My E91 335i Touring M Sport
Discussion
So I was fed up of my A3 and decided I needed something a bit more fun with a bigger boot to tide me over until Christmas (aiming for an F10 M5/C6 RS6). Spotted this reasonably cheap up the top of Scotland, so took a trip to see it. It's a 2006 335i Touring M Sport. Manual gearbox which I wasn't sure about at first, but it's growing on me-
Initial viewing didn't go great. The car has a Quaife LSD fitted, but the back of the car felt like it was driving on rubber bands. I suspected possible subframe bushings, combined with the £30-a-corner HIFLY rubber. After the "vigorous" test drive
with the car idling in his drive, the serpentine belt snapped. Inspected the car afterwards, no sign of it having damaged the front crank seal. He chucked a new belt on a few days later, which allowed me to come back and snap it up for a bargain in the very low 4 region. We went up in my mates E92 335i, so the guy knew we were familiar with N54s and their associated issues-
Few days later I got it booked in for a tracking check and 4 new Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5s. Took it a nice run after to see how it felt with the new rubber. Totally transformed, no more rear end hoping about. About half way out a nice country road, I noticed the power seemed less potent. Suspected HPFP, as I'd seen it doe the same on a mates car after some spirited driving. Got about half way back home doing 150 leptons, dash lights up with a charging error and EML on. I knew it was the belt there and then, the only issue was getting it home and worrying if any belt had passed the seal. I'd have known by this point for definite though. Inspection revealed-
Belt was indeed away, seen the marks on the pulleys and the alternator freewheel feels jammed solid, further inspection finds-
Bingo, power steering pulley was smashed up. Common issue on these as the pulley can touch the subframe apparently. Ordered a full set of- belt, tensioner, idler pulleys, alternator freewheel pulley, power steering pulley. Accidentally leant on this awful hose repair causing it to leak, so a couple new hoses and coolant ordered for a refresh-
Awaiting all parts to come, at least I'll have something to do during lockdown!
Guessing from the back window sticker, it's been owned by a member too-
Managed to get it in shot after spotting this lovely E61 M5 with the most perfect numberplate during a shopping trip-
Came with a dyno graph, it's had a remap by Evolve, running 377bhp. Incredibly rewarding to drive, unlike the A3 it actually responds differently to different inputs. Can't wait to actually use it!
Initial viewing didn't go great. The car has a Quaife LSD fitted, but the back of the car felt like it was driving on rubber bands. I suspected possible subframe bushings, combined with the £30-a-corner HIFLY rubber. After the "vigorous" test drive
with the car idling in his drive, the serpentine belt snapped. Inspected the car afterwards, no sign of it having damaged the front crank seal. He chucked a new belt on a few days later, which allowed me to come back and snap it up for a bargain in the very low 4 region. We went up in my mates E92 335i, so the guy knew we were familiar with N54s and their associated issues-Few days later I got it booked in for a tracking check and 4 new Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5s. Took it a nice run after to see how it felt with the new rubber. Totally transformed, no more rear end hoping about. About half way out a nice country road, I noticed the power seemed less potent. Suspected HPFP, as I'd seen it doe the same on a mates car after some spirited driving. Got about half way back home doing 150 leptons, dash lights up with a charging error and EML on. I knew it was the belt there and then, the only issue was getting it home and worrying if any belt had passed the seal. I'd have known by this point for definite though. Inspection revealed-
Belt was indeed away, seen the marks on the pulleys and the alternator freewheel feels jammed solid, further inspection finds-
Bingo, power steering pulley was smashed up. Common issue on these as the pulley can touch the subframe apparently. Ordered a full set of- belt, tensioner, idler pulleys, alternator freewheel pulley, power steering pulley. Accidentally leant on this awful hose repair causing it to leak, so a couple new hoses and coolant ordered for a refresh-
Awaiting all parts to come, at least I'll have something to do during lockdown!
Guessing from the back window sticker, it's been owned by a member too-
Managed to get it in shot after spotting this lovely E61 M5 with the most perfect numberplate during a shopping trip-
Came with a dyno graph, it's had a remap by Evolve, running 377bhp. Incredibly rewarding to drive, unlike the A3 it actually responds differently to different inputs. Can't wait to actually use it!
Yep, miss that car very much and the plate always made me smile when someone made the connection! New owner is loving it up in Scotland now which is where I’m guessing you bumped into it!
Funny story: it was cheaper to pay for it to be put on the back of a transporter for its journey to its new home than to fuel it there!
Funny story: it was cheaper to pay for it to be put on the back of a transporter for its journey to its new home than to fuel it there!
MrTouring said:
Yep, miss that car very much and the plate always made me smile when someone made the connection! New owner is loving it up in Scotland now which is where I’m guessing you bumped into it!
Funny story: it was cheaper to pay for it to be put on the back of a transporter for its journey to its new home than to fuel it there!
That is bloody lovely but the fuel consumption must have been savage for transport to be cheaper! Funny story: it was cheaper to pay for it to be put on the back of a transporter for its journey to its new home than to fuel it there!
MrTouring said:
Yep, miss that car very much and the plate always made me smile when someone made the connection! New owner is loving it up in Scotland now which is where I’m guessing you bumped into it!
Funny story: it was cheaper to pay for it to be put on the back of a transporter for its journey to its new home than to fuel it there!
Yeah, it was at Fort Kinnaird, just outside Musselburgh. Funny story: it was cheaper to pay for it to be put on the back of a transporter for its journey to its new home than to fuel it there!
Parts all finally arrived from onlinecarparts (Autodoc basically), took about a week, not bad in the current situation I guess.
Fitting the pulleys all went pretty well, minus the alternator freewheel clutch. For some reason it works backwards to all the other ones I've seen. Rather than unscrewing the middle bolt (which I thought was a T50, turns out to be a 10mm 12 spline drive
), the central shaft is the alternator shaft and you actually turn the 33 spline tool, and the entire pulley unscrews. I only had a 3/8" drive ratchet for the T60 to release tension on the belt to install it, but it wasn't actually too bad, not sure why people are saying that you need a two foot breaker bar for it 
. Done the coolant hoses too, installation was fine but the coolant bleeding procedure is quite odd. Especially since everybody you come across says to do it a different way. So I probably used about 3L coolant more than I had to. For reference, do it with the bleed screw shut, coolant top up cap off. It'll save you a tenner in coolant.Attention then turned to the leaky headlight washer jet. Pretty easy fix, remove wheel, arch liner, reach in and replace. Was a bit annoyed as I'd misplaced the axle stands, so had to do that with the car just sitting on the jack, luckily you don't have to be under it as such.
Getting to know the car more and more each day now (essential journeys only
), staggered by how much traction it has off the line compared to my F10 530D. The way it exits corners up the revs in second gear is quite scary, LSD definitely doing its job.Much more powerful car coming December hopefully, if this lasts until then without causing much of a headache, I will absolutely love it. 33mpg sitting at 70+ from Aberdeen to Glasgow is nothing to be sniffed at with this power level either. Previously I was not too fussed either way in the petrol vs diesel debate, but the smoothness of this car is incredible. Can't see me owning another diesel now that I'm not having to buy ecoboxes.
Update time:
Follow 4 or so weeks of very happy ownership, half a mile from home and an oncoming DPD van forces me off the road. Result = New Eagle F1 Asy 5 required, after only 100 miles of use. Thankfully I had the tyre insurance. Got a follow up tracking check when it was in, still spot on.
Two weeks or so later, giving it some beans leaving a Blobeye wagon in the dust, turn off the road and got a code for VANOS solenoid, exhaust side. Removed and blasted out with air and cleaned up. Swapped them round too, so if the code changes, I know I have a bad solenoid. Not expensive parts, so I may order one as a backup.
Finally got a use out of the detatchable towbar I got with the car, pretty high quality Witter unit, looks pretty much unused. Used it for towing a trailer up to the 750kg limit full of bricks and breeze blocks, barely even knew it was there.
On the whole, still very happy with the car. Will be interesting to see how it fares the next 6 months or so I expect to have it.
Albigularis said:
Attention then turned to the leaky headlight washer jet. Pretty easy fix, remove wheel, arch liner, reach in and replace.
I bought a pair of these, as it was virtually the same price as buying one, so I also done the one which wasn't leaking as it wasn't retracting fully into the bumper - pretty common issue on this 3 series generation. The drivers side one is right behind an oil cooler and requires an advanced yoga certification in order to remove it without losing a noticeable amount of skin.Follow 4 or so weeks of very happy ownership, half a mile from home and an oncoming DPD van forces me off the road. Result = New Eagle F1 Asy 5 required, after only 100 miles of use. Thankfully I had the tyre insurance. Got a follow up tracking check when it was in, still spot on.
Two weeks or so later, giving it some beans leaving a Blobeye wagon in the dust, turn off the road and got a code for VANOS solenoid, exhaust side. Removed and blasted out with air and cleaned up. Swapped them round too, so if the code changes, I know I have a bad solenoid. Not expensive parts, so I may order one as a backup.
Finally got a use out of the detatchable towbar I got with the car, pretty high quality Witter unit, looks pretty much unused. Used it for towing a trailer up to the 750kg limit full of bricks and breeze blocks, barely even knew it was there.
On the whole, still very happy with the car. Will be interesting to see how it fares the next 6 months or so I expect to have it.
Albigularis said:
Update time:
Follow 4 or so weeks of very happy ownership, half a mile from home and an oncoming DPD van forces me off the road. Result = New Eagle F1 Asy 5 required, after only 100 miles of use. Thankfully I had the tyre insurance. Got a follow up tracking check when it was in, still spot on.
Two weeks or so later, giving it some beans leaving a Blobeye wagon in the dust, turn off the road and got a code for VANOS solenoid, exhaust side. Removed and blasted out with air and cleaned up. Swapped them round too, so if the code changes, I know I have a bad solenoid. Not expensive parts, so I may order one as a backup.
Finally got a use out of the detatchable towbar I got with the car, pretty high quality Witter unit, looks pretty much unused. Used it for towing a trailer up to the 750kg limit full of bricks and breeze blocks, barely even knew it was there.
On the whole, still very happy with the car. Will be interesting to see how it fares the next 6 months or so I expect to have it.
These have always been on my radar but the potential for bork has put my off when I came to make a serious decision on them.Albigularis said:
Attention then turned to the leaky headlight washer jet. Pretty easy fix, remove wheel, arch liner, reach in and replace.
I bought a pair of these, as it was virtually the same price as buying one, so I also done the one which wasn't leaking as it wasn't retracting fully into the bumper - pretty common issue on this 3 series generation. The drivers side one is right behind an oil cooler and requires an advanced yoga certification in order to remove it without losing a noticeable amount of skin.Follow 4 or so weeks of very happy ownership, half a mile from home and an oncoming DPD van forces me off the road. Result = New Eagle F1 Asy 5 required, after only 100 miles of use. Thankfully I had the tyre insurance. Got a follow up tracking check when it was in, still spot on.
Two weeks or so later, giving it some beans leaving a Blobeye wagon in the dust, turn off the road and got a code for VANOS solenoid, exhaust side. Removed and blasted out with air and cleaned up. Swapped them round too, so if the code changes, I know I have a bad solenoid. Not expensive parts, so I may order one as a backup.
Finally got a use out of the detatchable towbar I got with the car, pretty high quality Witter unit, looks pretty much unused. Used it for towing a trailer up to the 750kg limit full of bricks and breeze blocks, barely even knew it was there.
On the whole, still very happy with the car. Will be interesting to see how it fares the next 6 months or so I expect to have it.
Soaking the vanos solenoids in kerosene can apparently help liberate some more of the crap that might be gumming them up; it’s not a permanent fix but it might give you some more time.
How have you been getting on with the Asy 5’s?
I know you can get subframe inserts for the e87’s that fill in the voids in the oem bushes and tighten the rear end up; have you heard anything about them for yours?
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