The Random E46/ZHP Question Thread

[Prestovie]

And now my windshield wiper just broke, this week just keeps getting better


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[Prestovie]

What in your opinion is the most comfortable seating option in the e46? Took an hour or so drive in my brothers f10 and that thing is heavenly. Currently have the stock ZHP drivers seat(only trying to replace drivers) and have looked at the M3 options. Anything else that can be fitted?


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[704sw]

What in your opinion is the most comfortable seating option in the e46? Took an hour or so drive in my brothers f10 and that thing is heavenly. Currently have the stock ZHP drivers seat(only trying to replace drivers) and have looked at the M3 options. Anything else that can be fitted?

From what I've seen over on M3forum, the Z4 and Z4M seats fit.

[anandoc]

What in your opinion is the most comfortable seating option in the e46? Took an hour or so drive in my brothers f10 and that thing is heavenly. Currently have the stock ZHP drivers seat(only trying to replace drivers) and have looked at the M3 options. Anything else that can be fitted?


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E46 M3 seats. They are extremely comfortable and it holds you in place really well when you rip through corners.

[stephenkirsh]

And now my windshield wiper just broke, this week just keeps getting better


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Did you buy the car for super cheap or something?

[Prestovie]

Did you buy the car for super cheap or something?

Haha noooo, $10k with 99,949miles on it. Previous owner was a massive enthusiast and tracked the car once every month or two. So much of an enthusiast that he never put it through an auto wash, hand washes only, something that I've continued...
shit just happens sometimes


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[egiles14]

Haha noooo, $10k with 99,949miles on it. Previous owner was a massive enthusiast and tracked the car once every month or two. So much of an enthusiast that he never put it through an auto wash, hand washes only, something that I've continued...
shit just happens sometimes

Sorry to hear of your issues...that's a problem that no one wants to have. If you are definitely burning coolant out of the exhaust, then you've got your work cut out for you. I don't know how familiar you are with the M54 engines, but just 'changing the headgasket' in 99 out of 100 cases isn't going to fix your issue. If an M54 is burning coolant, and/or mixing coolant with the oil, then it very likely the car has been overheated at some point in the past. When that happens, the cylinder head and/or aluminum block warps, which will pull the head bolt threads out of the block.

You see so many E46's these days listed on Craigslist and other classified sites advertising 'slight coolant leak, just needs a headgasket' for cheap. Unfortunately, the best and least expensive way to fix the issue is to just replace the engine with a known good one. I got my wife's '01 X5 with only 92k miles for dirt cheap because someone didn't address the cooling system and it overheated. I bought another M53B30 with 107k miles for $750 and swapped it in, and it has been running fine since. I actually did the same thing for an '05 ZHP late last year...car had been overheated, so I found another $750 M54B30 and swapped in the ZHP cams.

If you truly want to try repairing your current engine, before you pull it apart loosen each head bolt and re-torque them. If none of them strip out while re-torquing, then the block may be ok. You will still need to get the head fully checked of course. If the head bolt threads do strip, and you still want to use that block, you will need to Timersert each bolt hole. You'll also have to pull the entire engine and have the block surfaced so that it is flat.

Hoping for the best outcome for you in this...just know that swapping in a headgasket isn't going to fix it.

[Prestovie]

Sorry to hear of your issues...that's a problem that no one wants to have. If you are definitely burning coolant out of the exhaust, then you've got your work cut out for you. I don't know how familiar you are with the M54 engines, but just 'changing the headgasket' in 99 out of 100 cases isn't going to fix your issue. If an M54 is burning coolant, and/or mixing coolant with the oil, then it very likely the car has been overheated at some point in the past. When that happens, the cylinder head and/or aluminum block warps, which will pull the head bolt threads out of the block.

You see so many E46's these days listed on Craigslist and other classified sites advertising 'slight coolant leak, just needs a headgasket' for cheap. Unfortunately, the best and least expensive way to fix the issue is to just replace the engine with a known good one. I got my wife's '01 X5 with only 92k miles for dirt cheap because someone didn't address the cooling system and it overheated. I bought another M53B30 with 107k miles for $750 and swapped it in, and it has been running fine since. I actually did the same thing for an '05 ZHP late last year...car had been overheated, so I found another $750 M54B30 and swapped in the ZHP cams.

If you truly want to try repairing your current engine, before you pull it apart loosen each head bolt and re-torque them. If none of them strip out while re-torquing, then the block may be ok. You will still need to get the head fully checked of course. If the head bolt threads do strip, and you still want to use that block, you will need to Timersert each bolt hole. You'll also have to pull the entire engine and have the block surfaced so that it is flat.

Hoping for the best outcome for you in this...just know that swapping in a headgasket isn't going to fix it.

Thanks so much for the advice, it hurts to hear it but it is appreciated. I'm currently at the dealership waiting for them to finish changing the oil, and I told them to do a pressure test on the cooling system. The guy kind of dismissed it because I told him it hasn't been blowing smoke out of the exhaust lately, just last week... so hopefully they actually do thorough check.
Jeez getting a new block? I told myself that I'll drive her until the engine dies, then rebuild it and keep going, but financially that'd be kind of difficult right now. When I said that I though these things would be happening further down the line...
Guess we'll see what they come back with, but that's a good call on re-torquing everything, I'll mention that to my brother. He suggested we get the whole gasket set for the block and just replace everything while we're in there. This weekend is sure going to be handful lol

[Prestovie]

Alright well hopefully that's the last time I have to scare myself looking at replacement blocks for a long time, guy just approached me and told me that they couldn't find any issues, oil came out clean...
So I'm happy, still don't understand how all of that smoke could have been condensation, but it may have been a bad reaction from the off-brand oil.. i don't know. Like I said, I'm happy, it's a sigh of relief. Can't wait to drive her with fresh oil

[egiles14]

Alright well hopefully that's the last time I have to scare myself looking at replacement blocks for a long time, guy just approached me and told me that they couldn't find any issues, oil came out clean...
So I'm happy, still don't understand how all of that smoke could have been condensation, but it may have been a bad reaction from the off-brand oil.. i don't know. Like I said, I'm happy, it's a sigh of relief. Can't wait to drive her with fresh oil

Great news! I hope everything is truly ok. Keep us updated on what happens.

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