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I posted these elsewhere, but I wanna post in here anyway! I'm convinced that this car is the epitome of perfection. Under $50k, anyway. If you've been thinking about getting Projector46s and don't already have factory xenons, I'd highly recommend it. I'd also recommend getting a kit to put HID bulbs in the factory fogs (assuming you have the M-Technic fogs and not the awful square ones). Also, if you're shopping for BMWs, BUY ONE WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. Seriously. These cars are a BLAST to drive and you miss out on half the fun if you're letting the car drive itself.
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Mar 28, 2008 21:25
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CornHolio posted:I thought this was amusing That's a 645  (look at the wheels)
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Jun 12, 2008 21:12
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Mad Dragon posted:I noticed the tailpipes first. (shameless plug) And on that note, I'm going to post pics after my recent paint makeover. Wash, cleanse, clay bar, polish, wax.     Note the ZHP knob. I just got this from Tischer BMW for $54 shipped, it's an absolute must-have. They sell them in both 5- and 6-speed versions. It's counterweighted, too, and feels like sex in the palm of your hand. Nait Sirhc fucked around with this message at 04:14 on Jun 14, 2008 |
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Jun 14, 2008 04:08
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Also, since I haven't seen any in this thread yet... ANGEL EYEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ 
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Jun 15, 2008 08:21
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Lufiron posted:What aftermarket company did you buy those from? umnitza.com. My car came with halogens, and they were running a special for their projector housings, ballasts/bulbs, and CCFLs.
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Jun 20, 2008 16:10
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Doctor Grape Ape posted:And I'm still in love with my $45 eBay chip. There's more torque below 3k, no flat spots, no hesitation, and I picked up 1 or 2 MPG. Kind of hard to gauge with how often I've been going WOT.
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Jun 27, 2008 17:39
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gjh posted:I've considered it, but the offer would have to be beyond perfect. This car is a passion of mine and I know if I did sell it, I would instantly regret it. Adnuo posted:Also, does anyone have any tips or warnings about doing pads and rotors on an E46? I've done pads on a 2005 Mini Cooper, so I'm fairly sure I won't have any major problems. I'd also recommend cleaning your caliper with some brake cleaner/lacquer thinner and doing a light spray of silver caliper paint. It really cleans up the look of the factory caliper without looking ricey or aftermarket. Example: Without  With 
Nait Sirhc fucked around with this message at 05:34 on Aug 6, 2008 |
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Aug 6, 2008 05:31
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"[chavez posted:"] STAY AWAY FROM THE X3. It has had many, many problems and it's an all-around awful car. If you want an SUV, get an X5. If you want a wagon, get a 3- or 5- series iT.
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Aug 17, 2008 08:17
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NeoBob posted:I just picked up a '99 323i over the weekend, and it's in amazing condition inside and out. However I have one issue that's been bugging me, the speakers rattle pretty good when there are even relatively light bass notes. I mitigated it some by lowering the bass output, but a fix that doesn't involve making music sound like it's coming out tin cans would be preferable. What can I do about rattly speakers? Is it the rear deck speakers? If so, there's a "fix" that involves using a bolt with a nut on it, inserted from the trunk, to push the rear deck upwards and away from the speaker itself. Check the forums on e46fanatics.com for "rear deck rattle", it's somewhere on there.
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Sep 8, 2008 18:27
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I test drove a new 135i yesterday, with beige Boston leather and the sport package w/ 6spd. What a hoot. I love my e46 330 to death and I've never really liked any of the new BMWs because they're missing that "connected-to-the-road" feeling, where you can really feel whats going on with the car. The 135i, however, had that in spades. You knew exactly where you were, the car just had oodles of torque in any gear, and it just felt like it wanted to keep revving forever. Even doing 50 on the highway in 6th, you could put your foot down and it'd leap forward like it was stung. The seats were marvelously grippy and comfortable (only the M5 had seats as nice as the 1, the 545 and 335 were just kinda "oh these are nice" but they weren't anywhere near as soft as the 1), and the car felt like a driver-centric cockpit. Much more so than the other ones I drove that day (04 545i, 07 335i, 06 M5). While the 545 and the M5 were faster, neither of them had the same joy as the 135. The M5 was an SMG, and I've always held to the opinion that you can feel the power delivery MUCH better out of a classic manual vs. a SMG or DSG. I looked over leasing options but even a $600/mo-36mo. lease wouldn't really be worth it on one. My current plan is to finish paying my e46 off and then look into picking up an 06ish 6-spd M5 for ~$40-50k. That also depends on how the 09 CTS-V compares to the M5. I haven't been able to drive one yet, so who knows. Seriously, if you're in the market, or even if you're not and you just want to have a fun 20 minutes, GO DRIVE A 6SPD 135i! You won't regret it.
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Dec 7, 2008 20:09
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I had M6 replicas on my e46 330i and I felt it looked great. Really, it's up to you, and if you're pleased with the way they look, then don't worry about what other people think. I don't believe the OEM M6 or M5 wheels will fit your car, though, so you will need to find replicas. They're all over eBay. If you go with the M6 replica, I personally prefer the silver/silver wheel over the silver/gunmetal (silver dish/windows & silver face, instead of gunmetal dish/windows & silver face). Here's an example. Silver/silver: Silver/gunmetal:  The M5 wheels have similar color patterns although I never saw any two-toned ones for sale.
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May 3, 2009 20:13
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meatpimp posted:I must be in the wrong part of the country (Central Ohio). In looking for a 2000-2001 325i or 330i, I'm not seeing anything with an asking price much under $9000. And very few manuals to choose from. I'm not sure why you aren't able to find them; they're everywhere in UT for $6-8k with ~80-100k miles, 5spds aplenty. Check one of the global craigslist searches (craigshelper or crazedlist) and you should be able to find a lot of them.
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May 12, 2009 15:58
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Understeer posted:I have a 2005 Mitsubishi Evo 8 that I'm ready to get rid of for something more grown up. I have my eye on an E36 M3 sedan or an E46 330i, hopefully with a ZHP package. There is a local dealer here that specializes in used BMWs (http://www.enthusiastauto.com/), so fortunately, I've been able to drive both models. I'm wondering about the comparison between the two on a maintenance front. An E46 will most likely not have been driven as hard as an M3, and yes, parts are much less expensive. It doesn't matter that it's an E36 M3, you will still pay the M-tax.
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May 12, 2009 16:01
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CornHolio posted:Oh, I saw the front plate and thought you were in the US. Looked like the right shape and all. I didn't know the 'ti' models had a different front end. The whole car is a completely different shape, actually. The E46 Compacts (think they were actually designated as E45s) are very, very different looking from the E46 that the US knows.. Post some pics of the rear/side/whole car!
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Sep 16, 2009 23:42
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So I have a few questions about getting back into the BMW fold. I'm going to garage my E55 for use as a weekend/fun car, and I'm looking for a daily driver. A few cars ago, I had an Alpine White 2001 BMW 330i in 5-spd and it was quite the fun little car. Just enough power (~230hp) not to be a complete dog and it was agile for a sedan. I'd definitely want to spend under 20k for this car, so I've limited it to the 00-06ish BMWs. I'm almost positive I'm going to pick up a sedan, and I'm also looking for one with a real 5- or 6-speed manual transmission, not a Steptronic or SMG (this also rules out another Mercedes). Here's what I'm looking at so far: e46 (00-05) 330i or 330xi. These are smaller but IMO are one of the best looking BMWs of all time. They're also incredibly cheap, with 90k mile cars going for $8k. I've considered a ZHP, but it seems like people are tacking another $5k on top of the price tag for the ZHPs. If I were going to spend $15k+ on an e46, it'd be an M3. Assuming the subframe isn't tearing, I'm not worried about high mileage. Replace the plastic cooling system and you're good to go. As far as 330i vs. 330xi, if I could find a 330xi (AWD) in a 6-speed for the right price, I'd get it. e39 M5 I've driven these before, and they're acceptable in the power department. Not great, but acceptable. Power seemed comparable to a B6 Audi S4 with the 4.2 V8. There's just something that grabs me when it comes to the exterior styling of the M5, though. With the caramel interior and alcantara headliner, this would be a great grocery getter. I don't believe they actually have that much more interior room than the e46, but the e39 M-car is a sedan and the e46 isn't. The transmission is extremely smooth and fun to row through the gears, and the car is definitely a lot more agile than ~my e55~. e60 530i (or 525i, 528i?) I haven't looked much into this one. I like the styling of the e60 5-series, but I don't know much about them. Are they reliable? Is higher mileage a concern? I've been told by many people to stay away from the 545i, so I'll probably avoid those. That said, I've seen the 530i/530xi in the 15k range, which would be great. Is there any particular model or year I should watch out for? Again, AWD would be nice to have but I don't need it. I've considered a 535i, but the price premium on those seems to still be up there, and I've heard all sorts of terrible things about the turbos on the N54 blowing up. I don't like the way the e90 3-series looks, so those are out. Thoughts? The e46s are sub 9k, the e39 M5s are anywhere from 13-20k, and the e60 5-series are about the same as the M5. When all is said and done I'll probably buy another 330i, but I'd definitely like to look into the other two options.
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Jul 18, 2011 05:27
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AlternateAccount posted:OK I was kind of wondering, because I read that and was like... "acceptable?" I found the e39 M5 to be right around the same level on the butt-dyno as my Audi B6 S4. The e39 M5, however, is a lot more of a completely-designed-for-high-performance car than the S4. p.s. in a straight line the e39 M5 is actually quite a slouch compared to its competitors, but it shouldn't matter because if you buy an M5 to drag race you're a retard.
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Jul 19, 2011 23:56
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I bought an 02 M5 yesterday, yay! Quick pic: It's not as fast as the AMG but it's a ton of fun to drive. I've really missed an actual honest-to-god 6MT rather than the flappy paddle poo poo. I'll put some more pics up sometime this week. Ordered the 545i shift lever & ZHP knob already. The car came with a DVD player in the trunk that wires into the television in the dash. This car has the 16:9 TV so I'm assuming it's an MKIV unit? What is everyone using for iPod connectivity these days, the DICE Silverline kit? I don't mind ditching the changer. P.S. what's the verdict on oil for the S62? I'm reading that post '00 cars use 5w30 whereas 00 and earlier are calling for TWS / BMW Castrol 10w60.
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Sep 20, 2011 05:51
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Pics of the new ride:    Is there 3M Scotchcal out there that matches Sterling Gray? There's a small hole in the front fascia that I'd like to cover up temporarily until I can get a new one.
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Sep 21, 2011 20:42
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8ender posted:To put some perspective on this I have friends that spend twice this to maintain cars like Honda Civics and Mazda 3s because they get soaked by the dealership they bought the cars from every single time. Half price is for DIY is assuming you find a good mechanic with honest prices. Otherwise I'd put reality at 1/3 the cost for most cars, easily 1/4 for a BMW. No kidding. I went to Big O Tires to get a quick safety & I/M done, and they told me my car wouldn't pass without new tie rod ends. Okay, fine, no big deal. Their quote? $247 PER SIDE, and that was because "it was an expensive dealer-only part, the labor isn't that much". A quick search on PelicanParts and I show them the $50/ea OEM part. Their story immediately changes to "well, that's just the cost of the PART... that's a very labor-intensive job, like 3 or 4 hours. We get them for the same price as your website does, from a BMW dealer." lol. So yeah, tie rods this weekend. should be fun. also need to clean the MAFs, replace the fuel filter, various "just bought it" maintenance.
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Sep 22, 2011 15:54
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Bargain of the century if anyone needs some 19x9.5 rear wheels... http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/Whee...=All&sort=Price Sport Edition KV5 silver 19x9.5 rears (ET20, 5x120, for a 275/30/19 tire) for $29 each. God drat. If I could find some winter tires to fit these (and find a set for the front) I'd buy these for a winter set. Thirty bucks a pop BRAND NEW. Speaking of which, anyone know where I can get a cheap set of 18" wheels (staggered or non, don't care), and if there's anywhere out there with a good deal on either 245/40/19 or 275/30/19 summer tires? Nait Sirhc fucked around with this message at 06:10 on Sep 23, 2011 |
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Sep 23, 2011 06:03
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Can you run wacky offsizes like that? I'd do that for winter. 18s up front and 19s in the rear.
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Sep 23, 2011 20:04
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KaiserBen posted:$20k isn't a bad deal, nor a great deal for an '03 M5, assuming the maintenance was good. The E39 M5 does have issues, namely oil consumption (largely fixed by '03), weak clutches, usual BMW cooling issues (t-stat on mine failed), VANOS noise (not a big deal, but annoying as hell), auto-dimming rearview mirrors fail, and it eats suspension bushings like they're candy. They're awesome cars, but they do cost a ton to maintain. The M-tax on an M5 can be brutal; oil changes are ~$150 if you DIY. The oil change on my e39 M5 was $70 to DIY, but I used Lubro Moly 10w60 instead of BMW Castrol 5w30 (which would have been about $30 less). Also another common failure is oil pan drain plug thread stripping. Aluminum pan steel plug. idiots. have to use a timesert to fix it.
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Oct 3, 2011 18:45
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I need to get a set of winter wheels for the M5. What do you guys think? BBS LMs in gunmetal:  or... OEM e92 M3 wheels:  My car is Sterling Gray, so I'm leaning toward the gunmetal option. The M3 wheels are a LOT cheaper, though.
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Oct 7, 2011 04:53
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^^ What style are those? Yeah, reps are a good way for cheap winter wheels. Options are limited at this point, though... I can either get the M3 wheels that fit an e39 M5 directly, or get the LM reps which were made to fit the M3 (72mm hub bore instead of 74mm, offsets of 33/38 instead of 12/15) and then have to buy some adapters for $150/axle. I can get LM reps that will fit the M5 in hyper silver, but I'd really much rather have the gunmetal/machined lip finish. What do you guys think about silver LM reps?  Another option is a set of OEM e39 M5 wheels (or replicas). If I could find a set for replica prices ($600-700), I'd probably snap them up in a heartbeat. KaiserBen posted:The manual says Castrol 10W-60, which is "magical unicorn piss" pricing-wise. Where do you get the Lubro-Moly? http://www.bavauto.com - $40 for 5 liters or $9 per liter. Nait Sirhc fucked around with this message at 06:16 on Oct 7, 2011 |
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Oct 7, 2011 06:12
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They're winter wheels and I live in Utah. Road salt aplenty, and it eats up that beautiful shadow chrome paint. Yet another option, M3 CSL wheels. Gunmetal on a Sterling Gray M5:  Silver on a Titanium Silver M5:  In other news, I think this car might actually be more FUN to drive than the E55. Nowhere near as fast, or as many creature comforts, but that visceral "connected-to-the-road" feeling is 10x stronger with the BMW.
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Oct 7, 2011 17:05
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welp, just ordered some CSL reps for winter wheels. $587 shipped for a set of staggered 18s is a drat good deal IMO. Now to find another pair of 245/40/18 winter tires.
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Oct 10, 2011 17:27
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voltron posted:Got a link? That is a great deal! I'm interested too! I'm thinking of trying out some new wheels next summer. Check umnitza.com. I need two pairs of winter tires because a pair is two tires and I need four. I already have a pair of new Goodyear Ultra Grip winter tires that I never used for the E55 (they were going to be front tires), so I just need another pair in either 245/45 or 245/40 for the rear tires.
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Oct 10, 2011 20:04
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Keyser S0ze posted:Yep, the shorter and weighted ZHP shift knob is a fantastic upgrade. Put it in fourth, get in the backseat, pull up and out. Much easier. The ZHP knob is an absolute MUST-HAVE for any manual BMW, the counterweight makes it absolutely amazing. In other news, my 02 M5 recently lit up the airbag light on the dash. I need to get state inspection & emissions done and I'm not sure if they'll pass it with that light on. Any ideas on how to reset or otherwise disable this warning light?
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Oct 21, 2011 21:20
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Crap, I didn't want to have to dish out the money for one of these  I already have an eBay bluetooth OBDII scanner that I use with Torque, and I can clear SES codes with that, but it doesn't reset the airbag light.I don't suppose pulling the battery/ECU reset would reset the light, would it?
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Oct 21, 2011 22:47
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After reading up a bit (a lot) on INPA/EDIABAS/EasyDIS/Carsoft/SSS, holy loving hell there is a shitload to do. I'm going to be turning my netbook into a GT1 machine apparently. It works with a VAGCOM cable, so I'm in luck there. All this just to reset an airbag light, but it's going to give me the capability to do a hell of a lot more.
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Oct 23, 2011 22:50
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Nitro: I've found all of the software, but thank you for the thought  Like Lowclock already mentioned, it is all over the Internet.
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Oct 24, 2011 18:31
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Does anyone have one of the airbag reset tools that I could borrow for a day? I'd pay shipping both ways and give you $10 for your time as well.
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Oct 26, 2011 20:09
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Lowclock posted:Did you already give up on the GT1 computer thing? You can reset that light with just INPA, which is easy as hell to set up, and doesn't need a VM or emulator or any weird poo poo to work. Hell, I don't even think you will need to change the interface type in ediabas.ini, just install and run it. I can't get INPA to recognize the car. I've got a VAG KKL cable, have set the USB Serial Port to COM1, and nothing.
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Oct 26, 2011 22:33
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I don't have any of the serial enumeration or latency options. I did, however, change the FIFO settings to 8 as advised in another INPA thread. When running the obdsetup.exe, it points to a registry key (system\currentcontrolset\services\serial) and finds them all as expected. Here's the readout... value type=1 value start=1 value group = extended base value errorcontrol=0 value tag=1 value forcefifoenable=1 value rxfifo=8 value txfifo=0 value permitshare=0 value logfifo=0 all done. I can't find an OBD.INI anywhere on my system, in any directory. I made sure to select OBD as the interface type in the INPA setup, too (also, I used BMW USA instead of UK, does that matter?) Interface=STD:OBD was already present in my ediabas.ini. OBD.INI didn't even exist, so I grabbed one from that thread and popped it in \windows. Now, after I select e39/body/airbag, INPA sits there for a second with a yellow "BUSY" indicator, and then pops up "IFH-0009: NO RESPONSE FROM CONTROLUNIT". Nait Sirhc fucked around with this message at 03:13 on Oct 27, 2011 |
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Oct 27, 2011 02:56
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To echo what the others have said... Stay away from a used 5-series with electrical problems unless you're ready for a huge battle. At best, it'll be extremely annoying to fix everything. At worst, it'll be horribly awful and you will hate your car by the end (probably middle) of it. You can find e39 M5s in the $15k range. You can find clean, 80k mile e39 540s w/ the 6-speed manual for $10k. You can find MY2004 e60s for $15k (stay away from the 545i, though). Unless you're getting this 530i for something ridiculous like $3000, don't bother. There are LOTS of these cars out there. If you drove the 530 and decided "geez i GOTTA have one of these!" then you should start searching for 530s in the color and trim that you want, with the options you want, and in the condition you want. Try a model above and below (try the 540i IMO).
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Oct 28, 2011 01:04
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Quick question on the e39 M5's S62... Every once in a while (maybe one out of 20-30 starts) I will get a SES light, which gives me codes of P0171 (System too lean, bank 1) and various other P03xx codes which indicate "Misfire during start, cylinder X" for cylinders 1-4. Car runs great though (other than some strange rattling noises under cold acceleration, which I believe is VANOS-related). I'm fairly certain this can be targeted to a CPS, but should I replace the exhaust CPS for bank 1, or the intake CPS? I can only find the intake CPS on RockAuto (the Beck Arnley for $45), so I'd have to order the exhaust CPS elsewhere. I've also read that the CPS are identical between banks, but not types (P/N for exhaust CPS is the same on both banks, but intake CPS is different). Is this accurate as well?
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Nov 21, 2011 21:34
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Something is wrong with my e39 M5. Here's the historical fault logs from my car. It's been throwing SES on startup for the last month or so, maybe three times a week. 11/21 P0171: System too Lean (Bank 1) P1345: Misfire Cylinder 2 With Fuel Cut-off P1347: Misfire Cylinder 3 With Fuel Cut-off P1349: Misfire Cylinder 4 With Fuel Cut-off P1341: Multiple Cylinder Misfire With Fuel Cut-off 11/22 P0172: System too Rich (Bank 1) P1345: Misfire Cylinder 2 With Fuel Cut-off P1347: Misfire Cylinder 3 With Fuel Cut-off P1349: Misfire Cylinder 4 With Fuel Cut-off P1341: Multiple Cylinder Misfire With Fuel Cut-off 12/1 P0171: System too Lean (Bank 1) P0313: Misfire Detected with Low Fuel 12/2 P0172: System too Rich (Bank 1) 12/3 P1342: Misfire During Start Cylinder 1 P1344: Misfire During Start Cylinder 2 P1346: Misfire During Start Cylinder 3 P1348: Misfire During Start Cylinder 4 P0316: null 12/5 P1342: Misfire During Start Cylinder 1 P1346: Misfire During Start Cylinder 3 P1348: Misfire During Start Cylinder 4 P0316: null P0172: System too Rich (Bank 1) 12/6 P0171: System too Lean (Bank 1) What should I be replacing next? The car seems to run fine, doesn't have any strange acceleration hiccups or performance hits. I've replaced both MAFs, both precat O2s, cleaned out the injectors about twelve times with Seafoam & Techron (not at the same time), and replaced the fuel filter. It's clearly always bank 1 that's having the issue; what can I check over there? Keep in mind that this ONLY happens on startup; the car drives normally otherwise. I can park it with no SES light on, and sometimes when I start it, the SES light will come on within 5-10 seconds (maybe twice a week).
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Dec 7, 2011 07:14
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Airbag light got fixed by replacing the airbag fuse. s i g h DIS/INPA works, but I'm not really sure what to look for with these codes. I figured the general SES codes were enough. I'll take a look with INPA/DIS next time. Also, I slammed the hood down on the MAF connector and it left a small ding in the hood (because I'm a retard and didn't align it right). It's on the driver's side. That's bank 2, though, so the connector itself is fine and has nothing to do with these errors, right?
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Dec 7, 2011 11:42
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Oh, and is there a guide to "how to do any useful tests in DIS" anywhere?
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Dec 7, 2011 11:42
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Lowclock posted:BTW I still want to know if you installed that gauge cluster and about AlternativeAccount's springs and Nait's M5. It still throws random CELs maybe twice a month now. I couldn't figure out anything out with it, and both BMW & the indy say to wait for signs of a more severe problem, misfires while the car is RUNNING (not just starting) or a more detailed code. They suspect VANOS, but their "fix" is just to replace the entire unit ($$$$). If it really is VANOS, I'd go to DrVanos first. So right now, I'm just waiting for it to pop a code other than "bank 1 rich" "bank 1 lean" "misfire cyl 1-4 on start"
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Dec 19, 2011 19:43
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