BMW E46 M3 CS Competition Package - Silver Grey Manual
Discussion
CHAPTER EIGHT – ALIGNMENT AND RATTLE
Having driven the M3 for a couple of months I’ve noticed that on the motorway, it would pull slightly to the left – not a huge amount, but enough to warrant needing to hold the steering wheel with a little force at all times – if you hold it loosely between your hands with no pressure, the car starts to drift across. I was also experiencing a slightly worrying rattle when accelerating in gear between about 1800-2500rpm, something the internet diagnosed as anything between a rattling heatshield and a failed head gasket.
I decided to book it in for an alignment and investigation of the rattle, given the potential repercussions of leaving it unaddressed. Following some research and recommendations from M3Cutters, I found I’m lucky enough to have no less than 3 well known BMW specialists within 15 minutes of me, all whom have a good reputation. I booked my car in with one that was the most convenient in terms of location.
Now, I’m not an internet drama queen and I won’t be naming or shaming anyone, but unfortunately, I had a pretty poor experience (hence the lack of photos). I’d booked the car in for a specific timeslot and made it clear I would need the car back the same day, something I reiterated when I arrived and explained I would be waiting whilst the alignment was done. I explained about the rattle and was told it was probably the outer skin of the catalytic convertor – this could be tack welded to the main body of the cat to solve the rattle.
Reassured that it would take no time at all, and leaving my mobile number so they could call when finished, I popped off to find a café or something close by for a cuppa. After nearly two hours had ticked past with no contact, I wandered back to find my car sitting unattended and the work unfinished. The staff were working on a different car and mine hadn’t had been taken for a test drive to check the alignment was satisfactory, meaning another half an hour wait. By this point I just wanted to get away and the garage was clearly more anxious to finish their other job, so I was waved away with reassurances the work had solved both the pulling to one side and the rattle.
Frustratingly, within about two minutes it was clear that both the problems remained. I would have had no complaints if the alignment hadn’t solved the drifting issue, and the welding hadn’t solved the rattle – if further work was required, I’d rather know - but I was disappointed that I was told both issues had been cleared up when they clearly hadn’t. I didn’t receive a print out of the before and after alignment measures either – this might be innocent and be to do with the equipment used, but I’ve always received print outs in the past.
All in all, it was a very poor experience – the quibbles might seem minor but basic good customer service costs nothing – don’t book me in if you don’t have the time to do the job. What was most frustrating is that over the next 12-18 months I’ll be after a specialist to do some of the larger jobs for me, such as the rod bearings and probably preventative reinforcement of the RACP. A good experience on the smaller jobs would have pretty much been a guarantee of business for the larger ones.
The postscript to the exhaust rattle it that I took it to be inspected at one of the other specialists in my area – BM Sport in Bexleyheath. I dropped it in at 9:30am and received a phone call at 11:30 saying they had identified the rattle as the exhaust midpipe rattling inside flange clamp set where it joins the back box. I decided not to get the repair done just yet (spoiler: new exhaust parts incoming) and when I went to pick the car up – fully expecting to pay for perhaps an hours labour – they waived the fee and gave me a printed quotation for the repair work - I’ll definitely be returning!
Having driven the M3 for a couple of months I’ve noticed that on the motorway, it would pull slightly to the left – not a huge amount, but enough to warrant needing to hold the steering wheel with a little force at all times – if you hold it loosely between your hands with no pressure, the car starts to drift across. I was also experiencing a slightly worrying rattle when accelerating in gear between about 1800-2500rpm, something the internet diagnosed as anything between a rattling heatshield and a failed head gasket.
I decided to book it in for an alignment and investigation of the rattle, given the potential repercussions of leaving it unaddressed. Following some research and recommendations from M3Cutters, I found I’m lucky enough to have no less than 3 well known BMW specialists within 15 minutes of me, all whom have a good reputation. I booked my car in with one that was the most convenient in terms of location.
Now, I’m not an internet drama queen and I won’t be naming or shaming anyone, but unfortunately, I had a pretty poor experience (hence the lack of photos). I’d booked the car in for a specific timeslot and made it clear I would need the car back the same day, something I reiterated when I arrived and explained I would be waiting whilst the alignment was done. I explained about the rattle and was told it was probably the outer skin of the catalytic convertor – this could be tack welded to the main body of the cat to solve the rattle.
Reassured that it would take no time at all, and leaving my mobile number so they could call when finished, I popped off to find a café or something close by for a cuppa. After nearly two hours had ticked past with no contact, I wandered back to find my car sitting unattended and the work unfinished. The staff were working on a different car and mine hadn’t had been taken for a test drive to check the alignment was satisfactory, meaning another half an hour wait. By this point I just wanted to get away and the garage was clearly more anxious to finish their other job, so I was waved away with reassurances the work had solved both the pulling to one side and the rattle.
Frustratingly, within about two minutes it was clear that both the problems remained. I would have had no complaints if the alignment hadn’t solved the drifting issue, and the welding hadn’t solved the rattle – if further work was required, I’d rather know - but I was disappointed that I was told both issues had been cleared up when they clearly hadn’t. I didn’t receive a print out of the before and after alignment measures either – this might be innocent and be to do with the equipment used, but I’ve always received print outs in the past.
All in all, it was a very poor experience – the quibbles might seem minor but basic good customer service costs nothing – don’t book me in if you don’t have the time to do the job. What was most frustrating is that over the next 12-18 months I’ll be after a specialist to do some of the larger jobs for me, such as the rod bearings and probably preventative reinforcement of the RACP. A good experience on the smaller jobs would have pretty much been a guarantee of business for the larger ones.
The postscript to the exhaust rattle it that I took it to be inspected at one of the other specialists in my area – BM Sport in Bexleyheath. I dropped it in at 9:30am and received a phone call at 11:30 saying they had identified the rattle as the exhaust midpipe rattling inside flange clamp set where it joins the back box. I decided not to get the repair done just yet (spoiler: new exhaust parts incoming) and when I went to pick the car up – fully expecting to pay for perhaps an hours labour – they waived the fee and gave me a printed quotation for the repair work - I’ll definitely be returning!
.SebringMan said:
Ouch! Please don't say it was the place I recommended? I was going to go there for my rod bearings or Autobahn near me. You can PM me if you wish.
At least you are making progress and getting there.
Mine has now been stored while I smoke around in the new motor.
PM'ed you but no it wasn't the place you recommended!At least you are making progress and getting there.
Mine has now been stored while I smoke around in the new motor.
Have you checked your rear springs.
I went to two alignment places. The first after getting my Tyres all changed somewhere else, I went to the Tyre shop in Witham Essex.
Not that helpful, had to go back after the first time as it started pulling to the left and steering wheel was not straight and they steering angle sensor warning lights came on. the second time they left grease all over my seat. Car was still pulling to the left and said he would have to charge if I came back again and wouldn't give my money back.
Next place wheels in motion, much more helpful (also pointed out The tyre shop had not adjusted the camber), but same problem was there I had to go back again. Getting frustrated with all petrol and spending time going back and forth, I decided to look again myself and found the passenger left rear spring was missing the last coil...
I replaced it and the car is straight and the steering wheel centred (without another alignment) Just disappointed how two separate places missed this issue!
It always seems to happen when I get someone else to do the work.
I went to two alignment places. The first after getting my Tyres all changed somewhere else, I went to the Tyre shop in Witham Essex.
Not that helpful, had to go back after the first time as it started pulling to the left and steering wheel was not straight and they steering angle sensor warning lights came on. the second time they left grease all over my seat. Car was still pulling to the left and said he would have to charge if I came back again and wouldn't give my money back.
Next place wheels in motion, much more helpful (also pointed out The tyre shop had not adjusted the camber), but same problem was there I had to go back again. Getting frustrated with all petrol and spending time going back and forth, I decided to look again myself and found the passenger left rear spring was missing the last coil...
I replaced it and the car is straight and the steering wheel centred (without another alignment) Just disappointed how two separate places missed this issue!
It always seems to happen when I get someone else to do the work.
jatinder said:
Have you checked your rear springs.
I went to two alignment places. The first after getting my Tyres all changed somewhere else, I went to the Tyre shop in Witham Essex.
Not that helpful, had to go back after the first time as it started pulling to the left and steering wheel was not straight and they steering angle sensor warning lights came on. the second time they left grease all over my seat. Car was still pulling to the left and said he would have to charge if I came back again and wouldn't give my money back.
Next place wheels in motion, much more helpful (also pointed out The tyre shop had not adjusted the camber), but same problem was there I had to go back again. Getting frustrated with all petrol and spending time going back and forth, I decided to look again myself and found the passenger left rear spring was missing the last coil...
I replaced it and the car is straight and the steering wheel centred (without another alignment) Just disappointed how two separate places missed this issue!
It always seems to happen when I get someone else to do the work.
The rear springs were changed for aftermarket slightly lower ones, I believe the OE ones have a tendency to snap BUT there's nothing to say it hasn't happened again. It's only a slight pull, the steering wheel points straight and true.I went to two alignment places. The first after getting my Tyres all changed somewhere else, I went to the Tyre shop in Witham Essex.
Not that helpful, had to go back after the first time as it started pulling to the left and steering wheel was not straight and they steering angle sensor warning lights came on. the second time they left grease all over my seat. Car was still pulling to the left and said he would have to charge if I came back again and wouldn't give my money back.
Next place wheels in motion, much more helpful (also pointed out The tyre shop had not adjusted the camber), but same problem was there I had to go back again. Getting frustrated with all petrol and spending time going back and forth, I decided to look again myself and found the passenger left rear spring was missing the last coil...
I replaced it and the car is straight and the steering wheel centred (without another alignment) Just disappointed how two separate places missed this issue!
It always seems to happen when I get someone else to do the work.
It potentially could be uneven tyre wear..pressures have been checked and are correct all round.
CHAPTER 6B - HEAD UNIT REVISITED
Just a brief update to note a couple of bits related to the Android HU for posterity.
For the Xtrons unit, under the Options setting in Android if you select Factory Options and put in the password "126" (no quotation mark) you can amend various factory settings including changing the splash screen logo to a BMW badge and also prevent the sound being cut out when you put the car into reverse.
I also discovered by accident that it is possible to turn the screen off but retain music playing - in the top right hand corner of the Home screen is a small square icon with a cross in it - this shuts the screen off but allows media to continue to play.
Finally I bought myself a Huaweu E5330 Wifi Modem with a 6Gb 4G EE Sim - from Amazon at £50. Plugged this into the USB routed to the glovebox and connected the HU to the Wi-Fi, so now able to use Google Map for Nav without needing to tether data from my phone.
Just a brief update to note a couple of bits related to the Android HU for posterity.
For the Xtrons unit, under the Options setting in Android if you select Factory Options and put in the password "126" (no quotation mark) you can amend various factory settings including changing the splash screen logo to a BMW badge and also prevent the sound being cut out when you put the car into reverse.
I also discovered by accident that it is possible to turn the screen off but retain music playing - in the top right hand corner of the Home screen is a small square icon with a cross in it - this shuts the screen off but allows media to continue to play.
Finally I bought myself a Huaweu E5330 Wifi Modem with a 6Gb 4G EE Sim - from Amazon at £50. Plugged this into the USB routed to the glovebox and connected the HU to the Wi-Fi, so now able to use Google Map for Nav without needing to tether data from my phone.
CHAPTER 9 – WIPERS AND COWL TRIM
After giving the M3 a thorough clean a few weeks after purchasing it, I noticed a few bits of trim in prominent positions that were fading or tired. The most obvious of these was the cowl trim at the base of the windscreen, which was badly sun-bleached and resisted any efforts of Aerospace 303 or other rejuvenating product. The wiper arms themselves were flaking and bubbling in places - not terribly so, but being directly in the driver’s line of sight you noticed it every time you drove. The black plastic bonnet grille, where the washer jets are located, was also showing its age and had faded quite badly. I duly purchased new BMW OE wiper arms, Bosch Aeroblades, a cowl trim and a bonnet grille from Cotswolds. After a little research I set about what was obviously going to be a straightforward switch over. Things started badly - as I prised the first cap trim off the base of the wiper arm, it made a break for freedom into the engine bay and was never to be seen again. A replacement was ordered from eBay, for the princely sum of £1.49.
However, I digress - the wiper arm bolts were loosened and removed using a 15mm socket. The wiper arms were pulled off their spindles and.. actually, they refused to budge. At all. They didn't even give by one millimetre, despite the YouTube tutorials suggesting a bit of wiggling would see them free. They stubbornly refused to follow their cap trim brethren into the engine bay. No manner of prising, jiggling and wiggling would move them.
A wiper arm puller - yes, that apparently is a real tool that exists - was duly purchased. Days pass and it turns up. It doesn't fit under the wiper as the spindle is too large for the fork width. Out comes the angle grinder, and as much material was removed from the puller as possible without compromising the structural integrity of the tool. Hurrah! It fits under the arm...but it’s too shallow doesn't have enough reach. Any more angle grinding and the puller will cease to exist. Back to eBay and a second, larger puller is ordered and eventually arrives. Great news everybody! - it fits - even if the turning handle is a poxy little bar that is impossible to grip without cutting into your hands. A brief, swearing filled interlude later and both wiper arms are free! Progress at last. I make a critical error at this stage - I bin the old wipers. I mean.. why would I need them?
The correct kind of puller
The prior state of affairs under the cowl
Under the cowl after a clean and wax
I pull off the cowl trim, popping it free of the car and scattering bits of trim clip far and wide. At this point I give the metal underneath a clean and a coat of wax. One thing leads to another and by the time I finish, I've removed half the engine bay trim, washed it clean and give it a coat of Aerospace 303. The various parts are replaced in the dark and appear to bear no resemblance to those that were removed, so take four times as long to refit.
Drain plugs before and after..
Cabin filter seemed in OK condition
New and old cowl side by side
Cabin filter cover badly sunbleached
All parts washed and treated with 303
Finally, the car is clean and the new cowl trim is slotted into position. All the pop clips are pushed in and fit snuggly, bar the final one at the end, which won’t seat properly. Being from the school of “do a job once, do it properly” I decide to remove the cowl and refit. The cowl is pulled and trim clips go flying everywhere. Its wet and dark and cold. I gather the parts up, adjust the final clip and refit the cowl, which mercifully slots into position correctly.
Example clips on underside of cowl
Almost there, I hilariously believe in my naivety.. I retrieve the new wiper arms from the original parts package and go to fit the Aeroblades - except they're not in the package. This is turning into a comedy of errors. A call is made to the parts department, a replacement pair are dispatched. The new blades arrive, are fitted to the new arms and finally.. FINALLY.. I get to fit them to the car. Except in their wisdom, BMW invented a small and seemingly totally unnecessary grommet that fits over the spindle and on top of the wiper arm. On my old wipers, this grommet has apparently fused with the arm and by this stage is somewhere in a recycling facility in the South East of England.
Months have rolled by, seasons are changing and wet weather has rendered the car undriveable. I sob gently. I eventually compose myself and order a replacement pair of grommets for a pathetically small amount of money.
The year is 2022. The grommets have arrived and the whole shebang – wiper arms, blades, grommets, nuts and trim caps are successfully installed – with a dab of grease on the spindle to aid removal in the future. On the plus side, the whole front of the cowl area looks noticeably cleaner and in better condition – but let this be a cautionary tale for anyone thinking about swapping these parts!
New wipers and cowl fitted
Old cabin filter cover back on the car but so badly bleached a replacement was ordered..
New and old cover side by side
Re-installation complete with all new parts
Finally I noticed that the rubber trims at the base of each door were disintegrating so these were replaced with new OE items on both sides. The existing were held in with fiddly little moulded teeth which proved tiresome to remove but eventually both sides were changed.
After giving the M3 a thorough clean a few weeks after purchasing it, I noticed a few bits of trim in prominent positions that were fading or tired. The most obvious of these was the cowl trim at the base of the windscreen, which was badly sun-bleached and resisted any efforts of Aerospace 303 or other rejuvenating product. The wiper arms themselves were flaking and bubbling in places - not terribly so, but being directly in the driver’s line of sight you noticed it every time you drove. The black plastic bonnet grille, where the washer jets are located, was also showing its age and had faded quite badly. I duly purchased new BMW OE wiper arms, Bosch Aeroblades, a cowl trim and a bonnet grille from Cotswolds. After a little research I set about what was obviously going to be a straightforward switch over. Things started badly - as I prised the first cap trim off the base of the wiper arm, it made a break for freedom into the engine bay and was never to be seen again. A replacement was ordered from eBay, for the princely sum of £1.49.
However, I digress - the wiper arm bolts were loosened and removed using a 15mm socket. The wiper arms were pulled off their spindles and.. actually, they refused to budge. At all. They didn't even give by one millimetre, despite the YouTube tutorials suggesting a bit of wiggling would see them free. They stubbornly refused to follow their cap trim brethren into the engine bay. No manner of prising, jiggling and wiggling would move them.
A wiper arm puller - yes, that apparently is a real tool that exists - was duly purchased. Days pass and it turns up. It doesn't fit under the wiper as the spindle is too large for the fork width. Out comes the angle grinder, and as much material was removed from the puller as possible without compromising the structural integrity of the tool. Hurrah! It fits under the arm...but it’s too shallow doesn't have enough reach. Any more angle grinding and the puller will cease to exist. Back to eBay and a second, larger puller is ordered and eventually arrives. Great news everybody! - it fits - even if the turning handle is a poxy little bar that is impossible to grip without cutting into your hands. A brief, swearing filled interlude later and both wiper arms are free! Progress at last. I make a critical error at this stage - I bin the old wipers. I mean.. why would I need them?
The correct kind of puller
The prior state of affairs under the cowl
Under the cowl after a clean and wax
I pull off the cowl trim, popping it free of the car and scattering bits of trim clip far and wide. At this point I give the metal underneath a clean and a coat of wax. One thing leads to another and by the time I finish, I've removed half the engine bay trim, washed it clean and give it a coat of Aerospace 303. The various parts are replaced in the dark and appear to bear no resemblance to those that were removed, so take four times as long to refit.
Drain plugs before and after..
Cabin filter seemed in OK condition
New and old cowl side by side
Cabin filter cover badly sunbleached
All parts washed and treated with 303
Finally, the car is clean and the new cowl trim is slotted into position. All the pop clips are pushed in and fit snuggly, bar the final one at the end, which won’t seat properly. Being from the school of “do a job once, do it properly” I decide to remove the cowl and refit. The cowl is pulled and trim clips go flying everywhere. Its wet and dark and cold. I gather the parts up, adjust the final clip and refit the cowl, which mercifully slots into position correctly.
Example clips on underside of cowl
Almost there, I hilariously believe in my naivety.. I retrieve the new wiper arms from the original parts package and go to fit the Aeroblades - except they're not in the package. This is turning into a comedy of errors. A call is made to the parts department, a replacement pair are dispatched. The new blades arrive, are fitted to the new arms and finally.. FINALLY.. I get to fit them to the car. Except in their wisdom, BMW invented a small and seemingly totally unnecessary grommet that fits over the spindle and on top of the wiper arm. On my old wipers, this grommet has apparently fused with the arm and by this stage is somewhere in a recycling facility in the South East of England.
Months have rolled by, seasons are changing and wet weather has rendered the car undriveable. I sob gently. I eventually compose myself and order a replacement pair of grommets for a pathetically small amount of money.
The year is 2022. The grommets have arrived and the whole shebang – wiper arms, blades, grommets, nuts and trim caps are successfully installed – with a dab of grease on the spindle to aid removal in the future. On the plus side, the whole front of the cowl area looks noticeably cleaner and in better condition – but let this be a cautionary tale for anyone thinking about swapping these parts!
New wipers and cowl fitted
Old cabin filter cover back on the car but so badly bleached a replacement was ordered..
New and old cover side by side
Re-installation complete with all new parts
Finally I noticed that the rubber trims at the base of each door were disintegrating so these were replaced with new OE items on both sides. The existing were held in with fiddly little moulded teeth which proved tiresome to remove but eventually both sides were changed.
T0M said:
Top work - the before pics all look identical to mine ! Would you mind sharing the BMW P/Ns for all the pieces you ordered from Cotswold? Thanks
Cover microfilter 64318363423 Bonnet mesh grille 2694723 51132694723
Wiper arm, driver's side 61617003931
Wiper arm, passenger's side 61617007128
Hex nut 61613428077 x2
Installation element f wiper arm 61618226059 x2
Set of wiper blades "evo flat blade" 61610037009
Cowl panel - Cover, windshield 51718232894 or 51718232896
Lower door trim (weatherstrip) 51328194721
Try these but Cotswolds parts are really helpful if you give them a ring.
sparks85 said:
C2james said:
Very nice looking M3, im in the market right now for one to replace my clio 200. i love the clio but feel if i don't get an M3 now the prices will go a bit silly!
Thanks mate - the hardest bit is that the number of decent cars available is decreasing. C2james said:
Yeah that’s what I’ve seen, there’s slim pickings right now for really great cars. I’d love an estoril blue car but the prices are silly or are hundreds and hundreds of miles away. I’ve seen a nice silver one and although the grey interior isn’t popular it seems nice on this one. Cosmetically scruffy but mechanic wise it seems pretty great!
I'd get onto M3 Cutters and keep an eye on the For Sale forum - look to buy a car known to the forum that has generally been treated very well and most importantly has a documented build thread.sparks85 said:
Thanks mate - the hardest bit is that the number of decent cars available is decreasing.
This is exactly it. There are plenty of E46s left, around 2-3000 I believe. However, most of those are now tired wrecks that have been maintained on a shoestring. There is nothing fundamentally hard about keeping an M3 in good order, but it can get pricier than normal at times, and some jobs will take longer than an E46 due to extra bits ; the lollipop bushes are a good example : you have a reinforcement place that needs removing with a series of bolts for an M3 : An E46 has just 3 bolts for a chassis brace in comparison.Of course, the latter bit is what can stack the labour up
. They are a superb car however that tick many boxes.sparks85 said:
CHAPTER 6B - HEAD UNIT REVISITED
Finally I bought myself a Huaweu E5330 Wifi Modem with a 6Gb 4G EE Sim - from Amazon at £50. Plugged this into the USB routed to the glovebox and connected the HU to the Wi-Fi, so now able to use Google Map for Nav without needing to tether data from my phone.
Should anyone be looking to go down this route, this is worth noting.Finally I bought myself a Huaweu E5330 Wifi Modem with a 6Gb 4G EE Sim - from Amazon at £50. Plugged this into the USB routed to the glovebox and connected the HU to the Wi-Fi, so now able to use Google Map for Nav without needing to tether data from my phone.
I couldn't get Google Maps to work despite the Huawei Wifi connecting with no issues. I was really at the end of my tether as I bought the HU for Sat Nav and music. Google Play Store wasn't working either, after ages searching I figured Play Store was corrupt so went into the browser to manually download an APK. I was greeted by the welcome screen for Huawei/EE where it asked me to activate the data plan. Two seconds later and the internet - and Google Maps - was working perfectly. Sigh.
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