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I recently hit 111111 on my E46, but was doing 70 across the bay and had no time to safely try and snap a photo of it. Just happened to look down and saw it. Maybe I'll try the 123456 mark. Edit: Speaking of miles, I just replaced the battery, clutch, and starter on my car around 110k. All three appeared to be the stock items from the factory. Is that normal life for a stock clutch? I can remember my last manual I was burning through clutches every 2-3 years... The clutch even still had some friction material left, I only swapped it out because my t/o bearing had exploded. Oops, still getting use to Imgur http://i.imgur.com/FEe19.jpg 
Fermunky fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Mar 8, 2011 |
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Mar 8, 2011 18:04
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mostly depends on how you drive it I think, my miata is on it's original clutch and nearing 120k iirc. It probably won't last much longer since I taught myself to drive stick with it a couple years ago, but it seems to be doing fine for the moment...
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Mar 8, 2011 18:21
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My car has 197,200 and probably has the original clutch. I know I bought it with 131k on it and I've never replaced the clutch. Yeah it could have been replaced before then, but I have no indication that it was.
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Mar 8, 2011 20:54
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As far as I'm aware I'm still on the factory clutch while nearing 124k. It gets slippy after 3-4 runs at the local drag strip, but still holds perfect on the street, so I just stopped racing it for now. Probably for the best until I can get the subframe reinforced anyways.
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Mar 8, 2011 21:09
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So I've been listening to my engine, and I'm not sure whether I hear marbles rattling around. is the sound very apparent for e46s?
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Mar 8, 2011 21:17
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possibly VANOS, has the engine felt sluggish at all? Or is it the valve train?
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Mar 8, 2011 21:56
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wolrah posted: The real reason I came here to post though was: I live in Florida. This is happening. What do I do? An interior shop told me to just "buy new panels." But I think he's crazy. I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to salvage the material, clean the surfaces, and reapply, or if the interior guy was right. Observe:  
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Mar 8, 2011 22:37
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The Third Man posted:possibly VANOS, has the engine felt sluggish at all? Or is it the valve train? Heh, sorry. I should have clarified. i was trying to identify whether or not I was having VANOS issues and i have not noticed any rattling in my engine bay. My engine's at around 79k. I'm going to be doing an inspection II at some point, as well as replacing the cooling system, but would the VANOS be a maintenance-type of situation or would it be more of a situation where I replace it when I replace the Valve Cover Gasket?
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Mar 8, 2011 22:49
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Can any 3-series nut give their opinion on a 1999 M3 with 140k miles on it. I've been looking for a daily driver with an $8k budget and haven't been able to find anything I've really liked in good condition. I need it to last around 3-4 years hopefully doing 30ish miles a day, so around 35k miles I'm guessing. With that said I've ran across this M3 thats about 150 miles away from me. From the pictures it looks like its in very nice condition cosmetically and he's asking $8500 for it. Before I call the seller back I'm just wondering about the general consensus of the E36 M3 when they have higher miles on them. I enjoy doing my own maintenance but I don't want to run into a money pit. So, should I try to talk him down to my budget and make the 150mi trip to check it out?
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Mar 9, 2011 03:44
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Shadowhand00 posted:So I've been listening to my engine, and I'm not sure whether I hear marbles rattling around. is the sound very apparent for e46s? I definitely don't hear any marbles in my engine and I'm at 168k. How much rattling are you talking about? Very apparent would worry me. Is it while idling or only during acceleration? On the note of clutches, I'm on my original clutch too, they seem to be damned good clutches if you take care of them.
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Mar 9, 2011 04:34
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MoonCricket posted:Can any 3-series nut give their opinion on a 1999 M3 with 140k miles on it.[quote="Sterndotstern"] Start here: http://www.edgemotorworks.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=55 From a couple pages ago: Sterndotstern posted:Learn to use your fingernail to inspect a brake rotor. Bring a jack to any car you're serious about, get one corner up in the air and inspect the shocks (leaking = bad) and control arm bushings (unless they're polyurethane [usually red or purple] or the owner has receipts showing replacement, they're bad). Listen to the engine carefully, if it rattles it might need Dr. Vanos.
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Mar 9, 2011 05:18
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Like I said, I got an E36 M3 today.  Here are some pics (which I am terrible at taking):    I don't think my camera is good enough to show off how flawless the car is in almost every way, but it is 100% pristine. Complete service history, Dinan parts, etc. I'm pretty happy with the deal that I got.
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Mar 9, 2011 07:22
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CamH posted:Like I said, I got an E36 M3 today. Congrats, I'll say a prayer for your radiator/bushings/headliner/window regulators e. Sorry for being a dick, but my e36 has been less than impressive when it comes to anything but the engine...
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Mar 9, 2011 08:17
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Why doesn't it have M3 side skirts? Show the engine bay.
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Mar 9, 2011 14:34
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I believe the luxury package did not have the little twist in the skirts for the E36
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Mar 9, 2011 14:38
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Yes, it is a luxury package. Engine only has 50k miles on it, and cooling system only has 30k miles on it. I think I'll be good on that for a little while. I'll take an engine bay shot this evening - it's clean enough in there to eat off of.
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Mar 9, 2011 15:26
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MoonCricket posted:Can any 3-series nut give their opinion on a 1999 M3 with 140k miles on it. I've been looking for a daily driver with an $8k budget and haven't been able to find anything I've really liked in good condition. I need it to last around 3-4 years hopefully doing 30ish miles a day, so around 35k miles I'm guessing. With that said I've ran across this M3 thats about 150 miles away from me. From the pictures it looks like its in very nice condition cosmetically and he's asking $8500 for it. Before I call the seller back I'm just wondering about the general consensus of the E36 M3 when they have higher miles on them. I enjoy doing my own maintenance but I don't want to run into a money pit. So, should I try to talk him down to my budget and make the 150mi trip to check it out?
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Mar 9, 2011 17:47
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CamH posted:Like I said, I got an E36 M3 today. Looks beautiful! The titan silver/arctic silver really do look great with a wash/wax under the sun. Please allow me to whore out my last couple of silver E36s:    Yes, the same wall near my old house, had time to wait for good light the first time around. Also, it sounds like you got a great deal. If the mod bug does strike at some point, I can highly recommend the above aftermarket wheel/tire package for street/track use: Sumitomo HTRZIII tires on the TR Motorsports (Enkei) 17x9 wheels.   Sterndotstern fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Mar 9, 2011 |
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Mar 9, 2011 18:51
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MoonCricket posted:Can any 3-series nut give their opinion on a 1999 M3 with 140k miles on it. I enjoy doing my own maintenance but I don't want to run into a money pit. So, should I try to talk him down to my budget and make the 150mi trip to check it out? My DD is a e36 m3 although I don't put drive that many miles. The thing with these cars is the maintenance. By 140K EVERYTHING on that 75K list should have been done. You will want to check the rear shock towers for cracks and find out when the cooling system was last replaced. It will probably need $1K-2K in work done regardless so assuming the car is clean I'd try to get the guy down closer to $7500. 140K is no big deal.
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Mar 9, 2011 22:15
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I was attempting to teach my brother how to drive a manual, using my poor car as a teaching instrument, and he did some damage (even if it's just to my psyche). He violently stalled the car a number of times, and I threw him out of the drivers seat the moment the following lights came on: DSC - The light has come on and stayed on. The color is yellow. Brake - The same one that turns red when the hand brake is engaged has stayed on. The color is yellow. SES - Stayed on. The color is yellow. In my owners manual, it says that if both the DSC/Brake lights stay on and are yellow, the switched off by means of the switch or are defective. Anything else it could be after having experienced a bunch of stalls. They weren't on before my brother got behind the wheel, but I also got a tired patched because a screw punctured it. Could this have anything to do with it? My biggest concern is how painful starting the car feels. When I turn the key, it feels as though the battery is being beaten with a stick. It does start up, but it takes a few more seconds and sounds terrible. Is this just happening because of how many times my brother stalled the car out, or a possible symptom of something worse? I tried to reset the DSC light. No dice. I'm going to probably step away from the car for today just cause I really don't have the mechanical expertise to do anything about it, and my appointment is already set for Friday morning. Adding to my worries is how the car shifts and accelerates. Shifting feels normal enough, but it feels really, really sluggish accelerating from 1st to 2nd an from 2nd to 3rd. Feels like it wants to stall out easily at low speeds and low gears too easily too. Oh well, I'm straight up going to tell the BMW mechanics to put as much lube on as possible before they financially rape me. I guess that's what has me most loving pissed. I'm visiting grandparents in near Myrtle Beach, so I don't even have access to a mechanic I have any experience with. I'm not as freaked out about the SES light because I've been getting the P0128 code and it tends to go away. Bah.
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Mar 9, 2011 23:19
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manchego posted:I was attempting to teach my brother how to drive a manual Honestly duder, you can solve all of your problems in one fell swoop: pull the battery, take it to a local auto parts store and have them charge it for you. This should take about an hour. Then put the battery back in. Your car will start up as normal, the DSC lights should be cleared, and you're only out the time it takes to reset your clock and stereo presets. The tire patch has nothing to do with anything. The engine service light should be diagnosed at the dealer along with your "lube service" (it's likely a thermostat, FYI) or whatever you're having done.
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Mar 9, 2011 23:27
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I'm pretty sure the yellow brake light means it's due for service soon. At least on my '08 135i it went yellow when I was within 1000km of the rear brake service and then turned red when service came due.
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Mar 9, 2011 23:29
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Nitr0 posted:I'm pretty sure the yellow brake light means it's due for service soon. At least on my '08 135i it went yellow when I was within 1000km of the rear brake service and then turned red when service came due. DSC faults can also be triggered when the car detects out-of-bounds behavior from the wheel sensors -- you see them when getting emissions tested on rollers, for instance, because the front wheels will be "locked" but the rears will be rolling. Also, not sure about the 135i, but on all BMWs I've ever used, the BRAKE light is separate from the pad wear light (looks like a plate with dotted lines).
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Mar 10, 2011 01:56
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Welp, bad news. I took the completely out of the vehicle (it's an Autocraft, 850CCA FWIW) and took it for a nice 1.5 hour charge at a local tire place. Installed the battery again, made sure everything looked right and... car sounds the same, acts the same. DSC light is yellow and remains on. Brake light is yellow and remains on. SES light is yellow and remains on. Very labored ignition that sounds like the battery wants to die (it does fire up though), and a slightly off sounding whine from something under the hood. I've not done anything beyond changing the filers and oil, so I don't know if anything else is loose or wrong. Nothing I can tell looks off, all the belts look normal. Oil level is good. Oh well, I've already made financial peace with my upcoming visit tomorrow to the BMW dealership. Thanks for the help though. Was hoping the battery angle would fix it.
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Mar 10, 2011 22:55
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manchego posted:Welp, bad news. For the love of god don't take it to a dealership, they will gouge you on labour. If you have a used BMW it is very much in your interest to find an independant mechanic that has experience on them. Both euro shops in my area are 20-40 dollars cheaper an hour on labour alone, and they don't have the ridiculous markup on parts.
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Mar 10, 2011 23:41
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I have what I suspect is a VANOS issue in my E36 M3 (S52), 69k miles. I had just drained the old oil (Redline 5w40) and removed the old Mahle filter. I noted that the new Mann filter seemed too tall, but it fit with the bolt tightened down. When I started the car after the oil change, I heard a light knocking. I let it run for about 60 seconds while I grabbed the 'scope and listened, then I shut it off, switched back to the old filter, and tried again: the noise was still there. I left it for ~18 hours, came back and cranked it and didn't get the noise right away, but it came back after a minute or so. Now, it sounds like what the vidjas on Youtube show as VANOS noise, and that's the area it comes from. My theory is that a slightly lighter oil (Redline 5w30) combined with me listening more carefully revealed what had gradually become a problem with the VANOS. Sound reasonable? Also, what the hell is up with that Mann filter that is supposedly the right application but is a bitch of a fit compared to the Mahle?
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Mar 10, 2011 23:43
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Crustashio posted:For the love of god don't take it to a dealership
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Mar 11, 2011 06:30
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Crustashio posted:For the love of god don't take it to a dealership, x3, why the hell would you do this? You'll either get a decent job at a huge markup or just as likely, a half-assed job at a huge markup.
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Mar 11, 2011 09:30
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So is this common? One of the two blue bits was missing the other day, now they're both gone.
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Mar 11, 2011 18:01
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wolrah posted:So is this common? yeah, they are like $10 on Bavauto or something and just pop right in there
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Mar 11, 2011 20:45
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Pieces falling off a BMW? Nope not common at all.
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Mar 11, 2011 21:11
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So it appears my e36 shocks/struts are on the way out. My car has felt really bad on bumpy roads, and the other day I stopped on a hill and felt it rock from front to back about 3 times before stopping. I'm still set on selling the car as soon as I get my e30 running, so I don't really want to replace the springs right now. It's looking like a set of bilsteins is the best price - 215 CAD each for the struts and 111 each for the shocks from Essex Distributors. My main question is if the HDs are suitable for a sport package e36. I think my springs are 1" lower than a vanilla e36 but suspension information on a sport package car is hard to find. The bilsteins are actually cheaper than any of the OEM replacements I can find online.
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Mar 11, 2011 22:58
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Crustashio posted:My main question is if the HDs are suitable for a sport package e36. I think my springs are 1" lower than a vanilla e36 but suspension information on a sport package car is hard to find. The bilsteins are actually cheaper than any of the OEM replacements I can find online. I have HDs on my E36, and from everything I remember about their specs, they're not valved for any drop at all. I'm not sure if 1" is so little it wouldn't matter, but for a lowered ride you want Bilstein Sports.
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Mar 11, 2011 23:44
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wolrah posted:So is this common? Yeah mine flaked off like that the first time I washed it. The the new ones are easy to install though, there's even a guide at Pelican. Just be careful not to scratch the paint when you're prying the old ones off.
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Mar 12, 2011 00:14
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wolrah posted:So is this common? Mine lost all the black, too.  Replaced with one of the CF ones found on Ebay. I like it. 
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Mar 12, 2011 00:36
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Hey everyone, been sort-of following this thread for a while. I really love older BMWs, and am wondering if this is the right place for a quick game of "recommend my dream car?" Things I value in cars, in general: -- Reliability -- A modicum of personality, especially leaning towards a vintage flavor -- general class -- Moderate level of fun -- Minimal upkeep time to run reliably -- Reasonable safety -- Conservative pricing ($5-15k), specifically I don't want to feel any need to pamper the thing, or get irate if my wife drives it into a ditch. Things I don't need: -- Upgrade options or other fiddly tweaker poo poo -- True, modern speed & power. I'm perfectly happy only ever going 7% over the speed limit. -- "Important" vintages, fully original parts, or any other serious collector considerations (I'll drive this a few times a week, ideally, not keep it covered). -- Something "right NOW," meaning I'm happy to set CraigsList searches and chill until something right pops up. -- Auto-Matic transmission To give you an idea of what I'd consider fun and visually attractive, I've been looking closely at the 70's era 2002s, which I love the look and feel of. Without any driving forces, I don't REALLY care much about cars in general, and I'd probably opt to buy a 2008 Honda Accord (seriously). I say that to give an idea of how much I'm not a car fanatic. Any recommendations, or questions I can answer to steer me in a good direction? Cobalt60 fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Mar 12, 2011 |
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Mar 12, 2011 00:52
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Cobalt60 posted:...70's era 2002s... I have a '74 2002 and it is a baller little car. I've also got an E36 and the difference in experience is night and day. I have literally made parts for the 2002 and it looks completely acceptable in there. It's just a lot of fun, and that's the best I can describe it. The E36 is superior in every measurable metric, yet the 2002 is the car I take out to have fun in.
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Mar 12, 2011 01:52
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McMadCow posted:I have HDs on my E36, and from everything I remember about their specs, they're not valved for any drop at all. I'm not sure if 1" is so little it wouldn't matter, but for a lowered ride you want Bilstein Sports. What I have problems figuring out is what the e36 sport package drop is. From what I can find the sports are stiffer than the HDs and I don't really want to stiffen the ride anymore. I'd like to have it ride decently before I sell it. Cobalt60 posted:Hey everyone, been sort-of following this thread for a while. I really love older BMWs, and am wondering if this is the right place for a quick game of "recommend my dream car?" It's cliche at this point, but E30. Dirt cheap these days, incredibly fun to drive, relatively simple (and reliable) mechanics. For reference I went from a 98 civic to an e30 325ix on a whim one day and I never regretted that choice. There is something about pre-90s BMWs that just put a smile on your face every time you go for a drive. The e36 and later cars feel like completely different beasts.. They are faster, handle better have more modern looks and but they just don't seem to have that tossable fun factor and a really responsive engine. A non-running e30 gets me more excited than going for a drive in my e36. Crustashio fucked around with this message at 02:45 on Mar 12, 2011 |
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Mar 12, 2011 02:37
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Crustashio posted:What I have problems figuring out is what the e36 sport package drop is. From what I can find the sports are stiffer than the HDs and I don't really want to stiffen the ride anymore. I'd like to have it ride decently before I sell it. Really? I thought they were the exact same ride quality, with the sport being for lowering. I don't find the ride with HDs to be punishing at all. I wouldn't want to go much stiffer though. I guess it depends who you ask- I always thought they were the same thing. v  v
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Mar 12, 2011 03:39
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Cobalt60 posted:Hey everyone, been sort-of following this thread for a while. I really love older BMWs, and am wondering if this is the right place for a quick game of "recommend my dream car?" BMWs fail horribly when it comes to this requirement: "Minimal upkeep time to run reliably" If that is important for you, look to the japanese.
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Mar 12, 2011 14:01
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