Discussion
So many years ago (back in 2009!!) my dad got an E92 M3, and, mainly because of that engine, I fell in love with it. When he sold it at the very end of 2012 I was gutted, a car I really missed. Today, I bought my own (admittedly, a saloon, and DCT rather than a manual).
Driving it back was a dream and I look forward spending more time driving it. I will get it booked in with my usual garage for a general check over in the next couple of weeks. It hasn't had the rod bearings done so it's booked in for mid-April, although someone has alluded to the fact that 2011 cars and onwards aren't effected.....?
Anyway, a few rubbish pics!
Seems to drive really well, engine pulls very, very well and gets to naughty speeds very, very quickly. Gearbox is really good too. I was torn whether to go manual or DCT but I do not regret going DCT now.
Driving it back was a dream and I look forward spending more time driving it. I will get it booked in with my usual garage for a general check over in the next couple of weeks. It hasn't had the rod bearings done so it's booked in for mid-April, although someone has alluded to the fact that 2011 cars and onwards aren't effected.....?
Anyway, a few rubbish pics!
Seems to drive really well, engine pulls very, very well and gets to naughty speeds very, very quickly. Gearbox is really good too. I was torn whether to go manual or DCT but I do not regret going DCT now.
Going through the history a bit more.....it will need a few minor jobs soon too (will be done within the next 2 weeks or so) - I can't see evidence for spark plugs for quite a long time and 55k miles, they may have been done sooner, but I can't be sure, so I'll get these done. The engine runs sweet and economy seems perfectly reasonable, but it's worth doing.
OSR integral link has a very slight amount of play apparently, so I will get both sides done.
Front tyres are at 5+mm but the rears are down to 3-3.5mm, and being Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, and it being fairly cold and wet and me not being a hero, I also want these done too.
OSR integral link has a very slight amount of play apparently, so I will get both sides done.
Front tyres are at 5+mm but the rears are down to 3-3.5mm, and being Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, and it being fairly cold and wet and me not being a hero, I also want these done too.
Leon R said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
roadie said:
What tyres are you thinking of replacing the Cups with?
Pilot Sport 4, or if they aren't available then 4S.They also have PSS still if you want to go original.
I gather the PS4 is a longer lasting tyre than the PS4S?
The engine mounts are definitely on their way out. Under cold start there's a definite vibration there and under idle, it's subtle, but it's there. Apparently "they all do that". I've contacted my indy who's doing the rod bearings from April 12th and they'll do the mounts at the same time - there is barely any additional labour involved.
Other minor issues include my driver's heated seat turns on, then off immediately. Someone else had this exact same issue and said the module just needs rebooting with some software so that's no big deal. Last inspection noted very minor play in a rear suspension integral link too.
I'm going to message my "The Man" tomorrow and so hopefully those minor jobs will be done next week (or certainly by the week after), and then the engine mounts and rod bearings from April 12th - that'll be a big bill!
Other minor issues include my driver's heated seat turns on, then off immediately. Someone else had this exact same issue and said the module just needs rebooting with some software so that's no big deal. Last inspection noted very minor play in a rear suspension integral link too.
I'm going to message my "The Man" tomorrow and so hopefully those minor jobs will be done next week (or certainly by the week after), and then the engine mounts and rod bearings from April 12th - that'll be a big bill!
bolidemichael said:
Gallons Per Mile said:
Interestingly, Falkens are a lot cheaper than the equivalent Michelin/Goodyear/Continental and seem to get good reviews. The man from M539 Restorations YouTube channel runs them on his cars and thinks they're good too. For the price difference I might give them a try.
I had Falken FK510s prior to the Pilot Sport 4. They were 85% as good for 75% of the price. They're excellent, though they wear quickly and aren't as excellent as the Michelin. Ross, I love this colour and would be sorely tempted to have it detailed and ceramic coated so that it looked fantastic whenever so washed it.
It sounds as though you'll be having a few jobs done whilst doing the rod bearings -- perhaps being the service forward?
Got to love PH... let the mission creep in pursuit of driving perfection, begin!
Few jobs to be done first
Leon R said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
Leon R said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
roadie said:
What tyres are you thinking of replacing the Cups with?
Pilot Sport 4, or if they aren't available then 4S.They also have PSS still if you want to go original.
I gather the PS4 is a longer lasting tyre than the PS4S?
The fact that you have spent anytime on the cup 2's means you know what it feels like when a tyre REALLY needs to be warm to work properly (I did a road trip on them which was interesting every morning) the PSS by comparison certainly are not a death trap when cold as others have insinuated.
Anyway enough about tyres, car looks great and I am a big fan of the silverstone to look both silver and blue dependent on lighting. Do you have any plans for it?
Krikkit said:
Backing up what we've all said elsewhere, looking great!
On the tyres front, when you come to replace the fronts the PS5 is available in the right size, but not the 265/35 for the rear. You could fit the PSS front and rear, or go for a slightly wider rear (275/35) and go PS5 at both ends.
Or PS4 rear and PS5 front? On the tyres front, when you come to replace the fronts the PS5 is available in the right size, but not the 265/35 for the rear. You could fit the PSS front and rear, or go for a slightly wider rear (275/35) and go PS5 at both ends.
Reading online there isn't seemingly a huge difference between PS4 and PS4S. I've asked my guy for PS4 for the rear but PS4S if he can't get PS4. Fronts have 4.5-5mm left (they don't come with much more than that new!) so these will not need doing for some time yet but I'll see what's available at the time.
cerb4.5lee said:
Did you ever consider going for one with the EDC on it Ross? I really liked it on mine, but my BIL doesn't have it on his and that still rides lovely anyway. I guess that there is more to go wrong with cars that have it as well, so that is also a bonus if you haven’t got it.
I specifically sort a car without it. To sort EDC is approx £1k/corner, whereas non-EDC can be done for 1/2 that with Bilstein units, or a shade more for OEM BMW stuff. I think the standard set up is perfectly fine for road use. My dad's had EDC and always thought the sportiest setting was too firm for road use. cerb4.5lee said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
I specifically sort a car without it. To sort EDC is approx £1k/corner, whereas non-EDC can be done for 1/2 that with Bilstein units, or a shade more for OEM BMW stuff. I think the standard set up is perfectly fine for road use. My dad's had EDC and always thought the sportiest setting was too firm for road use.
Yes Ross and I've read what you say here a few times as well. Completely agree with you about the sportiest setting too, and I never used that either(I tried it once and I didn't like it). Having driven a manual and also DCT, I do not regret going DCT, despite being a "manual man" for "fun cars". I think the DCT works really, really well.
I was advised to check the coolant temperature using the "hidden menu" to check if the thermostat was working, apparently they fail often, and the engine runs cold.
Indeed, mine is running too cold. It reaches 60+ degrees fairly quickly but doesn't go a great deal higher. On an 8 mile drive it only reached 67 degrees. The oil temperature wasn't too bad though, and the car would still let me hit 8000+rpm (although on that trip I did not).
I have messaged my Man and this will also be sorted week after next. A new thermostat is a very cheap item anyway, fortunately.
Let the titivating begin
I am tempted to give it a going over with a clay bar and a quick hand polish today. The paint feels tired to the touch, so I'm sure a clay bar would make a massive difference.
Indeed, mine is running too cold. It reaches 60+ degrees fairly quickly but doesn't go a great deal higher. On an 8 mile drive it only reached 67 degrees. The oil temperature wasn't too bad though, and the car would still let me hit 8000+rpm (although on that trip I did not).
I have messaged my Man and this will also be sorted week after next. A new thermostat is a very cheap item anyway, fortunately.
Let the titivating begin
I am tempted to give it a going over with a clay bar and a quick hand polish today. The paint feels tired to the touch, so I'm sure a clay bar would make a massive difference.
CarlosSainz100 said:
What a lot of M3 for the money.
You've made me start looking at these! Lol. There must be a catch, apart from rod bearings etc. What is the real life mpg of these? I think I could just about stomach 27-30 mpg but fear this is wishful thinking with these.....
No chance you'll average 27+mpg.You've made me start looking at these! Lol. There must be a catch, apart from rod bearings etc. What is the real life mpg of these? I think I could just about stomach 27-30 mpg but fear this is wishful thinking with these.....
I haven't driven it enough (or looked at economy enough!) yet to see what it's like. I actually anticipate it being marginally better around town than my LS460 (it's lighter) yet it will definitely be worse on the motorway. I suspect mainly because of gearing. The M3 is doing 3000rpm at around 70mph, give or take - with a redline of 8400rpm - but the LS460 was doing around 1700rpm at 70 - redline 6500rpm. The LS460 was remarkably economical on a long run, low to mid 30s was easily doable if you kept it under 80.
I've got a long trip from Portsmouth to Aviemore in May.
RE "what's the catch" - yes, rod bearings is a fairly big bill but not as bad as some things other cars can throw up. It's around £1800. Engine mounts are seemingly crap too (mine are definitely in need of replacement - and doing them the same time as the rod bearings requires very little additional labour so it makes sense to do them at the same time.
Throttle actuators can go and new ones are very costly, although these days you can send yours off and buy rebuilt ones for £450 for the pair (new ones are, I think, £1500 or so for a pair). I don't think there is too much labour involved.
DCT boxes seem fairly reliable, and are "sealed for life", some recommend getting it done, others leave it. They can occasionally leak, in which case a service and some part replacements make sense. I will get my 'box inspected when the rod bearings are done. It shifts very smoothly and quickly so I have no reason to believe there is currently any issue with it.
Diffs can get noisy but I don't think it's a problem. Rebuilding them is possible, although not cheap.
Thermostats are a weak point (mine has failed and coolant running a bit cold) but these are a very cheap fix.
EDC suspension, not sure how reliable it is, I opted for non-EDC simply because the standard set up is simple to change and a lot cheaper, and perfectly fine for road use.
I don't think there are many other common issues that are expensive. A huge amount of cars have had the rod bearings done now, and it's advised to do them every 80k or so. If you treat the car well from cold then it should really prolong their life from what I gather.
I have spend 4 hours cleaning it today. It's had its first coat of sealant on (Gtechniq C2) and I'll put another coat on a little later. Clay barring it has made a big difference. I polished it by hand but not too much, I just mainly wanted to get any top layer oxidation and very light marks out.
stickylabels said:
TyrannosauRoss Lex said:
I've got a long trip from Portsmouth to Aviemore in May.
Nice one TLex, I look forward to the traditional Cairngorm/Loch Morlich pic!
I did the same trip last year in the LS460 and it was utterly sublime for that drive. The M3 definitely won't be as good for the drive up there but should be good fun when I'm there! Nice one TLex, I look forward to the traditional Cairngorm/Loch Morlich pic!
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