E90 M3 - V8 saloon
Discussion
Top work on the M3
Gallons Per Mile said:
The problem is I've got a new car since my Diesel Machine MK4 Golf died the other week and it's been distracting me somewhat. New thread on that one soon.
Ahhh for a second when I saw this thread had an update I thought you were going to be using this one or the Puma as a daily Well, the Puma was my daily driver for all of a week (and several hundred miles), but it's impractical to put Mini GPM in the back as it's a tight fit with her car seat, plus the buggy won't go in the boot. That means another car is required. Damn 
I could use the M3 as a daily driver but I want to keep it a bit more special than that, and it would more than double my fuel bill compared to the Diesel Machine!
I could use the M3 as a daily driver but I want to keep it a bit more special than that, and it would more than double my fuel bill compared to the Diesel Machine!
bolidemichael said:
Post here with a link to the new thread?
Seconded..................bolidemichael said:
I wish that BC would do that with his thread, to save me a good few hours catching up on his threads!
I thought I did - most of my threads are linked in some way.......... But for you I'll double check Are we up to date with your thread yet - always seems like we are playing catch up
- thanks for confirmation - mind you that's not far from lockdown 2 or was it 3 - so almost up to date 
Small update on this. Definitely some vibration still and I knew that rear CV needed replacing so I've just emailed my favourite BMW dealer for a quote on that and several other parts.
I noticed today three out of four doors weren't locked, and clicking the remote doesn't lock them either. The only one that locked the last time I used the car was the driver's door, which now won't unlock on the remote either. I can only unlock it manually with the key. Bugger! A small amount of research points to the driver's lock actuator so that's being quoted for too.
I feel some more 'prop shaft on the floor' and 'drivers door in pieces' pictures are going to follow soon
I noticed today three out of four doors weren't locked, and clicking the remote doesn't lock them either. The only one that locked the last time I used the car was the driver's door, which now won't unlock on the remote either. I can only unlock it manually with the key. Bugger! A small amount of research points to the driver's lock actuator so that's being quoted for too.
I feel some more 'prop shaft on the floor' and 'drivers door in pieces' pictures are going to follow soon
Excellent thread, GPM. Really enjoyed binge-reading it just now.
Looks like these cars need a fair bit of maintenance at that age/mileage. It's not the worst though when you aren't afraid of the spanners - which you certainly aren't!
I hope your local BMW centre look upon you pitifully, and apply a reasonable discount each time you call
Looks like these cars need a fair bit of maintenance at that age/mileage. It's not the worst though when you aren't afraid of the spanners - which you certainly aren't!
I hope your local BMW centre look upon you pitifully, and apply a reasonable discount each time you call
Haha, thanks! It's all just bits and pieces that need doing with age It would seem. It's good fun doing all the spannering too, so I can't complain. I've just been out for a run in it to help Mini GPM have a mid-afternoon nap. It needed filing up with petrol and the car reckons I've done over 25mpg on the last tank. It seems to like Esso Supreme!
The quote is in, so naturally I've just sent over £500 to my favourite BMW dealer for a while host of parts 
, the main two being the the prop shaft CV and the door actuator. It only broke a couple of days ago and it's really annoying me so it needs sorting ASAP. I had to pull the emergency piece of plastic to unlock the fuel flap yesterday when I got to the petrol station and realised it was locked... It seems if the driver's door lock goes south, the whole locking system won't do anything.
, the main two being the the prop shaft CV and the door actuator. It only broke a couple of days ago and it's really annoying me so it needs sorting ASAP. I had to pull the emergency piece of plastic to unlock the fuel flap yesterday when I got to the petrol station and realised it was locked... It seems if the driver's door lock goes south, the whole locking system won't do anything.Update time, with pictures!
Firstly, that troublesome door locking problem wasn't as bad as I thought. I had a rummage in the fuse box behind the glovebox, (which isn't easy when you can only access the car from the driver's door!) and I found a dead fuse relating to the central locking. That sprang three doors and the petrol flap back in to life
The driver's front door is still kaput. It now seems to reliably unlock ok but not lock. No matter, I've got a new one to fit 
Yesterday found me in a familiar position, namely on axle stands in my friend Andy's garage:
One very expensive box of bits to play with in the back of the boot, and if you remember from an earlier update, I've got an expensive jiffy bag full of exhaust bolts/O-rings/clamps too. Forgot to bring them with me last time I was in Andy's garage.
Another thing. That boot carpet looks minging. I'll do something about that later...
I won't bore you with too many underside shots, as you've seen them up there ^ somewhere. We popped the exhaust, heatshields and then the prop off the car so I could replace the CV joint I didn't have last time. It was definitely causing some vibration, so I'd rather replace it and then all the serviceable bits on the prop are brand new:
Brand new one installed on the end of the prop and lots of Moly grease packed in:
The end cap presented a minor problem. It's just a push fit in to the end of the CV to keep the grease in place, except it's a really tight fit. We decided the best way to do this was to use the diff flange to press it in place as we tightened the CV bolts:
Now for a 'while you're there' job. Gearbox oil. According to my service history it had been done in 2019, but I wanted to do it myself to make sure the right stuff was in there. The car was already up on stands and access was good, so oil came as part of my expensive box of bits. According to t'internet you need 'about 2.5L' for an oil change. BMW supplied me with 2L so we erred on the side of caution and caught some old oil in a clean milk carton in case we desperately needed to top up:
The old oil doesn't look particularly good. Was it even changed in 2019? Who knows:
2x good stuff, (yes I know, only one pictured):
You can just about make out the drain and refill points here. We made sure the filler came off before draining for obvious reasons:
Pumping in the new stuff. Guess who was right - interweb or main dealer for oil capacity? Of course it was the main dealer! I got right to the very bottom of my second litre of oil and was beginning to doubt I'd been supplied enough only to see the start of the trickle of brand new oil flowing back out of the fill point. Hurrah, no old oil has to go back in!
Buttoning everything back up - nice shiny new O-rings for the mainfolds and new bolts with the proper copper nuts too:
No pictures of the new clamps that seal the centre section to backbox but trust me, they're on there!
FInally, I always take a picture of the mileage once I've done some work to remind me to update my spreadsheet of service items/cost/mileage etc
One successful test drive later, no vibraton felt. Everything feels very tight, and to top it off, the gear change is extra slick now
Firstly, that troublesome door locking problem wasn't as bad as I thought. I had a rummage in the fuse box behind the glovebox, (which isn't easy when you can only access the car from the driver's door!) and I found a dead fuse relating to the central locking. That sprang three doors and the petrol flap back in to life
The driver's front door is still kaput. It now seems to reliably unlock ok but not lock. No matter, I've got a new one to fit Yesterday found me in a familiar position, namely on axle stands in my friend Andy's garage:
One very expensive box of bits to play with in the back of the boot, and if you remember from an earlier update, I've got an expensive jiffy bag full of exhaust bolts/O-rings/clamps too. Forgot to bring them with me last time I was in Andy's garage.
Another thing. That boot carpet looks minging. I'll do something about that later...
I won't bore you with too many underside shots, as you've seen them up there ^ somewhere. We popped the exhaust, heatshields and then the prop off the car so I could replace the CV joint I didn't have last time. It was definitely causing some vibration, so I'd rather replace it and then all the serviceable bits on the prop are brand new:
Brand new one installed on the end of the prop and lots of Moly grease packed in:
The end cap presented a minor problem. It's just a push fit in to the end of the CV to keep the grease in place, except it's a really tight fit. We decided the best way to do this was to use the diff flange to press it in place as we tightened the CV bolts:
Now for a 'while you're there' job. Gearbox oil. According to my service history it had been done in 2019, but I wanted to do it myself to make sure the right stuff was in there. The car was already up on stands and access was good, so oil came as part of my expensive box of bits. According to t'internet you need 'about 2.5L' for an oil change. BMW supplied me with 2L so we erred on the side of caution and caught some old oil in a clean milk carton in case we desperately needed to top up:
The old oil doesn't look particularly good. Was it even changed in 2019? Who knows:
2x good stuff, (yes I know, only one pictured):
You can just about make out the drain and refill points here. We made sure the filler came off before draining for obvious reasons:
Pumping in the new stuff. Guess who was right - interweb or main dealer for oil capacity? Of course it was the main dealer! I got right to the very bottom of my second litre of oil and was beginning to doubt I'd been supplied enough only to see the start of the trickle of brand new oil flowing back out of the fill point. Hurrah, no old oil has to go back in!
Buttoning everything back up - nice shiny new O-rings for the mainfolds and new bolts with the proper copper nuts too:
No pictures of the new clamps that seal the centre section to backbox but trust me, they're on there!
FInally, I always take a picture of the mileage once I've done some work to remind me to update my spreadsheet of service items/cost/mileage etc
One successful test drive later, no vibraton felt. Everything feels very tight, and to top it off, the gear change is extra slick now
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