Discussion
I was advised to check the coolant temperature using the "hidden menu" to check if the thermostat was working, apparently they fail often, and the engine runs cold.
Indeed, mine is running too cold. It reaches 60+ degrees fairly quickly but doesn't go a great deal higher. On an 8 mile drive it only reached 67 degrees. The oil temperature wasn't too bad though, and the car would still let me hit 8000+rpm (although on that trip I did not).
I have messaged my Man and this will also be sorted week after next. A new thermostat is a very cheap item anyway, fortunately.
Let the titivating begin
I am tempted to give it a going over with a clay bar and a quick hand polish today. The paint feels tired to the touch, so I'm sure a clay bar would make a massive difference.
Indeed, mine is running too cold. It reaches 60+ degrees fairly quickly but doesn't go a great deal higher. On an 8 mile drive it only reached 67 degrees. The oil temperature wasn't too bad though, and the car would still let me hit 8000+rpm (although on that trip I did not).
I have messaged my Man and this will also be sorted week after next. A new thermostat is a very cheap item anyway, fortunately.
Let the titivating begin
I am tempted to give it a going over with a clay bar and a quick hand polish today. The paint feels tired to the touch, so I'm sure a clay bar would make a massive difference.
CarlosSainz100 said:
You've made me start looking at these! Lol. There must be a catch, apart from rod bearings etc. What is the real life mpg of these? I think I could just about stomach 27-30 mpg but fear this is wishful thinking with these.....
I got 17/18mpg out of mine(E92) my manual over 10k miles overall. I only had the car for 10 months...so I felt like I lived in the petrol station! The DCT is better on fuel though I believe. The M4(DCT) is doing 29mpg overall in comparison for reference. BMW only ever put the S65 V8 in this car, so if you've got an itch to do it, then you definitely should I reckon.
CRA1G said:
I'm on holiday at the mo so been doing a bit of PH catch up... Following this thread it's got me thinking i haven't had my Silverstone E90 Manual out of the Garage for probably two years now.... Things must change...! Mind you I've just looked at the weather at home...
You have too many cars in the first place Craig...and that is your problem! 
CarlosSainz100 said:
What a lot of M3 for the money.
You've made me start looking at these! Lol. There must be a catch, apart from rod bearings etc. What is the real life mpg of these? I think I could just about stomach 27-30 mpg but fear this is wishful thinking with these.....
No chance you'll average 27+mpg.You've made me start looking at these! Lol. There must be a catch, apart from rod bearings etc. What is the real life mpg of these? I think I could just about stomach 27-30 mpg but fear this is wishful thinking with these.....
I haven't driven it enough (or looked at economy enough!) yet to see what it's like. I actually anticipate it being marginally better around town than my LS460 (it's lighter) yet it will definitely be worse on the motorway. I suspect mainly because of gearing. The M3 is doing 3000rpm at around 70mph, give or take - with a redline of 8400rpm - but the LS460 was doing around 1700rpm at 70 - redline 6500rpm. The LS460 was remarkably economical on a long run, low to mid 30s was easily doable if you kept it under 80.
I've got a long trip from Portsmouth to Aviemore in May.
RE "what's the catch" - yes, rod bearings is a fairly big bill but not as bad as some things other cars can throw up. It's around £1800. Engine mounts are seemingly crap too (mine are definitely in need of replacement - and doing them the same time as the rod bearings requires very little additional labour so it makes sense to do them at the same time.
Throttle actuators can go and new ones are very costly, although these days you can send yours off and buy rebuilt ones for £450 for the pair (new ones are, I think, £1500 or so for a pair). I don't think there is too much labour involved.
DCT boxes seem fairly reliable, and are "sealed for life", some recommend getting it done, others leave it. They can occasionally leak, in which case a service and some part replacements make sense. I will get my 'box inspected when the rod bearings are done. It shifts very smoothly and quickly so I have no reason to believe there is currently any issue with it.
Diffs can get noisy but I don't think it's a problem. Rebuilding them is possible, although not cheap.
Thermostats are a weak point (mine has failed and coolant running a bit cold) but these are a very cheap fix.
EDC suspension, not sure how reliable it is, I opted for non-EDC simply because the standard set up is simple to change and a lot cheaper, and perfectly fine for road use.
I don't think there are many other common issues that are expensive. A huge amount of cars have had the rod bearings done now, and it's advised to do them every 80k or so. If you treat the car well from cold then it should really prolong their life from what I gather.
I have spend 4 hours cleaning it today. It's had its first coat of sealant on (Gtechniq C2) and I'll put another coat on a little later. Clay barring it has made a big difference. I polished it by hand but not too much, I just mainly wanted to get any top layer oxidation and very light marks out.
cerb4.5lee said:
CarlosSainz100 said:
You've made me start looking at these! Lol. There must be a catch, apart from rod bearings etc. What is the real life mpg of these? I think I could just about stomach 27-30 mpg but fear this is wishful thinking with these.....
I got 17/18mpg out of mine(E92) my manual over 10k miles overall. I only had the car for 10 months...so I felt like I lived in the petrol station! The DCT is better on fuel though I believe. The M4(DCT) is doing 29mpg overall in comparison for reference. BMW only ever put the S65 V8 in this car, so if you've got an itch to do it, then you definitely should I reckon.
The newer car is better in every measurable way. However it doesn't sound even 50% as good as the older V8 car, which I really miss and have weighed up a step back a few times to be honest.
stickylabels said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
I've got a long trip from Portsmouth to Aviemore in May.
Nice one TLex, I look forward to the traditional Cairngorm/Loch Morlich pic!
I did the same trip last year in the LS460 and it was utterly sublime for that drive. The M3 definitely won't be as good for the drive up there but should be good fun when I'm there! Nice one TLex, I look forward to the traditional Cairngorm/Loch Morlich pic!
All done for today. I didn't do the wheels today, I'll give them a proper going over another day. Today was about the paint work.
Quick wash, clay, rinse and dry, quick hand polish, IPA wipe down and then 2 coats of Gtechniq C2.
Also gave the exhausts a clean up - didn't have a proper metal polish so I'm fairly happy with how they've turned out - before
After
Quick wash, clay, rinse and dry, quick hand polish, IPA wipe down and then 2 coats of Gtechniq C2.
Also gave the exhausts a clean up - didn't have a proper metal polish so I'm fairly happy with how they've turned out - before
After
Krikkit said:
Lovely work.
I'd get the oil changed in the DCT - I know it's "sealed for life", but that's a bodge to save on servicing costs imho. With another change it'll be flawless for the rest of its days with you. That and the diff oil.
I've already messaged my indy about the gearbox, if they can do it, they will be asked to do so. I also contacted a gearbox specialist near me who said they could also do it no problems.I'd get the oil changed in the DCT - I know it's "sealed for life", but that's a bodge to save on servicing costs imho. With another change it'll be flawless for the rest of its days with you. That and the diff oil.
The diff oil will likely be done when its next service is up (November, although I'll probably do it a month or so earlier).
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