E91 Straight Six Bearding
Discussion
2 GKC said:
Picked this up yesterday. Lot of car for the money. Got E46 328 and 330 and this feels so much faster. Wanted SE for the softer ride and actually prefer the more understated looks. Next job working out how to play IPhone music through the idrive without the aux in
As you’ve got iDrive you should be able to retrofit the USB option - google 6FL retrofit. As a minimum you’ll need a cable and some coding to enable the functionality. You might need the combox as well as it’s pre-lci. I looked into it when I got my 335, but even with used parts the cost was over £300 and I wasn’t confident I could do the coding. I also wasn’t sure how well it would integrate with Spotify (don’t have any music on my phone these days) so in effect might have ended up just using a USB stick full of old mp3. I also found 1st gen iDrive so slow to navigate that it felt like a form of torture, I’m very impatient though.
As a result I just ended up using the aux and putting a Spotify playlist on at the beginning of the trip.
2 GKC said:
Thanks. AUX in and playlists it is then. I thought there might be a simple cheap solution but there we go. Good valet later to try to eradicate the slight whiff of dogs
The other option is one of these. Can be hidden in the armrest as there’s both aux and power in there. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01LGKSBFI/ref=mp...
ETA - depending on phone model you should be able to connect to the cars Bluetooth for calling and this for music streaming.
phil_cardiff said:
Has anyone here upgaraded their speakers as I found the standard system appalling. Had I kept mine I'd have seriously considered the Focal replacements.
My current E91 has the factory upgraded stereo. The E90 I had new in 2006 had the standard stereo though and I agree that it's poor. Assuming you have the lowest spec (no tweeters by the wing mirrors in the doors), there was a BMW approved upgrade from Alpine. It consists of new door speakers, tweeters in the front and an amplifier. As well as a wiring loom to plug it all in. Seem to remember it being about £500 at the time, so not great value. 12 years later there are probably a load of used ones on ebay/gumtree/forums.
No doubt you could get better results with aftermarket parts, but the hassle factor on this was very low. Sounded good, although not massively bass heavy if that's what you're after.
ETA
https://www.mysysadmintips.com/other/cars/506-inst...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/112849797671?rt=nc
survivalist said:
phil_cardiff said:
Has anyone here upgaraded their speakers as I found the standard system appalling. Had I kept mine I'd have seriously considered the Focal replacements.
My current E91 has the factory upgraded stereo. The E90 I had new in 2006 had the standard stereo though and I agree that it's poor. Assuming you have the lowest spec (no tweeters by the wing mirrors in the doors), there was a BMW approved upgrade from Alpine. It consists of new door speakers, tweeters in the front and an amplifier. As well as a wiring loom to plug it all in. Seem to remember it being about £500 at the time, so not great value. 12 years later there are probably a load of used ones on ebay/gumtree/forums.
No doubt you could get better results with aftermarket parts, but the hassle factor on this was very low. Sounded good, although not massively bass heavy if that's what you're after.
ETA
https://www.mysysadmintips.com/other/cars/506-inst...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/112849797671?rt=nc
I looked at replacing all the speakers with Focals but it was about £600 though easy to fit.
2 GKC said:
Picked this up yesterday. Lot of car for the money. Got E46 328 and 330 and this feels so much faster. Wanted SE for the softer ride and actually prefer the more understated looks. Next job working out how to play IPhone music through the idrive without the aux in
I love the stealthy ones - I bought an 06 plate 325iSE a couple of weeks ago, and while I would have preferred a 330i I'm very pleased with it so far. Much more refined than the E46 325ti Sport it replaced, although it doesn't feel as quick unless you rev the nuts off it! No idrive in mine, but it has the Aux-in in the armrest - but I haven't used that yet.
They all get like that sir. Mine was gradually reducing in speed and range of motion.
If you pop the glass hatch bit open - you can manually moved the wiper blade arm. I then sprayed a load of WD40 on the mechanism and then manually moved it back and forward - it gradually freed up as the crap washed through. I then used ACF50 as something a bit more long term once I'd done the "free-ing up".
I do it as regular maintenance now - coz if you think about it, the washer jet sprays a load of effectively degreaser flusher on the mechanism every time you use it!
I spose eventually I might need to pop the shaft apart, clean it up and pack with grease, but until then, regular spraying seems to keep it sweet.
If you pop the glass hatch bit open - you can manually moved the wiper blade arm. I then sprayed a load of WD40 on the mechanism and then manually moved it back and forward - it gradually freed up as the crap washed through. I then used ACF50 as something a bit more long term once I'd done the "free-ing up".
I do it as regular maintenance now - coz if you think about it, the washer jet sprays a load of effectively degreaser flusher on the mechanism every time you use it!
I spose eventually I might need to pop the shaft apart, clean it up and pack with grease, but until then, regular spraying seems to keep it sweet.
ATM said:
So spray the arm bearing / seal in the glass or the mechanism itself in the bootlid?
The bit in the glass bit - like you say it's the stiff bit. Mine noticeably became easier as I went back and forth and lubed it up. 
I noticed my wiper arm moved more quickly/easily in use after this too. zippyonline said:
ATM said:
So spray the arm bearing / seal in the glass or the mechanism itself in the bootlid?
The bit in the glass bit - like you say it's the stiff bit. Mine noticeably became easier as I went back and forth and lubed it up. I noticed my wiper arm moved more quickly/easily in use after this too. Swervin_Mervin said:
Anyone noticed their rear wiper arm beginning to dropp with age, when sat at rest? Only had a brief look and it appears to be wear to the plastic in the main part of hatch where the drive motor is. Not had a proper look though.
Once you've had a couple of problems with your own rear wiper, I found myself looking at everyone elses! I've noticed things such as reduced swept path (first tell tale sign of it getting stiff), stuck somewhere half way or something, and the bit of droop.The "droop" - I've not seen one in motion with it - but if it's like the whole swept path has shifted anti-clockwise a bit, you should (deeding on how rusted the spline is) be able to literally undo the nut for the wiper arm, pop it off and rotate round a couple of splines to compensate. I suspect with droop, it's been knocked once, or had a bad day, or something - it's not a BMW only thing.
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