BMW E91 335i Touring, Le Mans Blue
Discussion
Fermit said:
Thoughts from others. Are wheel spacers a good idea or not? I'd quite like them front and rear, to bring the wheels out to the arches, improving the stance of the car. However, the other part of me thinks that if BMW themselves spent millions of £ to provide the best handling car, why would I with £60 (?) of spacers be able to improve on this?!
Has anyone fitted them, do they change the drive for better or worse in anyway?
The LCI cars have a wider track, the pre pre LCI wheels loom lost in the wheel arches in my opinion.Has anyone fitted them, do they change the drive for better or worse in anyway?
I’m running 12mm spacers on the front of my car and it looks loads better. No room for spacers on the rear with my very aggressively offset wheels.
I’ve fitted sone to the rear of my wife’s 330i but want to size up to 15mm.
I don’t really notice any difference in driving traits if I’m honest, but I do notice how much better it looks.
pmorg4 said:
Fermit said:
Thank you. I bought it as the cheapest 335i touring (at the time) as the cheapest on sale in the UK (£8000) knowing it needed bringing up to scratch. It had a good provenance mind, 1 owner and then 13 stamps, now 14. You can uplift condition, but you can't buy history.
Very true! And if a car has been neglected mechanically (especially an N54!) it can take a significant sum to bring it up to standard. That said mine had full BMW service history when I bought it, which on paper is a good thing but it does also mean that it's never had many of the things that BMW considers to be "lifetime" but everyone else knows better, e.g. gearbox oil, walnut blasting, belts/tensioner/pulleys. I'm working my way though that lot, having just completed the belts last week.BMW don’t touch fluids like the diff either.
I’m yet to battle the belt and pulleys; I’ll probably to a big service when the oil is next due; oil, oil filter, plugs again (one step colder this time), air filter, belt and pulleys.
The gearbox oil in my wife’s 330i smelt bloody rancid when I changed that. Not sure it’d been touched in 163k despite being cheap and easy to do.
Court_S said:
The LCI cars have a wider track, the pre pre LCI wheels loom lost in the wheel arches in my opinion.
OK, the consensus seems to be that there are no negatives. I too feel it will give the car a better stance. Gad mentioned stick to hub centric ones from a quality supplier. Can anyone give any pointers to some which fit the brief, what MM I should go for (15/20?) and any examples of some suitable ones which WON'T break the bank? (needing to not let spending run away with me!)
Fermit said:
d_a_n1979 said:
Thanks. I'll get some bought.Fermit said:
Fermit said:
d_a_n1979 said:
Thanks. I'll get some bought.I use a tiny bit on the wheel bolts too; but generally they're fine without it...
d_a_n1979 said:
Only a smear pal; about double the size of what you'd put on your toothpaste and wipe it around the lip of the hub and that's about it...
I use a tiny bit on the wheel bolts too; but generally they're fine without it...
Thanks Dan, much appreciated. This suggests that whilst it is a small tube it should last me some years.I use a tiny bit on the wheel bolts too; but generally they're fine without it...
Right, today's quandary. Please please please, if anyone can help?!!
The next thing to try to get the remote central locking working is to replace the door lock actuator. I suspect that this may be on the way way out, as when locking by key there is a vibrating noise in quick succession like a lock on-off-on-off-on from the drivers door.
Replacement item bought, and only realised it's the wrong part once the old one was out. To get it out involved removal of the door card, unclipping the internal handle, releasing the window and mirror switch, disconnecting the door speaker, and finally the puddle light. After this, the (noise cancelling?) grey foam type cover was peeled back carefully, to allow access to the doors internals, via a couple of holes in the door. Then remove the three torx screws to free the door lock. Finally I unbolted the window regulator bar, to improve access to get the lock out.
Luckily I have small wrists, as it was an incredibly tight gap to maneuver the lock out.
Whilst doing so, the below part fell down the internals of the door.
I have since identified that this goes in to the door-lock cylinder, like so
The other end of the 'key' I believe goes in to the area on the actuator circled here
This is where it gets problematic. The available space inside the door allows room for the key to be in the actuator, but then no room in to the lock cylinder. Or, I have room to get it in the door lock cylinder, but not the actuator.
The end result is that now, when everything (cables, plugs etc) is re-attached to the door, the central locking isn't working from the key.
Also, now back together, really annoyingly, the window is lowering about 90% rather than disappearing in to the door, and when shutting it, unless you close it bit by bit, it reaches 100%, then drops down a little. Surely something to do with the window regulator bar being unbolted, and wiggled about attempting to free the door lock actuator?
I spent all of yesterday afternoon trying to sort this out, unsuccessfully, really REALLY frustratingly.
So, has anyone any ideas of wisdom? On the very slim chance, if anyone is near enough to North West Notts/ North East Derbs to help out a fool whos bitten off more than he can chew then free Chinese/Indian/Beer will be gladly provided!!
I purchased last night the correct door lock actuator, using the part numbers stamped on the one I removed, and this - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404487641997?hash=item5... as the door lock barrel end of the 'key' looks a bit different to the on which fell inside the door (will get a photo of this up shortly, as I'm not yet dressed, the neighbours wouldn't thank me for going out in my dressing gown!
HELP!!
Edited by Fermit on Saturday 16th September 09:54
Edited by Fermit on Saturday 16th September 10:03
The next small mod. 15mm wheel spacers all around. As standard, the wheels not sitting flush always makes me think of Dick Dastardly's car, not a fan of the look.
Before.
After
Much happier, it now has the stance it should always have had, this alone IMO makes it look beefier. Oh, and the Liqui Moly Ceramic Paste which someone pointed me to buy was applied to the outside of the spacers, to avoid any future bonding of the wheels to the hubs.
In other news, recently sold a bit of hi-fi, to fund the Walnut Blast. Booked in for next Thursday.
Post purchase spend now sitting at £2359.
Before.
After
Much happier, it now has the stance it should always have had, this alone IMO makes it look beefier. Oh, and the Liqui Moly Ceramic Paste which someone pointed me to buy was applied to the outside of the spacers, to avoid any future bonding of the wheels to the hubs.
In other news, recently sold a bit of hi-fi, to fund the Walnut Blast. Booked in for next Thursday.
Post purchase spend now sitting at £2359.
Edited by Fermit on Friday 22 September 12:39
Court_S said:
Looks much better with the spacers. The rear wheels in particular look really lost on the E91.
Did you managed to get the windows sorted?
Where are you taking it for the walnut blast?
Yes to the windows, it sorted itself out. Presume that the window regulator was slightly out, or something else of little consequence.Did you managed to get the windows sorted?
Where are you taking it for the walnut blast?
PMS at Nuneaton are doing the walnut blast.
Fermit said:
Yes to the windows, it sorted itself out. Presume that the window regulator was slightly out, or something else of little consequence.
PMS at Nuneaton are doing the walnut blast.
I think it was probably as Helix said, they just needed to recalibrate which it’s sounds like they did. I’ve had to do it a few times on cars with frameless doors which drop slightly when opened but tegu can get out of sync disconnecting the battery.PMS at Nuneaton are doing the walnut blast.
Are your locking issues still ongoing?
PMP did my walnut blast. Enjoy killing time in Nuneaton…it’s not the best.
Court_S said:
Are your locking issues still ongoing?
Yep. Currently I can't lock the car, but I think I've got to the bottom of what the 'key' bit that fell out the door does, and fits. By taking out the key lock barrel it goes in to this, but the bit that came out is slightly damaged, so a new bit is on order. I've also got a new key lock actuator, as on the old one the attachment to the door lock rod (the bit that leads to the lock button on the door internal) was broken. It worked, but with no visual of a button, which irked me. Could the remote central locking issue (not working) be just down to a faulty actuator, or is that wishful thinking?
PMP did my walnut blast. Enjoy killing time in Nuneaton…it’s not the best.
Yes, I recall you saying! Do PMP have customer bluetooth? If so I'll take the laptop. Failing that I'll go and find a McDonalds somewhere and take a book.
Never managed to figure out the PH multiquote, so this will have to do Yep. Currently I can't lock the car, but I think I've got to the bottom of what the 'key' bit that fell out the door does, and fits. By taking out the key lock barrel it goes in to this, but the bit that came out is slightly damaged, so a new bit is on order. I've also got a new key lock actuator, as on the old one the attachment to the door lock rod (the bit that leads to the lock button on the door internal) was broken. It worked, but with no visual of a button, which irked me. Could the remote central locking issue (not working) be just down to a faulty actuator, or is that wishful thinking?
PMP did my walnut blast. Enjoy killing time in Nuneaton…it’s not the best.
Yes, I recall you saying! Do PMP have customer bluetooth? If so I'll take the laptop. Failing that I'll go and find a McDonalds somewhere and take a book.
Edited by Fermit on Friday 22 September 17:16
Fermit said:
Court_S said:
Are your locking issues still ongoing?
Yep. Currently I can't lock the car, but I think I've got to the bottom of what the 'key' bit that fell out the door does, and fits. By taking out the key lock barrel it goes in to this, but the bit that came out is slightly damaged, so a new bit is on order. I've also got a new key lock actuator, as on the old one the attachment to the door lock rod (the bit that leads to the lock button on the door internal) was broken. It worked, but with no visual of a button, which irked me. Could the remote central locking issue (not working) be just down to a faulty actuator, or is that wishful thinking?
PMP did my walnut blast. Enjoy killing time in Nuneaton…it’s not the best.
Yes, I recall you saying! Do PMP have customer bluetooth? If so I'll take the laptop. Failing that I'll go and find a McDonalds somewhere and take a book.
Never managed to figure out the PH multiquote, so this will have to do Yep. Currently I can't lock the car, but I think I've got to the bottom of what the 'key' bit that fell out the door does, and fits. By taking out the key lock barrel it goes in to this, but the bit that came out is slightly damaged, so a new bit is on order. I've also got a new key lock actuator, as on the old one the attachment to the door lock rod (the bit that leads to the lock button on the door internal) was broken. It worked, but with no visual of a button, which irked me. Could the remote central locking issue (not working) be just down to a faulty actuator, or is that wishful thinking?
PMP did my walnut blast. Enjoy killing time in Nuneaton…it’s not the best.
Yes, I recall you saying! Do PMP have customer bluetooth? If so I'll take the laptop. Failing that I'll go and find a McDonalds somewhere and take a book.
Edited by Fermit on Friday 22 September 17:16
There’s not much at PMP; I’d head to Maccies or similar. When I went, I ended up in the library working because it was the least depressing place to sit for a few hours.
Spent most of this afternoon on the car, sorting out a few niggles. I received the door lock barrel repair kit this morning, so set about sorting that, bloody hell it was fiddly, but finally got it sorted after about an hour and a few youtube 'how to' tutorials. Replaced the door lock actuator, as previously sorting another job I'd managed to snap the connector to the door lock rod/button. An utter faff to get the old one out, and the new one in, but sorted it eventually.
The problems I had (posts above) getting the door lock barrel and actuator aligned were sold after research lead me to discover that the barrel could be removed by undoing a torx bolt behind a rubber bung, on the side of the door.
Now, a few oddities are occurring. I'll mention at this point, just incase it could have any baring, I had a guy out yesterday, as I'd locked myself out the car, and needed him to 'break in' (don't ask, I'm a t
t!) and he also tested the keys for a signal for me.
Now, when I stop the car, and take the key out, within maybe 10 seconds all 4 windows drop simultaneously. Not hard to rectify, but absolutely bloody annoying. Also (we keep the lights on auto mode) when the ignition is turned off the parking lights remain on, requiring me to turn them off and then back to auto to get them off. Again, bloody annoying, and it could lead to a drained battery if it slipped my attention.
Has anyone any bright ideas, key set up, something in the 'old car' on idrive, anything, as I'm pulling my hair out a bit! (Google isn't helping me either)
The problems I had (posts above) getting the door lock barrel and actuator aligned were sold after research lead me to discover that the barrel could be removed by undoing a torx bolt behind a rubber bung, on the side of the door.
Now, a few oddities are occurring. I'll mention at this point, just incase it could have any baring, I had a guy out yesterday, as I'd locked myself out the car, and needed him to 'break in' (don't ask, I'm a t
t!) and he also tested the keys for a signal for me.Now, when I stop the car, and take the key out, within maybe 10 seconds all 4 windows drop simultaneously. Not hard to rectify, but absolutely bloody annoying. Also (we keep the lights on auto mode) when the ignition is turned off the parking lights remain on, requiring me to turn them off and then back to auto to get them off. Again, bloody annoying, and it could lead to a drained battery if it slipped my attention.
Has anyone any bright ideas, key set up, something in the 'old car' on idrive, anything, as I'm pulling my hair out a bit! (Google isn't helping me either)
Edited by Fermit on Monday 25th September 19:27
helix402 said:
Interesting, thanks. I'll research finding a replacement tomorrow, see if that could be a fix.Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff