E91 Straight Six Bearding

[ferrisbueller]

helix402 said:

Bilstein B6 front dampers with standard springs will give an improvement in ride quality as hey have internal bump stops.

Rears? They made the ride worse on an E46 I had.

I've not sampled a B6. IIRC The B12 kit uses the B8 damper. Previous experience of these, albeit on the most aggressive spring option, were an appreciably stiffer set up. Ironically still better than a stock MINI Cooper "courtesy" car I had a while back, which was fking hateful.

[Swervin_Mervin]

ferrisbueller said:

Given the 200k mile durability of these, putting the money in doesn't seem like throwing it away, especially when you consider the lack of appealing options in terms of moving on to something else.

Totally agree. I did mine at just under 110k, and at the time I foresaw I'd potentially have it quite a while yet, so it definitely wasn't a lost investment. Plus it had a leaking rear shock, bent track rod, knackered balljoints and utterly perished help dampers at the rear.

It's now on c120k and circumstances mean I might not keep it for many more years, but I don't regret it at all as it rides like a new car.

Mine's now booked in (in May!) for leaking oil sump gasket, fuel filler breather hose fix, and a look at why it's occasionally mis-firing. £££

[zippyonline]

I'm eyeing up my sump gasket for when I get a flat workspace with a roof hopefully in next few months). I'm gonne change my engine mounts at the same time as you have to undo them to lower the subframe to get enough clearance with the sump - something to consider

[Mr Tidy]

Sir_Dave said:

Thought i might as well post a photo in here, have used this thread as a reference point so often it seems rude not to!!

'Im Dave and i like Le Mans blue e9*s" ...

e90 335i N54 manual, e90 330i N52 manual & an e91 325i N53 manual

Stunning collection there! :thumbup!

Would Montego Blue with a 3 litre N52 get me associate membership?

[themightychimp]

Sir_Dave said:

Thought i might as well post a photo in here, have used this thread as a reference point so often it seems rude not to!!

'Im Dave and i like Le Mans blue e9*s" ...


Untitled by Sir_Dave, on Flickr

e90 335i N54 manual, e90 330i N52 manual & an e91 325i N53 manual

N52 sold a couple of weeks ago, the N54 is having a few retrofits (electric seats, nav, xenons, folding mirrors, high beam assistant etc) and the N53 needs the cylinder head taken off to fix a dodgy valve (no compression). I was sorely tempted by an e91 335i on ebay the other day, but it was sapphire black, so i couldnt bring myself to buy it

Love this, lol! Regarding retrofits, are those BMW from a donor or aftermarket? Mines got most of what I’d like but missing xenons & HK sound which I’d like

[Sir_Dave]

cerb4.5lee said:

^^^^A very nice collection there and they are in a fantastic colour too!

Ha ha, thanks!! I remember reading about your preference for the lower powered e90's after your e92 M3, i had an e90 a couple of years ago and can share the lack of low speed "get up a go with you". I can safely say that a tinkered with 335i would be just as quick as the ///M in most situations. Engine noise isnt a patch on the V8 though!!

Swervin_Mervin said:

At least I know who to offer mine to when I come to sell!

Dont lol, since starting to work from home, ive discovered the benefits of not havign to wait until the weekend to buy cars. Hence the collection ...

JakeT said:

You utter lunatic.

I LOVE IT!

Haha thanks!! Its something ive done a few times over the years actually, i tend to find a car i like, then buy them in multiples

2 x 182 Trophy's, 2 x TT225's (dont ask) and 2 x Mini's, albeit 1 x R53 and 1 x R56, they both had Quaifes though if thats helps..

Mr Tidy said:

Stunning collection there! :thumbup!

Would Montego Blue with a 3 litre N52 get me associate membership?

Yes, theyre lovely, one of my mates had one a few years back on genuine CSL's, was gorgeous!!!

themightychimp said:

Love this, lol! Regarding retrofits, are those BMW from a donor or aftermarket? Mines got most of what I’d like but missing xenons & HK sound which I’d like

Genuine BMW parts, satnav wise, ive done 2 x dash swops now, one for CCC (older nav) and then again for the later CIC/combox, its fairly easy if you follow the guides the Americans love to produce. Xenons (without auto-levelling) is actually just "swop the lights, splice a wire together & code", the ecu should keep them at the lowest setting by default. For the AL as well, you need 2 x level sensors, some wiring and a xenon enabled FRM module. HK sound wise, its a bit of a ball ache as the amp uses the fibre optics to move the sound etc around the car, so you need the loom/speakers/amp all together. If you have the base audio (no tweeters in the doors), its very easy to fit the official BMW Alpine retrofit for a massive improvement in sound. If you have "HIFI" ie tweeters but no central dash speaker, you can buy an aftermarket 6 channel JL amp that works well with the standard speakers, fits straight in with a "technic" harness

I see you're in Surrey/have an e91 335i!! I'm going to be retrofitting the xenons to my 335i fairly soon, so once ive worked it all out, happy to help you with yours if you fancy it.

Edited by Sir_Dave on Tuesday 26th March 09:38

[nitrodave]

Sir_Dave said:

If you have "HIFI" ie tweeters but no central dash speaker, you can buy an aftermarket 6 channel JL amp that works well with the standard speakers, fits straight in with a "technic" harness

Edited by Sir_Dave on Tuesday 26th March 09:38

This sounds very interesting! I have the hifi system but no centre speaker and I'm curious about upgrading this. Do you have any links with more info and details on the harness and amp needed?

[Sir_Dave]

nitrodave said:

This sounds very interesting! I have the hifi system but no centre speaker and I'm curious about upgrading this. Do you have any links with more info and details on the harness and amp needed?

Here you go, a variety of e90 audio info here: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64...

Technic PNP harness: https://technicpnp.com/product/hifi-harness/ PNP harness with battery cable: https://technicpnp.com/product/hifi-harness-xd-kit...

Info on it here: https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t...

JL Audio 6 channel amp is the XD600, can be found on ebay here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JL-Audio-XD600-1-Monobl...

DIY Guide is here: https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91...

With that harness and amp its literally a plug & play upgrade for the standard amplifier

[Sufyaan]

Hello all, after reading up on the various topics on the n52 vs n53, diesel/petrol, etc. I have finally joined the straight 6 club with a 2005 330i SE saloon 130k, one owner from new, they kept up with the service/maintenance schedules with BMW/Specialist.... and I love it! I'll get some pictures up when I get a chance.

Wondering if I could get some help so a couple of questions for you guys:

- Which oil is recommended and where to purchase from? I read that Castrol 0w 30 is best. However, Sytner BMW advised on Shell 0w 30.

- Where to purchase oil filters from - BMW or Euro Car Parts, GSF, etc? ECP sell Bosch and Mann. Are they the same as OEM and would they come with the O rings/seals?

- Is it worth using any kind of fuel treatment? I'm weary of an engine cleaner for the oil change as I heard this could possibly cause a few issues. Will just maintain the regular oil changes.

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. I've seen various topics on cleaning Vanos solenoid, injectors, MAF sensors, etc. Not sure on the importance of this at the moment but if I get the time, I may give it a go.

Edited by Sufyaan on Friday 29th March 11:38

[rallycross]

Sufyaan said:

Hello all, after reading up on the various topics on the n52 vs n53, diesel/petrol, etc. I have finally joined the straight 6 club with a 2005 330i SE saloon 130k, one owner from new, they kept up with the service/maintenance schedules with BMW/Specialist.... and I love it! I'll get some pictures up when I get a chance.

Wondering if I could get some help so a couple of questions for you guys:

- Which oil is recommended and where to purchase from? I read that Castrol 0w 30 is best. However, Sytner BMW advised on Shell 0w 30.

- Where to purchase oil filters from - BMW or Euro Car Parts, GSF, etc? ECP sell Bosch and Mann. Are they the same as OEM and would they come with the O rings/seals?

- Is it worth using any kind of fuel treatment? I'm weary of an engine cleaner for the oil change as I heard this could possibly cause a few issues. Will just maintain the regular oil changes.

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. I've seen various topics on cleaning Vanos solenoid, injectors, MAF sensors, etc. Not sure on the importance of this at the moment but if I get the time, I may give it a go.

Edited by Sufyaan on Friday 29th March 11:38

I use 5/30 fully synthetic, does not really matter what brand for normal use and change at 10k miles. 0/30 on high mile engine not such a good idea.
no need for fuel treatment more likely to make something worse, if its running smoothly keep it as it is!

[zippyonline]

Sufyaan said:

Hello all, after reading up on the various topics on the n52 vs n53, diesel/petrol, etc. I have finally joined the straight 6 club with a 2005 330i SE saloon 130k, one owner from new, they kept up with the service/maintenance schedules with BMW/Specialist.... and I love it! I'll get some pictures up when I get a chance.

Wondering if I could get some help so a couple of questions for you guys:

- Which oil is recommended and where to purchase from? I read that Castrol 0w 30 is best. However, Sytner BMW advised on Shell 0w 30.

- Where to purchase oil filters from - BMW or Euro Car Parts, GSF, etc? ECP sell Bosch and Mann. Are they the same as OEM and would they come with the O rings/seals?

- Is it worth using any kind of fuel treatment? I'm weary of an engine cleaner for the oil change as I heard this could possibly cause a few issues. Will just maintain the regular oil changes.

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. I've seen various topics on cleaning Vanos solenoid, injectors, MAF sensors, etc. Not sure on the importance of this at the moment but if I get the time, I may give it a go.

Edited by Sufyaan on Friday 29th March 11:38

Here's the castrol page for what they recommend: https://applications.castrol.com/oilselector/en_gb...
I tend to use 0W30 on my N52, but crucially I change it every 5-6k miles. Engine is on 210k miles now, still sounds sweet.

Mann filters are the best imho. When I get them from ECP, they come with new o-rings and copper washer.

With regards fuel treatment, all I do is use V-Power, and at 200k miles, I changed my fuel filter!

[helix402]

Mann or Mahle filters are best. Oil, any Longlife 04. You can get 20l of Elf for £50 on eBay.

Don’t clean the air mass meter. It’s self cleaning. Attempts to clean often break them.

[Mr Tidy]

Congratulations Sufyaan.

I use Castrol Edge Titanium 0W/30 for top-ups, but anything that complies with BMW LL04 should be OK.

If you look at the flap on the top of your engine where you top it up it will mention Castrol - but a couple of years ago BMW switched from Castrol to Shell.

My BMW Indy said it was because Castrol wouldn't supply oil in containers for BMW to sell over the parts counter without the Castrol logo, whereas Shell would!

I bought a 55 plate E90 330i with 3 previous keepers on 109K miles last week! Loving the extra grunt compared to my E91 325i, and the tilt/slide sunroof, Bi-Xenons, Power-fold mirrors, DAB tuner - and the split-fold rear seats make a Saloon an option!

Edited by Mr Tidy on Saturday 30th March 23:36

[gizlaroc]

On the N52 I always used 5w30, but as they get older I then tend to use 5w40 if it uses more oil between services than I like.

Alpina recommended going to 10w50 when the car gets to 150,000km I think it is.

I have been using Petronas recently, really like it, found on the Z3 28i the engine was so much quieter than Castrol, which gave a sort of tappety noise.

Also, ECP's on QX LL04 5w30 and 5w40 is great, I believe this is supplied by Shell for them still?

[helix402]

[swanny71]

Always used Castrol Edge 0W-30 in mine, I’m sure other LL04 oils work perfectly well but it’s on 167k miles, in rude health and doesn’t use any between 9k mile oil changes so I’ll just continue using what it seems happy with. OEM or Mann filters.

[Sufyaan]

Thanks for all the kind replies chaps and the very useful advice. And sorry for the delay with my reply, I actually compiled a response early hours of Saturday morning but didn't quite hit the submit button!

So far the only other obvious issue is a leaky headlight washer which I will try take a look at when I get a chance. A stuck cd changer magazine, for which I've read a topic or two on how to free the cartridge.

Also, when under load, on one occasion the car threw a EML. However, after slowing down and continuing on my journey, it continued to drive fine. Connected a friend Snap-On diagnostic tool and it stated misfire in cylinder 4 and 5. Cleared codes, drove again and no such issues. I was advised of a test to check the coils and plugs but the car has had OEM coils in 2017 and spark plugs replaced too. A friend thinks it may be due to the car being driven very gently by the previous owners. Could this be possible?

As per the advice above, I won't clean any of the parts just yet. I guess it's still early days yet. Will stick with running on decent fuel and see how I get on. Can't wait to make more use of it!

[themightychimp]

Sir Dave, apologies for tardy response to your post, & thanks for the offer!
I do indeed have an E91 335i M Sport (LCI, N55). Had it a year, took some finding with my wish list, got most of what I wanted but gave up trying to find an E91 N55 with a manual box (I wonder if they even exist...), but the auto is fine, it's best car I've ever had.
From what you say my technical/practical expertise is nowhere near at your level (... dash swaps?!!!), so useful that you're investigating the xenon switch first. I would want self levelling, please let us know how you get on.
I was unaware that there was an official Alpine retrofit, I'll research as sounds like HK would be too difficult.
My first priority is tyres as the rears are down to 2 mils. Still on run flats, everyone I speak to seems to suggest I ditch them, there's obviously no spare so I guess I'd need to put faith in those aerosol foam cans if worst happens. Choice seems to be Eagle F1s or PS4s, it's a topic which has likely been covered here somewhere before but I'm not sure which way to go at the moment.

[gizlaroc]

PS4's are a great tyre, very progressive when it lets go so great if you really push the car very hard.

The Eagle F1 assymetric has slightly more grip but when it lets go it snaps more.

The F1 is also a very comfy and quiet tyre.


M3 I would always go PS, 5 series mile muncher F1, but 335i? I ran mine with the Pilot Sport 2s at the time on the 18s and it was a good tyre, but these days I would probably go F1 and a bit less road noise.

[ferrisbueller]

helix402 said:

Ironically I got my last batch of Castrol from Parks. I'm sure I paid over double that £/litre