M140i Buying Advice
Discussion
Just thought I'd ask on here,
Looking at getting a M140i for a year or two.
(Auto / Manual is a debate for another time, but honestly, I will test drive both - but I'm likely going to go manual from what I've been reading. My commute is 16 miles of B roads and no real traffic suits it just fine, unless I'm overlooking something else. Can also seem to get them slightly cheaper.)
1.Is the Pre-OPF a big deal? From some googling, this is before June 2018ish?
2. Injectors. I've heard some horror stories of them failing on 2016-2017 models and then got updated in 2018. Do I need to worry...? I'm looking around a 2016 - 2017 plate and don't want to spend more than £14-15k ideally.
Would be nice to find one with a LSD fitted but I can't be that picky....
In terms of options
Must haves;-
Pro nav, HK, heated seats, Msport stuff ? Cruise control
Nice to have;-
Adaptive suspension (if possible),
Adaptive LEDs
LSD mod
Have I missed anything, and are you able to get a print out of the VIN from BMW showing all the options for these? I might have to ask some potential sellers for this.
Thanks for any pointers as always guys...
Looking at getting a M140i for a year or two.
(Auto / Manual is a debate for another time, but honestly, I will test drive both - but I'm likely going to go manual from what I've been reading. My commute is 16 miles of B roads and no real traffic suits it just fine, unless I'm overlooking something else. Can also seem to get them slightly cheaper.)
1.Is the Pre-OPF a big deal? From some googling, this is before June 2018ish?
2. Injectors. I've heard some horror stories of them failing on 2016-2017 models and then got updated in 2018. Do I need to worry...? I'm looking around a 2016 - 2017 plate and don't want to spend more than £14-15k ideally.
Would be nice to find one with a LSD fitted but I can't be that picky....
In terms of options
Must haves;-
Pro nav, HK, heated seats, Msport stuff ? Cruise control
Nice to have;-
Adaptive suspension (if possible),
Adaptive LEDs
LSD mod
Have I missed anything, and are you able to get a print out of the VIN from BMW showing all the options for these? I might have to ask some potential sellers for this.
Thanks for any pointers as always guys...
The pre-OPF cars sound loads better; mine was really quite muted compared to the earlier cars.
Re the gearbox, the ZF8 suits the B58 really well and trying to find a well spec’d manual car will be hard especially as it was dropped towards the end of the production run.
Shadow Edition cars are worth seeking out because they had cruise and HK as standard. If not, I think cruise was part of the comfort pack….its surprising how many cars don’t have it.
Pro nav is definitely worth hanging on for; it looks loads better than the diddy nav. CarPlay can be easily retrofitted whilst maintaining the OE screen. Mine just needed a WiFi antenna and some coding.
Be careful of the history/ condition- the B58 is easy to get power out of and they attract a certain kind of buyer (the FB group is certainly an eye opener).
Re the gearbox, the ZF8 suits the B58 really well and trying to find a well spec’d manual car will be hard especially as it was dropped towards the end of the production run.
Shadow Edition cars are worth seeking out because they had cruise and HK as standard. If not, I think cruise was part of the comfort pack….its surprising how many cars don’t have it.
Pro nav is definitely worth hanging on for; it looks loads better than the diddy nav. CarPlay can be easily retrofitted whilst maintaining the OE screen. Mine just needed a WiFi antenna and some coding.
Be careful of the history/ condition- the B58 is easy to get power out of and they attract a certain kind of buyer (the FB group is certainly an eye opener).
I had a 240i until last September, mine was a 66 plate and owned it for 3 years was standard apart from a stage 1 map.
Mine was a manual.
I found mine to be pretty much faultless over the time I owned it apart from the exhaust valve actuator failing which cost me about £1200 and the drivers side regulator failing which cost me about £350.
I still think it was one of the best cars i've ever owned overall, I bouhgt mine specifically because it was a manual but if I was to go back i'd go for the auto instead. Mine was pretty much base spec i'd want the larger I drive screen also if I got another.
I've got an M4 now but I still have a big soft spot for B58 engines in BMW's
Mine was a manual.
I found mine to be pretty much faultless over the time I owned it apart from the exhaust valve actuator failing which cost me about £1200 and the drivers side regulator failing which cost me about £350.
I still think it was one of the best cars i've ever owned overall, I bouhgt mine specifically because it was a manual but if I was to go back i'd go for the auto instead. Mine was pretty much base spec i'd want the larger I drive screen also if I got another.
I've got an M4 now but I still have a big soft spot for B58 engines in BMW's
CSK423 said:
Listen out for a knocking in the rack. The thrust bush tends to wear out, had it on a 2015 m135i with 25k miles. Can be repaired not sure on cost but £££'s not £k's.
BMW upgraded the part so not sure on younger cars like the M140i if it would be an issue.
This is a £60 part inc grease from BMW, £10 for the tool and less than an hours work (Had to do mine on my M140i), so not too painful!BMW upgraded the part so not sure on younger cars like the M140i if it would be an issue.
OP - I think you're on with a decent spec list, a Shadow Edition is a decent base as it comes (as Court_S said) with loads of stuff as standard and slightly darker rear lights and headlights. I would also try and find electric folding mirrors but not as many people specced them as you would think, but if you are so inclined, you can retrofit pretty much anything. There are cars with xdrive conversions, adaptive cruise, M3/M4 seats etc, alongside 600bhp+ builds on standard engines.
Personally I would avoid a modified car with any engine mods, but as a bare minimum try and find(or fit) the B12 kit and rear subframe inserts and it will transform the handling and ride of the stock car to something more confidence-inspiring. Pre-OPF sound better and if you decide to do a resonator delete, you can remove both vs a OPF system that uses the front resonator for the filter.
The B58 is pretty solid, the oil filter can disintegrate upon removal, BMW have revised it 3-4 times I think but they still can break. Injectors can be a problem too, early cars (pre-Aug 2017) have injectors that can stick open and cause bore wash, but from my own brief reading on the subject, it can happen to stock and modified engines but more prevalent on mapped cars. A set of "revised" injectors is around £800 fitted by a specialist, but they also can fail apparently.
The other problem is insurance, a LOT of people are seeing huge hikes and/or companies refusing to cover cars now which is causing a drop in market value for the cars, good for buyers though.
Personally though, I have had mine nearly 3 years and 30k miles with it being a good all rounder rather than something that excels in a specific area. My record MPG was 49mpg on a long and slow run (had a good podcast going) at 60mph but 45mpg is easily attainable with an auto.
Edited by PistonbrokePaul on Wednesday 19th June 23:50
Jamescrs said:
I've got an M4 now but I still have a big soft spot for B58 engines in BMW's
I was out earlier in the 370Z, and I got behind a M240i with a none standard exhaust on it, and my goodness did it sound ace though. Even my youngest 8 year old daughter was impressed with the noise it made too, so I knew it must've been good! 
The B58 engine is very special I reckon for sure, and all being well...hopefully I will get to experience the S58 in the G8x M3/4 in the future at some stage too.
PistonbrokePaul said:
The other problem is insurance, a LOT of people are seeing huge hikes and/or companies refusing to cover cars now which is causing a drop in market value for the cars, good for buyers though.
This is definitely an issue. A few chaps I know who still have the finding them increasingly difficult to insure despite being older etc.Edited by PistonbrokePaul on Wednesday 19th June 23:50
Definitely get the auto imo.
It's marginally quicker, more efficient and much more relaxing when/if you do get stuck in traffic.
BMW manuals aren't great anyway, imo. It's certainly no Civic Type R rifle bolt shift at least, and fooked dual mass flywheels are a consideration with manuals also. Autos don't use them. The 8HP is bomb proof. Dump it's oil and filter every 60K and you've got a gearbox for life.
LSD isn't essential with good tyres like Conti Sport Contact 7, and I'd be going Wavetrac over Quaife anyway.
Quaife still spins the unloaded wheel like an open diff if the unloaded wheel has less than 10% traction. Full nanny mode TC is quite intrusive but effective. Switch to DTC and you get a bit of fun without getting too out of shape, DTC + Wavetrac is pretty effective, but due to the deliberate soft rear suspension, you will still get some squirming and wriggling about.
HK and Pro NAV are a must. You'll need a 2017ish car with iDrive 6 NBT_Evo Head if you want Carplay.
Seat heating is an option, as is lumbar support on standard M Sport Dakota leather seats. Most ticked the heating option, but not the lumbar. Both can be retrofitted easily enough.
M Sport + pack comes with black window trims, privacy glass, Sports display and sports + gearbox mode unlocked as standard, Blue brembo 370/340mm brakes and some other guff I can't remember.
OPF is no biggie. Might sound a bit muted but no power delivery sacrifice.
Injectors. Just deal with that as and when. Don't get hung up on ifs buts and maybes. Get the BMW comprehensive insured warranty for peace of mind as wear and tear on some items is covered as well as outright failure. If not, its easy enough to fit the newer injectors yourself and code in the serial numbers with ISTA.
Steering knock. Standard on the Thyssenkrup steering rack. Fit the £55 updated thrust block kit with some decent synthetic grease and you're golden, but shot drop links and dampers can make the same knocking noise as a loose rack....so get it checked thoroughly before firing the parts cannon at it.
I wouldn't bother with adaptive suspension personally as it's s
te. BMW's tuning with comfort is too soft and sports is too firm. Evolve do some nice Bilstein custom adaptive dampers though which work a lot better, otherwise it'll be Birds or Evolve if you choose the passive setup.
Just get one bought and enjoy. A ton of tuning potential and fun to be had. Stock B58s can hold a LOT of power, thanks to Toyota's joint venture with it.
It's marginally quicker, more efficient and much more relaxing when/if you do get stuck in traffic.
BMW manuals aren't great anyway, imo. It's certainly no Civic Type R rifle bolt shift at least, and fooked dual mass flywheels are a consideration with manuals also. Autos don't use them. The 8HP is bomb proof. Dump it's oil and filter every 60K and you've got a gearbox for life.
LSD isn't essential with good tyres like Conti Sport Contact 7, and I'd be going Wavetrac over Quaife anyway.
Quaife still spins the unloaded wheel like an open diff if the unloaded wheel has less than 10% traction. Full nanny mode TC is quite intrusive but effective. Switch to DTC and you get a bit of fun without getting too out of shape, DTC + Wavetrac is pretty effective, but due to the deliberate soft rear suspension, you will still get some squirming and wriggling about.
HK and Pro NAV are a must. You'll need a 2017ish car with iDrive 6 NBT_Evo Head if you want Carplay.
Seat heating is an option, as is lumbar support on standard M Sport Dakota leather seats. Most ticked the heating option, but not the lumbar. Both can be retrofitted easily enough.
M Sport + pack comes with black window trims, privacy glass, Sports display and sports + gearbox mode unlocked as standard, Blue brembo 370/340mm brakes and some other guff I can't remember.
OPF is no biggie. Might sound a bit muted but no power delivery sacrifice.
Injectors. Just deal with that as and when. Don't get hung up on ifs buts and maybes. Get the BMW comprehensive insured warranty for peace of mind as wear and tear on some items is covered as well as outright failure. If not, its easy enough to fit the newer injectors yourself and code in the serial numbers with ISTA.
Steering knock. Standard on the Thyssenkrup steering rack. Fit the £55 updated thrust block kit with some decent synthetic grease and you're golden, but shot drop links and dampers can make the same knocking noise as a loose rack....so get it checked thoroughly before firing the parts cannon at it.
I wouldn't bother with adaptive suspension personally as it's s
te. BMW's tuning with comfort is too soft and sports is too firm. Evolve do some nice Bilstein custom adaptive dampers though which work a lot better, otherwise it'll be Birds or Evolve if you choose the passive setup.Just get one bought and enjoy. A ton of tuning potential and fun to be had. Stock B58s can hold a LOT of power, thanks to Toyota's joint venture with it.
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