My BMW E46 330i Sport
Discussion
Max M4X WW said:
Sounds good, how much were they? Don't often see the facelift Xenons for sale.
I've been watching them for about a month, let them end several times and get relisted, in the end got them for £350. Will see how I get on fitting them next week. Pretty chuffed with that price, usually go for £500 or so.petrolveins said:
I've been watching them for about a month, let them end several times and get relisted, in the end got them for £350. Will see how I get on fitting them next week. Pretty chuffed with that price, usually go for £500 or so.
Sounds great! Planning on retrofitting anything else?Clivey said:
Sounds great! Planning on retrofitting anything else?
I'll need to work hard on retrofitting the levelling sensors before the next MOT next year. Want them to be as though they had been factory fit. As for other retro-fits, I've got all the other factory options I could want. Xenon was the only one I really missed. Thought about Sat-Nav with the 16:9 screen but I like the dash as it is and TomTom maps will be far superior. Next plans are Alcantara steering wheel, BMW Performance Short Shift Kit, Eisenmann Exhaust and then some suspension work and possible remap.I've added another year onto my time at Uni, so going to keep this and get it exactly where I want it, then after I graduate I want to move onto the M Stuff, with a mint E39 M5 at the top of the list.
petrolveins said:
I'll need to work hard on retrofitting the levelling sensors before the next MOT next year. Want them to be as though they had been factory fit. As for other retro-fits, I've got all the other factory options I could want. Xenon was the only one I really missed. Thought about Sat-Nav with the 16:9 screen but I like the dash as it is and TomTom maps will be far superior. Next plans are Alcantara steering wheel, BMW Performance Short Shift Kit, Eisenmann Exhaust and then some suspension work and possible remap.
I've added another year onto my time at Uni, so going to keep this and get it exactly where I want it, then after I graduate I want to move onto the M Stuff, with a mint E39 M5 at the top of the list.
Excellent. How are your alcantara seats wearing? Mine have some wear on the front seat side bolsters where you get in and out. - If I were planning on keeping the car, I'd probably get them re-trimmed. I think I'll go for heated leather next time (though I've noticed the bolsters wear quickly on the cars with leather too)!I've added another year onto my time at Uni, so going to keep this and get it exactly where I want it, then after I graduate I want to move onto the M Stuff, with a mint E39 M5 at the top of the list.
Clivey said:
Excellent. How are your alcantara seats wearing? Mine have some wear on the front seat side bolsters where you get in and out. - If I were planning on keeping the car, I'd probably get them re-trimmed. I think I'll go for heated leather next time (though I've noticed the bolsters wear quickly on the cars with leather too)!
Little bit bobbly, I was gonna de-bobble them but never get round to it, other than that they look fine. So glad I have them over the leather. Did think about a possible retrofit for heated seats, but don't think it's worth it for the few minutes my bum is cold. Would rather it sound better.wackojacko said:
My alcantaras are wearing very well aswell.
I do consciously try not to brush against then when getting in/out of the car
Really? My interior is filthy, my £7 floor mats are caked in mud, and the seats, well I just get in and out of the car. I would like the bolsters to be tighter though. They are a bid wide and would like them to be a more snug fit, wonder if I could get them adjusted?I do consciously try not to brush against then when getting in/out of the car
wackojacko said:
My alcantaras are wearing very well aswell.
I do consciously try not to brush against then when getting in/out of the car
The wear on mine was already there when I bought the car, so there's little I can do now. It's not "bad" - just normal alcantara wear...but I'm a perfectionist so I notice it.I do consciously try not to brush against then when getting in/out of the car
On an interesting note: The 330Cis I've been looking at are all between £6k and £8k in the UK. In the USA, the same car is c£15k. - It just shows that as fuel prices drop, desirability increases.
Clivey said:
The wear on mine was already there when I bought the car, so there's little I can do now. It's not "bad" - just normal alcantara wear...but I'm a perfectionist so I notice it.
On an interesting note: The 330Cis I've been looking at are all between £6k and £8k in the UK. In the USA, the same car is c£15k. - It just shows that as fuel prices drop, desirability increases.
Really? That's a lot more. I had this mad idea to go out there buy one to drive about for 3 months and sell at the end, maybe not a good idea afterall. That is amazing though, slowly trying to get mine looking like ZHP spec. The American E46 forums are a massive help and big inspiration.On an interesting note: The 330Cis I've been looking at are all between £6k and £8k in the UK. In the USA, the same car is c£15k. - It just shows that as fuel prices drop, desirability increases.
On another note, Jack get that horrendous thing off my thread!
petrolveins said:
Really? That's a lot more. I had this mad idea to go out there buy one to drive about for 3 months and sell at the end, maybe not a good idea afterall. That is amazing though, slowly trying to get mine looking like ZHP spec. The American E46 forums are a massive help and big inspiration.
I was shocked - usually everything's cheaper over there. - I only checked out of interest a couple of nights ago as I'm also interested in moving to the 'States...Mustangs are cheap, however. 
petrolveins said:
On another note, Jack get that horrendous thing off my thread!
This is when I curse my hi-res screen... 
Clivey said:
petrolveins said:
Xenons installed this morning, was a bit of a struggle, will stick some pics up tomorrow and story to follow too...
Ahem...
Anyway onto the Xenons... the physical install was straight forward, we then plugged em in and switched em on, and with the ignition on they worked right away with no warning lights, and the levelling thing worked too. Trouble started when we turned the engine on, was like a mobile disco from the front lights. I had bought a second hand LCM from a M3, but most Indy's don't have the software to alter the mileage and chassis number. So we decided not to bother with that. Re-programmed the current LCM for Xenon retrofit, again fine on the ignition, and turned the engine on, and we were getting a flicker from the passenger side light, though it might be the ballast, but tried a different bulb and it sorted that out. Then we had an issue with the lights not coming on at all, plugged it back into the computer and did a reflash, and although we lost the manual levelling the lights worked fine, sorted the levelling out myself later, and since then they have been perfect. Going to go back and sort out the bi-xenon mode soon, gonna take a bit more fiddling, currently the main beam is on the halogen lights rather than the xenon shutter working to allow xenon dipped and main. But overall chuffed with it, best mod I've done so far to the car.
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