E46 M3 Servicing

[(steven)]

What's so special about E46 M3 inspection servicing? Is it just the valve adjustment that makes it so expensive?

Looking around on the net, I can't see anything else particularly special about the service schedule. What have I missed?

[Vixpy1]

Valve adjustment mainly, its rarely done properly by the main dealers though

[Stingercut]

You are wearing your FA hat clearly ! I use main dealer Elms Cambs who do M value servicing. I asked for the 'valves' print outs from before and after. They will need the car in the night before its done, so engine is cold.

Beware many cheap Indy quotes for £3/400 because its unlikely to be done and they may cut other corners with your P & J. M3cutters.co.uk is your friend on these issues.

[jon-]

Any recommendations for a good indi around the Herts / Beds area?

Mine is due an oil service in 4000 miles, but I figure I'll give it a proper inspection service as it's a new car to me. Inspection 1 or 2 I'm not sure, I'll have to check the differences.

[(steven)]

Thanks for the info.

Debating getting an M3 as a general run around and based on this, the servicing looks DIY-able as the shim kits look reasonable value compared to a main dealer service.

Edited by (steven) on Friday 1st February 21:31

[E30M3SE]

jon- said:

Any recommendations for a good indi around the Herts / Beds area?

Mine is due an oil service in 4000 miles, but I figure I'll give it a proper inspection service as it's a new car to me. Inspection 1 or 2 I'm not sure, I'll have to check the differences.

Difference between InspI and II is essentially spark plugs, diff oil and g'box oil.

http://autoserviceandtuning.boschauto.co.uk/

[161BMW]

E30M3SE said:

Difference between InspI and II is essentially spark plugs, diff oil and g'box oil.

http://autoserviceandtuning.boschauto.co.uk/

And air filter

Thinking of taking mine to BMW Elms for BMW Inspection II Service and asking for valve clearances before and after .... And I live all the way in West London

[jon-]

E30M3SE said:

jon- said:

Any recommendations for a good indi around the Herts / Beds area?

Mine is due an oil service in 4000 miles, but I figure I'll give it a proper inspection service as it's a new car to me. Inspection 1 or 2 I'm not sure, I'll have to check the differences.

Difference between InspI and II is essentially spark plugs, diff oil and g'box oil.

http://autoserviceandtuning.boschauto.co.uk/

Thanks. I know of Bosch, very good quality, but I'm not sure they're much cheaper than a main dealer any more!

[mcmikey43]

[quote=(steven)]Thanks for the info.

Debating getting an M3 as a general run around and based on this, the servicing looks DIY-able as the shim kits look reasonable value compared to a main dealer service.

Edited by (steven) on Friday 1st February 21:31

[/quote]

A couple of points. I have one as a daily and do 3-350 miles a week in it. Service goes oil, insp1, oil, insp2 and back to oil. The oil is £169 at a dealer and if you do it yourself the oil is near £100 so DIY is hardly worth it. Insp1 is about £350 so not silly either. What I would say is that there are more sellers than buyers out there though the ratio of good cars to buyers is closer but no service history will kill the value to almost unsaleable. That said I rush in the morning for the drive to work and am keen to get away in the evening for the drive home ( admittedly round the country lanes of N Yorks). These are magnificent motors and unbeatable bang for buck. One final thing, if you buy make sure the subframe repair has been done.

[E30M3SE]

jon- said:

Thanks. I know of Bosch, very good quality, but I'm not sure they're much cheaper than a main dealer any more!

Specialist Cars want £899, on their M value servicing scheme for an inspection II, which is a bit different from the £1500 for the same (inc Brake fluid change) I was quoted a couple of years ago, iirc Bosch charge around £650 for Inspection II

Edited by E30M3SE on Sunday 3rd February 09:21

[jon-]

E30M3SE said:

Specialist Cars want £899, on their M value servicing scheme for an inspection II, which is a bit different from the £1500 for the same (inc Brake fluid change) I was quoted a couple of years ago, iirc Bosch charge around £650 for Inspection II

Edited by E30M3SE on Sunday 3rd February 09:21

Ouch!

You heard much about these guys?

http://www.a1bnspecialist.co.uk/

£532 inc vat for inspection II with tappets.

[Vixpy1]

http://www.cpcpe.com/

Ignore the terrible website, they are very good

[E30M3SE]

jon- said:

Ouch!

You heard much about these guys?

http://www.a1bnspecialist.co.uk/

£532 inc vat for inspection II with tappets.

A friend used them for her Mini Cooper alterator, they were cheaper than anyone else as there were fitting a used alternator warrantied for 90 days, that was about a year ago, although there was an increase in the quoted price for initial quote stage to the actual booking being made.

Someone else I know used them when his M3 SMG gearbox left him stranded, it just needed adaptations resetting.

They were fine in those instances.

Their quoted prices do seem very cheap, E30M3 oil service for £89................ what oil are they putting in that??

Edited by E30M3SE on Sunday 3rd February 10:23

[jon-]

Thanks Dev. I've spoken to them before and they seemed professional, but they quoted me £500+ to remove some coilovers and fit lowering springs. It ended up costing me half that!

[E30M3SE]

To be honest £500+ VAT seems like a lot of money for that, at £60 per hour that's 8+ hours labour, it's probably an hour per corner on a lift with air tools, if that, so half that is probably about right.

Give them a whirl, report back and let us know.

[MMT]

mcmikey43 said:

A couple of points. I have one as a daily and do 3-350 miles a week in it. Service goes oil, insp1, oil, insp2 and back to oil. The oil is £169 at a dealer and if you do it yourself the oil is near £100 so DIY is hardly worth it. Insp1 is about £350 so not silly either. What I would say is that there are more sellers than buyers out there though the ratio of good cars to buyers is closer but no service history will kill the value to almost unsaleable. That said I rush in the morning for the drive to work and am keen to get away in the evening for the drive home ( admittedly round the country lanes of N Yorks). These are magnificent motors and unbeatable bang for buck. One final thing, if you buy make sure the subframe repair has been done.

Oils £26.00/4L from Eurocarparts for Castrol Edge mate.

[Patrick Bateman]

MMT said:

Oils £26.00/4L from Eurocarparts for Castrol Edge mate.

Where are you seeing that?

With the discount applied 4 litres is £36.

[muzza289]

jon- said:

Any recommendations for a good indi around the Herts / Beds area?

Mine is due an oil service in 4000 miles, but I figure I'll give it a proper inspection service as it's a new car to me. Inspection 1 or 2 I'm not sure, I'll have to check the differences.

http://www.dmworx.co.uk/home

been using them for 7+ yrs on my M3 e36 evo. they are proper BMW nuts. Russ used to race e36s now races e46s - i think his only holidays involve doing hundreds of laps at the 'ring! they know their BMWs, been around a long time....you won't get turned over. they are well known on lots of forums.

[mcmikey43]

MMT said:

Oils £26.00/4L from Eurocarparts for Castrol Edge mate.

Doesn't much change the fact that unless it's serviced by someone who demonstrably knows what they are doing the value will evaporate. Not saying the guy quoted here doesn't know and wouldn't be fine, just saying don't DIY. I'm saying this from a position where I do all the work on my Lotus because it's not regarded as a problem by buyers.

[MMT]

Patrick Bateman said:

MMT said:

Oils £26.00/4L from Eurocarparts for Castrol Edge mate.

Where are you seeing that?

With the discount applied 4 litres is £36.

The price for Castrol Edge 10/60 is £37.99/4L.
The best code I can see today is parts25 for 25% off which makes it £28.49/4L
Every month though they have a 30% code which makes it about £26.00