E91 Straight Six Bearding

[paulguitar]

RFC1 said:

Thanks guys, will look in to it. Picture for interest, just had a full valet.

Looks spot on, that does.

[toyretro]

I've just started a specific thread but just spotted this one so worth an ask here too..

I have been offered a 2007 BMW 335i Coupe SE Auto which I adore.. It is truly mint and the seller wants £8k.. The mileage has just hit a genuine 15k but is this still a potential money pit? Or from experience is it worth the risk at that price?
I love the car but worry that I am paying all the money already with nothing held back for big bills..

Any advice appreciated..

[paulguitar]

toyretro said:

I've just started a specific thread but just spotted this one so worth an ask here too..

I have been offered a 2007 BMW 335i Coupe SE Auto which I adore.. It is truly mint and the seller wants £8k.. The mileage has just hit a genuine 15k but is this still a potential money pit? Or from experience is it worth the risk at that price?
I love the car but worry that I am paying all the money already with nothing held back for big bills..

Any advice appreciated..

That will be a mighty car but there are quite a few areas to be aware of with these engines. The mileage is very low so you might be okay for a long while yet though.

I have the N53 engined coupe, mine had all injectors replaced along with rocker cover and coil packs shortly before I bought it. I now have an issue that I am struggling to diagnose but have been advised might be the high-pressure fuel pump.

[bract1939]

toyretro said:

I've just started a specific thread but just spotted this one so worth an ask here too..

I have been offered a 2007 BMW 335i Coupe SE Auto which I adore.. It is truly mint and the seller wants £8k.. The mileage has just hit a genuine 15k but is this still a potential money pit? Or from experience is it worth the risk at that price?
I love the car but worry that I am paying all the money already with nothing held back for big bills..

Any advice appreciated..

Sounds like it could be a good buy. If you can do small jobs and are worried about the big bills, have a look at BMW insured warranty. At that mileage, cover should be reasonable.

[RECr]

Did a coolant change today, I think getting the undertray on and off was the longest bit of the job. My power screwdriver definitley earned its keep.

Annoyingly my car is giving a warning for the rear brake pads being worn. I've had the the wheels off and there is easily 7mm on all the pads. I'm not having any luck resetting the OBC so I presume I need a new sensor; I also tried cleaning the plug on it wth no luck.

Also one of my angel eyes has blown...looks a bit of a faff of a job to change.

[Mr Tidy]

My 330i needed a new Angel Eye when I bought it, and it was a real PITA!

It was the passenger side and I ended removing part of the air intake for access, although I think it is desgined to be done from below but when you don't have a lift that wasn't really an option.

Good luck.

[JakeT]

RECr said:

Did a coolant change today, I think getting the undertray on and off was the longest bit of the job. My power screwdriver definitley earned its keep.

Annoyingly my car is giving a warning for the rear brake pads being worn. I've had the the wheels off and there is easily 7mm on all the pads. I'm not having any luck resetting the OBC so I presume I need a new sensor; I also tried cleaning the plug on it wth no luck.

Also one of my angel eyes has blown...looks a bit of a faff of a job to change.

I had the same. I just twisted the wires together and taped it up, it’s been fine since. I still mean to put a sensor in but there’s no real need for it.

[AmirGSXR]

Hi All,

The interior dakota lemon paint around the console that contains the vents for rear passengers has started to peel on my 05 330i. Is there a way I can repair this or at least cover it so it doesn't look so bad?

[ferrisbueller]

RECr said:

Also one of my angel eyes has blown...looks a bit of a faff of a job to change.

Angel eyes is easiest with the arch liner off and access from the rear. I think you can do it with the wheel on full lock. BMW will ask you for £30-40 for the light assembly and at least an hour's labour to fit. Having bought one and looked at it I decided not to fit the whole unit as it was just a money maker. I removed mine, split open the old unit, put a small drill down the side of the hole where the bulb sits and extracted the bulb out the front. The bulb is a standard one, £2 from eBay or similar. Put it all back together and still working 5 years later. Did the same when the other side failed some time later, too.

[ferrisbueller]

AmirGSXR said:

Hi All,

The interior dakota lemon paint around the console that contains the vents for rear passengers has started to peel on my 05 330i. Is there a way I can repair this or at least cover it so it doesn't look so bad?

This bit? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIX_F3xTIh4

[Mr Tidy]

ferrisbueller said:

Angel eyes is easiest with the arch liner off and access from the rear. I think you can do it with the wheel on full lock. BMW will ask you for £30-40 for the light assembly and at least an hour's labour to fit. Having bought one and looked at it I decided not to fit the whole unit as it was just a money maker. I removed mine, split open the old unit, put a small drill down the side of the hole where the bulb sits and extracted the bulb out the front. The bulb is a standard one, £2 from eBay or similar. Put it all back together and still working 5 years later. Did the same when the other side failed some time later, too.

Funny you say that because I had one ordered at ECP for about £37, but once I got the fitting out I did the same as you by modifying it to get the bulb out and fitting one from a spare bulb kit I had lying around! Mine has been in there 2 years so far.

[Blueprint]

I had one Xenon go and the side lights were dim, so I replaced both main bulbs and both side lights and yes, it is a royal PITA to do.
For the passenger side I removed the wheel and peeled the arch liner back. For the driver's side I left the wheel on, put it on full lock and proceeded with arch liner and arm contortion, and copious amounts of swearing.

Yesterday I replaced the top windscreen seal, just as it started raining, but it looks much better for being on there. Actually, when the old seal was removed I found scuff marks on both sides of the channel where someone had been before, probably to replace the screen and were perhaps a little careless with a pick or screwdriver. OCD meant I applied some rust killer and sealed up with touch-up paint before fitting the new seal.

Then moved on to left rear wheel sensor and once that was removed it looked fine. However, on viewing of the hole from where it was sat, I could not see the ABS ring at all, so that's a bit of a mystery. Decided to put it back in and leave it until another day.
Thought I'd then try and replace the rear brakes but someone before me has seemingly swung off the caliper guide pin bolts and they refused to budge, so that job got binned off before it had started really. Not such a great day but we'll try again soon!

[AmirGSXR]

ferrisbueller said:

This bit? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIX_F3xTIh4

Yes, that's the bit. Are replacement ones available cheaply or would I have to look at a good used one?

[stevesuk]

AmirGSXR said:

Yes, that's the bit. Are replacement ones available cheaply or would I have to look at a good used one?

A few years back, I bought that part (the outer trim/surround) brand new for about £25 from eBay. At the time I was considering painting it, but I think the materials would have cost more than that.

[JakeT]

Plus if you paint it the match will never be right. I’d get a good quality piece from a breaker, beige interior trims are often cheap too.

[RECr]

ferrisbueller said:

Angel eyes is easiest with the arch liner off and access from the rear. I think you can do it with the wheel on full lock. BMW will ask you for £30-40 for the light assembly and at least an hour's labour to fit. Having bought one and looked at it I decided not to fit the whole unit as it was just a money maker. I removed mine, split open the old unit, put a small drill down the side of the hole where the bulb sits and extracted the bulb out the front. The bulb is a standard one, £2 from eBay or similar. Put it all back together and still working 5 years later. Did the same when the other side failed some time later, too.

Yes I'd seen about the bayonet cap bulb being moulded into the unit. I will be definitely trying to get the new bulb fitted into the old unit.

[Mr Tidy]

RECr said:

Yes I'd seen about the bayonet cap bulb being moulded into the unit. I will be definitely trying to get the new bulb fitted into the old unit.

I ended up breaking the glass then using some long-nose pliers to crush the metal cap to get it out - but be careful with that bit!

Then I filed a couple of slots in the holder to line up with the pins on the new bulb so I could get it in.

Shame I didn't take any photos - apart from the one of my injured finger from the glass breaking/cap crushing part!

[rpulley]

MajorMantra said:

Could I get a sanity check on my N52 oil change? It's a while since I last did this and I'm having a mental blank about how the filter assembly goes together. I think the little insert sits in the spring as pictured with the nipple pointing upwards, but I'm doubting myself. Does this look right?

Incidentally, most guides show the whole cage assembly remaining in the cap, but mine has separated both times I've had it out. Nothing appears to be broken, however.

did you ever get a reply to this as mine has done the same thing and want to check I put it back together the right way

[rpulley]

rpulley said:

did you ever get a reply to this as mine has done the same thing and want to check I put it back together the right way

just found this on xBimmers.com which provides the answer

https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1...

[MajorMantra]

rpulley said:

just found this on xBimmers.com which provides the answer

https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1...

Good find! I ended up replacing the cap assembly (with a cheap aftermarket one) because I was worried it might be wrong, and also found it annoying having to reassemble it each time. Looks like I probably had it right though.