[F31MSP]

Lurking for too long, found the forum too late for all the great tips on ordering and spec, but its been a huge help sorting out various issues (3 kids across the back; no-nav audio options; iphone mounts; beginner detailing etc etc).

Thanks to all for unknowingly helping so much along the way.

Car was ordered late March, delivered late April - spec as follows:

F31 330D M Sport
Mineral Grey
Black Dakota
M Sport Plus Pack
Heated Seats

Post purchase:

M Performance Grilles (marmite on MG, but I love them/hate chrome)
Chinese rip off no drill M Performance pedals (a strangely satisfying upgrade - should be stock IMO)
Black chrome exhaust tips (incoming)

Obligatory pic (sorry not many on my phone atm)



I'm 1 month and 2,000 miles in and still look forward to getting up in the morning to get in the car for the commute and have never whipped out for random reasons at lunch so often...what a beast.

So, onto the question - does the following mean I can potentially code EBT in my no-nav car..?



_

[Ads4]

Whipping it out for random reasons at lunch can get you into all sorts of problems!!

Nice looking motor, love the black grills on MG, good look IMO. Post pics of the chrome exhaust tips please when you have them...

[....,,,,..,,..]

Lovely pics and congratulations on your speedy purchase.

Black grills should be standard on msport with chrome being an option.

Would be nice them adding in the pedals as well.

[Apl440i or 335d?]

Looks great! Glad you are enjoying it!

[j.s.]

Originally Posted by F31MSP

spec as follows:

F31 330D M Sport
Mineral Grey
Black Dakota
M Sport Plus Pack
Heated Seats

So, onto the question - does the following mean I can potentially code EBT in my no-nav car..?

That is what others experiences would indicate, if you have a combox then you can code 6NS (Enhanced Bluetooth).

Though I am puzzled why you have the combox in a non-nav car without 6NS or other options which obviously add it.

Others got non-nav cars built after March, and didn't have a combox.

I added 6NS to my order paying ~600 EUR in order to make sure I got bluetooth streaming.

If you don't mind could you please post the output of this site when you enter you VIN, alternatively post the last 7 characters of your VIN.

Perhaps you have some option which forces the addition of the combox.

[DrSteve]

What was your solution to 3 kids across the back if you don't mind me asking.
Car looks great by the way!

[Proftinkerpot]

Steve there is a thread about what brand of booster seats fit across the back. Can't recall which make though. Have a trawl back through threads from a few weeks ago even.

[F31MSP]

Originally Posted by jespers

Though I am puzzled why you have the combox in a non-nav car without 6NS or other options which obviously add it.

I had the same thought - I had even ordered the cable and then saw others not getting them. When I checked and saw it I was a little shocked. My only conclusion was that it was either to do with emergency call or the HK in some way?

Output from VIN check below

[F31MSP]

Originally Posted by DrSteve

What was your solution to 3 kids across the back if you don't mind me asking.
Car looks great by the way!

OK - so my kids are 21 months, 5 and 13. I noticed that the seatbelts on the outer seats were a long way in (and so are the isofix points) and therefore putting an installed seat in those outer seats would eat up space. So I wanted to put my 2yo in the center. The prob with that is that the isofix points are not the correct distance and I didn;t want it to be held in place by seatbelt as it would be all over the back seat when driving about without the kids.

In the end I found a seat, (Concord Transformer Pro) well ranked by Which in their tests, which had a isofix points attached by webbing(0.46 in this video) - this meant I could position them in the middle and then pull the seat snug on the mounts. The seat doesn't move when my son's not in it, and when he's in it, the seatbelt that pulls over the group 1 cushion can be pulled nice and tight. One other advantage is the width, just over 40cm its very narrow for such a substantial, and well made seat - some of them are over 10cm wider, that just eats up space.

For my 5yo daughter, dead simple - bubblebum inflatable seat - much narrower, and by all accounts very comfy. My 13yo son, he just sits there with quite a bit of room, sulking and leaning on the door...

Then the problem of the damn disappearing seatbelts - after some trial and error, I got some seatbelt extenders for the outer seats - these were by seatbelt extender pros - type F7, turning out to be branded ford ones (successfully removed said ford branding on the label which can be ripped cleanly off). These enable the 5yo and 13yo to easily belt in themselves, no hassle and very secure.

Suffice to say, I drove from Cornwall to Surrey and back at the weekend, and not a single moan or issue, which is a first... youngest loves being in the middle, can see everything and can easily see him and the older kids are glad to have their own space. Works a treat for us TBH. Pics below.

[DrSteve]

Originally Posted by Proftinkerpot

Steve there is a thread about what brand of booster seats fit across the back. Can't recall which make though. Have a trawl back through threads from a few weeks ago even.

I have managed 3 across the back - 1 baby seat and 2 boosters but it was a right PITA with the bases covering the seatbelt sockets. Had thought about trying seatbelt extenders but can't bring myself to risk it.

[F31MSP]

Replies crossed Steve - see above...

[DrSteve]

Yep - just noticed :-)
Thanks for the info, I'll have a look at those extenders - anything to get me out of clambering in the back door to do up the kids belts!

[F31MSP]

I had the same worry on the safety of the extenders but these are certified in the states and when they came with ford branding it added a lot of peace of mind. The seatbelt extender pro is a trusted brand and their support was first class (I ordered the wrong ones initially).

Thing to be aware of is the indicators show them as always belted in so you need to check/trust the kids. 20 quid tho and arrived in under a week from Hungary it was worth the punt for me.

[RichardM]

Any pics of the pedals and do they fit well? How much did they cost?

[F31MSP]

Originally Posted by RichardM

Any pics of the pedals and do they fit well? How much did they cost?

Sure - bit of a dodgy phone quality pic, but see below. They were about £35 from ebay via http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141155947666 and came in just over a week from China - no customs charges for me.



The brake pedal you have to put a bit of reassuring effort in to get it on, after you've removed the stock rubber cover (pulled it off) and it doesn't budge once in place. The accelerator justs slides on the current pedal, it comes with some 3M tape but I haven't bothered with that as is perfectly solid without sticking it on.

It looks good from the driving position through the gap in the steering wheel, as well as as you get in - it's a great upgrade IMO and beats drilling the pedals to fit the OEM ones that really do look pretty identical.

_

[j.s.]

Originally Posted by F31MSP

I had the same thought - I had even ordered the cable and then saw others not getting them. When I checked and saw it I was a little shocked. My only conclusion was that it was either to do with emergency call or the HK in some way?

I think you are right, it is option 6AE TeleServices which must have added the combox. I don't have that on my order here in Cyprus, is it standard on UK builds, or did you add it explicitly ?

[F31MSP]

Originally Posted by jespers

I think you are right, it is option 6AE TeleServices which must have added the combox. I don't have that on my order here in Cyprus, is it standard on UK builds, or did you add it explicitly ?

I definitely didn't add it, I thought it became standard in the week 10 changes - mine was week 14, and build started in April. I'm not sure what the meaning of the bold text is on that post referring to certain features becoming standard from April - possibly has something to do with it.

Glad I checked anyway - I'd all but given up reading other people's experiences.

[j.s.]

Originally Posted by F31MSP

I definitely didn't add it, I thought it became standard in the week 10 changes - mine was week 14, and build started in April. I'm not sure what the meaning of the bold text is on that post referring to certain features becoming standard from April - possibly has something to do with it.

Glad I checked anyway - I'd all but given up reading other people's experiences.

I had a look at the price list here, it lists option 6AE like



So only available with 6AC (which isn't listed as a selectable option here, but is in your configuration as Intelligent Emergency Call) or option 6AK ConnectedDrive Services.

If I read this correctly, I could have selected 6AK for EUR 260 and 6AE for EUR 0, and gotten the combox, that would have been cheaper than buying 6NS for EUR 676 :-(