E91 Straight Six Bearding

[Court_S]

Boobonman said:

The time has come to resurrect my touring that has been laying dormant in the garage for a year. I charged the battery and got it out of the garage under its own steam so I could give it a wash, it's misfiring quite badly. Not sure if its because it only had an egg-cup of old fuel in it, but a jerry can of fresh super hasn't cured it.

What should I look at replacing first, coil packs? Its an N52B30.

Plan is to change all fluids and filters and get it in for an MOT, then see what needs attention.

Suspension is probably past its best, what is the best bet for a refresh, Bilstein B12 shocks and springs?

When were the plugs last done? Could be bad plugs, but depending on the age / mileage I doubt a new set of plugs and coils wouldn’t be a bad thing.

From experience in the 1 series, I think the B12 kit is a bit firm, personally as a compromise I prefer B4S dampers with Eibach springs.

[MajorMantra]

Sufyaan said:

Hi all,

Which oil you guys are running in your 330/325's? (currently on 140k miles). I purchased a large drum recommended on here a while back but have lost the link. Just wondering what options I have now.

Also a side note, my brother is looking to purchase a 330/325i. However, the prices/condition, etc. vary on Autotrader. He has seen a 330i saloon locally - it's just gone over 150k, has full documented history and seems to have a decent spec. He's hoping to have a chat with the owner and discuss a price. Any idea on a fair price please? He's also keen on not causing offence with the offer as he sees the owner often

Would the drum have been Mannol? You can usually get LL-04 spec Mannol 5W-30 or 5W-40 on ebay for a good price, sometimes with an extra discount code (try APRIL10 just now, worked for me the other day...)

My last service was with the 5W-30 and no complaints. Next will be 5W-40 as it suits both my cars, so I've bought 20l of it.

Oil recommendations are a bit pointless since we never really know what's good, but I take that the view that a known brand that meets the right spec is fine, and I change it well before the OBC tells me to, usually around 8-10k miles.

[Court_S]

MajorMantra said:

Sufyaan said:

Hi all,

Which oil you guys are running in your 330/325's? (currently on 140k miles). I purchased a large drum recommended on here a while back but have lost the link. Just wondering what options I have now.

Also a side note, my brother is looking to purchase a 330/325i. However, the prices/condition, etc. vary on Autotrader. He has seen a 330i saloon locally - it's just gone over 150k, has full documented history and seems to have a decent spec. He's hoping to have a chat with the owner and discuss a price. Any idea on a fair price please? He's also keen on not causing offence with the offer as he sees the owner often

Would the drum have been Mannol? You can usually get LL-04 spec Mannol 5W-30 or 5W-40 on ebay for a good price, sometimes with an extra discount code (try APRIL10 just now, worked for me the other day...)

My last service was with the 5W-30 and no complaints. Next will be 5W-40 as it suits both my cars, so I've bought 20l of it.

Oil recommendations are a bit pointless since we never really know what's good, but I take that the view that a known brand that meets the right spec is fine, and I change it well before the OBC tells me to, usually around 8-10k miles.

Both of our cars are still on 5W-30 LL04 spec Millers oil. The 125i is on 103k and my 335i on 92k. The 125i does a fair few shorter journey so I’ve always stuck with the thinner stick oil of which it burns a wee bit. I usually buy my oil from Opie Oils.

[pmorg4]

Got the trifecta of amber lights (ABS, DSC and the exclamation mark), and reading the codes points to a failed rear wheel speed sensor. I can't be bothered trying to clean and refit etc, an original Ate sensor is cheap enough that I might as well just replace it while I'm in there.

Ordered from Autodoc and the part has arrived within a week, the bigger challenge is finding the time to fit it despite it being a relatively straightforward job.

[Court_S]

Wheel speed sensors can be a pain in the arse, especially the cheapy Amazon specials. Does your car have the stupid reluctor rings on the rear to add to the fun?

[pmorg4]

I don't believe that reluctor rings are an issue on the E91 but don't quote me on that - hopefully not. I had that issue on my E46 330Ci, both sides went at different times due to surface corrosion of the driveshaft which causes it to swell slightly and break the ring. The fix involves removal of the driveshaft to replace the ring

[helix402]

pmorg4 said:

I don't believe that reluctor rings are an issue on the E91 but don't quote me on that - hopefully not. I had that issue on my E46 330Ci, both sides went at different times due to surface corrosion of the driveshaft which causes it to swell slightly and break the ring. The fix involves removal of the driveshaft to replace the ring

Only a problem on 4 cylinder cars.

[pmorg4]

Thanks - I should get the chance to replace the sensor at lunch time today so I'll let you know if it sorts the issue.

[helix402]

pmorg4 said:

Thanks - I should get the chance to replace the sensor at lunch time today so I'll let you know if it sorts the issue.

I had very odd symptoms when a rear wheel speed sensor failed on my car. No fault code. No warning lights. Symptoms: cruise control n/w over a certain speed, limited top speed (not 155!). Live data showed: rotation direction incorrect. Took me a while to diagnose.

[ATM]

Court_S said:

ATM said:

No

Car has been recovered by RAC to my friend's house. I didn't realise the car would shut down if it wants to protect itself. I assumed it would throw an EML and either keep on running or go into limp. The RAC man didn't seem to think so either as he spent time looking under the back seat. Will a coolant problem get the engine to shut off like this?

The only other thing to mention is my friend had just filled the tank to the brim before this really started happening. But that could be a red herring. So he bought it Saturday and drove the car about 20 miles. Sunday morning we went to get some egg and bacon butties and then got fuel. Then he went to leave and the car ran for maybe 20 seconds before it cut out. Then it would either not fire or only run for a second or two.

If I’m honest, thinking about it, I was barking up the wrong tree. When the water pump fails, you get a warning light and a short window of time to turn the car off before overheating. It seems like the thermostat error code is a red herring as to why it don’t start.

It does sound more like a fuelling / ignition issue given that it’s not firing at all.

There seem to be a few possible causes for code P0304<

• bad plug
• faulty injector
• bad coil
• harness is open or shorted
• poor electrical connection
• insufficient compression
• incorrect fuel pressure
• air intake leak

Saying that any forum comments relating to that code seem to reference a slight hiccup / rough running rather than not firing at all.

Edited by Court_S on Tuesday 11th April 10:37

Just updating here on behalf of my friend who now has an expensive garden ornament on his driveway. He had some local mechanic come and look a the car. It did not start for him. He spent an hour checking spark and fuel. He got some pipe somewhere - no idea - removed from the engine to show fuel pumping into a jug. And he spent sometime sniffing it. The conclusion was fuel is arriving and it smells fine. He was sure my friend had put diesel in it - which he didn't. This is impossible anyway now right because the diesel nozzle will not fit into the petrol flap thing. So you would have to be really determined to get diesel in there. This guy then recommended he get a BMW specialist to properly diagnose the fault.

Next he got a BMW diagnostics guy to come round and do just that. This guy told him that he would email him the full report of the error codes but he did not. The email just said several errors - those exact words - including O2 sensor and timing.

I dont know if this is helpful but if it is and anyone has any ideas please please please let me know, Thanks.

My friend is basically car illiterate.

[pmorg4]

helix402 said:

I had very odd symptoms when a rear wheel speed sensor failed on my car. No fault code. No warning lights. Symptoms: cruise control n/w over a certain speed, limited top speed (not 155!). Live data showed: rotation direction incorrect. Took me a while to diagnose.

When I read the faults on mine I was getting a combination of errors on the same wheel, one of which included rotation direction incorrect. Of course when DSC etc is inactive there is no cruise control on these cars (even when you just press the DTC switch) which is more of an annoyance than the DSC/FTM failure in my view.

I have just replaced the sensor and took the car for a brief test drive. All appears well, although I'll hold judgement until I can take a longer drive, as when the old sensor started failing it would often be fine for a short while, followed by the DSC briefly intervening when it shouldn't, followed by the trifecta of lights appearing.

[pmorg4]

ATM said:

Just updating here on behalf of my friend who now has an expensive garden ornament on his driveway. He had some local mechanic come and look a the car. It did not start for him. He spent an hour checking spark and fuel. He got some pipe somewhere - no idea - removed from the engine to show fuel pumping into a jug. And he spent sometime sniffing it. The conclusion was fuel is arriving and it smells fine. He was sure my friend had put diesel in it - which he didn't. This is impossible anyway now right because the diesel nozzle will not fit into the petrol flap thing. So you would have to be really determined to get diesel in there. This guy then recommended he get a BMW specialist to properly diagnose the fault.

Next he got a BMW diagnostics guy to come round and do just that. This guy told him that he would email him the full report of the error codes but he did not. The email just said several errors - those exact words - including O2 sensor and timing.

I dont know if this is helpful but if it is and anyone has any ideas please please please let me know, Thanks.

My friend is basically car illiterate.

It could be a whole multitude of reasons, many of which could afflict any car regardless of engine (e.g. earthing problems, ECU issues). I think you need to find someone who has proper BMW diagnostics and knows how to use it, and preferably who also understands broader automotive diagnostics in terms of narrowing down problems through targeted troubleshooting.

Issues like the water pump and O2 sensor won't stop the car firing up. It's one thing to read codes, it's quite something else to understand what they actually mean and what the implications are.

[bmwmike]

helix402 said:

I had very odd symptoms when a rear wheel speed sensor failed on my car. No fault code. No warning lights. Symptoms: cruise control n/w over a certain speed, limited top speed (not 155!). Live data showed: rotation direction incorrect. Took me a while to diagnose.

Thats interesting. I had a f10 which drove miles better if the traction was turned off, or the tyre pressure system reset. I was sure it was something to do with a wheel sensor, or the software that controls it, but no codes or errors. Sold it in the end. Was a very subtle difference in ride quality but where definitely there. I am convinced the LCI cars are considered to ride better because they changed the tyre pressure system or that the underlying software bug got fixed rather than any actual suspension change.

[helix402]

pmorg4 said:

It could be a whole multitude of reasons, many of which could afflict any car regardless of engine (e.g. earthing problems, ECU issues). I think you need to find someone who has proper BMW diagnostics and knows how to use it, and preferably who also understands broader automotive diagnostics in terms of narrowing down problems through targeted troubleshooting.

Issues like the water pump and O2 sensor won't stop the car firing up. It's one thing to read codes, it's quite something else to understand what they actually mean and what the implications are.

Maybe water in the DME.

[ATM]

pmorg4 said:

ATM said:

Just updating here on behalf of my friend who now has an expensive garden ornament on his driveway. He had some local mechanic come and look a the car. It did not start for him. He spent an hour checking spark and fuel. He got some pipe somewhere - no idea - removed from the engine to show fuel pumping into a jug. And he spent sometime sniffing it. The conclusion was fuel is arriving and it smells fine. He was sure my friend had put diesel in it - which he didn't. This is impossible anyway now right because the diesel nozzle will not fit into the petrol flap thing. So you would have to be really determined to get diesel in there. This guy then recommended he get a BMW specialist to properly diagnose the fault.

Next he got a BMW diagnostics guy to come round and do just that. This guy told him that he would email him the full report of the error codes but he did not. The email just said several errors - those exact words - including O2 sensor and timing.

I dont know if this is helpful but if it is and anyone has any ideas please please please let me know, Thanks.

My friend is basically car illiterate.

It could be a whole multitude of reasons, many of which could afflict any car regardless of engine (e.g. earthing problems, ECU issues). I think you need to find someone who has proper BMW diagnostics and knows how to use it, and preferably who also understands broader automotive diagnostics in terms of narrowing down problems through targeted troubleshooting.

Issues like the water pump and O2 sensor won't stop the car firing up. It's one thing to read codes, it's quite something else to understand what they actually mean and what the implications are.

He has now bought one of these and he is seeing a few errors the most urgent of them he believes is this one

2E77 Firing, voltage supply

[to3m]

The FRM module in my N53 330i died. I must have taken the wrong fuse out while changing a Xenon bulb. Or maybe this was going to happen anyway

RIP my car. This is the fault that's killed it. The engine's been showing the usual N53 cold start problems for a couple of years now, and I'm not spending £50 on a FRM repair only to find out I actually need to spend more like £300 on a new module, just so I can then drive it to the garage to spend £2,000 or whatever on having all the injectors replaced, then to find out that actually the NOx sensor needs doing as well. (Spark plugs and coil packs don't last forever either, and the current lot have been in there for 52,000 miles.)

I was offered £400 for it and they'll come and pick it up.

"What if I take the alloy wheels off and put its steel winter wheels on? Will that make a difference?" Because then I could sell my ok alloys+new tyres separately, I figured. (I bought new tyres for it only a couple of weeks ago, assuming I'd be driving it for another 4-5 months.)

"Err" - nervous laugh - "the alloys are most of what we'd be paying for..."

Not super happy about £400, but this feels like one of those cases where I could put in some effort to get the best deal possible and they'd give me all of something like £550. I just can't see breaking cars as being a high margin business.

Or maybe stick it on eBay, spares/repairs+bring a trailer, with a reserve? But how much additional money would I make for the additional hassle?

Anyway, I thought I'd post about this in case anybody has any advice or suggestions!

[Jakg]

to3m said:

Not super happy about £400, but this feels like one of those cases where I could put in some effort to get the best deal possible and they'd give me all of something like £550. I just can't see breaking cars as being a high margin business.

Or maybe stick it on eBay, spares/repairs+bring a trailer, with a reserve? But how much additional money would I make for the additional hassle?

Put it up with a starting bid of £450 and let it find it's own price? Either your up, or you lose two weeks and get what you already thought you would.

It'll be worth more than the wheels - either as a simple DIY repair, or to a "specialist" BMW breaker (e.g. one on the Facebook groups).

[JakeT]

Oof. The FRM failure is a bad one. Why don’t you have a used one fitted and coded to your car?

I’d eBay too. £400 is a joke. You’d get more than that for the cats.

[pmorg4]

As above, you can pick up an FRM for £30 off eBay (make sure it's an XE, AHL or Max so that it supports xenon) and if you can use NCS expert it's a 5 minute job to code it to your car's factory settings. Shame to break it over something so simple, but I know the feeling if there are other much more expensive jobs needing done.

If you do break it the xenon lights alone are worth £400, let alone whatever your wheels are worth plus anything else of value.

[pmorg4]

Oh and with regard to the FRM failure, some of them have a bug which means the boot sector gets corrupted after a hard reset (e.g. Battery removal) so it's probably nothing you've done wrong. Seems to afflict mainly the later FRM3 modules, it can be recovered but needs specialist bench gear, can't be done via OBD coding. Generally I'd just buy a new (used) one that doesn't have the bug.