thefish8 said:
New to the boards, so hello. I've had my 325i 05 since October and am finally coming around to wanting to make some cosmetic modifications. I've never done anything to any car before so I am a complete newbie. I'm looking to do 2 things for sure and would greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions.
1. Window tinting - how much should it cost to get it installed? Probably want to do all windows and sunroof. Any other tips?
2. Interior lighting - probably want to put some lights under the seats. I would love for it to be integrated with the lights to the dash. All this without wires showing would be great!
I know the second is a little bit more involved... What other mods can I do that don't void the warrenty? Thanks in advance to anyone who helps.
Tints really vary - from as low as $120 (good luck on quality) to $400 for 'quality' tint. I paid $300 to get mine done by a very reputable shop (Best in the state).
Interior lights, I'm not so knowledgable on, but I know simple bulb replacements are easy to change the 'feel' (You know, kill all the orange bulbs, put in 'xenon' style ones, etc etc. Lights along the floorboard should not be too terribly difficult.
Things you can do that won't void your warranty (this means, don't touch stuff under the hood):
Clear signals
angel eyes
bulbs (front/rear/side)
rims - shoes change the car dratmatically.
suspension - this will not void your warranty, but don't ask them to work on any suspension problems obviously!
car alarm install (If you didn't get BMW's because it's alot of money - buy it for $300 and install yourself, takes 2-3 hours).
If you're really looking to fool with the car and change how it looks, a change in bodykit(bumpers front/rear and side panels) will not void your warranty either.
Other things that are 'iffy' that are always up for debate (break out your 'home lawyers guide' book)
CAI - put the stock airbox back on before you take it in for service if yer worried. I've taken my car in for warranty work with my CAI on, and they don't even blink.
Shark (Chip) - Shark holds original ECU settings, that can be applied again, before taking the car in for service. (I've left mine chipped, taken it in for warranty service, again they didn't blink an eye..)
These 2 things in themselves have almost nil chance for engine damage of any sort, but hey they technically do break the warranty. Thus, getting your car back to 'stock' before taking it in is a good thing. If you're taking it in for engine problems of any sort, certainly go back to 'stock'. Otherwise I doubt your dealer will know, and likely you might gain respect or a handshake from the BMW mechanics actually.. (This has happened to me to.)
![[:)]](/images/smilies/smile.png "Smile [:)]")
Once you're bitten, it's hard to find enough 'antidote' to get it out of your system..
![[paranoid]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_paranoid.gif "Paranoid [paranoid]"){kind=icon}
