What did you do for your ZHP/ BMW / MINI today? #2

[az3579]

Last night I coded front sidemarkers to be on as DRL's. Coupled with my existing "sidemarkers off" coding, they are on for DRL's and OFF when headlights are on. I'll give this a try for a while and see if I like it...

Wait for the 340i/440i for '16, will be out soon now. New motor, new tricks.

Only F30/31 is getting a LCI refresh. The 4 series will have to wait probably another model year. Not sure if the 4 series will get the new motors for 2016 or if they'll wait for LCI to put the new motors in those.

[anandoc]

Last night I coded front sidemarkers to be on as DRL's. Coupled with my existing "sidemarkers off" coding, they are on for DRL's and OFF when headlights are on. I'll give this a try for a while and see if I like it...

This thread is probably not the right place for me to ask this question, but do you still use NCS Expert to do your coding or do you use something newer (ISTA?). Also, for sidemarkers off with headlights on, did you just code SIDEMARKER_US to 'nicht_aktiv' ?

[stephenkirsh]

Wait for the 340i/440i for '16, will be out soon now. New motor, new tricks.

60 large for a 428i with a 4-banger? That boggles the mind. It's a decent motor by all accounts, but dropping that kind of coin, I need a nice I6 under the hood. It is after all the essence of what a BMW was, not very long ago. Times they are a'changing.

Better buy it quickly then. I keep reading bmw is going to be all electric + range extender by 2025.

[hcbeck2689]

Better buy it quickly then. I keep reading bmw is going to be all electric + range extender by 2025.

Never. That is the day anything ///m dies.


-Holden

[az3579]

This thread is probably not the right place for me to ask this question, but do you still use NCS Expert to do your coding or do you use something newer (ISTA?).

NCS.

Also, for sidemarkers off with headlights on, did you just code SIDEMARKER_US to 'nicht_aktiv' ?

Yes. When this is coded, the turn signals will not illuminate at all unless they are activated for a turn. I prefer this setting for cars with angel eyes because the turn signals being lit dimly looks awkward to me with angel eyes on.

With my new config, the DRL overrides that setting until the headlights are turned on. PM me if you want more info.

Better buy it quickly then. I keep reading bmw is going to be all electric + range extender by 2025.

Nope. There are other alternatives out there that auto manufacturers aren't done experimenting with / developing. 2025 won't be enough time to come up with a solution that fits the entire range of vehicles. It was also my understanding that making these batteries for electric vehicles is not environmentally friendly.

[Imola.ZHP]

BMW will offer hybrids in all of their models, it won't be a complete transformation for another decade probably. They like to use the headlines "electrifying their lineup" etc but its really just hybrids, hello 1999. Technically my i3 is a hybrid, it is what it is, I love it, but they shouldn't be leading people to believe that BMW is going after Tesla when its not. They are just making hybrids like Toyota has been doing since 1999, they will offer non-hybrids in the same models.

I just paid nearly 55K for a car with 2 cylinders (Range Extender). Well, didn't pay for so much as that is what the MSRP was. Minus lots of credits and hopefully another credit at lease-end. Nissan is offering up to $7k off residuals to keep Leaf people in their Leaf's, I'm hoping for a similar situation (or more off) when the lease ends on my i3.

Good stuff guys, I'll I've been doing is making payments (payments SUCK!), charging and driving. Ordered some LED front turn signal bulbs (why are all but 4 bulbs on the i3 already LED BMW?) but other than that just quietly motoring on for now.

[johnrando]

Tony, your car looks great. Way to rep w/the stickers Charlie.

[cakM3]

... Way to rep w/the stickers Charlie.

[Vas]

Ouch for 55k on an i3.

[ecrabb]

I just paid nearly 55K for a car with 2 cylinders (Range Extender). Well, didn't pay for so much as that is what the MSRP was. Minus lots of credits and hopefully another credit at lease-end. Nissan is offering up to $7k off residuals to keep Leaf people in their Leaf's, I'm hoping for a similar situation (or more off) when the lease ends on my i3.

Good stuff guys, I'll I've been doing is making payments (payments SUCK!), charging and driving. Ordered some LED front turn signal bulbs (why are all but 4 bulbs on the i3 already LED BMW?) but other than that just quietly motoring on for now.

A guy I worked with leased a Volt that he drove ~45 minutes each way to work. The financial numbers were awesome. If I had a long commute, I'd seriously consider something like a Volt or an i3. I'm not so interested in something like a Leaf because of the range and the appearance, and I have zero interest in a Prius because they're just plain unappealing in every single way other than efficiency.

Speaking of appearance, that's something that's really bugging me about the current crop of hybrid/electrics. Why, oh why do the manufacturers building an electric or hybrid-electric car all have to build that technology into some exclusive quirky platform? No disrespect intended, but the i3 has the "goofy" look compared to the rest of the lineup. It's like they said, "OK, for this electric, let's build something that looks like it came from Tokyo... Or outer space." WTH? Same with the Leaf... Nissan builds some fairly attractive cars. Why did the Leaf have to look like a butt plug or something? The Prius is... Gag. The Volt is actually one of the more attractive to me, which is odd, because I'm not much of a fan of GM these days, with a few notable exceptions.

Have the marketing propeller-heads at all these companies decided that people will buy a hybrid-electric car only if it looks goofy and not like a "traditional" car? Why can't we buy the Prius running gear in a form factor more like the FR-S or even the Corolla for that matter? Anything would be better than the Prius! Why can't you buy the Leaf drivetrain in a Versa or a Juke? Why does wanting to buy an efficient and advanced-propulsion car mean you have to completely give up on sporty, athletic, or fun look/feel? Well, unless you spend $100k+ on a Tesla, that is. It's like the the manufacturers have just given up and ceded the "fun" market to Tesla, and all design their electric cars to sell only to the Ed Begley, Jr types of the world.

</rant>

I do have to say, your i3 is kind of neat looking. The black and charcoal really helps tame the crazy design and sort of hides some things like the rear-door hip-line, and the wheels are much better than what I've seen. I'll have to go look at another one in person. It's growing on me.

Cheers,
SC