What did you do for your ZHP/ BMW / MINI today? #2

[fredo]

Looks awfully busy. Did you go back later?

:)

SC

Maybe all the employees are sick today. :biggrin On a serious note, you can get a number for my local DMV before heading over there. But I never tried it, I just go and grab my number at the office.

[slater]

Maybe all the employees are sick today. :biggrin On a serious note, you can get a number for my local DMV before heading over there. But I never tried it, I just go and grab my number at the office.

my local MTO office (MTO is the DMV in ontario) is like guy's pic above - there is rarely a line/wait, ever. i love it. :)

[ecrabb]

I had the same thing happen when I picked up my ZHP. I took a commuter flight and met the transport driver in Cedar City, UT. He had my car and a Raptor he was delivering to Shelby Performance in Vegas.

Anyway, I took delivery of the car and drove straight over to the UDOT office. I figured there was no good reason to try to drive back and get busted without a temp plate on for the three-hour drive back home, and it's bound to be less busy in than in the city, so why not?

Cedar City is a county seat, and there's a small airport and a college there, but it's a pretty small town. Sure enough. It was like 10am on a Thursday, and the office looked just like the one 3ZHPGUY guy posted. I think there were three nice girls working in there, but not another single customer besides me. I was in and out in all of 10 minutes. Bada bing!

SC

[BMWCurves]

That's...I've never seen a DMV that empty in all my life. It's always a minimum 45 minute wait.

[slater]

That's...I've never seen a DMV that empty in all my life. It's always a minimum 45 minute wait.

in CT, when i was a kid... you'd take the day off to go to DMV.

[3ZHP]

I had my check already made out and it literally took longer to walk to the counter, then it did to get the new sticker printed and handed to me. They do have a drive threw that may have been even quicker.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160128/d4611be621faff673fe58dce13f1f59f.jpg


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[fredo]

The sticker says 17 only ? Does this mean it expires on 12/31/2017 ?

[az3579]

my local MTO office (MTO is the DMV in ontario) is like guy's pic above - there is rarely a line/wait, ever. i love it. :)


I had the same thing happen when I picked up my ZHP. I took a commuter flight and met the transport driver in Cedar City, UT. He had my car and a Raptor he was delivering to Shelby Performance in Vegas.

Anyway, I took delivery of the car and drove straight over to the UDOT office. I figured there was no good reason to try to drive back and get busted without a temp plate on for the three-hour drive back home, and it's bound to be less busy in than in the city, so why not?

Cedar City is a county seat, and there's a small airport and a college there, but it's a pretty small town. Sure enough. It was like 10am on a Thursday, and the office looked just like the one 3ZHPGUY guy posted. I think there were three nice girls working in there, but not another single customer besides me. I was in and out in all of 10 minutes. Bada bing!

SC


That's...I've never seen a DMV that empty in all my life. It's always a minimum 45 minute wait.


in CT, when i was a kid... you'd take the day off to go to DMV.

CT is probably even worse now. They did some computer upgrades a while back and made things a LOT worse. A DMV trip is an all day affair in Bridgeport...
The rest of you should consider yourselves lucky!

[NoVAphotog]

The rest of you should consider yourselves lucky!

Uh no luck here in VA. DMV in NoVA is absolutely horrible. Any time or day of the week. 1.1+ million drivers in Fairfax county alone. It's a nightmare.

24031

[fredo]

Man ! No bueno.

[3ZHP]

The sticker says 17 only ? Does this mean it expires on 12/31/2017 ?

Nope, just not listed on the sticker. Good till 1/31/2017


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[theothersawyer]

Cleaned the MAF to hopefully fix the SES light! Realized that the car has a drop in K&N filter, then took a air compressor and blew all the dirt and leaves out of the engine bay!

[az3579]

Cleaned the MAF to hopefully fix the SES light! Realized that the car has a drop in K&N filter, then took a air compressor and blew all the dirt and leaves out of the engine bay!

Can't clean these... if the light was due to a MAF, it will most likely come back.

[Sockethead]

I guess I Lucked out on my MAF. I cleaned it with CRC MAF cleaner few years ago... ironically, right before you posted that it shouldn't be done....
I was like, oh shit! I F'd up

[slater]

I guess I Lucked out on my MAF. I cleaned it with CRC MAF cleaner few years ago... ironically, right before you posted that it shouldn't be done....
I was like, oh shit! I F'd up

CRC SensorKleen is good stuff. i cleaned mine as well, right after i bought the car, right before i also read something to the effect of 'you can't clean these.' why not?

[theothersawyer]

Can't clean these... if the light was due to a MAF, it will most likely come back.

Well damn! Oh well! guess I'll eventually be buying a new one!

[az3579]

CRC SensorKleen is good stuff. i cleaned mine as well, right after i bought the car, right before i also read something to the effect of 'you can't clean these.' why not?

Because hot film MAFs can't be cleaned. The cleaners could actually ruin the film. Our MAFs are hot film, not hot wire.
Hot wire MAFs can definitely be cleaned with MAF cleaner, however.

[ELCID86]

I've cleaned mine in the past also :-/


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[3ZHP]

Mine threw a code again. I'll need to replace it soon. I don't have any performance issues, just the light.

[theothersawyer]

Mine has been going on and off! Been off for a while now! (Bet it comes back tomorrow since I said that!)

[az3579]

I've been down this road. No matter what I did, it kept coming back.

If you buy OE, be sure to use the BMW Part Number Price Comparison tool to get the best online dealer price...
My local dealer wanted $560. I ended up buying mine for $380. Shopping around definitely pays in this regard.

If I had to do it again, I'd buy the OEM VDO/Siemens one from FCP and never have to worry about it again, replacing it under warranty the next time it goes bad.

[330i ZHP]

Finally installed the door gaskets/seals on red 02

[theothersawyer]

I've been down this road. No matter what I did, it kept coming back.

If you buy OE, be sure to use the BMW Part Number Price Comparison tool to get the best online dealer price...
My local dealer wanted $560. I ended up buying mine for $380. Shopping around definitely pays in this regard.

If I had to do it again, I'd buy the OEM VDO/Siemens one from FCP and never have to worry about it again, replacing it under warranty the next time it goes bad.
Thanks for the heads up!

[cakM3]

I took delivery of a set of DINAN strut bars Dusty sold to me and took one of them (temporarily) to hang some clothes on at the request of a forum member :p

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160130/229de24d489e5bf1aafc6a82f969aa6a.jpg
Hung my DINAN strut bar in my closet

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160130/76bc776338fb7616daae10969c9bad5d.jpg
Then hung a few summer shirts on it ;)
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160130/133c10f32bc2251a9393b69142d66801.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160130/ea09e3e2457662b26c4ad22949a3d0c3.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160130/768c7fce017284dee6a64e0ca86890b5.jpg

Then promised I would post a few pics on this forum. Be advised though...when I take off my BMW Performance strut bar, I won't be hanging anything off of it so don't waste your time asking me because it won't happen...


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[Karl Lazlo]

And folks, that's how it's done. Classy As F!

[Sockethead]

You should send the pic to Dinan ;)

[Karl Lazlo]

You should send the pic to Dinan ;)

Yes! I am just disappointed that Charlie's photos are so much better than mine. I am ashamed of my photo now.

Edit: And do you know how I know Charlie was a sailor?

[Sockethead]

Edit: And do you know how I know Charlie was a sailor?
There must be something in that closet....

[Karl Lazlo]

There must be something in that closet....

Yes. Tshirts.

Who hangs their tshirts on hangers?

Sailors. That's who. Normal people FOLD tshirts.

[cakM3]

You should send the pic to Dinan ;)

I should since they won't give me points for these parts...the bastards!


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[Sockethead]

Marketing Charlie, Marketing....

[Johnmadd]

:rofl

[fredo]

Too funny, Charrie !

[cakM3]

Too funny, Charrie !

thanks fredo! :) that was the intent :thumbsup

[UdubBadger]

Chuck that is hilarious, best use of that bar I've ever seen!


GoingHAM mobile

[330i ZHP]

Lol

[WOLFN8TR]

If I did that Apryl would kill me! The benefits of being single! [emoji2]

[Go Horns!]

Safety inspection, registration, and a bath

[Vas]

Front wheel hub on Sketchi

[3ZHP]

Charlie, that's great. I'd almost do it but, I'm not taking guests in my closet to show it off. [emoji15]


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[johnrando]

That's awesome Charlie. Good looking bar too.

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[cakM3]

Chuck that is hilarious, best use of that bar I've ever seen!

Credit goes to Ray... even though I was wicked tired from my trip yesterday Ray reminded me that I had to do this so it was done :) Yeah, I agree... doing this was hilarious :biggrin


Lol
:)


If I did that Apryl would kill me! The benefits of being single! ��

I would have done it nevertheless Gary just to get a pic ;)


Charlie, that's great. I'd almost do it but, I'm not taking guests in my closet to show it off. ��

Neither am I Guy... but I did take pics to share with everyone :)


That's awesome Charlie. Good looking bar too.

Thanks John! Last night I got up at 3am just so I can get a greenie and some dishwashing detergent to clean the strut bars... the bars look much better now :thumbsup

[Vas]

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160130/c68ea94f9b65f6d7c544ceecc98acaf9.jpg

[Karl Lazlo]

Credit goes to Ray... even though I was wicked tired from my trip yesterday Ray reminded me that I had to do this so it was done :) Yeah, I agree... doing this was hilarious :biggrin

That's the spirit! Sacrifice sleep for a joke. And, for the record, your photos and staging were much better than mine.

Can't wait to get my Rogue bars...

[WOLFN8TR]

Installed my Evolve Eventuri CF Intake!

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160131/04d6f0ffa6e39f5632b667928b51cbdf.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160131/380f401d97b5f55fb2d97d90dca637c5.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160131/6a7a2e4417da6a9472bf620bf7112571.jpg

[BMWCurves]

Nice! Looks great in there

[WOLFN8TR]

Nice! Looks great in there

Thanks [emoji106] Very nice addition to the engine bay. [emoji2]

[3ZHP]

The sticker says 17 only ? Does this mean it expires on 12/31/2017 ?

Question answered!

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160131/b6987bc093342c38f87c423087901463.jpg


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[Go Horns!]

Installed khoalty headlight lenses and gaskets. Car needed at 94,000 miles. Highly recommend this to anyone on the fence.

[cakM3]

Looks great Gary!! :thumbsup


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[Sockethead]

I'm doing this again

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160131/1e3ba6439ffa173b7ba6ab232a4b8c90.jpg

The M3 CF mirror shells have been a total disappointment.
They both have bubbled up to the point where I'm embarrassed to have them on my car. I had the originals painted Schwarz II
Putting them on...
Such a shame. They weren't cheap and I had the left one swapped out not too long ago. I'm probably going to send them back to TMS at some point. It's bee around two years so I don't expect a refund but I'd like to let them know, that product sucks.

Hard to see in the picture but the whole top of the shell is bubbling up and it's starting to discolor.

[cakM3]

Guess I won't be getting carbon fiber mirror housings then...


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[Sockethead]

Not from Turner... but who knows where these come from... they could be the same.

[anandoc]

Fixed a windshield chip. I had it repaired twice at a local shop and both times, the dried resin came off. This time I decided to use a Permatex DIY kit. Lets see how long this one sticks around.

[az3579]

I'm doing this again

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160131/1e3ba6439ffa173b7ba6ab232a4b8c90.jpg

The M3 CF mirror shells have been a total disappointment.
They both have bubbled up to the point where I'm embarrassed to have them on my car. I had the originals painted Schwarz II
Putting them on...
Such a shame. They weren't cheap and I had the left one swapped out not too long ago. I'm probably going to send them back to TMS at some point. It's bee around two years so I don't expect a refund but I'd like to let them know, that product sucks.

Hard to see in the picture but the whole top of the shell is bubbling up and it's starting to discolor.


You know, I've seen a LOT of carbon fiber accessories start to yellow. That is why I refuse to get anything carbon fiber for my car. The BMW Strut Bar was an exception, but that broke in half long before it got a chance to discolor.

I'm sure there are CF products that do not discolor, but it seems to me that it may be a difference in production methods that determines this. All I know is that CF stuff is too expensive to take that gamble on. :(

Too bad, because CF is starting to grow on me.

[slater]

Fixed a windshield chip. I had it repaired twice at a local shop and both times, the dried resin came off. This time I decided to use a Permatex DIY kit. Lets see how long this one sticks around.

let me know, i just bought a permatex kit for the odyssey.

[ecrabb]

You know, I've seen a LOT of carbon fiber accessories start to yellow. That is why I refuse to get anything carbon fiber for my car. The BMW Strut Bar was an exception, but that broke in half long before it got a chance to discolor.

I'm sure there are CF products that do not discolor, but it seems to me that it may be a difference in production methods that determines this. All I know is that CF stuff is too expensive to take that gamble on. :(

Too bad, because CF is starting to grow on me.

Have you heard the story about GM's $60,000/gallon clear coat they developed for the Corvette ZR-1 CF roof panel? I'm sure it was a development cost amortized over a relatively small number of cars, but that's the issue.

The yellowing is oxidation of the epoxy layer, and it's massively accelerated with exposure to heat and UV. I know... When would car parts ever see exposure to heat and UV, right? Anyway, it's apparently quite common with aftermarket parts because the manufacturers don't spend the money to integrate or apply UV inhibitor compounds to the CF piece like the big manufacturers do to protect themselves from warranty claims.

Personally, I wouldn't have any CF on a daily driver that sits in hot sun all day. It will be interesting to see how a few of the new cars look after they've been left outside in the California sun for five years. A splitter or mirrors or something are no big deal, but a roof? Ouch.

SC

[az3579]

Personally, I wouldn't have any CF on a daily driver that sits in hot sun all day. It will be interesting to see how a few of the new cars look after they've been left outside in the California sun for five years. A splitter or mirrors or something are no big deal, but a roof? Ouch.



Yeah, the roof is a nervous point for me since I want to buy an F80 M3 in the next couple of years with the carbon fiber roof. Since it's an OE product, I'm sure it'll be fine, especially with regular detailing. That doesn't stop me from worrying though. lol

[Rovert]

Just have it professionally painted for $400. Problem solved. If a CF part's main purpose is for weight savings then covering it should be no issue. If it's for aesthetic reasons, you'll have to pay even more to play.

[az3579]

Just have it professionally painted for $400. Problem solved. If a CF part's main purpose is for weight savings then covering it should be no issue. If it's for aesthetic reasons, you'll have to pay even more to play.

The day a roof costs $400 to prep and paint. :rofl
Maybe if you "know someone", but for us regular folks in metropolitan areas, it ain't happening!

[Rovert]

Home Depot spray paint and clear! [emoji41]

[az3579]

Home Depot spray paint and clear! [emoji41]


:facepalm
That's like, $30 dude... lol

[Sockethead]

My mirror shells didn't even see that much sunlight. There were periods where I didn't drive it for months but that is definitely what caused the issue because the undersides of the shells are still perfect...
BTW my splitters from the group buy a few years ago still look great no yellowing. The rear diffuser I got 5 years ago still looks good too... Maybe because they are lower on the car...

[Sockethead]

Back to black mirror shells

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160204/fec783331fd45d3ab311a62eee03c0fa.jpg

[johnrando]

Nice. Bummer the c/f ones failed.

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[cakM3]

Back to black mirror shells

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160204/fec783331fd45d3ab311a62eee03c0fa.jpg

Looks good Rob! Thanks for sharing your experiences with the carbon fiber shells.... saved me time and money :thumbsup

[Sockethead]

NP Charlie... as a famous former Boss once said... "We're here to commiserate, commune, and converse with one another on equal footing."

[johnrando]

:like

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[JupiterBMW]

Yes. Tshirts.

Who hangs their tshirts on hangers?

Sailors. That's who. Normal people FOLD tshirts.


:facepalm I hang my t-shirts... In order based on style and color.... That's not normal?!?! :rofl

[cakM3]

We're getting 4-7 inches of snow today and the snow is currently falling at a pretty good rate.... I exercised some Operational Risk Management this morning and made a command decision..... I stayed home allowing my ZHP to remain in her respective garage today safe and sound... She's also nice and clean and will remain that way at least for today. ;)

[slater]

We're getting 4-7 inches of snow today and the snow is currently falling at a pretty good rate.... I exercised some Operational Risk Management this morning and made a command decision..... I stayed home allowing my ZHP to remain in her respective garage today safe and sound... She's also nice and clean and will remain that way at least for today. ;)

LOL, charlie. :)

a view from my office window - where did winter go? it was 50ºF on wednesday and i had the sunroof open! i'm loving it.

[cakM3]

LOL, charlie. :)

a view from my office window - where did winter go? it was 50ºF on wednesday and i had the sunroof open! i'm loving it.

I have been enjoying the winter we have been having so far... it's just a matter of time before we get some snow :)
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1514/24834354655_c611dc27b0_h.jpg

woke up this morning to see this outside my living room window...
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1719/24716486052_5bb70b15f8_h.jpg

Decided that it would be better to stay home rather than deal with drivers who really don't know how to drive in this weather....so I stayed home ;)

[BMWCurves]

I have been enjoying the winter we have been having so far... it's just a matter of time before we get some snow :)

woke up this morning to see this outside my living room window...

Decided that it would be better to stay home rather than deal with drivers who really don't know how to drive in this weather....so I stayed home ;)

Smart plan.

I'm almost jealous, I wanted at least one good snow this winter. It's supposed to be 60F this weekend.

[johnrando]

Saved it. And me. This F series BMW totally sped through/ran a red light though an empty middle lane with everyone else stopped. My left turn arrow was green so I started to move out. If I didn't see him he would have t-boned me right into my drivers side going around 50 mph.

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[Whammy]

My car is reaaaady!!!! Planning on picking it up from the bodyshop tomorrow because I'm hanging out with my brother due to shoulder surgery.

Got to drive an '15 S4 yesterday. Holy fuck is it fast!!!!

[san]

Saved it. And me. This F series BMW totally sped through/ran a red light though an empty middle lane with everyone else stopped. My left turn arrow was green so I started to move out. If I didn't see him he would have t-boned me right into my drivers side going around 50 mph.

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Ive seen that happen a lot of times unfortunately, people running red lights I mean... glad nothing happened to you...


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[cakM3]

Saved it. And me. This F series BMW totally sped through/ran a red light though an empty middle lane with everyone else stopped. My left turn arrow was green so I started to move out. If I didn't see him he would have t-boned me right into my drivers side going around 50 mph.

What an ass!!! Glad to see you and Ness are okay though! I'm sure you were like WTF?!?! Hopefully this asshat will get caught and pulled over before he/she seriously hurts someone later on...... :facepalm

[BMWCurves]

Saved it. And me. This F series BMW totally sped through/ran a red light though an empty middle lane with everyone else stopped. My left turn arrow was green so I started to move out. If I didn't see him he would have t-boned me right into my drivers side going around 50 mph.

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Fuck that. I've seen a handful of close calls in Philly, thankfully nothing like that here. Good job staying alert for that kind of thing.

[ecrabb]

Saved it. And me. This F series BMW totally sped through/ran a red light though an empty middle lane with everyone else stopped. My left turn arrow was green so I started to move out. If I didn't see him he would have t-boned me right into my drivers side going around 50 mph.

Good save! Were you able to give him an earful of horn to let him know he's an asshat, or did you even have time?

I've started just leaning on my horn when people run through reds. I mean, with the delay between when on side turns red, and another turns green, it's so blatantly obvious they're just completely blowing off the red light. It's unbelievable. I think I'm the only one who does it, but why should we all just suck it up and let these people just do what they want? Oh, you were in a hurry, so you don't have to stop like everybody else? WTH?

SC

[slater]

Good save! Were you able to give him an earful of horn to let him know he's an asshat, or did you even have time?

I've started just leaning on my horn when people run through reds. I mean, with the delay between when on side turns red, and another turns green, it's so blatantly obvious they're just completely blowing off the red light. It's unbelievable. I think I'm the only one who does it, but why should we all just suck it up and let these people just do what they want? Oh, you were in a hurry, so you don't have to stop like everybody else? WTH?

SC

agreed. if i see someone texting while driving, or generally doing something unsafe, i lay on my horn - and keep laying on it - until i feel like they've understood. :)

[Johnmadd]

Glad you're ok John.

[ELCID86]

Glad you're ok John.

+1. I hate asshat drivers.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[johnrando]

Thanks all, much appreciated. I really don't think he even knew. I did lay on the horn. The thing is, if I didn't look, I would not be here, there is nothing I could have done. Just wow.

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[fredo]

Glad you're ok John.

+1. Good reminder for all to stay alert.

[stephenkirsh]

Good save! Were you able to give him an earful of horn to let him know he's an asshat, or did you even have time?

I've started just leaning on my horn when people run through reds. I mean, with the delay between when on side turns red, and another turns green, it's so blatantly obvious they're just completely blowing off the red light. It's unbelievable. I think I'm the only one who does it, but why should we all just suck it up and let these people just do what they want? Oh, you were in a hurry, so you don't have to stop like everybody else? WTH?

SC

I honk at people for all kinds of things. Dumped your drink out the window? Honk. Run a red or stop sign? Honk. Tail gating people? Light flashing. Talking on phone? Light flash.

People do these things because they never get caught and NOBODY calls them out on it.

[theothersawyer]

I honk at people for all kinds of things. Dumped your drink out the window? Honk. Run a red or stop sign? Honk. Tail gating people? Light flashing. Talking on phone? Light flash.

People do these things because they never get caught and NOBODY calls them out on it.
I do the same thing!
https://media4.giphy.com/media/v12FFFTON0WgE/200.gif

[fredo]

I received the VDO fuel pump, gasket and ignition lock. Hopefully they will be installed next week. :thumbsup

[Damian]

Replaced driver window regulator this morning since the cracking sound was getting worse. Check engine light came on yesterday on my way home. Stopped at local Indy to check out out. Turned out to be a vacuum leak somewhere. Explained the occasional limp mode i was getting. Problem fixed. Anyone have their window buttons break? Wondering where to get a new one.

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[slater]

Thanks all, much appreciated. I really don't think he even knew. I did lay on the horn. The thing is, if I didn't look, I would not be here, there is nothing I could have done. Just wow.

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whoa, missed all this - glad you're OK, john! someone is looking out for you. :)

[ELCID86]

Replaced driver window regulator this morning since the cracking sound was getting worse. Check engine light came on yesterday on my way home. Stopped at local Indy to check out out. Turned out to be a vacuum leak somewhere. Explained the occasional limp mode i was getting. Problem fixed. Anyone have their window buttons break? Wondering where to get a new one.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

How'd the Indy know what was leaking and fix it?

Try getting a button from a part out car or junkyard or eBay.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[slater]

i sold a TiAg 330i M Sport to a friend recently, and he came over today and i helped him fix a washer fluid leak (capped off and unplugged the pump for the headlight washers), and showed him how to do an oil change on it. :)

it's always nice to not only provide friends with good cars, but also empower them to fix them themselves. :)

[ELCID86]

i sold a TiAg 330i M Sport to a friend recently, and he came over today and i helped him fix a washer fluid leak (capped off and unplugged the pump for the headlight washers), and showed him how to do an oil change on it. :)

it's always nice to not only provide friends with good cars, but also empower them to fix them themselves. :)

Good going.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[Damian]

How'd the Indy know what was leaking and fix it?

Try getting a button from a part out car or junkyard or eBay.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic
He checked the code (fuel trim) and then checked the vacuum lines. Turned out to be the intake grommet. I've been taking my car to this particular Indy for a while now and he knows my car almost as well as I do, almost. Just found out he will refinish my rims for $100/rim. Score!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

Prepped my car to be handed over to a buddy for the day tomorrow so I can borrow his Land Rover. I need it to go pick up my M3 interior tomorrow in Seattle!


Replaced driver window regulator this morning since the cracking sound was getting worse. Check engine light came on yesterday on my way home. Stopped at local Indy to check out out. Turned out to be a vacuum leak somewhere. Explained the occasional limp mode i was getting. Problem fixed. Anyone have their window buttons break? Wondering where to get a new one.

Do you have a broken button or is the switch broken? Either way, it's pretty much cheaper to just buy the whole switch. I tried replacing a single button but BMW doesn't sell just the button, only the whole switch assembly. I bought a button off eBay for about $5, but it didn't match the rest of my buttons so I returned it. Looking at used switches wasn't much use either since they were about $40, but a new one is about $45-50. If you buy through FCP Euro, they're $48 or so and have a lifetime warranty.


He checked the code (fuel trim) and then checked the vacuum lines. Turned out to be the intake grommet. I've been taking my car to this particular Indy for a while now and he knows my car almost as well as I do, almost. Just found out he will refinish my rims for $100/rim. Score!

That's a pretty good price! Glad he solved your vacuum leak issue.

[1 M Mike]

Changed the oil and filter. Amazing how it feels so much more robust after a new blood transfusion. It really feels like there's 360 horses under the hood now. :o

And speaking of CF, I had my my own carbon fiber nightmare story in this (http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8651388&postcount=775) trunk lid thread at 1addicts.

Truth is I had every intention to paint it in Le Mans blue skin anyway so it was no big deal in the end. It looked gnarly for a while, but I kind of tired of it and was grateful when I had to give it up for the next big thing in the E82 line-up.

[Damian]

Prepped my car to be handed over to a buddy for the day tomorrow so I can borrow his Land Rover. I need it to go pick up my M3 interior tomorrow in Seattle!



Do you have a broken button or is the switch broken? Either way, it's pretty much cheaper to just buy the whole switch. I tried replacing a single button but BMW doesn't sell just the button, only the whole switch assembly. I bought a button off eBay for about $5, but it didn't match the rest of my buttons so I returned it. Looking at used switches wasn't much use either since they were about $40, but a new one is about $45-50. If you buy through FCP Euro, they're $48 or so and have a lifetime warranty.



That's a pretty good price! Glad he solved your vacuum leak issue.
It's just the button. I bought one from eBay and replaced it awhile ago. It didn't match exactly but with tinted windows you couldn't really tell at first glance. As the old adage goes "you get what you pay for", since it broke. Guess I'll be buying the whole assembly. Thanks!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

You might want to hit up the few people parting out their cars on here. Most times window switch assemblies aren't taken and people tend to sell them for cheap.

[danewilson77]

Thanks all, much appreciated. I really don't think he even knew. I did lay on the horn. The thing is, if I didn't look, I would not be here, there is nothing I could have done. Just wow.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Glad you're ok Amigo.

Sent from an S6 Edge

[Rovert]

24199

Gave my car a ceramic shake. Will see how differently she runs as the ceramic slowly bonds to all the rough spots of the friction areas!

[johnrando]

Thanks Slater, Boss.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[danewilson77]

24199

Gave my car a ceramic shake. Will see how differently she runs as the ceramic slowly bonds to all the rough spots of the friction areas!
Looks like fun!

In for review.

Boy.....ecstuning sure is proud of it.

Sent from an S6 Edge

[UdubBadger]

Had a flat last night in the parking lot of a Twin Peaks (don't ask) about an hour away from home. Tire has been annoyingly slow leaking all winter and I have had to pump it up 10-15psi about once a week.

Tired to seal it up using loctight epoxy but wouldn't dry without air popping through. Finally took 2 cans of fix a flat and inflating the tire to 50 psi to reseal it to make it home.

Ughhhhh


GoingHAM mobile

[slater]

Prepped my car to be handed over to a buddy for the day tomorrow so I can borrow his Land Rover. I need it to go pick up my M3 interior tomorrow in Seattle!.

awesome! safe travels, william! :cheers

[ELCID86]

Good call.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[WOLFN8TR]

24199

Gave my car a ceramic shake. Will see how differently she runs as the ceramic slowly bonds to all the rough spots of the friction areas!

What is this suppose to do? Cost?

[ecrabb]

Had a flat last night in the parking lot of a Twin Peaks (don't ask) about an hour away from home. Tire has been annoyingly slow leaking all winter and I have had to pump it up 10-15psi about once a week.

One of my rears started doing that when it cooled off in the fall. I used the soap-and-water trick and the damn thing was bubbling in 8-10 places all around the bead. I guess they were just too hard-dry to seal anymore. Can't wait to get my wheels redone and spanky new PSS's.

SC

[ELCID86]

Installed a pistol box in the trunk. And reattached the grey felt back on the ski pass-thru.

24207


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[UdubBadger]

One of my rears started doing that when it cooled off in the fall. I used the soap-and-water trick and the damn thing was bubbling in 8-10 places all around the bead. I guess they were just too hard-dry to seal anymore. Can't wait to get my wheels redone and spanky new PSS's.

SC

Yeah I've done the same, this tire has been resealed 5-6 times now. Just trying to hold out for winter temps to go up.


GoingHAM mobile

[JupiterBMW]

Well, I've been a little absent, my bad... My M3 was down for a week or so with the interior transformation going on, and I've been extremely busy working on boosting my buddy's Exocet... But, both of those projects are done now, so time to catch up on here...

Also, X5 is at the dealer... yes I know, right!? There is a new service bulletin for faulty injectors, on the S63 engine... Finally, the X5M/X6M owners get a break! So, the X5 is there now, getting the service. Hopefully all new injectors result. Enjoying a 2016 5 series courtesy vehicle though, not a bad car, but damn is it big...

[slater]

jon, what does your wife think of the X5M? ;)

[JupiterBMW]

jon, what does your wife think of the X5M? ;)

Hey Peter...

Well, to her, its just an SUV... We were initially in the market for an X5, M sport... I ended up selling the ZHP right around the time we were looking, and I got a lot of money for it... I also ran across our X5///M right around that time. The deal seemed to good to pass up, so I jumped on it. We decided to try out having 1 car, and it was the perfect blend of utility and performance... Lots of both! :) However, it was a bit of an impulse buy, and I didn't research it enough... It ended up costing us a lot of money in maintenance the first year we owned it... But, we finally got the thing ironed out and all is good now. I really love how it drives like a performance vehicle when I want it to, yet its plenty big enough for the whole family...

General things on the E70... The steering is very heavy... If your wife is a dainty little thing, she might hate that. Ours has the optional 21" wheels with the 285/35-21" tires, so its a lot of meat to turn, but still its very noticeable. Also, the E70 in general suffers from pretty crappy interior quality. Lots of creaks from the interior panels and stuff... A lot more than even my ZHP had (my ZHP was unrealistically tight and quiet though...)

If you go with the V8, plan to make sure of a few maintenance things, there have been a few recalls and other issues that BMW has worked on, so you'll just want to check into that... The X5///M has never gotten any love in terms of recalls or the recent N63 Customer Care Package (google it if you need), until just recently when they decided to release the "service bulletin" for the injectors (basically a recall...).

So, assuming you get one with all of the maintenance done, go for it. The performance is unreal, yet it drives just fine with the wife at the wheel. It is an absolute pig on gas, but the fun is worth it. Its actually quite comical to completely annihilate unsuspecting guys in some cars...

[Karl Lazlo]

Dr CakM3 came to CT, he enjoyed some wings with BP, watched a crazy father (me) interact with his 7yr old daughter and passed over some parts. An unused pair of SGT adj sway bar end links for my M3 and a ULF so I can get hands free in my ZHP. Thanks, again, Charlie!

My daughter closely examined the two Imola 4 door ZHPs and tried to notice differences. She does have an eye for BMWs. Then, she got tossed into the snow.

[ELCID86]

Also, X5 is at the dealer... yes I know, right!? T

Not again!

What's the status of your interior?


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[Whammy]

Got the ZHP back today from the body shop. Ran errands to with girlfriend and stretched the girl's legs (the ZHP....LOL). Felt good to go fast!

[Rovert]

You went there. Not us. [emoji15]

[Whammy]

You went there. Not us. [emoji15]

LOL!

[az3579]

You went there. Not us. [emoji15]

While we're on the subject...


Felt good to go fast!

That's what she said.

[Fenrir]

I had a nice chat with the folks at UUC yesterday about replacing my clutch and even got a chance to talk to the owner. Really nice folks and extremely helpful. I'll be purchasing the street organic performance clutch kit and a friction surface replacement kit from the within the next couple of weeks. The plan is to have the ZHP back on the road full time by March.

I plan to do a video review for the clutch kit and light weight flywheel with both pre/ post break in inputs. It'll be nice to start contributing again and be back in the seat of the ZHP.

[cakM3]

Dr CakM3 came to CT, he enjoyed some wings with BP, watched a crazy father (me) interact with his 7yr old daughter and passed over some parts. An unused pair of SGT adj sway bar end links for my M3 and a ULF so I can get hands free in my ZHP. Thanks, again, Charlie!

My daughter closely examined the two Imola 4 door ZHPs and tried to notice differences. She does have an eye for BMWs. Then, she got tossed into the snow.

Just glad I can help contribute to your projects Ray! It was nice meeting both you and "C" today! She's a trip in a very good way! I enjoyed watching both of you interact with each other :thumbsup

[Karl Lazlo]

Just glad I can help contribute to your projects Ray!

Thanks, dude!


It was nice meeting both you and "C" today!

Likewise!


She's a trip in a very good way! I enjoyed watching both of you interact with each other :thumbsup

I am very proud of her. Wicked smart, funny, cute, sarcastic, happy and a wee bit sensitive. She is a fun kid, makes dad being easy. For now...

[BMWCurves]

Let's see. My car's still in the hands of my buddy, I hope to hear good things when I meet him for Super Bowl festivities tomorrow. The drive up to Seattle (Des Moines, actually) went smoothly. I borrowed his family's Land Rover Discovery II to pick up the M3 interior. That thing is like a brick on wheels in terms of aerodynamics and well...normal driving dynamics. It's ramming so much air at highway speed. Calculated fuel economy for the trip up and back: 17.1 mpg.

Anyways, met the seller of the interior, did an inspection, loaded it up, and drove back home. I now need to figure out what can be done about the minor blemishes on the rear seats and then I'll go about swapping it out!


Well, I've been a little absent, my bad... My M3 was down for a week or so with the interior transformation going on, and I've been extremely busy working on boosting my buddy's Exocet... But, both of those projects are done now, so time to catch up on here...

Also, X5 is at the dealer... yes I know, right!? There is a new service bulletin for faulty injectors, on the S63 engine... Finally, the X5M/X6M owners get a break! So, the X5 is there now, getting the service. Hopefully all new injectors result. Enjoying a 2016 5 series courtesy vehicle though, not a bad car, but damn is it big...

They've been yacht-status for two generations now, IMO. They're longer than your X5M I think, but not as wide.


Got the ZHP back today from the body shop. Ran errands to with girlfriend and stretched the girl's legs (the ZHP....LOL). Felt good to go fast!

No explicit statement on this one with whom you're referring to? :p


I had a nice chat with the folks at UUC yesterday about replacing my clutch and even got a chance to talk to the owner. Really nice folks and extremely helpful. I'll be purchasing the street organic performance clutch kit and a friction surface replacement kit from the within the next couple of weeks. The plan is to have the ZHP back on the road full time by March.

I plan to do a video review for the clutch kit and light weight flywheel with both pre/ post break in inputs. It'll be nice to start contributing again and be back in the seat of the ZHP.

Good luck, look forward to your review! Any reason you picked that particular clutch? Is that what they suggested?

I did not have the best experience with UUC when it came to their SSK. They refused to believe that my indy installed it right but finally gave in once he gave them measurements proving they sent the wrong part. The replacement part came and was backwards but they assured me it was fine. I still think I have the wrong DSSR, but not bothered enough to go through the hassle of getting in there to check.

[Fenrir]

Good luck, look forward to your review! Any reason you picked that particular clutch? Is that what they suggested?

I did not have the best experience with UUC when it came to their SSK. They refused to believe that my indy installed it right but finally gave in once he gave them measurements proving they sent the wrong part. The replacement part came and was backwards but they assured me it was fine. I still think I have the wrong DSSR, but not bothered enough to go through the hassle of getting in there to check.

I'm currently running their light weight flywheel and clutch combo. It came with the car and has been on there for over 80k miles. Between myself and the previous owner, the kit has seen time at The Ring, Silverstone, Virginia Motor Speedway, local tracks here and every back road along I-40 between here and VA lol. The kit has done all that without complaint plus gotten me to work and back as a daily.

UUC has caught flak over the years but their products haven't left me beside the road yet. And while I baby my car, I push it just as hard. I have their SSK as well but it's never given me problems. I can't speak for everyone though and every manufacturer makes mistakes. I hope my experiences with their company and products continue to be as pleasant as they have been so far.

TL;DR - I have their clutch kit already and I've loved it so I'm buying it again haha.

Sent from a blue police box

[BMWCurves]

I'm currently running their light weight flywheel and clutch combo. It came with the car and has been on there for over 80k miles. Between myself and the previous owner, the kit has seen time at The Ring, Silverstone, Virginia Motor Speedway, local tracks here and every back road along I-40 between here and VA lol. The kit has done all that without complaint plus gotten me to work and back as a daily.

UUC has caught flak over the years but their products haven't left me beside the road yet. And while I baby my car, I push it just as hard. I have their SSK as well but it's never given me problems. I can't speak for everyone though and every manufacturer makes mistakes. I hope my experiences with their company and products continue to be as pleasant as they have been so far.

TL;DR - I have their clutch kit already and I've loved it so I'm buying it again haha.

Sent from a blue police box

Well said. I'm not saying that their mistakes with me means they're a terrible company, just I had bad luck with them.

Your car's been to the Nurburgring? That's impressive, how did that come about?

[Fenrir]

Well said. I'm not saying that their mistakes with me means they're a terrible company, just I had bad luck with them.

Your car's been to the Nurburgring? That's impressive, how did that come about?

Oh I certainly didn't want to imply that haha. I certainly hope you have better luck with them.

And apparently it did well lol. I'm the second owner. The original owner ordered it when he was stationed in Germany and he was stationed in England afterwords. He moved here to NM and retired from the AF. I picked it up and picked up where he left off.

Many of the performance parts that are on the car were installed by the previous owner. So I was very fortunate when it came to building the car as a lot of the work was done.

It's been tracked off and on over the years by both myself and the original owner. I wouldn't mind going to the Ring myself one day and if possible, take the car as well. For now, I'm content with maintaining it and continuing the minor touches of the build :).

Sent from a blue police box

[330i ZHP]

I have been lucky to date with no noticeable yellowing on cf parts for wagon and x5. I had an aftermarket rear diffuser get a hazy grey look on my ZHP back in the day. Went to bmwp and never had a problem

[330i ZHP]

Good luck with that UUC clutch. Can't wait for the report saying UUC says the installer installed it wrong. That is their first response to everything

[3ZHP]

Time to test this thing.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/6ece3cd7f468652f8cbc04a0de6978dd.jpg


Sent from my iPhone 6S using Tapatalk

[Whammy]

Installed a pistol box in the trunk. And reattached the grey felt back on the ski pass-thru.

24207


Nice! How hard was this to install?

[johnrando]

Just glad I can help contribute to your projects Ray! It was nice meeting both you and "C" today! She's a trip in a very good way! I enjoyed watching both of you interact with each other :thumbsup

Pics or didn't happen. :biggrin

[3ZHP]

A little TLC for the F30 today.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/cba74905db20cf8dffa36692ee80d4de.jpg


Sent from my iPhone 6S using Tapatalk

[ELCID86]

Nice! How hard was this to install?

Not bad. Pre-drilled four holes (but only three lined up :-/ luckily the screws I used are self tapping. Needed a spotter to hold it in place. This new 90* gadget made it a snap!

24263

Combination ends up being upside down of course (and for those who recall my narcotic-simplex-combo-screwup, I finally got it open!)


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[ELCID86]

A little TLC for the F30 today.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160207/cba74905db20cf8dffa36692ee80d4de.jpg


Sent from my iPhone 6S using Tapatalk

Looks good. Mine needs a bath too.

24264


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[Vas]

Why is there an f30 Shawn?

[ELCID86]

Why is there an f30 Shawn?

Lol. Colin's college classmate is up visiting law schools...not mine ;-)


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[3ZHP]

Looks good. Mine needs a bath too.

24264


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

I thought that one was as limited as a ZHP. Guess not.


Sent from my iPhone 6S using Tapatalk

[san]

Cleaned and Undercoated the rear wheel wells


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[danewilson77]

What is this suppose to do? Cost?
It's $20-$30 per treatment depending on where you get it. It fills in any engine wear you may have (that's the claim).

Sent from an S6 Edge

[fredo]

Added 5 gallons of gas to the ZHP. Total was $10.11 ... I always fill up, but I plan to replace the fuel pump in some days. I better keep the gas at a low level until then. That's one of the useful hints I got on my trip to LV !

Also, bought a $8 touch less car wash. The ZHP is looking good after 2 weeks of inactivity.

[Rovert]

My car told me today to EFF the winters today. So I better do as she says. [emoji15]

24272

[JupiterBMW]

Picked up the X5 from the dealer today... All new injectors replaced, courtesy of BMW... Such a good feeling getting such a massive service for FREE...

Now time to drive down to the tuning shops...

[cakM3]

My car told me today to EFF the winters today. So I better do as she says. [emoji15]

24272

Nice Trevor! Now watch.... you will get a big snow storm... :p

I changed out cell phone mounts in my ZHP this afternoon and mounted a Core360 on my Bimmian bracket. Details in my project thread...

[BMWCurves]

Swapped out my front seats for M3 seats.

[Jconlin16]

Nice Trevor! Now watch.... you will get a big snow storm... :p

I changed out cell phone mounts in my ZHP this afternoon and mounted a Core360 on my Bimmian bracket. Details in my project thread...

I also mounted a Core360 mount on a Bimmian bracket in my ZHP today! :cheers

I am so glad you told me about this, thanks again!

Aaand I shipped out my spare wheel to Coby for a re-wrap. :)

[danewilson77]

My only concern with the Core 360 mount is the swivel longevity. Does anyone think over time this might pose an issue?

Sent from an S6 Edge

[WOLFN8TR]

It's pretty dam tight, I have to use two hands to adjust it. I wouldn't think so Dane.

[ELCID86]

Swapped out my front seats for M3 seats.

Awesome.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[rguti153]

Change oil and oil filter

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[cakM3]

Nothing like taking your ZHP w/ Limited Slip out on snow covered roads and ripping thru them ;) I really enjoyed "playing" around on my way to work this morning....

[NoVAphotog]

Nothing like taking your ZHP w/ Limited Slip out on snow covered roads and ripping thru them ;) I really enjoyed "playing" around on my way to work this morning....

+1

Does better than a 4wd w/ open diffs and all seasons...

[ecrabb]

Sunday, I started to do the valve cover gasket replacement on my wife's X3...

Half an hour in, I break a retaining clip on a sensor plug. The plastic is ridiculously brittle. This is an '07. With 45k miles on it. Wow.

Half an hour later, following a less-than-clear step on the DIY, I remove six clips, only to realize they were the wrong six clips. It should have been the six *wire spring clips* that held some wiring in place, but I removed the six stainless clips that secure the fuel rail to the fuel injectors. Face palm. Reinstalling them all, I dropped one, then listened to the telltale sound if it bouncing off the floor once, then into a plastic cover on the bottom of the car. Jacked up the car, removed half the belly cover, found the clip, and put it back on.

So, now I go to work on the spring clips I should have removed. Its extremely cramped. The only way to get to them is a tiny screwdriver. You pull one side and push it around the piece it's retaining, then do the same for the other side. I work at it for 15 minutes, splayed across the engine compartment to reach the rear, and have 5 out of 6 done. My legs are burning. I can't get the sixth. If I could bring home the entire Home Depot lighting aisle, there wouldn't be enough light to make it easy to see in the cramped quarters. Every time I release the second half of the clip, the first half springs back. I tried everything. I'm almost two hours in now, and I'm still not close to actually removing the valve cover to instal the gasket. Never mind the spark plugs or cabin fan I want done while I'm in there.

Screw it. I reinstalled the clips, reconnected the sensors, put the vanity covers back on, reinstalled the intake airbox, fan shroud, strut brace, cabin air filter box, and went inside and emailed the indie shop to do it. $350 labor to install the valve cover gasket, install spark plugs free of charge, $69 to swap the cabin fan. Done. Appointment scheduled. Three hours of my Sunday down the crapper.

The stuff under the hood on these things is really crazy. Teeny tiny parts, super-cramped spaces, brittle plastic, and materials and design that won't last (hello, valve cover gasket shot in 42k miles!) and is difficult to work on. It's sad, but these new cars are going to be like TVs long-term... Once their value drops to say $5,000, the repairs are going to be so cost-prohibitive that in many cases, they're going to be cheaper to throw away and replace with another than they will to repair.

Lesson learned. Should have let the indie shop do this one in the first place.

SC

[johnrando]

Wow, sux to hear.

[BMWCurves]

That must have been maddening. I do often curse the engineers at BMW when I'm doing some work.

[alexandre]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.

[Ssparrow]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.

Stater replacement is a huge pain, but definitely possible. Just make sure you have lots of extensions and patience, helps to have another set of hands if possible. Took me about 2 and a half hours to remove my old one, and only another 30 minutes to install the new one. Good luck!

[stephenkirsh]

Picked up the X5 from the dealer today... All new injectors replaced, courtesy of BMW... Such a good feeling getting such a massive service for FREE...

Now time to drive down to the tuning shops...

Doesn't it make you nervous that they had to replace all the injectors at such low mileage?

[slater]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.

yep, it's one of the only things on this car that is a pain - or, at least, i assume it is - i haven't replaced mine but i did note the location, and it is not in a fun spot. i do have a repair manual here, i can scan + email the pages on it if you want, alex.

[JupiterBMW]

Doesn't it make you nervous that they had to replace all the injectors at such low mileage?

It's a common thing with the S63...


Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus using two hands to hold the damn thing!

[ecrabb]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.

It's an '07 E83 X3 3.0si... N52B30, the same engine used in the E90 and a bunch of others. I think it's actually a great engine... It's just a nightmare to work on with all the tiny clips and connectors and sensors - especially if you don't know exactly how a connector releases. Getting the valve cover off is more like disassembling a computer than it is a car. The difference is that if you break a connector on a computer it's easy to replace. On these cars, it's a harness that loops all over to hell and back. There's a reason the factory trains the technicians to work on these cars.

I'm wondering if the DIY was even correct now. Maybe that part didn't even need to come off. I should have ordered a Bentley before I got started.

BTW, I'd much rather do things like brakes, starter, transmission mounts, bearings, etc. and leave this fine work to a tech. It may be cramped and frustrating doing a starter, but I think the stakes are much lower because you don't have to worry about breaking super-expensive things or losing tiny parts.

SC

[az3579]

Sunday, I started to do the valve cover gasket replacement on my wife's X3...

Half an hour in, I break a retaining clip on a sensor plug. The plastic is ridiculously brittle. This is an '07. With 45k miles on it. Wow.

Half an hour later, following a less-than-clear step on the DIY, I remove six clips, only to realize they were the wrong six clips. It should have been the six *wire spring clips* that held some wiring in place, but I removed the six stainless clips that secure the fuel rail to the fuel injectors. Face palm. Reinstalling them all, I dropped one, then listened to the telltale sound if it bouncing off the floor once, then into a plastic cover on the bottom of the car. Jacked up the car, removed half the belly cover, found the clip, and put it back on.

So, now I go to work on the spring clips I should have removed. Its extremely cramped. The only way to get to them is a tiny screwdriver. You pull one side and push it around the piece it's retaining, then do the same for the other side. I work at it for 15 minutes, splayed across the engine compartment to reach the rear, and have 5 out of 6 done. My legs are burning. I can't get the sixth. If I could bring home the entire Home Depot lighting aisle, there wouldn't be enough light to make it easy to see in the cramped quarters. Every time I release the second half of the clip, the first half springs back. I tried everything. I'm almost two hours in now, and I'm still not close to actually removing the valve cover to instal the gasket. Never mind the spark plugs or cabin fan I want done while I'm in there.

Screw it. I reinstalled the clips, reconnected the sensors, put the vanity covers back on, reinstalled the intake airbox, fan shroud, strut brace, cabin air filter box, and went inside and emailed the indie shop to do it. $350 labor to install the valve cover gasket, install spark plugs free of charge, $69 to swap the cabin fan. Done. Appointment scheduled. Three hours of my Sunday down the crapper.

The stuff under the hood on these things is really crazy. Teeny tiny parts, super-cramped spaces, brittle plastic, and materials and design that won't last (hello, valve cover gasket shot in 42k miles!) and is difficult to work on. It's sad, but these new cars are going to be like TVs long-term... Once their value drops to say $5,000, the repairs are going to be so cost-prohibitive that in many cases, they're going to be cheaper to throw away and replace with another than they will to repair.

Lesson learned. Should have let the indie shop do this one in the first place.

SC


The car is 9-10 years old... the plastic will be brittle. Mileage is irrelevant.

[ecrabb]

The car is 9-10 years old... the plastic will be brittle. Mileage is irrelevant.

I wouldn't say mileage is irrelevant. Plastic degradation is a function of time and exposure. Plastic in an engine compartment will be much more brittle after 10 years and 100k miles than it would be after 10 years and 10k miles. The opposite extreme would be sealed in a baggie in a cool environment, where it should still have the majority of its original flexibility.

SC

[ELCID86]

Wow, sux to hear.

+1. That bites.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[san]

Drive on a significant amount of snow for the first time using continental dws06... The grip is quite impressive... Does slide a bit but not too bad...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sockethead]

I'm wondering if the DIY was even correct now. Maybe that part didn't even need to come off. I should have ordered a Bentley before I got started



You can't trust the Bentley manual either. It's a good reference but I've found that about 60% of the time it tells you to take off too much stuff...

Hard to believe that BMW is still using the same crappy gasket material they used 20 years ago... The dealership even has a job name for replacing all the gaskets on the engine called "reseal engine"

[Whammy]

Wow. What engine is it ? I'm attempting to replace my starter tomorrow afternoon and have a sneaky feeling that I'll end up in the same scenario. Knock on wood.


Stater replacement is a huge pain, but definitely possible. Just make sure you have lots of extensions and patience, helps to have another set of hands if possible. Took me about 2 and a half hours to remove my old one, and only another 30 minutes to install the new one. Good luck!

It's an absolute pain in the ass.
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/duraznostj/E46/starter2_zpsll7fdeho.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j226/duraznostj/E46/starter1_zpszmwsbzaa.jpg

My hands/arms were so caked with grease and other crap. Took half a day with a friend's help.

[theothersawyer]

That's a hell of an extension combo! Haha good work getting it out though!

[330i ZHP]

Next time pull the intake plenum etc, takes less time. And then started is super easy to pull

[330i ZHP]

Checked off some wiring and plumbing tasks on the red 02

Installed heater box/core hoses to engine
Ran 6AWG cable from alternator to the distribution of power for fuse panel (replacing 12AWG that was 42yr old brittle)
Removed unneeded wiring for '74 vintage emissions system
Removed harness for old voltage regulator system (external instead of internal on the new system)
Installed power distribution block to provide 12v constant power source under hood (battery moved to under rear seat)
Wired the relay and wiring for the electric/thermos controlled fan (no longer mechanical fan)
Wired alternator and starter
Made new braided hoses for oil return - post oil separator
Installed fuses
Wrapped all wires in cloth loom tape

Prepped new door cards/panels for installing door/window/lock hardware
Finished installing power door locks and wiring in doors - into the cabin (will install alarm to control door and trunk locks/release)

Trying to get as much done before the dr digs into my knee (btw, they found a tumor in my Femor...unknown if benign...I don't feel it, so it is likely benign)

[3ZHP]

Checked off some wiring and plumbing tasks on the red 02

Installed heater box/core hoses to engine
Ran 6AWG cable from alternator to the distribution of power for fuse panel (replacing 12AWG that was 42yr old brittle)
Removed unneeded wiring for '74 vintage emissions system
Removed harness for old voltage regulator system (external instead of internal on the new system)
Installed power distribution block to provide 12v constant power source under hood (battery moved to under rear seat)
Wired the relay and wiring for the electric/thermos controlled fan (no longer mechanical fan)
Wired alternator and starter
Made new braided hoses for oil return - post oil separator
Installed fuses
Wrapped all wires in cloth loom tape

Prepped new door cards/panels for installing door/window/lock hardware
Finished installing power door locks and wiring in doors - into the cabin (will install alarm to control door and trunk locks/release)

Trying to get as much done before the dr digs into my knee (btw, they found a tumor in my Femor...unknown if benign...I don't feel it, so it is likely benign)

You've been busy. Hope the leg thing works out OK.

That much work, you may have it finished by summer.


Sent from my iPhone 6S using Tapatalk

[330i ZHP]

Sadly I wanted it done last fall. Thank you...sitting here wide awake at 4am with it aching

[Sockethead]

Stu, every time I read one of your project updates, I think...

http://r.ddmcdn.com/s_f/DSC/uploads/2014/06/overhaulin-chipfoose-300x300.jpg

[slater]

Checked off some wiring and plumbing tasks on the red 02

Installed heater box/core hoses to engine
Ran 6AWG cable from alternator to the distribution of power for fuse panel (replacing 12AWG that was 42yr old brittle)
Removed unneeded wiring for '74 vintage emissions system
Removed harness for old voltage regulator system (external instead of internal on the new system)
Installed power distribution block to provide 12v constant power source under hood (battery moved to under rear seat)
Wired the relay and wiring for the electric/thermos controlled fan (no longer mechanical fan)
Wired alternator and starter
Made new braided hoses for oil return - post oil separator
Installed fuses
Wrapped all wires in cloth loom tape

Prepped new door cards/panels for installing door/window/lock hardware
Finished installing power door locks and wiring in doors - into the cabin (will install alarm to control door and trunk locks/release)

Trying to get as much done before the dr digs into my knee (btw, they found a tumor in my Femor...unknown if benign...I don't feel it, so it is likely benign)

stu, seriously - you are a machine. you need your own TV/YouTube show.

hope the tumor thing is benign. keep us updated.

[BMWCurves]

@Jeff/Whammy - I actually loled, that's a serious extension creation you made.

@Stu - excellent progress! Vy mashina (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PAtFsJY5q0)! Hope the leg tumor is benign.

[alexandre]

Next time pull the intake plenum etc, takes less time. And then started is super easy to pull

Intake plenum = the boots?

[330i ZHP]

Snow blowing took more out of me than I thought. Surgery Monday at noon. 2-4 days on crutch/cane. Should be able to deal with kids following week

Very deep meniscus tear in the white zone. (Means little blood flow for self recovery). Has to be removed. ACL should heal on its own.

And the tumor in my femur is 99% certain benign

[330i ZHP]

Intake plenum = the boots?

No, remove the entire intake manifold. It's like ten 11mm bolts. It will move out of the way enough to have full access to the starter. Leave throttlebody and elbow hose attached. Remove maf and airbox.

[Johnmadd]

Snow blowing took more out of me than I thought. Surgery Monday at noon. 2-4 days on crutch/cane. Should be able to deal with kids following week

Very deep meniscus tear in the white zone. (Means little blood flow for self recovery). Has to be removed. ACL should heal on its own.

And the tumor in my femur is 99% certain benign

That's good news.

[Whammy]

Next time pull the intake plenum etc, takes less time. And then started is super easy to pull


@Jeff/Whammy - I actually loled, that's a serious extension creation you made.

@Stu - excellent progress! Vy mashina (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PAtFsJY5q0)! Hope the leg tumor is benign.


No, remove the entire intake manifold. It's like ten 11mm bolts. It will move out of the way enough to have full access to the starter. Leave throttlebody and elbow hose attached. Remove maf and airbox.

Note for next time however hoping to never do it again!

[alexandre]

Game on!

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160210/4728d3819183b19d1f82e65a4ab73a79.jpg

[ELCID86]

Snow blowing took more out of me than I thought. Surgery Monday at noon. 2-4 days on crutch/cane. Should be able to deal with kids following week

Very deep meniscus tear in the white zone. (Means little blood flow for self recovery). Has to be removed. ACL should heal on its own.

And the tumor in my femur is 99% certain benign

Hope it goes well. I'm still doing PT 2x/week. On the exercise bike right now...


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[Sockethead]

Snow blowing took more out of me than I thought. Surgery Monday at noon. 2-4 days on crutch/cane. Should be able to deal with kids following week

Very deep meniscus tear in the white zone. (Means little blood flow for self recovery). Has to be removed. ACL should heal on its own.

And the tumor in my femur is 99% certain benign

They are going to remove just the tear, right?
The picture they showed me post op, looked like crab meat. They just trimmed that off and sent me on my way. I was up and about quickly but it was a while before I could fully bend my knee, if I remember right...
Hoping it's a quick recovery for you too!

[330i ZHP]

They are going to remove just the tear, right?
The picture they showed me post op, looked like crab meat. They just trimmed that off and sent me on my way. I was up and about quickly but it was a while before I could fully bend my knee, if I remember right...
Hoping it's a quick recovery for you too!

Good to know. It is outpatient.

[330i ZHP]

Hope it goes well. I'm still doing PT 2x/week. On the exercise bike right now...


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

What procedure did you have done?

[330i ZHP]

The 02 is starting to come to life. All exterior lighting working.

Installed front flares and air dam.

Installing door cards.

Installing interior lighting.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/df74092397aac86826e91b9f9deb28ef.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/86978b209dce551058498adcdc699ec3.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/b93e119fe123da7ce474b38fa4f74543.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/770ea4e759313333a91c325f32cc7322.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/9b0fa7b185bd4d2c60a1b14a4376a997.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/b4c0219f65b0b5a304f850a145767f14.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/b7e1c229509b172d2006d6bf7cbd5916.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/ccbda53c276ecf2bfefb3650e9933791.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160211/c2336a86c99045e4ab5c6dc30fab8e9e.jpg

[johnrando]

Looks great! (understatement)

[slater]

wow, stuart... those flares and wheels! nice!!

[wstr75]

Am steadily putting together an Intravee controlled multi-component system. Got the Intravee programmed with the latest software and now installing an Alpine unit to control an iPod, an Alpine Sirius module and an Alpine HD radio module. Also have a TV module to operate a backup camera but will have to buy specific connectors to mate with the camera. Hope to get this done this weekend. Sent the car's nav unit to Jimmy Chen for screen replacement and to fix a sudden blank screen issue that he diagnosed as bad CD drive in the head unit. Received the head unit last week with replaced CD drive and new screen and installed in car. Old screen had entire blotches of bad pixels. Car interior instantly looked better with the new screen. It is a little extra work finding places to put the modules as the car is a convertible and the convertible gear changes the available trunk wall space locations.

[johnrando]

Nice. Pics and details when done.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

Replaced my driver's side tail light with a used unit yesterday due to a dull LED in the turn signal cluster. Sealed up the rubber flap/gasket with the metal on the trunk using silicone caulk today, hopefully that'll seal it well.

[Rovert]

Cleaned the gunk and dirt from the door latch actuators then relubricated them with dry graphite spray so dirt won't accumulate there anymore. Doors operate so much nicer now.

[slater]

Cleaned the gunk and dirt from the door latch actuators then relubricated them with dry graphite spray so dirt won't accumulate there anymore. Doors operate so much nicer now.

great idea, trevor - i gots to do that.

[ELCID86]

Cleaned the gunk and dirt from the door latch actuators then relubricated them with dry graphite spray so dirt won't accumulate there anymore. Doors operate so much nicer now.

Good idea. I need to adjust my right rear. Doesn't close very easily--needs a slam...


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[Scott ZHP]

Replaced the ribbon cable in my E53's head unit. No more dead pixels. I bought the solder-in style cable; took about three hours start to finish and most of that was disassembly/reassembly of the Blaupunkt made head unit. Can you say over-engineered? Three hours of labor to replace a $2 ribbon, lol.

Gorgeous 2002, BTW. There's a factory Turbo, or very good replica, that turns up at Carlisle every year. It's beautiful.

[Aeternalis]

Just finished up replacing the center console and hazard/door lock switch. Also fished out the AUX cable from behind the stereo.. I bought one to add but was surpised to find one already hooked up to an adapter of some sort. Cleaned everything up and fished the cable down to the sunglasses tray.

[ELCID86]

Just finished up replacing the center console and hazard/door lock switch. Also fished out the AUX cable from behind the stereo.. I bought one to add but was surpised to find one already hooked up to an adapter of some sort. Cleaned everything up and fished the cable down to the sunglasses tray.

Nice work.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[wstr75]

One of those frustrating days. Was hoping to get all the components installed (bluetooth ULF, Sirius module, Alpine iPod adapter, HD radio module) and basically got nowhere because of missing some key parts. Ordered a bluetooth pairing button from some go to guy in Germany (none of the USA sites have this button and it does not show up on the OEM parts finder diagrams). Ordered 30 AWG Kynar wire from an Ebay seller so the Alpine iPod adapter never lets the iPod sleep and perpetually keeps it charging. This requires some careful drilling and soldering under a bench magnifying glass/light. See this link http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/topic/75564-kca-420i-wake-up-mod/

Have any of my fellow ZHP owners done this wiring modification?

At any rate, looks like late this month to get all of the mods done.

[Damian]

Going to pick up my freshly wrapped pillars today. Dropped them off to a local upholstery shop 4 days ago. Will upload pics on my project page once installed

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[TigerTater]

Stu car looks awesome. Can't imagine the amount of hours you've put in! Just curious if you would ever sell, and if so what would tht Magic price be? I expect Price to be largely inflated based on emotional investment!! But just curious

[D1ESEL]

I did all the idler pulleys today and put in a new alternator.

I need to make a thread for my car. I have been doing so much maintenance!

[Jconlin16]

I did all the idler pulleys today and put in a new alternator.

I need to make a thread for my car. I have been doing so much maintenance!

Dooo et! Lol I spent a couple of hours writing out a maintenance thread for mine today. Feels good to finally have it on here, I had kept a log on my phone.

[BMWCurves]

One of those frustrating days. Was hoping to get all the components installed (bluetooth ULF, Sirius module, Alpine iPod adapter, HD radio module) and basically got nowhere because of missing some key parts. Ordered a bluetooth pairing button from some go to guy in Germany (none of the USA sites have this button and it does not show up on the OEM parts finder diagrams). Ordered 30 AWG Kynar wire from an Ebay seller so the Alpine iPod adapter never lets the iPod sleep and perpetually keeps it charging. This requires some careful drilling and soldering under a bench magnifying glass/light. See this link http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/topic/75564-kca-420i-wake-up-mod/

Have any of my fellow ZHP owners done this wiring modification?

At any rate, looks like late this month to get all of the mods done.

Nope, I didn't know the retrofit was that involved. Someone else with more electrical experience can weigh in on this.


Going to pick up my freshly wrapped pillars today. Dropped them off to a local upholstery shop 4 days ago. Will upload pics on my project page once installed

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I look forward to it. Mine are just starting to sag but have been that way since I bought it. Doesn't really bother me, but it would be nice to know my avenues for fixing it down the road.


I did all the idler pulleys today and put in a new alternator.

I need to make a thread for my car. I have been doing so much maintenance!

Definitely do.


Dooo et! Lol I spent a couple of hours writing out a maintenance thread for mine today. Feels good to finally have it on here, I had kept a log on my phone.

It does, and it's helpful to be able to go back and check photos and remind me about certain things. Definitely more info than just a maintenance spreadsheet. Now if there were a way to download an entire maintenance thread for my laptop and to print out for my maintenance binder at home...

[cakM3]

Did a little bit of afternoon cleaning for both of my cars.... ;)

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1538/24933180422_b35e6e09a9_b.jpg

[BADCLOWN]

those look great, wish i wasn't so afraid to do that to my own

[az3579]

those look great, wish i wasn't so afraid to do that to my own
Nothing to be afraid of! I'd be more afraid NOT doing it. lol

Sent from my LG V10 on Tapatalk

[cakM3]

those look great, wish i wasn't so afraid to do that to my own

You just have to use a soft bristle brush to get the dirt off and some compressed air to blow the surface then use a damp microfiber cloth and some alcantara cleaner and lightly go over the surface. That's what I did to both steering wheels. When it's done the wheels should feel good again :thumbsup

All part of maintenance Jacob :)

[Vas]

Great vid for cleaning alcantara

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wROwSj7OJGg

[stephenkirsh]

those look great, wish i wasn't so afraid to do that to my own

At the very least clean it wth a damp wash cloth.

[BADCLOWN]

I just bought a new Coby wrapped wheel and various other items so the original wheel will be removed and I'll try my hand at cleaning it, it's really not in bad shape at all.

[az3579]

At the very least clean it wth a damp wash cloth.

The brushing is necessary still to bring the pile back up. Otherwise, it'll stay matted down.

Sent from my LG V10 on Tapatalk

[Jconlin16]

Installed an armrest delete kit today. No more squeaky armrest! http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/15/b87d64a72aae8bb834a65cb032956658.jpg

[Dr Dynamite]

Installed an armrest delete kit today. No more squeaky armrest! http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/15/b87d64a72aae8bb834a65cb032956658.jpg
I like the armrest delete, looks nice but I rely on my armrest alot! Haha...

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[BMWCurves]

I like the armrest delete, looks nice but I rely on my armrest alot! Haha...

Same. I don't understand the hate for the armrest, but to each their own.

[Dr Dynamite]

Same. I don't understand the hate for the armrest, but to each their own.
I was chatting with Vas about the Alcantara armrest option from coby.... I'm going to do that soon, my armrest is dove gray and has some infection on the main part my arm rests on.... Alcantara will look awesome and feel good too

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[das boots]

I love the armrest. Armrest is a blessing to support for my recent surgery on a torn rotator cuff. And still healing. But as BMWCurves states...to each their own.

[Jconlin16]

No hate for the armrest, I just didn't use mine 99% of the time. It was worn out and squeaky. Plus, I love the clean look without it and the shorter console opens up some room in the back as well.

[BADCLOWN]

Coby steering wheel, arm rest, and both boots all w/ M stitching (minus the arm rest, it got 2 colors) showed up today. gorgeous stuff it is, just need to find some steering wheel trim now

[stephenkirsh]

The brushing is necessary still to bring the pile back up. Otherwise, it'll stay matted down.

Sent from my LG V10 on Tapatalk

Mines worn way passed that point. I just clean it to get the dirt off and restore the color for a few weeks.

[danewilson77]

I like the armrest delete, looks nice but I rely on my armrest alot! Haha...

Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk
Gangsta lean....engaged!

Sent from an S6 Edge

[cakM3]

Gangsta lean....engaged!

Sent from an S6 Edge

yes....... :thumbsup

[Pip]

Gangsta lean....engaged!

Sent from an S6 Edge

Oh I need my armrest when getting into the car and when gangsta status hits


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jconlin16]

RIP gangsta lean. You'll be missed.

[Vas]

My wife's car has the Alcantara arm rest and that's great for long trips. However my imola sedan has the delete and I prefer that on short trips. Mostly because my elbow always hits the armrest and it never stays up.

Also gangsta lean is bad for your back. Best sitting position is when you stretch your arms out forward and your wrist touch the top of the wheel without your elbows locking.

[AggieBlake]

Decided to take a vacation day and install some parts today. UUC black transmission mounts went in easy. M3 motor mounts took some persuasion. I was doing this as PM and performance upgrade, but turns out I needed them more than I thought. Stock passenger side mount had collapsed after 98k miles. Went ahead and flushed transmission and diff while I was down there with Redline. And then, best part of all, finally installed my new-to-me Corsa TSE3. Sounds killer. Good way to enjoy a 70 degree sunny Texas winter day.

24431

[BMWCurves]

How does the engine/tranny feel with the new mounts?

I'm envious of your UUC exhaust!

[JupiterBMW]

M3 at the dealer today... :) Thankful for the previous owner that purchased the full 6 years of included maintenance. So, she's getting an oil change, wiper blades, air filters, etc etc... Driving a 2016 528i loaner until then, black on black... Full mafia status for the day... :mafia

[NoVAphotog]

M3 at the dealer today... :) Thankful for the previous owner that purchased the full 6 years of included maintenance. So, she's getting an oil change, wiper blades, air filters, etc etc... Driving a 2016 528i loaner until then, black on black... Full mafia status for the day... :mafia

Nice! When I got the recall done on my zhp at BMW of Sterling, the guy doing the loaners had started writing up a 320i, saw my car in the waiting area and was nahhh man you ain't getting this...definitely enjoyed the loaded 2015 528i all Friday and all Saturday that weekend.

[JupiterBMW]

Yeah, I've driven everything they have, and this car twice already!


Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus using two hands to hold the damn thing!

[slater]

Also gangsta lean is bad for your back. Best sitting position is when you stretch your arms out forward and your wrist touch the top of the wheel without your elbows locking.

+1 on this. friends laugh because i'm 6"1' and they say "you sit sooo close to the wheel!" but really, any further away feels like i'm not in control. here's a good video on proper seat position:


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



How does the engine/tranny feel with the new mounts?

also curious! i'm running the same combo. i've got some vibrations, mostly on decel, but i think it's my flywheel.

[johnrando]

Working with William, changed the original fuel pump with 80K miles on it. I wonder if it's my imagination but the car feels different. Really liking it. Also, William coded my temp gauge settings. Also, had it detailed, man it's looking shiny. :) Started raining the next day so no pics yet.
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/18/8c9a2512dc498f84026945f2359d7a9c.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/02/18/fbfee04136495ecf99ebde8543b130f4.jpg

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[AggieBlake]

How does the engine/tranny feel with the new mounts?

I'm envious of your UUC exhaust!

The entire driveline feels noticeably tighter, and there is less of a "clunk" when I come on or off the throttle hard. I still have a cracked rear diff bushing to replace, so the clunk won't be entirely gone till that's done. I would attribute most of the improvement to the engine mounts since the stock ones had cratered. The stock tranny mounts were in decent shape. Overall I am very pleased with the M3 motor mounts and UUC trans mounts. I do not detect any increase in NVH... just a much tighter driveline.

As for the Corsa exhaust, it's like crack for your ears. Gas mileage will take a hit because you just can't make yourself shift before 5000 rpm. It's perfect. (Note: I've got it coupled to an AFE stage 1 intake which increases the sound as well). Also, I am amazed at how quite it is at idle and cruise. I was concerned that my wife would be upset - she does not like loud cars at all. She didn't notice the new exhaust sound when I loaded the kids for school! Until you get on it, it's surprisingly tame.

[Vas]

The entire driveline feels noticeably tighter, and there is less of a "clunk" when I come on or off the throttle hard. I still have a cracked rear diff bushing to replace, so the clunk won't be entirely gone till that's done. I would attribute most of the improvement to the engine mounts since the stock ones had cratered. The stock tranny mounts were in decent shape. Overall I am very pleased with the M3 motor mounts and UUC trans mounts. I do not detect any increase in NVH... just a much tighter driveline.

As for the Corsa exhaust, it's like crack for your ears. Gas mileage will take a hit because you just can't make yourself shift before 5000 rpm. It's perfect. (Note: I've got it coupled to an AFE stage 1 intake which increases the sound as well). Also, I am amazed at how quite it is at idle and cruise. I was concerned that my wife would be upset - she does not like loud cars at all. She didn't notice the new exhaust sound when I loaded the kids for school! Until you get on it, it's surprisingly tame.

Did you buy the exhaust new or found a used one?

[AggieBlake]

Did you buy the exhaust new or found a used one?

Found a used one on e46fanatics from a guy that decided to install a supercharger and open headers. Didn't need this anymore with the direction his build was going. His loss was my gain. I scooped it up a few minutes after it was listed. There were multiple people in line behind me by the time it shipped.

[BMWCurves]

The entire driveline feels noticeably tighter, and there is less of a "clunk" when I come on or off the throttle hard. I still have a cracked rear diff bushing to replace, so the clunk won't be entirely gone till that's done. I would attribute most of the improvement to the engine mounts since the stock ones had cratered. The stock tranny mounts were in decent shape. Overall I am very pleased with the M3 motor mounts and UUC trans mounts. I do not detect any increase in NVH... just a much tighter driveline.

As for the Corsa exhaust, it's like crack for your ears. Gas mileage will take a hit because you just can't make yourself shift before 5000 rpm. It's perfect. (Note: I've got it coupled to an AFE stage 1 intake which increases the sound as well). Also, I am amazed at how quite it is at idle and cruise. I was concerned that my wife would be upset - she does not like loud cars at all. She didn't notice the new exhaust sound when I loaded the kids for school! Until you get on it, it's surprisingly tame.

That sounds great! OEM M3 tranny and engine mounts are on my to do list for down the road, glad to hear you enjoyed them (well, one of them, I'll stick with M3 over UUC).

[JupiterBMW]

Well, its time... X5///M tune is coming... Personal tuner will arrive tomorrow and then I'll flash the ECU file and have it sent out for work... Should be all done tomorrow evening... Can't WAIT for the addition of 85hp & 120 ft-lbs...

:roundel

[theothersawyer]

That is quite the bump in hp/tq!

[TigerTater]

Well, its time... X5///M tune is coming... Personal tuner will arrive tomorrow and then I'll flash the ECU file and have it sent out for work... Should be all done tomorrow evening... Can't WAIT for the addition of 85hp & 120 ft-lbs...

:roundel

Like you need more power!! Hah. But why not as they say!

[JupiterBMW]

Well, I gutted the downpipes, so no more cats, and it now throws a check engine light. So the main reason for the tune was to get that turned off. They're also getting rid of the cold start, which will help quiet her down in the morning... The power and torque are nice additions though... Lol


Sent from my iPhone 6 Plus using two hands to hold the damn thing!

[stephenkirsh]

What's a cold start in Florida? 57 degrees? Lol

[ELCID86]

That is quite the bump in hp/tq!

+1. Wow.


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[Dr Dynamite]

Gangsta lean....engaged!

Sent from an S6 Edge
[emoji41] gangsta lean all day!


Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk

[BADCLOWN]

thats a huge bump for an NA car............

[ELCID86]

thats a huge bump for an NA car............

North American? It's German! ;-)


---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - an e46fanatic

[BADCLOWN]

Wrong thread

[cakM3]

After work I was greeted to this by my ZHP this afternoon... :/
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160218/a6b6cdb80144a6e882cdd4426e8801a1.jpg

I already was aware of the upper indication telling me I needed to top off my windshield washer reservoir because it was low....
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160218/02532a373b63e068cc586f603b48be79.jpg

At first I wasn't sure about the lower indication although I then realized my ZHP was telling me my coolant was a tad low as well! I went to my dealer to grab more coolant from the parts department and they immediately had me pull my ZHP in for a "free refill" to make both indications go away :biggrin

Needless to say I got away by paying nothing for such an awesome service. This is why I still use my dealer for some things even though I can do them either by myself or with help from a few trusted friends. If you're ever in the area requiring dealer service BMW of Warwick RI is a good place to take your car :thumbsup


Sent from my iPhone6S using Tapatalk

[theothersawyer]

As I was reading that I thought," Why in the world would you go to the dealer for coolant?" but then I kept reading and found out! Nice!

[stephenkirsh]

My stealerships seem annoyed you want to buy parts instead of a whole new car. :/

[slater]

At first I wasn't sure about the lower indication although I then realized my ZHP was telling me my coolant was a tad low as well! I went to my dealer to grab more coolant from the parts department and they immediately had me pull my ZHP in for a "free refill" to make both indications go away :biggrin

good stuff charlie - but why did it come on? are you losing coolant? that comes on when coolant is quite low - a few liters down, if i remember correctly (just went through this with the silver 330i M Sport i had recently - the light came on and it was due to a failing o-ring in the coolant temp sensor in the lower hose (it was pissing down coolant pretty well, too). amazing that 1 little o-ring can cause so much grief.

[D1ESEL]

Decided to keep the ZHP and sell my E36 M I just purchased along with the S4. Going to do an LSD in the ZHP and do some suspension work and get the F80.

The ZHP is just way too awesome

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/cto/5454904476.html

[ZHP_Brandon]

Finally got around to replacing the lower Tubing to the F Connector of my Intake.. After having it corroded & taking in too much air, causing lean codes - I purchased this from AdvanceAuto Parts

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160219/4bba1995a80476499c88f2c6e32e4673.jpg

I completely guessed at the size and it turned out to be perfect fitment, Paid only 6$ +Tax

Quoted at the Dealership, I believe it was 65$ + Tax for the F-Connector & Upper and lower Vacuum lines... Safe to say I didnt take that route considering I would be purchasing Upper & Lower Boots from Mishimoto this summer & saw no reason to replace an F-Connector as of yet.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160219/bb8f26cfc4c4350bbb998a0e0fd585c4.jpg

Tubing replaced

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160219/abd662d0307962ba2c3b3fe4b2da97c0.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JupiterBMW]

What's a cold start in Florida? 57 degrees? Lol

:rofl "Cold start" is something that the newer turbocharged cars are doing. I believe it is for the catalytic converters, but when you first start it, it runs up around 1500RPM for like 20 seconds or so, to help heat up the cats... At least something like that... But, now that the X5 doesn't have cats, I don't need that anymore, and to be honest, its quite loud during the cold start... I swear, its even louder at 5:30am when I get up and go to the gym...

So, doing away with that to help alleviate the headaches I'm sure all my neighbors have... :rofl

[BMWCurves]

Decided to keep the ZHP and sell my E36 M I just purchased along with the S4. Going to do an LSD in the ZHP and do some suspension work and get the F80.

The ZHP is just way too awesome

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/cto/5454904476.html

Damn, definitely a different route. What made you change your mind? I would think the S4 would be ideal for the snow up there.

Not saying I don't approve of your choice, the ZHP is just sooo good :thumbsup