E91 Straight Six Bearding

[helix403]

Swervin_Mervin said:

Certainly. PM me and we'll sort something out. If I'm quick I might be able to post it Thurs when I'm in work

PM sent.

[williskwl]

So I reset the light with Carly, have done 50 miles since and taken it to a BMW specialist who plugged in their ‘bmw computer’. They found no issues and the car drove fine on a test drive too.

Perhaps just a vanos sensor flagging? Will keep driving it and see if it comes back.

[ATM]

330i manual
2006

£3350

https://ebay.us/m/nqPVXu

[illmonkey]

Oh my, is that yours ATM?

[stevesingo]

261k miles.

The moon is closer!!

[ATM]

illmonkey said:

Oh my, is that yours ATM?

No

[pmorg4]

ATM said:

330i manual
2006

£3350

https://ebay.us/m/nqPVXu

Mega miles but it does look very well maintained, and they take the miles well.

For context I sold my N52 engined E91 330i with around 200k miles a few years ago and the current owner has just put a fresh MOT on it with no advisories, mileage is now approaching 250k so it's still being well used.

[JakeT]

Nice work from someone sticking that many miles on it though. As said, the mileage wouldn’t concern me. Mine is on 230k now, and is currently in Norway, having taken us here.

[RSTurboPaul]

So... oil...

Looks like LongLife04 (LL04) is recommended, but does the viscosity really matter when the UK sits pretty much in the middle of the recommended temperature ranges for 0w30, 5w40, etc. etc. for most of the year??

BMW LL04 appears to be mental money either way

[illmonkey]

RSTurboPaul said:

So... oil...

Looks like LongLife04 (LL04) is recommended, but does the viscosity really matter when the UK sits pretty much in the middle of the recommended temperature ranges for 0w30, 5w40, etc. etc. for most of the year??

BMW LL04 appears to be mental money either way

Just put some veg oil in then, you'll be fine

The viscosity is very important, stick to what is recommended for your engine and get some Castrol/Liquid moly/what ever LL04 rated oil.

5L of normal stuff is about £40...

[Mr Tidy]

RSTurboPaul said:

So... oil...

Looks like LongLife04 (LL04) is recommended, but does the viscosity really matter when the UK sits pretty much in the middle of the recommended temperature ranges for 0w30, 5w40, etc. etc. for most of the year??

BMW LL04 appears to be mental money either way

There are plenty of options for LL04 oil though.

I know Shell is what BMW use these days, but there is even a Tesco own brand version!

[RSTurboPaul]

illmonkey said:

Just put some veg oil in then, you'll be fine

The viscosity is very important, stick to what is recommended for your engine and get some Castrol/Liquid moly/what ever LL04 rated oil.

5L of normal stuff is about £40...

Agree re: using the oil specified in a given vehicle's manual, but there is also discussion to be had regarding use case adaption, surely.

A quick internet search will reveal plenty of chatter around using oil with a thicker 'hot' rating in high-stress situations (e.g. moving to xW50 or xW60 for race applications or very highly tuned road engines - generally speaking if not for the M57 specifically) on the basis it may take longer to 'break down' when under stress, or in older engines with larger internal tolerances that might burn through thinner oil more quickly.

Likewise, a thinner 'cold' rating (0Wxx or 5Wxx) may reduce risk of any potential cumulative 'just after start-up' damage in areas experiencing longer term colder weather (e.g. <0 degrees).


I guess my question was whether there was much difference between 5W30 and 5W40 (both of which I have seen mentioned as 'best' for the M57), given both are suitable for the vast majority of UK weather conditions.

I have struggled to find an actual Owners' Manual online TBH, hence seeking to clarify the options I have seen mentioned 'unofficially'. At least one previous vehicle I have owned has included in the Manual a range of options that could be used, depending on the climate in the area of use (which I guess is an 'official' version of the internet discussions mentioned above), so it would be useful to understand if that is also the case for M57-engined vehicles.

[danb79]

RSTurboPaul said:

So... oil...

Looks like LongLife04 (LL04) is recommended, but does the viscosity really matter when the UK sits pretty much in the middle of the recommended temperature ranges for 0w30, 5w40, etc. etc. for most of the year??

BMW LL04 appears to be mental money either way

Whichever you want - I've gone with 5W40 in my 130i due to it being on 145k miles

Make sure it meets LL04 or LL01 specs; stick with Mann/Mahle/Hengst filters and keep it fresh

[RSTurboPaul]

Mr Tidy said:

There are plenty of options for LL04 oil though.

I know Shell is what BMW use these days, but there is even a Tesco own brand version!

danb79 said:

Whichever you want - I've gone with 5W40 in my 130i due to it being on 145k miles

Make sure it meets LL04 or LL01 specs; stick with Mann/Mahle/Hengst filters and keep it fresh

The Internet seems to suggest LL04 has lower ash content and is designed for vehicles with a dpf, so I shall investigate options!

[RSTurboPaul]

Thanks for the replies, all

[danb79]

RSTurboPaul said:

Mr Tidy said:

There are plenty of options for LL04 oil though.

I know Shell is what BMW use these days, but there is even a Tesco own brand version!

danb79 said:

Whichever you want - I've gone with 5W40 in my 130i due to it being on 145k miles

Make sure it meets LL04 or LL01 specs; stick with Mann/Mahle/Hengst filters and keep it fresh

The Internet seems to suggest LL04 has lower ash content and is designed for vehicles with a dpf, so I shall investigate options!

I've gone with LL01 5W40 Liqui Moly this time around for my 130i - that and a Mann filter

This: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204911430374

I had a balance on my eBay account which I'd forgotten about too and there's 20% off with CALM20 currently which ends Monday

[RSTurboPaul]

Thanks for the discount code heads-up!

I was looking at the Shell Helix Ultra ECT C3 5w30 - anywhere between £40 and £60 for 5 litres from what I can see - but the Halfords '8' 5W30 oil appears to meet LL04 standards so that might be cheaper to burn through

[ATM]

335i
Manual
N55
2011

£11,250.00

https://ebay.co.uk/itm/226828611234

[ATM]

335i
Manual
N55
2010

£7,995.00

https://ebay.co.uk/itm/326618862590

[RSTurboPaul]

Has anyone played around with their suspension alignment?


This thread on another forum seems to have the 'book' settings for various different suspension options:

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43...

but (as always) there is a range for each setting and I imagine that running settings at each end of the range would feel quite different...


I am assuming that (generally speaking) running a decent amount of toe front and back (with more on the back?) would mean good straight line stability and no 'darty' front end with wild oversteer on tap?


I am aware suspension is a Dark Art... lol