E91 Straight Six Bearding
Discussion
VS02 said:
MOT history of the car I am looking to buy shows that it has failed MOT’s in the past because of cracked alloys and also because the alloys have been welded and the welds have failed. That is something to look out for then.
Where do the alloys tend to crack ?
Wife hit a pothole. TPMS light came on on her drive home. I pumped up the tyre and thought nothing of it. TBF, it maintained pressure thereafter and a crack on the inside edge/lip of one of the alloys was only identified when I went to change the tyres a month or two later!Where do the alloys tend to crack ?
Had the alloy fixed at a local alloy wheel repair/refurb place. They said, quite common thing that they encounter with the larger BMW alloys. No issues since the repair.
VS02 said:
Right. Hopefully picking up the LMB E92 330i posted earlier on Thursday, assuming everything goes well. Due to sudden financial changes I have to try and find a family member willing to lend me a small amount money in the short term and I am going to use my 2 year, 0% overdraft (perks of being a student aye?) as well. The car is in Telford. Realistically I should wait 3 weeks until my next pay check and buy the car in cash, but some serious man maths is going to have to go on to have the perfect car… in time for a camping trip in the Dales where I can give it a good hoon around some fantastic roads!
It’s funny how quickly life can change, only a month ago I was preparing to buy a £14k car (admittedly on finance) now I am scraping pennies together to get a 4k car…
Congrats. It’s funny how quickly life can change, only a month ago I was preparing to buy a £14k car (admittedly on finance) now I am scraping pennies together to get a 4k car…
When I was a student I had an E36 328i saloon in Boston Green. After an 'unfortunate interaction' with a roundabout, it was retired and I had a £500 E34 520i (manual). Surprisingly good car for the drive to my placement in Canterbury.
Fancy pants students nowadays
g3org3y said:
Congrats.
When I was a student I had an E36 328i saloon in Boston Green. After an 'unfortunate interaction' with a roundabout, it was retired and I had a £500 E34 520i (manual). Surprisingly good car for the drive to my placement in Canterbury.
Fancy pants students nowadays
Ha, I remember you from the medical school thread!When I was a student I had an E36 328i saloon in Boston Green. After an 'unfortunate interaction' with a roundabout, it was retired and I had a £500 E34 520i (manual). Surprisingly good car for the drive to my placement in Canterbury.
Fancy pants students nowadays
Let’s be hoping I don’t have any unfortunate incidents with roundabouts
VS02 said:
MOT history of the car I am looking to buy shows that it has failed MOT’s in the past because of cracked alloys and also because the alloys have been welded and the welds have failed. That is something to look out for then.
Where do the alloys tend to crack ?
The style 225's are prone to cracking; 19 inch wheels with run flats and a 30 profile (on the rear) is not a great combo.Where do the alloys tend to crack ?
Mine cracked on the inner edge. It was holding air but I only noticed when I took the wheels off.
Good luck with the car, looks like a good one.
g3org3y said:
Congrats.
When I was a student I had an E36 328i saloon in Boston Green. After an 'unfortunate interaction' with a roundabout, it was retired and I had a £500 E34 520i (manual). Surprisingly good car for the drive to my placement in Canterbury.
Fancy pants students nowadays
£500 at its best. Passenger wiper raised so it doesn’t hit the bonnet as the wiper rack is knackered? Bonus points if it’s an M50, too.When I was a student I had an E36 328i saloon in Boston Green. After an 'unfortunate interaction' with a roundabout, it was retired and I had a £500 E34 520i (manual). Surprisingly good car for the drive to my placement in Canterbury.
Fancy pants students nowadays
For my final year of university I decided I didn’t want to subject my nice, low mileage 325ti to student life. Thought I’d get a 1.4 litre Honda. With an automatic gearbox. What did I get instead?
Insurance is absolute nonsense. Tried to arrange insurance on the car, and got refused! Why, I asked. The stupid insurance procedures say that for some reason, a 330i M Sport with the N52 engine (which I had tried to insure before) is perfectly fine to insure, but to insure a N53 isn’t. And there is an insurance group difference of ONE. Pedantic! A 325i is group 37, a 330i (N52) is Group 39, and a 330i (N53) is group 40 (IIRC)….
And then Admiral had the cheek to charge me £30 for their time, by finding 1 tiny mistake in a policy.
Bashing head right now.
Might go down the route of getting a 325 and remap it to a 330 level….
And then Admiral had the cheek to charge me £30 for their time, by finding 1 tiny mistake in a policy.
Bashing head right now.
Might go down the route of getting a 325 and remap it to a 330 level….
ferrisbueller said:
That's kinda why I suggested you checked the various configurations. Insurance can vary wildly based on small variations.
An SE will be cheaper to insure, 20 years ago I had a convertible and touring (both 330’s) I preferred the SE, looked more understated
My E91 was also an SE, but with sports seats
You also often find that SE’s attract mature owners, they’re often a bit more cherished
VS02 said:
Insurance is absolute nonsense. Tried to arrange insurance on the car, and got refused! Why, I asked. The stupid insurance procedures say that for some reason, a 330i M Sport with the N52 engine (which I had tried to insure before) is perfectly fine to insure, but to insure a N53 isn’t. And there is an insurance group difference of ONE. Pedantic! A 325i is group 37, a 330i (N52) is Group 39, and a 330i (N53) is group 40 (IIRC)….
And then Admiral had the cheek to charge me £30 for their time, by finding 1 tiny mistake in a policy.
Bashing head right now.
Might go down the route of getting a 325 and remap it to a 330 level….
That’s really daft and bloody frustrating. My 335i is virtually the same to insure as my 130i was, and both are a fraction of what my M140i used to cost.And then Admiral had the cheek to charge me £30 for their time, by finding 1 tiny mistake in a policy.
Bashing head right now.
Might go down the route of getting a 325 and remap it to a 330 level….
I take it the hunt is on again!
JakeT said:
g3org3y said:
Congrats.
When I was a student I had an E36 328i saloon in Boston Green. After an 'unfortunate interaction' with a roundabout, it was retired and I had a £500 E34 520i (manual). Surprisingly good car for the drive to my placement in Canterbury.
Fancy pants students nowadays
£500 at its best. Passenger wiper raised so it doesn’t hit the bonnet as the wiper rack is knackered? Bonus points if it’s an M50, too.When I was a student I had an E36 328i saloon in Boston Green. After an 'unfortunate interaction' with a roundabout, it was retired and I had a £500 E34 520i (manual). Surprisingly good car for the drive to my placement in Canterbury.
Fancy pants students nowadays
For my final year of university I decided I didn’t want to subject my nice, low mileage 325ti to student life. Thought I’d get a 1.4 litre Honda. With an automatic gearbox. What did I get instead?
Nice E46 BTW.
Court_S said:
That’s really daft and bloody frustrating. My 335i is virtually the same to insure as my 130i was, and both are a fraction of what my M140i used to cost.
I take it the hunt is on again!
I’ve lost all enthusiasm, its just a dreary slog nowI take it the hunt is on again!
I have some new information that is irrelevant to everyone but me but I have nobody else to muse about BMW’s to so I have been frequenting this thread a lot, ha.
threadists, I followed the advice given about SE’s, I tried Tourings, Saloons, Coupes, Convertibles any 330i on a 57 plate with the N53 engine is uninsurable. The 1 series was the same story. Anything on an “07” plate and earlier is insurable.
The 330i M Sport Touring on a “56” plate was the cheapest body style by far, it costs around £800 to insure for a full year (I don’t know why, but it is cheaper to insure THAT than the VW Polo 1.0 I drive now). The difference on a Touring on an M Sport and SE is very little.
The other option is a 325i coupe which as you know is slow, costs 300 more to insure but just as unreliable but does have the option of the more handsome body and is less of a boring looking car.
The Touring has the advantage of being a “wolf” (more like a fairly angry Dog in these days of 400hp hyper hatches) in sheep’s clothing (Q-car) and the 325i Coupe is more like a Plain jane (with a nice voice at least) in Megan Fox’s body.
Finding an 07 plate 330i Coupe M Sport with at least a modicum of service history is proving to be impossible, they seem to be rare as rocking horse poo hence why it is only between a 325 and a 330 Touring now.
Will I really need a 330 Touring though? I’m all for “wagon life” and all that but it seems a bit second best, after all the Coupe is definitely a pretty thing. And as Gunk said it’s a bit of a dad’s car (even though both I and my car loving friends can appreciate it). And I would rarely utilise its space?
However It’s unlikely to get nicked on a dodgy street outside student digs.
I’ll let you guys decide.
Also,
I’m sorry for clogging up this thread. I’ve noticed about half the thread recently has just been my BS . I’ll try to keep it simple
Edited by VS02 on Monday 13th June 23:25
Personally I think the touring (and saloon) look better and have aged better in the E9x series. The E92 coupe looks a bit soft and rounded to my eyes, and the E93 convertible just looks downright weird with its long boot lid to allow for the folding roof mechanism.
In the E46 (and E36) generation I'd definitely say the coupe was the best looker of the range, but as the cars have become longer with each generation the four-door models tend to look better proportioned from the E9x onwards.
In the E46 (and E36) generation I'd definitely say the coupe was the best looker of the range, but as the cars have become longer with each generation the four-door models tend to look better proportioned from the E9x onwards.
pmorg4 said:
Personally I think the touring (and saloon) look better and have aged better in the E9x series. The E92 coupe looks a bit soft and rounded to my eyes, and the E93 convertible just looks downright weird with its long boot lid to allow for the folding roof mechanism.
In the E46 (and E36) generation I'd definitely say the coupe was the best looker of the range, but as the cars have become longer with each generation the four-door models tend to look better proportioned from the E9x onwards.
I’m going to have a look at a Mineral Grey touring todayIn the E46 (and E36) generation I'd definitely say the coupe was the best looker of the range, but as the cars have become longer with each generation the four-door models tend to look better proportioned from the E9x onwards.
Its up for 4995. 123k miles. Full history. 3 owners
Options are Active cruise
Extended Bluetooth
Bluetooth Phone
Navigation Professional
DAB radio (I like that!)
Clima windscreen
Really want xenons so will check
I’ll take some pics while I’m there
Can anyone recommend a BMW specialist around Essex to finally sort out our N53 E91 325i, from reading up sounds like NOX sensor issue rather than injectors, car on just 68,000 miles only ever returned 26mpg, slightly blackened exhaust pipes and has a light misfire cruising at motorway speeds at low rpm.
Two local specialists PMW and BM Mini tech I’ve taken it to say there are no faults with the car as it’s got no fault codes but I know it’s not quite right.
Hoping the cat is not trash now as it’s been two years as it is!
Two local specialists PMW and BM Mini tech I’ve taken it to say there are no faults with the car as it’s got no fault codes but I know it’s not quite right.
Hoping the cat is not trash now as it’s been two years as it is!
g3org3y said:
Correct diagnosis re wiper. And yes, M50 engine.
Nice E46 BTW.
Like most it went a few years ago, when the subframe mounts failed. It went to The Netherlands to donate its organs.Nice E46 BTW.
pmorg4 said:
Personally I think the touring (and saloon) look better and have aged better in the E9x series. The E92 coupe looks a bit soft and rounded to my eyes, and the E93 convertible just looks downright weird with its long boot lid to allow for the folding roof mechanism.
In the E46 (and E36) generation I'd definitely say the coupe was the best looker of the range, but as the cars have become longer with each generation the four-door models tend to look better proportioned from the E9x onwards.
I agree. E92 doesn’t quite have it compared to the older 2 door models. I think the totally different front and rear lights did it for me. E36 and 46, while close are still different. E92 looks a step too far removed.In the E46 (and E36) generation I'd definitely say the coupe was the best looker of the range, but as the cars have become longer with each generation the four-door models tend to look better proportioned from the E9x onwards.
BMW probably knew this though, since it became the 4 series, and now has a totally different face to the 3 series.
six port said:
Can anyone recommend a BMW specialist around Essex to finally sort out our N53 E91 325i, from reading up sounds like NOX sensor issue rather than injectors, car on just 68,000 miles only ever returned 26mpg, slightly blackened exhaust pipes and has a light misfire cruising at motorway speeds at low rpm.
Two local specialists PMW and BM Mini tech I’ve taken it to say there are no faults with the car as it’s got no fault codes but I know it’s not quite right.
Hoping the cat is not trash now as it’s been two years as it is!
If there are no NOX codes, the NOX sensor is fine. For now Two local specialists PMW and BM Mini tech I’ve taken it to say there are no faults with the car as it’s got no fault codes but I know it’s not quite right.
Hoping the cat is not trash now as it’s been two years as it is!
If its a slight misfire like its running lean, when cruising? I had similar recently, and it was the coilpacks - bought a set of six delphi (latest N53 part number) off autodoc for around 130 quid iirc, via one of their sales. The old ones had scorch marks up the side and 2 were originals (2012). These are pretty much consumable. I think what happens is the engine runs hotter and in stratified mode when cruising and that puts extra demand on the spark/ignition. If the coils are borderline it misfires. I didn't have any codes either. Fixed my issue.
Another thing to consider is battery state of charge - the N53 is pretty heavy on the electric juice - try charging the battery via the posts and see if it improves things.
Finally when they clear the nox trap you can sometimes get a brief stumble but usually shouldn't feel it - guess it depends on how full it is, and if cars been doing mostly short journeys etc.
Forgot to add - coilpacks is super easy DIY if you feel like it.
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