My E46 330ci Sport, warts and all
Discussion
So, this is copied over from another forum, meaning that it's going to be a dump of my ownership to date over the course of a couple of posts. For those of you who can barely contain your excitement, I feel sorry for you. For the rest of you, I hope you make it to the end...
July 2016
Well, it's been less than 6 months since selling my lovely 2002 330Ci Sport auto to enjoy a bit of topless, V8 motoring. However, I have spent the last 6 months pottering around London in a CLK430 convertible, wondering why the hell I ever sold my BMW... (truthfully, I couldn't turn down the CLK at the price).
So, idly browsing Ebay, and an ad for a silver 2001 330Ci Sport auto pops up in the Wirral. 93k miles, 2 previous owners, well spec'd, crusty arches, with a BIN of £2k. The next thing to work out was where the hell the Wirral was... (turns out it's near Liverpool, and a bit grim - but that's an aside)
So, after exchanging a few emails with the seller, and working out that the arches had been sanded and primed (badly), that the waterpump had been recently replaced, and that the subframe had been inspected in 2015... I did the obvious thing and bashed Buy It Now on the train home from work.
3hrs on the train saw me deposited in the middle of what could have passed for a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but I was assured that most of the Northwest looked like this. After looking over the car and taking it for a quick once around the M53, it seemed fundamentally solid with a bit of tinkering required. The seller seemed like a nice enough chap (although a little evasive at times - perhaps I had Harry Enfield ringing in my ears...), so I haggled hard and drove away with an extra couple of hundred quid in my pocket.
The 4hr drive home brought a bit of trepidation, but by the time I hit the M6 Toll I was very much back in the groove, and remembering exactly why I loved the E46 the first time around. Getting back to London in the early evening gave me the chance to start constructing a 'To Do' list in my head, to be committed to paper on Sunday (with a raging hangover). This is likely to be a 'slow burn' project and be the subject of some simple/sympathetic improvements, rather than any substantial modifications. I've already ordered the centre console cup holders, a RamAir intake and an aux cable, and enquired with a friendly bodyshop to get the arches painted. Two cars seems excessive for someone who only does 4k miles a year - I should probably get on and sell the Mercedes...
After a quote of £900(!) to sand/paint two arches, I'm currently looking for alternative specialists. I've found a few names that I'll be chasing down this weekend.
Getting on the case of ordering some bits to give it a decent service, namely:
July 2016
Well, it's been less than 6 months since selling my lovely 2002 330Ci Sport auto to enjoy a bit of topless, V8 motoring. However, I have spent the last 6 months pottering around London in a CLK430 convertible, wondering why the hell I ever sold my BMW... (truthfully, I couldn't turn down the CLK at the price).
So, idly browsing Ebay, and an ad for a silver 2001 330Ci Sport auto pops up in the Wirral. 93k miles, 2 previous owners, well spec'd, crusty arches, with a BIN of £2k. The next thing to work out was where the hell the Wirral was... (turns out it's near Liverpool, and a bit grim - but that's an aside)
So, after exchanging a few emails with the seller, and working out that the arches had been sanded and primed (badly), that the waterpump had been recently replaced, and that the subframe had been inspected in 2015... I did the obvious thing and bashed Buy It Now on the train home from work.
3hrs on the train saw me deposited in the middle of what could have passed for a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but I was assured that most of the Northwest looked like this. After looking over the car and taking it for a quick once around the M53, it seemed fundamentally solid with a bit of tinkering required. The seller seemed like a nice enough chap (although a little evasive at times - perhaps I had Harry Enfield ringing in my ears...), so I haggled hard and drove away with an extra couple of hundred quid in my pocket.
The 4hr drive home brought a bit of trepidation, but by the time I hit the M6 Toll I was very much back in the groove, and remembering exactly why I loved the E46 the first time around. Getting back to London in the early evening gave me the chance to start constructing a 'To Do' list in my head, to be committed to paper on Sunday (with a raging hangover). This is likely to be a 'slow burn' project and be the subject of some simple/sympathetic improvements, rather than any substantial modifications. I've already ordered the centre console cup holders, a RamAir intake and an aux cable, and enquired with a friendly bodyshop to get the arches painted. Two cars seems excessive for someone who only does 4k miles a year - I should probably get on and sell the Mercedes...
After a quote of £900(!) to sand/paint two arches, I'm currently looking for alternative specialists. I've found a few names that I'll be chasing down this weekend.
Getting on the case of ordering some bits to give it a decent service, namely:
- Oil and filter change
- PAS fluid flush (syringe method)
- ATF and filter change
- Plugs
- Cabin filter
- Lubricate driver's door lock mechanism (sticks once in a while)
- Swap mirror switch (inoperative)
- Swap wires around for manual shifting (stupid)
- Fit the RamAir intake
- Fit the cupholders
- Fit aux cable
- Get OBD codes read
- Get rid of the exhaust flap
August 2016
Small update. The 330 was pressed into long-distance duties on a family visit last week, covering more than 800 miles in 8 days. The journey was a mix of motorway, London stop-start and some rural lanes - the car performed well (apart from one copybook blot - see below), averaging a calculated 31.3mpg!
However, a fly in the ointment was the demise of reverse gear in the rural wilds of West Wales - a relatively common, and seemingly random, ZF autobox fault which I hadn't encountered during my research. Thankfully it doesn't appear to be too debilitating (I've still managed 300-odd miles since), and a replacement box is currently with my tame mechanic for a refurb. Such is life.
Work, life and my trackproject (and selling my CLK) have managed to absorb a good chunk of my free time of late, meaning that I haven't made as much progress as I might have liked with the 330. However, a 2,000-mile trip to/around the Pyrenees in September has put a bit focus on the remaining mechanical jobs, now including a regas to bring the aircon back to freezing rather than just 'cold'.
The list now looks like (completed jobs in bold)...
Major jobs:
Small update. The 330 was pressed into long-distance duties on a family visit last week, covering more than 800 miles in 8 days. The journey was a mix of motorway, London stop-start and some rural lanes - the car performed well (apart from one copybook blot - see below), averaging a calculated 31.3mpg!
However, a fly in the ointment was the demise of reverse gear in the rural wilds of West Wales - a relatively common, and seemingly random, ZF autobox fault which I hadn't encountered during my research. Thankfully it doesn't appear to be too debilitating (I've still managed 300-odd miles since), and a replacement box is currently with my tame mechanic for a refurb. Such is life.
Work, life and my trackproject (and selling my CLK) have managed to absorb a good chunk of my free time of late, meaning that I haven't made as much progress as I might have liked with the 330. However, a 2,000-mile trip to/around the Pyrenees in September has put a bit focus on the remaining mechanical jobs, now including a regas to bring the aircon back to freezing rather than just 'cold'.
The list now looks like (completed jobs in bold)...
Major jobs:
- Oil and filter change
- PAS fluid flush (syringe method)
- ATF and filter change
- Plugs
- Cabin filter
- Aircon regas (Had a great experience in the past with wechillanycar.com, and will be using again)
- Rear arch painting
- Swap wires around for manual shifting (stupid)
- Fit the RamAir intake
- Fit the cupholders
- Fit aux cable
- Get OBD codes read
- Sort rear light earth
- Get rid of the exhaust flap
- Lubricate driver's door lock mechanism (sticks once in a while) is now locking fine, but not unlocking - how odd
- Swap mirror switch (inoperative) might well just live with this, given that I haven't had need to use it yet
- Give the poor thing a decent clean
Edited by C70R on Thursday 26th July 08:42
September 2016
It's been a busy month, both for me and the 330.
In other news, I decided to sell my CLK430 as I wasn't using it much - a lovely old chap drove from Devon to take it away on the back of a flatbed, to add to his "collection"! You couldn't make it up... The 206 is being prepped for hillclimbing/sprinting next year, and ran well on its maiden/shakedown outing.
The recon gearbox was fitted by my tamed mechanic, and all-round good bloke (he's in North London, if anyone is interested in his details). I collected last night, and it appears to be running seamlessly - fantastic news, as I have a 1,400-mile drive ahead of me with two bikes strapped to the back (Saris Bones is an amazing piece of kit). I also got the aircon regassed (to help with said drive), and swapped the cabin filter at the same time (easiest job ever) to help with its breathing.
However, no sooner than I tick a few small jobs off, another seems to raise its head - the front-right ABS sensor has failed, leaving me with the three orange lights of doom! Without time to get this done before I go off on my Euro-jolly, it can go on the list for when I get back. Thankfully parts are dirt cheap, and the guides make it look like an easy job. Even more thankfully, unlike my previous cars, this failure doesn't preclude the Cruise Control from working.
Here's hoping that my efforts to date will ensure that my roadtrip is pain-free - although I'm taking plenty of fluids and a decent toolkit, just in case! The list of jobs stands current stands at:
Major jobs:
It's been a busy month, both for me and the 330.
In other news, I decided to sell my CLK430 as I wasn't using it much - a lovely old chap drove from Devon to take it away on the back of a flatbed, to add to his "collection"! You couldn't make it up... The 206 is being prepped for hillclimbing/sprinting next year, and ran well on its maiden/shakedown outing.
The recon gearbox was fitted by my tamed mechanic, and all-round good bloke (he's in North London, if anyone is interested in his details). I collected last night, and it appears to be running seamlessly - fantastic news, as I have a 1,400-mile drive ahead of me with two bikes strapped to the back (Saris Bones is an amazing piece of kit). I also got the aircon regassed (to help with said drive), and swapped the cabin filter at the same time (easiest job ever) to help with its breathing.
However, no sooner than I tick a few small jobs off, another seems to raise its head - the front-right ABS sensor has failed, leaving me with the three orange lights of doom! Without time to get this done before I go off on my Euro-jolly, it can go on the list for when I get back. Thankfully parts are dirt cheap, and the guides make it look like an easy job. Even more thankfully, unlike my previous cars, this failure doesn't preclude the Cruise Control from working.
Here's hoping that my efforts to date will ensure that my roadtrip is pain-free - although I'm taking plenty of fluids and a decent toolkit, just in case! The list of jobs stands current stands at:
Major jobs:
- Oil and filter change
- PAS fluid flush (syringe method)
- ATF and filter change
- Plugs
- Cabin filter
- Aircon regas (Had a great experience in the past with wechillanycar.com, and will be using again)
- Rear arch painting
- Front-right ABS sensor
- Swap wires around for manual shifting (stupid)
- Fit the RamAir intake
- Fit the cupholders
- Fit aux cable
- Get OBD codes read
- Change rear numberplate bulbs
- Get rid of the exhaust flap
- Lubricate driver's door lock mechanism (sticks once in a while) is now locking fine, but not unlocking - how odd
- Swap mirror switch (inoperative) might well just live with this, given that I haven't had need to use it yet
September 2016
Well, after covering precisely 1,892 miles in a week, the 330ci proved its worth by putting in a faultless performance to the scorching South of France and back, including a number of jaunts into and around the Pyrenees. Even with outside temperatures in the low/mid 30s, she slogged up and down the autoroutes (around 1,400 of those miles) at a cruise-controlled 85-90mph. Initial fag-packet maths suggest an economy return of around 27mpg for the entire trip, which is staggering considering it was laden with two bikes and all of the OH's 'travel necessities' (and a metric s**t-tonne of wine on return - did I mention we were in vineyard country?).
I think it's perhaps time to give it a bit of TLC, and to finally tick off the remaining few bits on my list (before potentially moving it on in a few months). One thing that did rear its head on the drive through the Pyrenees (in 30-something degree heat) was that the fan occasionally appears quite noisy, with a 'whirring'/'whooshing' noise rising and falling with the revs. The temperature was absolutely rock solid (although I know this can be deceptive), and only on a few super-steep, hairpin-laden climbs did the fan actually kick in, which is reassuring. The fan blades are in good nick and the water pump was replaced last year, so amateur diagnosis would suggest some sort of failed bearing. Or am I over-simplifying?
A gratuitous photos of her waiting for the return ferry.
Well, after covering precisely 1,892 miles in a week, the 330ci proved its worth by putting in a faultless performance to the scorching South of France and back, including a number of jaunts into and around the Pyrenees. Even with outside temperatures in the low/mid 30s, she slogged up and down the autoroutes (around 1,400 of those miles) at a cruise-controlled 85-90mph. Initial fag-packet maths suggest an economy return of around 27mpg for the entire trip, which is staggering considering it was laden with two bikes and all of the OH's 'travel necessities' (and a metric s**t-tonne of wine on return - did I mention we were in vineyard country?).
I think it's perhaps time to give it a bit of TLC, and to finally tick off the remaining few bits on my list (before potentially moving it on in a few months). One thing that did rear its head on the drive through the Pyrenees (in 30-something degree heat) was that the fan occasionally appears quite noisy, with a 'whirring'/'whooshing' noise rising and falling with the revs. The temperature was absolutely rock solid (although I know this can be deceptive), and only on a few super-steep, hairpin-laden climbs did the fan actually kick in, which is reassuring. The fan blades are in good nick and the water pump was replaced last year, so amateur diagnosis would suggest some sort of failed bearing. Or am I over-simplifying?
A gratuitous photos of her waiting for the return ferry.
May 2017 (holy fast-forward, Batman!)
A long-overdue update, I suppose. It's rapidly approaching a year of ownership, and this is the longest I've kept a car in some considerable time. The 330 has been plodding along dutifully; not really putting up much protest at infrequent use and long drives. Having ticked over 100k miles recently I found myself in the usual 'stick or twist' dilemma, but I think this one is going to be with me for a while.
With old age comes various grumbles, as expected. An engine light (not the "CEL") popping up on the dash was traced back to a cracked intake trunk, leading to slightly lumpy running when cold. My awesome mechanic managed to track a genuine BMW item down for only ~£20, which seems like a bargain. While he had the bonnet open, he noticed a small weep from the rear of the rocker gasket - so it was replaced along with the bolt gaskets (pattern parts here - BMW wanted a king's ransom!). Another oil/filter change and new (Brembo) front brakes in anticipation of a Highlands roadtrip (more about that shortly) were also in order, along with the ever annoying front ABS sensor to get rid of the 3x orange lights of doom.
My Le Mans group have talked for a long time about going a Top Gear style driving trip around Scotland, and we decided that 2017 was going to be our year. To some it might not seem like much of a commitment, but living in London and being generally busy (all tend to work long hours etc.) meant that timing was going to be tricky. We settled on a long weekend in April, diligently planned out a route, then set about praying to the collective gods of reliability and weather.
All I can say is "Wow!". To go into detail would probably bore you, and not really do the overall trip justice. Two long days of driving (London-Edinburgh and Glasgow-London) were punctuated by two amazing days and almost 400 miles on some of the finest roads I've ever driven. The 330 acquitted itself very well in esteemed company (TVR, MX5, SL500), and even managed to return decent fuel economy while being pushed pretty hard. Liberating the exhaust of its flap made the car sound a bit more rorty and rumbly in the 2-3k region, but I'm not convinced that it had ever been opening correctly given the amount of crud that was built up behind it. Can't say I've noticed any change in drivability.
The trip highlighted the fact that the PAS pump was approaching the end of its useful life, so that's been added to the list below. Other than that, the MOT is due next month, so we'll wait and see if anything comes up on that before doing any more significant work
Major jobs:
A long-overdue update, I suppose. It's rapidly approaching a year of ownership, and this is the longest I've kept a car in some considerable time. The 330 has been plodding along dutifully; not really putting up much protest at infrequent use and long drives. Having ticked over 100k miles recently I found myself in the usual 'stick or twist' dilemma, but I think this one is going to be with me for a while.
With old age comes various grumbles, as expected. An engine light (not the "CEL") popping up on the dash was traced back to a cracked intake trunk, leading to slightly lumpy running when cold. My awesome mechanic managed to track a genuine BMW item down for only ~£20, which seems like a bargain. While he had the bonnet open, he noticed a small weep from the rear of the rocker gasket - so it was replaced along with the bolt gaskets (pattern parts here - BMW wanted a king's ransom!). Another oil/filter change and new (Brembo) front brakes in anticipation of a Highlands roadtrip (more about that shortly) were also in order, along with the ever annoying front ABS sensor to get rid of the 3x orange lights of doom.
My Le Mans group have talked for a long time about going a Top Gear style driving trip around Scotland, and we decided that 2017 was going to be our year. To some it might not seem like much of a commitment, but living in London and being generally busy (all tend to work long hours etc.) meant that timing was going to be tricky. We settled on a long weekend in April, diligently planned out a route, then set about praying to the collective gods of reliability and weather.
All I can say is "Wow!". To go into detail would probably bore you, and not really do the overall trip justice. Two long days of driving (London-Edinburgh and Glasgow-London) were punctuated by two amazing days and almost 400 miles on some of the finest roads I've ever driven. The 330 acquitted itself very well in esteemed company (TVR, MX5, SL500), and even managed to return decent fuel economy while being pushed pretty hard. Liberating the exhaust of its flap made the car sound a bit more rorty and rumbly in the 2-3k region, but I'm not convinced that it had ever been opening correctly given the amount of crud that was built up behind it. Can't say I've noticed any change in drivability.
The trip highlighted the fact that the PAS pump was approaching the end of its useful life, so that's been added to the list below. Other than that, the MOT is due next month, so we'll wait and see if anything comes up on that before doing any more significant work
Major jobs:
- Oil and filter change
- PAS fluid flush (syringe method)
- ATF and filter change
- Front-right ABS sensor
- Plugs
- Cabin filter
- Aircon regas (Had a great experience in the past with wechillanycar.com, and will be using again)
- Rear arch painting
- PAS pump replacement
- Swap wires around for manual shifting (stupid)
- Fit the RamAir intake
- Fit the cupholders
- Fit aux cable
- Get OBD codes read
- Change rear numberplate bulbs
- Get rid of the exhaust flap
- Lubricate driver's door lock mechanism (sticks once in a while) is now locking fine, but not unlocking - how odd
- Swap mirror switch (inoperative) might well just live with this, given that I haven't had need to use it yet
- Replace passenger door HK midbass
August 2017
Having not really covered many miles since the last update, due to a lot of travel and general busyness, the car hasn't had many opportunities to blot its copybook. Having said that, it's been faultless at being picked up and used after weeks standing idle, and is slowly worming its way into my affections. Lack of use also means a lack of photos - I'm sure you can use your imagination. As my Le Mans group starts to plan next year's trip (we took a year off due to everyone's lives being too hectic), I'm looking forward to doing a bit of tinkering on the 330 to make it much better by the time next June rolls around.
MOT and Inspection time is upon us, and there's good and bad news.
The good news: The only job required for it to pass is a set of rear pads. Advisory on the (crappy) front tyres is going to push that up the list.
The bad news: The rocker cover gasket replacement hasn't cured the small oil weep, and it appears that the cover itself has warped. Replacements are thin on the ground, and BMW want £350... Time to get hunting around Ebay, it seems!
That leaves us at...
Major jobs:
Having not really covered many miles since the last update, due to a lot of travel and general busyness, the car hasn't had many opportunities to blot its copybook. Having said that, it's been faultless at being picked up and used after weeks standing idle, and is slowly worming its way into my affections. Lack of use also means a lack of photos - I'm sure you can use your imagination. As my Le Mans group starts to plan next year's trip (we took a year off due to everyone's lives being too hectic), I'm looking forward to doing a bit of tinkering on the 330 to make it much better by the time next June rolls around.
MOT and Inspection time is upon us, and there's good and bad news.
The good news: The only job required for it to pass is a set of rear pads. Advisory on the (crappy) front tyres is going to push that up the list.
The bad news: The rocker cover gasket replacement hasn't cured the small oil weep, and it appears that the cover itself has warped. Replacements are thin on the ground, and BMW want £350... Time to get hunting around Ebay, it seems!
That leaves us at...
Major jobs:
- Oil and filter change
- PAS fluid flush (syringe method)
- ATF and filter change
- Front-right ABS sensor
- Rear pads
- Plugs
- Cabin filter
- Aircon leak diagnosis (and another regas)
- Rear arch painting
- PAS pump replacement
- Rocker cover replacement
- Swap wires around for manual shifting (stupid)
- Fit the RamAir intake
- Fit the cupholders
- Fit aux cable
- Get OBD codes read
- Change rear numberplate bulbs
- Get rid of the exhaust flap
- Lubricate driver's door lock mechanism (sticks once in a while) is now locking fine, but not unlocking - how odd
- Swap mirror switch (inoperative) might well just live with this, given that I haven't had need to use it yet
- Replace passenger door HK midbass
- Front tyres
May 2018 (can you see the trend here?)
Well, I have been summarily guff at updating this, but that's largely because the 330 has been dutifully reliable for the most part. We're now up to 105k, meaning it has covered 12k in a shade under two years - as expected.
It has attracted a couple more minor parking dings (perks of London on-street living), but mechanically has been 100% reliable, aside from a battery which required a charge after not moving for almost a month. Only jobs of late have been to replace the whining PAS pump with a recon unit, and to fit a pair of Toyo T1Rs (bargain at £60 each) to the front.
A couple of minor niggles have raised their head recently to add to the backlog. Temperature on a run, even on hot days, seems to sit towards the lower third of the gauge - internet diagnosis suggests that it's a thermostat, and given what a pig it appears to be on automatics it's going to the garage. I'm also going to get the garage to trace and fix the aircon leak once and for all while they have it, as Le Mans is impending and I don't want to spend an 8hr drive stuck to my seat! I'll probably get them to flush the coolant system and change the oil/filter while it's there, as I'm absolutely slammed with work of late and the latter is due in 2,000 miles.
The most hilarious 'niggle' of late occurred quite at random. The rear electric window switches have seemed to take on a mind of their own - while they still open/close the windows, they also trigger the hazards, door locks and wipers! :lol: Some investigation required...
Some twot has clipped my passenger mirror, and RealOEM suggests that I can't just replace the broken plastic 'collar', so I'll be fitting a replacement from a breaker. On the plus side, having the door apart means that I can finally get at and replace the farty HK mid at the same time (with a used part - not a £150 new speaker!).
Major jobs:
Well, I have been summarily guff at updating this, but that's largely because the 330 has been dutifully reliable for the most part. We're now up to 105k, meaning it has covered 12k in a shade under two years - as expected.
It has attracted a couple more minor parking dings (perks of London on-street living), but mechanically has been 100% reliable, aside from a battery which required a charge after not moving for almost a month. Only jobs of late have been to replace the whining PAS pump with a recon unit, and to fit a pair of Toyo T1Rs (bargain at £60 each) to the front.
A couple of minor niggles have raised their head recently to add to the backlog. Temperature on a run, even on hot days, seems to sit towards the lower third of the gauge - internet diagnosis suggests that it's a thermostat, and given what a pig it appears to be on automatics it's going to the garage. I'm also going to get the garage to trace and fix the aircon leak once and for all while they have it, as Le Mans is impending and I don't want to spend an 8hr drive stuck to my seat! I'll probably get them to flush the coolant system and change the oil/filter while it's there, as I'm absolutely slammed with work of late and the latter is due in 2,000 miles.
The most hilarious 'niggle' of late occurred quite at random. The rear electric window switches have seemed to take on a mind of their own - while they still open/close the windows, they also trigger the hazards, door locks and wipers! :lol: Some investigation required...
Some twot has clipped my passenger mirror, and RealOEM suggests that I can't just replace the broken plastic 'collar', so I'll be fitting a replacement from a breaker. On the plus side, having the door apart means that I can finally get at and replace the farty HK mid at the same time (with a used part - not a £150 new speaker!).
Major jobs:
- Oil and filter change
- PAS fluid flush (syringe method)
- ATF and filter change
- Front-right ABS sensor
- Rear pads
- PAS pump replacement
- Rocker cover replacement
- Plugs
- Cabin filter
- Aircon leak diagnosis (and another regas)
- Rear arch painting
- Oil and filter change
- Thermostat change and coolant flush
- Swap wires around for manual shifting (stupid)
- Fit the RamAir intake
- Fit the cupholders
- Fit aux cable
- Get OBD codes read
- Front & rear tyres
- Change rear numberplate bulbs
- Get rid of the exhaust flap
- Lubricate driver's door lock mechanism (sticks once in a while) is now locking fine, but not unlocking - how odd
- Swap mirror switch (inoperative) might well just live with this, given that I haven't had need to use it yet
- Replace passenger door HK midbass
- Replace passenger mirror
- Get rid of "M" badge sticky gunk
June 2018
Well, Le Mans is less than a week away, and it wouldn't be the same if I wasn't having some sort of last-minute work done on the car...
My heart sank when I was driving through London a couple of weeks ago and the smell of burning oil returned. I ignored for a few minutes, but after sitting in traffic I spotted a bit of smoke out of the corner of my eye - brilliant! It looks like the rocker cover leak has returned. So, back it went to the original garage for the third repair, barely a week before it was due to make the 900-mile round trip. It transpires that the bolt gaskets which were reused on the last repair had been crushed, meaning that the oil was again running down the back of the block onto the exhaust.
The car gave me a bit of a scare when I collected it. I drove 3-4 miles at high revs to get some heat into the car, and YET AGAIN pulled to a stop with smoke coming from under the car. I was on the cusp of losing my sh*t with my mechanic, who has had 3 attempts to fix, when I realised that the source was a small pool of oil which hadn't been spotted on top of the middle exhaust heatshield. Thank f*ck for that. The same mechanic also replaced the thermostat, meaning that the temp gauge now stays nice and vertical at a cruise rather than dropping towards the left-hand mark as it was.
While the car was 'resting' (before it went to the garage), I had a few DIY successes. Replacing the wingmirror with a matching silver part from an eBay breaker was a 25min job, and I also swapped over the H&K mid in the same door while I had it apart. I also FINALLY removed the 'tar' left over from the horrible "M" bootlid sticker - judicious use of white spirit, a scraper and a nailbrush eventually shifted it.
I also had a bash at lubricating the driver's side door lock with some silicon spray, resulting in the pin responding to the fob again. However, I noticed that I now cannot unlock the driver's door from the interior handle - which, when combined with the electrical oddness in my last post, probably points towards the GM5 unit dying. Balls. Let's add that to the list.
With an oil change to come this afternoon (7L of Wilko's finest 5w30 fully-synth and a genuine filter await), this is where the car stands.
(Gratuitous recovery photo included)
Major jobs:
Well, Le Mans is less than a week away, and it wouldn't be the same if I wasn't having some sort of last-minute work done on the car...
My heart sank when I was driving through London a couple of weeks ago and the smell of burning oil returned. I ignored for a few minutes, but after sitting in traffic I spotted a bit of smoke out of the corner of my eye - brilliant! It looks like the rocker cover leak has returned. So, back it went to the original garage for the third repair, barely a week before it was due to make the 900-mile round trip. It transpires that the bolt gaskets which were reused on the last repair had been crushed, meaning that the oil was again running down the back of the block onto the exhaust.
The car gave me a bit of a scare when I collected it. I drove 3-4 miles at high revs to get some heat into the car, and YET AGAIN pulled to a stop with smoke coming from under the car. I was on the cusp of losing my sh*t with my mechanic, who has had 3 attempts to fix, when I realised that the source was a small pool of oil which hadn't been spotted on top of the middle exhaust heatshield. Thank f*ck for that. The same mechanic also replaced the thermostat, meaning that the temp gauge now stays nice and vertical at a cruise rather than dropping towards the left-hand mark as it was.
While the car was 'resting' (before it went to the garage), I had a few DIY successes. Replacing the wingmirror with a matching silver part from an eBay breaker was a 25min job, and I also swapped over the H&K mid in the same door while I had it apart. I also FINALLY removed the 'tar' left over from the horrible "M" bootlid sticker - judicious use of white spirit, a scraper and a nailbrush eventually shifted it.
I also had a bash at lubricating the driver's side door lock with some silicon spray, resulting in the pin responding to the fob again. However, I noticed that I now cannot unlock the driver's door from the interior handle - which, when combined with the electrical oddness in my last post, probably points towards the GM5 unit dying. Balls. Let's add that to the list.
With an oil change to come this afternoon (7L of Wilko's finest 5w30 fully-synth and a genuine filter await), this is where the car stands.
(Gratuitous recovery photo included)
Major jobs:
- Oil and filter change
- PAS fluid flush (syringe method)
- ATF and filter change
- Front-right ABS sensor
- Rear pads
- PAS pump replacement
- Rocker cover replacement
- Thermostat change and coolant flush
- Cabin filter
- Oil and filter change
- Plugs
- Aircon leak diagnosis (and another regas)
- Rear arch painting
- Replace/repair GM5 unit
- Swap wires around for manual shifting (stupid)
- Fit the RamAir intake
- Fit the cupholders
- Fit aux cable
- Get OBD codes read
- Front & rear tyres
- Change rear numberplate bulbs
- Get rid of the exhaust flap
- Lubricate driver's door lock mechanism (sticks once in a while) is now locking fine, but not unlocking - how odd
- Swap mirror switch (inoperative) might well just live with this, given that I haven't had need to use it yet
- Replace passenger door HK midbass
- Replace passenger mirror
- Get rid of "M" badge sticky gunk
Yeah. I have now realised that I just copy/pasted from another forum without checking super-thoroughly, and I mentioned I was thinking about selling in a post. The mods (rightly or wrongly) considered this to be an advert, so they locked the thread. Will recreate that post, and cut the offending line.
July 2018 (and we're up to date)
Well, to cut a long story short, I took the last-minute decision not to take the E46 to Le Mans. After picking it up from my mechanic, I had a nagging feeling that the burning oil smell wasn't cured, so didn't want to risk it on a 5hr motorway run at 80mph+. The upside was that I got to ride shotgun in my friend's E46 M3 complete with fruity exhaust, which made the many tunnels an absolute pleasure.
After taking the car to another garage (my 'trusted' mechanic was becoming anything but!) after Le Mans, it transpired that the classic engine/gearbox seal was the source of a very small oil weep. To try and resolve this, they have put some kind of additive into the oil which helps the seals to swell and fill the gaps. After a 1hr drive in 28deg yesterday afternoon, it appears that there is some improvement - although there is definitely still oil on the exhaust, as evidenced by the slight smell (but no smoke) when stationary in traffic. The mechanics also did the oil/filter change and were very complimentary about the general condition of the car for its age, which is always reassuring to hear.
The same garage also had a crack at diagnosing the aircon issue. Again a vacuum leak test was done, and again the system showed no leaks. Again, the system was filled with gas, and again it appeared to hold pressure. However, a couple of days later the lovely ice-cold air had disappeared, and the tepid blowers had returned. Balls. I'm on the verge of giving up, simply because the likely expense of a new condenser or rad would be too great a % of the car's overall value to justify it.
The driver's side door lock continues to respond around 50% of the time to commands from the keyfob, which is a nuisance - but it's potentially a nuisance I can live with from the PoV of the faff related to the GM5 repair.
The 330's future hangs in the balance, while we reassess our car needs in the household. Mrs70R wants to start driving out of London to her office more regularly, and I'm not convinced that sinking money into the 330 over a long period of time is going to give us the car that we want/need. In all likelihood we'll pick up a new hybrid (we do the majority of our miles in Greater London and don't want to make the air quality situation any worse) and I may grab a project to use as a dedicated track toy. The MOT is up next month, and I'm tempted to push it through a bit early to give me a chance to get in front of anything that might pop up.
The current To-Do list looks a bit like this...
Major jobs:
Well, to cut a long story short, I took the last-minute decision not to take the E46 to Le Mans. After picking it up from my mechanic, I had a nagging feeling that the burning oil smell wasn't cured, so didn't want to risk it on a 5hr motorway run at 80mph+. The upside was that I got to ride shotgun in my friend's E46 M3 complete with fruity exhaust, which made the many tunnels an absolute pleasure.
After taking the car to another garage (my 'trusted' mechanic was becoming anything but!) after Le Mans, it transpired that the classic engine/gearbox seal was the source of a very small oil weep. To try and resolve this, they have put some kind of additive into the oil which helps the seals to swell and fill the gaps. After a 1hr drive in 28deg yesterday afternoon, it appears that there is some improvement - although there is definitely still oil on the exhaust, as evidenced by the slight smell (but no smoke) when stationary in traffic. The mechanics also did the oil/filter change and were very complimentary about the general condition of the car for its age, which is always reassuring to hear.
The same garage also had a crack at diagnosing the aircon issue. Again a vacuum leak test was done, and again the system showed no leaks. Again, the system was filled with gas, and again it appeared to hold pressure. However, a couple of days later the lovely ice-cold air had disappeared, and the tepid blowers had returned. Balls. I'm on the verge of giving up, simply because the likely expense of a new condenser or rad would be too great a % of the car's overall value to justify it.
The driver's side door lock continues to respond around 50% of the time to commands from the keyfob, which is a nuisance - but it's potentially a nuisance I can live with from the PoV of the faff related to the GM5 repair.
The 330's future hangs in the balance, while we reassess our car needs in the household. Mrs70R wants to start driving out of London to her office more regularly, and I'm not convinced that sinking money into the 330 over a long period of time is going to give us the car that we want/need. In all likelihood we'll pick up a new hybrid (we do the majority of our miles in Greater London and don't want to make the air quality situation any worse) and I may grab a project to use as a dedicated track toy. The MOT is up next month, and I'm tempted to push it through a bit early to give me a chance to get in front of anything that might pop up.
The current To-Do list looks a bit like this...
Major jobs:
- Oil and filter change
- PAS fluid flush (syringe method)
- ATF and filter change
- Front-right ABS sensor
- Rear pads
- PAS pump replacement
- Rocker cover replacement
- Thermostat change and coolant flush
- Cabin filter
- Oil and filter change
- Aircon leak diagnosis (and another regas) giving up on this one
- Plugs
- Rear arch painting
- Replace/repair GM5 unit
- Swap wires around for manual shifting (stupid)
- Fit the RamAir intake
- Fit the cupholders
- Fit aux cable
- Get OBD codes read
- Front & rear tyres
- Change rear numberplate bulbs
- Get rid of the exhaust flap
- Lubricate driver's door lock mechanism (sticks once in a while) is now locking fine, but not unlocking - how odd
- Swap mirror switch (inoperative) might well just live with this, given that I haven't had need to use it yet
- Replace passenger door HK midbass
- Replace passenger mirror
- Get rid of "M" badge sticky gunk
Croutons said:
"dutifully reliable for the most part".
You call changing the gearbox dutifully reliable? Or is that the rest of the part!?
Just to reiterate my reply last night, I did almost 400 miles without reverse gear. A lot of these were motorway miles, but city driving did require a bit of planning - and I did have a couple of Flintstone moments. But the car soldiered on dutifully, so it didn't technically let me down. You call changing the gearbox dutifully reliable? Or is that the rest of the part!?
In truth, the only thing that has stopped me from completing a journey in the past 2 years (~12k miles) has been the oil leak, and that was my decision rather than the car failing to proceed. I don't think that is too bad for a 17-year old car that cost £2k...
Well, on the assumption that anybody is reading this, I'll give a quick update.
The car is booked for its MOT at the weekend, and I'd be pretty disappointed if it didn't pass with flying colours. Last year's test only made reference to the fact that London's speedbumps had absolutely trashed the plastic lower engine cover - which felt a bit of an unnecessary advisory to me, but the MOT man moves in mysterious ways...
I can't be sure whether the engine/gearbox oil seal leak is completely cured, but an airport run (Central London to Heathrow) on Saturday morning suggests that it's definitely improved.
I'm also struggling a bit with the idea of selling, as I can't really think of much else <£2k that would be as good an all-rounder. The likelihood is that our 'main' car will be a hybrid if we sell this, and I'll need to find a track car replacement that doesn't deafen me or leave me needing traction after a few hours. The truth is that I probably don't do enough driving to justify having a 100% ICE car in Central London, and I'd probably feel a little better if I could contribute something to Central London air quality...
The car is booked for its MOT at the weekend, and I'd be pretty disappointed if it didn't pass with flying colours. Last year's test only made reference to the fact that London's speedbumps had absolutely trashed the plastic lower engine cover - which felt a bit of an unnecessary advisory to me, but the MOT man moves in mysterious ways...
I can't be sure whether the engine/gearbox oil seal leak is completely cured, but an airport run (Central London to Heathrow) on Saturday morning suggests that it's definitely improved.
I'm also struggling a bit with the idea of selling, as I can't really think of much else <£2k that would be as good an all-rounder. The likelihood is that our 'main' car will be a hybrid if we sell this, and I'll need to find a track car replacement that doesn't deafen me or leave me needing traction after a few hours. The truth is that I probably don't do enough driving to justify having a 100% ICE car in Central London, and I'd probably feel a little better if I could contribute something to Central London air quality...
So, if you're still there, here's where it stands today.
Well, the old girl passed her MOT with flying colours, with just an advisory for surface rust on the rear springs. Classic MOT man move - couldn't just give it a clean bill! Still, that's 13 months ticket; thank you very much.
It also seems that the oil additive has had some effect on the seal. Sitting in heavy traffic in Fulham this afternoon with the outside temperature approaching 30deg, I was dying for working aircon. But, while there was still a vague whiff of oil, there was nothing like the histrionics which left me stranded in Streatham.
I popped to see a friend after helping moving our group's Le Mans gear into a vacant garage (via a tip-run with in a mate's Landcruiser), and took the opportunity to grab a photo of the car in some slightly more salubrious surroundings...
Well, the old girl passed her MOT with flying colours, with just an advisory for surface rust on the rear springs. Classic MOT man move - couldn't just give it a clean bill! Still, that's 13 months ticket; thank you very much.
It also seems that the oil additive has had some effect on the seal. Sitting in heavy traffic in Fulham this afternoon with the outside temperature approaching 30deg, I was dying for working aircon. But, while there was still a vague whiff of oil, there was nothing like the histrionics which left me stranded in Streatham.
I popped to see a friend after helping moving our group's Le Mans gear into a vacant garage (via a tip-run with in a mate's Landcruiser), and took the opportunity to grab a photo of the car in some slightly more salubrious surroundings...
helix402 said:
I’m reading. Poised to offer advice if any is needed for fixing E46 problems!
Haha. Much appreciated. I think the only 'common' E46 issue that I haven't dealt with so far is the cooling system. Mercifully, it has never lost a drop of water and the gauge has never gone past the vertical (even when sitting in traffic this afternoon). Having said that, I've probably just jinxed myself...Edited by C70R on Sunday 5th August 09:18
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