Which bmw 4 series?

[Ukbpd]

Hello I’m new here and I’m looking to upgrade my car to a bmw 4 series 2014 and above I’m looking to modify it quite heavily and I was just wondering is there a typical model like the 435d or 430d etc, which is the best to modify ?

 

[obi_waynne]

The 435d has 308bhp and remap takes this to 400bhp and torque rises from 465 to 570lbft
The 430d has 255bhp the remap take it up to 310bhp with torque rising 413lbft to 472lbft

Even a humble 418d still offers around 90hp boost with a remap taking power to around 235hp, but you'll be hard pushed to get this engine to put out over 300hp.

So IMHO the 435 offers a better return for your tuning, then if you add turbos, fuel and exhaust parts you can get even more. Believe me the stock 435 is plenty rapid, and when you get used to the power you can do a pretty big hike with just a remap.

The other thing is to look at the cost and availability of parts, that could make or break your project before you begin.

 

[charger69]

Hello I’m new here and I’m looking to upgrade my car to a bmw 4 series 2014 and above I’m looking to modify it quite heavily and I was just wondering is there a typical model like the 435d or 430d etc, which is the best to modify ?

Hello mate, buddy.
BMW Diesel are not good, just like the x drive. BMW has no good tradition with diesel and 4wd. anyway what do you have in mind? not really fancy a BMW

 

[obi_waynne]

Sorry @charger69 I have to disagree with you on that one, many friends of mine have BMW diesels and they are very impressive, they also don't have the same EGR and carbon build up issues that you see on similar Audi engines, and the engines are very well setup indeed.

My only gripe is that RWD is not great on wet or icy roads, and the UK is wet most of the year round.

Some of their smaller and older diesel engines have much room for improvement but pretty much all of the later ones have one many awards and accolades for their diesel engines, and personally I think the 335d has one of the best diesel engines around (M57D30TU2TOP), so much so with a remap I can't see the point of going for the petrol version.

 

[Ukbpd]

Thank you very much for your reply it was very helpful, I was also looking at the 2litre 4 series to maybe start with instead perhaps a 420d? Instead of a 3litre, if you’re saying the 418d has plenty of a kick with a remap, what do you think? Or are there any benefits from a petrol 4 series ?

 

[obi_waynne]

Yes the 420d is very economical even when remapped, it is probably one of the best options for fun and low long term running costs.

Diesels are getting a bad rep at the moment and this will probably end in fuel hikes and congestion zone charge increases. The reality is that the modern diesel is cleaner than a petrol now. At the moment they are pretty cheap because of this uncertainty and I wouldn't even hesitate to buy a diesel now.

When the diesels are so economical, powerful and torquey it is hard to think of a reason to go for petrol. IF you only do short journeys though a diesel is not really suitable, dpf filters get clogged on short runs etc.

 

[Ukbpd]

what are things to look out for when buying a 420d, like things that commonly go wrong? and any ways to prevent it? I heard they’re prone to oil leaks

 

[obi_waynne]

Make sure it has a service history, the oil leaks can be easily spotted and are not a significant or regular fault. DPF filters can be blocked if the car is used on short runs, so avoid any "retirement owned once a week to the supermarket" low mileage deals. Look at the emissions figures on the last MOT, and avoid any that narrowly passed.

 

[JohnHubinger]

Why don't you compare a few models and see which specs are suit you more? Catch this free car compare tool and don't thank me

 

[JohnHubinger]

Why don't you compare a few models and see which specs are suit you more? Catch this free car compare tool and don't thank me

The link was removed I guess, or I forgot to insert, so here it is in the quote.

Admin note: (Yes the link was removed)

 

[Ukbpd]

Yes the 420d is very economical even when remapped, it is probably one of the best options for fun and low long term running costs.

Diesels are getting a bad rep at the moment and this will probably end in fuel hikes and congestion zone charge increases. The reality is that the modern diesel is cleaner than a petrol now. At the moment they are pretty cheap because of this uncertainty and I wouldn't even hesitate to buy a diesel now.

When the diesels are so economical, powerful and torquey it is hard to think of a reason to go for petrol. IF you only do short journeys though a diesel is not really suitable, dpf filters get clogged on short runs etc.

Do you have any knowledge of the part availability for the 430d I’ve looked at the insurance and I can afford it, I thought I couldn’t but turns out it’s a go, I’m looking to upgrade it a fair amount but don’t want to get that specific model if parts are limited

 

[obi_waynne]

Don't look for 430d parts, look for N57 or specifically N57D30O1 parts, - the engine was used in quite a few models and the 4 series is still a bit of a rarity so there may not be 430d parts listed. You should find plenty around, it depends what parts you wanted, I'd do a turbo upgrade and remap for the biggest gain, you might need fuelling, exhaust and intake mods to support this as well. (The stock exhaust flows really well so probably not an essential upgrade.)

I always recommend you plan your upgrades and have a clear goal in mind rather than just buy stuff at random and keep bolting it on.

 

[thexav]

Have you tracked any down yet or is Lockdown hampering your plans a little?

 

[Ukbpd]

Have you tracked any down yet or is Lockdown hampering your plans a little?

So I ended up getting the 420d, and now I’m wondering if I should wait till I can Afford something more substantial like an m3/4, or shall I go ahead and upgrade a 2litre diesel, because if I was going to, Id want to go all out but is it beneficial to even do that to a 2litre, maps, wide body kits, exhaust systems etc? I really want to and I want to enjoy building the car up but is it worth it for that model ?

 

[Ukbpd]

So I ended up getting the 420d, and now I’m wondering if I should wait till I can Afford something more substantial like an m3/4, or shall I go ahead and upgrade a 2litre diesel, because if I was going to, Id want to go all out but is it beneficial to even do that to a 2litre, maps, wide body kits, exhaust systems etc? I really want to and I want to enjoy building the car up but is it worth it for that model ?

I’m also only looking at 220bhp with a remap is that normal or is that on the low side

 

[obi_waynne]

Hmm 220bhp, that does seem in the ballpark, the guys at Celtic Tuning for example quote a power figure in the order of 230bhp. That's still a good gain from the 180bhp stock power, and torque will go from around 280 to almost 350lbft!

The main story of a remap is the entire power curve and when the power starts to come on, so peak power doesn't actually tell you much about the remap.

 

[Ukbpd]

mine is 190bhp stock, ah I see so many try a different tuning shop, maybe they’re a crap one ahahadid you manage to have any opinions on the rest of the message?

 

[obi_waynne]

Sorry I've not been around much, I've been fighting off a DDOS attack on this site. Hopefully performance is back up to where it was, or perhaps a little better.

So apologies for my late reply, and thank you for your post.

I would set a budget and get as much power as that budget will allow, don't get sucked into a do it all and save the money and experience for the next project.

If you can afford a remap and a modest turbo upgrade that would be as far as i'd take it and should give around 30% more power.

For more money you could replace pistons, crank, cam and get a larger turbo and replace the fuelling, but this will typically cost 4 times as much as my simple mods and only give you another 10-15% of power.