BMW 116d – 2015 – has run for 421,190 km

He doesn’t deliver what he should deliver

A BMW 1-series made from the right stuff: this week’s candidate has one of those. It is a modest 116d, with some options and additional work. One thing is certain: owner Kay will never get rid of this car, he tells us while judge Joep is test driving. Kay is in the car beautification business; Kay can offer its customers a thorough cleaning, a ceramic coating… everything to make your car fresh and fruity again. Of course he also spoils his own BMW 1-series quite a bit. And nothing is too much for him. He removes the stickers with his company name from the car especially for our Klokje Rond report. “It’s great that I can take my BMW to Klokje Rond! I had written before, but at the time the mileage was not considered high enough,” says the young Limburger. His compact German hatchback with diesel engine now weighs more than four tons, so bring it on! But… what is that? That rear does not match the year of manufacture of the car! “Haha, yes, I am in the car beautification business for a reason,” Kay explains. On his car we see a butt from the 2015 facelift model. “Well, I’m in the business of making cars nice and neat, so I gave my 116d an M look with bumpers and spoilers. But when I took a closer look, it turned out that the facelift rear also fit perfectly on my 1-series.” That was why it was increased. Now the car has an original front that matches the year of manufacture, and a rear from a generation later. Quite a bit more has happened to Kay’s 1 series. And it must be said, that is nicely done: here is a really big, fat 1-series. But with a tame engine, as Joep notes after the test drive. “He does not deliver what he should deliver,” said the judge. Well, let’s see which way that goes…

Serious bad luck

Kay’s 116d has had some more work done on it, such as a lowering set, new springs and new wheels. Extra attention has also been paid to the music system. In short: Kay bought the car for 11 grand, after which he spent at least another 10 grand on it. That’s quite a lot of money, but then there’s something there. The young entrepreneur is very pleased with his 1-series, but the relationship with the four-wheeler was seriously tested shortly after purchase. “After two thousand kilometers it suddenly ran like a two-cylinder in the morning, so I immediately went back to the seller. He first thought about the injectors, but that turned out not to be the case. Then a whole new block was added. Under warranty, that was great!” The two-liter diesel engine in this 1-series has therefore only run two tons, officially. Does Kay have any further wishes to pimp the car? “I would still like a Harman Kardon sound system, but there is no rush,” he says. Furthermore, Kay also has a thing for driving cars; he changes steering wheels as often as he changes socks. With flippers, without flippers, upholstered, with LED lights… he is now on his eighth steering wheel. “I like it, a bit of variety. This steering wheel will be removed and will then be placed in my girlfriend’s 1-series.”

It is not good

Judge Joep Schuurman was not happy during the test drive with the 116d and his mood deteriorated during the inspection on the bridge. This confirms what he was afraid of during the test drive: this car is not what it should be. Owner Kay is realistic enough to know that we will definitely find something today, but what? Kay: “There are some malfunctions visible on the dashboard. Such as the airbag, but that is nothing serious: a wear indicator, DMPS malfunction or its module. Furthermore, the headliner of the A-pillar is now missing because the window was replaced once and I forgot about that thing.” Clearly it is not clean sheet is going to be, but that is also not realistic for a car with more than four tons on the clock. We must also be able to separate the main from the side issues. No one expected that the list of defects, defects and areas for improvement would become so long. Not even Kay. He is seriously disappointed. “Yes, it does make me a bit quiet. As an entrepreneur, I do my work to the best of my knowledge and belief for all my customers. But it seems like my own car hasn’t gotten the care and attention it needs. That’s sad.” No party atmosphere today in the Klokje Rond garage.

Owner BMW 116d

Name: Kay Geurts
Year of construction: 2000
Residence: Merick
Occupation: self-employed car beautifier
First: car this BMW
Previous car: N/A
What would you like to change about your car?: Install a Harman/Kardon system
What is your longest trip with this car?: To Amsterdam

Maintenance history

At 226,000 km Kay runs into a major engine problem, but the block is replaced under warranty. He regularly presents his BMW to his regular maintenance address and every 10,000 or 15,000 kilometers for a fresh pool of oil. Kay was spared major misery after those engine problems.

What’s wrong with it?

• A-pillar trim on the left is missing
• OBD plug hangs loose under dashboard
• Error messages in display on: brakes, airbags, TPMS
• Deferred maintenance
• The front left sill is severely damaged at the entry and is starting to rust
• 33 active faults read out in various modules
• M logo in the handlebar is not fixed
• Start button does not work properly/sometimes does not work
• Comfort close function of the rear right window does not work
• There is no particulate filter
• Seat heating buttons do nothing
• Shock absorbers are completely worn out, causing the car to regularly hit its end stops and very unpleasant noises come from the chassis
• The engine has more power than a standard 116d, but far too little power for a chipped variant
• The steering wheel is (significantly) crooked when driving straight ahead
• There is (too) much wind noise to be heard on the highway
• The windshield washers do not work
• The sunshade band in the windshield is mounted upside down
• The car pulls to the right while driving
• There is a leak in the intake and exhaust system
• Various parts around the engine are not properly mounted or are not properly secured
• The front control arm rubbers are deeply torn and leaking
• The bottom plate is not properly secured, parts are missing and parts have been installed incorrectly
• The engine is leaking a lot of oil
• The gearbox appears to have never been serviced
• The exhaust has been repaired, but the wrong parts were used, so it is now not attached to the (empty) particulate filter at all
• The housing of the left engine mount is torn
• The height sensor at the front left is 180 degrees wrong
• The right driveshaft seal is leaking
• The rear suspension rubber of the differential is torn
• The posterior hard disk is torn
• The exhaust is cracked at the junction
• The bumper and rear diffusers are very poorly mounted. The splitter for that too by the way
• All wheels are bent
• The front tires are mediocre.

The opinion of Carrec Technocenter

“This 1-series is in very poor condition. From a distance it looks nice, but up close it’s definitely not right. Seriously below par. All show, no go.”