[morgan84]

Hi guys i'm new here and looking for some advice.

I've never owned a BMW before and am currently trying to find a nice 335i M Sport Coupe.

A few questions:

a) How big a problem is the fuel pump issue and does anyone know what sort of percentage actually suffer from this problem?

b) I will be looking at a 18 month - 2 year old model so is there anything in particular to be looking out for to avoid getting a lemon

c) What are the auto boxes like in terms of speed? I would prefer an auto box for my daily commute but at the same time still want to be able to have a bit of fun on weekends. Will an auto box spoil this.

d) and finally... what's the score with remaps? I can see some pretty impressive gains can be achieved, but does this come at a cost i.e. significantly reduced engine life?

Thanks in advance.

[jibaholic101]

a) the fuel pump can happen to anyone. but it is covered under warranty, and i believe they extended the warranty for the whole world?
b) m sport is a 2009 m/y option, that was when it was introduced
c) i am not the person to talk to about the auto boxes because i am known to hate down on them.
d) jb3 is the way to go as far as mapping. their latest software, you can expect to see 100hp/100tq gains on pump gas (highest octane) and 140hp/140tq on race gas. with these gains just from software, what that tells me is that the motor is significantly detuned.

[morgan84]

Thanks for the help. With reference to the M Sport being a MY 2009 option i think that is a different story in the UK where is has been around for longer.

[morgan84]

Anyone else care to contribute?

[Blotman]

a.) Fuel pump problem? Maybe I wasn't looking, but it's news to me, and I've never had a problem with my 06 325 or my 08 M3.

b.) Only problem I had was this malfunction with the idle actuator governor in my M3 which is addressed in their service bulletin and totally covered under the service plan. The 325 was only required regular service and oil changes. I do hear some stories how mechanics receive BMW for service more often than any other car though, which is surprising for me to hear, but worth to know.

c.) I drive manual now, and drove auto with the 325. Man, was that thing smooth as hell! I had a 135i and 335i as loaners as well not too long ago, and the auto transmission was just as smooth getting you up to speed. You are perfectly able to select your gears as well if you'd like to have a little fun with the car. The paddle shifters were configured kind of weird though where you pull either back to up shift and press forward to down shift, as opposed to pulling left shifter vs right shifter. You can also elect to use the shifter knob to select gears (in sequence only though). And there are some safeguards to prevent you from being in the wrong gear depending on your rev. There's also an option in between where you pull the knob from D to DS and leave it there. It'll still drive like an auto, but will shift at higher rpms.

d.) Never looked too much into this, but I would assume a shortened life span of your 335 as well as a possible void in the warranty.

Originally Posted by jibaholic101

a) the fuel pump can happen to anyone. but it is covered under warranty, and i believe they extended the warranty for the whole world?
b) m sport is a 2009 m/y option, that was when it was introduced
c) i am not the person to talk to about the auto boxes because i am known to hate down on them.
d) jb3 is the way to go as far as mapping. their latest software, you can expect to see 100hp/100tq gains on pump gas (highest octane) and 140hp/140tq on race gas. with these gains just from software, what that tells me is that the motor is significantly detuned.

It has nothing to do with these engines being significantly detuned, the nature of turbo engines makes it easy to raise boost for insane power.

[jopa489]

Originally Posted by morgan84

Hi guys i'm new here and looking for some advice.

I've never owned a BMW before and am currently trying to find a nice 335i M Sport Coupe.

A few questions:

a) How big a problem is the fuel pump issue and does anyone know what sort of percentage actually suffer from this problem?

b) I will be looking at a 18 month - 2 year old model so is there anything in particular to be looking out for to avoid getting a lemon

c) What are the auto boxes like in terms of speed? I would prefer an auto box for my daily commute but at the same time still want to be able to have a bit of fun on weekends. Will an auto box spoil this.

d) and finally... what's the score with remaps? I can see some pretty impressive gains can be achieved, but does this come at a cost i.e. significantly reduced engine life?

Thanks in advance.

A) You'll hear a LOT about it here, but we're all enthusiasts. It's a common issue, but the part is warrantied from BMW for 10 years / 120,000 miles. Some have also speculated it's because of the ethanol content in U.S. gas. You won't have that problem, being in the U.K.

B) Nothing specific, HPFP plagues even the new models. ZMP is not a new option for Europe (someone above pointed out it was new for 2009 - which is true for U.S. models).

C) The ZF-produced Steptronic in these cars is very good for a standard torque-converter automatic. It shifts hard and fast. Still not a DCT or traditional manual, but it's not bad.

D) Yeah, you can get big gains from the available after market options. Not sure how they effect engine longevity though. I'm sure they don't help, but don't know if they really hurt either.

[3lusive]

Originally Posted by Blotman

a.) Fuel pump problem? Maybe I wasn't looking, but it's news to me, and I've never had a problem with my 06 325 or my 08 M3.

You've never had a problem because..I want to say that N/A cars don't even have a HPFP but I know that NA cars don't have that problem.

[SoYank]

Originally Posted by morgan84

Anyone else care to contribute?

Yes, Morgan, you'll get a lot of good local information on the UK portion of the forum. That's not to say that the information elsewhere is substandard. However, I've never heard of a HPFP failing in the UK.

For remaps look at Evolve in Luton but there are others here as well.

And welcome to the forum. Where in the UK are you?

[TiAg335i]

Originally Posted by Blotman

a.) Fuel pump problem? Maybe I wasn't looking, but it's news to me, and I've never had a problem with my 06 325 or my 08 M3.

That's a pretty ridiculous statement. The fuel pump problem doesn't apply to either of your cars, so of course you won't hear about it.

[Ti335]

Originally Posted by morgan84

c) What are the auto boxes like in terms of speed? I would prefer an auto box for my daily commute but at the same time still want to be able to have a bit of fun on weekends. Will an auto box spoil this.

335's auto box shifts nearly as fast as 6MT with an expert driver (we are talking 0.1-0.2 difference in 0-60 acceleration times). In most situations, the average driver would be faster with the auto.

[HermesRider]

Welcome to the forum. Land of a million posts on every topic you have asked. If you really want to explore these questions thoroughly, search each one. I'm sure you will find a wealth of information to answer your questions. GL with the purchase!