What have you done to your BMW today?
Discussion
Deep Thought said:
Absolutely stunning!
Beautiful car. Far more distinctive and unique that the M140i too. Cant see that ever depreciating and will likely to continue to go up a little year on year
Thanks.Beautiful car. Far more distinctive and unique that the M140i too. Cant see that ever depreciating and will likely to continue to go up a little year on year
It’s not perfect and could do with a bit of paint in a few places but mechanically it seems sound and it drives well which I thought was more important for an older car. It seems to have been owned by enthusiasts which is good.
I’m hoping that I won’t take much if a hit on it but time will tell. I think if I do take one, it would be far less than of of hung onto the 140i for another year or two.
Replaced this little bugger on the 330Ci.
The picture represents the nadir of this job, where, well over an hour in, aching like a b
d and bleeding from the knuckles, you're on your knees on the drive, having just rolled out of your footwell with all the dignity of a sack of potatoes, and you realise that you have to do it all again, but backwards. And remember where everything plugs in. And find that screw. I can imagine the meeting at BMW where they signed off the maintenance jobs. "Final Stage Resistor, yep, just four screws and a plastic clip. Happy days."
E63eeeeee... said:
Replaced this little bugger on the 330Ci.
The picture represents the nadir of this job, where, well over an hour in, aching like a b
d and bleeding from the knuckles, you're on your knees on the drive, having just rolled out of your footwell with all the dignity of a sack of potatoes, and you realise that you have to do it all again, but backwards. And remember where everything plugs in. And find that screw. I can imagine the meeting at BMW where they signed off the maintenance jobs. "Final Stage Resistor, yep, just four screws and a plastic clip. Happy days."
Waiting for the eBay winner to come collect the 328i...
E63eeeeee... said:
The picture represents the nadir of this job, where, well over an hour in, aching like a bd and bleeding from the knuckles, you're on your knees on the drive, having just rolled out of your footwell with all the dignity of a sack of potatoes, and you realise that you have to do it all again, but backwards. And remember where everything plugs in. And find that screw.
I can imagine the meeting at BMW where they signed off the maintenance jobs. "Final Stage Resistor, yep, just four screws and a plastic clip. Happy days."
Well done on actually seeing it through. I gave up on that stupid screw after about 45 minutes of cursing and contorting. Hadn't even got the original thing out by that point.d and bleeding from the knuckles, you're on your knees on the drive, having just rolled out of your footwell with all the dignity of a sack of potatoes, and you realise that you have to do it all again, but backwards. And remember where everything plugs in. And find that screw. I can imagine the meeting at BMW where they signed off the maintenance jobs. "Final Stage Resistor, yep, just four screws and a plastic clip. Happy days."
I felt a bit chastened when I gave up and took it to the garage, but I was heartened when they said it'd cost an hour's labour to have one of their presumably experienced people fit it. Anyway, excellent value for money. (And if they'd charged me for 2 hours, I'd have quite understood.)
I bet on LHD cars this job takes about 5 minutes.
I refitted my quaife diff........again!
It’s been quite a long story of disappointment this bloody diff
It started whining so took it out and got a local transmission ‘specialist’ to replace the bearings.
The new ones lasted about 2 weeks!
Since then it’s taken many weeks to get them to do the bearings again, so long in fact that I even bought a standard diff and removed the quaife one because I wasn’t comfortable with driving it and potentially doing more damage.
I got a message last week saying it was ready to be fitted again but they couldn’t do it for another 3 weeks
I went and got it and fitted it myself yesterday.
So far so good but that happened last time so I’m a bit paranoid now. I think I’m going to run it for a week or 2 then suck as much of the oil out as possible and put some fresh stuff in there to give it every chance.
Sorry for the long rambling post but it’s been a long rambling story of misery and disappointment
It’s been quite a long story of disappointment this bloody diff
It started whining so took it out and got a local transmission ‘specialist’ to replace the bearings.
The new ones lasted about 2 weeks!
Since then it’s taken many weeks to get them to do the bearings again, so long in fact that I even bought a standard diff and removed the quaife one because I wasn’t comfortable with driving it and potentially doing more damage.
I got a message last week saying it was ready to be fitted again but they couldn’t do it for another 3 weeks
I went and got it and fitted it myself yesterday.
So far so good but that happened last time so I’m a bit paranoid now. I think I’m going to run it for a week or 2 then suck as much of the oil out as possible and put some fresh stuff in there to give it every chance.
Sorry for the long rambling post but it’s been a long rambling story of misery and disappointment
E63eeeeee... said:
Replaced this little bugger on the 330Ci.
The picture represents the nadir of this job, where, well over an hour in, aching like a b
d and bleeding from the knuckles, you're on your knees on the drive, having just rolled out of your footwell with all the dignity of a sack of potatoes, and you realise that you have to do it all again, but backwards. And remember where everything plugs in. And find that screw. I can imagine the meeting at BMW where they signed off the maintenance jobs. "Final Stage Resistor, yep, just four screws and a plastic clip. Happy days."
After much research into this (and it actually dying when I had no time) I paid my local specialist to do mine. It took them less than 20 minutes!
My many years of fiddling with cars has left me convinced that there is always someone on the design team who’s sole job is to booby trap the things, presumably with the aim of putting us off doing things ourselves.
I have to be honest, after lots of reading about it I at least partly decided to do it out of bloody-mindedness to see if I could. I reckon I could do it again in less than half the time, the hardest part is getting a mental model of what you're trying to do and having the right tool ready for each of the screws.
For the benefit of anyone thinking about doing it, I reckon I did three things that worked and one thing I'd do differently. I took the seat out (I'm 6'3" and there was no way I was fitting in the footwell otherwise), I had every T20 tool, bit and bit holder I own in the footwell, plus a pry kit, because once you're wedged in there you don't want to be popping out to get something else, and I had an endoscope on my phone rather than trying to wedge mirrors in there, much of the time you will only be able to bring one hand into play, and you'll be limited about where your head can be.
The thing I'd do differently is more light. I had a head torch, which was pretty good as I could wedge and tie it where it needed to be, but it died as I was fixing the motor back on, and I ended up doing the last bit with the light on my phone. You can't have too much light in there, it's hard enough without making it harder.
Definitely agree about doing it on a LHD, in total it's 9 screws, 6 push-fit connectors and a plastic clip. With good access and visibility it would take minutes. The steering column is most of the problem on both counts.
To be fair to BMW as a relative novice to tinkering on cars mostly in the last year, I've found the E46s really easy to work on.
For the benefit of anyone thinking about doing it, I reckon I did three things that worked and one thing I'd do differently. I took the seat out (I'm 6'3" and there was no way I was fitting in the footwell otherwise), I had every T20 tool, bit and bit holder I own in the footwell, plus a pry kit, because once you're wedged in there you don't want to be popping out to get something else, and I had an endoscope on my phone rather than trying to wedge mirrors in there, much of the time you will only be able to bring one hand into play, and you'll be limited about where your head can be.
The thing I'd do differently is more light. I had a head torch, which was pretty good as I could wedge and tie it where it needed to be, but it died as I was fixing the motor back on, and I ended up doing the last bit with the light on my phone. You can't have too much light in there, it's hard enough without making it harder.
Definitely agree about doing it on a LHD, in total it's 9 screws, 6 push-fit connectors and a plastic clip. With good access and visibility it would take minutes. The steering column is most of the problem on both counts.
To be fair to BMW as a relative novice to tinkering on cars mostly in the last year, I've found the E46s really easy to work on.
E61 oil change for me today.
Got my drain pan nicely lined up behind the drain plug, whipped out the bolt, only to observe a lovely stream of oil shoot sideways out over the ground!
Having only had transverse engines in 20 years, I had completey failed to anticipate the oil coming out in a different direction! Silly me.
Then, filling up the car from a 20 litre container in multiples of 900mm (due to jug size) I lost count of how many i had put in (might be 6 or 7). Silly me again.
So the car will be either 200mm short or 1100mm.
Not the end of the world, but I of course need to run the engine up to warm for the electric dipstick to tell me.
I think I will try and measure how much has gone from the 20l tub, but that unhelpfully doesn't have a measurement scale on the outside, so it will be a bit rough and ready.
Hey ho. Had worse oil changes, and the filter housing behaved itself.
Got my drain pan nicely lined up behind the drain plug, whipped out the bolt, only to observe a lovely stream of oil shoot sideways out over the ground!
Having only had transverse engines in 20 years, I had completey failed to anticipate the oil coming out in a different direction! Silly me.
Then, filling up the car from a 20 litre container in multiples of 900mm (due to jug size) I lost count of how many i had put in (might be 6 or 7). Silly me again.
So the car will be either 200mm short or 1100mm.
Not the end of the world, but I of course need to run the engine up to warm for the electric dipstick to tell me.
I think I will try and measure how much has gone from the 20l tub, but that unhelpfully doesn't have a measurement scale on the outside, so it will be a bit rough and ready.
Hey ho. Had worse oil changes, and the filter housing behaved itself.
One of those ‘quick’ jobs for me this weekend, changing the rear pads on LadySvetly’s X1, (which turned out to be not quite so quick).
First issue = the recent tyre fitter not being familiar with a torque wrench which would usually be a minor irritation …. but, in tightening the bolts so very much he’d knackered the locking wheel nut key. £30 and an hour round trip later that’s that sorted.
Second issue = Carly not yet supporting the EPB on the F48 (and me not checking beforehand), cue much hunting around the shed/garage/barn/cupboard under the stairs to find an appropriately sized hex bit only to have a very good go at rounding the first bolt off.
After that all was good, second side faster than the first and all that, but it surely has to be the longest it has ever taken me to change a set of brake pads 🤦♂️.
Luckily I had the assistance of the chief tool passer to get some time back…
First issue = the recent tyre fitter not being familiar with a torque wrench which would usually be a minor irritation …. but, in tightening the bolts so very much he’d knackered the locking wheel nut key. £30 and an hour round trip later that’s that sorted.
Second issue = Carly not yet supporting the EPB on the F48 (and me not checking beforehand), cue much hunting around the shed/garage/barn/cupboard under the stairs to find an appropriately sized hex bit only to have a very good go at rounding the first bolt off.
After that all was good, second side faster than the first and all that, but it surely has to be the longest it has ever taken me to change a set of brake pads 🤦♂️.
Luckily I had the assistance of the chief tool passer to get some time back…
Ian Geary said:
E61 oil change for me today.
Got my drain pan nicely lined up behind the drain plug, whipped out the bolt, only to observe a lovely stream of oil shoot sideways out over the ground!
Having only had transverse engines in 20 years, I had completey failed to anticipate the oil coming out in a different direction! Silly me.
Then, filling up the car from a 20 litre container in multiples of 900mm (due to jug size) I lost count of how many i had put in (might be 6 or 7). Silly me again.
So the car will be either 200mm short or 1100mm.
Not the end of the world, but I of course need to run the engine up to warm for the electric dipstick to tell me.
I think I will try and measure how much has gone from the 20l tub, but that unhelpfully doesn't have a measurement scale on the outside, so it will be a bit rough and ready.
Hey ho. Had worse oil changes, and the filter housing behaved itself.
I buy my oil in 20L containers but decant into an old 5L 'TripleQX' oil container for ease of use.Got my drain pan nicely lined up behind the drain plug, whipped out the bolt, only to observe a lovely stream of oil shoot sideways out over the ground!
Having only had transverse engines in 20 years, I had completey failed to anticipate the oil coming out in a different direction! Silly me.
Then, filling up the car from a 20 litre container in multiples of 900mm (due to jug size) I lost count of how many i had put in (might be 6 or 7). Silly me again.
So the car will be either 200mm short or 1100mm.
Not the end of the world, but I of course need to run the engine up to warm for the electric dipstick to tell me.
I think I will try and measure how much has gone from the 20l tub, but that unhelpfully doesn't have a measurement scale on the outside, so it will be a bit rough and ready.
Hey ho. Had worse oil changes, and the filter housing behaved itself.
The lack of physical dipstick frustrates.
LordSvetly said:
One of those ‘quick’ jobs for me this weekend, changing the rear pads on LadySvetly’s X1, (which turned out to be not quite so quick).
First issue = the recent tyre fitter not being familiar with a torque wrench which would usually be a minor irritation …. but, in tightening the bolts so very much he’d knackered the locking wheel nut key. £30 and an hour round trip later that’s that sorted.
Second issue = Carly not yet supporting the EPB on the F48 (and me not checking beforehand), cue much hunting around the shed/garage/barn/cupboard under the stairs to find an appropriately sized hex bit only to have a very good go at rounding the first bolt off.
After that all was good, second side faster than the first and all that, but it surely has to be the longest it has ever taken me to change a set of brake pads ?????.
Luckily I had the assistance of the chief tool passer to get some time back…
'Quick' jobs never seem to end up being quick. At least you had help First issue = the recent tyre fitter not being familiar with a torque wrench which would usually be a minor irritation …. but, in tightening the bolts so very much he’d knackered the locking wheel nut key. £30 and an hour round trip later that’s that sorted.
Second issue = Carly not yet supporting the EPB on the F48 (and me not checking beforehand), cue much hunting around the shed/garage/barn/cupboard under the stairs to find an appropriately sized hex bit only to have a very good go at rounding the first bolt off.
After that all was good, second side faster than the first and all that, but it surely has to be the longest it has ever taken me to change a set of brake pads ?????.
Luckily I had the assistance of the chief tool passer to get some time back…
I changed the iDrive screen on the 630i as it had been flickering for a number on months. Usually an 'assertive' tap would fix it, but this treatment method have become progressively more ineffective. Second hand screen ~ £50 via eBay.
Need to get that new gearstick situation sorted.
When I went back to my parent's house to sort the 328, picked up some old 17 inch Alpina reps that have been sitting piled up for ages (only 3 of the 4 photographed). Also located a couple of genuine Alpina Softline rims that had been sitting in the garage. Not sure if there's much of a market for these kind of things.
Edited by g3org3y on Sunday 23 May 19:19
Someone will want those reps, especially as ALPINA bits are just silly money now.
I went to view a 130ia this weekend for the good lady. She’s more picky than I am, working in the trade. She walked. Nice car, but no history at all. Not even a service booklet.
Like previous posters, I also had been enjoying myself a bit too much and got a letter from Thames Valley’s finest for doing 53 in a 40. Hands held up, and fortunately the upper limit for a speed awareness course is…53.
I went to view a 130ia this weekend for the good lady. She’s more picky than I am, working in the trade. She walked. Nice car, but no history at all. Not even a service booklet.
Like previous posters, I also had been enjoying myself a bit too much and got a letter from Thames Valley’s finest for doing 53 in a 40. Hands held up, and fortunately the upper limit for a speed awareness course is…53.
JakeT said:
Someone will want those reps, especially as ALPINA bits are just silly money now.
I went to view a 130ia this weekend for the good lady. She’s more picky than I am, working in the trade. She walked. Nice car, but no history at all. Not even a service booklet.
Like previous posters, I also had been enjoying myself a bit too much and got a letter from Thames Valley’s finest for doing 53 in a 40. Hands held up, and fortunately the upper limit for a speed awareness course is…53.
That’s a pisser, on both counts!I went to view a 130ia this weekend for the good lady. She’s more picky than I am, working in the trade. She walked. Nice car, but no history at all. Not even a service booklet.
Like previous posters, I also had been enjoying myself a bit too much and got a letter from Thames Valley’s finest for doing 53 in a 40. Hands held up, and fortunately the upper limit for a speed awareness course is…53.
There are some absolute dogs out there in terms of 130’s. I guess it always happens as they get cheap and they fall into the wrong hands.
Had a stone-chip on windscreen treated. I (also) received a speeding ticket on the journey that caused the stone-chip. I was doing 47 in a 40 zone.
What's frustrating, is that I've driven that stretch through the roadworks on numerous occasions without issues. I must have just lost concentration
and followed at the same speed as vehicles in front of me. I'm sure their owners will be the recipients of speeding tickets too. It's my first one and
I'll opt for the speed awareness course.
What's frustrating, is that I've driven that stretch through the roadworks on numerous occasions without issues. I must have just lost concentration
and followed at the same speed as vehicles in front of me. I'm sure their owners will be the recipients of speeding tickets too. It's my first one and
I'll opt for the speed awareness course.
Edited by De Sisti on Monday 24th May 17:25
Edited by De Sisti on Monday 24th May 17:40
JakeT said:
Someone will want those reps, especially as ALPINA bits are just silly money now.
I went to view a 130ia this weekend for the good lady. She’s more picky than I am, working in the trade. She walked. Nice car, but no history at all. Not even a service booklet.
Like previous posters, I also had been enjoying myself a bit too much and got a letter from Thames Valley’s finest for doing 53 in a 40. Hands held up, and fortunately the upper limit for a speed awareness course is…53.
Might put the reps on eBay then. No idea what they're worth.I went to view a 130ia this weekend for the good lady. She’s more picky than I am, working in the trade. She walked. Nice car, but no history at all. Not even a service booklet.
Like previous posters, I also had been enjoying myself a bit too much and got a letter from Thames Valley’s finest for doing 53 in a 40. Hands held up, and fortunately the upper limit for a speed awareness course is…53.
I have a set of x4 genuine Softlines in the garage. One day I'll find a use for them. I was tempted to put them on the E46 330Ci but decided to keep it on the 18s.
Sorry to hear about the speeding ticket. Easily done. Lucky re the SAC!
De Sisti said:
Had a stone-chip on windscreen treated. I (also) received a speeding ticket on the journey that caused the stone-chip. I was doing 47 in a 40 zone.
What's frustrating, is that I've driven that stretch through the roadworks on numerous occasions without issues. I must have just lost concentration
and followed at the same speed as vehicles in front of me. I'm sure their owners will be the recipients of speeding tickets too. It's my first one and
I'll opt for the speed awareness course.
What's frustrating, is that I've driven that stretch through the roadworks on numerous occasions without issues. I must have just lost concentration
and followed at the same speed as vehicles in front of me. I'm sure their owners will be the recipients of speeding tickets too. It's my first one and
I'll opt for the speed awareness course.
Thanks Court, and George. These things happen. I should pay more attention. Sent off the letter today to ask them to consider me.
I was more annoyed that there's a massive lack of nice auto 130is out there. I know here it's a bit off to want an auto 130i but dem's the rules. She wouldn't entertain a manual one, no matter how nice.
I was more annoyed that there's a massive lack of nice auto 130is out there. I know here it's a bit off to want an auto 130i but dem's the rules. She wouldn't entertain a manual one, no matter how nice.
Sorted my squeaky seat with a little squirt of silicone spray on the mechanism where the seat back and seat base meet. All sorted now.
I ordered a couple of little missing trim bits but the one annoying me the most was the trim around the idrive controller but it’s on back order with no arrival date so I decided to have a crack myself.
Went from this...
To this after a couple of coats of satin black paint.
The cup holder is a bit manky too but I can’t remove it from the rest of the centre console so I’ll have to live with it.
I ordered a couple of little missing trim bits but the one annoying me the most was the trim around the idrive controller but it’s on back order with no arrival date so I decided to have a crack myself.
Went from this...
To this after a couple of coats of satin black paint.
The cup holder is a bit manky too but I can’t remove it from the rest of the centre console so I’ll have to live with it.
Edited by Court_S on Monday 24th May 21:50
JakeT said:
Thanks Court, and George. These things happen. I should pay more attention. Sent off the letter today to ask them to consider me.
I was more annoyed that there's a massive lack of nice auto 130is out there. I know here it's a bit off to want an auto 130i but dem's the rules. She wouldn't entertain a manual one, no matter how nice.
Gotta play by the rules I was more annoyed that there's a massive lack of nice auto 130is out there. I know here it's a bit off to want an auto 130i but dem's the rules. She wouldn't entertain a manual one, no matter how nice.
Court_S said:
Sorted my squeaky seat with a little squirt of silicone spray on the mechanism where the seat back and seat base meet. All sorted now.
I ordered a couple of little missing trim bits but the one annoying me the most was the trim around the idrive controller but it’s on back order with no arrival date so I decided to have a crack myself.
Went from this...
To this after a couple of coats of satin black paint.
The cup holder is a bit manky too but I can’t remove it from the rest of the centre console so I’ll have to live with it.
Looks good. What prep work did you do and what products did you use?I ordered a couple of little missing trim bits but the one annoying me the most was the trim around the idrive controller but it’s on back order with no arrival date so I decided to have a crack myself.
Went from this...
To this after a couple of coats of satin black paint.
The cup holder is a bit manky too but I can’t remove it from the rest of the centre console so I’ll have to live with it.
Edited by Court_S on Monday 24th May 21:50
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