1 weeks M3 ownership, here are my questions

[teamshock nick]

I picked up my M3 last week and have some questions!

More to understand if my car is ok or not!

- Suspension seems stiff in all modes, is there hardley any diffrence between the settings?

- Sometimes i hear a slight knock from the back end, reminds me of when I used to drive lowered cars. I have called BMW to look at it just to be safe but have you guys had this?

- Road noise seems...noisey! Not on run flats so its not that, is it just because im not used to it?

- Stones kicking up seems to be another thing ive notices, a lot of stones going in the arches.

Anyway put my mind at ease!

For ref i have come from an F32 335d

Thanks!

[FJ_OPA80]

- Suspension seems stiff in all modes, is there hardley any diffrence between the settings? What tyres are you running? I think the PS4S offer slightly better ride comfort but cant say i think its particularly harsh and I've come from a G30 with RF tyres

- Sometimes i hear a slight knock from the back end, reminds me of when I used to drive lowered cars. I have called BMW to look at it just to be safe but have you guys had this? Cant help with this, sorry.

- Road noise seems...noisey! Not on run flats so its not that, is it just because im not used to it? Same Q on tyres - the MPS4S are quieter than the SS

- Stones kicking up seems to be another thing ive notices, a lot of stones going in the arches. look for F80 Carbon mudflaps or TLG mudflaps (made by a member if i remember right). Common problem due to design - best to get some flaps to protect the paint

[SYT_Shadow]

Hello, welcome to the forum

You're in a full fat M car. Comfort is not the priority.

The suspension is relatively stiff. There is a difference in all the modes, but it isn't night and day. Low profile tires with sporty intentions have stiff sidewalls.

No idea about the knock. It could be the diff acting up?

Road noise: full fat M car, less sound deadening than a normal car

[teamshock nick]

Sounds like I need to man up. I thought this might be the case

Will look for mud flaps as well.

Running new PS4's

Knocking noise I will see what BMW come back to me with. Its not massively loud, and only occasionally.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by teamshock nick

Sounds like I need to man up. I thought this might be the case

Will look for mud flaps as well.

Running new PS4's

Knocking noise I will see what BMW come back to me with. Its not massively loud, and only occasionally.

You haven't said which wheels you are on. M3s came with 18, 19 and 20 from the factory. If you have 19 or 20 you will gain some impact harshness reduction by getting the 18" wheels.

[teamshock nick]

19's, 437m

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by teamshock nick

19's, 437m

Well, consider moving to 18s if you have normal (non-CCB) brakes, it will make a slight difference

[EricP3]

mud flaps are the #1 mod for this car.

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by teamshock nick

I picked up my M3 last week and have some questions!

More to understand if my car is ok or not!

- Suspension seems stiff in all modes, is there hardley any diffrence between the settings?

- Sometimes i hear a slight knock from the back end, reminds me of when I used to drive lowered cars. I have called BMW to look at it just to be safe but have you guys had this?

- Road noise seems...noisey! Not on run flats so its not that, is it just because im not used to it?

- Stones kicking up seems to be another thing ive notices, a lot of stones going in the arches.

Anyway put my mind at ease!

For ref i have come from an F32 335d

Thanks!

Should be a noticable difference between Sport+ and Comfort.

Knock in back in...no idea. Broken suspension part?

Road Noise is normal for a performance coupe. It's actually significantly quieter than my old FRS which had like no sound deadening.

Get mudflaps for stone chips or PPF in high chip areas.

[Slowphiveo]

I have these on mine...they work great and look good too!
https://automotivepassion.net/produc...age-ap-design/

[Ninjasteezify]

The knock you are referring to may be clunking from the diff area? Does it mainly happen when coming on and off throttle? If so that is fairly normal for these cars assuming it is not overly excessive or loud. But it is not a bad idea to have bmw check it.

[MJBO]

I notice a decent difference in the suspension modes on my M4 (437M with PS4S), but it’s not as pronounced as on my G01 X3 with adaptive suspension (20-inch wheels with factory P ZEROs).

Road noise can be down to the tyres you’re running and the road surface. Been pleased with the NVH in my new to me M4 with the PS4S tyres.

Stones kicking up can also be related to the tyres you’re running. Stickier tyres, more stones are picked up and flung about.

[THEROK]

Originally Posted by EricP3

mud flaps are the #1 mod for this car.

No, it's not.

[M3god]

Originally Posted by teamshock nick

I picked up my M3 last week and have some questions!

More to understand if my car is ok or not!

- Suspension seems stiff in all modes, is there hardley any diffrence between the settings?

- Sometimes i hear a slight knock from the back end, reminds me of when I used to drive lowered cars. I have called BMW to look at it just to be safe but have you guys had this?

- Road noise seems...noisey! Not on run flats so its not that, is it just because im not used to it?

- Stones kicking up seems to be another thing ive notices, a lot of stones going in the arches.

Anyway put my mind at ease!

For ref i have come from an F32 335d

Thanks!

it's your diff bushing just upgrade to powerflex polyurethane street differential bushing a

[Suds]

Let’s start fresh with what year and what package your M3 is, also new or used.
Then we can start to speculate.

Originally Posted by teamshock nick

I picked up my M3 last week and have some questions!

More to understand if my car is ok or not!

- Suspension seems stiff in all modes, is there hardley any diffrence between the settings?

- Sometimes i hear a slight knock from the back end, reminds me of when I used to drive lowered cars. I have called BMW to look at it just to be safe but have you guys had this?

- Road noise seems...noisey! Not on run flats so its not that, is it just because im not used to it?

- Stones kicking up seems to be another thing ive notices, a lot of stones going in the arches.

Anyway put my mind at ease!

For ref i have come from an F32 335d

Thanks!

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by THEROK

No, it's not.

Agreed, the mud flaps do not look good. Sorry but those linked AP Design ones just look tacky IMO

[spidy512]

Originally Posted by AustinYellowm3

it's your diff bushing just upgrade to powerflex polyurethane street differential bushing a

This.

I bought mine with a torn rear diff busing. It had a soft "clunk" when accelerating or decelerating. You can crawl under the back of the car and visualize it. If you search around here you will find many threads ref'ing this problem. And pics.

I see many posts on the adjustable suspension not feeling a difference. I most def feel a difference with my car. In comfot is wallows around and is much more loose when getting on it. Sport and Sport+ are noticably stiffer (to me). So not sure what to say other than maybe you need to get used to it?

Also, fwiw, if there is a loss of signal to the shocks, they default to an absurdly stiff setting. I doubt that is your isssue, but something to know going forward. In this mode, the car is crazy crashy over anything.

Congrats on the ride! Good luck with all of it...

josh

[M3god]

Originally Posted by spidy512

This.

I bought mine with a torn rear diff busing. It had a soft "clunk" when accelerating or decelerating. You can crawl under the back of the car and visualize it. If you search around here you will find many threads ref'ing this problem. And pics.

I see many posts on the adjustable suspension not feeling a difference. I most def feel a difference with my car. In comfot is wallows around and is much more loose when getting on it. Sport and Sport+ are noticably stiffer (to me). So not sure what to say other than maybe you need to get used to it?

Also, fwiw, if there is a loss of signal to the shocks, they default to an absurdly stiff setting. I doubt that is your isssue, but something to know going forward. In this mode, the car is crazy crashy over anything.

Congrats on the ride! Good luck with all of it...

josh

Correct and also a turner motor sport diff plate to hold down the diff is definitely needed no matter the year or spec of the f8x chassis those 2 combined makes the rear end feels way better

[EricP3]

Originally Posted by THEROK

No, it's not.

yes it is.

[spidy512]

Originally Posted by AustinYellowm3

Correct and also a turner motor sport diff plate to hold down the diff is definitely needed no matter the year or spec of the f8x chassis those 2 combined makes the rear end feels way better

This AGAIN!

I forgot to mention that. I did get thew turner with ECS/PF bushings. The plate make a big difference in the rear end stability. Which these cars need desperately.

josh

[espressoo]

Are you located in a cold climate? Running summer tires when it’s regularly 50F degree or below makes a huge difference in comfort. If you want less noise and more comfort you need to sacrifice tire performance during the colder months. Consider getting all season tires if it bothers you that much.

[CubicMeters]

I've heard it said here that the F80 has more "normal" noises than most other cars, and I agree with this. For reference I've owned mine for about 10 months and although I wouldn't say I was concerned about the noises I was aware of them. Mine's 6MT and if I'm fast off the throttle at medium RPMs and slow with the clutch in 1st I'll get the clunking from the rear. I plan to upgrade the diff bushings at some point but I don't think it's anything to be worried about.

The ride is busy in this car, esp on the 20" 666 wheels and with these crap MD roads. I'm on 18" wheels with Blizzaks for winter, which improves the ride significantly. But, as others have said: harsher ride comes with the territory.

I do notice a difference when switching from comfort to sport or sport+ (which I never use on the street), so that might be something to look into if you're not feeling any difference at all.

Congrats on the new car!