The E46 325ti Appreciation Thread
Discussion
Finally got the rear wiper and washer working on mine. I had previously bought a new plastic gear wheel as it has suffered the usual problem of water ingress, rust and then the motor striping the gear wheel.
The eBay wheel was cheap enough, but typical for eBay seems to be about 1-2mm smaller than original to the point where the motor doesn't engage the wheel and need a shim under one side of the motor mounting to angle it in further to engage. With that done and the magnet replaced onto the new wheel, everything was mounted up and immediately the wiper motor would work and do 3 or 4 sweeps of the screen every time the ignition was switched on and the washer motor was no longer working.
After pulling it apart several times and looking for a fault, I eventually gave up thinking it was something in the electrical box causing the problems.
This weekend I was able to try another motor from another car which worked fine and the washer came to life with a correct wiper motor. This got me interested again and pulled the unit apart again and moved the magnet on the back of the wheel to the other side , refitted everything and it worked ! The only anomaly being the wiper parks on the drivers side of the screen rather than the passenger which seems to be normal. Anyway, it all works and hopefully this will prove useful if you have a failed wiper motor unit but don't fancy spending loads on a new one of taking a chance on the expensive used items which will likely be on the road to failing. As said, the eBay wheel I purchased ( there's multiple vendors, no idea if they are all the same wheel ) wasn't perfectly correct, but with a shim and a bit of work it was a sub £10 repair.
The eBay wheel was cheap enough, but typical for eBay seems to be about 1-2mm smaller than original to the point where the motor doesn't engage the wheel and need a shim under one side of the motor mounting to angle it in further to engage. With that done and the magnet replaced onto the new wheel, everything was mounted up and immediately the wiper motor would work and do 3 or 4 sweeps of the screen every time the ignition was switched on and the washer motor was no longer working.
After pulling it apart several times and looking for a fault, I eventually gave up thinking it was something in the electrical box causing the problems.
This weekend I was able to try another motor from another car which worked fine and the washer came to life with a correct wiper motor. This got me interested again and pulled the unit apart again and moved the magnet on the back of the wheel to the other side , refitted everything and it worked ! The only anomaly being the wiper parks on the drivers side of the screen rather than the passenger which seems to be normal. Anyway, it all works and hopefully this will prove useful if you have a failed wiper motor unit but don't fancy spending loads on a new one of taking a chance on the expensive used items which will likely be on the road to failing. As said, the eBay wheel I purchased ( there's multiple vendors, no idea if they are all the same wheel ) wasn't perfectly correct, but with a shim and a bit of work it was a sub £10 repair.
Cheapstraitsix said:
petrolinveins said:
Picking this up on Friday, the one that was for sale on here ????
My sisters old car!Never put a foot wrong in her ownership.
As another update for my one of these, I fitted a new rocker cover gasket, removed the seized plug (grit teeth and hope it doesn't break), and did an oil service. Now on 99,200 miles, and ready for another 100k!
Decided to DIY it this time, as paying labour started to hack me off the last couple of times, and having another car helps me out should either be out of action for some time.
Decided to DIY it this time, as paying labour started to hack me off the last couple of times, and having another car helps me out should either be out of action for some time.
What oil should i be using? Car is mainly used on track (and driving too the track) and is using a fair amount at the moment (Mobil 1 0w40) so I assume the breather is ruined.
The car seemed a little tappy the other day at Brands, so I put a bit of oil in and it seemed better but I need to have another listen and change the oil as it has probably done around 60 laps there now.
Thanks
The car seemed a little tappy the other day at Brands, so I put a bit of oil in and it seemed better but I need to have another listen and change the oil as it has probably done around 60 laps there now.
Thanks
Well, after daily use for the last four years the time has come to say goodbye to my faithful Compact. This little car never put a foot wrong and was eager to please no matter what I asked of it. I've said it before ( I know I'm amongst friends here!) but this car never failed to put a smile on my face, from its cracking engine note, playful handling and surprising practicality it will be sorely missed.
The car is going to a good friend of mine who has asked to return it for its routine servicing so it won't be going far. I very nearly changed my mind this morning as I've grown very found it!
The car is going to a good friend of mine who has asked to return it for its routine servicing so it won't be going far. I very nearly changed my mind this morning as I've grown very found it!
mark.c said:
I must admit I'm going to miss it!
As for a replacement, a 43k, two owner, first paint, rot free 325i touring. Not the most sensible perhaps but such a lovely car I couldn't pass it up when the opportunity arose!
Looks very nice Mark - ages ago since I had a tech 1 Sport - E30s are a rare sight now, even more so in that condition.As for a replacement, a 43k, two owner, first paint, rot free 325i touring. Not the most sensible perhaps but such a lovely car I couldn't pass it up when the opportunity arose!
Remember you getting your ti as well, not long after mine. I think the only thing that appeals to me is a 1 series coop ....I'm not keen on the steering on the non-turbo though.
s m said:
Looks very nice Mark - ages ago since I had a tech 1 Sport - E30s are a rare sight now, even more so in that condition.
Remember you getting your ti as well, not long after mine. I think the only thing that appeals to me is a 1 series coop ....I'm not keen on the steering on the non-turbo though.
Hi sm, I too had a tech 1 sport in lachs many moons ago, it was a rotten as they come mind you! I was supposed to be thinning out some cars having recently sold my E30 320is but I just couldn't turn this touring down. We will see how I get on, the touring is really nice, almost too nice but I will go through it and make sure it's looked after and try and hold my nerve using it daily....Remember you getting your ti as well, not long after mine. I think the only thing that appeals to me is a 1 series coop ....I'm not keen on the steering on the non-turbo though.
mark.c said:
Well, after daily use for the last four years the time has come to say goodbye to my faithful Compact. This little car never put a foot wrong and was eager to please no matter what I asked of it. I've said it before ( I know I'm amongst friends here!) but this car never failed to put a smile on my face, from its cracking engine note, playful handling and surprising practicality it will be sorely missed.
The car is going to a good friend of mine who has asked to return it for its routine servicing so it won't be going far. I very nearly changed my mind this morning as I've grown very found it!
Shame your mate bought it - I would have loved to get an Imola facelift (my Imola is a pre-facelift). The car is going to a good friend of mine who has asked to return it for its routine servicing so it won't be going far. I very nearly changed my mind this morning as I've grown very found it!
JakeT said:
SM, I think my next will either be a 130i hatch or a 6cyl coupe. If a 130i coupe ever did exist I'd be all over it.
I'm not averse to a bit of modding so I'll be making my own ( or at least bumping the 3-litre engine up 50bhp or so from 215 to 265 )Be a shame to lose the extra seat of the ti but won't be a while yet as mine's only on 100k and no sign of rusty arches
JakeT said:
I agree. I am sure like the E36/46 with an M52 it's just a manifold swap and maybe a map at the end of it. You may even end up with the 272 that the late 3er and 5er models got!
This is now making me want a 125i SE...
Sadly you won't end up with 272 bhp - both the 130i and 125i Coupe used the N52 engine, whereas the late 3er and 5er models used the N53 DI engine complete with injector and High Pressure Fuel Pump issues - but one band lower CO2 emissions. This is now making me want a 125i SE...
This link has posts from a forum member who had his 125 remapped and brakes uprated (130is and 123ds had bigger brakes than 125s for some reason):-
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=14...
Both very tempting though!
Had mine for a couple of weeks now and thoroughly enjoying it. Doesn't fell all that quick, I think due to the increased refinement over my tatty old puma I was rattling about in. Been eyeing up cooling system replacement, anyone done this themselves?
What have people done to increase the noise of theirs? I'm aware induction kits are generally heat suckling monstrosities but heard decent things about the k&n gen II, anyone had one? Also went to a reputable exhaust place near me who quoted 150 to remove the back box and fit a small silencer or 225 for a wide silencer similar to the oem one, I'm hesitant to go chopping about the oem exhaust though, anyone had similar work done? Also there's a very small blow on the mid silencer so thinking of finding and oem one to replace that at some point unless anyone knows of a decent aftermarket replacement? I don't want the car to be too loud but I does sound a but muffled from the inside, wanna hear that 6bpot roar a bit more!
Any help appreciated, done a lot of googling but not found a great deal.
What have people done to increase the noise of theirs? I'm aware induction kits are generally heat suckling monstrosities but heard decent things about the k&n gen II, anyone had one? Also went to a reputable exhaust place near me who quoted 150 to remove the back box and fit a small silencer or 225 for a wide silencer similar to the oem one, I'm hesitant to go chopping about the oem exhaust though, anyone had similar work done? Also there's a very small blow on the mid silencer so thinking of finding and oem one to replace that at some point unless anyone knows of a decent aftermarket replacement? I don't want the car to be too loud but I does sound a but muffled from the inside, wanna hear that 6bpot roar a bit more!
Any help appreciated, done a lot of googling but not found a great deal.
petrolinveins said:
Had mine for a couple of weeks now and thoroughly enjoying it. Doesn't fell all that quick, I think due to the increased refinement over my tatty old puma I was rattling about in. Been eyeing up cooling system replacement, anyone done this themselves?
What have people done to increase the noise of theirs? I'm aware induction kits are generally heat suckling monstrosities but heard decent things about the k&n gen II, anyone had one? Also went to a reputable exhaust place near me who quoted 150 to remove the back box and fit a small silencer or 225 for a wide silencer similar to the oem one, I'm hesitant to go chopping about the oem exhaust though, anyone had similar work done? Also there's a very small blow on the mid silencer so thinking of finding and oem one to replace that at some point unless anyone knows of a decent aftermarket replacement? I don't want the car to be too loud but I does sound a but muffled from the inside, wanna hear that 6bpot roar a bit more!
Any help appreciated, done a lot of googling but not found a great deal.
Mine has the BMW Performance air box on which has an additional intake and semi-circular filter ( rather than a flat panel ) installation. It's supposed to add 2 or 3 bhp but the intake noise is a little more than normal. Getting hold of the filters is a pain now as you're scrabbling for NOS or a substitute oneWhat have people done to increase the noise of theirs? I'm aware induction kits are generally heat suckling monstrosities but heard decent things about the k&n gen II, anyone had one? Also went to a reputable exhaust place near me who quoted 150 to remove the back box and fit a small silencer or 225 for a wide silencer similar to the oem one, I'm hesitant to go chopping about the oem exhaust though, anyone had similar work done? Also there's a very small blow on the mid silencer so thinking of finding and oem one to replace that at some point unless anyone knows of a decent aftermarket replacement? I don't want the car to be too loud but I does sound a but muffled from the inside, wanna hear that 6bpot roar a bit more!
Any help appreciated, done a lot of googling but not found a great deal.
Hard to tell really as it is the norm for me so I'm only comparing to a standard one I sometimes passenger in.
Mine is standard exhaust which I find fine for noise but then I've just driven back from Italy in it so I don't think I'd want to introduce any NVH or drone - after a long fast journey, like most cars, it sounds a lot louder and 'bass-y'
With regard to it not feeling quick, check for fault codes as well, like cam sensor etc
It will be more refined than your Puma for sure but these were pretty much as quick as a 330i till about 90 thanks to the gearing so should be spritely
Edited by s m on Tuesday 12th September 08:14
s m said:
With regard to it not feeling quick, check for fault codes as well, like cam sensor etc
It will be more refined than your Puma for sure but these were pretty much as quick as a 330i till about 90 thanks to the gearing so should be spritely
It will be more refined than your Puma for sure but these were pretty much as quick as a 330i till about 90 thanks to the gearing so should be spritely
Edited by s m on Tuesday 12th September 08:14
It definitely is faster alright, pulls very nice in 3rd and 4th the higher you rev it. This it's a case of a knackered puma with blowy exhaust and tired suspension bushes all round feeling and sounding quicker than it actually is
I think the lack of weight helps it feel quick accelerating up to town speeds as well where as the beemer is much quicker from 30 up to nsl. I'm yet to check the intake hose and for fault codes though. Will one of those android phone ODB cables and an app suffice, and is there any one in particular, or am I better off with a laptop? What's the life expectancy if the vanos seals? Assuming they'll be semi shot by now, doesn't feel too lacking in low down torque but got caught a couple of times and needed to change down when I though it should pull around 1750-2k rpm.
Another question regarding the stereo, I have the bmw business cassette head unit with the 6 cd changer in the boot, what's the best option for getting an aux in in the car? Mines on a 52 plate, haven't checked the vin to see if it's pre or post 09/02 build which apparently matters. I know on the later cd head units they have an aux and you just need to buy an adapter but unsure on mine as it's tape. Heard you can splice into the cd changer and run a cable from there but I've been confused by the online guides and the mish mash of different stereo set ups e46's seem to have.
I thought that the later 125i models were n53. Colour me wrong!
As far as AUX in goes, in my compact I have fitted a Grom iPD4. This replaced the CD changer, and gives full iPod control and charging. It will even show track names on the display! That works fine on my 08/01 build car with the factory head unit. The CD changer was on its way out, too. So no brainer for me. The only downside is cost, at £110 I think I paid for mine.
In the more budget concious 328ci I have, I bought a MiniDisc (I know, I like them) player for it. That was out of a 2004 car and I paid a bargain £13 for me. It even plays my MiniDisc's dead fine too! This also means you can use a kit to enable aux in. This works absolutely fine, and will provide good sound quality. All in all, for a fully functioning radio with aux in I was under £50. The other benefit being I can carry these over to the compact, which is how I justified it to myself. In the coupe, Mine was mounted as so...
As far as AUX in goes, in my compact I have fitted a Grom iPD4. This replaced the CD changer, and gives full iPod control and charging. It will even show track names on the display! That works fine on my 08/01 build car with the factory head unit. The CD changer was on its way out, too. So no brainer for me. The only downside is cost, at £110 I think I paid for mine.
In the more budget concious 328ci I have, I bought a MiniDisc (I know, I like them) player for it. That was out of a 2004 car and I paid a bargain £13 for me. It even plays my MiniDisc's dead fine too! This also means you can use a kit to enable aux in. This works absolutely fine, and will provide good sound quality. All in all, for a fully functioning radio with aux in I was under £50. The other benefit being I can carry these over to the compact, which is how I justified it to myself. In the coupe, Mine was mounted as so...
Still enjoying ours, tho' the OH tends to drive it more than me - need to fix that!
Thought this one looked quite strong money for an early car, tho' it does look like a very nice one - anyone on here?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
Thought this one looked quite strong money for an early car, tho' it does look like a very nice one - anyone on here?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
danp said:
Still enjoying ours, tho' the OH tends to drive it more than me - need to fix that!
Thought this one looked quite strong money for an early car, tho' it does look like a very nice one - anyone on here?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
You definitely need to hide the keys where the OH can't find them! Thought this one looked quite strong money for an early car, tho' it does look like a very nice one - anyone on here?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...
I don't know the car in the advert, but you've made my day.
I paid less than that for my Imola Red Sport on a 52 plate with 80K miles nearly 3 years ago!
Is it just me, or do those 16 inch wheels look a bit lost?
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