2003 BMW M3 - The New Daily

[SebringMan]

My pleasure!

Honestly? Almost . There is another update coming but my winter daily has taken the stress off the M3 ; it was near enough my only car for almost 2 years now! But it's very good for the best part. Going in a 15k mile M4 has also made my expectations more realistic ; even they have the M Clunk which I found very surprising and iffy responses when cold.

As you say it's a hard balance to strike with getting an old car good. I guess I have been here many times over and over again, even with less older machinery.

I do have more faith the in the car now than I did back in April! As you say good work is very hard to find meaning only yourself can unfortunately be the only result. But it's not always bad .

It sounds like you've done quite a bit to your Z4! I can see why an M3 is appealing in that case albeit it's hard to get rid of a car that you have bonded with too!

Your last comment is promising! I was worried it would put off people, not encourage you to think it's alright! To me I guess I expected it to be more forgiving on maintenance and repair costs but all things considered it's not bad at all especially for the miles I've piled onto it and as you say it's not too bad otherwise. It's probably also the one daily I have pushed harder than the rest with the exception on a Mondeo 3.0 V6, but as you say that was only 6 years old which does make quite a difference.

[SebringMan]

Mr Whippy said:

Interesting you mention the Mondeo V6 3.0... is that an st220?
That era car are pretty bomb proof and the parts very reasonably priced.
A nice car to get fixed up and enjoy!

My brother has a TDCi version ST, first was rear ended by a skip lorry, the second still running.
He loves it and it's a really good DIY car but with cheaper parts vs an M car, so maybe that is the shock factor going from Ford to BMW M!


Then again my brother takes tractors apart for fun so he's well versed in such stuff... no doubt I'll be pestering him for help with harder jobs on an M3!

Might do the sub-frame stuff diy if he's willing to help.


Did you consider doing it yourself? You seem proficient enough, but agree that it's nice to treat yourself to other people's work sometimes

The Mondeo was a rare one. It was a 3.0 V6 6 speed. It made getting seconhand parts a nightmare but otherwise I did love that car. t was however a car I took to many places as you can tell. Considering it cost me £3.5k in 2010 for an '05 plate I was very smitten for the money! It's become a bit of a yardstick for buying a car mind you!

I did consider doing the subframe myself. Two things however changed that:

-I worked back then mostly off the driveway.
-I can spot faults and see them better than I could do years ago. But I am still learning ; everyday is a school day and I stand by that. With ETA I figured they'd know where to look for the issues, besides Redish ; for instance he stitch welded the RACP to the inner wheelarch as well as plugging a few broken spot welds. Would I have spotted them? Possibly but it is one of those. Geoff & Mark are a decent bunch of folks without extortionate rates too which is refreshing to see . The fact that I saved a small fortune in labour did help alot! I figured until now I have saved around £1.5k in labour. Ouch and yay!

There is one job I'll be tackling myself however soon. But the M3 has been brought out to play again .

[SebringMan]

Tezler said:

I've read your whole thread, love that you use it daily and take it on roadtrips abroad!

Always had a soft spot for E46 M3's, looking into getting one myself. Now you've had the car quite some time, what does generally cost to run one everyday, annual maintenance costs, fuel costs etc?

Cheers!

The everyday costs depend on what you expect and what you consider to be reasonable. Of course those things are massively subjective ; I thought my M3 was very expensive to run in all areas until you consider alot of moderns don't exactly have cheap bits and that parts from ECP isn't always the way forward for any car out there.

The costs are detailed in the garage section of my Garage:

https://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?ca...

Out of that:

-£1.2k went towards a front end respray and tidy up like the new headlight lenses which some would argue not necessary
-I went new on some bits due to experience, risk and time where many would have tried hombrew aftermarket fixes or gone secondhand ; oil cooler is one example
-Not everyone would have done the RACP reinforcement after being given the all clear from BMW; I still have people asking why I did it.
-I also did quite a bit of the work myself bar the paint and the RACP as you know from the thread.

That said, the tyres are not much different in price to a modern Astra on 17s or 18s ; F series BMWs seem to be this much! The alternator is about the same price as things are on other cars ; My Mondeo 3.0 had a much pricier alt and that was dealer only!

Anyway, I briefly stored the M3 for a month in a unit. I did this to kerb back on the miles as well as to do a couple of small jobs over winter while I smoked around in my W124. However, it seems with me inadvertedly having a week off work I'd have a reason to pull the car out of its slumber. Why?

Yorkshire Trip (1 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

I decided to go to God's County, Yorkshire.

Yorkshire Trip (3 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

It's fair to say that the scenery was stunning yet inviting!


Yorkshire Trip (6 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

It may have been dirty from the 3 hour trip and my poor excuse of a clean but it still looked right at home there. I could have spent all day finding locations to take shots of the car against stunning backdrops. But after a while there is only so much snapping you can do:

Yorkshire Trip (5 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

With that in mind it was time to get back into the car and head off to enjoy the roads in a different way but also a particular road:

Yorkshire Trip (7 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Yorkshire Trip (8 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Yup, I had come up to the one and only Buttertubs pass. And what a road it is! It was probably not the best road to tackle in an M3 at this time of year but it was certainly another way to avoid traffic and cyclists! I felt that the road was superb in its changing nature and gorgeous scenery, ableit tight for a car of this size! It also didn't help that the only thing between you and a large fall to the bottom was a bit of hosepipe!


Yorkshire Trip (10 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Before I knew it I was opening up the taps but not for long:

Yorkshire Trip (11 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Yorkshire Trip (12 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Yorkshire Trip (13 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Yorkshire Trip (14 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

I also took the opportunity to go to the Ribblehead Viaduct. If you have never been it is worth going to. It's certainly something to behold and if you have a dog an awesome place to go for a walk!

It's fair to say that I drove alot of Boxing day, the day that I went up! I know we have some good roads in the Midlands but wow those roads and scenery are something to behold! Going to Buttertubs pass had been on the 'to-do' list for a long time, longer than me even going to the Evo Triangle. Was Jeremy Clarkson to blame or was it my Northern friends? Who knows? It was a good road but even if the BT is not your thing there are plenty of superb roads around there that you really are not spoiled for choice!

With that in mind I took a slightly easier day the next day, going to York and seeing the Railway museum and sorting out a few other things like visiting some family based that way. It culminated into a very busy but quite a superb day all things given.

Yorkshire Trip (29 of 40) by Charlieboy, on Flickr

There is more to come and some jobs to tackle but that can wait for another time. Stay tuned and Happy New Year all.

[SebringMan]

Mr Whippy said:

I've been reading a bit about garaging at 40% RH or lower to inhibit rust altogether, and also to dry the car out. I'm thinking then that winter use is fairly ok as it'll not rust without moisture, and/or giving it a good rinse after a long wintery run.

What is your current garage strategy?

M3 wings seem to be getting more expensive... and unlike my Z4 where you can swap front/rear wings fairly easily, the M3 rear wing is clearly a much bigger/costly job.
Infact the main bodywork rust is my main worry with an M3 over anything else as it's almost all non-DIY work and a cheap job will not be nice

Dave

Yup, you really are lucky with the stunning scenery around you. I guess it's not called God's county for nothing .

As for my garage strategy it has changed it was this before:

1) Keep it outside but ensure the arches etc. are clean ; a pressure washer comes in handy here.
2) Wash it ; that of course goes hand in hand with the above.

Now it's changed to the following:

1) Store it whenever I don't need it over winter
2) Make sure it is clean when it is stored.

Storing it also allows me to do a few jobs on it with less time constraints.

C2james said:

Just read the whole thread, I’m looking at buying an M3 right now so good to take note! I’m going from a clio 200.

Cheers! I did a similar switch. I went from a 172 to this . Which 200 do you have? The 200 or the new turbo one?

As for the car it was out for about 3 weeks since I took it out of storage. It was good to be driving it again and I soon settle down into the groove. I even booked it in for the annual MOT. Despite me worrying it passed with zero advisories, with not even tyres making it onto the list. A good result indeed for its second MOT under my ownership.

However, a week before I had the dreaded EML light come on briefly with the car feeling a little flat. It did not however come on since. Being me I got out INPA again and checked the codes. As suspected it was my VANOS giving me issues, with the codes pointing towards the solenoid pack and its seals. For those wondering my codes were 72 and 184, refering in particular to the intake advance and the intake control. I did have them a while back but they didn't come back and I never had an EML on either.

I then weighed up my options. Initially, I saw them as going to Beisan and getting the 'uprated' parts. Upon speaking to a known VANOS repairer I was informed that a few Beisan fixes were leaking and had the solenoids fail, with a new VANOS valve block being recommended, although he did do refurbs. He offered me his Valve block for £220 on an exchange basis, with a new block being £550, which he could only get, and was unavailable from BMW.

This was strange as I've never heard of a Beisan failure, and neither have a few specialists I have spoken to. What's more, BMW do sell a new VANOS block, and for £470 with discount. It's funny, I thought I could not get the parts. After checking further I went with the following:

-Beisan Solenoid pack with the Viton valve block seals
-Updated bolts from BMW ; as expected these were cheaper than what Hack Engineering wanted.

The entire lot came to £270, with me getting back £100 if I return my old unit back. All of this was sourced from Hack Engineering bar the bolts.

With that in mind it was time for me to crack on with the fix. But first I'd have to put the M3 away. This involved the car dance of me putting the W124 back into storage while I went on my Yorkshire trip:

Once a few weeks had passed the M3 would be put back again. Now I could make a start on the VANOS refurbishment:

Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr

First of all I cleaned out the valve block, using a magnet and carb cleaner as suggested. Stuff came out, but not as bad as I was expecting:

Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr

I then moved onto the seals, where I bought a craft knife specifically for the job. This made cutting out the seals a relatively simple task. The two seals I had cut out were worse than the two here, but this kind of wear is probably to be expected.

Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr

I then wasted no time in cleaning up the parts and fitting the new seals:

Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr

With that done it was time to marry up the refurbished solenoid pack against the valve block:

Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Since that was done I just had to refit it to the car again:

Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Since the bonnet was open and the car is being stored I decided to briefly put the CTEK on to keep the battery in good heath:

Untitled by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Some of you familiar with the procedure will have noticed that I didn't touch the seals on the VANOS pressure regulator. My reason? I did that back in April when I gave the car an oil change. I pulled it out and it looked OK there; I was surprised to see that the seal I had changed was going square again. Since it is a very easy valve to remove in situ I may just do that in the future and see if the Beisan item fares any better.

So far I cannot comment on the difference it has made since I merely fired the car up to ensure that it wouldn't leak again. All was well there and there were more warning lights. I also plan to check and clear the codes one more time just to keep an eye on things .

[SebringMan]

For those who think an M3 should only be touched by specialists or left stock I'd look away now!

CarPlay addition E46 M3 by Charlieboy, on Flickr

I'm dealing with an issue I've had for a while and if you look carefully in previous shots you'll know what problem I had, More to come later .

[SebringMan]

C2james said:

I’ve got the old proper 200, Alien Green and recaros!

Ah, a good old 2.0! They are such a great shape! Unlike the 172 they do look different enough to a normal Clio so as to differentiate them.

I guess I better come to why my dashboard is a mess. Basically, I really wanted Bluetooth audio playback in my M3. With a tape deck this wasn't going to happen without taking a massive quality hit or searching out a later CD Player that can take an aux-in. With this in mind I went with a CD player that has now been in a few of my cars now, the trusty Alpine:

Pre-carplay by Charlieboy, on Flickr

This despite appearances brought a few benefits including clearer handsfree speaking than the factory Bluetooth system, Sat-Nav instructions through the CD player itself in addition to broadening my music collection for the car a little further. It's not like I haven't done any long distance trips in this car since I bought it .

Unfortunately I could never get the headunit to ever sit flush. Since I put the car into storage it's given me the opportunity to sort out a few things with less of a time constraint or a need to get things back together. Not that it's stopped me previously from driving a car with bits of interior missing, as my friends can testify!

For over a year I've really fancied an Apple CarPlay headunit of sorts with DAB if possible. The problem is a large number of them are true Double-DIN HUs. This means that without butchering the dashboard, or in particular the heater box you have to live with losing the heater controls to your feet. This means you either have to live with no or little air going to your feet and potentially a compromised screen heater if you keep the feet flap open. Given that I quite like being thawed up in cold and/or wet conditions that was not an option for me.

This obviously left me to choose with the Shallow-Depth HUs. Alpine's iLX-700 was a contender. I like it but not the fact that your phone needs to be plugged in to even use the Sat Nav or even receive calls ; it has no Bluetooth. I also didn't want to pay £400 but it didn't stop me looking at one for ages.

Alpine's iLX-702E46 solution went out of the window too. Sure it does the lot but it is also £800 and I'd rather spend that cash elsewhere on the car where it needs it more.

In the end I found out that Sony started doing a Single DIN based CarPlay unit. The XAV-AX100. I had heard from an installer that this could be fitted with zero modifications and still sound pretty good. Furthermore, at £300, and with Bluetooth, CarPlay and Android Auto should I switch phones in the future it's better value ; I even have the option to add a permanent Sat-nav solution unlike the Alpine. With that in mind it was a done deal.

Since I was away from the car I figured I'd quickly trial it in the Mercedes in case I had second thoughts and felt like returning it. OK, it looked naff in there but its potential was very clearly shown. This would be a keeper:



With that in mind there was nothing else left to do except tear out CD player. But not before I went to an M3 meet ; pics of that will come later since I took none!

CarPlay addition E46 M3 by Charlieboy, on Flickr

The heater vent, the trim, SMG dome and surround, heater control unit and cubby hole storage all were removed in the quest to see what I had to play with.

CarPlay addition E46 M3 by Charlieboy, on Flickr

I then tried to refit the stock Alpine HU back in with the wires on. Even without the above cage for the stock CD player and heater control unit it was never going to fit. Me having the Harman Kardon system probably doesn't help ; I have RCA cables to transmit the signal to the HK stuff. Once I put the Sony alongside the Alpine it was easy to see why the Alpine would never fit into the hole (ooooh eerrrrr)!

CarPlay addition E46 M3 by Charlieboy, on Flickr

The Alpine at the bottom of the above picture was longer than the Sony, by quite a way! With the mic plugged in and the steering controls it would never work.

With that in mind it was time to see if the Sony would fit with everything attached, before I ordered up adaptors and so on. It's not the first time I've been told something will fit when it won't:

CarPlay addition E46 M3 by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Excuse the music, I blame my friends, honest!

In short, it fits perfectly. Whether this will be the case with the Double DIN adaptor is to be seen but with the order now placed we shall see . I'll order the heater relocation ashtray in due course too. After all, it's not like I am in a rush.

So, not only is the BMW getting closer to being sorted it is also now up-to-date and more convenient in another matter. Not to mention looking less 'poorly' installed, or on its way to being very decent inside.

[SebringMan]

helix402 said:

Looks like a satisfying solution.

It's taken a bit of a turn really. Basically, I found out it would not quite be the plug and play solution that I envisaged. I have found a solution but I'll say more once it is fitted.

[SebringMan]

The thread was left with things looking rosy regarding the installation of the Sony HU. However, it was not to be.

I first of all did what anyone else would and ordered an el cheapo fascia for less than £30. This unlike a few also has the correct step built into it so that the heater vent can fit correctly too unlike a few versions out there.

AX-100 install by Charlieboy, on Flickr

However, the ruler in that shot highlights a few issues that I'd contend with regarding fitting the HU into place.

Briefly they are down to:
1) The lack of factory mounting points for a simple Plug & Play Double DIN installation
2) The low rent quality of a number of Double DIN fascias
3) Compromised usability of the Sony HU with the commonly available fascia adaptors.

The solutions are:
1) Make/buy a cage to mount the HU into but it will also be compromised anyway due to the above
2) Get a left handed fascia adaptor which will potentially work with a modified factory cage once a bit of trimming has taken place. The volume knob will still be compromised however
3) Get the Enfig fascia adaptor. This is the closest thing to a Double DIN Plug & Play kit with the Sony AX100 headunit. It also is a great quality kit and it shows.

For those seeking detail let's get into a mammoth long post. Stay awake at the back of the classroom now:muttley:.

1) From the factory the Double DIN Sat Navs have a chassis/cage built into them so that they fit the car. As a result you don't have a means to secure an aftermarket Double DIN bar the Chinese E46 Sat-Nav copies or the Eonon/Dynavin etc. This is a problem any Double DIN user will have, irrespective of if they go with a shallow depth HU or heater cutting item.

This leaves you with a few choices

i) Make your own cage mounts up to secure the HU. This is possibly the cheapest option but it will get time consuming, and add a chunk of hassle. One way this could be done is to butcher the factory Single DIN/Heater control panel cage. To get it to mount centrally will involve butching the thing alot. It will also lose your means to go back to a factory installation in the future too short of buying another cage to fit into your car.
ii) Get a cage that bolts onto the factory bits take. The cage is also around £60 after delivery regardless of where you look. While it takes a chunk of fabrication out of the equation for something like the Alpine or Parrot shallow depth units it still potentially requires further fabrication.

https://incartec.co.uk/Pages/Product.aspx?P=3765



2)This fascia is not the best of quality and is primarily designed for HUs with button There is not much you can do about this but I'll come back to this point.

3)Because the Sony AX100 has a single DIN chassis that clears the heater box it introduces a new problem with the fascia which my previous photo alludes to. It can't sit flush with the fascia adaptor as its chassis rests on the heater box, removing any possibility of angling the HU to fit flush with the fascia. You're also left with a small gap between the HU and the bottom of the HU. You could file down to the recess towards the top of the fascia so that the HU sticks out slightly further. But then you'll always be left with another problem.

The volume knob will have no clearance on the left-hand side. Thus it will be tricky to adjust the volume with the HU unless you have steering wheel controls.

With this in mind I started trialing other options. What were the choices?

Solutions:
1) Offset the HU to one side.

AX-100 install by Charlieboy, on Flickr

IMO, with a left hand fascia adaptor this could work and you'd have room for the volume knob to work again. But the fascia kits aren't the best of quality still and depending on your preferences it does look strange with the HU stuck to one side of the aperture. Considering the look is part of the driving experience inside it's something you'll see all of the time. You can modify the factory Single DIN HU/heater panel cage a little to make this work and potentially do it cheaply. This is only my theory however:



2) Get the Enfig kit specific to this headunit.

This is the most plug and play installation you'll get. Cheap however it isn't. I paid £80 to get the HU delivered to this country and Parcelforce robbed me for a further £24. Ouch! £12 of that was VAT and the rest was their 'handling fee'. Yeah, right.

This is a similar price to getting the fascia adaptor and Double DIN cage above. This fascia kit was almost a bargain if the heater relocation panel wasn't left-hand-drive specific. But it's time to install it. The first thing that struck me upon opening the kit was the quality of everything. It's something Enfig don't really show and the pictures don't do it justice. It has that rubberised coating feel and it all feels well made. It is a step up from other adaptors I have seen on the market for a long time. Not just the E46 but others in generall too.

https://enfigcarstereo.com/ENFIG_RMK_E46_XAV1.html

Sony XAV-AX100 installation by Charlieboy, on Flickr

On the bench the Double DIN cage is easy to assemble with the handed plates being an interference fit into the back of the main frame, requiring two screws to keep them in place.

Sony XAV-AX100 installation by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Sony XAV-AX100 installation by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Once everything is mounted onto the cage and the HU connected up the whole lot can be bolted into the car. Note the use of the factory screw locations.

Sony XAV-AX100 installation by Charlieboy, on Flickr

All that is left to do is put the heater vents in on top of the Double DIN chassis as per the factory way and then screw/clip the fascia plate itself into position.

Sony XAV-AX100 installation by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Sony XAV-AX100 installation by Charlieboy, on Flickr

There is of course one catch left. The heater panel relocation. The part supplied by Enfig will not fit our cars due to it being a left-hand-drive part

Sony XAV-AX100 installation by Charlieboy, on Flickr

What this means is Ms. Merkel had been meddling things for us long before Brexit! Basically, the heater panel curves differently. It' curves into a tighter line on the driver's side for each country. For people who drive on the right side of the road on the left (see what I did there?), it curves in tighter towards the bottom on the right. For people who drive on the wrong side it curves into the left. You can guess which side this panel curves into! But it is not the end of the world.

You can either buy this panel with an ashtray from BMW or without like the one above. You can also modify the original panel to accept the heater control unit (HCU) Basically you cut in two slots into the panel where the clips are on the bottom of the HCU. You will have a 3mm gap however between the HU and the switch panel once it is installed but it is one way to save cash here. Given how tired these panels get in E46s it is probably worth sourcing a new item.

And that is it! Besides mounting the microphone in a desired location like the steering column panel or up on the windscreen the job is done! And doesn't it look good and give you much improved usability? If you don't like Apple Maps Sony do sell a Sat-Nav module to plug into this HU for £180. It uses TomTom maps.

For the Android users this HU does also do Android Auto. I have yet to try that since my phone is obviously fruit based. I've got to get one of my 5-a-day y'no!

All in, this is another solution out there for people considering a Double DIN installation without alot of fabrication and with a good chunk of flexibility regarding the head unit.

That's all for now folks!

[SebringMan]

It's fair to say the poor M3 is probably feeling a little left out! Besides whacking onto a CTEK now and again the car doesn't really do much! With that in mind it was time to finish off the installation.

For this

E46 M3 Sony Apple CarPlay final by Charlieboy, on Flickr

With the two instrument panels side by side it was time to assemble the HVAC relocation panel. This was done by transferring over the switch panel, cigar lighter and the ashtray: With that done it was time to say gooybye to the old tired instrument panel. With the scratches, you begin to wonder if the last person had claws!

E46 M3 Sony Apple CarPlay final by Charlieboy, on Flickr

But that is focusing on the past. With it all assembled I then fitted and connected up the new (HVAC relocation) instrument panel. I have debated changing this panel for a long time but was unsure of if I would commit to fitting a Double DIN. But when you look at the final result and what has been done it's a massive improvement from what was there.

E46 M3 Sony Apple CarPlay final by Charlieboy, on Flickr

The new problem? I fancy sorting out a few other plastics inside that are letting the car down! For a 15 year old M3 it's actually quite good inside but it can always be better! Do I buy replacement bits for the only parts affected or do I go all out and paint them? I'm thinking Gloss Black or even the factory Carbon Black. But we shall see what happens here.

Another thing? I really need to drive this again. I suspect I will be soon now that we've had the worst of the snow, salt and other nasties given to us.

[SebringMan]

custardkid said:

Looks almost OEM

Would be useful if you could summarise a 'parts list' and where to get them from

Cheers! It certainly compliments the interior. As for the parts, this does vary, depending on if your car came with a Single DIN from the factory or a Double DIN. Believe it or not, this install is potentially easier with a Single DIN factory headunit!

So, assuming you have a Single DIN like I did.

-Enfig XAV-AX100 installation kit. This is the Metra kit for the larger double DINs but it's missing the heater box cut out; you don't need it with the AX-100 HU

https://enfigcarstereo.com/ENFIG_RMK_E46_XAV1.html

Please note, the heater relocation panel they supply will not fit UK cars, it is a left hand instrument panel. You could ask them if they could supply one, but BMW do sell them

-InCarTec Harness Adaptor or Connects II. I went to InCarTec as I wanted an RCA output to be utilised for my stock HK system; others have used the normal 'speaker' harness. Which one you pick from either brand depends on if you want your steering controls or not

This was one of the few things I recycled from my single DIN install when I had the Alpine

Here, I list three choices.

https://incartec.co.uk/Pages/Product.aspx?P=4606 HK loom with Steering controls

https://incartec.co.uk/Pages/Product.aspx?P=2531 Non-HK harness with Steering controls.

https://incartec.co.uk/Pages/Product.aspx?P=2565 Basic non-HK loom with no steering controls; if you want to ease installation and save the cash

-Patch lead to work with the above; this is for where you want to keep your steering controls. This will vary depending on the HU you choose. I'll put down a Sony one since it's what I used.

https://incartec.co.uk/Pages/Product.aspx?P=2643

-Antenna adaptor; Fakra to DIN conversion, what normal headunits take

https://incartec.co.uk/Pages/Product.aspx?P=2800


-Headunit. This depends on what you want. If you don't want to chop the dash up behind and compromise your heater vents your choices are limited. I went with the Sony as it was reasably priced and it is one of the few headunits that can do Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. It's also the only headunit which can do either phone but also have rotary volume knob.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-XAV-AX100-Receiver-B...

So for the above you have everything needed to install the headunit. The only problem is your heater panel will need a new home. I went to BMW and ordered a Sat-Nav relocation panel. I did debate going secondhand here but all of them were tatty, they are rare to come by too, and they're not much cheaper than a dealer part unless you want a very worn/scratched up item:

51167001409 - Non Smoker Relocation Panel
51167001411 - Smoker relocation Panel

Both will fit. For some reason the 411 item is over £100! The only difference is the ashtray design; your old cigar tray will fit but you will lose the light to illuminate it. Transferring the parts over from your old ashtray isn't too hard either.

[SebringMan]

It's fair to say the car hasn't been the cheapest thing to run, and to be honest thoughts of selling did crop into my head. They often do when faced with expenditure. Why? I fancied changing the big-end bearings.

But why did I want to do that? That is pretty simple really. The way I see it, two things can finish off an M3, well, write one off:

1) A boot floor cracked badly enough to warrant a new RACP; About £5k no matter where you go
2) The Rod Bearings; If these go and the crank is marked/scored there is a question mark over whether the crankshaft can be saved; They are tuftrided from the factory and it is said generally reground cranks aren't as strong as original items. A shame as a new crank is over £2k from BMW, and even the S54 engines are £3k secondhand! That is before fitting!

Yes, head gaskets, VANOS & SMG pumps can go, but generally, the expense is much smaller and easier to spot without generally writing the car off. In those cases, cheaper and potentially longer lasting solutions have been found too in the case of the VANOS & SMG gubbins.

With that in mind I dropped the car off to Autobahn in Halesowen.



Given that Rob was known to colleagues of mine in addition to him racing E46 M3s I figured the car would be in safe hands.

All was going well! I dropped the car off on a Saturday, and then went to the Restoration show at the NEC. That was until Tuesday. I had a phonecall to say that one of my rod bearing bolts was being stubborn.

It was fair to say that I was slightly anxious at this point! But how would it all go? Would this really be a big stalling point?

[SebringMan]

helix402 said:

And?............... We need an update!

Patience but you seem to be like many a PHer like me :P.

I'll be honest, I wanted the phone to ring ASAP with good news after that!

So there I was, sat at work worrying about the engine. I was hoping that welding a bolt onto the bolt would free it. In short, it did! My relief, however, did not come until I came back home and I had a text stating the car was ready to be picked up! Without hesitating, I arranged some transport at short notice and got down to Autobahn. There Rob talked me through what he had done. Then he showed me partly what I wanted to know; the state of the bearings that came out. With 138k on the clock were they beyond gone? The answer?

Rod Bearings by Charlieboy, on Flickr

One was(ish) on the limit but the rest were not too terrible. A few were scuffed as you can tell. But compared to others I have seen removed with less mileage mine were in a pretty decent state! Some would argue I should have left them in! But at least I have the confidence to drive my M3 as intended .

Maybe this maintenance has had the wrong effect on me. Only time will tell, however.

e30m3Mark said:

I always enjoy seeing/reading about properly maintained M3's. I still hope to own an E46 version someday but good ones are getting tough to find and expensive when you do.

Any plans for it?

I'll be honest. I almost sacked off the search for an M3 for what I was willing to spend. I did hit a point where I thought "Why have I done this" and like the Pet Shop Boys wonder what had I done to deserve this. But it comes part and parcel no doubt. It's also the most complete package I've had from a car with plenty of fun .

My plans? That depends on what you mean. Prior to the rod bearing change, I did debate selling it again. But I've had a few painful lessons along the way. I partly sold my 944 for financial reasons; it did want front discs @£180 each thanks to them being Big Blacks, and a minor amount of bodywork. I've probably spent that on cars after it anyway which negates all of those points. Like most, I see the short term at times, however.

My plans are all over the place. The Sony HU was a moment of weakness but it really has made the car easier to live with, like the CSL SMG update, the cupholders and the aforementioned Sony HU. A trip in this car is fun but it feels like 2 hours in comparison to the 4 hours you took! The Spain trip really helped me trust the car alot more and truly enjoy it for what it is.

My plans are to tidy the remaining parts and maintain it. Some will be pricey like the wings; they're bubbling again. If I have any spare cash other bits will come. Those would include things like a CSL airbox and brakes. Wheels would be an interesting one; I continuously flirtate with the idea of CSL copies in 18" guise, but there is something about the stock items. If I were really pushing the boat out, some recliner Recaro PP style seats would be spot on . I've seen it with a Grey interior before and it really does work! But of course, it is always down to what one is willing to spend.

Spa may well be on the cards now, as well as Bedford Autodrome for track trips.

Edited by SebringMan on Thursday 29th March 22:49

[SebringMan]

So, the E46 M3. Hailed as a modern classic in the making, combining old school thrills with newer technology to making one tempting package for many! Combined with its excellent practicality this can be a gift and a curse? How I hear you ask? Let me explain.

M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

It's funny. There you are sticking to your guns about being sensible about your spend on your car. Yet somehow you go all weak and succomb to that 'For sale' sign? Who was that mug? Yours truly.

There I was at the Wonderful Bicester Heritage this weekend enjoying the sights at the Sunday Scramble. The only budget I bargained for that day was for buying overpriced coffees and meals. This would soon change upon stepping into the wonderful Historit Building, and boy, was it a great place to see what they do, even if everything was under covers! It's lovely seeing a number of F40s etc. under the covers, even if one or two of them had the odd flat tyre!



So what caught my attention there? That's easy. A set of E46 M3 wheels but in 18" guise, asking to look for a bloke called Ferg. Well, I did that and saw the wheels! Before I knew it I was haggling said Ferg hard! Before I knew it, I agreed a deal for a set of wheels with money I didn't really have and with wheels I don't really have a use for!

M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

But check out that dish!

M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Here is a rough mockup of them on the car. I do think I like the look! It' strange as for ages I wanted the 19s over these:

M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

But then people do say M3s do handle best on 18s with much improved ride comfort. Of course, there is only one way for me to find out. Drive the car.

But which looks best to you folks? The 18s that earlier M3s came with or what became the factory fit 19s as on my car now?

M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr
M3 Wheels by Charlieboy, on Flickr

So do I have a plan for those 18s? In short, yes .

I plan to drive about of them briefly over the summer to see if they are for me. Seeing as my 19s are on fresh Michelin Pilot Sport 4S and 4s I am expecting a drop in grip. However, you never know, I may well stick with these and with time change the tyres. They can always become a set of rims for track tyres like the Federal 595RSR or AD08R. But of course, I may just think the 19s are worth sticking with! We shall see.

Talk me out of the madness!

[SebringMan]

shalmaneser said:

I always thought that the E46 needs to 19" rims but recently I reckon they look a bit blingy, especially with the rather small standard discs behind them.

18's look much smarter and the extra tyre makes the M3 look tougher somehow?

Definitely need spacers front and rear to push them out a touch tho.

The 18s do for sure! I've since found out while viewing other cars for a friend that 19s and spacers can catch the rears, at least on 265 tyres on the rear.

It's interesting to compare my car to one on CSLs however and yes, they are the real McCoy in this example. For those who say Mystic Blue is similar to Velvet Blue it will also hush those peeps too! Albeit mine already had a lovely layer of pollen dust on it despite only being cleaned a week ago.

Velvet vs. Blue by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Velvet vs. Blue by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Velvet vs. Blue by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Velvet vs. Blue by Charlieboy, on Flickr

It's interesting. I didn't really fancy a change of wheels other than 18s on mine, until now.

[SebringMan]

ManOpener said:

Totally forgot about the Style 260s. They look fantastic on an E46.

They do indeed!

There is more to the above story, and so I figured I'll divulge more.

It seems that despite my tales of woe and expense there are still people who will buy these cars! Who? Well, good friends of mine!

To this day I am very surprised that he sold his RS4!



But people do have their reasons and of most of the time they are valid!

He flirtated with a few ideas as for what car would come next! Soon, he found it! He would buy an E46 M3! Yes, that's right. Despite me moaning endlessly about the running cotst and repairing it more than I seemed to drive it he was drawn to one!

And so this came up!

Velvet vs. Blue by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Velvet vs. Blue by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Yup, his was a bit of a specialty! How, I hear you ask! Firstly it's an Individual M3. In his case this would mean it had a Velvet Blue exterior, Extended Leather inside (a super rare option in the M World), A genuine CSL splitter as well as CSL wheels, shod with Goodyear Eagle F1s all round! What else did it have about it besides Factory Sat Nav, etc.? Honestly, quite alot! Ths would include

-Headgasket changed
-VANOS fully rebuilt by MrVANOS
-SMG pump refurbished, complete with a new accumulator
-Clutch and flywheel changed. On a 91k car!
-New discs and pads all round
-New tyes all round

The bodywork for the best part is relatively straight. But it drives very tightly! No knocks, bangs or nothing! It's a great car! So much for the M3 fraternity staying small!

So, why have I mentioned this car in my thread? Well, let me explain.

Between me selling the W124, buying the 2CV and doing a few little things on that, in addition to life my poor M3 hasn't really been driven much! A shame! But why? It was partly because my mojo went for the car a little. While it's not the lowest mileage car, it's also not the highest by quite a way. That does make it an issue when you drive cars as much as me (i.e quite a few miles a year!).

I know people say don't worry about value, but when you are considering becoming a homeowner, these things do matter and count! But let's step away from my personal moaning and speak about the other car I posted up earlier. The M3 convertible. Yes I know. But why have I brought it up again? Basically my friend decided after a week he didn't really want it! Initially, I thought it was down to the spec. It turned out it was down to a couple of things. One of them was reliability; these M3s do come with varying reliability stories which this thread doesn't really help with! His car however was sorted there for the best part! But there was another reason which I'll come to later!

The conversation went as follows:

"Maybe you should keep the car for a while Tom, a month or two maybe"
"No, my mind is made up. I prefer wife's Ibiza, and the cheaper stuff I've had before!"
"OK, I'll drive it! As a taster!"

That last sentance was a bit of a joke, albeit with a semi-serious undertone. After all, you don't ask you don't get!

"Yeah, sure".

A few days later I would be putting my M3 into his garage and then driving his above.

Driving it initially, I noticed his gearbox slurred a little more than mine in second. I put this down initially to the gearbox software. Taking it to a local meet however had me grinning like a Chesire cat! With the roof down during the summer, the Blueflame exhaust system providing a purposeful bassy yet screaming exhaust note and the engine pulling well I loved it! Sure, it had a bit of scuttle shake down to the country singletracks but it was great! It was hard keeping the speed down! I was loving it!

As a mate of mine said, I came out looking as happy as a pig rolling around in curse word! In truth, I was! I was loving the experience! And why wouldn't I?

M3 Individual by Charlieboy, on Flickr

M3 Individual by Charlieboy, on Flickr

M3 Individual by Charlieboy, on Flickr

In some ways, this would turn out to be superb, but also leave me with many more questions than answers! How? That can wait until the next installment.

[SebringMan]

e30m3Mark said:

What size tyres are you running on the 18's?

That depends .

I since sold those wheels and bought another set. But since it is you, I'll let slip a few details .

The wheels above ran stock sizes. So that's

Front: 225/45R18
Rear: 255/40R18

I since bought a set of stock rims with track tyres. These run:

Front: 225/40R18
Rear: 245/35R18

Surprisingly, that setup actually worked very well.

The plan is that when the tyres die on those wheels (which they will ) to go to stock sizes or the following:

Front: 235/40R18
Rear: 265/30R18

Edited by SebringMan on Saturday 15th December 00:35

[SebringMan]

I did write a huge reply for this but I lost the reply and in truth, it would have sent people to sleep! So here's a smaller summary.

I drove my friend's M3 and I loved it! It was one of the best M3s I've driven. That includes manuals, 30k mile cars, 150k cars and a 70k example. It was spot on! With the exhaust and with the rood down in the sun I loved the experience, and it felt great! I came very close to saying I would do a deal for the car! Even the scuttle shake wasn't too bad!

But then, reality kicks in. That interior as nice as it was is quite bright! Not a bad thing but with the roof down in a Velvet Blue car you don't half stand out and feel like a dick! I was also aware that while mechanically it wanted for nothing it did have drop top niggles. Windows that didn't close right at high speed etc. Could I really live with it? Maybe not.

I then considered looking at alternatives. One car that has always been on my mind has been the versatile BMW M135i:



Yes, it would be a finance deal, and yes the M3 would go. But I'd get a newer car, something that could crack 40MPG on a run, and a great all-round package. Or so I thought. I then went to drive one again. In short, the auto 8 speed and Turbo'd 6 pot are a superb combination! Plant your foot and boy does the speedo go on and on! Its delivery feels just like I remember my 944 Turbo! The Gearbox is unsurprisingly smoother than my SMG, and the engine has torque everywhere! The gearbox can't change down two gears as quickly as mine mind you, but it can get away with it due to the torque of the engine.

Then there's the steering. I forgot how iffy the steering feels on these. And then there's the handling. Maybe the Michelin PS4Ss on the M3 have spoiled me. This on Michelin Pilot Super Sports just didn't inspire confidence, not even compared to when my M3 was on Falkens. It just felt iffy. The car went around bends but it didn't flow in them, and you didn't know how far you could push it. In a straight line on a damp road, it just didn't feel like my M3! I'll be honest, I prefer my E320 in some ways. Am I getting old? Maybe.

But even the interior was much smaller than I remembered inside and boy some of the materials are cheap inside the M135i.

So, the M135i wasn't looking hopeful, but maybe an E91 335i would? But I wouldn't get the warranty that an M135i would qualify for. Plus good 335is are £7k still! When did good secondhand cars get this pricey? I didn't pay that much less for my M3 and the 335i isn't free of faults either!

With that in mind, I ended up keeping my M3 and keeping it as more of a weekend toy/daily. The Mercedes coming along really is a great companion, and I'm lucky it came about when it did really!

Is this the right or wrong decision? Time will tell.

[SebringMan]

e30m3Mark said:

This is what I've gone with, albeit 265/35 on the rear. Also plan to run -2 deg on the rear and -2.5 deg up front.

I was looking at M135i myself, as there are some nice used examples that seem pretty reasonably priced. It was the interior space (or lack of cockpit space anyway) that put me off, combined with their own potentially big bills if stuff goes wrong. They're just a bit bland when compared to the look of a well sorted E46 too. Plus I just prefer high revving, normally aspirated engines and the S54 is a diamond.

That's my mistake. I meant 265/35. Which tyres have you gone with. A number of respected geometry folks recommend that much camber ; the camber to a degree is an adjustable on a Stock M3 as well .

I knew I forgot something! I didn't realise how small they were inside either! The rear seats can look pretty bland as well until the car came with the split folding seat option.

With the big bills they can have, the M135 would have to come with a BMW/Mondial Warranty for me. Yes I could be fine, but I could also have the turbo actuators go, the HPFP go etc.

[SebringMan]

e30m3Mark said:

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2's (although I usually use AR-1 on track)

Interesting! They are one of the choices I am considering! Let us know how you get on with them, and how they compare to the AR-1s. How they compare to the AD08Rs would be interesting but I'm not sure you'd had those right?

[SebringMan]

So, what are my plans for the car?

I have a few things up my sleeve; A couple of us will be driving abroad again . However, it's time we look back. A while ago, you may remember where I bought another set of wheels for the M3 in the form of 18" wheels.



Well, I ended up getting rid of them. For me the tyres were a bit too old to be used, albeit they were reasonably priced and straight rims. They also came from a good source, which also helps. So, these were sold again and now have rescued another M3 ; the car in question had the wrong wheels fitted all round, so this was very much a step of rectification.

However, another set came up for sale a few weeks ago at a price that I was happy with and with a little bonus too!

M3 Track Wheels with V70A tyres by Charlieboy, on Flickr

So, the tread pattern looks not quite 'road friendly', but also sort of do. But why is this?

M3 Track Wheels with V70A tyres by Charlieboy, on Flickr

Yup, these tyres are Kumho V70a track tyres in the soft compound. Those people who know me will know that I've never been particularly convinced with Kumho tyres, especially on cars where I've had the chance to try many tyres on too. The KH31 HM, the KU31 and the older 712 didn't do much for me on the cars I had them fitted to, including a Mondeo 3.0 V6, Porker 944 S2, and then an older Jag XJ40 XJR respectively. I'll admit I didn't find the KH17 or the 711 too bad on a Volvo 740 previously on Arrowspeeds or the MGB when it was on the Sebring wheels.

These V70As have a few things in their favour mind you
-They were OE equipment on the R56 Mini John Cooper Works GP.
-From all of the reviews I've seen they're meant to be a cut above the R888, which in turn is meant to be on a par/as good as the Nankang NS-2R. I loved the R888s, but only when I wasn't faced with a downpour and when they didn't go off.

Of course, I've yet to fit them so it will be interesting to see how I get on. I'll also be able to see what the M3 is like on 18" wheels, albeit with stiffer sidewalls!