William's 330Ci ZHP Maintenance and Project Thread

[Sockethead]

One thing I noticed when I did my valve cover a couple of weeks ago is that the bolts are positive stop. In other words, they have a shoulder so you can only tighten them so far. The thing that keeps pressure on the gasket is the grommets under the bolt washers. If you don't replace these and you have seepage after swapping the gasket, that is most likely the reason...

[BMWCurves]

One thing I noticed when I did my valve cover a couple of weeks ago is that the bolts are positive stop. In other words, they have a shoulder so you can only tighten them so far. The thing that keeps pressure on the gasket is the grommets under the bolt washers. If you don't replace these and you have seepage after swapping the gasket, that is most likely the reason...

Interesting. When I asked the Mafia for advice on the VANOS and VCG jobs, most of you mentioned replacing the bolts, washers, and rubber grommets, so I'm glad I did.

[danewilson77]

If you don't replace these.....

You're speaking to the grommets, correct?

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[Sockethead]

Yes, the compression of the grommets is what compresses the the valve cover. That is their only purpose, they don't seal against vacuum leakage or oil leakage. the valve cover gasket itself does that...

[slater]

Yes, the compression of the grommets is what compresses the the valve cover. That is their only purpose, they don't seal against vacuum leakage or oil leakage. the valve cover gasket itself does that...

exactly. and they are pretty cheap, i think.... $1/each?

[BMWCurves]

I was fiddling around with my flashlight in my glovebox to confirm it has male pins so that I could potentially replace it with an extra power outlet like this one on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-Glove-Box-Black-Flashlight-Auxiliary-Power-Adapter/122664462870?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I discovered that my battery must be nuked in my flashlight because it lasted all of about 7 seconds. Which led me to look at replacing the battery and then this DIY guide on making it a bright LED light. Has anyone replaced the battery on theirs, or gone down the rabbit hole and done a full LED retrofit?

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1021651

[Sockethead]

That's really cool... That would be a good winter project if my car to do list wasn't as long as my arm...
My flashlight was dead as hell when I checked it like a year ago... I wonder if I threw it out hmm..

[BMWCurves]

That's really cool... That would be a good winter project if my car to do list wasn't as long as my arm...
My flashlight was dead as hell when I checked it like a year ago... I wonder if I threw it out hmm..

I'm considering doing it just to learn some electrical stuff.

[holyc0w]

That would be nice if those guys doing the change were still selling them. :D

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 59,4xx

Bit the bullet and bought Turner Motorsport's Power Pulley Kit while it was 20% off (Link (https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-340397-turner-motorsport-power-pulley-kit-e46-325i330i/?pdk=BAE)).

Several times in the past I have tried to verify who manufactured my alternator because the Turner Power Pulley Kit specified an alternator-specific pulley. Each time however, I failed because the sticker on the back only had a BMW logo. Tonight though:

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

I finally struck gold/stopped being dumber than a bag of rocks and saw the Bosch name raised on part of the plastic above the sticker. So I ordered the Turner pulleys with a Bosch alternator pulley.

[Sockethead]

Good purchase! I hope you notice a difference like I did with the UUC pulleys. I think Ryan verified on the dyno that they do actually add HP

[BMWCurves]

Good purchase! I hope you notice a difference like I did with the UUC pulleys. I think Ryan verified on the dyno that they do actually add HP

Yeah, the logic behind them seems sound. It's just a matter if I'll notice and/or continue to notice once they've been on for a while. Any reason you chose UUC over Turner?

I no longer really notice the regained hp/tq from the VANOS seals I replaced, so more likely than not I'll stop noticing the power pulleys. But at under $200, it's the cheapest I've seen them new in a LONG time.

[Sockethead]

I went with UUC because I didn't want to under drive the Alternator...

[ZHPizza]

Hey.

Proud of you.

You finally bought the damn pulleys.


I had a lot of trouble finding the alternator brand too. It's pretty easy to take off FYI. I thought the pulley install was really easy overall. Just be sure to tap the brass nut back in the alternator before you try to reinstall it.

And don't worry about underdriving the alternator. I was concerned and talked to Turner about it and they said that they had been using them for 20 years with zero reported issues. Butt toasters, brights, and blaring stereo can all run at the same time without issue.

[Newjack]

Mileage: 59,4xx

Bit the bullet and bought Turner Motorsport's Power Pulley Kit while it was 20% off (Link (https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-340397-turner-motorsport-power-pulley-kit-e46-325i330i/?pdk=BAE)).

Several times in the past I have tried to verify who manufactured my alternator because the Turner Power Pulley Kit specified an alternator-specific pulley. Each time however, I failed because the sticker on the back only had a BMW logo. Tonight though:

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

I finally struck gold/stopped being dumber than a bag of rocks and saw the Bosch name raised on part of the plastic above the sticker. So I ordered the Turner pulleys with a Bosch alternator pulley.

I have the Turner pulleys and bought them on sale in the summer. By far the best upgrade to the car in terms of performance. It doesn't feel as "laggy" of heavy anymore. The motor feels like it wants to rev and get going. Definitely better than the shark injector which was great for a couple days before it defaults back to stock.

[holyc0w]

Definitely better than the shark injector which was great for a couple days before it defaults back to stock.

That sounds familiar. The most noticeable thing was the dme adaptations reset, and after that came back I wasn't sure about the rest of the effects.

[Newjack]

That sounds familiar. The most noticeable thing was the dme adaptations reset, and after that came back I wasn't sure about the rest of the effects.

It sucked man. Right after the install I could tell it had more power and the car felt like it was pulling stronger. The problem was this was in Ohio and on the way back I had the 4 winter wheels in my car, so there was a lot of extra weight and I couldn't really tell if it was a placebo or not. After getting home I noticed it less and less and now it feels normal again, along with my 4k dip coming back...

[BMWCurves]

Mileage update:


2017 starting mileage: 55,884
2017 ending mileage: 59,670
Total mileage: 3,786*

*Includes being in storage from January to late June.

Other minor updates:


A few weeks ago, I cut a curb too close and caused a pretty darn large scratch on the passenger side skirt near the rear wheel. The corner of the curb was broken and one piece stuck out beyond my field of view and I just nicked it. Very frustrating. I think at some point I'm going to have to have that side skirt, along with the front bumper, repainted.
I took my car up to Snohomish, WA to look at a winter beater for my father and did the trip. He didn't end up buying the beater but my car ran like a top up and back. Also took a trip out the coast and back, no issues there either
I drove briefly with my sister's winter studs on my car so I could get to work last week. It is making me want a LSD even more, it was a close call not being able to get up my out of my hill.
Coming in the mail: Turner Power Pulleys and a center relocation bracket so I can install and test out my Xtrons head unit.
Also needs to be done: oil change and warranty my wiper blades. I'm planning to try out Liqui Moly 5W-40 oil.

[fredo]

Sorry to hear about the scratch. At least it's on the passenger side and you don't need to see it every time you enter the car.

[BMWCurves]

Sorry to hear about the scratch. At least it's on the passenger side and you don't need to see it every time you enter the car.

Is what it is.

https://i.imgur.com/NgX4EOV.gif

[704sw]

http://media.giphy.com/media/5MKhiIHdjtYje/giphy.gif

(By now I expect everyone here knows how ridiculous it is for me to try making light of it)

[slater]

A few weeks ago, I cut a curb too close and caused a pretty darn large scratch on the passenger side skirt near the rear wheel. The corner of the curb was broken and one piece stuck out beyond my field of view and I just nicked it. Very frustrating. I think at some point I'm going to have to have that side skirt, along with the front bumper, repainted.
I took my car up to Snohomish, WA to look at a winter beater for my father and did the trip. He didn't end up buying the beater but my car ran like a top up and back. Also took a trip out the coast and back, no issues there either
I drove briefly with my sister's winter studs on my car so I could get to work last week. It is making me want a LSD even more, it was a close call not being able to get up my out of my hill.

bummer about the scratch. i did something similar to the lower passenger side of my front bumper on the Touring, about 2 months after getting it painted. stupid. having it repainted this spring/summer, along with probably the entire rest of the car......

agreed on the LSD - it makes the car so much more usable in the snow. the downside is.... if you can call it a downside... you just want to drive sideways all the time.

[704sw]

the downside is.... if you can call it a downside... you just want to drive sideways all the time.

That doesn’t sound like a downside to me.

[slater]

That doesn’t sound like a downside to me.

it is when there's other traffic on the road. :)

[704sw]

it is when there's other traffic on the road. :)

Your car is Japanrot. This “other traffic” should know to watch out [emoji6]

[slater]

Your car is Japanrot. This “other traffic” should know to watch out [emoji6]

LOL, agreed. :)

[johnrando]

Lol.

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[BMWCurves]

Some new updates:

The passenger side mirror is no longer responding to my mirror control, nor is it performing downward tilt when the car is in reverse. I discovered it this morning when I looked over and my passenger mirror was all the way up. Not sure what that's about, as it was definitely working a week ago. I also noted that my driver's side mirror, which does respond to the mirror switch, does not react to my seat position memory button. Hmmm...
The upper bolt/screw/reverse-torx looking thing that holds on my driver's side door is loose.
I have an appointment on Tuesday to have the front right hub threading retapped because I inadvertently cross-threaded it (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?11957-The-Random-E46-ZHP-Question-Thread&p=550557#post550557) :facepalm I plan to have my indy look into the top two items while it's there.

[slater]

Some new updates:

The passenger side mirror is no longer responding to my mirror control, nor is it performing downward tilt when the car is in reverse. I discovered it this morning when I looked over and my passenger mirror was all the way up. Not sure what that's about, as it was definitely working a week ago. I also noted that my driver's side mirror, which does respond to the mirror switch, does not react to my seat position memory button. Hmmm...
The upper bolt/screw/reverse-torx looking thing that holds on my driver's side door is loose.
I have an appointment on Tuesday to have the front right hub threading retapped because I inadvertently cross-threaded it (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?11957-The-Random-E46-ZHP-Question-Thread&p=550557#post550557) :facepalm I plan to have my indy look into the top two items while it's there.


bummer about the mirror. i'm curious to hear the outcome, because i've got an inop passenger mirror on the Touring, and both mirrors inop on the X3.

for the last two items - go pick up an E8-E12 torx socket set and an M12x1.5 tap - they'll be handy to have later on (especially the torx sockets). retapping the hub for the wheel bolt should be pretty easy - maybe a 5min job.

[anandoc]

Some new updates:

The passenger side mirror is no longer responding to my mirror control, nor is it performing downward tilt when the car is in reverse. I discovered it this morning when I looked over and my passenger mirror was all the way up. Not sure what that's about, as it was definitely working a week ago. I also noted that my driver's side mirror, which does respond to the mirror switch, does not react to my seat position memory button. Hmmm...


If you have PA Soft, pull the codes. The GM module should have something logged for the mirrors. I know mine did when my driver's side mirror motor crapped out leaving my passenger side mirror in-op.

[johnrando]

Hope that fixes it.

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[BMWCurves]

bummer about the mirror. i'm curious to hear the outcome, because i've got an inop passenger mirror on the Touring, and both mirrors inop on the X3.

for the last two items - go pick up an E8-E12 torx socket set and an M12x1.5 tap - they'll be handy to have later on (especially the torx sockets). retapping the hub for the wheel bolt should be pretty easy - maybe a 5min job.

Ah, you see, I would...but as soon as I know my car's going into the shop, I think to myself "what other easy stuff can I slide in there?" Since my mechanic is pretty darn nice, I do not foresee him charging for the door at all. Out of curiosity, where else are torque sockets necessary on an E46?


If you have PA Soft, pull the codes. The GM module should have something logged for the mirrors. I know mine did when my driver's side mirror motor crapped out leaving my passenger side mirror in-op.

I did, see below:

Codes pulled via PA Soft on 01/07/18:

https://i.imgur.com/TiIQduI.png

https://i.imgur.com/sMbIoMT.png

https://i.imgur.com/JGIUP8j.png

https://i.imgur.com/JCRBMFi.png

https://i.imgur.com/YDynrGU.png

https://i.imgur.com/ihiCvy2.png

On the last one, notably all the car is stating is that the passenger mirror is not responding. I have noticed as well that while my seat position memory works for the seat position itself, the memory does not work for the mirror position i.e. if I push out the functioning driver's side mirror and press the memory button, the mirror does not return to the appropriate memory position. Furthermore, my passenger mirror has been working intermittently, and when it does, then the seat memory does affect the mirror position. Not sure what to make of that.

Any info on some of the other codes would be helpful as well

[704sw]

E-Torx is found on steering guibo, diff-to-driveshaft, diff-to-axles, front subframe (I think), etc.

[BMWCurves]

E-Torx is found on steering guibo, diff-to-driveshaft, diff-to-axles, front subframe (I think), etc.

Had no idea that's what they're called. You learn something new every day.

[704sw]

Had no idea that's what they're called. You learn something new every day.

https://media.tenor.com/images/e529f1a19b4a66af77f6cfa125297cde/tenor.gif

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 59,853

Weeeehehehehell...

Took the car the shop. First, so glad I let my mechanic do it because it ended up taking them more than an hour to re-tap the cross-threaded hub. Real pain the poo chute apparently despite being only the first 1mm of threading that was the issue. But it's on there, torques down the spec, and fits with the bevel of my wheel. Second, they got the door bolt down tight fo free. Third, my mechanic was not sure off the top of his head what would be the source of my passenger mirror issue. He didn't have a lot of time so I didn't press him but he said he would look into it when he has some time. So, for now I'll have to live with out reverse-tilt function like a plebe:

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

Fourth, I love shooting the breeze with my mechanic. He told me about a few of the cars that were in: one had a snapped rear suspension spring that the owner's wife had driven on for 3 years. Another was a E36 325is that had been through the business starting with an engine swap because the current engine "lost power once it warmed up" which was attributed to loss of compression from bent valves. A third was in for a suspension refresh (less exciting).

[Vas]

I have the Mirror tilt down turned off. Never found it useful and one less thing to break lol

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[ZHPizza]

Time to join the backup cam generation fam

[BMWCurves]

I have the Mirror tilt down turned off. Never found it useful and one less thing to break lol

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I find it super useful. No car I have driven with that function has curbed right rear wheels.


Time to join the backup cam generation fam

Never!



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[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 59,869

Today I installed the Turner Motorsport Power Pulley Kit that I ordered when it was on sale back in December. Installation was relatively straight forward; I used both the instructions that were included with the kit itself, which weren't that helpful because Turner was trying to cover as many different BMW models in a single set of instructions so the specifics were scarce, and this DIY guide online:

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141297

Some installation notes:

I ordered mine with the Bosch alternator pulley because, well, I have a Bosch alternator. Who woulda thunk?
I tackled the alternator first because I figured if I couldn't get that off or ran into an issue, then it wasn't worth trying to go back to stock for the other parts.
Getting the alternator off wasn't too tough. It definitely helped to bang on the bottom bolt to push the sleeve back, or else you'll be stuck yanking the alternator back and forth and possibly damaging the mounting points (more easily visualized here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrEehjM5tgQ&t=6m19s).
I took the alternator pulley off with a few shots of my impact wrench. I added some loctite, but I have no idea how to torque the nut down to 44 ft-lbs because the whole thing spins freely. I tried sticking a screw driver through to lock up the vanes a la ZHPizza's redneck style, but it just bent the vane as I tried torquing the nut down. So I settled for thread locker and a few shots of my impact wrench.
I had a similar problem tightening the power steering pulley to spec (16 ft-lbs). Even with the belt in place, it would spin. I think I got it to "tight enough" but it is a little disconcerting that I couldn't get the bolts tighter.
The factory alternator pulley is heavy, much heavier than the larger Turner alternator pulley.
UPDATE: After initial difficulty getting the power steering and alternator pulleys torqued down to spec, I was able to torque down everything using Hornung418, Sockethead, and ZHPizza's suggestions for good techniques (Link (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?15714-William-s-330Ci-ZHP-Maintenance-and-Project-Thread/page80), essentially the posts of the next page). It boiled down to using a screw driver against the bolts to hold the power steering pulley in place as I torqued each bolt, and pinching the alternator pulley in place with my old belt and vice grips.

Impressions:
I'll save this section when I have more seat time, but I took it out for a spin and couldn't say I noticed too much of a difference. Paradoxically, the steering feels more boosted than before the installation, when it should be the other way around. Not sure if it's just in my head (most likely) or there's something to it that I'm missing.

Some installation pictures:
Alternator off and factory pulley removed:
https://i.imgur.com/4vK3tIK.jpg

Comparison of the Turner alternator pulley (left) and factory alternator pulley
https://i.imgur.com/7CV2z3d.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0T4dFJ9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FNMG8Kw.jpg

Comparison of the Turner water pump pulley (left) and ECS Tuning aluminum water pump pulley (right). The ECS/factory pulley could fit inside the back of the Turner pulley.
https://i.imgur.com/W2sO80L.jpg

Mostly buttoned up. Installed Turner water pump pulley (red), power steering pulley (green), and alternator pulley (yellow)
https://i.imgur.com/SjTi06z.jpg

[BMWCurves]

Torquing questions for you folks:

What is a good way to torque down the power steering pulley bolts if it's slipping even with the belt in place?
What is a good way to torque down the alternator pulley nut for basically the issues as the previous question?

[Hornung418]

Torquing questions for you folks:

What is a good way to torque down the power steering pulley bolts if it's slipping even with the belt in place?
What is a good way to torque down the alternator pulley nut for basically the issues as the previous question?
Take a stiff piece of metal and lock the pulley with two of the three bolts and torque the third, revolve and repeat til torqued.

Use an impact for the alternator. The pulley is held in place strictly by clamping forces. You'll want to find a way to lock the rotor from spinning as that is what the pulley drives. Couple ugga duggas should bring it snug so you can finish it with a torque wrench.

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[Sockethead]

For the pulley bolts, I just held the pulley with my hand and tightened with an air ratchet. If you look at the torque specs for those bolts, it's really low. I've never had a pulley come loose and I've had those pulleys on and off at least a half dozen times in the the last 8 years...

[ZHPizza]

Take a stiff piece of metal and lock the pulley with two of the three bolts and torque the third, revolve and repeat til torqued.

oh yeahhh

https://i.stack.imgur.com/43uzG.jpg

explanation: https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/18725/how-do-you-normally-screw-unscrew-bolts-on-the-type-of-belt-pulleys-that-has-3-4


Use an impact for the alternator. The pulley is held in place strictly by clamping forces. You'll want to find a way to lock the rotor from spinning as that is what the pulley drives. Couple ugga duggas should bring it snug so you can finish it with a torque wrench.

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oh yeahhh

http://syclone.motocrew.com/CG5/pulleyset/pulley8big.jpg

[BMWCurves]

Thanks for the suggestions, gentleman! I will attempt these tomorrow.

Side note: does the power steering pump assembly have some give to it? When I tightened down the bolts yesterday as best I could, the pulley itself was snug against the assembly, but it seems the shaft that it spins on has 1-2mm of play perpendicular to the direction of rotation.

[BMWCurves]

Thanks to you fellows, I got everything torqued down yesterday. I still couldn't get my alternator to be torqued to sped because using a torque wrench was effectively tearing the old, but perfectly good, serpentine belt to the point I might damage it while it was held with vice grips. That said, I put a fair amount of thread locker on there and gave it several "ugga duggas" with the impact wrench, which were more effective than the first time I put it on there. It was also as tough to get it off this time as the first time, so I'm confident it's on there tightly now.

[RUS_ZHP]

Thanks for sharing your experience of installing power pulley kit. I bought one as well during the sale and will be installing it soon and will refer to your thread and other people suggestions.

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[BMWCurves]

Thanks for sharing your experience of installing power pulley kit. I bought one as well during the sale and will be installing it soon and will refer to your thread and other people suggestions.

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Yup! Some DIYs don't list it, but I'd remove the airbox for ease of access to the alternator. Also, definitely use some copper-based anti-seize on the back of the water pump and power steering pulleys (especially around the lip of the center hole of the power steering pulley).

[RUS_ZHP]

Thanks. I am actually going to change water pump as well.

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[BMWCurves]

Hit a milestone today:

https://i.imgur.com/Z4sWWU1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/F1pfnKR.gif

https://i.imgur.com/rOkImDS.jpg

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

MRW I realize my car is now worth a little more than a tenner:

https://i.imgur.com/FlX5X8H.gif

It was an emotional rollercoaster

[RUS_ZHP]

Congrats on the milestone! 60k - it's a brand new car in my mind.

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[johnrando]

+1

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[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 61,242

Yesterday I changed the oil with a ~6.5 liters of Shell Rotella T6 5W40 oil and a MANN filter, o-ring, and crush washer.

Also gave her a much deserved bath, although it's now covered in pollen again so that was an exercise in futility.

[Whammy]

Nice!!

[704sw]

Welcome to the Brotherhood of Rotella.

[slater]

Welcome to the Brotherhood of Rotella.

The Brotellagade.

[Cadeez]

Also gave her a much deserved bath, although it's now covered in pollen again so that was an exercise in futility.

Haha ain't that the truth! I hate this time of year, and now that I have a dark car...I hate it even more. luckily we're in for some rain this weekend to hopefully knock all that nasty pollen out of the trees

[BMWCurves]

Haha ain't that the truth! I hate this time of year, and now that I have a dark car...I hate it even more. luckily we're in for some rain this weekend to hopefully knock all that nasty pollen out of the trees

...and onto my car haha. I’ve given up at the moment.


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[Cadeez]

...and onto my car haha. I’ve given up at the moment.

Precisely. Attempting to clean your car now is a waste of time. My neighborhood is covered with those damn pollen trees, it's insane.

[Sockethead]

Just don't let it accumulate in the door jams from rain, etc. I did that once and it was like concrete trying to get it off

[BMWCurves]

Just don't let it accumulate in the door jams from rain, etc. I did that once and it was like concrete trying to get it off

I moved my grandmother's car today and it's been sitting for months which has included cycles of pollen and rain. The wipers were nothing short of glued to the windshield. I had to physically tear them out of their stuck position.

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 62,307


Refreshed the front roundel after the clear coat had started cracking (not sure why). I got it as a bundle for two since the roundel on my sister's 330Xi was really bad.
Checked the oil level since having changed the oil a few weeks ago with Rotella T6 and a low level oil light was triggered on Sunday. Sitting just a smidge below full.
Topped off the coolant with distilled water.

[san]

Mileage: 62,307


Refreshed the front roundel after the clear coat had started cracking (not sure why). I got it as a bundle for two since the roundel on my sister's 330Xi was really bad.
Checked the oil level since having changed the oil a few weeks ago with Rotella T6 and a low level oil light was triggered on Sunday. Sitting just a smidge below full.
Topped off the coolant with distilled water.


How many miles between the oil change and the yellow light trigger?


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[slater]

How many miles between the oil change and the yellow light trigger?


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I’m guessing it’s a faulty sensor as he said the level was just below full...


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[san]

I’m guessing it’s a faulty sensor as he said the level was just below full...


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Ah I thought he added oil and now it’s a smudge near full. Didn’t think it would be a faulty sensor as he replaced it recently...


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[BMWCurves]

How many miles between the oil change and the yellow light trigger?

I’m guessing it’s a faulty sensor as he said the level was just below full...

San is correct, I changed my sensor only last year if memory serves. The oil light went on approximately two months after I changed it. I'm not concerned, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I live on a hill and no matter what direction I go I have to go downhill for a solid 5 minutes, which probably pushes oil away from the sensor in the oil pan, giving a higher chance for triggering a false positive for low oil

[Sockethead]

My oil light came on soon after I swapped it too... because it was low on oil :)

[san]

My oil level sensor is a little weird. It’s accurate when it comes on and it’s usually half a quart low. But the light doesn’t come on if I drive too little or too much. If I drive a mile or two it doesn’t come on even if the oil level is low and it doesn’t come on if I drive more than 30 miles or so. So if I’m making only trips more than 30 miles, then my oil level sensor won’t tell me that the oil is low. I can understand it not coming on when I haven’t driven enough cause it’s probably the intended design to prevent a false fail.


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[Sockethead]

I noticed this behavior in my car as well... it's always after a longish trip that is comes on

[ZHPizza]

I think the dipstick is a crap measurement on these cars. I went through the same ordeal -- yellow oil light comes on after shutting off the car, check the dipstick, level is perfect, wtf, repeat. I finally changed the sensor thinking that it was faulty, but noticed that I only drained maybe 5 quarts of oil when I was doing it...dipstick still read normal...fudge

[slater]

Ah I thought he added oil and now it’s a smudge near full. Didn’t think it would be a faulty sensor as he replaced it recently...

ahh heck, i had no idea... oops. :)



San is correct, I changed my sensor only last year if memory serves. The oil light went on approximately two months after I changed it. I'm not concerned, I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I live on a hill and no matter what direction I go I have to go downhill for a solid 5 minutes, which probably pushes oil away from the sensor in the oil pan, giving a higher chance for triggering a false positive for low oil

yeah, i guess that's possible. does it to it in your sister's car under the same conditions?

[BMWCurves]

I think the dipstick is a crap measurement on these cars. I went through the same ordeal -- yellow oil light comes on after shutting off the car, check the dipstick, level is perfect, wtf, repeat. I finally changed the sensor thinking that it was faulty, but noticed that I only drained maybe 5 quarts of oil when I was doing it...dipstick still read normal...fudge

Yup. I just keep it at the top of the range on the dipstick and assume it’s good enough.


yeah, i guess that's possible. does it to it in your sister's car under the same conditions?

Not that I know of but she doesn’t visit my folks’ place that often so I’m not sure. What’s interesting is my father has mentioned the same issue, but it’s more rare than in my car (maybe once every 3-4 months vs my ~1 month)


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[holyc0w]

I think the dipstick is a crap measurement on these cars. I went through the same ordeal -- yellow oil light comes on after shutting off the car, check the dipstick, level is perfect, wtf, repeat. I finally changed the sensor thinking that it was faulty, but noticed that I only drained maybe 5 quarts of oil when I was doing it...dipstick still read normal...fudge

My oil changes usually only come up with a bit over 5 quarts too. I wonder if the dipstick could lose accuracy as it ages.

[san]

My oil changes usually only come up with a bit over 5 quarts too. I wonder if the dipstick could lose accuracy as it ages.

If the dipstick was removed to change the o ring or for whatever reason and it wasn’t seated properly even by a few mm, that can cause quite a big variation in its reading. Left alone I can’t see how it would lose it accuracy.


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[Sockethead]

That's a very good point San!

[az3579]

Every oil change I do ends up taking between 6-7 quarts (oil filter takes some in as well). What are you guys doing?? lol



My oil changes usually only come up with a bit over 5 quarts too. I wonder if the dipstick could lose accuracy as it ages.

I actually chuckled when I read this. :)



Just for everyone's reference, the manual states that the vehicle's engine should be warmed up and checked a few minutes after shutting the motor off.

The exact text is as follows. As obvious as it may seem, there are a couple of points that some people miss, mainly Steps 1 and 2.

Checking the oil level
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface
2. Switch the engine off after it has reached normal operating temperature
3. After approx. 5 minutes, pull the dipstick out and wipe it off with a clean lint-free cloth, paper towel, or similar material
4. Carefully push the dipstick all the way into the guide tube and pull it out again
5. The oil level should be between the two marks on the dipstick.


I only bring this up because for years I would check my oil level when the engine was completely cold. This is how I thought you were supposed to check it, but then I read that in the manual and scratched my head. My garage floor is pretty level, but not entirely (car rolls slightly in neutral), so that could potentially mess with a reading as well.

[holyc0w]

I only bring this up because for years I would check my oil level when the engine was completely cold. This is how I thought you were supposed to check it, but then I read that in the manual and scratched my head. My garage floor is pretty level, but not entirely (car rolls slightly in neutral), so that could potentially mess with a reading as well.

Did you check if there was a difference when doing it cold versus warm?

[az3579]

Did you check if there was a difference when doing it cold versus warm?

There does seem to be a difference. Unfortunately the difference isn't consistent... sometimes it shows more when cold, sometimes it shows more when warm. It's really weird.

Using logic, I'd imagine checking it warm would show a lesser amount. Therefore, I go with the warm measurement, because I'd rather have a touch more in there than a touch less (since my car uses a lot of oil in general).

[Sockethead]

Technically warm would show more due to the expansion of the fluid. I think depends more on how long you wait to check after turning off the engine... It takes a while for everything to drop back into the pan

[az3579]

Technically warm would show more due to the expansion of the fluid. I think depends more on how long you wait to check after turning off the engine... It takes a while for everything to drop back into the panOil being sucked up into various places is why I would have thought it to show less. Interesting point you bring.

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[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 64,659

Not too much to report. I put ~1,000 miles on the clock over the past few days during Fall Break and the car ran like clockwork. I drove down from Portland to Bend, then up to Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands in Washington. Averaged about 31+ mpg to Bend and back, and about 25 mpg to San Juans and back (a lot of puttering around Orcas hurt the mileage). It was a very nice break from med school.

Other odds and ends I may or may not have mentioned:

Having recently sold my interior and having an infusion of cash, I'm finally considering replacing the cracked windshield. The growth of the crack has stopped so I don't think there's eminent danger of it getting worse, and as a result there's no rush to get it fixed (other than the constant, glaring reminder of it every time I get in the car). I need to call around to BMW dealerships and see who they use for replacement windshields (or any suggestions you guys have).
The car is filthy. I haven't had time with school to wash it or basically do much of anything for it. Hopefully next weekend.
I scratched the front passenger wheel thanks to parallel parking in a "construction area" on some gravel that was actually very loose and the gravel gave way, causing the whole car to slide into the side walk :facepalm
My maintenance spreadsheet shows every basic scheduled maintenance item is up to date except for a brake fluid flush, and I'm probably due to rotate the tires (every 5k miles).
I plan to "store" this car at my folks' place and test out using my grandmother's Honda Civic (2006, 14k miles) since parking at my apartment is street parking and my car just gets filthy sitting there. But that process may take a while with limited free time.

[fredo]

Good to hear, man. 2006 Civic with 14k miles ?!?! Amazing.

[ZHPizza]

Glad you're still driving the whip bruh

Find you an independent windshield guy (not Safelite, etc) and ask him if he can get Pilkington glass for a BMW. That's the OEM stuff and not much more expensive than the recycled trash glass that Safelite uses.

[BMWCurves]

Good to hear, man. 2006 Civic with 14k miles ?!?! Amazing.

It's lived a very rough 14k miles with my grandmother behind the wheel. Every body panel has some sort of scratch/dent. The left tail light was spray painted a beige color to cover up some stuff. A grandmother original!


Glad you're still driving the whip bruh

Find you an independent windshield guy (not Safelite, etc) and ask him if he can get Pilkington glass for a BMW. That's the OEM stuff and not much more expensive than the recycled trash glass that Safelite uses.

I really had trouble finding a decent independent windshield person around town. One I called refused to use anything but what they wanted, and another wanted $600+. My mechanic said to call local BMW dealerships and see who they contract out with to repair windshield issues and contact them directly.

[ZHPizza]

Yikes do you have the rain sensor? I could see some guys not wanting to bother with that with how finicky they are.

[BMWCurves]

Yikes do you have the rain sensor? I could see some guys not wanting to bother with that with how finicky they are.

I do have a rain sensor, but that never even came up in the conversation.

[BMWCurves]

Mileage on 01/01/18: 59,670.

Mileage on 01/01/19: 66,567.

Total miles driven in 2018: 6,897

[ELCID86]

Bump. [emoji56]

[GotZHP]

Mileage on 01/01/18: 59,670.

Mileage on 01/01/19: 66,567.

Total miles driven in 2018: 6,897

Damn so Jealous of how your miles are. In my BRZ I was on point to set and average of over 20k a year but I totaled it. The ZHP has way less of a commute but still sees about 12k miles a year. The only reason I'm not over 150k yet is because I've been driving my GF's Fiesta ST while the ZHP was getting some much needed TLC.

[BMWCurves]

Four year anniversary! (update)

So not a whole lot has been going on with the car recently (see: just driving it), but it occurred to me that yesterday was my four year anniversary of ownership! Over that period I've driven it 18k+ miles. That might be quite low to a lot of you, but I live relatively close to everything in Portland so my commutes are pretty minimal.

I still am enamored with this car. It's small, light, quick as I need, and as James May says, it gives me all the right "fizzing" sensations. It has its foibles such as rattles, a random day of a Christmas-tree-cluster-itis, and an intermittent, unidentifiable, mild grinding noise on startup, but I love it each and every day. I get thumbs ups every so often from other drivers and everyone that gets a ride remarks how much they like it. I'll never give it up until it stops putting a smile on my face.

Updates: Not too many of note. Medical school has kept me very busy so unfortunately the car gets less and less attention beyond general maintenance.

Oil change: changed the filter, the little green o-rings, and used Shell Rotella T6 5W-40. I sent a sample off to Blackstone for the first time, it'll be interesting to see what they say.
Brake fluid flush: It was due for its annual change. I used ATE SL6-1. I still don't trust myself to get all the bubbles out of the system, so I had my mechanic do it. It was nice excuse to chat with him as well, and get to meet the new mechanic they have over there now. They had a B7 RS4 in for several items that was being covered by some bumper-to-bumper warranty so they were tearing that thing apart.
Rotated tires: I was on my sister's snow tires for about two months out of fear of snow storms, but they never really came to fruition, so I was more just inconvenienced for two months. Whoopie. Downside is that the rear passenger tire of my summer tires is more worn despite them all being inflated the same pressure. Not sure what that's about, but for now it's rotated.

Things that still need to be done:

I purchased an M3 front sway bar off of eBay during some promotion. Now I need to find a Cic rear sway bar and swap both in. Probably won't get to that for a while.
M3 motor mounts. They're two years old at this point and I still haven't installed them.
I still need to replace the windshield. I attempted to repair it myself with one of those sealant kits, but I failed miserably, and potentially made it worse. For now, it's not affecting anything mechanically, just my soul.
Identify various rattles. There's one I know is from the glovebox handle, but haven't had a chance to see how I can fix that. Another sounds like it's coming from the rear passenger wheel area, really hoping nothing is going wrong there.
It desperately needs a paint correction and a ceramic coating, but I'm holding off until the summer.

Other than that, nothing major to report. I'm taking it up to the San Juans tomorrow, so it'll give me a chance to see if any codes I cleared on PASoft will return.

Hope all is well with y'all! I miss checking in with you guys.

[johnrando]

Happy car-aversary!

[san]

M3 motor mounts. They're two years old at this point and I still haven't installed them.


34929


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[ZHPizza]

hay bud miss u

[BMWCurves]

Happy car-aversary!

Thanks! It's surprising to say I've owned the car for four years, I feel like it's been two tops.


34929


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It's on my to do list. I'm sure I'll get to it this weekend...


hay bud miss u

miss u 2 boo

In other news, I just got back from a trip up to the San Juan Islands. The car ran perfectly as usual and was an easy cruise up and back for 98% of it. I was hoping to make it there and back on one tank of gas, but with just 20 miles to go to Portland, I chickened out with 502.2 miles on the trip odometer and got a gallon of gas. My trip computer thought I had 17 miles left in the tank...but traffic in Vancouver was mounting and Google Maps showed a 12 minute increase in ETA in just under two miles so I didn't want to chance it. Got to Portland with 529.7 miles on the odo round trip and decidedly in the reserve tank (total filled was 16.994 gallons). I was texting Trevor and he was egging me on to not be a coward.

[BMWCurves]

Blackstone report came back. Everything looks good except for some high lead. Any idea where that might come from? Blackstone suggests bearing wear.

https://i.imgur.com/gorfmxR.jpg

EDIT: keeping this link for ZHPizza's alignment specs, I'm due for it at some point (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?321-BMW-330-ZHP-alignment-and-data-Pics&p=581687#post581687)

[BMWCurves]

I'm pretty sure I localized out the grinding noise on start up: the VANOS. Sigh.

[fredo]

No bueno. At least you identified the reason.

[BMWCurves]

No bueno. At least you identified the reason.

I'm trying to figure out what the issue is. I replaced the VANOS seals a while ago. And they don't rattle any other time on the rev range, just on start up for about 0.5 seconds. Maybe not getting enough fuel pressure initially?

[ZHPizza]

I'm trying to figure out what the issue is. I replaced the VANOS seals a while ago. And they don't rattle any other time on the rev range, just on start up for about 0.5 seconds. Maybe not getting enough fuel pressure initially?I think it's usually a lack of oil that causes the rattle at startup. @Sreten just did a big project to address that on his M5, but our cars shouldn't have that issue.

Are you sure it's the Vanos? Is it tied to a certain rpm or just time?

[Sreten]

Can you post a video of the startup?

M5 and M54 have totally different Vanos setup and my rattle was caused by oil draining from the Vanos chamber.
Only time I heard Vanos rattle on M54 is when you hold rpms in 1.5-2-3k range.

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[BMWCurves]

I think it's usually a lack of oil that causes the rattle at startup. @Sreten just did a big project to address that on his M5, but our cars shouldn't have that issue.

Are you sure it's the Vanos? Is it tied to a certain rpm or just time?

It's localized, as far as I can tell, to the top front of the engine, right by where the VANOS is.


Can you post a video of the startup?

M5 and M54 have totally different Vanos setup and my rattle was caused by oil draining from the Vanos chamber.
Only time I heard Vanos rattle on M54 is when you hold rpms in 1.5-2-3k range.

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Yeah, I'll try and take a video sometime soon. Would love y'alls input.

[Will]

I'm curious as to the grinding noise you mention that only lasts momentarily upon start up... could it be a pulley/tensioner? Will wait for video.

[BMWM3186]

Tapping for a few seconds as lifters get oil? Mines always done it

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[BMWCurves]

I'm curious as to the grinding noise you mention that only lasts momentarily upon start up... could it be a pulley/tensioner? Will wait for video.

I keep forgetting to take a video, but it is decidedly more pronounced when the front is facing downhill.


Tapping for a few seconds as lifters get oil? Mines always done it

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I wish it were that, this has a much more localized/crunchy sound to it than sticky valves.

FUN UPDATE: I went to Bend this weekend. Made it all the way back to Portland last night without a sign of trouble. I stopped by my folks' place before I headed home for bed. As I was leaving the house and put the car into reverse, it sounded like the center console trim was loose because there was this "clinking" noise. I kept taking it out of reverse and putting it back in to try and isolate the sound, but it sort of went away after I pushed down on the trim so I didn't think too much of it. As I got going, I noticed there was a lot of play in the shifter while in gear, about 1"+. In hindsight I should have pulled over and parked the car where I was, but at the time I thought one of the plastic spacers had cracked and fallen off. When I got to the bottom of the hill and shifted second with traffic, I heard a clink of something metal hitting the road, the shifter just flopped, took a 90 degree turn, and there was a light "wap wap wap" sound coming from the transmission tunnel. The shifter was decidedly not connected to the transmission anymore so I nursed it to the nearest shoulder in front of a motel and parked the car.

After that, I called AAA and had them send a tow truck. I ran out into the road and was lucky enough to find the bolt that connects the shifter to the selector still intact! But I don't know the state of the rest of the shifter parts at the moment. I ended up having the car towed to my local dealership because my father's car is out of commission in the garage where I normally do maintenance, and I need to get back on the road sooner rather than later. New and fun adventures! Mileage is sitting at 69,099 miles.

tl;dr the shifter decided to take a vacation like I did.

Also, a lot of respect for the AAA guy. He was willing to give me a ride back to my apartment for free after dropping my car off at the dealership at 1 AM.

https://i.imgur.com/fBHLhWT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6RUxS0m.jpg

[704sw]

Yikes! That shifter looks like an athlete’s leg after an ankle injury.

[BMWCurves]

Yikes! That shifter looks like an athlete’s leg after an ankle injury.

It's about as floppy!

[ZHPizza]

Gross

[fredo]

Oh, boy. At least this didn't happen in the middle of nowhere. I joined AAA 17 years ago, very happy so far. Hope your car is fixed promptly.

[ZHPizza]

I got a notification that you quoted my post but there's nothing here so you must be practicing witchcraft again

[san]

Could it be because the short shifter you installed was defective?


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[BMWCurves]

I got a notification that you quoted my post but there's nothing here so you must be practicing witchcraft again

https://i.imgur.com/LbsuNv0.gif


Could it be because the short shifter you installed was defective?

Entirely possible, I didn't have the best of luck with UUC. Should be fixed today, though!

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 70,055

I got the car back and the shifter is working great, so no issues there. My mechanic forgot to re-install the splash shield so I need to go back and get it :facepalm

For the Fourth of JulyTM I went up to the San Juan Islands in Puget Sound, which was a nice get away from medical school and everything else! Round trip was 536.7 miles using 18.251 gallons, good for 29.41 mpg. Not bad for sitting in traffic in Portland and Centralia on the way out and Olympia on the way back today. I also crossed 70k miles on the return trip:

https://i.imgur.com/5D8gRKM.jpg

When I filled up back in Portland after the trip, the attendant had trouble getting the pump to stay pumping. He inverted it, turned it sideways, nothing would keep it going until the end when he did it very slowly, so filling took about 10 minutes. I asked if the pump had been acting up and he said he had just filled someone else's car with it without issue. He put the gas cap in but as I drove off my "Check Gas Cap" light came on. I parked the car a few streets down, took out the cap (which was clicked appropriately tight), rotated it, retightened it and got back in, but the light was still there when I turned the car on. I drove to my folks' place and scanned the car using my BMW Scanner, but no codes showed up (see only errors below), so I cleared all errors and turned the car on and the light was off. Any ideas? Does the "Check Gas Cap" light tend to stay on for a while even if there is no present issue? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Errors:
https://i.imgur.com/YNI5IA5.png
https://i.imgur.com/2cc64mV.png
https://i.imgur.com/uI6WdFj.png
https://i.imgur.com/4EYoOgL.png
https://i.imgur.com/3PdeTu0.png
https://i.imgur.com/sKcMk17.png
https://i.imgur.com/sdGWqwe.png

On another note, I will probably in the market for new tires. I'm currently on Continental ExtremeContact DW tires and am looking for a good replacement summer tire. Any suggestions? How do feel about Continental's replacement for the ExtremeContact DW, the ExtremeContact Sport?

Maintenance Items - To Do:

Fix/replace cracked windshield
Remove/replace sagging driver's side c-pillar fabric
Install M3 engine mounts (purchased)
Install M3 front sway bar (purchased), purchase bushings, and purchase 330Ci rear sway bar
Purchase four new summer tires and get four wheel alignment
Identify issue of intermittent non-functioning passenger mirror
Replace VANOS system
Prep for paint correction and ceramic coating

[san]

I think some members replaced their gas caps due to similar if not same issues. I’m thinking Vas...

Re tires: I’ve had firestone Indy 500 tires for over 1k miles now and have been happy with especially considering the price. I had Michelin PSS prior to these and while the 500’s may not be as sticky as, they are more than adequate for street driving...


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[Vas]

I had a similar issue and a new gas cap fixed it for me. Look at your current one and inspect the condition of the seal. If it is dry and cracked, it is worth replacing.

[fredo]

I have ceramic coating ( Optimum Gloss-Coat ) on my F30 and ZHP. I won't do it again. The paint gets water spots easily. Now I need to be careful around sprinklers or when my son plays with water outdoors. My wife's X3 doesn't have ceramic coating and I don't see the issue on that vehicle.

In the future, I will apply sealant only.

[YoitsTmac]

I will also vouch for the Indy 500 value for money. Tons of auto x and a track day on mine. They did 20k ish HARD miles. The general Gmax RS get very greasy in rough driving and have a soft sidewall. I have those on 18’s and it feels softer than the Indy’s on 17’s. Depends on what you’re looking for in a tire

[ELCID86]

I had a similar issue and a new gas cap fixed it for me. Look at your current one and inspect the condition of the seal. If it is dry and cracked, it is worth replacing.

Could also be a vacuum leak if this doesn’t fix it.

[BMWCurves]

My cabin fan has been squeaking for a while now. I remember reading a ways back that the X3 fan (64113453729, $95) fits the E46 and is much cheaper than the E46 fan (64113453729, $275). That still seems to hold, but does anyone have any alternatives?

[ZHPizza]

The ebay listing that I bought this one from is no longer active :(

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?19536-ZHPizza-s-red-car&p=547875#post547875

But this looks to be the same thing, so go wild bruh

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-AC-A-C-Heater-Blower-Motor-Assembly-fit-BMW-E46-323-330-325-64118372797/271655775554

[BMWCurves]

The ebay listing that I bought this one from is no longer active :(

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?19536-ZHPizza-s-red-car&p=547875#post547875

But this looks to be the same thing, so go wild bruh

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-AC-A-C-Heater-Blower-Motor-Assembly-fit-BMW-E46-323-330-325-64118372797/271655775554

You're being a real mensch there, bud.

[ZHPizza]

You're being a real mensch there, bud.How dare u

[fredo]

I don't have an alternative. But I can tell you back in 2017, I installed the X3 blower unit 64-11-3-453-729 on my ZHP sedan. I paid $126 for the part (including S/H).

[BMWCurves]

Anyone have a suggestion on a clean way of powering or splicing an F10 illuminated knob? I've looked at this guide (link: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?3287-BMW-330-ZHP-Illuminated-Shift-Knob-Install-doityourself), but some sort of disconnector system would be nice

[704sw]

I used a clamp-on connector on the source wire and a spade terminal on the knob’s wires.

Like this:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191222/25a1c97d55cd7cb3855cdbe589af651a.jpg

[BMWCurves]

Gracias, that's very helpful!

Did you do this twice? Once to match each of the two brown wires from the cigarette lighter and the knob (what I'm assuming are grounds), and the second for the power from the cigarette lighter and the knob? I'm no electrical whiz so this is relatively foreign to me.

[BMWCurves]

For the new year:
Mileage on 01/01/2019: 66,567 miles
Mileage on 01/01/2020: 72,610 miles
Total miles driven in 2019: 6,043
Estimated miles driven in 2019: 6,000
Percent-off estimation: 0.7%

[RUS_ZHP]

That is great amout of miles you drove last year, considering that your car is in the different state.
When is your med. school graduation?

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[BMWCurves]

That is great amout of miles you drove last year, considering that your car is in the different state.
When is your med. school graduation?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Thanks!

The car and I actually share the same state again as I moved back in 2017! It still doesn't get a lot of miles because I walk to class and the hospital during the week. Graduation isn't until 2022, but it seems to be rapidly approaching.

[RUS_ZHP]

Thanks!

The car and I actually share the same state again as I moved back in 2017! It still doesn't get a lot of miles because I walk to class and the hospital during the week. Graduation isn't until 2022, but it seems to be rapidly approaching.Got you. For some reason I was thinking that your school is somewhere in DC area.


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[BMWCurves]

Got you. For some reason I was thinking that your school is somewhere in DC area.


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I was there for a Master's program, but now I'm moved back and in med school in Oregon

[BMWCurves]

My car has been dearly neglected for the past seven weeks because of studying for Step 1. Note: if anyone is considering medical school, please be sure to be a masochist. So on my first two days off, I did a quick three things:

Completed passenger side airbag recall - 72,850 miles
Not too much to say here. Called the week prior to set up an appointment. Came into the appointment. Had it done, which took an hour longer than they said it would take. To be fair to them they washed and vacuumed the car.

Installed F10 M5 illuminated shift knob (25112284205) - 72,862 miles
Purchased from illirep who assembled the shift boot onto an E46 shift boot frame so it was 95% plug and play. Shout out to Spenser for his help with wiring. He even drew me this nifty wiring pic (see below). I didn't use the second wire because the factor wires were long enough to reach the cigarette lighter wiring. I will say that there seems to be a tiny crack on the "M" logo, but it's not noticeable unless you're about 3 inches away.
https://i.imgur.com/YC5PYpd.jpg

Replaced drooping driver's side C pillar (51432699059) - 72,900 miles
The fabric had fallen most of the way off so I replaced it. Not a difficult job, just followed this (https://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=535038&highlight=diy+pillar) guide for reference. Looks a million times better than some bedouin tent.

Other odds and ends:

Received a VANOS system from Dr. Vanos as a gift over the holidays, so I need to purchase a valve cover gasket and the associated materials to do that job (plus find the time).
While I was at the dealer getting my airbag replaced I had asked the service agent to draw up an estimate for replacing my windshield, and it came in at a whopping $1,507.50. They recommended some other place that they sometimes farm out to, so I'll give them a call and see what their estimate is as well.
They also found an oil leak from the UUC SS clutch line I installed years ago, so I'll have to take a look at that.
Oddly enough, my LR brake caliper clip is missing. Not sure where that went off to.

[johnrando]

Always good to get those things in. Crazy price re windshield, hope you find someplace cheaper. Tried Safelight? GL as you move through med school!

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

New tires and alignment - 74,556
Purchased a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport 4S tires to see what all the hubbub is about, plus I got ~$200 in rebates on them via DiscountTire. Had them mounted this morning. Haven't had any time to really drive on them, but they did feel softer. Then again, my old tires were so worn out that any new tire would feel better.

https://i.imgur.com/J7hgVIQ.jpg

[san]

New tires and alignment - 74,556
Purchased a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport 4S tires to see what all the hubbub is about, plus I got ~$200 in rebates on them via DiscountTire. Had them mounted this morning. Haven't had any time to really drive on them, but they did feel softer. Then again, my old tires were so worn out that any new tire would feel better.

https://i.imgur.com/J7hgVIQ.jpg

You had Conti DWs right? How long did they last?


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[BMWCurves]

You had Conti DWs right? How long did they last?

Yup! They lasted about 23k miles. Granted, I was in need of alignment because the passenger side was wearing worse than the driver's side, so if I had a proper alignment earlier I could have eked a few thousand more miles out of the set.

[ZHPizza]

Welcome to the PS4S lyfe, my brother. How do you like the zero toe up front?

[BMWCurves]

Welcome to the PS4S lyfe, my brother. How do you like the zero toe up front?

Haven't had a chance to whip it around yet. Gonna find out in a day or two - med school has me doing busy work like it's my job or something.

EDIT: Tossing this link (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?21379-ZHP-NA-Project-More-Power&p=594122#post594122) in here for a DIY brake duct intake scoop.

[Will]

Awesome! I have to try that 0-toe alignment. Looking forward to your impressions of the tires and alignment.

Does anyone know if those alignment racks / software compensate for un-ballasted cars during alignments? I believe BMW specs our cars' alignment specs with: 68kg in each front seat and center of rear bench, 21 kg in center of trunk, and full tank of fuel.

PS4S lyfe.... LOL. Too good.

[Rovert]

Purchased a set of Michelin Pilot Super Sport 4S tires to see what all the hubbub is about

:rockon

You're going to love hitting cloverleafs at speed and it'll be great for your brakes because you won't need em!

I was in on a familiar onramp that is a nice wide circle....just before apex I was carrying so many G's my head got nauseated and I had to quit and early apex out of the G-test. LOL

[johnrando]

I am still on the +2s, looking forward to the 4s.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 76,603

Finally got around to having my windshield replaced by SafeLite after it suffered a crack almost exactly two years ago. It is very nice to have new glass. Unfortunately the forecast is sun for the next week at least, so I won't have any chance to really test that the headlights/rain sensor is working properly.

The real annoyance was fighting with my insurance. There was a huge back and forth with them which ended with them ultimately refusing to cover the $120 or so after my deductible for authentic BMW glass. Incredibly frustrating.

[fredo]

That's still on my to-do list. What brand did SafeLite install ?

[BMWCurves]

That's still on my to-do list. What brand did SafeLite install ?

Pilkington from the looks of it. I'm not 100% sure on the exact part number. The receipt had some internal part number listed.

[johnrando]

Sux, but at least it's done.

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 77,365 miles

1. Had the car paint corrected and then ceramic coated by the guys over at Autowerx in Newberg. Looks gorgeous, I'm really pleased with it overall. They managed to get a bunch of sap spots out of the hood and roof that had not relented to my own attempts at polishing. They also managed to really clean up the shadowline trim which was having similar issues. Polished the windows. Leatherique'd the interior and it looks fantastic.

2. Adjusted the windshield wiper blade arm so that it's roughly where it ought to be. I'm not sure how the YouTubers are able to get those arms off without some sort of puller tool to first get the arm off of the car, and then the little position washer out of the arm itself (which I purchased off Amazon specifically for this job). The interesting bit is that even if you line it up where you think you want it, ratcheting down the nut pushes the arm down. This means I had to do the whole process three times to get it roughly where I wanted. But pleased I got it done.

3. I'm hoping to tackle replacing the VANOS in the next week or two. Can someone verify that I have all the parts?
Valve cover gasket kit: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-elring-parts/ultimate-valve-cover-gasket-kit/11120030496kt/
VANOS gasket: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-parts/vanos-sealing-gasket/11361433817/

[t.er]

Nice, any closeup pics with your car after the ceramic coat? I'm sure it looks stunning. My car is in dire need of a paint correction right now but I have 1 year left at my apartment near campus and some stray cat has taken a liking to my paint.

I haven't personally done the VANOS but I think you have to disconnect the VANOS oil feed line, so you will want to get a couple crush washers as well for that banjo bolt

[BMWCurves]

Nice, any closeup pics with your car after the ceramic coat? I'm sure it looks stunning. My car is in dire need of a paint correction right now but I have 1 year left at my apartment near campus and some stray cat has taken a liking to my paint.

I will when it gets washed again. I picked it up yesterday and it looked fantastic. Unfortunately, as you are probably painfully aware, dark paint accumulates dust almost instantaneously, so it'll need a bath first. The downside of it being corrected and cleaned up, the spots where there are paint chips and things show up more.

Sorry to hear about the cat! Scratches galore then, eh? My car is parked out side and it sits near a bamboo tree that I think is the culprit for the sap spots :facepalm


I haven't personally done the VANOS but I think you have to disconnect the VANOS oil feed line, so you will want to get a couple crush washers as well for that banjo bolt

Yup! I forgot to put that in there that I have a few.

[BMWCurves]

Also planned for the near future are some basic maintenance and fluid replacement:

Oil change with Brotella T6 and MANN filter
Coolant flush with BMW coolant
Brake fluid flush with SLE SL6-1
AC and drive belts
Cabin air filter replacement with MANN air filter (5.5 years old at this point)

Side note: I have some weeping from my power steering line (the one that's got two lines as one part, I think it's part no. 32416774215) and am considering replacing it. Related questions:

Is it worth replacing other lines?
Is Red Line D4 ATF still the preferred power steering fluid of choice or have people gone over to some other liquid?

Finally: who has replaced their final stage resistor (FSR, 64116923204) and did it solve any fluctuation issues with their cabin fan?

[Mpower04]

Side note: I have some weeping from my power steering line (the one that's got two lines as one part, I think it's part no. 32416774215) and am considering replacing it. Related questions:

Is it worth replacing other lines?
Is Red Line D4 ATF still the preferred power steering fluid of choice or have people gone over to some other liquid?

Finally: who has replaced their final stage resistor (FSR, 64116923204) and did it solve any fluctuation issues with their cabin fan?

It may just be me but I've found the connections for those other lines can be a real pain to get off even with the tool I have for it. If just the high pressure hose is leaking and you want to save yourself the headache I would personally just do that. I've always just used synthetic Mobil 1 ATF since it's available locally and I usually forget to order it.

[BMWCurves]

It may just be me but I've found the connections for those other lines can be a real pain to get off even with the tool I have for it. If just the high pressure hose is leaking and you want to save yourself the headache I would personally just do that. I've always just used synthetic Mobil 1 ATF since it's available locally and I usually forget to order it.

I've heard about the relative stubbornness of the connectors in the power steering lines. I guess I'm asking if it's not wise to consider replacing those other lines since they're now 15+ years old, and I'd rather get them done in one fell swoop than repeat the process. If the other lines are unlikely to fail, then I'll just do the high pressure line. Thanks for your input!

[Will]

I've heard about the relative stubbornness of the connectors in the power steering lines. I guess I'm asking if it's not wise to consider replacing those other lines since they're now 15+ years old, and I'd rather get them done in one fell swoop than repeat the process. If the other lines are unlikely to fail, then I'll just do the high pressure line. Thanks for your input!

If the marginal costs aren't prohibitive, I'd say go for it.

I think any high quality ATF should be fine. M1, Redline, Valvoline MaxLife, etc.

[t.er]

I think any high quality ATF should be fine. M1, Redline, Valvoline MaxLife, etc.

Yup, I use Mobil Dexron VI, just be sure to flush it while it's still red and you should be good

[Vas]

Rein used to make a replacement line but it had fitment issues so a genuine bmw is the only option now. Downside is that it's expensive. I bought one from the bmw mini parts store and used the coupon code Roundel.

Also at the time of replacement do a basic power steering overhaul. FCPeuro makes a kit with 2 lines and the reservoir since it has a built in filter.

As far ar removing the lines going to the cooler, the proper tool isn't expensive and makes the removal easier.

As far as engineoil, I would avoid brotella. I did an oil pan gasket on a car that had that oil for 20k plus miles and it's not a quality oil. Stick with mobil one or liqui moly.

Power steering fluid either redline atf or liqui moly atf.

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[Will]

Pennzoil Euro L 5w-30 is a solid oil according to some knowledgeable people on BITOG forums. Available at Walmart (either in stock or for pickup), too.

Edit: the oil is Pennzoil Platinum Euro L 5w-30.

[BMWCurves]

As far as engineoil, I would avoid brotella. I did an oil pan gasket on a car that had that oil for 20k plus miles and it's not a quality oil. Stick with mobil one or liqui moly.

What specifically? Just really sludgy?

[Vas]

What specifically? Just really sludgy?Not sludgy since the oil changes were at a consistent interval. But you could tell that the wear on the metal surfaces was different. Maybe this is due to the types of additives in the oil. Less cleaning agents also is possible but don't hold me to that.

It seems like people that run that oil have some oil burning issues or higher miles on the engine.

Just for reference on my wife's car, I been running liqui moly since 116k and this is what the engine internals look like at 200k.


https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200909/fb9d837a54164ab59b99f7a3e14e276a.jpg

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[BMWCurves]

Looks pretty dern clean. I'm always open to other suggestions, I have no brand allegiance when it comes to motor oil. What Liqui-Moly have you been using (I'm not familiar with the brand).

[Vas]

Looks pretty dern clean. I'm always open to other suggestions, I have no brand allegiance when it comes to motor oil. What Liqui-Moly have you been using (I'm not familiar with the brand).Liqui moly 5w30 oil change kits from FCPeuro

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[holyc0w]

Pennzoil Euro L 5w-30 is a solid oil according to some knowledgeable people on BITOG forums. Available at Walmart (either in stock or for pickup), too.

Edit: the oil is Pennzoil Platinum Euro L 5w-30.

Pennzoil also did pretty well on this youtube guy's testing. The oil he tested was the non-euro platinum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWuKvnCq1js

Surprisingly, Liquimoly didn't do so hot.

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 77,434 miles

Did some fluid maintenance before I head into my internal medicine rotation for six weeks:

Motor oil (9,905 miles / 1 year, 178 days): Replaced using Pennzoil Platinum Synthetic 5W-30, a MANN oil filter kit (MAN-HU9254X), and those two little green o-rings for the oil filter housing cap (11427549573). Collected an oil sample that I'll send off to Blackstone. Previously there was an elevated lead content.
Coolant flush (21,108 miles / 3 years, 60 days): Replaced using BMW coolant (82141467704)
Brake fluid flush (9,882 miles / 1 year, 177 days): Replaced using ATE SL6-1

Additional maintenance/inspection:

AC system was emptied and serviced.
Inspected the rear subframe/RACP for any cracks as I've heard a clunking over there but my mechanic said he couldn't see anything. Not too worried at the moment, but wondering if one of the rear shock mounts is loose.
Inspected the power steering lines and the high pressure hose is definitely leaking
Previously my rear brake caliper clip (34216753675) on the driver's side was found missing last March. Not really sure how it came off as I haven't done any brake work since 2015, and I know it was there around 2018. I purchased a replacement part and then I asked my mechanic to toss it on yesterday. When they were bringing the car around, it somehow popped off and gouged the brake rotor. I feel bad because he's now replacing the rear rotor, a NLA BMW Performance rotor (34212282873). He managed to find a pair in Virginia and BMW said it's potentially the last available in the US.

[Will]

Lots of good stuff done, nice! And talk about documentation, down to the day! Have fun with your IM rotation.

[t.er]

Lots of good stuff done, nice! And talk about documentation, down to the day! Have fun with your IM rotation.Yeah word, I'm pretty good with maintenance and work on my car but am nowhere near as accurate as tracking when it was done. At best I have it down to the closest hundred of kilometre and month, sometimes I don't even log when it was done if it's more mileage dependent

[BMWCurves]

Yeah word, I'm pretty good with maintenance and work on my car but am nowhere near as accurate as tracking when it was done. At best I have it down to the closest hundred of kilometre and month, sometimes I don't even log when it was done if it's more mileage dependent

I have a maintenance spreadsheet that does all the info for me, no way I actually follow that closely.

[BMWCurves]

Ticked over 78k miles while on a trip down to Yachats, OR for a few days last week. And today I finally had a chance to wash the car which was making me really anxious since all of the soot sat on my car due to the forest fires around here, but the air quality was too poor to go out and wash it. The ceramic treatment definitely made washing easy, came out looking like it did when I got it from the detailers.

@t.er - I tried to take some photos after the wash, but I have a crap iPhone 6S camera and the light was not ideal. But it's what you get!

https://i.imgur.com/56lOptH.jpg

Roof:
https://i.imgur.com/YKvRvvx.jpg

Trunk:
https://i.imgur.com/RAxyqnD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YqbFL5U.jpg

[t.er]

Well... looks a heck of a lot better than my paint! Ceramic coating certainly makes the paint super slick and easy to wash. In washing and sealing the paint before storing my car for the winter, I realize how bad it is... hopefully I get around to paint correcting it next year!

[johnrando]

Looks great!

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[Will]

Damn, those are some reflective surfaces! Looking good.

[BMWCurves]

Here are some more photos that the guys over at Autowerx Detailing took:

https://i.imgur.com/r435rnt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cvmogq0.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/H4n39t5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/L4WdxoC.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/idqjjqU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/f6IqpoX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/JR6O0gA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/A0LdMgc.jpg

[holyc0w]

Noice! :cigar

[fredo]

Amazing results !

[johnrando]

+1

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[BMWCurves]

Noice! :cigar

Amazing results !

+1

Thanks, boys!

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 78,164

Replaced cabin air filter with a MANN filter (64319071935) which had been in there since April 2015. It was surprisingly dirty.

[san]

I haven’t changed mine since I bought the car because it never looked like it needed replacing

[Vas]

I replace them every other oil change which is 15,000 miles

[t.er]

I haven’t changed mine since I bought the car because it never looked like it needed replacingHonestly, same, and I got my car back in 2015 like William

[Vas]

The hvac on our cars is set to AUTO and recirculate plus allergies are never fun to deal with.

[BMWCurves]

Mine was DIRTY. I also have driven through a few forest fires at this point, so I figured small particulate had accumulated.

[ZHPizza]

Mine was DIRTY. I also have driven through a few forest fires at this point, so I figured small particulate had accumulated.Nah son that's a DIY charcoal filter

[BMWCurves]

Nah son that's a DIY charcoal filter

https://i.imgur.com/ds8JvEl.gif

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 78,192

As mentioned in a previous post, when I had my car in for some maintenance about three weeks ago, I had asked the mechanic to throw a brake caliper clip I had purchased into place since mine had gone missing a long time ago. He put it on and as his wife brought the car around, it somehow popped off and jammed into the driver's side rear rotor, making a huge gouge. He was nice enough to offer to replace both rear rotors free of charge, but he had to hunt high and low for a replacement BMW Performance set. He finally found some somewhere on the east coast, and they were the last pair in the US, at least in the BMW dealer system. So those were installed today, I think the part numbers for both rears is 34210431907.

I also meant to replace my AC and drive belts since they're five years old and it's cheap insurance. Unfortunately, I completely forgot that my Turner Motorsport power pulleys use a longer drive belt, so that was a bust. It's still a Continental branded belt, but does anyone know the part number? I've emailed Turner about it.

Also, does this drive tensioner pulley sound shot?

https://streamable.com/d88bve

[holyc0w]

Is this it?

https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-340397-turner-motorsport-power-pulley-kit-e46-325i330i

6PK1590

[BMWCurves]

That link is to the power pulley kit, but where did you find that part number for the belt? I can't find it on there.

EDIT: oh you zoomed in on the pics like any regular person would :facepalm

https://i.imgur.com/8D59gmn.gif

[Vas]

Mileage: 78,192

As mentioned in a previous post, when I had my car in for some maintenance about three weeks ago, I had asked the mechanic to throw a brake caliper clip I had purchased into place since mine had gone missing a long time ago. He put it on and as his wife brought the car around, it somehow popped off and jammed into the driver's side rear rotor, making a huge gouge. He was nice enough to offer to replace both rear rotors free of charge, but he had to hunt high and low for a replacement BMW Performance set. He finally found some somewhere on the east coast, and they were the last pair in the US, at least in the BMW dealer system. So those were installed today, I think the part numbers for both rears is 34210431907.

I also meant to replace my AC and drive belts since they're five years old and it's cheap insurance. Unfortunately, I completely forgot that my Turner Motorsport power pulleys use a longer drive belt, so that was a bust. It's still a Continental branded belt, but does anyone know the part number? I've emailed Turner about it.

Also, does this drive tensioner pulley sound shot?

https://streamable.com/d88bveLooked up my orders and it was 6pk1590 for the turner pulley kit.

Also that pulley is on its way out. Suggest replacing the idler pulley and the tensioner pulley for the engine. The a/c pulley comes with the mechanical tensioner so the whole unit is replaced.

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[BMWCurves]

Looked up my orders and it was 6pk1590 for the turner pulley kit.

Also that pulley is on its way out. Suggest replacing the idler pulley and the tensioner pulley for the engine. The a/c pulley comes with the mechanical tensioner so the whole unit is replaced.

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That's what it sounded like, but if that is the case, then it seems like the pulleys are failing prematurely; they have less than 30k miles on them and just over 5 years old. How long do they normally last?

[Vas]

That's what it sounded like, but if that is the case, then it seems like the pulleys are failing prematurely; they have less than 30k miles on them and just over 5 years old. How long do they normally last?30k is on the low side. Usually they are toast around 50k.

Did you have the caps on the front of them? Usually dirt gets into the bearing and ruins them.

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[BMWCurves]

30k is on the low side. Usually they are toast around 50k.

Did you have the caps on the front of them? Usually dirt gets into the bearing and ruins them.

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Yup, caps are on, haven't removed them since I installed them. They were pretty clear of dust or other grime.

[BMWCurves]

Received my Blackstone oil report

https://i.imgur.com/cKtaH03.jpg

[Galapolis]

Rod bearings is a common replacement item on the M54 over at the German forums, so I wouldn't really worry about it. Nothing out of the ordinary. Any reason you went with the longer interval? (I might have missed it in the thread) They run really long intervals over in Europe, which is probably why they see rod bearing failures. American E46s tend to get mileages that they can only dream of, thanks to short oil change intervals that are common here.

[t.er]

Rod bearings is a common replacement item on the M54 over at the German forums, so I wouldn't really worry about it. Nothing out of the ordinary. Any reason you went with the longer interval? (I might have missed it in the thread) They run really long intervals over in Europe, which is probably why they see rod bearing failures. American E46s tend to get mileages that they can only dream of, thanks to short oil change intervals that are common here.

What are oil change intervals like in Germany? That's quite surprising, I've only ever heard of rod bearing issues with the M engines

[Galapolis]

What are oil change intervals like in Germany? That's quite surprising, I've only ever heard of rod bearing issues with the M engines

The average consumer will blindly follow the computer or dealer recommendation, which is about 20k Km or once every 2 or 3 years. But I've also read posts of some doing 30k Km, others 15k Km, so it obviously depends on the person. Enthusiasts tend to stick closer to 15k Km, and there are some that go as low as 10k Km, but those are rare.

In the meantime, pretty much every person and shop around my area sticks to the 5k miles interval. In our local car club, a few do 3-4k miles changes, whereas the "normal" people I've met here stick to 5-7k miles.

And yeah, around here rod bearings are only gonna be an issue on the S54. Like I said, with US oil change intervals, we don't need to worry about our M54s.

P.S.: This thread for example is telling the OP that the "normal interval" he should be using on his E46 is 30k Km or every 3 years: https://www.motor-talk.de/forum/oelwechsel-t5490323.html

P.P.S.: In miles, the typical German intervals are 10k, 15k and 20k, just for clarification.

[ZHPizza]

That is absolutely bonkers. I didn't change the oil in my wife's wagon for almost a year and maybe 6-7k miles and it was sludge city. I try to stick to every 6 months since oil degrades with time AND use.

[t.er]

Yeah, I thought Germans were pretty good with maintenance. Understandable about regular consumers but enthusiasts changing every 15k... wow

I do it every 7-8k just because that's what I do every year.

[Galapolis]

Yeah, I thought Germans were pretty good with maintenance. Understandable about regular consumers but enthusiasts changing every 15k... wow

I do it every 8-10k just because that's what I do every year.

That's 15k Km, not miles. Added it to every number for clarification. Still too long though IMO. I stick to 5-6k miles (same as your interval). Germans drive less and fuel quality is higher there, but as evidenced by all the failing rod bearings, that isn't enough to make up for their ridiculous intervals.

[Rovert]

How does one get sludge at 6k miles? Maybe it’s the climate or how the car is driven?

I had no issues with my ZHP when I did 20-30k km intervals. Opening up the VCG was met with clean, slick, unworn parts like the cam lobes which are easy to inspect. I do drive my cars to redline on every single drive though. Not every red light, just once or twice when the conditions allow. Haha

My M3, I do 20-25k km intervals and Blackstone analysis shows average to below average oil/engine wear per km. I have now finally got the advice from Blackstone to swap out rod bearings due to copper and lead spike but mileage wise it’s no different than all other M3 bearings with 7.5k km intervals.

I thought my experiment with Liquimoly Ceratec and/or MOS2 would have helped to extend bearings, but with my testing of over 100k km, that wasn’t the case. Maybe that oil additive is better for other engine components which I don’t pay attention to. LOL

Disclaimer: my experience maybe different than yours while using science/tech to backup my claims. [emoji2958]

[BMWCurves]

Rod bearings is a common replacement item on the M54 over at the German forums, so I wouldn't really worry about it. Nothing out of the ordinary. Any reason you went with the longer interval? (I might have missed it in the thread) They run really long intervals over in Europe, which is probably why they see rod bearing failures. American E46s tend to get mileages that they can only dream of, thanks to short oil change intervals that are common here.

Literally just lapsed my mind. I usually shoot for 5-7k miles.


What are oil change intervals like in Germany? That's quite surprising, I've only ever heard of rod bearing issues with the M engines

That's colloquially what I've heard as well; the S54 has rod bearing issues, the M54 is relatively rod bearing failure-free


That is absolutely bonkers. I didn't change the oil in my wife's wagon for almost a year and maybe 6-7k miles and it was sludge city. I try to stick to every 6 months since oil degrades with time AND use.

Sludge? Really? Mine's always been dark but good consistency at 5-7k miles, and that's usually at one year intervals.

[Galapolis]

How does one get sludge at 6k miles? Maybe it’s the climate or how the car is driven?

I had no issues with my ZHP when I did 20-30k km intervals.

Maybe fuel quality is higher in Canada? That's REALLY interesting though, central Canada is on the same Latitude as Germany and both you and the Germans chose 20-30k Km intervals. Seems like there might be a connection.


That's colloquially what I've heard as well; the S54 has rod bearing issues, the M54 is relatively rod bearing failure-free

I told them the same thing over at the German forums and I basically got stoned because the M54 rod bearing issue is "well documented." But like I said, the issue only exists in Europe, not in the US.

[BMWCurves]

My custom ZHPizza throttle (dad)body (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?23174-WTB-Dinan-Throttle-Body-E46-330i&p=597955#post597955)came yesterday, replete with unique engraving. It'll go in sometime in the next month, along with a rebuilt/reinforced DISA and and a Dr. VANOS unit from last holiday season.

https://i.imgur.com/Ga67yhY.jpg

[johnrando]

Nice!

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 78,436

I finally got around to replacing my factory VANOS with a DrVanos unit (https://drvanos.com/collections/dual/products/dual-vanos) that my folks got me for the holidays last year. This was after I had replaced the Beisan seals (http://www.beisansystems.com/products.html) back on 11/2017, but then heard grinding/clicking coming from the VANOS some time last year. I blame it as user installation error rather than the kit, as many people have used their kits with great success. I referenced their excellent procedure guide (http://www.beisansystems.com/procedures/vanos_procedure.htm) for this installation as well. Another symptom that I attributed to the "failing" VANOS is a mild (but noticeable) power dip around 2,500/3,000 RPM if you floored the throttle. I'm hoping the DrVanos unit will fix that.

Two useful videos from 50sKid:

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


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUVF6OLFFg

Miscellaneous parts replaced:

VANOS gasket - 11361433817 (BMW). Technically the DrVanos kit came with a gasket, but I had already ordered the BMW part so I used that.
VANOS oil feed line crush washers - 32411093596 (2x, came with DrVanos kit)
VANOS plug o-rings - 11361433513 (2x, technically that is the plug with the o-ring, but no part no. exists for just the o-rings. Came with DrVanos kit)
Valve cover gasket kit - 11120030496KT (Elring)

Also replaced the main accessory belt with a Continental belt that fits the Turner Motorsport Power Pulley kit (https://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-340397-turner-motorsport-power-pulley-kit-e46-325i330i/?pdk=BAE) I have installed (6PK1590). The factory belt, 11281706545, is too small.

Still to do:

I have a German Auto Solutions (G.A.S.) DISA rebuild kit (https://germanautosolutions.com/store/bmw-m54-30l-disa-repair-and-upgrade-kit/) I plan to do soon using their precise instructions (https://germanautosolutions.com/support/bmw-product-installation-instructions/instructions-m54-disa-repair-and-upgrade-kit/). Hopefully I won't muck it up like I apparently did on the VANOS seals.
Install ZHPizza's custom throttle body for more zoom zoom and hopefully no engine boom boom.
I'll also inspect the intake boots for cracks as they're original and 15 year old rubber.


EDIT: After toodling around today and a little bit of spirited driving, the low-end power dip seems to be gone, and just seems to have a little more power over the whole rev range. I'm loving it.

[ZHPizza]

Dude go ahead and order the two intake boots. No way they survive bring removed to install the BBTB.

[fredo]

Install ZHPizza's custom throttle body for more zoom zoom and hopefully no engine boom boom.


:rofl :rofl

[BMWCurves]

Dude go ahead and order the two intake boots. No way they survive bring removed to install the BBTB.

Fudge, I thought they might survive. Any other parts likely to break in my extrication of the small boy TB?

Anything else I should replace while I'm in there? Tutorial videos show it is maybe 30% more involved than I had previously thought to get access to the throttle body.

[ZHPizza]

Fudge, I thought they might survive. Any other parts likely to break in my extrication of the small boy TB?

Anything else I should replace while I'm in there? Tutorial videos show it is maybe 30% more involved than I had previously thought to get access to the throttle body.

The only other concern would maybe be the DISA gasket getting damaged during removal, but you're rebuilding that so you're good there. Those boots are constantly flexing since they're the link between the vibrating engine and the body-mounted airbox. Given their age, I'd expect them to be worn out and ready to tear if you look at them wrong.

[Vas]

A new throttle body gasket is cheap and so is the iacv grommet.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

So added items to purchase:

Upper intake boot (13541438761)
Lower intake boot (13541438759)
Throttle body gasket (13547504729)

Any thoughts regarding replacing the "intake boot connecting ring" (13541438760) or having one on hand due to risk of it breaking during disassembly?
Any other hoses or things I should consider while I'm in there? I've seen people talk about the plastic elbow connector on the upper intake boot, or cleaning the ICV (preventative cleaning since I have zero ICV issues).

As always, appreciate the help in advance!

[ZHPizza]

Oh yeah the F shaped connector on the vacuum hoses coming off the intake elbow. That guy can break, but usually it's the old vacuum hose that connects to it and goes to the fuel filter. The car will run fine if you break it so I'd just wait and order the part later if it happens.

The plastic sleeve between the two intake elbows is solid. Shouldn't be a problem there.

[holyc0w]

Any other hoses or things I should consider while I'm in there? I've seen people talk about the plastic elbow connector on the upper intake boot, or cleaning the ICV (preventative cleaning since I have zero ICV issues).

As always, appreciate the help in advance!

F connector? Then yes

Cleaning the ICV isn't a bad idea either, since it's right there.

[BMWCurves]

Okay, doing some research, the hoses and F connector are not accurate on RealOEM diagrams. From this Bimmerfest thread (https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/what-diagrams-correspond-to-the-two-vacuum-hoses-on-the-m54-air-intake-f-connector.574814/), it seems like these are the correct parts, but would love if anyone could verify

The F connector is 13327503677
The large hose connects to the "sucking jet pump" 11617547582 (link (https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=DT63-USA---E39-BMW-530i&diagId=11_7622#11617545382))
The small hose is a part of the fuel filter system 11727545323 (link (https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=DT63-USA---E39-BMW-530i&diagId=13_0918))

[BMWCurves]

Okay, purchased the following, should be here next week:

Upper intake boot (13541438761)
Lower intake boot (13541438759)
Throttle body gasket (13547504729)
F connector (13327503677)
Large hose connects to the "sucking jet pump" (11617547582)
Small hose is a part of the fuel filter system (11727545323)

[BMWCurves]

Also picked up:

Replacement passenger side C-pillar from ECS Tuning on sale (51432699060)
Some trim clips with the foamy bits from ECS Tuning (51418224768)
Bimmerworld spherical RTABs (https://www.bimmerworld.com/E46-E36-3-Series-and-Z4-Rear-Trailing-Arm-Bearing-Kit.html) on sale + free shipping (302.33.536.0006)

[BMWCurves]

The low coolant light has come on intermittently the past two days, but the coolant level is only a smidge low. At least one person thinks this is related to improper bleeding procedure. (https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1957138-DIY-intermittent-coolant-level-light-fix-E46) It's something I'll have to track down next week, I guess.

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 79,485 miles

Minor maintenance:

Swapped floor mats from cloth to rubber. Should have done it ages ago, but I'm a procrastinator at heart.
Gave the interior a good vacuum and wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth - it was quite dusty somehow. Just shedding all sorts of skin I guess. Or took it on the Dakar and forgot. Only those two options are available.
Replaced the passenger side C-pillar (51432699060) along with new clips with the foam (51418224768) because my old C-pillar was drooping. It was fine back when I replaced the driver's side in February, but the passenger side started to droop as well starting in May. Followed this guide. (https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/diy-a-b-c-pillar-covers-replacement.948819/)
Bled the coolant system due to an intermittent low coolant light. There was some dried coolant in the little trenches on the top of the expansion tank, not sure if I have a leak going on or not. I'll see if the light comes back on, it didn't need much coolant to get it to be bled.

[BMWCurves]

She got a much needed bath after crossing 80k miles:

https://i.imgur.com/SjrSz45.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hMEsN2E.jpg

[t.er]

With the ceramic coating that must've been so easy. I still remember how my car was when I first got it, it had Opti-Coat on every exterior shiny surface

[BMWCurves]

With the ceramic coating that must've been so easy. I still remember how my car was when I first got it, it had Opti-Coat on every exterior shiny surface

It is very rewarding to finish washing and it's really damned clean without a lot of effort. But being clean also reveals the blemishes :(

[Oli77]

Gorgeous!

[johnrando]

Nice catch and looks good!

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

[Will]

Looks great!

[BMWCurves]

Gorgeous!

Thanks! It really needed the bath, I hadn't given it a good rinse since early December


Nice catch and looks good!

Grassy ass!


Looks great!

Don't she though? Thank you kindly

[BMWCurves]

I looked down and missed the most important mileage of my car's life by one mile. I am devastated, to say the least:

https://i.imgur.com/MSKtygh.jpg

[fredo]

Bummer. But why 80085 ? :dunno

[san]

Bummer. But why 80085 ? :dunno

8 = B
0 = O
5 = S

[fredo]

8 = B
0 = O
5 = S

LOL ... It makes sense now, thanks.

[BMWCurves]

LOL ... It makes sense now, thanks.

https://i.imgur.com/2R9quwy.gif

I promise I am mature and professional when I need to be.

[san]

https://i.imgur.com/2R9quwy.gif

I promise I am mature and professional when I need to be.

I got the Apple version of what you failed to get

What's the current mileage on your BMW 330 ZHP?
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=14392&share_tid=96&share_pid=584038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ezhpmafia%2Ecom%2Fforums%2Fs howpost%2Ephp%3Fp%3D584038&share_type=t&link_source=app


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[t.er]

I have 330,330 and reset my trip odo to read 330 when that happened. You Americans will have to have quite a bit of mileage on your cars before you can read the same...

https://i.imgur.com/EtyOyvvl.png

[ZHPizza]

I looked down and missed the most important mileage of my car's life by one mile. I am devastated, to say the least:

https://i.imgur.com/MSKtygh.jpgPut it in reverse Terry!

[BMWCurves]

Put the PS4S's back on (and rotated). Feels so nice to be off studs.

[san]

Put the PS4S's back on (and rotated). Feels so nice to be off studs.

Already?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

Already?

Portland is good for one big snow storm a year, tops. If I have to I'll put them back on, but I'm on my family medicine rotation and have to commute 30 miles a day and would rather not do that on studs.

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 81,515 miles

Cooling System: For the past month or so I've had an intermittent "low coolant" light on my gauge cluster shortly after start up that usually disappears after reaching operating temperature. I had this issue previously and did some basic research, resulting in me rebleeding the coolant system and topping it off. I checked the coolant yesterday and it was full in the expansion tank, so I'm not really sure what is going on?

To muddy the waters, today I had been driving it around so it was warm. When I was leaving the store, about 30 seconds after turning the engine on, the temperature gauge went to 3/4 while moving though the parking lot and merging into traffic. At the stop light it continued to sit there and then came down to normal temperature. It then rose again briefly while idling and then went back to normal. I was prepared to pull over after I had found somewhere safe, but it stayed pegged right in the middle the whole return trip. I have recalibrated the gauge to be more accurate than stock using BMW Scanner. Thoughts?

Unclear clunking sound at idle: I've noticed when I start up the car and idle for a few minutes, I'll have this quiet, low-pitch clunk that is every 5-6 seconds, and can be faintly felt in the steering wheel. Any idea what it might be?

License plate lights: One of my eBay LED license plate lights kicked the bucket so I purchased a set of these (https://www.ebay.com/itm/6418-C5W-36MM-Festoon-LED-License-Plate-Tag-Light-Bulbs-6000K-Super-Bright-White/333586071542?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649) lights off of eBay that arrived today. They don't have a heat sink like my old ones do, so I'm a little worried about them. I'll see how they do over this weekend.

Finally, gave her a bath after four weeks of commuting on the highway in the rain. She. Was. Filthy.

[fredo]

Mileage: 81,515 miles

Cooling System: For the past month or so I've had an intermittent "low coolant" light on my gauge cluster shortly after start up that usually disappears after reaching operating temperature. I had this issue previously and did some basic research, resulting in me rebleeding the coolant system and topping it off. I checked the coolant yesterday and it was full in the expansion tank, so I'm not really sure what is going on?



I had a similar issue. These are the notes from my mechanic: "Low coolant warning, mostly when cold. Checked level and it's ok at this time. Expansion tank is failing internally. Replaced ET, also replaced lower expansion tank hose that was also failing. Added fresh coolant, bled air from system and replaced bleed screw. Pressure test, test drove OK."

I remember he said there's a sensor in the ET, and that was the main reason for the warning.

[BMWCurves]

Good to know, maybe I'll replace that expansion tank with *gasp* a BMW part.

*cries as flushes cash down toilet*

[John in VA]

Good to know, maybe I'll replace that expansion tank with *gasp* a BMW part.
*cries as flushes cash down toilet*
Get the genuine BMW expansion tank from FCP - it's a better fit to the mounting plate/bracket & it's the last one you'll pay for. I went through an "almost everything under the hood" refresh on my E39 last year & went with many genuine parts to avoid having to do much of the stuff again too soon!

[san]

As a thumb rule, if it’s anything to do with the engine, I use genuine bmw parts.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

My passenger taillight died for some reason earlier this week. I swapped taillights with my father's ZHP and it worked. Very strange. Anyone have a spare coupe taillight?

[ZHPizza]

My passenger taillight died for some reason earlier this week. I swapped taillights with my father's ZHP and it worked. Very strange. Anyone have a spare coupe taillight?I had one go out on me too, but it was intermittent. I limped it along for a few months with pieces of cardboard wedged in beside the connector to put enough pressure on the board to make it work, then got tired of playing with it and bought a new one.

They're surprisingly reasonably priced.

[BMWCurves]

I had one go out on me too, but it was intermittent. I limped it along for a few months with pieces of cardboard wedged in beside the connector to put enough pressure on the board to make it work, then got tired of playing with it and bought a new one.

They're surprisingly reasonably priced.

You bought new? I purchased a used pair to replace the driver's side a few years ago, sold the passenger. Now my passenger is dead :facepalm

[ZHPizza]

You bought new? I purchased a used pair to replace the driver's side a few years ago, sold the passenger. Now my passenger is dead :facepalm

Yeah looks like I paid $162.62 for an OEM one on eBay in 2018. That was worth just knowing it would work whereas any used one is a ticking time bomb.


$185 :/
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-BMW-Tail-Light-WHITE-T-S-LEFT-OEM-ULO-63216920699-/202120062658?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

$160 :)
https://m.eeuroparts.com/Parts/445373/Tail-Light-Assembly-Driver-Side-Outer-LED-w-Clearn-Turnsignal-743703/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1PSDBhDbARIsAPeTqrf7H7I7b1LugZABRdy J-vFcbITbjg7iELrPPNFCoj8tiiq0vhas7EgaAi-VEALw_wcB

[BMWCurves]

Yeah looks like I paid $162.62 for an OEM one on eBay in 2018. That was worth just knowing it would work whereas any used one is a ticking time bomb.

Yeah, I hear you. Definitely how I'd usually approach this, but seems I might have a line from a member on a used one that's in good condition for half that, so is worth a shot, IMO.


$185 :/
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-BMW-Tail-Light-WHITE-T-S-LEFT-OEM-ULO-63216920699-/202120062658?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

$160 :)
https://m.eeuroparts.com/Parts/445373/Tail-Light-Assembly-Driver-Side-Outer-LED-w-Clearn-Turnsignal-743703/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1PSDBhDbARIsAPeTqrf7H7I7b1LugZABRdy J-vFcbITbjg7iELrPPNFCoj8tiiq0vhas7EgaAi-VEALw_wcB

Out here acting like I need a driver's side taillight like some kind of NUMPTY

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 82,258 miles

My my passenger side tail light (63216920700) stopped working about two weeks ago for unclear reasons. I assessed it was the whole unit and not the wiring to the tail light when I swapped it out for my father's tail light, which worked fine. PdZHP was kind enough to sell me a used unit for a decent price. The package arrived quickly and was wrapped nice and safely inside. The unit itself had two flaws:

The inner rubber gasket that lines the trunk gutter was old and torn and
There was a dead spider in the housing

Solutions? I looked around the intertubes and while there were a couple of threads on both topics, there was scant advice on actual solutions. I did find that the plastic part with the rubber seal can be replaced (63216933018, see below).

https://i.imgur.com/QgdCG5F.png

The plan: swap the covering from my now non-functioning tail light to the new (to me) used unit. I first attempted to slide it out using hands, some pliers, then vice grips, to no success. Pictures provided on ECS Tuning (https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-parts/tail-light-side-panel-right/63216933018/) clued me in to the fact that two of the ridges appear to sort of lock into place, preventing removal. So I used some needle nose pliers to bend each fin away from the ridge they rested on and was able to separate it from both tail light units easily enough without damaging them and swap them over. A quick check to confirm the new tail light works (it did) and was quickly reinstalled! In the back of mind it is also nice to know that the part I swapped over is less than $20 if I had broken it.

As for the spider...I have no idea how to remove that and I wasn't about to risk breaking it open to get out a small thing that is barely visible. Overall, not too bad.

[PdZHP]

I did not notice the spider, sorry about that! Hopefully your zhp is back safely on the road 👍

[BMWCurves]

I did not notice the spider, sorry about that! Hopefully your zhp is back safely on the road ��

No worries! I'll be the only one that notices and I'm sure my selective memory will forget which side it is in due time, I'll look at the driver's side and go "oh, it's gone" and forget all about it.

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 82,xxx (I'll fill this in later)

My local BMW dealership pestered me with emails, texts, and phone calls for the past week to get me in for a courtesy inspection including wiper blade replacement and top off of fluids. After the fifth phone call I figured, eff it, I'll get me some free wiper blades. Fast forward to this morning, I ask the service advisor to put the old wiper blades in the trunk afterwards, and was unaware that a courtesy inspection has ever included wiper blades (it definitely has in the past) and was reticent to do it. I handed over the keys a little more apprehensive and proceeded to wait over two hours. Despite that wait, the wiper blades were not replaced, but that really shouldn't come as any surprise. The found the following items on inspection:


Leaking upper radiator hose - "Cooling system appears original." I replaced it myself in 04/2015 at 49k miles. It is possible it is leaking, but definitely not original.
Leaking oil filter housing gasket - Original. Do these break down at ~80k miles? Likely now it's more brittle than my emotional state
Leaking oil pan gasket - Same as above.
Rear differential bushing split - Wouldn't surprise me just due to aged rubber.
Brake pads: 11mm front, 7mm rear - Replaced 12/2015 at 52k miles.
Tire tread depths: - Fronts: 4mm, rears: 5mm - Replaced 04/2020 at 74k miles. Do Michelin 4Ss really degrade that quickly over 8k miles?

Thoughts? Of course no mention of the power steering line leaking that has been noted by my mechanic. Yet another five star experience at the stealership.

[san]

Mileage: 82,xxx (I'll fill this in later)

My local BMW dealership pestered me with emails, texts, and phone calls for the past week to get me in for a courtesy inspection including wiper blade replacement and top off of fluids. After the fifth phone call I figured, eff it, I'll get me some free wiper blades. Fast forward to this morning, I ask the service advisor to put the old wiper blades in the trunk afterwards, and was unaware that a courtesy inspection has ever included wiper blades (it definitely has in the past) and was reticent to do it. I handed over the keys a little more apprehensive and proceeded to wait over two hours. Despite that wait, the wiper blades were not replaced, but that really shouldn't come as any surprise. The found the following items on inspection:


Leaking upper radiator hose - "Cooling system appears original." I replaced it myself in 04/2015 at 49k miles. It is possible it is leaking, but definitely not original.
Leaking oil filter housing gasket - Original. Do these break down at ~80k miles? Likely now it's more brittle than my emotional state
Leaking oil pan gasket - Same as above.
Rear differential bushing split - Wouldn't surprise me just due to aged rubber.
Brake pads: 11mm front, 7mm rear - Replaced 12/2015 at 52k miles.
Tire tread depths: - Fronts: 4mm, rears: 5mm - Replaced 04/2020 at 74k miles. Do Michelin 4Ss really degrade that quickly over 8k miles?

Thoughts? Of course no mention of the power steering line leaking that has been noted by my mechanic. Yet another five star experience at the stealership.

Oil leaks and diff bushings - yes, they are likely bad. Combo of miles and age.

Tires - Michelin PSS lasted about 35k miles + whatever miles Dan had done (2-3k maybe) + a track day

[fredo]

PO replaced OFHG at 96k miles. I did again at 144k miles. Oil pan gasket was done at 91k miles and 143k miles.

I bought Michelin PS All Season 4 recently. My goal is to get more miles for my money : warranty is 45k miles for non-staggered set. Pilot Sport 4s has warranty of 30k miles.

[t.er]

Might I suggest using a Viton OFHG (https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bavarian-autosport-parts/bmw-oil-filter-housing-gasket-high-performance-dupont-viton-synthetic-rubber-bavarian-autosport/11421719855v~bav/) from (what was BavAuto)? No complaints on mine so far but I don't have much mileage on it

Edit: Found a place selling it for cheaper here (https://www.baveuro.com/products/bmw-oil-filter-housing-gasket-dupont-viton) too

[RUS_ZHP]

Might I suggest using a Viton OFHG (https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bavarian-autosport-parts/bmw-oil-filter-housing-gasket-high-performance-dupont-viton-synthetic-rubber-bavarian-autosport/11421719855v~bav/) from (what was BavAuto)? No complaints on mine so far but I don't have much mileage on it

Edit: Found a place selling it for cheaper here (https://www.baveuro.com/products/bmw-oil-filter-housing-gasket-dupont-viton) tooThat is what I will be using for next time. I installed OEM one three years ago and already see that filter housing area is getting moist. Probably put 30k miles since the install.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

Mileage: 83,047

Changed my oil at 82,790 miles on 05/21/21 and sent a sample off to Blackstone for a quality report. Seems my engine keeps producing a little too much lead for some reason:
https://i.imgur.com/nE2zweO.jpg

Crossed 83k miles yesterday:
https://i.imgur.com/iWv41XV.jpg

I hear this rhythmic clunking sound that is kind of like a heartbeat (two beats followed by a pause) when the key is in position 2. It disappears when I turn off the cabin fan. Does not change whether AC is on or not. Seems to come from the from the driver's side of the dash. Any thoughts? See video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5uW8glS5sw