Botond's Maintenance Log - KM08765

[Johnmadd]

Yes - that is actually the first thing I noticed without actually looking for it. I quite like it - feels like it's got bigger cojones. :)

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I'm liking this.

[slater]

Yes - that is actually the first thing I noticed without actually looking for it. I quite like it - feels like it's got bigger cojones. :)

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yep. awesome. same here.

[ELCID86]

Yes - that is actually the first thing I noticed without actually looking for it. I quite like it - feels like it's got bigger cojones. :)

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http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161116/38cf0dc1c388c65da1b71c02990f3c31.png??



---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

[san]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161116/38cf0dc1c388c65da1b71c02990f3c31.png??



---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

:rofl


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[az3579]

Case: Oil consumption
Status: Resolved

Looks like the O2pilot mod did it, fellas. I have travelled 690 miles since my first top-up (after doing the mod) and I am just a millimeter off the full mark on the dipstick. Normally I'd need a quart to 1.25 quarts by now. This makes me very, very happy!

[holyc0w]

Very nice, makes me wish I didn't have the CCV replaced 10 months ago

[az3579]

Very nice, makes me wish I didn't have the CCV replaced 10 months ago

Actually, this is the BEST time to do it. Your CCV isn't that gunked up yet... do this mod now and you won't have to worry about it for a long time.

[BMWCurves]

Congrats!

[slater]

Case: Oil consumption
Status: Resolved

Looks like the O2pilot mod did it, fellas. I have travelled 690 miles since my first top-up (after doing the mod) and I am just a millimeter off the full mark on the dipstick. Normally I'd need a quart to 1.25 quarts by now. This makes me very, very happy!

awesome!! :cheers

[holyc0w]

Actually, this is the BEST time to do it. Your CCV isn't that gunked up yet... do this mod now and you won't have to worry about it for a long time.

Crap, I thought I needed a fresh system. Tempted to have this done. How much hose would I need for this and about how long labor-wise should it take?

[az3579]

Crap, I thought I needed a fresh system. Tempted to have this done. How much hose would I need for this and about how long labor-wise should it take?
About 2 feet of hose and maybe half an hour of your time, if you do it the easy way and take your time. I was replacing my CCV system so it took me significantly longer.

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[holyc0w]

Easy way...eh

I'm guessing doing the check valve would involve a bunch more work?

[slater]

Easy way...eh

I'm guessing doing the check valve would involve a bunch more work?

it's not hard. best to remove the upper intake boot (and the airbox), then it should be a whopping 5min of time to cut the oil drain line in half and insert the check valve.

[az3579]

2016-11-13 -- 257,823 -- Swapped to winter tires (Bridgestone Blizzak LM-32, 26,489 miles); oil top up (Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic), 1 quart

2016-11-17 -- 257,909 -- Driver's airbag inflator recall performed, new airbag (Recall Ref# 0032390200)

2016-11-19 -- 258,030 -- Adjusted parking brake

2016-11-23 -- 258,196 -- Added coolant (filled from minimum to maximum)

2016-11-24 -- 258,307 -- Replaced Xenon bulbs (old bulbs: Philips 81522 D2S 4300k, new bulbs: Unknown brand D2S 6000k [temporary until I can buy better bulbs])

2016-11-29 -- 258,513 -- Replaced fog light bulbs (old bulbs: Weisslicht Spektrum LED 9006, new bulbs: OE BMW halogen 9006)

2016-12-03 -- 258,685 -- Replaced upper and lower intake boots (from Stett to OE BMW)

[san]

I noticed that you needed to add coolant, is that normal?


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[az3579]

I noticed that you needed to add coolant, is that normal?


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Don't know, but I'm not worried about it. No leaks and oil is free of coolant.

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[holyc0w]

What happened to the Stett boots?

[az3579]

What happened to the Stett boots?
Sitting in a bag in my room. They made it too much of a PITA to work with the intake system, since the GruppeM sits tight in there even with stock boots. The silicone boots just forced the intake into the support bar, damaging the intake housing.

I was also hoping that the boots slipping off was a cause for my CEL (lean banks 1+2), so putting the stock perfect condition boots back on was done purely for peace of mind. The silicone lower boot does not sit perfectly on the throttle body since it's not grooved just so like the OE one, so getting the clamp to secure it is a challenge. It happened to Charlie as well, causing his car to go into limp mode numerous times. We swapped the stock ones back in for him as well.



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[holyc0w]

Good to know

[az3579]

Alright, I've reached the first top-up since doing the mod. I went 2,550 miles by the time my oil light came on. This is a perfectly acceptable result in my book. :thumbsup

2016-12-05 -- 258,705 -- Replaced winter tires (Bridgestone Blizzak WS-80, 225/45-17 all around)

2016-12-18 -- 259,133 -- Oil top up (Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic), 1 quart

[Johnmadd]

:thumbsup on the oil consumption!

[danewilson77]

:thumbsup on the oil consumption!

+1

[WOLFN8TR]

Nice!

[Karl Lazlo]

The downside of having a metric speedo is doing quick match, multiplying kph by 0.62 in your head as you blow past a cop...

Pretty sweet, nonetheless.

[az3579]

Damn it, this went in the wrong thread.
Disregard, relocating.

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[az3579]

2017-01-11 -- 260,073 -- Smoke test, reseated throttle body, reset throttle adaptations

2017-01-12 -- 260,141 -- Passed CT Emissions Test

2017-01-27 -- 261,004 -- Oil top up (Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic)

2017-02-22 -- 262,503 -- Oil top up (Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic; cleaned MAF (CRC MAF spray)

[ELCID86]

How is the consumption doing now?

[az3579]

How is the consumption doing now?

Well the log is telling me it's still abysmal. :(
1500 miles is still unacceptable to me, honestly...
That 1500 mile interval you see in the log was with me ignoring the low oil level light for a couple of days...

[holyc0w]

That's about twice the distance I get. I have good hopes for the GAS CCV fix.

[slater]

That's about twice the distance I get. I have good hopes for the GAS CCV fix.

wow. i go 3000 miles without adding any... and then it's maybe 500-700ml. i never see the low oil light.

my catch can setup works! curious to see how/if it changes with the G.A.S. CCV kit.

[az3579]

This is fucking ridiculous.
My oil light came on again today at 263,216 miles. I topped it off at 262,503... Where the hell did my initial 2k between top offs go???

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[az3579]

TWO QUARTS LATER, it's still not completely full. Full on rage mode engaged.

[holyc0w]

Did you park on a level surface?

[Sockethead]

That's a lot of oil... it had to go somewhere. I can't imagine the car could burn that much oil without some telltale blue smoke out the tailpipe...

[az3579]

That's a lot of oil... it had to go somewhere. I can't imagine the car could burn that much oil without some telltale blue smoke out the tailpipe...
No smoke and it's dry (from what I can tell) in all the usual places...

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[slater]

No smoke and it's dry (from what I can tell) in all the usual places...

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agree with rob... there's gotta be smoke, but you probably can't see it.

time for a catch can setup. :)

[ELCID86]

Wow. Sorry if I jinxed you.

[az3579]

athere's gotta be smoke, but you probably can't see it.




But there isn't... lol

[johnrando]

Things that make you go hmmmm....

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[az3579]

Every time I top up my oil, I think harder about getting rid of this car...

2017-03-27 -- 264,312 -- Oil top up (Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic)

2017-04-06 -- 265,168 -- Oil change (BMW TwinPower 5W-30) with filter (OE BMW)

2017-04-20 -- 266,646 -- Oil top up (Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic)

2017-04-27 -- 267,382 -- Oil top up (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic)

[danewilson77]

Are those all quart top ups?

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[holyc0w]

Damn that sucks, especially with the mileage you drive. I have around the same rate of burn, but less miles to drive so not nearly as annoying. Even then I'm hoping the GAS CCV solution helps keep some of that oil.

[az3579]

Are those all quart top ups?

Sent from my S8+

Yes... it happens so frequently, I don't even get a chance to check my oil before the light comes on. Of course, I check it in disbelief right before putting a quart in, but it confirms a quart low every time. :shifty

[az3579]

So a few days ago, my expansion tank decided to get intimate with a pulley. I don't know if it's been like that for a while or if it just decided to try to mate with the pulley, but a nice hole was carved out in the side of the expansion tank. Luckily it happened right when I pulled into the garage, as that's when I started to see steam coming out (temp was still dead center, so it just happened). So, FCP Euro to the rescue! I called them and told them that I may have installed it incorrectly and they said "No problem, it's covered"! I got the tank the next day, and installed it yesterday.

I dreaded having to take the tank out, which is usually a real PITA. Imagine my delight when I discovered a much easier way of taking it out.

I've always just hammered the shit out of it from below hoping to separate it from the mount. This time I had the bright idea of just taking out the mount with the tank attached, then hammering it that way upside down. I know this is how it's supposed to be done, but it just never occurred to me. lol

The reason this happened: the bottom of the radiator was pulled inward towards the engine for some reason, as though it wasn't properly mounted. This doesn't make sense, because I did my cooling system myself last year and made sure it was mounted properly. I do find it odd that there doesn't seem to be a proper retention mechanism for the bottom of the radiator other than this odd rubber lip that slips over the bottom of the rad. On mine, that rubber lip is "worn" enough where it doesn't really hold the bottom of the rad. When the top screw is in, however, the whole radiator is solid and doesn't move on the bottom, so I'm not sure how this happened. I'll have to keep an eye on it...

[anandoc]

Great to hear that this happened right as you got home and not in the middle of the highway or something. An expansion tank replacement might be in the books for me since I suspect that mine has a small leak from the top seam - where the top of the tank attaches to the body.

I guess you followed this DIY to take out the entire bracket with the tank?

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1756608-DIY-E46-Expansion-Tank-Removal-Made-Easy

[az3579]

I guess you followed this DIY to take out the entire bracket with the tank?

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1756608-DIY-E46-Expansion-Tank-Removal-Made-Easy

No, I didn't follow any DIY. I just looked at it and saw one screw. Removed it, and out it came.
I don't think mine ever had that top screw in place since I've bought the car; I didn't even know it was supposed to have a screw on the top. :dunno


Thanks for the link though; I'll bookmark it for later.

[nextelbuddy]

stuff like that bothers me because you get so sure of yourself and it makes you feel like you are going crazy. glad everything is ok and no further damage. Great on FCP for warrantying it no questions asked too.

[san]

Great on FCP for warrantying it no questions asked too.

+1

One of the reasons why I am buying pretty much all the parts I need exclusively from fcpeuro...


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[slater]

So, FCP Euro to the rescue! I called them and told them that I may have installed it incorrectly and they said "No problem, it's covered"! I got the tank the next day, and installed it yesterday.

wow, that is amazing. if i lived in the US i'd be buying everything from them! great to hear that they actually stand behind that, even when it's a failure caused by something else - really, they shouldn't be covering that, but whatever. :)



I've always just hammered the shit out of it from below hoping to separate it from the mount. This time I had the bright idea of just taking out the mount with the tank attached, then hammering it that way upside down. I know this is how it's supposed to be done, but it just never occurred to me. lol

The reason this happened: the bottom of the radiator was pulled inward towards the engine for some reason, as though it wasn't properly mounted. This doesn't make sense, because I did my cooling system myself last year and made sure it was mounted properly. I do find it odd that there doesn't seem to be a proper retention mechanism for the bottom of the radiator other than this odd rubber lip that slips over the bottom of the rad. On mine, that rubber lip is "worn" enough where it doesn't really hold the bottom of the rad. When the top screw is in, however, the whole radiator is solid and doesn't move on the bottom, so I'm not sure how this happened. I'll have to keep an eye on it...

weird - there are rubber mounts that the radiator sits in, about 1/3 up on each side. how do yours look? you could always make a little L-bracket and mount it to the bottom of the carrier support, to keep the bottom of the radiator from moving.

nice work on removing it with the mounting bracket - i couldn't ever get to the top screw when the tank was installed.

[johnrando]

Wow, good for FCP!

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[az3579]

2017-05-03 -- 267,802 -- Expansion tank replaced (OE BMW), oil top up (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic)

[az3579]

2017-05-12 -- 268,321 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic)

2017-05-27 -- 269,262 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic)

2017-05-30 -- 269,837 -- Oil top up - 0.7 quart (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic)

2017-06-14 -- 270,761 -- Flushed brake fluid (ATE Type 200)

2017-06-18 -- 271,037 -- Oil top up - 2 quarts (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic)

[derbo]

Your imola is an oil-holic. :)

[az3579]

Thanks for reminding me.

[nextelbuddy]

is this a bad time to say that my engine has too much oil and wont burn any causing my oil temps to over around the 210 mark at all times even at idle lol.....

we over filled a tad then on top added a liquimoly additive similar to that lucas stuff that just makes the oil more oily?? anyways im going to drain some soon. probably half a quart maybe a quart

[az3579]

2017-07-04 -- 272,424 -- Oil top up, 1 quart (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic); replaced throttle body (swapped Dinan for stock throttle body); replaced intake manifold vacuum line (used a smaller inner diameter for a tighter fit)

[anandoc]

replaced throttle body (swapped Dinan for stock throttle body)

What prompted this replacement with the stock TB?

[az3579]

What prompted this replacement with the stock TB?
My car drives like crap with the AC on. The revs drop way too quickly, making it very difficult to rev match on the upshift. I was hoping the throttle body was to blame (it was a long shot)

The main reason I swapped wasn't that, however. My tech friend suggested I swap it to see if it could be causing a mixture prep code I'm getting. I replaced the MAF in 2014 but I have a feeling it needs to be done again. Since I already have the throttle body, it was an easy test.

We'll see if the codes come back, which I expect to happen.

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[anandoc]

I would be interested in your findings.

I have significant increase in noise/vibration when I turn on the AC. There is also a noticeable lack of power as well. Haven't gotten around to cleaning out the TB though...

[Sockethead]

My car drives like crap with the AC on. The revs drop way too quickly, making it very difficult to rev match on the upshift. I was hoping the throttle body was to blame (it was a long shot)

The main reason I swapped wasn't that, however. My tech friend suggested I swap it to see if it could be causing a mixture prep code I'm getting. I replaced the MAF in 2014 but I have a feeling it needs to be done again. Since I already have the throttle body, it was an easy test.

We'll see if the codes come back, which I expect to happen.

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What are the codes you are getting? I'm getting mixture prep codes too. I was thinking it's the SC tune but maybe not...

[az3579]

What are the codes you are getting? I'm getting mixture prep codes too. I was thinking it's the SC tune but maybe not...

If you have an oiled air filter, chances are it's ruining your MAF.

I'm just getting Mixture Preparation Bank 1 and Bank 2.

[Sockethead]

The Dinan intake uses a dry filter...

[az3579]

The Dinan intake uses a dry filter...

:dunno then

[ELCID86]

BP, see this? http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=783659


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

[az3579]

BP, see this? http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=783659


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic
Doesn't apply to 330's. 😞

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[az3579]

Ugh. Why does stupid shit have to happen just days before a track event?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170709/373f79701bf293aaedadfd1da9a781ac.jpg

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[anandoc]

Ugh. Why does stupid shit have to happen just days before a track event?



How did that come off the clamps?

[derbo]

How did that come off the clamps?

rust. :)

[RUS_ZHP]

Ugh. Why does stupid shit have to happen just days before a track event?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170709/373f79701bf293aaedadfd1da9a781ac.jpg

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That sucks! Sorry to hear that BP.
My exhaust looks like crap, because of rust, especially connection with the headers.

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[ELCID86]

Crap. I guess I should have read the whole thing...

Are you going to be able to get the tubes reconnected (or just run headers!)?

[Rookiez]

What happened between 248k to 256k miles? It seems like the car needs to be topped out for about 10 quarts of oil??

[az3579]

How did that come off the clamps?


rust. :)

Actually, my friend's theory is that the exhaust shop initially didn't set the lengths properly when they connected the tubes. This section that disconnected appears to not have had enough of the tube's tips held on by the clamp. I'm surprised it lasted this long (installed in 2012 initially).




Are you going to be able to get the tubes reconnected (or just run headers!)?

Last night we took to removing the exhaust from the front resonators back and disassembling the pieces. Each tube end was cleaned off with some special Snap-On attachment that's designed for "wire brushing" stainless steel. Then we re-seated the tube ends, effectively re-aligning the exhaust properly. The clamps were fine and re-usable, though I'll have to source some replacements in case they have to come off again.


What happened between 248k to 256k miles? It seems like the car needs to be topped out for about 10 quarts of oil??

The car uses a quart every 700-1000 or so miles... lol

[Rookiez]

The car uses a quart every 700-1000 or so miles... lol

Wow, is it leaking or just burning oil? Do you think that it's due to high mileage?

[az3579]

Wow, is it leaking or just burning oil? Do you think that it's due to high mileage?

High mileage. I have some leaks, but they're very minor, definitely not a quart-per-1k type of leaking.

[holyc0w]

Wow, is it leaking or just burning oil? Do you think that it's due to high mileage?

We've had some discussions regarding the issue that affects some of our cars. Here's a thread that was created regarding the issue: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?19089-Oil-Consumption-Thread


High mileage. I have some leaks, but they're very minor, definitely not a quart-per-1k type of leaking.

Or not so high mileage for some of us :(

[az3579]

I think this issue will affect all M54's at some point or another.

[Rookiez]

I think this issue will affect all M54's at some point or another.

I did some research and apparently this starts to become an issue after working on the CCV. Have you tried to do the O2 Pilot Mod yet?


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[az3579]

I did some research and apparently this starts to become an issue after working on the CCV. Have you tried to do the O2 Pilot Mod yet?


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Did it... Still an issue.

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[san]

We've had some discussions regarding the issue that affects some of our cars. Here's a thread that was created regarding the issue: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?19089-Oil-Consumption-Thread



Or not so high mileage for some of us :(

Have you replaced the ccv already?


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[az3579]

Have you replaced the ccv already?


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Page 1 has my full maintenance history.
Just one thing I have to add (fixing my exhaust).

It's been replaced at least twice already.

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[san]

Page 1 has my full maintenance history.
Just one thing I have to add (fixing my exhaust).

It's been replaced at least twice already.

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I was actually asking Marcin (holycow) [emoji51]

anyway your project thread isn't the right place to discuss anyone else's maintenance history. Sorry for the mini thread jack...


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[az3579]

I was actually asking Marcin (holycow) [emoji51]

anyway your project thread isn't the right place to discuss anyone else's maintenance history. Sorry for the mini thread jack...


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Sorry, totally missed the quote there.

[holyc0w]

Have you replaced the ccv already?


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Yes, it was replaced. I don't really have a baseline, since after I bought the car the OFHG was leaking bad. That was replaced in conjunction with the CCV system.

It doesn't bother me too much, since I don't do too many miles. I'm hoping the GAS CCV kit helps it a bit.

[Rookiez]

Did it... Still an issue.

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Oh man, sorry to hear that. The only solution right now is to actually rebuild the piston oil control rings then :(


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[az3579]

Oh man, sorry to hear that. The only solution right now is to actually rebuild the piston oil control rings then :(


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Not really a solution since it'll happen again if using the stock stuff.
I think someone in a YouTube video once mentioned using M52 pistons, or something to that effect. Perhaps rebuilding with those pistons instead would work out...

[Rookiez]

Not really a solution since it'll happen again if using the stock stuff.
I think someone in a YouTube video once mentioned using M52 pistons, or something to that effect. Perhaps rebuilding with those pistons instead would work out...

How is that even possible? A 2.5 6 cyl engine would have smaller pistons than a 3.0 6 cyl engines [emoji848]


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[az3579]

How is that even possible? A 2.5 6 cyl engine would have smaller pistons than a 3.0 6 cyl engines [emoji848]


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Maybe he meant just the rings? I don't remember. Rebuilding isn't even a thought in my mind right now. Lol

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[Rookiez]

Maybe he meant just the rings? I don't remember. Rebuilding isn't even a thought in my mind right now. Lol

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Wow, I honestly think that the diameter would be different, but I'd rather put a quart of oil every 1-2 weeks rather than rebuilding the engine [emoji41]


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[az3579]

...but I'd rather put a quart of oil every 1-2 weeks rather than rebuilding the engine [emoji41]



Then let's swap engines. :shifty

[Rookiez]

Then let's swap engines. :shifty

I mean, if I were you lol [emoji41] Mine barely lost any at 155k [emoji8]


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[az3579]

Looking back at my maintenance history, my consumption at 155k was still insignificant enough to not even list it in my records. I didn't start recording top-ups 'til I was using a quart every 2k or so. My first top-up record was at 212k.

[ZHPizza]

Pretty sure the 3.0l is the same bore as the 2.5l, just a longer stroke. The draw of the M52 piston rings is that they're not the low tension rings used in the M54 to reduce friction losses. So in theory you'd give up some efficiency to reduce oil consumption.

[nextelbuddy]

oh no man. it doesnt look like a lot of work but dammit the timing just sucks. hope you can get it squared away ready for your track event. Will you have some in car footage from the event?

[az3579]

Pretty sure the 3.0l is the same bore as the 2.5l, just a longer stroke. The draw of the M52 piston rings is that they're not the low tension rings used in the M54 to reduce friction losses. So in theory you'd give up some efficiency to reduce oil consumption.

I wouldn't mind giving up some efficiency (assuming fuel) for less oil consumption. I find the oil low very often, since I can't check my oil every day (usually not on a level surface) and don't always have time to. I keep running the risk of starving the engine for oil.

The thing is... I don't think anyone knows if M52 rings is a guarantee to fix the issue. Unless I knew for a fact that this does it, it's not worth "trying" it considering the great cost.


oh no man. it doesnt look like a lot of work but dammit the timing just sucks. hope you can get it squared away ready for your track event. Will you have some in car footage from the event?

Fixed the same night. I was getting a headache just on the way to my buddy's shop; there's no way I could have let that go on for more than a day. lol

I have been taking video at the last few track events I've been to, and this time should be no exception. This time though, the video will be better; I have an external mic that I will route to the trunk area, as well as an OBD data logging tool (OBDLink MX) that I will use to gather data and overlay some gauges using DashWare. I think I've got the hang of it from my test runs, so we'll see how that works out in reality. I really need to get myself to order a bluetooth GPS unit, but I can't find a way to mount that in the car on such a short notice without them flagging it at tech, since it has to be hard mounted AND tethered. The rules suck so much sometimes...

[Rookiez]

I wouldn't mind giving up some efficiency (assuming fuel) for less oil consumption. I find the oil low very often, since I can't check my oil every day (usually not on a level surface) and don't always have time to. I keep running the risk of starving the engine for oil.

The thing is... I don't think anyone knows if M52 rings is a guarantee to fix the issue. Unless I knew for a fact that this does it, it's not worth "trying" it considering the great cost.


Isn't there a sensor on the car that will tell us once the oil level is low? How about checking the oil every time you fill up the gas?



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[ZHPizza]

Isn't there a sensor on the car that will tell us once the oil level is low? How about checking the oil every time you fill up the gas?



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Yep, there is a sensor in the oil pan that will illuminate the yellow oil light on the dash after you shut off the car if it's "you should check the oil level" low. The light will come on while you're driving [I believe in red] if it's "you should stop the car" low.

[Rookiez]

Yep, there is a sensor in the oil pan that will illuminate the yellow oil light on the dash after you shut off the car if it's "you should check the oil level" low. The light will come on while you're driving [I believe in red] if it's "you should stop the car" low.

I used to do a hard cornering and if the oil sensor lights up, it means that time to add more oil for me [emoji41] fun yet effective!

I did this on a 2006 VW GLI.


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[BMWCurves]

Yep, there is a sensor in the oil pan that will illuminate the yellow oil light on the dash after you shut off the car if it's "you should check the oil level" low. The light will come on while you're driving [I believe in red] if it's "you should stop the car" low.

Close:

http://i.imgur.com/Uxitaxb.png

[az3579]

How about checking the oil every time you fill up the gas?




Filling up is not a good time to check it considering my gas station is on a slight downhill. That, and the reading won't be accurate since I had just shut the engine off.


Yep, there is a sensor in the oil pan that will illuminate the yellow oil light on the dash after you shut off the car if it's "you should check the oil level" low. The light will come on while you're driving [I believe in red] if it's "you should stop the car" low.

The sensor isn't reliable. Sometimes it illuminates, other times it doesn't. Yes, the sensor is "functioning" properly.
I'm also doubting the dipstick's accuracy, believe it or not. On numerous occasions, I'd check the oil and it would register as full. The very next day, the oil light would come on, and sure enough be a quart low.

Another time, I had to put almost 2 quarts in on a week where I drove a LOT. In this instance, the light never came on.

[Rookiez]

Wow, is the sensor being unreliable a common thing on e46? Any other users experienced this before?

Glad to know that, I relied a lot on those electronic sensors offered in typical European cars.


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[holyc0w]

The sensor isn't reliable. Sometimes it illuminates, other times it doesn't. Yes, the sensor is "functioning" properly.
I'm also doubting the dipstick's accuracy, believe it or not. On numerous occasions, I'd check the oil and it would register as full. The very next day, the oil light would come on, and sure enough be a quart low.

Another time, I had to put almost 2 quarts in on a week where I drove a LOT. In this instance, the light never came on.

That's weird. Mine seems to be pretty consistent, though I do have a bit more time for the light to develop (less miles driven). Usually I get the yellow popping up on uneven surfaces and then comes on for good on even surfaces. This translates to about 1 quart low. I think the dipstick readings are pretty sensitive to uneven surfaces.

[anandoc]

Wow, is the sensor being unreliable a common thing on e46? Any other users experienced this before?

Glad to know that, I relied a lot on those electronic sensors offered in typical European cars.


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I have had the sensor fail on mine too.

[Rookiez]

That's weird. Mine seems to be pretty consistent, though I do have a bit more time for the light to develop (less miles driven). Usually I get the yellow popping up on uneven surfaces and then comes on for good on even surfaces. This translates to about 1 quart low. I think the dipstick readings are pretty sensitive to uneven surfaces.

Same with mine, it's pretty reliable.


I have had the sensor fail on mine too.

Interesting to know this. I kinda want to make a poll on how accurate and do you trust your oil sensors, then post the year of your car and it's mileage. Has it been done previously?

[az3579]

Wow, is the sensor being unreliable a common thing on e46? Any other users experienced this before?

Glad to know that, I relied a lot on those electronic sensors offered in typical European cars.


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That's weird. Mine seems to be pretty consistent, though I do have a bit more time for the light to develop (less miles driven). Usually I get the yellow popping up on uneven surfaces and then comes on for good on even surfaces. This translates to about 1 quart low. I think the dipstick readings are pretty sensitive to uneven surfaces.


I can't speak to other people's situations, only my own. For me, this is what happened.

[ZHPizza]

Wow, is the sensor being unreliable a common thing on e46? Any other users experienced this before?

Glad to know that, I relied a lot on those electronic sensors offered in typical European cars.


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Mine comes on every now and then after I shut off the car. Always in my very level garage and the oil level has always been fine.

[BMWM3186]

Mine always comes on if I'm near half a quart low.

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[derbo]

My oil level sensor has faulted 14 times when I run ISTA+ to check diagnostic. The fault is never present when I am checking though which makes it harder to diagnose. I haven't seen the light in over 2 years though..

[ELCID86]

Mine beeps and shows yellow after I turn the car off every once in a while. Oil level seems ok. My consumption at 212k is very minimal. Though every once in a while she seems to gulp down a 1/2-1 full quart (which I think the TSB says is "normal"...

[Rookiez]

Mine beeps and shows yellow after I turn the car off every once in a while. Oil level seems ok. My consumption at 212k is very minimal. Though every once in a while she seems to gulp down a 1/2-1 full quart (which I think the TSB says is "normal"...

Glad to hear more and more high mileage members reporting this :)


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[az3579]

2017-07-17 -- 274,150 -- Oil top up - 1.5 quart (Mobil1 10W-30 Synthetic)

2017-08-07 -- 276,058 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Mobil1 10W-30 Synthetic)

2017-08-11 -- 276,401 -- Replaced MAF (OEM Siemens/VDO, P/N: 13627566983); replaced fuel door spring (OE BMW, P/N: 51171888374)

[cakM3]

Botond’s driver’s side mirror suffered a minor setback today.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170827/a02cd9f28740beaf0c6d6b77dd7ad5b7.jpg

Luckily I had a spare mirror in my garage to donate the required part Botond needed so I ran the part down to his location this afternoon :drevil
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170827/91f48cb909075b54d1e87caa64487c7d.jpg

Botond’s driver side mirror put back together and reinstalled...tested sat [emoji1417][emoji41]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170827/1e2b37de0047c824b3bd215188c2b015.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170827/228f7acf6eeec795280b815f3d33e0cf.jpg


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[holyc0w]

Good stuff :like

[johnrando]

+1

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[az3579]

You saved my ass again - thanks Charlie.

Now I need to get that alignment fixed... it's driving me nuts.

[cakM3]

You saved my ass again - thanks Charlie.

Now I need to get that alignment fixed... it's driving me nuts.

As many times as you have willingly come up to give me a hand with my many projects.... this was the least I could do. Besides, I got to drive my "express machine" to deliver your parts ;)

[az3579]

As many times as you have willingly come up to give me a hand with my many projects.... this was the least I could do. Besides, I got to drive my "express machine" to deliver your parts ;)

The only thing better for parts than FCP Euro. :cool

[az3579]

I'm just going to leave this here.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170828/59c30cfe560aadcc34323047eca346e7.jpg

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[anandoc]

I'm just going to leave this here.



Did the mirror motor die on you - again???

[nextelbuddy]

whats wrong with your ribbon motor in that picture? did it die? does this happen often?

I saw you guys just fixed your M3 bracket foot, did you also get your fitment issues resolved? the view from the back showing the base plate mounted to the door looks ok, is the mirror glass centered? it looks like the glass is adjusted outwards in that one picture.

bummer about the bracket foot man but looks like you lucked out from Charlie :) its awesome you 2 are close enough to each other.

[az3579]

The ribbon is torn. It seems that if you as much as look at it the wrong way, it tears. The pictured one is the old one. It tore while I took it out last time to try to fix my alignment/wobbly glass issue.

The alignment right now is worse than it was when I took it apart, and the glass STILL shakes when driving. That issue was always a problem...

And after all this, my passenger mirror is also STILL pointing downwards at random (usually very inopportune) times.

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[nextelbuddy]

The ribbon is torn. It seems that if you as much as look at it the wrong way, it tears. The pictured one is the old one. It tore while I took it out last time to try to fix my alignment/wobbly glass issue.

The alignment right now is worse than it was when I took it apart, and the glass STILL shakes when driving. That issue was always a problem...

And after all this, my passenger mirror is also STILL pointing downwards at random (usually very inopportune) times.

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the mirror pointing down at random happens to me too sometimes. it happens when I use my other keyFOB and unlock from lock mode and the system tries to set all my seats and mirrors. so annoying. ive tried programming it and thought i had it but then comes back randomly lol. your may or may not be the same issue but thats just how I saw it on mine.

[Sockethead]

I recommend reinforcing the ribbon near the connector by wrapping with clear boxing tape before disassembly. I hate those ribbons! Worse than any ribbon I've worked with in my 20+ years working with computer hardware...

That's awesome that Charlie came down to help! I don't have any members remotely close to me here in SC

[cakM3]

Solid recommendation Rob :thumbsup

[az3579]

I recommend reinforcing the ribbon near the connector by wrapping with clear boxing tape before disassembly. I hate those ribbons! Worse than any ribbon I've worked with in my 20+ years working with computer hardware...

That's awesome that Charlie came down to help! I don't have any members remotely close to me here in SC

This tip works only for those who have M3 mirrors. The stock mirrors has the ribbons going down a pretty tight hole through the spring--looking mechanism, and that's a tight fit even for the ribbon by itself. I even have to remove the connectors to fish the ribbon out of there...

For in my case, that method might actually work very well. I think I'll wrap it up the next time I take them apart... thanks for that tip.

[cakM3]

This tip works only for those who have M3 mirrors. The stock mirrors has the ribbons going down a pretty tight hole through the spring--looking mechanism, and that's a tight fit even for the ribbon by itself. I even have to remove the connectors to fish the ribbon out of there...

For in my case, that method might actually work very well. I think I'll wrap it up the next time I take them apart... thanks for that tip.

I think you should do this over this upcoming weekend ;)

[az3579]

I think you should do this over this upcoming weekend ;)

They're working - I'm not touchin' 'em. lol
At the most, I'll take the glass off and reposition the motor, but that's it!

[cakM3]

They're working - I'm not touchin' 'em. lol
At the most, I'll take the glass off and reposition the motor, but that's it!

I know the feeling....that's why my driver's side mirror is still slightly off...

[Sockethead]

I know the feeling....that's why my driver's side mirror is still slightly off...
+1

[az3579]

2017-08-18 -- 277,035 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic)

2017-09-02 -- 278,142 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Mobil1 0W-40 Synthetic)

2017-09-16 -- 279,329 -- Oil top up - 0.5 quart (Mobil1 10W-30 Synthetic)

[Tnhl1989]

At this rate you won't need a oil change lol


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[az3579]

At this rate you won't need a oil change lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


That's why I'm not worried that I'm severely overdue for one. lol

[holyc0w]

Is the 10W30 a one-off or are you switching over?

[az3579]

Is the 10W30 a one-off or are you switching over?

Switching over. Was trying to use up all my top-up 0W-40.

[slater]

Switching over. Was trying to use up all my top-up 0W-40.

i think 5w40 is what you should be running. 10w30 is going to be harder on the motor for cold starts and won't have the higher temp limits.

if you don't mind, try the shell rotella T6 5w40. it's made for diesel motors and seems a lot more robust - i find castrol edge and mobil 1 are a lot thinner.

[az3579]

if you don't mind, try the shell rotella T6 5w40. it's made for diesel motors and seems a lot more robust - i find castrol edge and mobil 1 are a lot thinner.


I was hoping that by switching to the thicker oil, it wouldn't consume quite as much of it. Our winters aren't crazy cold... 20's is usually as low as it gets. I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'm way overdue for an oil change, but quite frankly I don't think I'd ever need to do one again. lol

I'll try the Shell Rotella 5W40, I guess!



On a separate subject, I made an interesting discovery. Both of my front Bilstein shocks aren't rebounding (I think that's the correct term). I can pull the fenders up and the car's height will be raised a little. If you push the front of the car back down again, the shocks do not push the car back up. This is confusing because these coilovers are just over a year old. How can both sides do this?

I started looking into it when I started hearing clunking going over bumps. I put the car up on a lift and found that my suspension components were fine. My friend suspected the shocks, and that's when we discovered that they aren't behaving the way they should. He said they're binding. Thoughts?


I will have to see if FCP will take a partial return, since the coilovers were bought as a kit. If not, I may have to rent a car while the whole kit gets RMA'd, which defeats the purpose of a warranty...

[holyc0w]

I will have to see if FCP will take a partial return, since the coilovers were bought as a kit. If not, I may have to rent a car while the whole kit gets RMA'd, which defeats the purpose of a warranty...

That should be interesting. FCP gives you the option of getting the new stuff, before sending back the old, right?

[az3579]

That should be interesting. FCP gives you the option of getting the new stuff, before sending back the old, right?


Yeah... but let's consider the cost of that for a moment. The whole kit was over $1800. If they say the whole kit has to be sent back, then I have no choice but to rent a car, uninstall the suspension parts, and send it back that way, because I sure can't afford $1800 up front to get a replacement kit.

Even if they say I can send just the two shocks back, I still suspect it'll cost over $500 for the two front shocks and will still require a rental car, which is also a lot of money. :(

[az3579]

Well I guess I am fucked.

I called FCP and they say they require the entire kit to be returned for a warranty replacement, since it was purchased as a kit. The other option is to front the cost of the kit and get a refund upon return of the old, but $1800 is a LOT of coin.

I was hoping to have better luck with Bilstein, who has warrantied a single shock for me before with my previous set of shocks. They referred me to the vendor I purchased the kit from. No joy.

Guess I'll be riding around on blown shocks for a while. :facepalm

[704sw]

How long does the warranty replacement take to cut you a refund? On credit you'd at least have 30 days...

[az3579]

How long does the warranty replacement take to cut you a refund? On credit you'd at least have 30 days...

I would, if the cards had enough money left on them... lol

I'm trying to get my friend to let me leave my car on his lift for a couple of days so I can uninstall my suspension and return it to FCP, getting a replacement hopefully the same day. He's super busy with school though, so this isn't a done deal. I'd still need a rental, because no way all this is getting done in a single day, but this should be the cheapest way out. Hopefully he responds and says yes.

[slater]

I was hoping that by switching to the thicker oil, it wouldn't consume quite as much of it. Our winters aren't crazy cold... 20's is usually as low as it gets. I don't know what I'm going to do yet. I'm way overdue for an oil change, but quite frankly I don't think I'd ever need to do one again. lol

I'll try the Shell Rotella 5W40, I guess!

excellent. try it and let me know what your findings are.



On a separate subject, I made an interesting discovery. Both of my front Bilstein shocks aren't rebounding (I think that's the correct term). I can pull the fenders up and the car's height will be raised a little. If you push the front of the car back down again, the shocks do not push the car back up. This is confusing because these coilovers are just over a year old. How can both sides do this?

I started looking into it when I started hearing clunking going over bumps. I put the car up on a lift and found that my suspension components were fine. My friend suspected the shocks, and that's when we discovered that they aren't behaving the way they should. He said they're binding. Thoughts?


I will have to see if FCP will take a partial return, since the coilovers were bought as a kit. If not, I may have to rent a car while the whole kit gets RMA'd, which defeats the purpose of a warranty...

first off - i'm not understanding your test. my bilstein PSS cannot really be 'pushed down' by hand; they are very stiff. a fellow canadian with the same suspension noticed the same thing after just installing it a couple weeks ago (he's on the forum here, i think).

secondly, if there is something wrong, bilstein offers a lifetime warranty, so you'd have to send them in for service. yes, that means you will need to find other means of transportation, or borrow someone's stock front struts + springs for the duration of the repair.


EDIT - just saw the latest post from you about bilstein referring you to the selling vendor. what?! that's not how it works. call them back. you have a lifetime warranty.

also, i would investigate further about the state of your dampers. are they leaking?

[az3579]

The dampers aren't leaking, but they also aren't returning to a non-compressed state. If I lift up on my car's fenders, you can see that the ride height goes up. Now if we push back down on the front, the front gets lower but doesn't return to the height we started from. If you push the rear of the car down, it bounces right back up, as it should.

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[slater]

The dampers aren't leaking, but they also aren't returning to a non-compressed state. If I lift up on my car's fenders, you can see that the ride height goes up. Now if we push back down on the front, the front gets lower but doesn't return to the height we started from. If you push the rear of the car down, it bounces right back up, as it should.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

so starting from a static state - say, you just got home and parked the car - you can push the front end down further and it will stay there? how far down can you push it?

[az3579]

so starting from a static state - say, you just got home and parked the car - you can push the front end down further and it will stay there? how far down can you push it?
After just coming home, no, it can't be pushed. That is because it's already at it's lowest state, since it won't go back up once pushed down.

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[slater]

After just coming home, no, it can't be pushed. That is because it's already at it's lowest state, since it won't go back up once pushed down.

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OK, so i don't understand where the problem is.

- you lift the front end, it goes up (nothing new here - if i jacked any car up and then lowered it back down, it will always be a bit 'higher' until it's been driven and settles again)
- you push it down, it stays down

where's the problem?

[Sockethead]

so what you are saying BP is you think the gas a has leaked out? Maybe fronts have enough stiction to keep them from behaving like the rears?

[az3579]

OK, so i don't understand where the problem is.

- you lift the front end, it goes up (nothing new here - if i jacked any car up and then lowered it back down, it will always be a bit 'higher' until it's been driven and settles again)
- you push it down, it stays down

where's the problem?

When you push the front of the car down, it's supposed to go down and bounce back up when you stop pushing it down. Mine does not.


so what you are saying BP is you think the gas a has leaked out? Maybe fronts have enough stiction to keep them from behaving like the rears?

I guess? I don't know how it works from a technical aspect, I just know how it's supposed to behave. The three people I showed this to were mechanics and they agreed that something's not right with the shocks. :dunno

[slater]

When you push the front of the car down, it's supposed to go down and bounce back up when you stop pushing it down. Mine does not.

my PSS don't do that, and another local car with brand new PSS don't do that. it does not really compress at all. no idea why, but that's been my experience with the PSS.

are you noticing anything weird on the road?

[Johnmadd]

In my experience with my lowered e30 on bilstien sports and h&r sport springs, and the zhp with bc coilovers is that I can not even compress the shocks while pressing down on the car. Have you gotten under the car and tried to compress it with a jack? I think it may be hard to understand with word what you are describing, can you post video. Maybe just text me a video as I'm curious.

[Johnmadd]

my PSS don't do that, and another local car with brand new PSS don't do that. it does not really compress at all. no idea why, but that's been my experience with the PSS.

are you noticing anything weird on the road?

Man, it took me so long to get the right words I echoed you lol!

[ELCID86]

BP, you should at least change your oil filter. They tend to break down and disintegrate.

Also, worn suspension can lead to tire wear. Colin’s first 330Ci had cupped tires and the mechanic said it was due to the struts not keeping the tires firmly planted.

Drive to FCP and change them in the parking lot!?

[az3579]

my PSS don't do that, and another local car with brand new PSS don't do that. it does not really compress at all. no idea why, but that's been my experience with the PSS.

are you noticing anything weird on the road?

This all stemmed from some clunking I was hearing when going over bumps. Thinking it was worn bushings, we got the car up on a lift and found that the CABs, ball joints, tie rods, and sway bar end links were just fine. The sway bar bushings were a little loose and could use replacing, but they weren't that bad. My friend thought about it and suggested that perhaps the shocks are binding.

Since I don't know what that's like, I went to get a second opinion, and they then noticed the lack of rebound when the front was pushed down, which I found incredibly odd, especially considering that they're set to full soft right now. One of them was saying that appearance of the lack of rebound is normal, but did suggest that the binding could be a possibility.

I honestly don't have a clue what binding feels like. There's a particular bump that my car would always kind of bounce on a bit (due to being set soft) and it still absorbs that bump very nicely and does that almost-bounce like any normal car would do. It feels fine to drive on the street, but that clunking is there.

I told my friend that initially looked at the car that I'm going to replace the sway bar bushings anyway and see if the sound is remediated, despite him still being on the shock bandwagon. I figure sway bar bushings are cheap, so it's a cheap test, and the bushings have to get done anyway, even if the slop is minimal. Yes, I'm anal. lol


BP, you should at least change your oil filter. They tend to break down and disintegrate.

You didn't think I was gonna skip oil changes, did you? lol
Skipping oil changes (and filters) is out of the question! :p



Also, worn suspension can lead to tire wear. Colin’s first 330Ci had cupped tires and the mechanic said it was due to the struts not keeping the tires firmly planted.

That's another thing that makes me scratch my head. My tire wear is just fine; completely normal wear. The set of PSS tires has I think over 25k on the set and one front is worn on the inside and one rear is worn on the inside. Their matching pairs are very close to becoming worn to that point, so I don't have any unusual wear.

[slater]

did you check the top nut on the strut? even if it's 1/2 turn loose it will make noise.

[johnrando]

Hope it works out BP.

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[az3579]

Alright Peter, I bit the bullet and bought the Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Diesel oil. I saw a couple of people with E36 M3's online that used it that said their valve clatter is quieter now, which the M54 suffers from as well after hard runs. The one guy said his oil consumption went down from 800 miles / quart to about 2000 miles, which is MUCH better!

We shall see if this does the trick. I will be changing my oil at the Reunion this weekend. :thumbsup

On a side note, I got a set of four new tires mounted today. They are Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires (aka Bridgestone Potenza Andrenalin RE003) in 255/35-18 size all around. They are so much quieter than my worn PSS set. I hope they stay quiet throughout the life of the tires, and definitely hope they don't tramline like the PSS' did. We'll find out early tomorrow morning when I head out to Ohio.

[san]

Alright Peter, I bit the bullet and bought the Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Diesel oil. I saw a couple of people with E36 M3's online that used it that said their valve clatter is quieter now, which the M54 suffers from as well after hard runs. The one guy said his oil consumption went down from 800 miles / quart to about 2000 miles, which is MUCH better!

We shall see if this does the trick. I will be changing my oil at the Reunion this weekend. :thumbsup

On a side note, I got a set of four new tires mounted today. They are Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tires (aka Bridgestone Potenza Andrenalin RE003) in 255/35-18 size all around. They are so much quieter than my worn PSS set. I hope they stay quiet throughout the life of the tires, and definitely hope they don't tramline like the PSS' did. We'll find out early tomorrow morning when I head out to Ohio.

How many mikes did you get from the PSS?


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[johnrando]

Hope they work out

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[az3579]

Lots of new entries, mostly related to... you guessed it: oil.



2017-09-25 -- 280,441 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Mobil1 10W-30 Synthetic)

2017-10-06 -- 281,387 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Mobil1 10W-30 Synthetic)

2017-10-18 -- 282,720 -- Oil top up - 0.5 quart (Mobil1 10W-30 Synthetic)

2017-10-19 -- 282,833 -- Replaced (4) summer tires (Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, aka Bridgestone Potenza Adrenalin RE003 - 255/35-18 all around); alignment (requested FL+FR: -2 camber, RL+RR: -1 camber, -0.1 toe)

2017-10-20 -- 282,837 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Shell Rotella T5 10W-30 Synthetic)

2017-10-22 -- 283,645 -- Oil change (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic) with filter (Mann 925/4x)

[derbo]

come on 300k! we setting up a party for that?

[nextelbuddy]

sheesh..... ole girl likes to eat

[danewilson77]

sheesh..... ole girl likes to eatKind of like paying for dinner on a date.

Sent from my S8+

[az3579]

sheesh..... ole girl likes to eat


Kind of like paying for dinner on a date.

Sent from my S8+

Yeah... Mr. Moneybags. :shifty


come on 300k! we setting up a party for that?

Of course. I was thinking an oil fountain and open oil bar.

Oops, we can't do that... need to save all that for future top-ups. Sorry.



I just checked my oil level this morning. Keep in mind I just did an oil change on Sunday, and it's already down to half a quart low, though it was hard to read it this morning. Will have to get a more accurate reading later on, maybe tomorrow morning. It's still better than it usually is; I'm probably a good 800 miles into this. It usually needs a quart by now.

Just watch; tomorrow it will be right at the line. It wouldn't be the first time I checked it, it's half a quart low, and the next day it shows a full quart low.

[holyc0w]

Hope it works out. I've been doing some reading, and I'm interested in this oil. I'm definitely going to try something, at least moving up to 5W40.

[slater]

BP, i'm curious to see your results... but i also think you should seriously consider the G.A.S. CCV kit, especially the increased vacuum option. this should help seal your rings better.

[az3579]

BP, i'm curious to see your results... but i also think you should seriously consider the G.A.S. CCV kit, especially the increased vacuum option. this should help seal your rings better.I already have increased vacuum with the vacuum hose going from the CCV to the back of the intake manifold.

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[az3579]

Well, Peter... it seems that the Shell Rotella T6 oil allowed me to go 1,500 miles before the oil light went on. That's about a 50% improvement. However, this included the drive back from Ohio. Long road trips like that tend to yield longer runs between fill-ups, so the true test will begin tonight when I top it off with another quart of the same kind of oil. We shall see!

Tonight, I had to replace the battery. The battery was so weak that leaving my Xenons on for 2 minutes the other night to adjust them left my car in an unstartable state. It stayed charged enough for me to start the car every morning, but only if I didn't leave any lights on for any period of more than a few seconds while on battery. It was an exercise in futility, so I just sucked it up and spent the $221 for an AGM battery from Advance.

For those interested, the battery is an Autocraft Platinum H7-AGM 1000 CA (850 CCA). I hope I can get more than 3 years out of this one... not having very good luck with aftermarket batteries.


The entry made into the log:

2017-11-06 -- 285,066 -- Replaced battery (Autocraft H7-AGM, 850 CCA)

[704sw]

Saw this, thought of you and Peter.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/c0a44dff35af04214149eb8ae21499a9.jpg

[az3579]

Saw this, thought of you and Peter.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/c0a44dff35af04214149eb8ae21499a9.jpg


I am ready to accept Brotella T6 as my Lord and Saviour...

[slater]

Well, Peter... it seems that the Shell Rotella T6 oil allowed me to go 1,500 miles before the oil light went on. That's about a 50% improvement. However, this included the drive back from Ohio. Long road trips like that tend to yield longer runs between fill-ups, so the true test will begin tonight when I top it off with another quart of the same kind of oil. We shall see!

Tonight, I had to replace the battery. The battery was so weak that leaving my Xenons on for 2 minutes the other night to adjust them left my car in an unstartable state. It stayed charged enough for me to start the car every morning, but only if I didn't leave any lights on for any period of more than a few seconds while on battery. It was an exercise in futility, so I just sucked it up and spent the $221 for an AGM battery from Advance.

For those interested, the battery is an Autocraft Platinum H7-AGM 1000 CA (850 CCA). I hope I can get more than 3 years out of this one... not having very good luck with aftermarket batteries.

weird - do you have some kind of crazy parasitic drain happening?

and good to hear about the rotella T6 - how was your recent top-up?



Saw this, thought of you and Peter.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171108/c0a44dff35af04214149eb8ae21499a9.jpg

LOL.



I am ready to accept Brotella T6 as my Lord and Saviour...

there's a better option available! :)

[az3579]

weird - do you have some kind of crazy parasitic drain happening?

Nope. If that was the case, my car would've been dead every morning, which it wasn't. It was just the lights being on for a few minutes or the Xenons being on for 2 minutes that would kill the car. The battery was just that weak. It's fine now that I replaced the battery.



and good to hear about the rotella T6 - how was your recent top-up?

So here are the stats:

Oil change was done on 10/22 at 283,645 miles.
Top-up, 1 quart, done on 11/06 at 285,066 miles. That is 1,421 miles before needing a top-up. I was running anywhere between 800-1100 miles before needing a top-up before, depending on how many of those miles were highway miles. Since over half of the 1,421 miles were highway miles (driving back from Ohio), this isn't really a figure I could go with just yet. It's the next top-up that will be the true indicator of how many miles I can go before needing a quart.

For consistency, I bought another jug of the T6 5W-40 so I can use that for top-ups so I can get more accurate information about mileage between top-ups. Unfortunately, Walmart didn't have the 4-quart jugs in stock, only the 9.4 L ones... holy crap those things are MASSIVE. I bought it anyway - at least that would last me until the next oil change. You should've seen me trying to fill a 1-quart container from this massive jug; it was a shitshow. LOL


there's a better option available! :)

And what might that be?

[slater]

Nope. If that was the case, my car would've been dead every morning, which it wasn't. It was just the lights being on for a few minutes or the Xenons being on for 2 minutes that would kill the car. The battery was just that weak. It's fine now that I replaced the battery.

weird. weak batteries can do all sorts of weird crap in these cars - were you seeing any other symptoms? our X3 was doing WEIRD stuff ('power on reset' of the EWS module, and gauge cluster, while driving - sometimes the DME too!) when the battery was going bad. strangely, the battery actually tested fine with the multimeter at rest and under load. but the colored indicator on top of the battery actually was black, which means 'recharge the battery' - clearly it was 'charged' but just weak. new battery solved the issues.



Oil change was done on 10/22 at 283,645 miles.
Top-up, 1 quart, done on 11/06 at 285,066 miles. That is 1,421 miles before needing a top-up. I was running anywhere between 800-1100 miles before needing a top-up before, depending on how many of those miles were highway miles. Since over half of the 1,421 miles were highway miles (driving back from Ohio), this isn't really a figure I could go with just yet. It's the next top-up that will be the true indicator of how many miles I can go before needing a quart.

For consistency, I bought another jug of the T6 5W-40 so I can use that for top-ups so I can get more accurate information about mileage between top-ups. Unfortunately, Walmart didn't have the 4-quart jugs in stock, only the 9.4 L ones... holy crap those things are MASSIVE. I bought it anyway - at least that would last me until the next oil change. You should've seen me trying to fill a 1-quart container from this massive jug; it was a shitshow. LOL

haha... i can imagine! but hey, a 9.4L jug - nice! i've never seen that before. wish i could get those.

interested to see your results for the next top-up. clearly you've got ring wear, but if you can slow it... all the better.



And what might that be?

Jesus, man! :biggrin

[az3579]

weird. weak batteries can do all sorts of weird crap in these cars - were you seeing any other symptoms? our X3 was doing WEIRD stuff ('power on reset' of the EWS module, and gauge cluster, while driving - sometimes the DME too!) when the battery was going bad. strangely, the battery actually tested fine with the multimeter at rest and under load. but the colored indicator on top of the battery actually was black, which means 'recharge the battery' - clearly it was 'charged' but just weak. new battery solved the issues.

Nope, I had no odd symptoms at all. It even tested fine at Advance Auto, which is why I didn't replace it when I tested it. I thought those test thingies tell the truth; apparently not.





haha... i can imagine! but hey, a 9.4L jug - nice! i've never seen that before. wish i could get those.

Then this pic will have to do! It's yuuuuuuuge...
31352


https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjXrbehgrDXAhXix4MKHUFCCkUQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.duramaxdiesels.com%2Fforum%2F showthread.php%3Fp%3D1057098&psig=AOvVaw1yMmomoEFU_9YHCtACGvSx&ust=1510266216661048


interested to see your results for the next top-up. clearly you've got ring wear, but if you can slow it... all the better.

We can definitely thank BMW's stupid ring design for that one. :(





Jesus, man! :biggrin

Brotella or bust. :shifty

[BMWCurves]

How's the new aftermarket head unit doing?

[holyc0w]

Jesus, man! :biggrin

I'm not sure if he can perform miracles like that.


How's the new aftermarket head unit doing?
+1

[az3579]

How's the new aftermarket head unit doing?

All of my grievances with the old unit have been addressed. I can't really think of anything I don't like that isn't easily fixable with software...
Story for another thread. My thoroughness is also my downfall; I'm too lazy to take a couple of hours taking pics and writing up a review. lol
Lately though it's been more about time than anything, but... it's on the todo list.

[BMWCurves]

All of my grievances with the old unit have been addressed. I can't really think of anything I don't like that isn't easily fixable with software...
Story for another thread. My thoroughness is also my downfall; I'm too lazy to take a couple of hours taking pics and writing up a review. lol
Lately though it's been more about time than anything, but... it's on the todo list.

Glad to hear it's worked out for you. I'm looking forward to a review...

https://i.imgur.com/zwYZtMC.gif

[slater]

Then this pic will have to do! It's yuuuuuuuge...
31352

DUDE! that is mega!



Brotella or bust. :shifty

brotella's gonna let ya down, then. :)



I'm not sure if he can perform miracles like that.

dude, if He can change water into wine... you get the idea. :)

[Sockethead]

I'm too lazy to take a couple of hours taking pics and writing up a review. lol
Lately though it's been more about time than anything, but... it's on the todo list.

This is my whole build thread lol

[az3579]

brotella's gonna let ya down, then. :)




dude, if He can change water into wine... you get the idea. :)

Not my flavor of Kool Aid, bruh. [emoji6]


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[johnrando]

Keep on truckin BP!

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[nextelbuddy]

Glad to hear it's worked out for you. I'm looking forward to a review...

https://i.imgur.com/zwYZtMC.gif

lol

in all honesty you dont need a review for these newer headunits. they do everything the factory headunit does only better and more. anything else you may have qualms with would be learning curve of a smart radio device.



steering wheel can bus controls work, bluetooth works with phone and music streaming. built in wifi or wifi direct to connect to apps. all google apps supported. color correct matching lights. responsive screen. the only thing I dont like about the screen is that it wont respond to touch input if there is another item up on the screen from a previous touch interface interaction such as raising or lowering the volume... when the volume bar indicator is still up and hasnt faded away yet... you try to touch another on screen button an it doesn't respond. when the volume slider goes away its all good.

i found myself either running a flat EQ in the radio and using the HK Amp button OR turning the HK mode OFF and adjusting my own EQ. i was getting some speaker crackle from the front speakers when trying to use both.

[az3579]

Keep on truckin BP!

Sent from my SM-G955U using TapatalkI see what you did there... [emoji12]

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[az3579]

2017-11-09 -- 285,232 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic)

[slater]

2017-11-09 -- 285,232 -- Oil top up - 1 quart (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic)

so that's what... 1600 miles? not bad.

[holyc0w]

Looks like 170 miles

[az3579]

so that's what... 1600 miles? not bad.

That consists of a long trip though. I'm expecting that figure to go down drastically with my normal weekly commute. It seems to like highway cruising more than city driving from a consumption perspective.
We should find out by the end of next week...

[az3579]

2017-11-27 -- 286,683 -- Oil top up (1 quart - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40)

2017-12-23 -- 288,019 -- Oil top up (1 quart - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40)

[704sw]

That’s an improvement, is it not?

[Newjack]

2017-11-27 -- 286,683 -- Oil top up (1 quart - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40)

2017-12-23 -- 288,019 -- Oil top up (1 quart - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40)

1336 miles.

Full quart of oil.

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/516/362/d58.jpg

[az3579]

I damn near jumped for joy when I took my last reading because I totally forgot about the top-up on 11-29, so I thought I went almost 3k on a top-up... till I found the picture I took of my odometer on 11-29. The only pics I've been taking of the odo lately have been top-ups, so I knew it wasn't other maintenance.

[Dave1027]

Have you considered doing the 02 Pilot mod for that oil burning problem?

[az3579]

Have you considered doing the 02 Pilot mod for that oil burning problem?Already done.

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[Dave1027]

How about a new CCV?

[az3579]

How about a new CCV?Replaced that 2 or 3 times.

My full maintenance log is on the first page.

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[fredo]

BP, have you tried 10w60 ? My Indy recommended it for oil consumption issues. That's the one used on the e46 M3 engines. I've been using it on the ZHP for 2,000 miles with no side effects. It seems to help my car (I was adding one quart every 1,000 miles).

I replaced the OFHG and Vanos hose around 1,500 miles ago. That could be another factor in my case.

[az3579]

BP, have you tried 10w60 ? My Indy recommended it for oil consumption issues. That's the one used on the e46 M3 engines. I've been using it on the ZHP for 2,000 miles with no side effects. It seems to help my car (I was adding one quart every 1,000 miles).

I replaced the OFHG and Vanos hose around 1,500 miles ago. That could be another factor in my case.I don't think that is an appropriate viscosity for the M54. It's too thick, resulting in being harder to flow in cold temps (such as now), more wear when engine is cold, lower fuel consumption, and reduced power.

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[slater]

I don't think that is an appropriate viscosity for the M54. It's too thick, resulting in being harder to flow in cold temps (such as now), more wear when engine is cold, lower fuel consumption, and reduced power.

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i agree, for winter it's way too thick. i run 5w40 year round.

[az3579]

2018-01-19 -- 289,932 -- Oil top up (1 quart - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40)

2018-02-07 -- 291,289 -- Oil top up (1 quart - Shell Rotella T6 5W-40)

[nextelbuddy]

so you are averaging about 1 quart every 1000-1300 miles ??

rotella is about $5/quart if you buy 5 gallons at a time

in about 20,000 miles you would have spent around $100 in oil for top ups. not too bad i suppose.


at this point are you really concerned about oil viscosity being "improper" when someone else suggested 10w60?

i know you like to do things your own way but at this point maybe its worth a shot for a few thousand miles just for the sake of it? i dont really think a few thousand miles of 10w60 is going to do any ore damage than is already done.... but again do what you want.

[az3579]

at this point are you really concerned about oil viscosity being "improper" when someone else suggested 10w60?

i know you like to do things your own way but at this point maybe its worth a shot for a few thousand miles just for the sake of it? i dont really think a few thousand miles of 10w60 is going to do any ore damage than is already done.... but again do what you want.

A few reasons:
1) 10W-60 is not an appropriate oil weight for my climate. There have been 2-3 weeks during this season that the temps have dipped below the minimum temperature range for 10W-60. While this isn't the norm, it's always possible, so I need to be prepared.

2) I do not have a second car, so I can't just use another car when it's too cold.

3) There doesn't appear to be any 'damage' to my motor. Compression is excellent and a quick visual inspection of the valvetrain doesn't show anything obviously wrong. Compression numbers are excellent. The phrase "i dont really think a few thousand miles of 10w60 is going to do any ore damage than is already done...." Isn't appropriate here because using that oil very well could cause damage that I didn't have before if the temperatures drop below that threshold again.


*Maybe* I'll switch over the summer but that really depends on when an oil change is needed in relation to the season. I'm due for one now and there'll still be some cold weather ahead so I need to time it right.

I've made peace with the fact that it will always consume excessive oil. As long as it stays near where it is now I can deal with it. 600 miles per quart was just way too much, but 1200-1500 is bearable.

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[slater]

I've made peace with the fact that it will always consume excessive oil. As long as it stays near where it is now I can deal with it. 600 miles per quart was just way too much, but 1200-1500 is bearable.

i'd be really curious to see how your car would behave with either a) my catch can setup, or b) the G.A.S. CCV.

both setups are an entirely different kettle of fish to the design of the stock CCV, vacuum mod or not.

[nextelbuddy]

A few reasons:
1) 10W-60 is not an appropriate oil weight for my climate. There have been 2-3 weeks during this season that the temps have dipped below the minimum temperature range for 10W-60. While this isn't the norm, it's always possible, so I need to be prepared.

2) I do not have a second car, so I can't just use another car when it's too cold.

3) There doesn't appear to be any 'damage' to my motor. Compression is excellent and a quick visual inspection of the valvetrain doesn't show anything obviously wrong. Compression numbers are excellent. The phrase "i dont really think a few thousand miles of 10w60 is going to do any ore damage than is already done...." Isn't appropriate here because using that oil very well could cause damage that I didn't have before if the temperatures drop below that threshold again.


*Maybe* I'll switch over the summer but that really depends on when an oil change is needed in relation to the season. I'm due for one now and there'll still be some cold weather ahead so I need to time it right.

I've made peace with the fact that it will always consume excessive oil. As long as it stays near where it is now I can deal with it. 600 miles per quart was just way too much, but 1200-1500 is bearable.

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if you have made peace then you have made peace. but you can always have a leak down test performed so you can see how the valve seats, valve stem seals and still the rings are doing. Compression numbers are ok and the average go to number for typical healthy numbers but when you get into oil consumption where you have no visible leaks, no smoke from burning oil, all PCV related symptoms have been have been addressed.. then its time to look into alternative means to diagnose the motor. A leak down test is going to be the last thing you can do before doing an engine tear down to inspect the valve train and rings.


i think i'm burning oil too in the S54 but i think last time i may have over filled by 1 quart which caused excessive oil consumption for me so now that i have done a fresh complete dump of oil and a complete fill up and taken all of my measurements with the dipstck and oil level sensor reading.. now i know where i am supposed to be with exactly 5.8 quarts added to the engine and i can monitor it for the next couple thousand miles. if i end up a quart low in the next 1000 miles then im doing a leak down test to see whats going on.

[az3579]

i'd be really curious to see how your car would behave with either a) my catch can setup, or b) the G.A.S. CCV.

If you want to install the catch can for me, have at it. :)
I wasn't really intending on buying the G.A.S. CCV setup...



both setups are an entirely different kettle of fish to the design of the stock CCV, vacuum mod or not.

By vacuum mod, you mean the extra line going from the CCV to the back of the intake manifold?

[slater]

By vacuum mod, you mean the extra line going from the CCV to the back of the intake manifold?

Yep.


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[danewilson77]

If you want to install the catch can for me, have at it. :)
I wasn't really intending on buying the G.A.S. CCV setup...



By vacuum mod, you mean the extra line going from the CCV to the back of the intake manifold?:wiseguy

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[330i ZHP]

Bp- are you the only one in our group about to hit 300k?

Like I just mentioned on Charlie’s thread. Testament to maintenance keeping these guys going

[az3579]

Bp- are you the only one in our group about to hit 300k?

Like I just mentioned on Charlie’s thread. Testament to maintenance keeping these guys goingRay is really close on his 03 ZSP, but I'm not sure where that car's at now that he has 3 cars to drive. Not sure which of us is ahead at the moment...

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[Karl Lazlo]

Skipped snows on the ZSP. Took it out the other day in the warmer weather. 288,800-ish.

[cakM3]

I'm not racing BP or Ray regarding mileage.... just enjoying the ride :)

[Karl Lazlo]

I'm not racing BP or Ray regarding mileage.... just enjoying the ride :)

:-) Will hit 290 on Wednesday morning.

[az3579]

Some quick updates:

2018-03-10 -- 293,418 -- Oil change (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic) with filter (Mann 924/4x)

2018-03-27 -- 294,139 -- Swapped to summer tires (brand new Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 255/35-18 all around)

2018-03-29 -- 294,526 -- Cleaned air filter from GruppeM intake

2018-04-07 -- 295,923 -- Replaced D2S headlight bulbs (Osram Xenarc 66240 CBB)



One thing notably absent in the past 3k miles is... an oil top up. Hmm...
Me being me, probably forgot to put in an oil top up entry in there, but I also don't remember actually topping it up since the oil change, so who knows.

Adding to the list of needed items:

* Clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing, rear mail seal, pivot pin

These items will be done at failure or at 300k, whichever comes first. I'm really shooting for 300k just to say I made it 300k on the original clutch, but we will see! My throwout bearing was making some noise last week but the noise seems to be gone, so only miles will tell whether it'll make it to 300.

- The clutch isn't slipping and still can hold power just fine (did the 6th gear test and passed with flying colors).
- The dual mass flywheel is very worn. The car does not feel enjoyable to drive with the way it has worn. Letting the clutch out just has an extra 'edge' now that wasn't there before, and I'm having an incredibly hard time rev-matching, so I think something about the way the RPMs are rising/falling is different. It has an easier time getting to the stall point if I let the clutch out a little too quickly -- this behavior is hard to describe.
- The throwout bearing was very audible last week while pushing the clutch in to shift into gear. It actually startled me at first because I never heard that sound before in any car, and a couple of people told me what it was. It didn't happen every time I pushed the clutch pedal in, but it was once every few depressions on that one day only. It hasn't made any noise since. This only happened when I pushed the clutch pedal all the way in, so it didn't make noise while moving the pedal. As a note, I have a clutch stop.

[az3579]

Time for another update.

I decided it's not worth waiting 'till 300k to do the clutch and-everything-else-while-you're-in-there job as I was told by a couple of mechanics that I was on borrowed time. My throwout bearing was completely shot and was clearly audible when the clutch pedal was replaced. That, coupled with the fact that my pedal was getting pretty stiff to push, told me something wasn't right.



I got a trusted mechanic that I consider a friend to do the job for me. I had purchased the following components:



Valeo Single Mass Flywheel conversion kit (Valeo P/N: 835101), which included these components

Single mass flywheel
Non-self adjusting clutch and pressure plate
Throwout bearing (super beefy looking, much sturdier than OE)
Pressure plate bolts
Flywheel bolts


Metal clutch fork pivot pin (OE BMW P/N: 21511223281)

This is an upgrade to the stock plastic one


Rear main seal (not sure of P/N as mechanic had this in stock)
Input shaft seal (OEM Corteco P/N: 23117531353)

I don't remember why I ordered this, but they replaced it anyway


Clutch release arm (OE BMW, not sure of P/N as it was ordered via Worldpac)


https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1730/42373096252_75c1edd3c2_k.jpg

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1744/41699821344_92cbbacb24_k.jpg


It was good timing that this work was done...

My throwout bearing wasn't even a bearing anymore; it fell apart when it was removed from the transmission. This in turn damaged my clutch release arm, putting nice gouges in the metal. I was told this is why my pedal felt as terrible as it did (binding, hard to push). This was clearly the worst damage in the system.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/877/41699821964_6a97b70190_k.jpg

The original flywheel was on its way out. As I mentioned in the previous post, clutch engagement felt strange and made it difficult to rev match my shifts.

The clutch surprisingly had some life left, though it was getting to the "pretty worn" point. I probably could have squeezed another 20k out of it.

The rear main seal was bone dry, but it was replaced anyway since we were already in there.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/881/41699822934_8679a0fc6b_k.jpg



For all this work, I was charged $500. He got it done in only a few short hours' time, which included me driving up to a local Worldpac center to pick up a clutch release arm. Him and his crew did a great job, and we had a great time while just hanging out in the shop.



Currently the car sits at 299,4xx miles.



So, the short entry I am adding from the past month:

2018-04-21 -- 296,841 -- Oil top up, 1 quart (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic)

2018-04-28 -- 297,354 -- Replaced clutch, flywheel + bolts, pressure plate + bolts, throwout bearing (kit, Valeo P/N: 835101); clutch fork pivot pin (OE BMW, P/N: 21511223281); clutch release arm (OE BMW); rear main seal (OE BMW); input shaft seal (OEM Corteco P/N: 23117531353)

2018-05-12 -- 298,251 -- Oil top up, 1 quart (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic)

[BMWCurves]

Great update. Pics are dead for me.

[az3579]

Great update. Pics are dead for me.Yeah Google Photos is an epic fail. Have to transfer the pics to Flickr and then fix the post with Flickr links. [emoji852]️

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[johnrando]

Awesome price for a great set of maintanence work.

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[slater]

Awesome price for a great set of maintanence work.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

agreed, that is a smokin' deal.

BP, do you recall how they clearly so excellently R&R'd that trans bellhousing bolt by the headers?

[az3579]

Pictures in my previous post have been fixed.




Awesome price for a great set of maintanence work.

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Helps to know people!


agreed, that is a smokin' deal.

BP, do you recall how they clearly so excellently R&R'd that trans bellhousing bolt by the headers?


I believe they utilized the tried-and-true Peterman method: super long extension and socket. I remember seeing one of 'dems... I can only imagine it was for that particular purpose.

[Sockethead]

That's a great pic of the back of the motor.
For those of you planning to do your oil pan gasket, you can clearly see the 4 bolts that hold the back of the pan to the block. Those two inner ones are hidden by the bell housing

[Sreten]

Awesome update and a damn good price for the labor.

Hats off for racking up so many miles, pretty impressive. Is this the highest mileage ZHP on the forum?

[az3579]

That's a great pic of the back of the motor.
For those of you planning to do your oil pan gasket, you can clearly see the 4 bolts that hold the back of the pan to the block. Those two inner ones are hidden by the bell housing

It kind of looks like the transmission has to come off to remove those bolts... is that true?


Awesome update and a damn good price for the labor.

Hats off for racking up so many miles, pretty impressive. Is this the highest mileage ZHP on the forum?

I found out someone beat me to 300k a week or two ago...

[slater]

It kind of looks like the transmission has to come off to remove those bolts... is that true?

nope, there are access holes on the bottom of the bellhousing.

[Sockethead]

nope, there are access holes on the bottom of the bellhousing.

Which people usual miss... I did :)

[slater]

Which people usual miss... I did :)

oh frig!

[danewilson77]

It kind of looks like the transmission has to come off to remove those bolts... is that true?



I found out someone beat me to 300k a week or two ago...

It's not a sprint. It's a marathon.

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[az3579]

It's not a sprint. It's a marathon.

Sent from my SM-G955U using TapatalkDefinitely not a Sprint.


It's a Verizon. [emoji23]

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[BMWCurves]

Definitely not a Sprint.


It's a Verizon. [emoji23]

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https://i.imgur.com/RUJUPXR.gif

[danewilson77]

https://i.imgur.com/RUJUPXR.gif:rofl

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[az3579]

This one's for you, Shawn. I know how much you love seeing this. [emoji23]

2018-06-05 -- 300,094 -- Oil top up, 1 quart (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40)

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[az3579]

Here's a tale about some brake rotors... and other stuff.



Track season is upon us, and with that comes maintenance! Due to the high demands of track usage, it came time again to replace my rotors, after having just done the fronts in January 2017. This time, however, I wasn't so lucky; I had to replace both front and rear rotors. That would be quite an expensive endeavor normally, but this year is quite different...

The Wilwood kit I have now came with M3 rotors, front and rear. The fronts wore out, which I replaced with 330i slotted rotors last January. Why 330 rotors? I really wanted to stick with slotted rotors and FCP didn't carry slotted rotors in M3 fitment. (Let's skip past the pros and cons of slotted/drilled vs blanks - I know all that already; I want the look and pad feel of the slots)

At this point, I had 330 slotted front rotors from FCP (since the original slotted M3 ones that came with the kit wore out) and the original slotted M3 rears that came with the kit. Since I've never purchased rear rotors from FCP, I had to shell out money for a pair of rears. Because of the lack of slotted rotors in M3 fitment, I wanted to look into 330 rear slotted rotors. Unsure of whether 330 rotors would work with my 4-piston Wilwoods, I asked Charlie if I could swap in the rear rotors off his ZHP to test fitment, and he happily obliged. So, in the 90 degree afternoon heat, we swapped rotors, only to find the 330 rotors don't fit. Crap.

This was disappointing, as I didn't want to order mismatching rotors (M3 blanks, for example), so I started brainstorming and came to the conclusion that I would have to purchase a full set of M3 cast-drilled rotors from FCP so everything matches. I could've done it cheaper with blanks, but - I wanted the look in addition to the functionality! I do prefer the look of slotted rotors to drilled ones, but I do still like the drilled ones, so I was about prepared to put the approximately $900 worth of rotors into my cart! I would've hated my credit card bill after that.

I felt defeated. But, that day turned out quite differently.

I had arrived at Charlie's place to test fit rotors. I left with damn near $1200 worth of rotors packed into my car without having spent a dime.

That's right. This guy gave me a full set of M3 euro rotors (cast drilled, semi-floating), with new rears and newish fronts, plus an extra set of used fronts, for nothing. I am completely floored. While it doesn't prevent me from having to buy a full set at some date in the future, this will most certainly hold me over until at least the end of next year, probably into the year after that! Because of Charlie's awesome generosity, I can roll in my "FCP-Never-Buy-This-Shit-Again" plan piece by piece over the next couple of years while I work on wearing these out!

So did I install 'em yet? You bet your sweet Aspercreme I did. It may have been 90 degrees and humid with a fan going, but at least I had a lift to crank right through!

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1825/28357029557_c9d6f32833_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/KcPbWH)IMG_20180704_114951 (https://flic.kr/p/KcPbWH) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/919/42322070965_5c08429f82_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27tRFdH)IMG_20180704_114957 (https://flic.kr/p/27tRFdH) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1806/43177054792_fdd6ce9d58_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28MpG8b)IMG_20180704_115008 (https://flic.kr/p/28MpG8b) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Not only did I get to install some free rotors, but I learned a new trick to hold these rotors in place. M3 rotors use different screws to retain them, and only the fronts line up with my hub. The rears don't line up at all, so I used this handy little trick to hold the rotors in place...
Wheel lug bolt in one of the holes. :cool

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1805/29355093528_b569e5ab7a_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/LJ1wAd)IMG_20180704_125240 (https://flic.kr/p/LJ1wAd) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



The finished product...
Pretty damn sexy if I say so myself.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/836/43226835371_7a0ed19b41_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28RNQa2)IMG_20180704_164817 (https://flic.kr/p/28RNQa2) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/920/42322061035_8769cb109a_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27tRCgv)IMG_20180704_164826 (https://flic.kr/p/27tRCgv) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1761/42322058395_c3e2aed63e_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27tRBtZ)IMG_20180704_173912 (https://flic.kr/p/27tRBtZ) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1826/43226829501_7bf7f11fb5_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28RNNpP)IMG_20180704_173927 (https://flic.kr/p/28RNNpP) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



The brake system also received a nice fresh fluid replacement with Wilwood EXP 600 Plus brake fluid, and I decided to install my brand new PFC 11 brake pads in the front so I wouldn't have to do it in the 90 degree heat on the ground next week!



Finally, some much needed replacement items...

Oil filler cap, as the gasket was completely shot

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1829/28357025457_e9fe8d59bf_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/KcPaJ2)IMG_20180704_155829 (https://flic.kr/p/KcPaJ2) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

And a fuel filler cap, which was getting pretty "squishy" to turn (old on the left, new on the right)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1765/43226829791_ed34b23fcf_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28RNNuP)IMG_20180704_203604 (https://flic.kr/p/28RNNuP) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr



Oh yeah, and a oil change with Brotella T6 5W-40 and a good ol' Mann filter.

Mileage at the time of service was 302,143 miles / 486,253 kilometers.



Thank you Charlie!

[derbo]

Goddamn you are at 302k?!!?!

[RUS_ZHP]

Charlie is the men!
Those M3 drilled rotors look dope!

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[az3579]

Just went to bed these suckers in. Holy crap - I've NEVER had such potent brakes. I thought the PFC 01's were effective as hell... I can module the crap out of these PFC 11's without even hitting ABS, and stop from 60 to nothing in less than 2 seconds. Holy crap!


Goddamn you are at 302k?!!?!

Yeeeeeeaaaahhh bruh... where have you been?

[derbo]

Just went to bed these suckers in. Holy crap - I've NEVER had such potent brakes. I thought the PFC 01's were effective as hell... I can module the crap out of these PFC 11's without even hitting ABS, and stop from 60 to nothing in less than 2 seconds. Holy crap!



Yeeeeeeaaaahhh bruh... where have you been?



Well that reaffirms my decision to go with PFC11 pads on the M3.


Apparently someone is too busy when we chat to tell me your mileage milestones haahhaha.

[johnrando]

Simply awesome!

:bmw

:roundel

:hashbrowns

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[cakM3]

Thank you Charlie!


You’re welcome Botond[emoji41] Least I could do for you after all the help you have given to me over the years [emoji1417][emoji16]

Looks great by the way! [emoji1419]

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[nextelbuddy]

wow thats amazing man. lucky you and pat on the back for Charlie. those calipers could use some love.... kidding lol good deal man.

[az3579]

those calipers could use some love.... kidding lol good deal man.

Actually, they do need some love... I see a rebuild in my future. They're not really designed for the constant street use I put them through, especially for those nasty salty winters. The pad retention bridge screws are getting hard to turn due to the salty crap in the threads, and I had a hard time pushing a couple of the pistons in. Wilwood offers caliper rebuild kits, so one of those may be in my future. When that happens they may get some paint, but I do like the rugged anodized finish that stands up well to abuse, so haven't yet decided on that.

The good news is that everything Wilwood is dirt cheap. The whole caliper itself is only ~$180 with overnight shipping, as I found out the one time I had to replace one!

Their website has been a wealth of information:
https://www.wilwood.com/Calipers/CaliperProd?itemno=120-11132

[ZHPizza]

The good news is that everything Wilwood is dirt cheap. The whole caliper itself is only ~$180 with overnight shipping, as I found out the one time I had to replace one!


Holy crap. Good to know. So if starting from scratch, it would be a mounting bracket + wilwood calipers + fcp rotors/pads = initial investment and you're done buying brakes?

[az3579]

Holy crap. Good to know. So if starting from scratch, it would be a mounting bracket + wilwood calipers + fcp rotors/pads = initial investment and you're done buying brakes?

Yes to almost all of that. Unfortunately FCP does not sell Wilwood 7420 pads (Wilwood Superlite fitment) so I'll always have to buy pads. But, the rotors are definitely covered, once I buy a set to replace the rotors Charlie gave me.

[alexandre]

Mileage at the time of service was 302,143 miles / 486,253 kilometers.

Lol you're way past me now. Glad to know my car isn't blowing up anytime soon :)

Hope you're doing well!

[az3579]

Lol you're way past me now. Glad to know my car isn't blowing up anytime soon :)

Hope you're doing well!

As long as someone doesn't stick some C4 to it, I think you're good. [emoji12]

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[danewilson77]

Looking good Botond. I loved those rotors.

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[az3579]

Looking good Botond. I loved those rotors.

Sent from my SM-G955U using TapatalkThanks Dane!

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[cakM3]

... once I buy a set to replace the rotors Charlie gave me.

I’m not taking these rotors back from you after you’re done with them Botond!! :p


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[az3579]

I’m not taking these rotors back from you after you’re done with them Botond!! [emoji14]


Sent from my iPhoneX using Tapatalk ProYou wouldn't want 'em back anyway after I get done... [emoji6]

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[WOLFN8TR]

Here's a tale about some brake rotors... and other stuff.


I had arrived at Charlie's place to test fit rotors. I left with damn near $1200 worth of rotors packed into my car without having spent a dime.

That's right. This guy gave me a full set of M3 euro rotors (cast drilled, semi-floating), with new rears and newish fronts, plus an extra set of used fronts, for nothing. I am completely floored. While it doesn't prevent me from having to buy a full set at some date in the future, this will most certainly hold me over until at least the end of next year, probably into the year after that! Because of Charlie's awesome generosity, I can roll in my "FCP-Never-Buy-This-Shit-Again" plan piece by piece over the next couple of years while I work on wearing these out!

So did I install 'em yet? You bet your sweet Aspercreme I did. It may have been 90 degrees and humid with a fan going, but at least I had a lift to crank right through!

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1825/28357029557_c9d6f32833_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/KcPbWH)IMG_20180704_114951 (https://flic.kr/p/KcPbWH) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr


IMG_20180704_164826 (https://flic.kr/p/27tRCgv) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1761/42322058395_c3e2aed63e_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/27tRBtZ)IMG_20180704_173912 (https://flic.kr/p/27tRBtZ) by botond.pal (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65070296@N06/), on Flickr


Thank you Charlie!


Wow how nice of Charlie to do that for ya! Love seeing stuff like this, friends helping friends, that's what it's all about. They look great BP Congrats!! :thumbsup

[az3579]

Wow how nice of Charlie to do that for ya! Love seeing stuff like this, friends helping friends, that's what it's all about. They look great BP Congrats!! :thumbsupYes Gary, you know Charlie. [emoji12]

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[cakM3]

Just went to bed these suckers in. Holy crap - I've NEVER had such potent brakes. I thought the PFC 01's were effective as hell... I can module the crap out of these PFC 11's without even hitting ABS, and stop from 60 to nothing in less than 2 seconds. Holy crap!

I rode in Botond’s ZHP this evening and can say his brakes really do grab once he applies his brakes. I mean they really do bite and grab hold... I was impressed...



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[az3579]

2018-06-25 -- 301,285 -- Oil top up, 0.8 liter (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic)

2018-07-04 -- 302,143 -- Oil change (Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic) with filter (Mann 925/4x); replaced rotors front and rear rotors (slightly used OE BMW M3 Euro semi-floating rotors); installed track brake pads (PFC 11 front, Hawk DTC 60 rear); replaced oil filler cap (OE BMW, P/N: 11127832157); replaced fuel filler cap (OEM Rein, P/N: 16117222391); installed track wheels (Apex ARC-8 17x8.5 et40 all around, Hankook Ventus R-S4 255/40-17, using Rotation Schedule 1)

2018-07-14 -- 303,560 -- Oil top up (1 liter, Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic)

2018-07-14 -- 303,598 -- Replaced idler pulley, tensioner pulley, drive belt, tensioner bolt (used parts off spare M54B30)

2018-07-15 -- 303,650 -- Oil top up (1 liter, Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic)

2018-07-15 -- 303,725 -- Oil top up (1 liter, Mobil1 5W-30 Synthetic)

2018-07-18 -- 304,161 -- Swapped to summer tires (Firestone Firehawk Indy 500, 255/35-18 all around, using Rotation Schedule 3);
swapped to street brake pads (Hawk Performance Ceramic all around)

2018-07-21 -- 304,420 -- Oil top up (1 liter, Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 Synthetic); replaced driver's side front door gasket (used spare part)

[704sw]

How’d you like the Hankooks?

Edit: and the PFCs?