It has been far too long since I updated on here and I have to tell you that I said goodbye to my 430d back in June 2023 after 2.5 years with the car. A fair amount happened in the time since my last update so I thought I would do a thorough update of what happened during that time and why I decided to sell.

The car sailed through its MOT (The UK’s annual safety test) without any issues and in the early part of the next year I extended the BMW warranty at a very reasonable £50 per month. The BMW insured warranty is extremely comprehensive and when paying monthly the price does not increase indefinitely other than a small inflation linked increase each year.

At around 60000 miles I decided to get the ZF8 gearbox serviced at a local BMW Specialist in Hinkley. I purchased a ZF Service Kit and had the work done for a total cost of around £400. BMW insist the gearboxes are sealed for life units but from the information I could find at the time they consider life to mean 100000 miles and ZF recommend under normal conditions a service should be carried out at around the 60000 mile mark. The oil turned out to be in great condition but the gearchanges immediately seemed smoother after it was changed.

Unfortunately, the specialist found my rocker cover was leaking a small amount of oil and advised me to take it back to BMW to have it rectified under the warranty so that is what I did. They had the car for a couple of days to do the work whilst I had a courtesy car. I collected the car and a few miles down the road on a busy dual carriageway and I got a message saying the oil was at the minimum level and to top up. Considering the work just done I immediately pulled into a layby and looked beneath the car and oil was pouring out from below the engine. After a very angry phone call to my dealer my car was recovered and the service advisor brought me the courtesy vehicle to keep me mobile whilst they looked at the car. It turned out the rocker cover, which is plastic, had distorted and wasn’t sealing correctly anymore. The car was fixed at their expense and I was compensated for the inconvenience.

That autumn, after another routine service and a replacement wheel bearing and suspension bushes replace under warranty after being spotted during the service, I had a full M-Performance style bodykit fitted to the car in gloss black fitted at a local car customiser. That consisted of a boot lip spoiler, rear diffuser, side skirts and a front splitter extension. It transformed the look of the car and gave me the customising bug and revitalised my love for the car. Despite doing a bit of research beforehand, I had an issue with the rear diffuser. I tow with the car and when I fitted the detachable towbar to the car, well, it didn’t fit! The centre fin of the diffuser was 1 or 2 cm too deep and stopped it from connecting correctly. I really didn’t want to cut the fin and I REALLY didn’t want to go back to the stock piece so after a lot of research I discovered the very last LCI cars came with a diffuser that had a couple of fins and looked more aggressive than the standard one. I purchased a second hand piece that had been painted black and after getting it repainted in gloss black (it had been poorly done before) it looked 95% as good as the M-Performance diffuser without the drawbacks.

The car looked great but I desperately wanted to upgrade the wheels and tyres so spent a few weeks obsessively searching for the right set up before finding a set of 20″ Genuine Forged BMW 405M wheels for sale. The were in good condition but I purchased them knowing they would need a refurb in the spring thanks to BMW’s famous diamond cut lacquer peel.

They came with some Michelin Pilot Supersport tyres on but after getting them home I realised they were starting to crack around the tread pattern and were 8 years old so I made the expensive decision to replace the tyres with a full set of Michelin PS4S Tyres. I was blown away with how the car looked and the Michelin Tyres were a revelation after the runflat Bridgestone’s I had got used to on the car. A big reduction in road noise was immediately obvious and traction levels were a big step up especially during the colder temperatures at the time. Low speed ride was more compliant despite the bigger rim size and the now tiny side walls. Cornering grip was improved significantly and gave more confidence when pushing on although not everything was improved by switching to non runflats. The car felt a lot softer in the corners with more roll despite the extra grip of the Michelin’s and crashed through bigger bumps and pot holes sending a shudder through the car that just did not happen on the smaller runflats.

The internet preaches about the ‘terrible’ runflats and how you ‘must’ change from them immediately but I would urge more caution and consider what you want from the car. The car undoubtedly handled better and had more steering feel on the runflat tyres it was designed to wear and the increased grip of the Michelin’s was not related to them being non runflat’s but the different compounds and qualities. I can confirm this was the case more so as the tyre fitter initially fitted Zero Pressure PS4S’s which was not noticed for a few thousand miles so I got to experience the best and worst of both tyre types. There was very little difference in ride quality between the Michelin in runflat and non form and no difference in performance in my driving. A few weeks later a puncture demonstrated to me both the best and worst worlds of that eventuality. I called out the RAC who came and did a temporary repair to get me home and the tyre was repaired at very little cost whereas a runflat tyre would have needed a £250 replacement tyre. The temporary repair however meant a 65 mile journey at a maximum of 40 mph which was sketchy to say the least on busy motorways. I was also lucky to be able to quickly get to a place of safety with my deflating tyre but had I not been able to and in a world of smart motorways with scarce refuge areas, a runflat would have enabled me to get to a place of safety and not be stranded in a live lane which can literally be a life saver. I guess the runflat, non runflat argument depends where your priorities lie when choosing a tyre but both had their drawbacks.

In the spring I decided to get the wheels powder coated after the winter road salt had finished off the diamond cut finish on these wheels. After much consideration I decided to go with straight Silver and wow, they looked fantastic against the blue paint. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards the front splitter decide to detach itself in the centre and start flapping and had to be removed. Having lost confidence in the aftermarket M-Performance style pieces I decided to replace it with a Maxton Design splitter which I managed to pick up for just £100. Before I had a chance to fit it the front bumper started to suffer with some lacquer peel as well. I always thought the front bumper had previously been repainted and it had, but poorly so I had to bite the bullet and get it repainted and I got the Maxton splitter fitted at the same time. The car was now finished as far as I was concerned and I was totally in love.

I sent the car into my dealership with a knocking from the steering rack which I know to be an issue with these cars and a leaking input shaft in the rear differential which they confirmed and both of these things were replaced under warranty as was a further wheel bearing that was found to be going during a health check. That brought the total of the warranty work since I had extended my cover to more than £4500 having paid just £600 into it. This was for items that almost any other warranty company would have considered wear and tear and discounted but the BMW Insured Warranty covers this until 100000 miles. I cannot recommend it highly enough and I wouldn’t have a BMW without it.

It was this thought that eventually led to me deciding to sell the car on. It had now covered 83000 miles and I was aware that within the year it was going to hit that milestone and thus, the warranty would no longer cover the car as comprehensively as I wanted it to. It was a really tough decision and I thought long and hard about whether to make the move or not but my sensible head took over and things escalated quickly so when the perfect replacement came up for sale I pounced on it. I’d had 2.5 years and 40000 great miles with the car and lost just £4000 in depreciation during that time. It was a shame to let the car go so soon after I had got it looking and driving just as I wanted but it was time ……..