My E92 335I SE
Discussion
Bit of an update for those who were interested in the decatted downpipes.
Dropped the car off at 9am, and collected upon completion at 4.30pm, so it would appear it was a bit of a job to remove the cats and refit, so I'm pleased I didn't try and tackle it myself.
No issues with fitment, and they don't appear to hit/rub/rattle at all, although they are a bit on the raspy side so we'll see if they settle down at all.
I uploaded a stage 2+ aggressive map on to the car, which "should" produce between 420-455bhp...I'm taking that with a pinch of salt as I'm not sure if I believe that, so until I have the car dyno'd let's just say it is adequate, and I'd not be surprised if it was somewhere around 400...ish....maybe....
Far more responsive and noticeably quicker than when it was when it was running 370bhp.
Dropped the car off at 9am, and collected upon completion at 4.30pm, so it would appear it was a bit of a job to remove the cats and refit, so I'm pleased I didn't try and tackle it myself.
No issues with fitment, and they don't appear to hit/rub/rattle at all, although they are a bit on the raspy side so we'll see if they settle down at all.
I uploaded a stage 2+ aggressive map on to the car, which "should" produce between 420-455bhp...I'm taking that with a pinch of salt as I'm not sure if I believe that, so until I have the car dyno'd let's just say it is adequate, and I'd not be surprised if it was somewhere around 400...ish....maybe....
Far more responsive and noticeably quicker than when it was when it was running 370bhp.
When it was running the old map it was very useable...as long as you were driving with some sympathy then it would pretty much put all of its power down regardless of the conditions.
It's far more agressive now in its delivery, to the point where it needs a bit of respect with the conditions we have at the moment. I do have the option to tone it down at will using the Cobb.
It's far more agressive now in its delivery, to the point where it needs a bit of respect with the conditions we have at the moment. I do have the option to tone it down at will using the Cobb.
General Fluff said:
Does it retain the lag-free character of the standard engine, which I find pulls well all through the rev range? Or is it more turbo-like now, with lots of low end grunt?
I've been thinking of going for a stage 1 map but I'm worried it will make it more like my old Leon Cupra R, which was fast but felt a bit lifeless above 5k rpm. The 335i motor is fantastic and a bit more of the same would be great.
Good question.I've been thinking of going for a stage 1 map but I'm worried it will make it more like my old Leon Cupra R, which was fast but felt a bit lifeless above 5k rpm. The 335i motor is fantastic and a bit more of the same would be great.
When it was remapped running circa 370bhp it was great, behave just like the standard engine and I'd recommend it to anyone.
In its current state of tune it is far more aggressive, but largely retains the manners of the standard set up, and night and day different in terms of performance, even compared to the remap I was running previously. While this is massively fun, if I'm being honest this level of go is probably a bit unnecessary.
My advice would be that the sweet spot in terms of bang for buck is a remap from a reputable company and leave it at that.
Although who am I trying to kid...making modern hot hatches look silly in a 10 year old SE spec 3 series appeals to me greatly.
Bit of an update for anyone who is interested, and I'll add some pictures tomorrow to liven it up a bit.
The car has just ticked over 67k.
I've been running stage 2+ aggressive for a week or so, and monitoring for fault codes under various conditions and it seems to be coping well with this power level.
One thing I do notice with the decatted downpipes is that you are occasionally aware of a little smoke from the exhaust which I suppose would have been hidden to a degree by the cats. N54 engines have a reputation for a weak breather system so I've fitted an uprated PCV valve and a BMS baffled oil catch can to assist with this. It's a really well designed bit of kit and really stealthy, I'd add pics but it's invisible once fitted. You can reach under the scuttle to unscrew the base to check/empty.
Bit of an interior update. The standard SE spec steering wheel rim is not as thick as that fitted to the M sport cars, and was something that I was going to get round to changing.
I purchased a paddleshift wheel from an Msport model in almost perfect condition locally, and swapped all of the SE hardware and trim on to it, so it's a bit of a hybrid using the thicker rim but keeping the look of the factory original SE centre trim. This has worked very well and is much nicer to hold. As an added bonus I put the old wheel on our favourite auction site and although it's got a day or so left to run it looks like Thais mod is only going to have cost me around £25 by the time I sell the other, Bargain!
I have had a problem when the car started running like a bag of s
t. The Cobb Accessport allows me to read fault codes and a little further investigation lead to a failed coil for cylinder three. Replaced it and all is well so an easy fix. I did also buy a couple of spares as the one I removed had a 2006 date code on it so obviously original. It might not be too much of a surprise if more of these were to fail so I'll keep replacement in the boot and an 8mm socket and a 5mm Allen key is enough tools to change it. At the side of the road.
I've decided to swap the plugs for one grade colder to try and safeguard against issues as much as possible, these should be here in the next few days and at £65 for the set not too bad.
So future plans, I've covered about 8.5K since the last oil change so I'll book that in to BMW for another stamp, and I'm going to get the engine walnut blasted to remove the excessive carbon build up around the valves that these engines are known for, along with an oil and filter change for the Gearbox.
Otherwise, put petrol in it and enjoy it as much as possible.
The car has just ticked over 67k.
I've been running stage 2+ aggressive for a week or so, and monitoring for fault codes under various conditions and it seems to be coping well with this power level.
One thing I do notice with the decatted downpipes is that you are occasionally aware of a little smoke from the exhaust which I suppose would have been hidden to a degree by the cats. N54 engines have a reputation for a weak breather system so I've fitted an uprated PCV valve and a BMS baffled oil catch can to assist with this. It's a really well designed bit of kit and really stealthy, I'd add pics but it's invisible once fitted. You can reach under the scuttle to unscrew the base to check/empty.
Bit of an interior update. The standard SE spec steering wheel rim is not as thick as that fitted to the M sport cars, and was something that I was going to get round to changing.
I purchased a paddleshift wheel from an Msport model in almost perfect condition locally, and swapped all of the SE hardware and trim on to it, so it's a bit of a hybrid using the thicker rim but keeping the look of the factory original SE centre trim. This has worked very well and is much nicer to hold. As an added bonus I put the old wheel on our favourite auction site and although it's got a day or so left to run it looks like Thais mod is only going to have cost me around £25 by the time I sell the other, Bargain!
I have had a problem when the car started running like a bag of s
t. The Cobb Accessport allows me to read fault codes and a little further investigation lead to a failed coil for cylinder three. Replaced it and all is well so an easy fix. I did also buy a couple of spares as the one I removed had a 2006 date code on it so obviously original. It might not be too much of a surprise if more of these were to fail so I'll keep replacement in the boot and an 8mm socket and a 5mm Allen key is enough tools to change it. At the side of the road.I've decided to swap the plugs for one grade colder to try and safeguard against issues as much as possible, these should be here in the next few days and at £65 for the set not too bad.
So future plans, I've covered about 8.5K since the last oil change so I'll book that in to BMW for another stamp, and I'm going to get the engine walnut blasted to remove the excessive carbon build up around the valves that these engines are known for, along with an oil and filter change for the Gearbox.
Otherwise, put petrol in it and enjoy it as much as possible.
Edited by f1nn on Saturday 14th January 01:11
Edited by f1nn on Saturday 14th January 15:56
Edited by f1nn on Saturday 14th January 15:57
Well, the waterpump was a bit of a stinger of course, but I'm taking the view that I'm screwing another 120-150hp from a ten year old, admittedly well maintained, engine....and although the car spends the vast majority of its time at low speed around town or at low revs on the motorway, things are bound to go wrong right?
The purpose of this thread, if there is such a thing, is to give people an honest opinion of how badly they go wrong.
At the end of the day it's a 3 series, so there is nothing that could fail that couldn't be fixed within a few days.
The purpose of this thread, if there is such a thing, is to give people an honest opinion of how badly they go wrong.
At the end of the day it's a 3 series, so there is nothing that could fail that couldn't be fixed within a few days.
Edited by f1nn on Saturday 14th January 18:22
Here it is from a cold, 1 or 2 degrees if memory serves me correctly, start in all it's anti social glory.
https://youtu.be/NtiIyzYNGv4
It actually gets quieter as the revs drop just before the exhaust valve opens when the car is warming. When warm it's fine.
https://youtu.be/NtiIyzYNGv4
It actually gets quieter as the revs drop just before the exhaust valve opens when the car is warming. When warm it's fine.
Yeah, it is a bit much for the first 30 seconds or so unfortunately, however as you can see it starts to become sensible once it comes off its cold start cycle.
A lot of that comes from the PE exhaust, which surprised me how much louder it was than stock. I think decatted downpipes with the standard back box would be a good compromise, especially considering the PE exhaust is £1250!
It "should" go through the MOT with an issue, but I don't have to worry about that until The end of the year.
A lot of that comes from the PE exhaust, which surprised me how much louder it was than stock. I think decatted downpipes with the standard back box would be a good compromise, especially considering the PE exhaust is £1250!
It "should" go through the MOT with an issue, but I don't have to worry about that until The end of the year.
I had the misfortune that have to go to Basildon today.
Averaged 36.2mpg (according to the OBC, I don't want to work it out as I am firmly in denial) over the 160 miles of 70-80mph motorway miles, which I think is more than reasonable for a car running a stage 2 map and somewhere in the region of 420+ish bhp.
helps of course the car is seeing no boost at all at those rpms and throttle inputs.
Averaged 36.2mpg (according to the OBC, I don't want to work it out as I am firmly in denial) over the 160 miles of 70-80mph motorway miles, which I think is more than reasonable for a car running a stage 2 map and somewhere in the region of 420+ish bhp.
helps of course the car is seeing no boost at all at those rpms and throttle inputs.
I've removed the downpipes and refitted the standard cats.
Starting from cold was just too rowdy for my tastes, the final straw being after a long drive to a meeting in Exeter, which meant the car had to sit in a sleepy enclosed courtyard for a coupe of hours.
I winced I pressed the start button as the people I'd just had a meeting with looked out of the windows, no doubt suitably impressed...........too loud for my tastes unfortunately.
So, I spent the weekend laying on my back in the freezing cold refitting the standard cats, what great fun I had fitting the V band on the rear turbo....
I've reverted to a softer map which should still be around 390-400ish while drawing far less attention.
Oh, and fitted the colder grade plugs.
Cars eh?
Starting from cold was just too rowdy for my tastes, the final straw being after a long drive to a meeting in Exeter, which meant the car had to sit in a sleepy enclosed courtyard for a coupe of hours.
I winced I pressed the start button as the people I'd just had a meeting with looked out of the windows, no doubt suitably impressed...........too loud for my tastes unfortunately.
So, I spent the weekend laying on my back in the freezing cold refitting the standard cats, what great fun I had fitting the V band on the rear turbo....
I've reverted to a softer map which should still be around 390-400ish while drawing far less attention.
Oh, and fitted the colder grade plugs.
Cars eh?
A bit of an update, and as the car has trickled over ten thousand miles in my ownership today, asensible place to recap.
The reason for me posting this was to give a warts and all account of the costs, so if we ignore, conviently the not inconsiderable amount I've spent on "improvements", this is what the car has cost outside of routine servicing:
£40 for a repair to a vacuum line after it threw a fault code
£15 for a brake pad wear sensor
£978 for a replacement water pump and new coolant/thermostat (over £600 of this was coughed up by the warranty company)
£32 for a replacement ignition coil
£50 repair to wheel (okay, I chose to replace the set, but I could have got away with a repair)
The car has required assistance once from the AA with the water pump, but otherwise has largely provided reliable, swift service.
Would I class it as reliable? Hmm, over a grand in 10k and 8 month on a car that's worth around 8K may be hard to stomach for some, but on the flip side is it's a 10 year old BMW and things are going to need replacing. I'm still fairly relaxed about it.
These cars are not for you if you like to run cars on a shoestring is probably the fairest thing I could say.
So in other news, I purchased a Carly OBD adaptor and downloaded the Pro version of the app, which allows me to reset the service computer very easily, run diagnostics and resets etc, and also, code features which BMW omit as standard, such as folding mirrors off the key, digital speedo in the instrument cluster, heated seat display in the I drive, etc etc. Good bit of kit really.
I've decided to ditch the runflats for a full set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports, which get fitted on Wednesday. Bit of an impulse buy this, as the Bridgestone RE050A runflats were wearing exceptionally well, infact far better than the Pirelli Pzeros did on my last 330D, but I got a decent deal in light of perhaps of them being just about to be superceeded by the Pilot 4S.
I'll book it in for an oil change, and perhaps the carbon clean and gearbox service next month.
Then hopefully it'll be fine for the next 10K. I've started to think about possible replacements, but it's hard to see what will significantly better this car for anything less than 3 times it's value. i may just fancy a change though.
The reason for me posting this was to give a warts and all account of the costs, so if we ignore, conviently the not inconsiderable amount I've spent on "improvements", this is what the car has cost outside of routine servicing:
£40 for a repair to a vacuum line after it threw a fault code
£15 for a brake pad wear sensor
£978 for a replacement water pump and new coolant/thermostat (over £600 of this was coughed up by the warranty company)
£32 for a replacement ignition coil
£50 repair to wheel (okay, I chose to replace the set, but I could have got away with a repair)
The car has required assistance once from the AA with the water pump, but otherwise has largely provided reliable, swift service.
Would I class it as reliable? Hmm, over a grand in 10k and 8 month on a car that's worth around 8K may be hard to stomach for some, but on the flip side is it's a 10 year old BMW and things are going to need replacing. I'm still fairly relaxed about it.
These cars are not for you if you like to run cars on a shoestring is probably the fairest thing I could say.
So in other news, I purchased a Carly OBD adaptor and downloaded the Pro version of the app, which allows me to reset the service computer very easily, run diagnostics and resets etc, and also, code features which BMW omit as standard, such as folding mirrors off the key, digital speedo in the instrument cluster, heated seat display in the I drive, etc etc. Good bit of kit really.
I've decided to ditch the runflats for a full set of Michelin Pilot Super Sports, which get fitted on Wednesday. Bit of an impulse buy this, as the Bridgestone RE050A runflats were wearing exceptionally well, infact far better than the Pirelli Pzeros did on my last 330D, but I got a decent deal in light of perhaps of them being just about to be superceeded by the Pilot 4S.
I'll book it in for an oil change, and perhaps the carbon clean and gearbox service next month.
Then hopefully it'll be fine for the next 10K. I've started to think about possible replacements, but it's hard to see what will significantly better this car for anything less than 3 times it's value. i may just fancy a change though.
Edited by f1nn on Sunday 29th January 21:39
Edited by f1nn on Sunday 29th January 23:02
Really, that's encouraging.
I must admit to having a indifferent-hate relationship with the runflats.
Some days I think they are not too bad, and I'm yet to drive an E9x platform car that rides properly, even my old 318D SE spec company car on 17"s was and the busy side of acceptable to be honest, but some days I find myself "clenching" when I see a bad bit of road. I also think runflats are very sensitive to tyre pressure.
I know I can't expect miracles from a 30 profile tyre, but any improvement will be welcome.
I must admit to having a indifferent-hate relationship with the runflats.
Some days I think they are not too bad, and I'm yet to drive an E9x platform car that rides properly, even my old 318D SE spec company car on 17"s was and the busy side of acceptable to be honest, but some days I find myself "clenching" when I see a bad bit of road. I also think runflats are very sensitive to tyre pressure.
I know I can't expect miracles from a 30 profile tyre, but any improvement will be welcome.
Well, there's something oddly perverse about watching a set of tyres with over 6mm come off and be replaced with £750 of Pilot super sports....
As much as I hate to admit it as I persevered with the runflats, people are right.
The ride is far, far more compliant on non runflats, which is not surprising. I wasn't expecting the difference to be quite so marked if I am honest.
As much as I hate to admit it as I persevered with the runflats, people are right.
The ride is far, far more compliant on non runflats, which is not surprising. I wasn't expecting the difference to be quite so marked if I am honest.
The water pump change wasn't at a main dealer....
It was at a local specialist, but using genuine BMW parts with the appropriate 2 year guarantee. It also included a new genuine thermostat and the required bolts etc.
The non genuine BMW water pump was actually more expensive believe it or not, so it was a no brainier going genuine.
It was at a local specialist, but using genuine BMW parts with the appropriate 2 year guarantee. It also included a new genuine thermostat and the required bolts etc.
The non genuine BMW water pump was actually more expensive believe it or not, so it was a no brainier going genuine.
In terms of the replacement, I've no idea. I'm in no rush so i'll see what takes my fancy.
i did see a 2012 B8? Audi S4 in black today which looked pretty good in a fairly subtle, could have been a diesel sort of way, which appeals....
Although I like cars like the C63...they are just too shouty for what I use the car for.
i did see a 2012 B8? Audi S4 in black today which looked pretty good in a fairly subtle, could have been a diesel sort of way, which appeals....
Although I like cars like the C63...they are just too shouty for what I use the car for.
Bit of an update, but not what you might expect.
Nothing to report with the car, it continues to do everything it's supposed to do.
Looking for its replacement hasn't been going too well. I've test drove an E92 M3 and a B8 S4.
I can see the appeal of the M3, but I didn't feel it was worth my car plus £15K for the two examples I looked at, plus maybe I'm ready for a change from the E9x platform for my next car.
i actually liked the S4 more than I expected, but again I was looking at closer to 18K plus my car, and in a moment of being sensible, I decided that the change was just too hard to justify financially for such a small upgrade.
My wife raised a point that perhaps we could do with a car with a bit more space, and she liked the look of the Volvo XC60. She has raised a valid point. So, in an eminently sensible move, I bought myself this:
Although the wife hid it exceptionally well, I can tell she was impressed. I mean 1441cc and well over 200HP, how could she not be?
So the plans for the next year are, keep the 335i as it needs for nothing and hopefully will just need routine maintenance (famous last words?), and for no good reason, I've decided that I need, and this is not to be confused with want, I stress the word need...a Fiat Panda 100HP.
i've absolutely no need for a second car, other than perhaps it would be useful for taking the dog to the field and the occasional tip run....but as we all know that is more than enough justification!
Nothing to report with the car, it continues to do everything it's supposed to do.
Looking for its replacement hasn't been going too well. I've test drove an E92 M3 and a B8 S4.
I can see the appeal of the M3, but I didn't feel it was worth my car plus £15K for the two examples I looked at, plus maybe I'm ready for a change from the E9x platform for my next car.
i actually liked the S4 more than I expected, but again I was looking at closer to 18K plus my car, and in a moment of being sensible, I decided that the change was just too hard to justify financially for such a small upgrade.
My wife raised a point that perhaps we could do with a car with a bit more space, and she liked the look of the Volvo XC60. She has raised a valid point. So, in an eminently sensible move, I bought myself this:
Although the wife hid it exceptionally well, I can tell she was impressed. I mean 1441cc and well over 200HP, how could she not be?
So the plans for the next year are, keep the 335i as it needs for nothing and hopefully will just need routine maintenance (famous last words?), and for no good reason, I've decided that I need, and this is not to be confused with want, I stress the word need...a Fiat Panda 100HP.
i've absolutely no need for a second car, other than perhaps it would be useful for taking the dog to the field and the occasional tip run....but as we all know that is more than enough justification!
Kawasaki claim 197 as standard, and 207bhp at speed with the ram air.
This has Akrapovic end cans, with the cats removed, filter and PCV.
Similar bikes are around 216bhp.
Edited to add: stock ZZR1400's have ran 9.46 second quarter miles at 152.83mph in the quarter mile, which although not what I've bought it for by any means, is far from slow.
This has Akrapovic end cans, with the cats removed, filter and PCV.
Similar bikes are around 216bhp.
Edited to add: stock ZZR1400's have ran 9.46 second quarter miles at 152.83mph in the quarter mile, which although not what I've bought it for by any means, is far from slow.
Edited by f1nn on Sunday 26th February 16:27
Bit of an update for anyone who is interested.
All is going well, no issues to report. Even ran a cloth over it at the weekend.
I had cause to run up to the Northeast late last week, and over a tank and a half of fuel, albeit sat at a mind numbingly boring cruise controlled 70 mph, this was the average:
Not too shabby far an old 3 litre six with two turbo's strapped to it running a map and mods that will see it past 400HP.
It's into BMW to have the oil changed in a couple of weeks, the oil thats in has been in for about 11k now and that's as long as I want to leave it, although the CBS system is still suggesting another 8k before it needs attention.
All is going well, no issues to report. Even ran a cloth over it at the weekend.
I had cause to run up to the Northeast late last week, and over a tank and a half of fuel, albeit sat at a mind numbingly boring cruise controlled 70 mph, this was the average:
Not too shabby far an old 3 litre six with two turbo's strapped to it running a map and mods that will see it past 400HP.
It's into BMW to have the oil changed in a couple of weeks, the oil thats in has been in for about 11k now and that's as long as I want to leave it, although the CBS system is still suggesting another 8k before it needs attention.
Edited by f1nn on Monday 27th March 19:26
Edited by f1nn on Monday 27th March 19:29
Edited by f1nn on Monday 27th March 22:41
Edited by f1nn on Monday 27th March 22:42
Yes, and predictably it is a little inaccurate.
However, when compared to my previous E90 330D, with the same size fuel tank would routinely achieve between 425 and 450 miles to a tank of fuel. This one will get between 375 and 400, with the same use. I think that decent considering the extra performance and much nicer engine.
Of course, I'm not suggesting that this is a particularly economical car, but maybe not quite as terrible as you may expect, when driven sensibly.
However, when compared to my previous E90 330D, with the same size fuel tank would routinely achieve between 425 and 450 miles to a tank of fuel. This one will get between 375 and 400, with the same use. I think that decent considering the extra performance and much nicer engine.
Of course, I'm not suggesting that this is a particularly economical car, but maybe not quite as terrible as you may expect, when driven sensibly.
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