peter + zhp = 1, storm = 0 [Archive] - BMW E46 330 ZHP For Sale Forum

slater

02-07-2015, 10:25 PM

i just got home from a 6-hour drive in the snow, which is normally 3.5hrs. it was one of the most intense drives i've ever done. the first 270km (roughly 165 miles) was highway, all snow-covered and rutty with a mix of plows and spinning cars - i saw 3 spin out in front of me!

once i got off the highway (this was after 4.5hrs of intense two-hands-on-the-steering-wheel-at-all-times driving), it got worse. 48km (30 miles) of unplowed roads, with very low visability (i live on lake ontario so we have crazy winds), and once i actually made it to my road, i didn't actually think i was going to make it home as the drifts were insane. i had 2' drifts at the first 30' of my driveway and perhaps 6-7" of fresh snow in the rest, with bigger drifts.

the ZHP was a champ. i am a very experienced snow driver but this was limit-testing at times. i was impressed by the car's balance and also with the michelin x-ice3's, however at the beginning of the journey the car developed a horrible oscillation which i am hoping is a bent wheel, and not a driveshaft issue. my NEW valve cover gasket (OEM BMW) is leaking at the front, too - crap.

some pics... yes, it was THAT kind of storm - snow INSIDE the door jamb! and the snow was up over the fog lights on the front bumper in many spots. also, a pic looking up my driveway, and one of today's acquisition along the way, a like-new BMW trunk mat! (also note the 3" of caked-on snow on the back of the car :) ).

peter

itdnwiwbp

02-08-2015, 07:19 AM

Pretty crazy. Glad you made it safely. Could the oscillation just be snow packed in your wheels throwing them out of balance?

slater

02-08-2015, 07:25 AM

Pretty crazy. Glad you made it safely. Could the oscillation just be snow packed in your wheels throwing them out of balance?

thanks! and no, BTDT... they were totally clean inside and out when i left the house at 9am yesterday morning and it was happening right away - 3.5hrs to our destination, where i checked again and the wheels were clean. then it continued all the way home - fortunately i was driving under 50mph most of the way on the highway and it wasn't super noticeable, whereas above 50mph it gets progressively worse (which could be a bent wheel or a bad CSB, i suppose). the snow build up in the wheels didn't occur until the last 48km of the trip. i'm going to remove them today and clean out and inspect for bends.

i might bring it to a shop nearby with a hoist and have them run it on the hoist so we can check the driveshaft. i'm incredibly busy over the next few weeks and out of town next weekend so i might actually pay someone to fix it. crazy! i do have a new giubo and CSB sitting on the shelf.

peter

fredo

02-08-2015, 07:30 AM

What an adventure ! Glad to hear u arrived ok.

cakM3

02-08-2015, 10:57 AM

That's awesome Peter!!! Too bad you didn't have a GoPro to video the adventure. It must have been incredible!!!

danewilson77

02-08-2015, 11:06 AM

Beast mode. Love it.

"No flamesuit required"

Simmsled

02-08-2015, 04:37 PM

Badass!

i spy M3 seats. hehe

+1 on snow packed wheels causing the oscillation.

alexandre

02-08-2015, 04:49 PM

Love it! Very challenging in eastern canada over the last couple days... I've been aching for an LSD for the last couple days.

ryankokesh

02-08-2015, 06:01 PM

Holy crap. Glad you made it safely. That's definitely the type of drive that'll drive you to drink, lol.

Have been hearing good things about the x-ice 3s lately. Guessing you like them? Thinking that might be my go to next year...

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Stewbie

02-08-2015, 08:13 PM

And that's one of the reasons I left Kingston all those years ago. Come to BC Peter. Its much milder here. :)

slater

02-09-2015, 05:04 AM

That's awesome Peter!!! Too bad you didn't have a GoPro to video the adventure. It must have been incredible!!!

oh man, charlie... it would've been 6 hours long. :) the last hour would've been te most entertaining, especially plowing my road...

Beast mode. Love it.

"No flamesuit required"

yeah, i was pleased that this car could do it. if it can do this... it should be able to handle anything i can throw at it!

What an adventure ! Glad to hear u arrived ok.

thanks fredo! me too!!

Badass!

i spy M3 seats. hehe

+1 on snow packed wheels causing the oscillation.

LOL, yes, you would spy them, wouldn't you? :)

as mentioned above, it's not the snow (as the snow was not present when the oscillation started).

Love it! Very challenging in eastern canada over the last couple days... I've been aching for an LSD for the last couple days.

yeah, i was definitely wanting one on saturday. more traction would be nice. it's a hard $2800 to swallow though (for a quaife). but i have been thinking about it...

Holy crap. Glad you made it safely. That's definitely the type of drive that'll drive you to drink, lol.

Have been hearing good things about the x-ice 3s lately. Guessing you like them? Thinking that might be my go to next year...

Sent from my iPhone

yep, the x-ice3's have been good. on hard-pack they are excellent, in deep stuff they are good, but slushy stuff not-so-good - then again, slushy stuff is likely the hardest to drive in.

And that's one of the reasons I left Kingston all those years ago. Come to BC Peter. Its much milder here. :)

trust me, i have been contemplating it. :) my wife and i were actually discussing on saturday about going away to a warmer climate for a month every winter... like january... as we homeschool our kids and i work from home - we are entirely mobile. definitely thinking about it.

peter

az3579

02-09-2015, 05:53 AM

slater

02-09-2015, 06:06 AM

I also drove 7 hours through the snow last night. No problems, other than people doing 20mph when everyone else is doing 50. Stupid people almost causing accidents... Ugh

Gotta love being able to conquer snow, Peter.

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yep. it's the other folks sometimes that make it more dangerous. SUV folks thinking they're invincible, all-season tires, etc.

peter

johnrando

02-09-2015, 06:36 AM

Plus (what all they said). Beast.

ryankokesh

02-09-2015, 06:56 AM

yep. it's the other folks sometimes that make it more dangerous. SUV folks thinking they're invincible, all-season tires, etc.

peter

That. And don't get me started on semis... :facepalm

3ZHP

02-09-2015, 07:09 AM

Great job guys, I definitely feel your pain. I was born and razed in Buffalo NY, then lived west of Cleveland OH and spent many winter hours lacking that trip through Erie PA. I personally don't know if there's a worse road to travel on in the middle of a heavy snow..

Here's one shared on Facebook from one of my old school buddies in Buffalo. This is what true Great Lakes northerners are all about.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/09/6ce25b7285bd278a7b9673524baf23d2.jpg

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slater

02-09-2015, 07:31 AM

That. And don't get me started on semis... :facepalm

LOL. 'tis true...

Great job guys, I definitely feel your pain. I was born and razed in Buffalo NY, then lived west of Cleveland OH and spent many winter hours lacking that trip through Erie PA. I personally don't know if there's a worse road to travel on in the middle of a heavy snow..

Here's one shared on Facebook from one of my old school buddies in Buffalo. This is what true Great Lakes northerners are all about.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/02/09/6ce25b7285bd278a7b9673524baf23d2.jpg

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guy, that pic is awesome! love it!

i grew up in central VT, where we got tons of snow, to say the least. ironically we get much less here where i live in ontario! we get some lake-effect snow, but not nearly as much as buffalo! enjoy TN. :)

peter

az3579

02-09-2015, 09:56 AM

I might have to compete for most packed on snow right now. lol
Come on Peter, no more car washes this winter; let's see who could accumulate more. :biggrin

slater

02-09-2015, 10:44 AM

I might have to compete for most packed on snow right now. lol
Come on Peter, no more car washes this winter; let's see who could accumulate more. :biggrin

LOL. if the temp ever gets up to freezing i am heading straight for the car wash! :)

slater

02-10-2015, 03:05 PM

update: turns out the oscillation was HIDDEN crap in the wheels. it was sand ice that had built up almost 1" right behind where the wheel spokes meet the barrel of the wheel - i could not see it from the outside (i could see the back 5" of the barrel). only noticed it on the hoist!

peter

cakM3

02-10-2015, 03:15 PM

Love it! Very challenging in eastern canada over the last couple days... I've been aching for an LSD for the last couple days.

You want LSD.....I'm so glad I got LSD for my ZHP ;) Makes for lots of fun driving in the snow :)

slater

02-10-2015, 03:24 PM

You want LSD.....I'm so glad I got LSD for my ZHP ;) Makes for lots of fun driving in the snow :)

i've been seriously contemplating a helical LSD (quaife). perhaps dan @ diffsonline will give alex and i a break if we drive down and get 2 diffs? :) :)

peter

NorCalZman

02-10-2015, 03:37 PM

wow. Does the E46's DSC kick in a lot in that kind of weather?

itdnwiwbp

02-10-2015, 05:01 PM

cakM3

02-10-2015, 05:18 PM

i've been seriously contemplating a helical LSD (quaife). perhaps dan @ diffsonline will give alex and i a break if we drive down and get 2 diffs? :) :)

peter

Look into their quality and longevity. I thought there was a thread discussing failures of quaife diffs recently.....just be sure you're getting a good one :thumbsup

slater

02-10-2015, 05:41 PM

wow. Does the E46's DSC kick in a lot in that kind of weather?

under acceleration, yes - of course, a lot depends on your tires and the amount of throttle you are applying. i have learned how to pull away from a stop in any amount of snow (slush or 5"), and get up through the gears without engaging DSC. it basically means crazy precise throttle control. :) i think an LSD would help significantly as i'd be driving two wheels instead of just one. ;)

under steady-state cruising, no, DSC does not kick in - unless of course you are sliding sideways, then it does. i didn't have any instances of it coming on on the highway the other night. on the unplowed stuff, maybe 2-3 times.

i gotta admit - the DSC system works really, really well. i've been, ahem, experimenting with it off (leaving DTC on) recently and while you can get the rear end out easily with it off... with it on, it sorts everything out nicely. even mid-corner, it will settle the car and allow you to carry on without any drama. amazing.

Glad it was an easy fix!

me too!

Look into their quality and longevity. I thought there was a thread discussing failures of quaife diffs recently.....just be sure you're getting a good one :thumbsup

ben (fenrir) was touting the quaife's longevity recently - it was the OS Giken that was failing.

i've had extremely positive results with quaife in the past - the only thing deterring me at this point is the price tag!

peter

cakM3

02-10-2015, 06:12 PM

under acceleration, yes - of course, a lot depends on your tires and the amount of throttle you are applying. i have learned how to pull away from a stop in any amount of snow (slush or 5"), and get up through the gears without engaging DSC. it basically means crazy precise throttle control. :) i think an LSD would help significantly as i'd be driving two wheels instead of just one. ;)

under steady-state cruising, no, DSC does not kick in - unless of course you are sliding sideways, then it does. i didn't have any instances of it coming on on the highway the other night. on the unplowed stuff, maybe 2-3 times.

i gotta admit - the DSC system works really, really well. i've been, ahem, experimenting with it off (leaving DTC on) recently and while you can get the rear end out easily with it off... with it on, it sorts everything out nicely. even mid-corner, it will settle the car and allow you to carry on without any drama. amazing.

me too!

ben (fenrir) was touting the quaife's longevity recently - it was the OS Giken that was failing.

i've had extremely positive results with quaife in the past - the only thing deterring me at this point is the price tag!

peter

That's right! Thanks for the correction Peter! Just making sure :thumbsup

As they say...... If you want to play, you gotta pay ;)

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NorCalZman

02-10-2015, 07:08 PM

i gotta admit - the DSC system works really, really well. i've been, ahem, experimenting with it off (leaving DTC on) recently and while you can get the rear end out easily with it off... with it on, it sorts everything out nicely. even mid-corner, it will settle the car and allow you to carry on without any drama. amazing.

Jeremy Clarkson specifically called out our DSC system as being pretty amazing in his review, so I have no doubt. I have not had to have it save me (yet) so I don't even know what it feels like when it kicks in and we don't get snow down here so can't use it that way....haha

az3579

02-10-2015, 07:42 PM

wow. Does the E46's DSC kick in a lot in that kind of weather?

Personally I always turn traction control completely off when there's snow on the ground. It always kills the power far too much, making left turns almost impossible. Good clutch/throttle control and winter tires is all you need in the snow. I find when I turn it off, I actually get better traction because sometimes that tiny bit of slip is enough to give it some friction, if that makes sense. If it kills the power, I go nowhere, fast.

slater

02-10-2015, 08:49 PM

Jeremy Clarkson specifically called out our DSC system as being pretty amazing in his review, so I have no doubt. I have not had to have it save me (yet) so I don't even know what it feels like when it kicks in and we don't get snow down here so can't use it that way....haha

you're not pushing it hard enough. :) it comes on in the dry for me!

Personally I always turn traction control completely off when there's snow on the ground. It always kills the power far too much, making left turns almost impossible. Good clutch/throttle control and winter tires is all you need in the snow. I find when I turn it off, I actually get better traction because sometimes that tiny bit of slip is enough to give it some friction, if that makes sense. If it kills the power, I go nowhere, fast.

yeah, i turn it off sometimes for more slip/grip. depends on the surface. if it's slush then DSC-off works better.

i'm loving RWD in the winter, this car does not plow (understeer) in the snow like all of my previous cars (FWD and then AWD).

peter

NorCalZman

02-10-2015, 09:30 PM

you're not pushing it hard enough. :) it comes on in the dry for me!

peter

You're absolutely right. So far the car has had more ability than I have had bravery. I have yet to have the chance to take it someplace safe and really explore its limits. I have really pushed it too. Its not like I am driving like a grandma! Maybe my Kumhos are better than I thought. Oh well, Pilot SS are on the way anyway.

slater

02-11-2015, 05:10 AM

You're absolutely right. So far the car has had more ability than I have had bravery. I have yet to have the chance to take it someplace safe and really explore its limits. I have really pushed it too. Its not like I am driving like a grandma! Maybe my Kumhos are better than I thought. Oh well, Pilot SS are on the way anyway.

PSS? awesome! you will love them.

peter

3ZHP

02-11-2015, 07:27 AM

Personally I always turn traction control completely off when there's snow on the ground. It always kills the power far too much, making left turns almost impossible. Good clutch/throttle control and winter tires is all you need in the snow. I find when I turn it off, I actually get better traction because sometimes that tiny bit of slip is enough to give it some friction, if that makes sense. If it kills the power, I go nowhere, fast.

Are you turning it all the way off (push and hold until the brake light is on) or once were the DSC light comes on? I would run with with it fully egaged or with the DSC light on when I was up north, depending on the situation.

anandoc

02-12-2015, 07:11 AM

slater

02-12-2015, 07:42 AM

Peter, be safe. We had some crazy slippery conditions last night in Ottawa and I was glad to arrive home in one piece. Also seems like your car and mine are developing similar issues. First it was the 'whistling' sound in very cold temperatures and yesterday I also noticed that my brand new OEM VCG (which was replaced in summer, 2014) has started to leak in the front.

hmmm, weird! i noticed that my new valve cover is not sitting flush to the head, just right at the front. kind of odd. i tightened those 3 front valve cover bolts another 1/2 turn, and brake-cleaned off the oil, and went for a drive - no oil seepage yet. it's possible that those new rubber grommet things under the valve cover bolts had 'relaxed' a bit, i suppose...

did you see the little video i made of the whistling? does yours sound like that?

peter

anandoc

02-12-2015, 07:55 AM

did you see the little video i made of the whistling? does yours sound like that?

peter

Could you please post a link to the video? Thanks.

slater

02-12-2015, 08:27 AM

Could you please post a link to the video? Thanks.

here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ_u52yYiRM

anandoc

02-12-2015, 08:47 AM

Yup, thats exactly how mine sounds. However, on some days I have it above 2000 RPM and on other days I have that sound coming at a lower (than 2000) RPM - but it stays the same RPM throughout the drive. The sound seems to go away once the car has warmed up sufficiently. Or maybe it becomes softer and I cannot hear it from the cabin.

az3579

02-12-2015, 09:10 AM

Are you turning it all the way off (push and hold until the brake light is on) or once were the DSC light comes on? I would run with with it fully egaged or with the DSC light on when I was up north, depending on the situation.

All the way off on backroads and around town. I rarely drive on the highway when there's snow (because they usually have it cleared off by the time I get to drive on it), so backroads and around town I drive with it completely off. On the highway, I kept it on this last time I drove on the highway since I don't need to accelerate or turn since I'm keeping steady speed.

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zYx

02-12-2015, 09:16 AM

Whistle related:

It is not uncommon for e46 to have problems with brake booster and non return valve on it. Mine had that problem, but whistling was only when fully hot (in summer) and only on low rpms, strangely not on idle.
Changing the valve cured it: http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E46-Coupe/USA/330Ci-M54/mar2003/browse/brakes/power_brake_unit_depression/ items 4,5,6.

slater

02-12-2015, 09:16 AM

slater

02-12-2015, 09:18 AM

It is not uncommon for e46 to have problems with brake booster and non return valve on it. Mine had that problem, but whistling was only when fully hot (in summer) and only on low rpms, strangely not on idle.
Changing the valve cured it: http://bmwfans.info/parts-catalog/E46-Coupe/USA/330Ci-M54/mar2003/browse/brakes/power_brake_unit_depression/ items 4,5,6.

hmm. i'll inspect that again. thanks for your input!

peter