E8x/E9x electrical platform does not include a GM III module. From it's pinning it appears to be similar to our NFM3 module that does all sorts of things (lighting, mirrors, windows etc) .

I'd be open to learn more about the perfect way to disconnect the battery on our cars, but so far I've not heard of a sensible argument to wait till sleep mode. Also a main source of input for this is that E89 BMW EBA manuals (produced by BMW, targeted at BMW dealer staff) also do not prescribe this. Personally, while researching some electronics behavior on my car, I must have disconnected some 20-30 times in total and nothing unusual ever happened to the electronics nor the battery.

Regardless of sleep mode or not, my experience is that you'll loose date, time, and revert back to default settings for languages and units etc. You will keep radio presets, but I suppose you'll have to find some new ones in the new country anyway

Bon voyage!

Great! Thanks for helping me feeling better about it. I don't pay attention to radio, don't listen to radio here and car is still with default settings (English menu etc. as I ordered it) so it looks like I am gonna loose nothing more than date and time.

[Dackelone]

I would not bother disconnecting the battery. Not only do you risk electrical system damage when you reconnect the battery or the transport company has to jump start the car... but IF they close the trunk lid... your screwed. EVEN if they don't close the trunk... think of all the crap/dust'filth that will end up inside your trunk/car.

I have left my car sitting for up to two months... no problem. Just make sure the car is locked AND that there is no USB stick in the slot between the seats. As for your tires and car... it will be fine. A good detail job before hand is not a bad idea. Fresh wax is always a good idea.

Dackel

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

I would not bother disconnecting the battery. Not only do you risk electrical system damage when you reconnect the battery or the transport company has to jump start the car... but IF they close the trunk lid... your screwed. EVEN if they don't close the trunk... think of all the crap/dust'filth that will end up inside your trunk/car.

I have left my car sitting for up to two months... no problem. Just make sure the car is locked AND that there is no USB stick in the slot between the seats. As for your tires and car... it will be fine. A good detail job before hand is not a bad idea. Fresh wax is always a good idea.

Dackel

Dack, it is not my choice to disconnect the battery, it is the transport company's rule. I will leave the driver side rear seat folded down with a big warning on it that no one should put the seat back in order to avoid problems of access as eeghie advised before.

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Ian///M

Ozi, I would wrap the car's panels in that white plastic cling wrap product which the factory uses.

Thanks Ian, I will see if I can find it, maybe from BMW dealer. In any case I am thinking about putting a car cover on it but I am not 100% about it too, since I am not certain if it will help to keep moisture out or worsen it.

[Dee Pee]

Will they let you put some thick foam panels (similar to camping foam pads) on areas vulnerable to door dings? I think you could use some masking tape to secure them.

[eeghie]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

... Just make sure ... AND that there is no USB stick in the slot between the seats

Is this to not create an opportunity for theft or did something else happen?

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by Dee Pee

Will they let you put some thick foam panels (similar to camping foam pads) on areas vulnerable to door dings? I think you could use some masking tape to secure them.

Another good idea, will look into that, thanks.

[ayao]

Parasitic battery drain.

Originally Posted by eeghie

Is this to not create an opportunity for theft or did something else happen?

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by eeghie

Is this to not create an opportunity for theft or did something else happen?

No, not bc of theft but to not have to have a drain on the battery. I know when I leave a usb stick in my car and I lock it... the little led on the stick still flashes for quite some time. Also when I had my sw tune loaded... my German tuner removed the USB stick, as not to cause a further drain on the car's battery.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Just make sure the car is locked AND that there is no USB stick in the slot between the seats.

Originally Posted by Dackelone

No, not bc of theft but to not have to have a drain on the battery. I know when I leave a usb stick in my car and I lock it... the little led on the stick still flashes for quite some time. Also when I had my sw tune loaded... my German tuner removed the USB stick, as not to cause a further drain on the car's battery.

In my car the USB light flashes for less than half a minute or so after locking the car, but then dies. So quite likely this is only very temporary and then cuts out, alike the 'pathway lighting' feature (so-called 'walk-me-home' feature) and the 'automatic door locking' feature (checking the locking status of the doors after some time).

When I pick up my car from the dealership, I notice that the dealer has deactivated the automatic locking feature (for convenience reasons, they don't want the car to lock automatically when they're working on it). So I reactivate it. A few years ago I visited Paris and parked my M3 in an underground parking, positioning it on purpose very close to a wall with the wheels turned. Just before leaving the car I was distracted by taking stuff out of the boot to get to the hotel. Rest of the journey: metro. Two days later I return to the car to pick it up for the drive back home ...and find out that the car was (still) unlocked. Needless to say that I cursed. But luckily nothing happened. .

If your car features the optional 'comfort access', don't worry about accidentally leaving the keys inside: "If the vehicle detects that a remote control has been accidentally left inside the locked vehicle after the trunk lid is closed, the lid will reopen. The hazard warning flashers flash and a signal sounds."

However, if your car does not feature comfort access, beware: "To avoid locking yourself out by accident, do not place the remote control in the cargo area. A previously locked trunk lid is locked again after closing. Before and after each trip, check that the trunk lid has not been inadvertently unlocked."

According to the general manual (128i - 135i) the trunk lid should also feature an "Emergency Release". Got to check if my car has it too. Can someone shed his light ?

[ozinaldo]

Thanks Artemis, my car has comfort access. I did not notice the emergency release you posted before and was thinking myself how to reopen the trunk exactly from inside since I plan to leave the back seats down with a warning on them and trunk closed (if company allows me to do that) after the battery is disconnected for the voyage.

[Artemis]

Additional question: what is the car still capable of doing when the battery is disconnected ? Needless to say that I'm referring to its electronics (physical key to [un]lock the door I guess). I never tried, actually.