Stop the press – I’m not going to tell you how perfect the 330d is this month! It is developing a couple of niggles. Firstly, my favourite BMW rant, although this time it’s not actually a BMW part: the brakes are starting to warp. This really does get me stroppy – it’s not as though I do any track work in the car, and I’m always careful about riding the brakes or being stationary with the footbrake depressed. I’ve checked for sticking callipers too.

So in four months and three thousand miles since I changed the front suspension bushes and brakes, the Rossini discs have warped. I recall the Rossini literature expressing exactly that this wouldn’t happen. I’m open to the idea that this is actually due to pad transfer material from the BMW pads, but there’s really no excuse for any of these components going off due to a touch of spirited driving.

My next move, when my “other cars” permit me time to investigate, will probably be to fit some Red Stuff hard compound pads and do some gentle miles, just to see if the harder compound pads can ‘clean’ the discs in any way. Other than that, I’ve got some new BMW discs in the garage, so I might just have to swap them on.

But what’s the longer term solution? Surely it’s not acceptable to have to replace front discs and pads every 3,000 miles?! Nor do I feel I should be forking out x-thousand pounds on a big brake setup for my diesel estate car. One is not amused.

The other problem is more forgivable: one of the xenons doesn’t always ignite first time. Again, when I’ve got a moment I’ll swap the bulbs out to eliminate that, then the igniters etc, until I find the source of the fault.

Otherwise though, another thousand miles spent this month mainly four up with luggage, haring around the country in comfort at pace; brilliant. The 100K mile mark looms ever closer now – I look forward to imminent turbo failure!

E46 330d Sport Touring
Year: 2002
Mileage This Month: 971
Total Mileage: 99,446
MPG this month: 40
Cost this month: £0