nate suggested i make a project thread for the X3. well... since it's my wife's car, i don't want it to be a 'project' car - that would be certain disaster.
however, it is a good idea to chronicle maintenance and interesting tidbits, because this is kind of a cool car.
(i just realized that the word 'tidbit', if spelled in lowercase, would read the same if reflected in a mirror. huh.)
specs:
- 2007 BMW X3 3.0si (N52K - 260hp)
- 6-speed
- black sapphire metallic on black montana leather
- M Sport package with a lot of options (no lumbar though)... meaning anthracite headliner, M Sport body bits, M steering wheel, etc
- 284K KMs when purchased (288K KMs currently as of 10/26/17)
- 100% stock except for a sprint booster
- 1/6 canadian spec
- co-designed and built by magna-steyr in austria - interesting tidbit
impressions:
it's a small 'SAV'...5-seater...rear-biased AWD...weird amalgamation of E46 rear suspension and E90 front suspension...6-speed manual...kinda-comfy-and-kinda-sporty...can tow 3000lbs...7000rpm redline machine. it's a weird anomaly in the automotive marketplace, but kinda just right for our family. we didn't need the 3rd row seating any longer, and needed something with better fuel economy, and my wife likes sitting up high (i kinda do, too), and wanted a manual, so.... enter the 6-speed X3. it actually gets decent fuel economy too - we averaged about 26mpg on our first road trip with it. the interior is nicer and better built than the E90, but still no match for the timeless blend of design/functionality/quality of the E46 interior.... and it has some rattles and plasticky creaks. the doors don't close, or sound as nicely on closing, as the E46. the panoramic sunroof can be a little noisy when closed, but it lets so much light into the cabin, especially for rear-seat occupants... and on a clear night, star gazing is actually possible through the glass. it's pretty sweet. suspension is firm (and a little crashy, but it has 288K KMs on the stock dampers) and steering is really darn good for an SAV. brakes are as you would expect from BMW - ample. M Sport wheel is awesome. the engine is pretty nice - doesn't have as much grunt down low as the M54B30 (likely because it weighs 4000lbs), but the top end of this N52K is impressive - it pulls really well above 5K and feels like it could keep pulling hard above 7K. coupled with the 6-speed... in a platform like this... it's a little weird to think about, but it does offer a bit of dual-personality for the driver. i like it.
changes:
it's no secret that i like to tweak stuff. but i like to really get to know the vehicle, and then figure out what it needs to fix it's shortcomings to be more of what my vision is for the vehicle. and for this thing... well, not much. it needs to stay reliable, and it needs to stay comfortable. but it does need a bit more noise, and it does need some better body and drivetrain control - that said, the rear diff mount is shot and allows for a lot of drivetrain movement. also, clutch engagement is very sensitive. so, here's my plans thus far:
- replace dirty air filter with aFe drop-in dry filter (done yesterday)
- koni FSDs with new upper mounts (ordered)
- poly rear diff mount (received)
- replace front upper control arm bushings (one is on it's way out)
- replace RTABs with OE lemfoerder M3-spec bushings (already have)
- replace outer RCABs with new OE lemfoerder spherical bearings
- CDV delete
- check/replace driveshaft flex disc and carrier bearing/hanger
- remove sprint booster (the PO liked it, but i find the throttle is just way too sensitive on initial tip-in with it engaged)
- retrofit power lumbar into the stock sport seats (found a DIY, looks easy enough; have the parts already)
- fill stock squishy trans mount with 80A durometer poly; this will double-benefit me with less drivetrain slop and more engine noise
- refresh the shift linkage (have parts already)
- de-badge the butt
- polish the headlight lenses and cover with protectant film
- black grilles, maybe
- yellow fogs (the front end is a little too monochromatic for me)
- get rid of the staggered 19" wheels, and go for a more aggressive 18" square setup... currently 19x8.5 ET46 and 19x9 ET51... thinking 18x8.5 ET35-ish... with either 235/55/18 (28.2" diameter) or 255/55/18 (29" diameter) rubber.. stock size is 27.2" diameter, which looks a little diminutive in the giant wheel wells. plus, it will help with the ride quality, which was choppy with the 19s, and better with the OEM 18" winter wheels on 235/50/18 rubber. just not sure if i'm going to go with a performance street tire, or an AT tire.
maintenance/issues:
- replaced bad front swaybar endlinks
- had a misfire on cyl #5 last week... replaced the coil pack
- throwing random 'power on reset' and 'general reset' codes in the EWS module... when this happens, headlights and gauge cluster flickers, beeps, and sometimes resets and the clock resets. weird. not impacting driveability, but a definite annoyance. troubleshooting currently.
- replaced the dirty air filter with an aFe dry drop-in filter; also removed the 'do not remove' charcoal filter downstream of the regular air filter... it's probably clogged and not effective anymore, since apparently it really only has a 1- or 2-year lifespan. car runs a lot smoother.
- rear diff mount is bad; replacing soon
- some little rust spots... one on the inside of the LF door near the lower hinge, the passenger side mirror base is bubbling... and there is a scrape on the rear hatch that needs attention. it's remarkably clean underneath.
anyway... so that's that.
and some pics. who doesn't like pics? i think i posted these before.