BMW leather wipes, QTY 10, PN 83192286941, $5.00r
Monday, August 28, 2017
Leather Wipes
These are Original BMW parts. They are nice to keep in the car in
the event of a spill on leather. We keep one pack in each car in our
family.
BMW leather wipes, QTY 10, PN 83192286941, $5.00r
BMW leather wipes, QTY 10, PN 83192286941, $5.00r
Engine Performance Software
Like many BMW diesel owners, part of the appeal of the diesel engine to us was the mod-ability. The engine responds really well to new, aftermarket software. And, the risk, while BMW will tell you is quite high, seems low to me. The piggyback chips are very hard, if not impossible for them to track down. They are totally reverseable. And, the US-spec 3.0 motor has many of the same internals as the higher output rest of world 6-cylinder diesels. We waited for 20K miles before adding ours, after the car was trouble-free up to that point. As always, feel free to do it your way.
Either way, we went with a Racechip Ultimate. New performance is stated at 322 hp and 508 ft-lbs of torque. The gains are obvious, immediate, and performance feels like a 5.0i gas engine. You install the Racechip into a circuit on the fuel rail by unhooking only one connection, at the front of the engine. Only takes a few minutes to install. I mounted ours on the forward part of the driver's fender as shown. I used industrial velcro and also tie wraps as backup.
Racechip Ultimate for F15 N57 35d, $599.00r
Total investment in vehicle to date = $5401.28
Either way, we went with a Racechip Ultimate. New performance is stated at 322 hp and 508 ft-lbs of torque. The gains are obvious, immediate, and performance feels like a 5.0i gas engine. You install the Racechip into a circuit on the fuel rail by unhooking only one connection, at the front of the engine. Only takes a few minutes to install. I mounted ours on the forward part of the driver's fender as shown. I used industrial velcro and also tie wraps as backup.
Racechip Ultimate for F15 N57 35d, $599.00r
Total investment in vehicle to date = $5401.28
Engine Air Filter Service
BMW wants to change the engine air filter every 30,000 miles. They will change the CABIN interior air filters every 20,000 miles. Seems to me that they have their priorities backwards. On the other hand, a new engine air filter, PN 13718518111 retails for $68.75. A new set of cabin air filters, PN 64119248294 (in bound air) and 64319194098 (recirc air) retails for $118.79, and $31.83, respectively. So they went with the more expensive option.
On our car, I pulled the filter and it was quite dirty with very small particles. Based on this, and on how easy it is to change, I plan to change it every 15,000 miles from here on out. The air filer on the US 3.0 D motor is under the engine cover at the rear of the engine near the oil dipstick. To remove it, you un-clamp 2 metal spring clamps, and you are out.
In my research, and based on how the OE filter is marked, a Mahle filter part number LX 2796/1 would be a good replacement for the OE one, probably for less cost.
Engine Air Filter, OEM BMW 13718518111, $68.75r
Total investment in vehicle to date = $4802.28
On our car, I pulled the filter and it was quite dirty with very small particles. Based on this, and on how easy it is to change, I plan to change it every 15,000 miles from here on out. The air filer on the US 3.0 D motor is under the engine cover at the rear of the engine near the oil dipstick. To remove it, you un-clamp 2 metal spring clamps, and you are out.
In my research, and based on how the OE filter is marked, a Mahle filter part number LX 2796/1 would be a good replacement for the OE one, probably for less cost.
Engine Air Filter, OEM BMW 13718518111, $68.75r
Total investment in vehicle to date = $4802.28
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| Engine Air filter is located here. Release the silver metal clamp shown, and the one on the opposite side to remove and replace the filter. |
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| 20K on the left, new on the right. |
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| 20K filter. Basically black with soot and dirt. |
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| New |
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| 20K filter on the left, new on the right. Doesn't look too dirty in this pic. |
Hardwired Escort Radar Detector
I hardwired an Escort 9500ix radar detector into the car. I had initially planned on a complete stealth system but cannot afford the time to install on right now. So this will have to do in the mean time.
For power, I tapped into fuse #42 in the forward passenger footwell fuse box (there is more than one fuse box in the F15!). 42 is nice because it's for the UGDO transmitter and PDC and it's switched power. I used an adapter I bought from Amazon. For ground, I tapped into the all-brown wire on the passenger side footwell light harness, right by the fusebox. Lastly, I have found it's nice to have a remote mute button to silence the detector. So I used one from Escort. I was able to fish the remote wires below the steering column through the Lycra-like material and mount the mute button under the steering wheel. I took care to make sure there was enough wire slack in all possible steering wheel positions. Lastly, I covered the LEDs on the mute button assembly with black electrical tape. No need for more stray light in the cabin.
I ran the wires up and down the A-pillars. The trim is easy to remove. The door seals are easy to pry back a little and there is even a small channel behind them to contain the wires. It's laborious, took me about 90 minutes, but it's nice to have it all integrated and also have a remote mute button.
Escort 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector, $329.99 from Amazon
Radar Mount add-a-blade fuse, $8.99 from Amazon
Escort Sticky Cup Radar Mount, $30.37 from Amazon
Escort Smartcord, $22.99 from Amazon
For power, I tapped into fuse #42 in the forward passenger footwell fuse box (there is more than one fuse box in the F15!). 42 is nice because it's for the UGDO transmitter and PDC and it's switched power. I used an adapter I bought from Amazon. For ground, I tapped into the all-brown wire on the passenger side footwell light harness, right by the fusebox. Lastly, I have found it's nice to have a remote mute button to silence the detector. So I used one from Escort. I was able to fish the remote wires below the steering column through the Lycra-like material and mount the mute button under the steering wheel. I took care to make sure there was enough wire slack in all possible steering wheel positions. Lastly, I covered the LEDs on the mute button assembly with black electrical tape. No need for more stray light in the cabin.
I ran the wires up and down the A-pillars. The trim is easy to remove. The door seals are easy to pry back a little and there is even a small channel behind them to contain the wires. It's laborious, took me about 90 minutes, but it's nice to have it all integrated and also have a remote mute button.
Escort 9500ix Radar/Laser Detector, $329.99 from Amazon
Radar Mount add-a-blade fuse, $8.99 from Amazon
Escort Sticky Cup Radar Mount, $30.37 from Amazon
Escort Smartcord, $22.99 from Amazon
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