BMW E46 M3

[Diablo85]

Tom182 said:

If I had an M3, this is EXACTLY how I would want it. Awesome car and project!

I'm glad I came across this thread; I've been looking for somewhere to have the geometry setup on my Clio Trophy and it turns out Center Gravity are based 25 mins from where I live. Although, I'm not sure my little Clio is of the right calibre to take there

Hey Tom

Trust me, Chris works on any car - sure he works with some premium cars most of the time but you can bring anything

---

Electric Cooling Fan Retrofit

Last week, on my drive home from work I had some issues with my AC. Of all possible days this had to happen on the hottest

The cabin was hot as I entered the car, as expected. Turned on the air con and drove off. 15 minutes later I noticed the cabin was not being cooled enough. AC with the snowflake was activated but there was no cold air, just warm

The next day, during my commute into work I turned on the AC again with snowflake and cold air was coming how the vent, strange

As I reached traffic, my eye caught the coolant gauge. It was sitting slightly higher than normal. As the traffic got denser I noticed the gauge started 'running' towards the 2nd dot.

If I carried on with my commute no doubt it would of hit the red. Past experience from owners with coolant issues virtually always states to never let the car overheat as the repair costs spiral! ... And so I did a U-turn and headed back home in clear air. The coolant temp quickly went down due to the rushing air. I parked the car at home and didn't drive it again.

A quick look on the diags revealed this:








... The electric fan sits in-front of the radiator and condenser, it provides additional cooling and is controlled by the DME. Most of the time it activated when AC is used... so this explains why I was having AC issues a few days ago.

After some in-depth reading on the Internet, it seems the number one culprit is the FSU (Final Stage) control unit which sits inside the fan shroud. Having checked the fuse (which was ok) I decided to enquire with the dealer about getting a replacement fan unit...

Going to the dealer to find out the cost of a new fan unit...

No Thanks!!

I managed to solve it using new parts, much cheaper - here's how...

The E46 Pusher Fan

Pusher Fan Replacement

Extra Info

Bumper Removal DIY:
http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=24... - Thanks Obi
http://www.bmw-planet.com/lib/BMW_e46_CSL_Bumper_D... - Thanks DaytonaViolet

E46 non-m3 pusher fan
The fan setup on the e46 non-m3 cars is a little different, some have puller fans so you need to be careful here. I'll include the part numbers:
P/N: 64546922554 or 64546988913


Going for new fan parts or old?
This is subjective. If you really want to make a huge saving you could buy used parts. Having gone through this I'm glad I used newer parts as its likely they'll last longer and this is not something I want to DIY anytime soon - spent all weekend on it!

In Conclusion

Although my issue is fixed I'm not stopping here. My car has 70k miles, and so I'm going to the following replaced soon:

• Coolant Temp Sensor (hose near fan)
• Thermostat
• Water pump
• New clutch for mechanical fan

That's all for now, thanks for reading

[Captainawesome]

Diablo85 said:

Tom182 said:

If I had an M3, this is EXACTLY how I would want it. Awesome car and project!

I'm glad I came across this thread; I've been looking for somewhere to have the geometry setup on my Clio Trophy and it turns out Center Gravity are based 25 mins from where I live. Although, I'm not sure my little Clio is of the right calibre to take there

Hey Tom

Trust me, Chris works on any car - sure he works with some premium cars most of the time but you can bring anything

How bizarre, I just found them the other day through google and was wondering if they worked on other cars. I'm just down the road from them too.

I think they'll be getting a call.

[Captainawesome]

on a side note…I recently fitted Stormwerks SMG knob, SMG surround and handbrake handle cover. I'm amazed at how much better they feel and also how much better they look. They are expensive but they are beautifully made and fitted perfectly. They are what BMW should have fitted in the first place. Well worth doing.

[Diablo85]

Captainawesome said:

on a side note…I recently fitted Stormwerks SMG knob, SMG surround and handbrake handle cover. I'm amazed at how much better they feel and also how much better they look. They are expensive but they are beautifully made and fitted perfectly. They are what BMW should have fitted in the first place. Well worth doing.

Good call.

If I could just somehow find a coloured OEM like decal that would fit perfectly on the Storm SMG knob I'd have it in a heart beat. The ergonomics are wonderful compared to the OEM knob. Oh and the handbrake is my favorite, it's lovely - I've used them all in a friends M3. I'll be buying that handbrake very soon.

See how you get on Chris at CG, I think there is a 4 week booking time.

[Captainawesome]

Diablo85 said:

Captainawesome said:

on a side note…I recently fitted Stormwerks SMG knob, SMG surround and handbrake handle cover. I'm amazed at how much better they feel and also how much better they look. They are expensive but they are beautifully made and fitted perfectly. They are what BMW should have fitted in the first place. Well worth doing.

Good call.

If I could just somehow find a coloured OEM like decal that would fit perfectly on the Storm SMG knob I'd have it in a heart beat. The ergonomics are wonderful compared to the OEM knob. Oh and the handbrake is my favorite, it's lovely - I've used them all in a friends M3. I'll be buying that handbrake very soon.

See how you get on Chris at CG, I think there is a 4 week booking time.

I was speaking to the guy who designs and produces the kit recently (he is based at Evolve). He is in the process of trying to create a metal SMG knob which will illuminate in the same manner as the manual. Shouldn't be too long so maybe keep an eye on his site.

[marcgti6]

Great thread, really enjoyed reading this one, thanks.

Lovely car as well! Would love an E46 M one day.

[Trtj]

Great thread and lovely car, and im still reading through! But have one question. You mentioned the rubbing issue with spacers etc...

You are obviously very conscious of a good ride and handling due to splashing the cash on the ohlins etc which are lovely, so why on earth run spacers at all? You are taking the scrub radius away from optimum. Cosmetically spaced is nicer, but if you want the perfect handling then surely they have to go?

Also, do you fancy selling the Billys and H&R springs to me?

[Diablo85]

Trtj said:

Great thread and lovely car, and im still reading through! But have one question. You mentioned the rubbing issue with spacers etc...

You are obviously very conscious of a good ride and handling due to splashing the cash on the ohlins etc which are lovely, so why on earth run spacers at all? You are taking the scrub radius away from optimum. Cosmetically spaced is nicer, but if you want the perfect handling then surely they have to go?

Also, do you fancy selling the Billys and H&R springs to me?

Hi, thanks for the kind words.

Valid point - Initially before making the jump to Ohlins and downsizing to 18"s I already had a vision of how I wanted the car to be. Stock 18"s with no spacers at stock ride height looks a little 'goofy' to me so the inclusion of spacers was primarily for cosmetic reasons. I've been thinking about removing them on/off for a while as I guess the car will still look fine since the ride height is lower.

I won't be able to completely eliminate them from my setup however as I have bought a used BBK which requires a spacer for fitment on OE
wheels. I'll probably drop to the lowest width spacer possible - quality stuff (hubcentric - eibach).

As for H&R/B6 ... they sold the same day I posted my Ohlins update on another forum, I didn't even have to write an ad ... however there is a B12 kit going cheap on m3cutters at the moment!

[Trtj]

I keep meaning to join m3cutters but i have to draw the line somewhere! WHats the main difference between b6 and b12?

[Diablo85]

Trtj said:

I keep meaning to join m3cutters but i have to draw the line somewhere! WHats the main difference between b6 and b12?

The B12 is just a kit consisting of B6 dampers and eibach pro springs in a box. From what I've read the part numbers on the parts match off the shelf items, so it's exactly the same as buying a set of B6 and eibach springs separately, only difference is a small saving in price. Obviously I've sampled B6 with H&Rs but according to other reviews which I trust:

B6 + OEM Springs = Ride quality from the gods (for an M3 chassis), however ride height sits taller than stock!
B6 + Eibach (B12) = Best of both, good road manners and performance with a moderate drop.
B6 + H&R = more bias towards performance with a small reduction in comfort, great on country roads.

Eventually there will come a point when my Ohlins need to be serviced. When that time arrives I'll need temporary suspension so I'll be returning to the B6, but this time trying either eibach or OEM springs just to sample it.

[Trtj]

Diablo85 said:

The B12 is just a kit consisting of B6 dampers and eibach pro springs in a box. From what I've read the part numbers on the parts match off the shelf items, so it's exactly the same as buying a set of B6 and eibach springs separately, only difference is a small saving in price. Obviously I've sampled B6 with H&Rs but according to other reviews which I trust:

B6 + OEM Springs = Ride quality from the gods (for an M3 chassis), however ride height sits taller than stock!
B6 + Eibach (B12) = Best of both, good road manners and performance with a moderate drop.
B6 + H&R = more bias towards performance with a small reduction in comfort, great on country roads.

Eventually there will come a point when my Ohlins need to be serviced. When that time arrives I'll need temporary suspension so I'll be returning to the B6, but this time trying either eibach or OEM springs just to sample it.

Thanks for the info. I happen to think the m3 ride is terrible, particularly the back axle. Not to mention the terrible oem springs that lose their powder coating and crack so prematurely! I was indeed thinking of the b6 route with eibach springs, im not after a massive drop. I have the option 19s and replacing those with a lighter wheel would no doubt improve things too. There's a lot of unsprung inertia there.

I dont see how the b6 + oem option can actually increase ride height? It was my understanding that the dampers on these cars are largely passive, and the spring rate sets the ride height. Maybe the b6 are highly pressurised. Where are you based out of interest?

[nsa]

Brilliant write up. The pictures especially are excellent - what camera are you using, or is that all talent?

The car is fantastic as well. I keep looking at the E46 M3 as a track car but the running costs would be 2-3x what I pay out for a Porsche 924/968 hybrid I currently own.

[Diablo85]

Trtj said:

Thanks for the info. I happen to think the m3 ride is terrible, particularly the back axle. Not to mention the terrible oem springs that lose their powder coating and crack so prematurely! I was indeed thinking of the b6 route with eibach springs, im not after a massive drop. I have the option 19s and replacing those with a lighter wheel would no doubt improve things too. There's a lot of unsprung inertia there.

I dont see how the b6 + oem option can actually increase ride height? It was my understanding that the dampers on these cars are largely passive, and the spring rate sets the ride height. Maybe the b6 are highly pressurised. Where are you based out of interest?

Exactly that, B6 are more stout and highly pressurized. I agree the rear axel can be a handful however much of that has been vastly improved with the Ohlins. I'm really happy with the ride characteristics.

I'm am done with using lowering springs for lowering ride height, it's just too much compromise on the ride comfort. If you want to go low, coilovers - otherwise stick to a good shock/spring combo (Bilstein/Koni).

I'm from Derbyshire.

nsa said:

Brilliant write up. The pictures especially are excellent - what camera are you using, or is that all talent?

The car is fantastic as well. I keep looking at the E46 M3 as a track car but the running costs would be 2-3x what I pay out for a Porsche 924/968 hybrid I currently own.

Thanks mate

The camera I use is a Panasonic LX-5 - I believe the successor is the LX-7? - It's point and shoot, no clunky DSLR housing. Whilst it may cost near entry level DSL-R it is very high spec for it's class as you've seen from the pics.

E46M's do make great track cars. At the moment there seems to be a lot of owners thinking of selling up (waiting for the E9x M3 drop I guess). So expect to see a lot of high quality parts (BBKs, airboxes) being put up for sale soon. Maintenance is the key, they really do go downhill quickly if neglected.

[AWG]

Great advice, this is what all forums should be like.

Tip of the hat to you sir

[stuart-b]

nsa said:

Brilliant write up. The pictures especially are excellent - what camera are you using, or is that all talent?

The car is fantastic as well. I keep looking at the E46 M3 as a track car but the running costs would be 2-3x what I pay out for a Porsche 924/968 hybrid I currently own.

O/T please write your own readers thread!

[Diablo85]

Hi Chaps

So back in Spring 2014, I had the Ohlins Road & Track kit installed and setup by Chris from Centre Gravity.

You've already seen the pics, however I created some short videos too.

Last week I finally got round to compiling them all to make a short vidoc, enjoy


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F88HdPRLQ14

[Diablo85]

mini update


I've been running low on a few of my detailing products so I placed an order for some products last week. I went for some different products just to mix it up.

I only managed to work on the wheels and tyres yesterday due to other commitments.


Sonax Xtreme Wheel Cleaner:



Sonax seems to be the current favourite amongst the detailing crowd. I found it did a great job of breaking down the dirt on my wheels. The only criticism is the price-to-product ratio, its expensive but it works soo well. One thing to bear in mind is that it acts as an Iron Remover too (think IronX), so although its pricey you are actually getting 2 products in 1.


Meguiars Endurance Tyre Gel



I'm normally a Zaino Z16 fan, I love the finish it gives but it simply does not last long, max 3 days. This time I went for something different, Megs Endurance Tyre Gel - the key here being endurance. It's nice to work with and quite flexible. If you want the wet look just apply multiple coats. On the other hand if your looking for the matt black look, just wipe the first coat with a towel as needed. I'll see how long it lasts.


Finish Kare FK1000p



I've found this to be a good wax to use on wheels, you really don't need that much. Amongst making the wheels look great it also makes cleaning them next time round much easier.





It was getting late so I couldn't take much pics but I took some before dusk:



















Then earlier today I met up with Joe (an M3 owner) to help him diagnose if his VANOS was ok. Everything was fine, the previous owner had carried out extensive maintenance on his car including the Beisan Vanos overhaul, the BMW vanos test was successful











The car is due for Inspection1 in two weeks - I'll have some new bits and pieces to add

[melvster]

Looks the tits on 18's.

[Diablo85]

melvster said:

Looks the tits on 18's.

Cheers Mel!




^^ Finally managed to track down a RE Oil Filter Cap. I've always wanted one!



Alrighty then, lets get on with an update...

One of the last areas I've been meaning to focus on are the brakes. The OEM brakes are actually pretty good for daily duty, but on a backroad or track the infamous brake fade issue comes to light.

I should mention I've been runing PF-Z pads which have worked pretty well for me so far, but it hasn't been enough. On a spirited run, hard braking upon the first few corners is good, but after that the brake fade becomes apparent and it affects your confidence with regards to braking.

BBK (Big Brake Kits) are a natural progression for many owners. Premium brand kits are quite expensive, although I am yet to hear of anyone disappointed moving from OEM brakes to a BBK solution.

A few weeks ago, I just happened to type "E46 M3 BBK" into ebay and purchased a used front set of 6-pot AP Racing Brakes:







^^ I got all of that including pads for around £1k. The kit has 3000 miles on it. The pads I believe are Ferodo DS2500, perhaps not the ultimate pad for track application but for fast road I think they'll do just fine.






... and so I went off to see the boys at Darren Wood to get them fitted

Diablo85 said:

So, as the install was about to take place I noticed my camera wouldn't take anymore photos. Why? - turns out I had forgotten to bring the damn memory card, and all the internal memory on the camera was used up

So I had to resort to iphone camera pics, they still look ok though

^^ I believe this Titan Silver M3 belongs to someone called "Lee" on m3cutters. From what I saw closeup this is one tidy motor, real credit to you pal






























I didn't get much of chance to properly test the brakes on the way back because of traffic on the A6... but from what I sampled soo far I love it! You'll often read high praise about the performance of good brakes but it's hard to quantify unless you've tried it first hand.

I'll provide an update a month or so from now about them. I've found that I need to weary of cars behind me under hard braking with these - it'll take me a short while to adjust.

I was concerned about 'braking feel' with 6 pot callipers due to what I had read. 4 pot callipers will have more 'feel' - but I found the 6pot had pretty decent feel, better than I was expecting. I'll upgrade the rears in due course.

Thanks for reading

[Diablo85]

Mirror Leak Fix

So last week following the hot weather my rear view mirror developed a bubble, essentially the start of the infamous leak that has plagued many E46 and E39 cars.




I'd known about such issues for a while amongst the E46 community, but it wasn't until I read John's (JohnH79) brilliant thread on the DIY fix I realised the seriousness of a leaking mirror. The liquid is acidic and if it leaks onto the interior it causes irreversible damage.

John's Mirror Fix Thread:
http://totalmcars.com/thread/2072/auto-dimming-mir...

John has replacements in stock, and his are much better compared to the OEM part because they use a gel instead of a liquid.

I spoke to John towards the end of last week and ordered a replacement glass and it arrived the next day. Top Man!


Here's a guide to the fix - Remember this is a guide, make sure you follow the detailed instructions by John located here: http://www.mirrorjohn.com/How_To_Fix.php




















































































Costs:
Replacement glass with GEL from www.mirrorjohn.com - £99

Alternatives are to buy a new rear view mirror unit for £400, or a 2nd hand unit off ebay ... both are still capable of failing in the same manner.

Thanks for reading