Another silver BMW - 2005 330i Touring
Discussion
DanG355 said:
As a new (this week) E90 325i owner I enjoyed your write up. Great car and well maintained and hopefully many more miles to come.
I’ve had a few BMW’s in the past 4/6/8 cylinder variants and I have to say it feels great to be back in a lusty straight six again - fantastic engines and glad I held out for one rather than the many 320i’s that are out there (only recently discovered these changes to four cylinder on the E9x series). Mine is an N52 on 81k so I’m prepared for a new water pump at some point as these do seem to go eventually.
I hope you get to do some great road trips in 2021.
Thank you. We'd planned a lot of trips this year, but I can't complain too much. Next year is definitely one for more trips!I’ve had a few BMW’s in the past 4/6/8 cylinder variants and I have to say it feels great to be back in a lusty straight six again - fantastic engines and glad I held out for one rather than the many 320i’s that are out there (only recently discovered these changes to four cylinder on the E9x series). Mine is an N52 on 81k so I’m prepared for a new water pump at some point as these do seem to go eventually.
I hope you get to do some great road trips in 2021.
Sometimes the water pump will throw a code in the Engine ECU. That can be an indicator if the pump is on the way out before it leave you thumbing a lift.
An annoying issue
100 miles have been covered since the other work has been done, and all is well (so far). Another issue came up, when I'd been out and was going to come home.
The service of doom light. In this case the handbrake wasn't on either, so that and the handbrake light. iDrive also said the following:
I know the pads are fine, as I checked them just the other day when I put the winter wheels on, so I drove home.
In the cold light of morning, I nipped off the O/S/R wheel and took a look at the wiring. Ah, that'll do it.
The bloody rear brake sensor wire. This was new last year with new rear pads I fitted. This one has worn through from whe rear wheel.
Like with the older E46, I was going to try a bodge while I have a new sensor on order. Twist the wires together. These cars rely on a closed circuit for the sensor. Open sensor = change pads.
Success! (The handbrake is on, now.) Then I cut the wire, and re-twisted them up at the connector, to save the loose wire causing any issues, because I will forget to replace this for a while.
A free fix for now. It just relies on checking the pads every so often.
Glad to hear you enjoyed.
The rest of the flap and the spindle that goes through it were rattling around the inlet manifold. They both fell out after some persuasion of the manifold. Your 125i should be okay though, as BMW updated the parts to make them less prone to fail. The new one I bought from BMW had a much more sturdy spindle through the flap.
The rest of the flap and the spindle that goes through it were rattling around the inlet manifold. They both fell out after some persuasion of the manifold. Your 125i should be okay though, as BMW updated the parts to make them less prone to fail. The new one I bought from BMW had a much more sturdy spindle through the flap.
A not very interesting update
A happy new year to all readers of this thread. Started as a lockdown boredom project, it's quite nice to write some bits on the 'goings on' of the car as of late.
Nothing to really report as of recent. I fitted a new set of front wiper blades, and a new rear one. The familiar light that makes an appearance to most BMW owners also showed itself.
A litre of oil went in and the car was then happy. The iDrive doesn't show the vehicle specific graphic because my nav system has an emulator in it. That means no vehicle specific graphics. I might sort that this year with a different head unit. Maybe a DAB enabled one.
Otherwise it's just been used. Got very dirty and then cleaned. I even used a snowfoam 'cannon' I received as a gift, and some Autoglym snow foam on it. The jury is still out there, I think it's good on a very dirty car but I wouldn't use it on every wash.
No real 'plans' for the car this year. A couple of bits I might do is replace the CIC unit for a more 'legit' one, and have it coded to show the vehicle graphics, but that's a real vanity project when everything else works perfectly. I would also like to embark on a Logic7 retrofit, as a mate has it in his newly acquired 130i and holy moly it sound great. The Alpine upgrade is nice, but Logic7 is on another level.
I also need to get some paintwork done where I punted a deer last winter and the paint is starting to come off of the front bumper. Fortunately it's been painted before, so it's just silver beneath and doesn't look awful. The tailgate beneath the rear window is also showing corrosion, so I'll also have that done. Otherwise it's drive and enjoy (and maintain) it more.
Nothing more to update with this really (If anyone is reading).
Not many miles done, but I did buy a new Birds B3 suspension kit to refresh the suspension later in the year. This is the last run of the kit they're doing, so I didn't want to be caught out if I snap a spring, and I'll keep what's on the car as spares too.
I always thought the bootlid on my car, and the glass were a bit stiff. I even replaced the boot struts as they didn't seem to be lifting the boot properly. New ones were better, but not ideal. Then, over the cold snap they were really stiff. The window being particularly reluctant to move. I could even see the N/S hinge flexing. I gave the hinges a shot of Lithium spray and thought that would do it. But the stiffness remained. After some reading, these hinges get dirt and moisture inside and can snap. Replacing the hinges is a sad job, the previous owner of my car has replaced one.
In light of this, I thought I'd set out to lubricate them. In this case, I spent about an hour spraying WD-40, and moving the glass back and forth. Using paper towels to catch the WD-40 and muck, a lot came out. I lubed the following areas liberally:
And for a closer look... (I need to do some more cleaning in there it seems
)
The labelled points move with the glass portion. Only one hinge part moves with the bootlid. With the glass already open, the bootlid was very easy to move.
The glass did losen off eventually, and then I kept doing the above actions, and it did free off nicely. Finished off with the Lithium spray to keep further dirt and moisture out. The boot opens and shuts a lot more nicely now, as does the glass. Hopefully it should also mean I don't need to replace the boot hinges, either.
Finally, I cleaned it. Can't really drive it, apart from to the shops. If you look closely, there's a scuff on the front bumper and the paint is peeling where I hit a deer (at low speed fortunately) last winter. I plan on getting this, and a couple more paint aspects sorted soon.
Not many miles done, but I did buy a new Birds B3 suspension kit to refresh the suspension later in the year. This is the last run of the kit they're doing, so I didn't want to be caught out if I snap a spring, and I'll keep what's on the car as spares too.
I always thought the bootlid on my car, and the glass were a bit stiff. I even replaced the boot struts as they didn't seem to be lifting the boot properly. New ones were better, but not ideal. Then, over the cold snap they were really stiff. The window being particularly reluctant to move. I could even see the N/S hinge flexing. I gave the hinges a shot of Lithium spray and thought that would do it. But the stiffness remained. After some reading, these hinges get dirt and moisture inside and can snap. Replacing the hinges is a sad job, the previous owner of my car has replaced one.
In light of this, I thought I'd set out to lubricate them. In this case, I spent about an hour spraying WD-40, and moving the glass back and forth. Using paper towels to catch the WD-40 and muck, a lot came out. I lubed the following areas liberally:
And for a closer look... (I need to do some more cleaning in there it seems
)The labelled points move with the glass portion. Only one hinge part moves with the bootlid. With the glass already open, the bootlid was very easy to move.
The glass did losen off eventually, and then I kept doing the above actions, and it did free off nicely. Finished off with the Lithium spray to keep further dirt and moisture out. The boot opens and shuts a lot more nicely now, as does the glass. Hopefully it should also mean I don't need to replace the boot hinges, either.
Finally, I cleaned it. Can't really drive it, apart from to the shops. If you look closely, there's a scuff on the front bumper and the paint is peeling where I hit a deer (at low speed fortunately) last winter. I plan on getting this, and a couple more paint aspects sorted soon.
CB 987 said:
That boot hinge was an absolute nightmare job! It’s the sort where halfway through I was asking myself why wasn’t I just paying someone to do it for me! I hope the other one behaves itself...
I think I opted for a genuine used one as it didn’t need painting.
Fair play buying a complete suspension set up, the rears would probably benefit from a fresh pair of dampers. Are the dampers still yellow? Birds were talking about doing more discreet ones in black instead.
Cheers
I remember you saying! Also, the bootlid is heavy and I'd rather not have to hold it up while changing a hinge. I think I opted for a genuine used one as it didn’t need painting.
Fair play buying a complete suspension set up, the rears would probably benefit from a fresh pair of dampers. Are the dampers still yellow? Birds were talking about doing more discreet ones in black instead.
Cheers
The dampers are still yellow, which is good as I think they look best that way. For me Bilstein's top offerings have to be yellow!
RelentlessForwardProgress said:
Our E91s bootlid hinges have been fine, so I WD40’d them today to expel any moisture and now they creak! May be a sign that I need to follow up with the lithium grease.
Good to see this one making its way to 200k. Ours is on 89k, bought at 30k in 2009, so a while to go before we reach 200!
I used a LOAD of WD-40 and exercised the hinges a lot to free them up, probably up and down close to 100 times with good amount of lube. (Finbarr Saunders, where art thou?) But lithium grease to keep it all protected isn't a bad idea too.Good to see this one making its way to 200k. Ours is on 89k, bought at 30k in 2009, so a while to go before we reach 200!
I think my mileage won't pick up quite as much post lockdown, as I am looking at changing jobs. Down from 88 miles of commuting a day to 15 is the right move, though. For wallet and for mind. I still do a lot of private mileage though, so we should still see some impressive mileages from the car.
Your 325i is really nice. I especially like the colour combo and the wheels. If they weren't so expensive I think I'd get a set to replace the MV3s I used on mine in the summer.
A suspension update
As I think had been mentioned some time ago, I wasn't 100% happy with the suspension on my car. Namely that the front shocks were knocking. This, combined with the rear shocks having done over 100,000 miles, I thought it was time for an upgrade.
I bought a new Birds B3 suspension kit, as they were doing a final run, and now I have spare springs should I snap one.
I also spent a load of money at BMW and bought all new fastening hardware, top mounts and the funny little washers and rubber spring pads, just so it's all new.
Some pictures from the job:
Car in the air. I managed to borrow a ramp (in a Land Rover specialist) to do this job. Heated, and adjustable height was lovely.
Old damper off. I compressed it in the arch rather than disconnect any of the front suspension arms.
Building up the new ones. I had to disassemble the old struts, as one washer was on back order at BMW. The MINI bag contained all of the bits from BMW. First time I've ever been given a bag!
Front in and happy.
Hole where a rear shock goes.
And where the bottom mounts.
A poorly looking bottom rubber mount
I didn't take any more pictures. It does seem the knock on the front is gone, and generally the suspension is quieter. The top mounts were tired, as was the rear shock bottom mounts.
Nothing mega to report as of recent, suspension is settling in nicely, and the knock when warm is certainly gone. Good news.
In spite of the weather not being 'summery', the summer wheels have been swapped back on. Outright grip, and high speed refinement is much improved.
I also helped a mate replace the belt tensioner on his N53 powered 630i. As can be seen in the below picture, the belt was starting to come off of the tensioner. This is quite a common thing on the N52/53 engine. the belt should be fully on the tensioner. I did the belt and tensioner on my car when the A/C compressor died in 2019. On his six series it's really easy. One of those 30 minute jobs which is actually 30 minutes.
Following this, we went to a local 'house' (Bowood I think), and took some pictures, seeing as we're not allowed inside.
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In spite of the weather not being 'summery', the summer wheels have been swapped back on. Outright grip, and high speed refinement is much improved.
I also helped a mate replace the belt tensioner on his N53 powered 630i. As can be seen in the below picture, the belt was starting to come off of the tensioner. This is quite a common thing on the N52/53 engine. the belt should be fully on the tensioner. I did the belt and tensioner on my car when the A/C compressor died in 2019. On his six series it's really easy. One of those 30 minute jobs which is actually 30 minutes.
Following this, we went to a local 'house' (Bowood I think), and took some pictures, seeing as we're not allowed inside.
Great minds, Helix.Glad to hear you enjoyed. The 325i is a good car. Much more available than a 330i, and normally less abused. The last N/A six cylinder 3 series makes these cars feel like the end of an era.
I also don’t buy into CBS servicing. When I had a long commute and we were allowed out, I would do 2-3 services a year at 10,000 mile intervals. I think it’s important to have a look over an older car regularly, to spot any potential issues before they become serious issues.
I also don’t buy into CBS servicing. When I had a long commute and we were allowed out, I would do 2-3 services a year at 10,000 mile intervals. I think it’s important to have a look over an older car regularly, to spot any potential issues before they become serious issues.
Thanks Dan.
It was on a Birds kit before, but I do think it's a fantastic upgrade to any E90 platform car. This, or the 1 series on proper tyres and this suspension really does help.
There's a fluidity to the ride that is just not matched on the standard setup of these cars. I think BMW tuned the suspension much more for run flat tyres, and they're too firm on standard suspension. This feels like a car that really does well on a British road, because as we know they're mostly poor. The upside to this over a standard E90 on big wheels with runflat tyres is that the tyre feels much more in contact with the road. there's very little skip when hitting mid corner bumps, and it does not feel upset at all.
The ride is a little jiggly at low speeds, but that's the price to be paid for a ride that only gets better with speed. Even at the cars top speed on the autobahn, which can be quite bumpy it's still great, and I've had to do a genuine emergency manouver avoiding migrants near Calais at French autoroute speeds, and the DSC light remained off.
In short, I am really happy with it, that's why I bought another whole kit to refresh the bits I have on mine. I still have the old dampers and springs as spares, and I will have Bilstein UK refurbish the dampers, so that should I run into issues I have spares. The Birds kit for the E90 has just had its final production run, so supplies will start dwindling.
It was on a Birds kit before, but I do think it's a fantastic upgrade to any E90 platform car. This, or the 1 series on proper tyres and this suspension really does help.
There's a fluidity to the ride that is just not matched on the standard setup of these cars. I think BMW tuned the suspension much more for run flat tyres, and they're too firm on standard suspension. This feels like a car that really does well on a British road, because as we know they're mostly poor. The upside to this over a standard E90 on big wheels with runflat tyres is that the tyre feels much more in contact with the road. there's very little skip when hitting mid corner bumps, and it does not feel upset at all.
The ride is a little jiggly at low speeds, but that's the price to be paid for a ride that only gets better with speed. Even at the cars top speed on the autobahn, which can be quite bumpy it's still great, and I've had to do a genuine emergency manouver avoiding migrants near Calais at French autoroute speeds, and the DSC light remained off.
In short, I am really happy with it, that's why I bought another whole kit to refresh the bits I have on mine. I still have the old dampers and springs as spares, and I will have Bilstein UK refurbish the dampers, so that should I run into issues I have spares. The Birds kit for the E90 has just had its final production run, so supplies will start dwindling.
Alfred Pina said:
That was a great read. Love the N52 engine, it's an absolute peach. I currently have a 130i and an Alpina D3 BT touring but I think both will be sold in the coming months. Considering a 330i to replace the 130i.
Is an LSD on the upgrades list for you? I run a racing diffs insert in the 1er, but if I buy a 330i, I will probably go the whole hog and buy a proper unit.
I do like a D3BT, but the N47-ness would put me off. Otherwise, they're grand.Is an LSD on the upgrades list for you? I run a racing diffs insert in the 1er, but if I buy a 330i, I will probably go the whole hog and buy a proper unit.
I am not feeling the need for an LSD yet. That may change, but I never worry about traction with this car. The Birds suspension and the normal tyres help that out. The only time I really get DSC cutting in during 'normal' driving is if I'm a beast with quick 1-2 changes and overwhelm the rear tyres.
RiccardoG said:
Agreed! We have the 3.0 N53 variant and, considering its supposed to have 220bhp, one does have to ask where they have all gone to, exactly. Feels more like 180bhp... even when compared to our E39 with the 3.0 M54 engine and 240bhp in a 1800kg car. Mind you, the N53 does sounds lovely and is very smooth, so its still a very pleasant drive, yet "relaxed".
On the reliability side BMW changed under a recall campaign the HPFP and some injectors, since then its been spot on. General consensus seems that the initial issues on the N53 have been long resolved and were mostly related to dodgy production runs, no?
PS: Sorry for thread hijack!
No worries about it. The N53 has generally had it's foibles sorted by now. However, they're a really complex engine. They have a Lean NOx trap, and the DI bobbins that normally goes wrong. Injectors are okay now, as is the HPFP. They do still fail though, and the parts cost is a lot. It's no real bother to change the injectors, a couple of hours work. I would own an N53 powered car if the right one came up. They're fantastic on fuel (much better than an N52), with the only trade off being a bit of a tractor noise at idle. The 325i will feel a little lethargic, BMW strangled them a bit. A Manifold swap and remap will put them at the full 270BHP that a '30i' one makes.On the reliability side BMW changed under a recall campaign the HPFP and some injectors, since then its been spot on. General consensus seems that the initial issues on the N53 have been long resolved and were mostly related to dodgy production runs, no?
PS: Sorry for thread hijack!
Court_S said:
I'm currently very temped to swap my M140i for something a bit older / cheaper given how much I don't use my car.
There are a couple of tourings that have caught my eye - not call that cheap given the spec too. Might go down the route of a coupe because there is a bigger choice. Trouble is before I know it, I'm wondering if I'm brave enough for a 335!
Agreed. Do it! I’d have a touring (I’m biased) but I think they’re a great do all car. A 335i would be mega, if you’re willing to work on it. They’re much more expensive than other E91s, mind!There are a couple of tourings that have caught my eye - not call that cheap given the spec too. Might go down the route of a coupe because there is a bigger choice. Trouble is before I know it, I'm wondering if I'm brave enough for a 335!
Today has been service day and it was (sort of) a success, and sort of a failure too.
The good lady was kind enough to let me use her workshop today (she runs a Land Rover specialist) so I had a lift to use to get things done. The plan was to to the following:
and then whipped a couple of covers off, and did some cleaning to remove the oil cooler.
Oil cooler then came off, and I noticed that the bolts didn't look too nice. Cleaned them up and started to pray that they would torque up nicely (You can see where this is going, can't you?)
Assistant was pleased at this picture while she held it to avoid coolant leakage
Things were cleaned up, new gasket added, and then tightened up. The bottom bolt went up nicely, but the top two hadn't. When the last change of these seals had been done, someone did something wrong and goofed it. They would tighten up just about, but not to the paltry 25Nm BMW specifies for them. I did do the other bits, and checked that it didn't leak (it doesn't- yet).
New droplinks
New ARB Bushes
All of the other bits too, of which I did not take pictures. I then drove home, gingerly and took another look at the oil cooler.
Just about okay...
Most definitely NOT okay. Not leaking though!
Now, looking at this, I called BMW and paid a lovely £19 for three new bolts as BMW describe them as 'self tapping', and hope that they go in and torque up okay. I am not so sure, however.
This leaves me with three scenarios.
A. Fit new bolts. They torque up okay. Everyone wins.
B. Fit new bolts. They do not torque up. Buy new (used) oil filter housing. Replace seals (AGAIN) and hope the block threads aren't damaged from whomever did the previous oil filter housing gasket. Everyone wins (Sort of)
C. I did notice (pictures below) that these are not blind holes in the oil filter housing. As a 'temporary' solution, I might nut and bolt these top ones, as the bottom one has done up okay. Everyone wins, bar Klaus. The BMW engineer that designed it this way for a very specific reason.
Pictures of said holes...
For now, the car is sat. I am off to get pissed in a field with some mates, and if I am compis mentis tomorrow, then I will nip to halfords for some M7x40 bolts and nuts to see if I can effect a temporary repair. It's a bit Motorsport, but means I don't need to do too much swearing for a while.
Old cars, always a surprise.
The good lady was kind enough to let me use her workshop today (she runs a Land Rover specialist) so I had a lift to use to get things done. The plan was to to the following:
- Oil and filter
- Microfilter
- Renew Oil cooler gasket
- Renew VANOS solenoids
- Renew droplinks
- Renew front anti-roll bar bushes
and then whipped a couple of covers off, and did some cleaning to remove the oil cooler.
Oil cooler then came off, and I noticed that the bolts didn't look too nice. Cleaned them up and started to pray that they would torque up nicely (You can see where this is going, can't you?)
Assistant was pleased at this picture while she held it to avoid coolant leakage
Things were cleaned up, new gasket added, and then tightened up. The bottom bolt went up nicely, but the top two hadn't. When the last change of these seals had been done, someone did something wrong and goofed it. They would tighten up just about, but not to the paltry 25Nm BMW specifies for them. I did do the other bits, and checked that it didn't leak (it doesn't- yet).
New droplinks
New ARB Bushes
All of the other bits too, of which I did not take pictures. I then drove home, gingerly and took another look at the oil cooler.
Just about okay...
Most definitely NOT okay. Not leaking though!
Now, looking at this, I called BMW and paid a lovely £19 for three new bolts as BMW describe them as 'self tapping', and hope that they go in and torque up okay. I am not so sure, however.
This leaves me with three scenarios.
A. Fit new bolts. They torque up okay. Everyone wins.
B. Fit new bolts. They do not torque up. Buy new (used) oil filter housing. Replace seals (AGAIN) and hope the block threads aren't damaged from whomever did the previous oil filter housing gasket. Everyone wins (Sort of)
C. I did notice (pictures below) that these are not blind holes in the oil filter housing. As a 'temporary' solution, I might nut and bolt these top ones, as the bottom one has done up okay. Everyone wins, bar Klaus. The BMW engineer that designed it this way for a very specific reason.
Pictures of said holes...
For now, the car is sat. I am off to get pissed in a field with some mates, and if I am compis mentis tomorrow, then I will nip to halfords for some M7x40 bolts and nuts to see if I can effect a temporary repair. It's a bit Motorsport, but means I don't need to do too much swearing for a while.
Old cars, always a surprise.
Court_S said:
That’s a pisser about the bolts. I need to tackle the cooler / filter gaskets on her 125 because they’re weeping a wee bit. It can wait a bit until before it goes in for a service.
I’m well into the joy of older cars with my valvetronic issues on my car.
I'd leave them until they're bad. I could have waited to do mine, but decided to time it with a service. Not a great plan. Hope you get the Valvetronic issues sorted soon!I’m well into the joy of older cars with my valvetronic issues on my car.
CB 987 said:
Hi Jake, sorry to hear about the bolt issues, I am sure the oil filter housing gasket was replaced by a previous owner and the work was carried out by quite a reputable specialist…. However that was probably 7 or 8 years ago now!
I am pretty sure it was never removed in my ownership.
It does seem to eat drop links, I think I had 3 pairs during my ownership, the last pair were genuine BMW.
Cheers.
No need to be sorry, Chris. You didn't over-tighten the bolts. As you said, it was done before you owned it, in 2012 at c.67,000 miles. The droplinks are a consumable it seems. Fortunately they're not TOO expensive. Hope your ALPINA is still giving good service. I am pretty sure it was never removed in my ownership.
It does seem to eat drop links, I think I had 3 pairs during my ownership, the last pair were genuine BMW.
Cheers.
B'stard Child said:
Excellent work - pisser about the cooler bolts but you've solved my issue regarding oil cooler cover fitment.
My 125i didn't come with one - I need three of those bolts with the ball head on top
I fixed my oil cooler cover with a blob of silicone
Glad this was of some help to someone, BC. I should have silliconed it up!My 125i didn't come with one - I need three of those bolts with the ball head on top
I fixed my oil cooler cover with a blob of silicone
However, after a massive fry up to ward off the hangover this morning, it was decided I needed to do something about my predicament. Waiting for new bolts to be delivered to my nearest BMW dealership was just too much of a wait. I took the 'spare' car, and nipped off to Halfords to find some suitable bolts to make a 'temporary' repair.
Most importantly on a day like today, it has working air conditioning! 325ti doesn't see many miles now, but always saves the day when needed.
Once I returned from Halfords, I started about what I needed to do. To keep the bottom bolt in and happy, and the various fluids where they should be, a big G clamp was used. My assistant from yesterday had gone out, and didn't want to help me in the blazing sunshine (don't blame her).
To get some purchase on the nut on the back site of the filter housing, the airbox had to come out.
The nut and bolt combo was then tightened up. I can't fit a washer between the nut and the filter housing, so the grinder may need to help me out there one day. There is a washer on the other side. Note the puddle of oil, this was from moving the car on the drive, to let the compact out.
Nut, bolt, and appropriate washers were added on the other side. The engine cover was just moved out of the way to facilitate this. Access was better on this side.
Then, it was all buttoned up. Also, I need to cancel the order with BMW for new bolts tomorrow morning. Plan A was definitely not going to work.
I nipped the fanbelt off too, to make sure any oil that had dripped on it was removed. Same with all of the pulleys. After some more cleaning, I went for a 45 minute drive to make sure the oil, coolant, and oil cooler were all at their operating temperature. Once home, I re-checked the area, and it looks like (fingers crossed) we're leak free so far. Touches various wood things nearby
I know it's not the most ideal method, but I am loathed to remove the filter housing to either add a helicoil, or to replace it as the block threads could have been weakened, too. If (probably when) the oil filter housing starts to leak, I'll cross that bridge then. For now, it will do. The little cover no longer fits, but the N53 doesn't come with a cover either.
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