Webster's 2004 BMW 330i ZHP Project Thread

[webster]

Figured it's time to start a project thread for the new OG/NB sedan.

Purchase date: 7/4/17
Purchase price: $11,500
Mileage: 167,000

Pics at delivery:

https://s17.postimg.org/cr7dlmjdb/image.jpg

https://s11.postimg.org/yoat7s1o3/image.jpg

https://s17.postimg.org/jkcbvmzkf/image.jpg

https://s17.postimg.org/wagk8q7in/image.jpg

https://s11.postimg.org/5n6gydh83/image.jpg

https://s11.postimg.org/wtxyq1enn/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/yvx308fyr/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/46ozyfs9f/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/ya3iqdvir/image.jpg

https://s21.postimg.org/4kan53jav/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/sdv25ubyb/image.jpg

https://s21.postimg.org/durcmdjef/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/ys39jzahf/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/nptl7sr0z/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/ji3ecsez7/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/51g4y7phv/image.jpg

https://s3.postimg.org/tj88m3s2b/image.jpg


Caveat: I agreed to buy this car sight unseen after having a thorough PPI conducted by Black Forest Motorwerks in Austin, TX. The car checked out fantastic with only minor issues, mostly cosmetic. There are a couple of very small rust spots in nonvisible places such as underneath hood. I'll have the rust issue death with. The car is almost completely stock save an exterior tint (35% all around), matte black grilles, and smoked front corners which will be returned to stock ambers.

Upon arrival my estimation of overall interior/exterior condition is good/very good but I am picky. The paint is 100% original which is awesome. I'll probably have a paint correction/restoration done at some point. Few rock chips on the front, elsewhere there are some small nicks/scuffs but nothing major. The interior overall is very good/excellent - leather and dash in excellent condition. Few nicks on the black cube that I'll probably just sharpie in the short term. Fair amount of wear on driver seat bolster.

I'm going to send the car into my Indy shop pretty soon to confirm the mechanical evaluation from the shop in Austin. Immediate plans for the car are included but not limited to:

- complete cooling system overhaul incl. Behr radiator and EMP Stewart water pump
- TMS power pulleys
- Dr VANOS rebuild
- TMS CF strut bar
- Dinan Air Intake
- Shark Injector tune
- UUC stainless steel brake and clutch lines
- UUC clutch stop
- ///M dead pedal + door sills
- Rogue Engineering Octane SSK
- OE 135 ZHP wheel refinish
- New OE floor mats (anthracite)
- New Coby Alcantara ZHP shift knob
- Leatherique leather treatment
- OE Amber front corners

Future plans:

- M3 side mirror mod (this may happen sooner than later)
- Koni FSD Suspension + Eibach Sport Spring kit (eventually once the stock shocks go)
- APEX ARC-8 Wheels (debating the rear fitment: flat v. Concave/roll fenders)
- G.A.S. Gold DISA valve
- OE rotors + Akebono ceramic pads (once brakes go)
- Michelin PSS/PS4 (once current rubber goes)
- Front license plate trim delete


Thread will be updated once progress gets rolling!

[az3579]

Quick suggestion for future plans:
- Headlight retrofit

:thumbsup


Interior pics?

[webster]

Quick suggestion for future plans:
- Headlight retrofit

:thumbsup


Interior pics?

It has halogens(!)* - might upgrade bulbs but otherwise I'm ok with them for now. No burnt bowl issue to deal with!

*the options on this car (slicktop, halogens, heated seats/headlight washers but no cold weather package, natural brown interior) lead me to believe it was a custom order ZHP which I think is pretty cool if true.

[Rookiez]

LSD? I'm digging the Apex Arc 8 as well!!

[az3579]

It has halogens(!)*

Exactly... the one time I had to drive an E46 with halogen headlights at night had me genuinely scared. Almost as scared as when my ZKWs started burning out. :rofl



*the options on this car (slicktop, halogens, heated seats/headlight washers but no cold weather package, natural brown interior) lead me to believe it was a custom order ZHP which I think is pretty cool if true.

If it's got headlight washers, then you have Cold Weather Package. If the rear seats fold, confirms it. :)


Anyways, super jelly for this color combo. :thumbsup

[webster]

That's weird...Cold weather package was not listed on the options codes.

[slater]

Looks awesome, Wes!!! I love OG...


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[fredo]

Well done. Very sharp ! :thumbsup

[az3579]

That's weird...Cold weather package was not listed on the options codes.

It is possible someone retrofitted it, though I don't see why they would.
Do your rear seats fold? The rears look like they fold, based on the pics.

[danewilson77]

Yessssssss

Sent from my S8+

[webster]

It is possible someone retrofitted it, though I don't see why they would.
Do your rear seats fold? The rears look like they fold, based on the pics.

As uzhe you're right. The seats do fold.

[az3579]

As uzhe you're right. The seats do fold.


Sweet! You got the good 'stuff, bruh.

Man, I got sooooo damn lucky that the NB interior I swapped in was not only Sport, but also heated and with folding rears. So hard to find a combo like this. Nice that yours came with all the gooooooods...

[nextelbuddy]

beautiful car and color combo. very jealous...


side note.. if you are interested in the M3 mirror mod I can help you out. I have several M3 mirror sets available that I retrofit sedan ribbon cable motors into and mod the base plate as well for sedan. all you need to do is get them painted when you get them from me. let me know if you are interested in a set.

I also have 1 set of POWER FOLD motors I can retrofit into the set as well so you can have power folding M3 mirrors for sedan.

[kakashi169]

wow nice colour combo!!!

P.S. Get new floor mats, those got to go.

[webster]

This thread is overdue for an update. I have had nothing but issues since taking ownership of the car. I really feel like the P.O. Sold me a lemon and tried to conceal it as much as possible.

i had the car inspected by Black Forest Werkshop in Austin, TX which came back very, very positive. Aside from some cosmetic issues, a bit of rust, and the original cooling system, everything seemed to check out. So i agreed to buy the car sight unseen (which i will NEVER do again) for basically full asking price (the car is 1/1 with its options). I was genuinely excited about the car. Now, I fucking hate the thing and want to sell it.


Upon delivering the car to my local Indy shop (Bavarian Machine Specialties) i was advised of a number of issues that the PPI from BFW in Austin did not pick up. These included:

- aftermarket Walmart suspension (some pos Monroe crap) - SELLER CLAIMED OE SHOCKS REPLACED - THIS WAS A LIE!!!
- Leaking OFHG (seller claimed this was fixed under his ownership but could not provide receipts)
- Cracked/failing RTABs
- Worn FCABs
- AC refrigerant leak
- Warped brake rotors (noticeable shimmy in the steering wheel)
- Excessive underbody rust (resulting in additional labor charges from the shop for brake lines/cooling system work)
- Electrical gremlins galore: no light flashing on lock, no chimes at all (key in ignition, parking brake on in drive, headlights still on, etc)

The result is a $5k+ bill for stuff i did not anticipate having to address. It's left a very sour taste in my mouth.

I called BFW in Austin and provided the feedback relating to all of the above. I will say that Chris seemed genuinely upset by it, not that it does me much good. I would hope at the least he will refund me the $200 in PPI fees.


What makes it even worse is that I KNEW I shouldn't try to replace my lost ZHP with another one right away but i was just desperate to fill that void left in the wake of the crash and surgery. I should have stayed patient and settled for a more "common" ZHP in much better condition (i.e., Zach's ZHP in Idaho). So part of it is i am mad at myself.

I also didn't realize the title was out of state (my fault) so today i had to pay $900 in registration fees. I should have used this to negotiate the price down. Live and learn on that i suppose.

Anyways, i need some encouragement because as it stands i am looking to just sell the car and move on...

[anandoc]

I am so sorry to hear about your woes :( As much as the seller concealed all this info from you, I think the PPI shop is what really screwed you over.

I think the OFHG, RTABs, FCAB and the warped rotors can be fixed quite easily and should not break the bank. The AC leak might be a bit expensive to fix though.

The no flashing on lock and no chimes might be a coding thing and 10 minutes with PA Soft can fix that.

[slater]

oh man, wes!! i'm sorry to hear. but, you've come to the right place for support. :) as anando said... it's all stuff that is easy to address. and it's all wear and tear items too.

all of that said... i can totally appreciate how you must be feeling: deceived. we've all been there - i've bought too many sets of supposedly 'straight' wheels only to find out they're bent. it sucks. but, i deal with them accordingly and keep truckin' on, because, really, getting all worked up about it isn't going to help you - especially during your time of rehab!

you'll fork out some more cash right now to sort stuff out, but in the end you'll get that 1-of-1 OG/NB sedan into awesome shape. :cheers

what's the deal with the underbody rust?

[fredo]

Oh, no ! When I read your post, I was hoping to find a "just kidding, guys" in there but then I realized you are really unhappy about the deal. IMHO you covered all the bases: PPI, Carfax, and buying from a Mafia member. Some time ago I considered to buy a ZHP in Houston and did research for a PPI place. I arrived to the conclusion your Indy is among the best, but I didn't made the deal after all so I didn't have chance to visit the shop.

I went back and looked at your pics here, and still believe your car looks fantastic. You will need to spend a little more than planned, but at the end you will own an unicorn that will make most of us jealous.

In summary: if was in your situation I would keep the car ! GL.

[webster]

Thanks guys. I really just miss my perfect coupe that I wrecked :'(

[webster]

Total estimate from my shop is $12k. That's more than I paid for the car. And that does not include the suspension which will remain cheap aftermarket Walmart shit for now.

Anyone want to buy a $25k ZHP?

[BMWCurves]

Total estimate from my shop is $12k. That's more than I paid for the car. And that does not include the suspension which will remain cheap aftermarket Walmart shit for now.

Anyone want to buy a $25k ZHP?

What?

[slater]

What?

+1...

Can you scan and post the quote from the shop? $12k better include a glass-out respray, new suspension and a set of new ARC-8s with tires...


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[webster]

The car is a mess. Rust everywhere. Leaking like a pig. Seized calipers warped rotors leaking ac bad bushings rattly Vanos bad guibo new csb OFHG ccv the list goes on. I'll post the full estimate when I get it.

Gonna try to sell it for as much as I can and be done with it.

Ready for a Toyota.

[melonz]

Ouch, sorry to hear that.

[Sreten]

Damn man, that really sucks.

I guess the mileage really has taken it's toll on this example combined with poor preventive maintenance.

Everything you said is fixable and some of the things are inexpensive to fix (like ofhg, gasket is like $3 and it's a super easy DIY), just how big is the rust? Rust bubbles on the outside as well?

[fredo]

Sorry to hear the repair costs are getting out of control.

[Vas]

Curious to see what the shop quoted for that amount.

And any description/ images of the rust?

[webster]

Rust

[san]

Is there body rust or just on suspension parts that can be replaced?


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[slater]

wes, that's not that bad. i would leave the undercarriage alone as far as rust is concerned... replace bushings, etc that are worn, stop it from leaking, and enjoy it.

definitely post up a list from the mechanic. with prices. please.

[Sockethead]

Some the parts on my car are pretty rusty too. Even though it's been pretty much garage kept since I purchased it at 44k, it spent it's first couple of years in upstate NY and the winters there took its toll. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless the actual body is rusting through... it just makes it a bitch to get some things apart.

[webster]

Yeah I'm probably blowing smoke about selling it at this point. I would take a huge loss. Might as well enjoy it when it's fixed.

[NoVAphotog]

Ready for a Toyota.

Yessssssss...Yesssssss...come to the dark side...

But no, sorry to hear about this. It sounds like you need to get a second or third opinion from different shops because that is ridiculously high for what appears to be just catching up on maintenance. People have gotten engines pulled and built for less than that here in NoVa with our damn labor rates.

Get the word out to local owners who may be able to help with DIY? Prioritize the items and go from there. Buy an Acetylene torch, pizza, beer and have a DIY party.

[Sockethead]

That doesn't look that bad at all.

If it makes you feel any better, I had a similar experience with my first BMW... 2001 325i... in beautiful shape, passed a third party PPI but it had a few issues while I was in the process of buying it and I just had a bad feeling about it.. should of waited but damn, I wanted that car so I bought it... found out a couple of months later that the coolant light was from exhaust blowing into the coolant. It had a blown head gasket. Unloaded it on a brand new Mazda 3 at a huge loss. I hated that Mazda even though it was brand new and a year later I gave it to my wife and bought my ZHP

[slater]

Yeah I'm probably blowing smoke about selling it at this point. I would take a huge loss. Might as well enjoy it when it's fixed.

that's pretty clean! i wouldn't worry about it at all.

what else is on the list? maybe you need another indy, or a local 'mafia member that's wrench-friendly to help out? the gaskets are cheap, it's the labor that's expensive.

[webster]

Im on crutches and recovery from broken hip. No way I can diy anything right now. The work has already been done.

[slater]

Im on crutches and recovery from broken hip. No way I can diy anything right now. The work has already been done.

OH! well, then that's that. ;)

i guess, it's only money. you'll forget about it at some point. :)

more importantly, i hope you're recovery is going well!! :cheers

[BMWCurves]

OH! well, then that's that. ;)

i guess, it's only money. you'll forget about it at some point. :)

more importantly, i hope you're recovery is going well!! :cheers

+1

[Vas]

That just looks like surface rust. The car probably spent time where the was salt and winters.

Is there any rust on the actual body of the car?

Either way sorry to hear that you were not satisfied with the purchase of the car. Looking forward to see what direction you head with it though.

[anandoc]

That rust does not look bad at all! You should see the underside of my car.

Get better soon and start enjoying the car!

[704sw]

Looks better than the bottom of my rusty Canadian beater.

[webster]

thanks for the support everyone. the car should be tip top when i get her back minus the cheapo suspension that i'll replace in due time.

[webster]

update:

front calipers were completely rusted through, which caused the rotors to warp even though they were brand new (from P.O.), so calipers and front rotors were replaced.

also he told me one of the O2 sensors died as they were about to wash the car for delivery. this car just had to get one last lick in. fuckin a


car should be in my driveway in a couple hours. you betta balee ima go flog that bitch down a back road or something.

[webster]

Here is the final estimate/invoice. Sheesh

[anandoc]

update:

front calipers were completely rusted through, which caused the rotors to warp even though they were brand new (from P.O.), so calipers and front rotors were replaced.

also he told me one of the O2 sensors died as they were about to wash the car for delivery. this car just had to get one last lick in. fuckin a


car should be in my driveway in a couple hours. you betta balee ima go flog that bitch down a back road or something.

Are you able to post the quote that your indy provided to fix all the aforementioned issues? I am starting to doubt your indy now....

I had seized up front caliper (drivers side) too and that did not warp my rotors. My car being a Canadian one, has extremely rusted rotors (amongst other things)

Which O2 sensor died? Pre or post cat? The pre-cat ones are extremely easy to replace. Also, they tend to soft-fail...and usually its the O2 sensor heaters that die and not the sensor itself....

[webster]

^ see previous post

[Sreten]

Holy shit. Did you pay $15,744.84 to get all of this done?!

[webster]

Not yet...final bill will be closer to $10k once he does some updates and discounts. But still it's a lot.

[webster]

Clean and pretty engine bay. Practically everything besides the head and cylinders is new. I still need to install the Dinan intake too.

https://s7.postimg.org/abnwx6okb/IMG_0765.jpg

[Sreten]

It's mind blowing how some simple repairs are so expensive when done by a shop.

I do hope you will be happy with the car at the end.

[webster]

im trying to look at it like i basically have rebuilt the car from the ground up and now have a pristine 1 of 1 production ZHP ("trying" being the operative word).

i need to leatherique the interior and get a new center console/cupholder unit to replace the scratched one.

the refinished wheels do look fantastic. love me some clean M135s.


once traffic dies down i'll go hit the freeway and hopefully that will make me feel better.

[anandoc]

It's mind blowing how some simple repairs are so expensive when done by a shop.

I do hope you will be happy with the car at the end.

I know!

For example, the AUC (air quality sensor) was $96.45. If you order from ECS Tuning, it is $70 shipped (link (https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-parts/air-quality-sensor/64116917001/)) and it literally takes 15 seconds to replace it. Oh and this was a totally unnecessary repair because it does not affect anything functional in the car.

$641 to replace one pre-cat O2 sensor?? That thing costs $144 from ECS Tuning (link (https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bosch-parts/oxygen-sensor-rear-manifold/11787523435~bos/)) and 30 minutes max to replace.

Another example - $1,116 for replacing a customer provided VANOS?? Thats insane! The total parts cost me $172, which included the VCG gaskets, grommets, VANOS oil line, besian systems seals etc. The labor for this should not be more than couple of hours - especially if the shop is receiving a pre-built VANOS.

$195/wheel to re-finish them?? Thats quite expensive too.

[webster]

Yeah they go by quoted job time not how long it actually takes as far as labor charges go...it's annoying. He will discount the labor significantly though.

Like I said earlier I am not in the position physically to be able to wrench on the car thus the shop did everything.

[slater]

wow, that is some CRAZY labor rates! $148.20/hour! no wonder it cost you so much. that sucks. also... it seems the quoted job time is waaaay longer than what it should take. hopefully you got some massive discounts!

[webster]

I've been using these guys for years and have argued against their labor and parts markups time and time again. Like I said that estimate will come down to 10 at the most.

It was a huge amount of work after all. I'm not mad at my Indy I'm mad at the shop that did the PPI and the guy who sold it to me.

[webster]

- complete cooling system overhaul incl. Behr radiator and EMP Stewart water pump
- TMS power pulleys
- Dr VANOS rebuild
- TMS CF strut bar
- Dinan Air Intake
- Shark Injector tune
- UUC stainless steel brake and clutch lines
- UUC clutch stop
- ///M dead pedal + door sills
- Rogue Engineering Octane SSK
- OE 135 ZHP wheel refinish
- New OE floor mats (anthracite)
- New Coby Alcantara ZHP shift knob
- Leatherique leather treatment
- OE Amber front corners

Future plans:
- G.A.S. Gold DISA valve (bought from my last car yet to be installed)


Welp aside from the shark, dinan intake and disa everything on this list has been done! lol

[anandoc]

It was a huge amount of work after all. I'm not mad at my Indy I'm mad at the shop that did the PPI and the guy who sold it to me.

Agreed that the PO was not honest with you and the PPI shop screwed you over but this indy shop also made things look a lot worse to you than it really is in order to make a few extra bucks.

Some of the non-essential stuff I see in the quote that are quite common in a E46 of this age:
- $500 replacing just rivets, grommets, clamps and other non-essential stuff
- Spent $1000 refinishing rims and remounting tires and re-balancing. Were the wheels really that bent and out of shape?
- VANOS seals are done in every E46 you will find on the market. Did not need to spend $1100+ on fixing this right away
- Almost $100 on AUC sensor
- $300+ for a PS flush - didn't replace the pressure hoses even.
- $527 for replacing a OFHG?? Every E46 has this leaking/seeping at this age

That added up to ~ $3500 of non-essential issues that you would find on every E46 on the road. There is probably more - but you get my point. I feel like these guys were just short of replacing the cup holders in your car due to coffee stains.

You car may have had some extra rust on the underside which you would normally not expect on a car from Texas/California etc but nothing out of the ordinary otherwise.

I feel really sorry about the whole situation, but I am hoping you make a quick recovery and drive the shit out of this ZHP.

[fredo]

Did you take the car for a ride ? Thoughts ?

[webster]

Agreed that the PO was not honest with you and the PPI shop screwed you over but this indy shop also made things look a lot worse to you than it really is in order to make a few extra bucks.

Some of the non-essential stuff I see in the quote that are quite common in a E46 of this age:
- $500 replacing just rivets, grommets, clamps and other non-essential stuff
- Spent $1000 refinishing rims and remounting tires and re-balancing. Were the wheels really that bent and out of shape?
- VANOS seals are done in every E46 you will find on the market. Did not need to spend $1100+ on fixing this right away
- Almost $100 on AUC sensor
- $300+ for a PS flush - didn't replace the pressure hoses even.
- $527 for replacing a OFHG?? Every E46 has this leaking/seeping at this age

That added up to ~ $3500 of non-essential issues that you would find on every E46 on the road. There is probably more - but you get my point. I feel like these guys were just short of replacing the cup holders in your car due to coffee stains.

You car may have had some extra rust on the underside which you would normally not expect on a car from Texas/California etc but nothing out of the ordinary otherwise.

I feel really sorry about the whole situation, but I am hoping you make a quick recovery and drive the shit out of this ZHP.

My rationale changed along the way of this process. At first i only wanted to fix what was absolutely necessary. As that list grew and grew, the costs began to snowball and i then moved on to "only do the mechanical stuff" and then finally "fuck it do the cosmetics too" - part of that decision was based on frustration and the "just make it right all around" approach that i took towards my last car. Some of the high cost is my fault. I just told him to go ahead with everything.

I know i could have saved a few grand by delaying some of the repairs and attempting diy down the road but honestly between my recovery and being out of work for 3 months i have other priorities in life right now. I dont have the time or energy to work on the car right now. It doesn't help that it will be 95+ degrees for at least another 6-8 weeks here...


Did you take the car for a ride ? Thoughts ?

Yes, briefly, did not get out of 3rd gear due to traffic but tomorrow i will flog it on the highway a bit. It's driving very good. I do love the color combo. I hadn't seen the car in a month but being reunited does to some extent rekindle my fondness for the car.

[webster]

Car is driving great. Love the rogue ssk. And I swear the shifts and clutch feel are smoother than my old car. I think the CDV unlock valve makes a huge difference.

However, the following issues are prevalent and I would appreciate any help or troubleshooting:

- speakers on right side of car produce almost no sound. They are not completely dead, but if I adjust the balance to all right side I hear almost nothing. Does that mean the H/K amp is shot?

- no warning chimes and no signal flash upon locking. My shop said it's due to a bad cluster. Can anyone confirm that or provide some alternative ideas?

Thanks guys.

[anandoc]

- no warning chimes and no signal flash upon locking. My shop said it's due to a bad cluster. Can anyone confirm that or provide some alternative ideas?

Thanks guys.

Definitely not bad cluster.

I can try to help you with this. You would need to get PA Soft though - if you don't have it already, look for Tony's thread on the FS threads and buy it off him. I think its like $30 or something.

Most probably this was disabled through coding by the PO. If that is the case, you can enable this via PA Soft.

EDIT: Here is the FS thread from Tony:
http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?14456-FS-PASOFT-BMW-SCANNER-1-4

EDIT#2

Here are the options screens under PA Soft to enable/disable the stuff your shop claimed is due to a "faulty cluster"

Acoustic warnings (key left in, seat belts etc) in the far right column

http://i.imgur.com/tDJlezh.jpg

Lock/unlock chirps/blinks (under Anti-theft DWA options)

http://i.imgur.com/EMYkSAO.jpg

[webster]

Thanks! I ordered a pa soft a while back. Just need to find it. I'll follow up once I do.

That makes sense...

[az3579]

Bet the IKE and GM5 just need factory defaults re-flashed. Would be quick work with NCS Expert...

[BMWM3186]

My car only flashes when I lock it. I thought it never made noise because my Zhp didn't come with the alarm.

Sent from my ONEPLUS 3 using Tapatalk

[ZHPizza]

My wagon also has the intermittent issue with the locking flash and chimes. Seems more prevalent when it's been sitting in the sun. There are a few of us on here with the same issue now so hopefully we'll get it sorted.

[melonz]

Car is driving great. Love the rogue ssk. And I swear the shifts and clutch feel are smoother than my old car. I think the CDV unlock valve makes a huge difference.

However, the following issues are prevalent and I would appreciate any help or troubleshooting:

- speakers on right side of car produce almost no sound. They are not completely dead, but if I adjust the balance to all right side I hear almost nothing. Does that mean the H/K amp is shot?

- no warning chimes and no signal flash upon locking. My shop said it's due to a bad cluster. Can anyone confirm that or provide some alternative ideas?

Thanks guys.

Could've been coded out by the last owner? *ignore, didn't see there a page 7 lol*

[webster]

8/15/17 update

installed Dinan CAI and German Auto Solutions Gold DISA

need to find my PA Soft to sort out the coding. i know i bought one a while back...

[slater]

8/15/17 update

installed Dinan CAI and German Auto Solutions Gold DISA

need to find my PA Soft to sort out the coding. i know i bought one a while back...

excellent!! i bet that feels good. :)

how's the recovery going?

[webster]

excellent!! i bet that feels good. :)

how's the recovery going?

going well thanks. now walking with just one crutch. should be free and clear soon. yesterday was a lot of effort hobbling around but it felt good. can't wait for this heat to be over (only 6-8 more weeks! lol).

here's a pic with the amber front turns back on. i really like the contrast of oxford and ambers.

https://s28.postimg.org/r2bv9zy1p/greenzhp1.jpg

https://s4.postimg.org/fzmy19xwt/IMG_1917.jpg

[slater]

going well thanks. now walking with just one crutch. should be free and clear soon. yesterday was a lot of effort hobbling around but it felt good. can't wait for this heat to be over (only 6-8 more weeks! lol).

here's a pic with the amber front turns back on. i really like the contrast of oxford and ambers.

fantastic, that is good news! :cheers

agreed on the ambers - they are a non-negotiable for me on oxford green. ;)

[BMWCurves]

fantastic, that is good news! :cheers

agreed on the ambers - they are a non-negotiable for me on oxford green. ;)

Agreed.

[webster]

New plates came in

https://s4.postimg.org/bawtu5o9p/IMG_1918.jpg

[anandoc]

New plates came in



Nice! I gotta get me some vanity plates too!

[slater]

New plates came in

https://s4.postimg.org/bawtu5o9p/IMG_1918.jpg

nice.

i can even see your lone crutch in the reflection. ;)


i was kinda hoping you'd get "OG ZHP", because, hey, double meaning and all that. ;)

[webster]

lol that would have been a good one.

[webster]

8/21/17

over the weekend i was able to code the car via PA Soft to make a number of coding changes, notably the temp gauge and speedo needles (TerraPhantm's technique), and add the clown nose blink and turn signal flash on lock.

i am still not able to get the warning chimes (lights on with key out of ignition, key in position 1 and door open, parking brake while moving, etc) to activate even after 're-writing' the cluster with those default settings. i also can't get the auto-lock at 10mph to work either. i am not sure if the cluster is in fact faulty as my indy said, because the other coding features were successful. anyone have any ideas here?

i also upgraded the factory halogen bulbs to the following:

http://store.candlepower.com/osraulhiouh7.html

i did quite a bit of research for halogen bulb upgrades which led me to a discussion on this very board about the Osram Rallye bulbs which are discontinued. so i found the Vosla brand that's described in that link. i installed them at dusk and then came inside for dinner>game of thrones>bed so i haven't had a chance to compare them to the stock bulbs (will do that tonight) but am hoping for some improvement - the stockers are not very good tbh. i do like the simplicity of swapping the halogens and no burnt bowl factor. a full retrofit may take place down the road but is not a priority right now.

i posted on facebook about doing a Shark tune and Seth recommended the Eurocharged custom tune (they have a Houston shop location), so i plan to contact them for an appointment and get it done, hopefully in the next week or 2. i will be selling a brand new Shark if it all works out.

Oh and I realized I never posted a pic of the engine bay after the Dinan intake install. Not that you guys haven't seen one before :p

https://s30.postimg.org/hvvbb4ao1/IMG_0797.jpg

[anandoc]

i am still not able to get the warning chimes (lights on with key out of ignition, key in position 1 and door open, parking brake while moving, etc) to activate even after 're-writing' the cluster with those default settings.

Are you able to post a screenshot of your PA Soft with the current settings that you have coded in? I can compare to what I currently have.

I have the Osram Rallyeye 65W bulbs - TBH not a huge difference. I'd rather go for the Morimoto H7 LEDs.

[az3579]

i am still not able to get the warning chimes (lights on with key out of ignition, key in position 1 and door open, parking brake while moving, etc) to activate even after 're-writing' the cluster with those default settings. i also can't get the auto-lock at 10mph to work either. i am not sure if the cluster is in fact faulty as my indy said, because the other coding features were successful. anyone have any ideas here?

I think you need a factory defaults flash with NCS Expert. I recommend you find someone who has it locally to you and have them perform a factory reset with Expert Mode.



i also upgraded the factory halogen bulbs to the following:

http://store.candlepower.com/osraulhiouh7.html

i did quite a bit of research for halogen bulb upgrades which led me to a discussion on this very board about the Osram Rallye bulbs which are discontinued. so i found the Vosla brand that's described in that link. i installed them at dusk and then came inside for dinner>game of thrones>bed so i haven't had a chance to compare them to the stock bulbs (will do that tonight) but am hoping for some improvement - the stockers are not very good tbh. i do like the simplicity of swapping the halogens and no burnt bowl factor. a full retrofit may take place down the road but is not a priority right now.

I can tell you from experience - doing anything to the halogens is a waste of time. The only real upgrade is a Xenon retrofit, unfortunately.
I'm curious what you do end up retrofitting with when you get around to it. I highly recommend FX-R's - these things are badass!

[webster]

I think you need a factory defaults flash with NCS Expert. I recommend you find someone who has it locally to you and have them perform a factory reset with Expert Mode.

thanks. best advice for finding someone locally? i try to avoid actually posting on e46f cause of all the riff raff. facebook maybe?



I can tell you from experience - doing anything to the halogens is a waste of time. The only real upgrade is a Xenon retrofit, unfortunately.
I'm curious what you do end up retrofitting with when you get around to it. I highly recommend FX-R's - these things are badass!

lol you really hate halogens! i don't do a lot of night time driving so it's really not a big deal. i'll get to it eventually. concerned mainly with optimizing performance and getting the gremlins sorted right now...

[az3579]

thanks. best advice for finding someone locally? i try to avoid actually posting on e46f cause of all the riff raff. facebook maybe?

You can try Facebook, but you would have a better chance finding someone on the forum who has the whole setup.
Or, you can fly me out there and I'll do it for you. :)




lol you really hate halogens!

Yeah, I just have a serious problem with manufacturers who still use this inferior lighting product on modern cars. When Toyota is putting LED headlights standard on their lowest model car (the Corolla) and BMW is still using halogens, it really ticks me off. It's a serious safety item that they're still skimping on.
I think BMW's halogen headlights were rated amongst the worst headlights in a recent study, and that doesn't surprise me.



i don't do a lot of night time driving so it's really not a big deal. i'll get to it eventually. concerned mainly with optimizing performance and getting the gremlins sorted right now...

I'm glad you don't have to drive at night. That gives you time to sort out other stuff!

[webster]

If it's after dark I'm usually ubering or lyfting. Too many crazies out there.

[anandoc]

thanks. best advice for finding someone locally? i try to avoid actually posting on e46f cause of all the riff raff. facebook maybe?





With a bit of time and patience, you can do the whole NCS Expert by yourself too. There are many guides out there on how to safely use this software. Here is one such guide that I personally follow:

https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?1800496-Dummies-Guide-to-Basic-coding-with-NCS-Expert

[webster]

thank you for all your help anando! i must say, that is a bit intimidating! i may give it a shot. i was able to figure out PA Soft when initially i didn't think i could, anything is possible!

[webster]

update on the cluster: the left pin is not working. i assume this is due to age, but whatever the case, i guess i'm gonna have to pull the cluster and try to adjust the positioning of the pin/sensor so they make contact. i wanted to run the cluster test (opt. 2) and the radiator temp (opt. 7.1), but no dice.

i could have sworn that the left pin was working when i got the car. i remember resetting the trip odo. perhaps the shop pulled the cluster when they were running diagnostics for the chimes etc, and messed up the positioning? i pulled the rubber cover and it still would not work.


if that doesn't work, not sure what to do. i really don't want to try to source a used ZHP cluster. besides won't that result in tamper dot?

[az3579]

update on the cluster: the left pin is not working. i assume this is due to age, but whatever the case, i guess i'm gonna have to pull the cluster and try to adjust the positioning of the pin/sensor so they make contact. i wanted to run the cluster test (opt. 2) and the radiator temp (opt. 7.1), but no dice.

i could have sworn that the left pin was working when i got the car. i remember resetting the trip odo. perhaps the shop pulled the cluster when they were running diagnostics for the chimes etc, and messed up the positioning? i pulled the rubber cover and it still would not work.


if that doesn't work, not sure what to do. i really don't want to try to source a used ZHP cluster. besides won't that result in tamper dot?


Does the button actuate (click) when you press it in? I've seen this issue a few times on various E46's I've been in.

[webster]

No it doesn't. It feels very stiff and will not click.

[az3579]

No it doesn't. It feels very stiff and will not click.

Ah. You may find this of interest.
https://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=719606

[webster]

Ah. You may find this of interest.
https://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=719606

Are you serious?!?! Fuck that

[webster]

^ so after further reading i decided against the paperclip method. i don't want to jerry-rig my car ghetto style. thanks for the link though, that is some good info.

i got in touch with the guy who is parting out my salvaged ZHP and bought the cluster off my old car. $95 shipped, figure that's not a bad deal plus i'll get a backup gauge face and other associated parts. i may just do an outright swap and not worry about tamper dot. who cares.

i am still gonna pull the cluster today or some point this week and try to see if i can fix it. in that case i'll just mount my old cluster in the man cave as a decoration piece/token of remembrance LOL

[az3579]

^ so after further reading i decided against the paperclip method. i don't want to jerry-rig my car ghetto style. thanks for the link though, that is some good info.



i may just do an outright swap and not worry about tamper dot. who cares.

Umm... wat? Didn't you just contradict yourself? lol
Tamper dot = ghetto style
Seems that you like doing things right, so you might as well go the extra mile... Perhaps you can ask Terra if he can program the mileage to match. Doubt he'd have the time, but it's worth the shot...

[webster]

Tamper dot is a non issue to me. Any enthusiast will understand especially if I can prove the cluster is from my original car. Hell this thread will be proof enough.

Plug and play option is always superior to some "chance it" outside the box jerry rig effort. I'm not rigging a paper clip into my cluster, which appears to be faulty anyway despite what everyone has said.

[webster]

Besides I'm in for $25k on a 13 year old car with shite suspension and 170k miles. This car is unsellable.

[Sockethead]

The tamper dot can be removed with coding/programming... it's just a matter of finding someone that is willing to do it for you

[nextelbuddy]

first all you need is the PIN from another cluster.. if you purchased your cluster back then just remove the PIN and install it in yours done.

yes you do have to remove the NEEDLES but its not bad or hard. ive done it a few times they come off and go back on relatively easy. its all about using some masking tape to mark where the needles rest so that you can put them back in the proper spot.



If you do swap clusters and want to remove the tamper dot then you can use PASoft to do that as well. it involves reading the mileage and details from the replacement cluster such as VIN, Miles, etc. then writing those same values to the LCM.. basically just making the LCM match the cluster since you can not change those values in the cluster. tamper dot goes away.

if for some odd reason you want to use the cluster from your silver car.. few things regarding mileage..

Terra CAN fix it but never has time. the way he fixes it is he removes the EEPRom chip from the cluster and revirginizes the cluster so that it will accept the mileage from the Light control module when it is first installed. its hard work.

The other way mileage can be corrected depends on the scenario... if your Oxford cluster mileage is Lower than the Silver coupe cluster.. then its going to be longer and harder to change the mileage... if the Oxford cluster is higher than the silver coupe cluster then its not as bad.

you can do it with PASoft and has to do with changing the Tire scaling for the cluster.. the tire scaling change will mean that when you start driving... the cluster will start going up in mileage super fast and once its close you stop the car and change the tire scaling back to normal/default.



heres a video of the mileage change in action on my m3 cluster after i did the engine swap. same principal applies to your cluster.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pneZmknX858

[webster]

first all you need is the PIN from another cluster.. if you purchased your cluster back then just remove the PIN and install it in yours done.

yes you do have to remove the NEEDLES but its not bad or hard. ive done it a few times they come off and go back on relatively easy. its all about using some masking tape to mark where the needles rest so that you can put them back in the proper spot.


i have removed needles before from my old cluster to do the bimmian grey non-M gauge face swap. i have no problems with that. i think this is the easiest route so it is what i will try first. HOWEVER, i am not confident that a working pin actuator thingy will address the issues i am facing with the non-working chimes and auto-lock (which i re-coded via PA Soft and is still not working)




If you do swap clusters and want to remove the tamper dot then you can use PASoft to do that as well. it involves reading the mileage and details from the replacement cluster such as VIN, Miles, etc. then writing those same values to the LCM.. basically just making the LCM match the cluster since you can not change those values in the cluster. tamper dot goes away.


if for some odd reason you want to use the cluster from your silver car.. few things regarding mileage..

Terra CAN fix it but never has time. the way he fixes it is he removes the EEPRom chip from the cluster and revirginizes the cluster so that it will accept the mileage from the Light control module when it is first installed. its hard work.

The other way mileage can be corrected depends on the scenario... if your Oxford cluster mileage is Lower than the Silver coupe cluster.. then its going to be longer and harder to change the mileage... if the Oxford cluster is higher than the silver coupe cluster then its not as bad.

you can do it with PASoft and has to do with changing the Tire scaling for the cluster.. the tire scaling change will mean that when you start driving... the cluster will start going up in mileage super fast and once its close you stop the car and change the tire scaling back to normal/default.


just to make sure i understand here. the cluster from my coupe has 92,xxx miles on it. the cluster in my sedan has 168,xxx miles on it. if i were to do a direct swap of the clusters, are you saying i just change the tire scaling until the 92,xxx cluster catches up to the 168,xxx cluster?

also, the earlier bold comment about just re-writing the VIN, miles etc from the old cluster to the new LCM seems to contradict the tire scaling method. maybe i'm not understanding clearly.



heres a video of the mileage change in action on my m3 cluster after i did the engine swap. same principal applies to your cluster.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pneZmknX858

LOL traveling at warp speed of 10mph!!!

THANK YOU for all that info. i am still learning all the coding stuff. but i do have a working PA Soft and am confident with enough practice and help from the Fam that i will continue to learn and eventually master it.

[nextelbuddy]

i have removed needles before from my old cluster to do the bimmian grey non-M gauge face swap. i have no problems with that. i think this is the easiest route so it is what i will try first. HOWEVER, i am not confident that a working pin actuator thingy will address the issues i am facing with the non-working chimes and auto-lock (which i re-coded via PA Soft and is still not working)



just to make sure i understand here. the cluster from my coupe has 92,xxx miles on it. the cluster in my sedan has 168,xxx miles on it. if i were to do a direct swap of the clusters, are you saying i just change the tire scaling until the 92,xxx cluster catches up to the 168,xxx cluster?

also, the earlier bold comment about just re-writing the VIN, miles etc from the old cluster to the new LCM seems to contradict the tire scaling method. maybe i'm not understanding clearly.



LOL traveling at warp speed of 10mph!!!

THANK YOU for all that info. i am still learning all the coding stuff. but i do have a working PA Soft and am confident with enough practice and help from the Fam that i will continue to learn and eventually master it.

If you do a direct swap and the COUPE cluster has 92k that means it has less miles than the one you are removing which is 168k thats fine.

you still need to read the values of the 92k cluster for VIN and Miles etc.. and write those values to the LCM as well.

what I usually do is READ your LCM and write down the values of the LCM and both clusters and keep them in a text file.. that way you have all the original values should you ever need to revert back.

once the NEW 92k cluster is in your car.. open PASoft and there should be an option in there that lets you write from IKE ---> LCM.. this is the quickest way buy you can also do it manually to.
once your LCM matches your 92K cluster then tamper dot should go away.

then use the tire scaling method by reading the IKE and changing the tire scaling and driving around. just make sure to stop driving a little before your final number so you dont over shoot the miles. if you over shoot then obviously it takes a long time to get back over to 0000000 and start over lol



Here is the text from my thread:


since my cluster has 72695 miles and i need it to get close to 165000 and you mentioned earlier that now every 1 mile = 8000 miles.

then 165000 - 72695 = 92,305 miles as what I need to go. 92,305 / 8000 = 11.53 miles I need to drive to catch up.



read the IKE and write down the default value for "Distance, imp/km"

change that value to "Distance, imp/km" to "1"

write to the IKE

do your calculations for miles needed to drive

stop somewhere early

change scaling back from 1 to the default value

write to the IKE

good to go

[webster]

awesome thanks for clearing that up. that makes sense now.

all plans for the car have come to a screeching halt due to the impending storm from tropical storm Harvey. i'm gonna park it on the 5th floor of my office garage and ride the weekend out.

as some of you may recall my coupe was damaged from flooding in the floods from a few years ago. not risking that again.

[Vas]

awesome thanks for clearing that up. that makes sense now.

all plans for the car have come to a screeching halt due to the impending storm from tropical storm Harvey. i'm gonna park it on the 5th floor of my office garage and ride the weekend out.

as some of you may recall my coupe was damaged from flooding in the floods from a few years ago. not risking that again.Wish you the best. Stay safe

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

[fredo]

Your coupe had flood damage ? In for details if you want to share. The Houston field office from my work will be closed this Friday and Monday.

[webster]

Wish you the best. Stay safe

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

thank you


Your coupe had flood damage ? In for details if you want to share. The Houston field office from my work will be closed this Friday and Monday.

water got into the floorboard and permeated the sound deadening foam material underneath. entire interior was removed and remediated for water/mold damage. it did not impact any of the mechanical or electrical operations of the car, and insurance covered it minus whatever my deductible was (either 500 or 1000).

all things considered i was pretty lucky. lots of people lost their cars. that car had 9 lives, i just pushed it for 10 and we all know what happened :\

[nextelbuddy]

thank you



water got into the floorboard and permeated the sound deadening foam material underneath. entire interior was removed and remediated for water/mold damage. it did not impact any of the mechanical or electrical operations of the car, and insurance covered it minus whatever my deductible was (either 500 or 1000).

all things considered i was pretty lucky. lots of people lost their cars. that car had 9 lives, i just pushed it for 10 and we all know what happened :\

i actually went to your car for some parts last month and man what did you hit? that car hit HARD in the front.

the guy that bought it bought it for the motor mainly knowing the car itself was bad lol but when he started pulling the motor out, he found out that the crank shaft got impacted as well as the frame rails and shock towers.

the Shift linkage was bent and the trans tunnel was also cracked and bent.


that car hit real hard.. how fast were you going?

[webster]

trust me i know how bad the accident was. i had a broken hip and have the hardware to remind me everyday.

[joeybananaz18]

Hi Wes, My name is Joe. When I was looking for an OG, I remember contemplating yours but I remember the PO wasn't really willing to budge on the price and shipping from texas to NY was going to put it out of my price range. I just want to say my heart sank when I read about all of the repairs you had to go through. I bought my car from Philly and went through the same motions you did- I got the ppi done, spoke to the guy who did it, and even spoke to the shop thats been doing the maintenance on the car since my PO first got it. Needless to say, what I thought were going to be around $700 in fixes, turned into $1800. I know it's no where near what you had gone through but, this should be a testament to all prospective e46 owners that they should really make sure they've budgeted for the fixes.
Funny story- after I got the car back, my wife and I had a trip planned for cape cod. The shop had told me that I had a small bubble on the front passenger side tire. I told them I'd dress it when we got back. 30 minutes into the drive I hit a pot hole on i95. Car was fine, still drove straight. We get to CC, and when I got out and saw the front drivers side tire, I almost lost my lunch. To think that I was driving at 80 mph for about 4 hours on that bubble made me sick. So basically we arranged to get two new front tire put on at a local ire shop and we skipped any fancy restaurants. These cars get you one way or another.

But, I just did a paint correction this past weekend. And let me tell you, after seeing this car gleaming in the sun, it was all worth it.

[webster]

Thanks for the encouragement Joe. I also had considered your car but same boat with shipping cross-country. Sorry to hear you had issues as well.

I do plan on a full paint correction and know that will make me feel better about the cars condition...




Update: today I did the license plate delete strip mod. Looks much better. Need to paint lower grille now.

Also have a brand new alcantara shift Knob and new center console and cup holder. Someday I'll get to those items. In the middle of packing and moving after our house flooded...good news is the new place has a garage! I haven't had a garage in over 3 years so needless to say I'm stoked.

[webster]

Update: mileage = 167,4xx

today I got a Eurocharge tune flashed to the green machine. Initial reaction is pretty positive. Seems to pull harder and better throttle response. Thanks to Seth for the family pricing hookup!

[johnrando]

Sweet

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[nextelbuddy]

hope all is well and not too much loss or damage has happened with you man. good to hear about the new stuff. Lower grill paint will look so much better!

[webster]

Thanks Sean! We are past the painful part of the flood. Moved into our new townhouse this week and I have a garage! Yay.

Going to try to sneak in the installation of new alcantara shift knob, center console, cupholder tray and auxiliary input this weekend. Then the next project will be to tackle the cluster issue. Painting lower grill will come after that followed by a full paint correction and door ding removal. Lots to do!

[webster]

Update 10/7/17

Mileage: 168,xxx

- New fogs installed - standard non-fluted OEM style. Much better than the pitted and mismatched ones that were on previously.
- new center tray console and cup holder tray installed. previous one was all scratched and that section of the interior now looks much better.
- AUX Cable Input DIY routed through center console, shifter area and up through the parking brake. I really did not want to drill any holes so this is my compromise.
- Pedal Box installed. forgot how much of a PITA that gas pedal is to get off. took me a good 20 minutes of sweating and cursing. really enjoy the PB and improved throttle response.
- Lower mesh grille replaced finally. i was having fitment problems with the aftermarket Khoalty piece, but i believe that's because it was designed to fit the aftermarket Khoalty bumper, which i did not install. so i ordered the OE BMW part and it fit much better. i should have ordered a new bracket because now all i notice is the greyed bracket on the edges lol.

i also got the car professionally detailed and CQuartz applied. it has plenty of paint imperfections (sub-clear scratches, paint chips, etc) but almost all swirls were removed and now it has that beautiful wet gloss. i paid $450 out the door and overall am pretty happy with the job. they did leave some water spots on the windows so i used some Hybrid V7 to buff those out of the glass. car looks good now!

a few pics:

https://s1.postimg.org/7v59q8jqm7/IMG-2121.jpg

https://s1.postimg.org/2iyk4unkm7/IMG_2100.jpg

https://s1.postimg.org/7kifx3javj/IMG-2125.jpg

https://s1.postimg.org/5ej1bbqzz3/IMG-2122.jpg

https://s1.postimg.org/89bph40tu7/IMG-2123.jpg

https://s1.postimg.org/8ni57zbhkv/IMG-2128.jpg

[holyc0w]

Looks great :thumbup

[kayger12]

Beautiful!!!

[RUS_ZHP]

Your paint looks amazing. Well done!!!

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[webster]

Thanks guys

[fredo]

Amazing results. Yeah. I also regret not replacing the bracket when the new bumper grille was installed.

[nextelbuddy]

its gorgeous!!!! love that color.

[joeybananaz18]

I wish my bumper looked like that. Im giving the DR color chip a try to take car of some of my rock chips. its going to be a process for sure but it does work on OG. My neighbor can get OEM paint so I'm considering having him give my hood and front bumper a respray next summer. Great to see the progress!

[webster]

small update:

recently replaced the windshield cowl. took longer than expected to get the 13 year old wiper arms off but i finally did it. new part looks much better.

also am troubleshooting a CCV/vacuum pressure issue which is causing consumption of oil. see my post in the G.A.S CCV thread on the general forum page. replaced the dipstick tube with the updated cold weather version and it improved vacuum pressure slightly but not that much. i believe the G.A.S. CCV solution would be a good fix.

current mileage is just a couple short of 170,000.

https://s7.postimg.org/3mscwksqj/IMG_1015.jpg

[webster]

update: 2/18/18
mileage: 171,235

replaced the hydraulic tensioner and pulley, idler pulley, and A/C tensioner and pulley. was getting a squealing from one of pulleys in cold temps. job took 3 hours and required the help of my wife to get the serp belt back on. ordered INA kits from FCP Euro for lifetime warranty. pretty amazed that all the parts were original at this mileage.

only went for a quick spin but the car seems to be driving a bit smoother, and no more squeal.

next thing i do for the car will be tires. thinking the Conti ExtremeContact Sports for performance/value sweet spot. should be a nice upgrade from the cheapo Chinese shoes the car was on when i bought it.

also would like wheels (really like the Sportline CSL reps) but that's not really in my budget right now.

the car is still consuming oil at an alarming rate. i switched to a higher thickness oil (10w-40) and it hasn't seemed to make much of a difference. i'm talking 1-2 quarts every 1000 miles or so. i fear the culprit is the piston rings/seals and a top-end rebuild is the only fix. it's got a relatively brand new CCV and updated cold weather dipstick tube. for now i'm just topping it up with oil when the yellow light comes on. oh well. don't buy high mileage cars i guess.

[joeybananaz18]

love reading your thread. you're doing an awesome job preserving your OG! Wish I had a space to work on mine. Maybe i should update my thread lol

[johnrando]

Nice updates.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[ZHPizza]

I was just reading about people doing a piston soak to address leaking rings. Might want to give it a shot before a rebuild!

[webster]

I was just reading about people doing a piston soak to address leaking rings. Might want to give it a shot before a rebuild!

Deetz? Not familiar with that process.

[webster]

Update

Mileage: 171,975


DIY Oil Change for the first time since owning the car. Used Shell Rotella T6 5W-40 as recommended on the board, to try to address the oil consumption. hopefully this helps!

also replaced the tires that came on the car (General rears, some no-name cheapo fronts) with Firestone Indy 500s in OEM staggered size. initial impressions are very positive! they feel lighter and obviously are much grippier and more responsive compared to the cheapo tires that i had been driving on since buying the car. i had considered the Conti ExtremeContact Sports but they were $250 more and the reviews for the Indy 500s were stellar, so i decided to take the savings and give the Firestones a shot. they were $478 shipped from TireRack and it cost $130 for mount and roadforce balance at Discount Tire. not too bad of a bottom line for new shoes.

next update will be after installing the Coby alcantara wheel i purchased earlier this week, as well as trying to swap the shift knob to a Coby alcantara version as well.

[az3579]

they were $478 shipped from TireRack and it cost $130 for mount and roadforce balance at Discount Tire. not too bad of a bottom line for new shoes.

That price is one reason I bought a set right before switching over to winter tires for the season. I didn't even get to put a couple hundred miles on them before having to switch, so I'm also curious to see what they're really like. I really hope these darned Nor'Easters cut it out; we've had 3 so far this month already. Hoping to switch back on April 1st if the weather cooperates.

Curious to hear what you think of them for daily duties (noise, comfort, tramlining Y/N, wet grip).

[webster]

^ will report back after a few thousand miles

today i installed the Coby shift knob. the old one was either glued or was just stubborn AF. i had to use a hair dryer to loosen it enough to pop off.

i did manage to mess up the shift linkage movement a bit as i had to smack the new knob with a rubber mallet to get it to seat securely. there is more play in the neutral position as well as in each gear. BAH. oh well. it sure looks/feels good though!

my Coby wheel shipped today and should be here Thursday!

[webster]

Coby wheel installed:

https://s9.postimg.org/frmldl93j/IMG_2693.jpg

[ZHPizza]

Coby wheel installed:

https://s9.postimg.org/frmldl93j/IMG_2693.jpg

And shifter! Did you also install a hand washing station?

[webster]

haha, i keep a microfiber in the car and wipe down the wheel and shifter after every drive. i think it helps keep oils from setting in.

[webster]

ARC-8s installed. Somehow Apex shipped me a set of 9.5s to go with the 9s. Tried the 9.5s first (love the concave look), but They were too much wheel so i stuck with the 9s. Need to switch out to BMW center caps but I'm liking the new look.

https://s9.postimg.cc/6eqf6yfxb/IMG_2797.jpg

[BMWCurves]

Looks good!

[johnrando]

What tires you running?

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[webster]

Looks good!

Thank you sir


What tires you running?

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Firehawk Indy 500s. Only had em a few hundred miles but i really like them.

[slater]

Firehawk Indy 500s. Only had em a few hundred miles but i really like them.

looks great, wes!

[webster]

wow, over 2 years since my last update! that is nuts. hope yall are doing well. nice to see the boards are still kicking!

so, the car has been a nightmare over the past couple months. First, i was on a long country drive and my radiator blew somehow. which is crazy cause it was less than 15k miles old. but i was running high RPM's for a good stretch and i guess some clips on the coolant reservoir snapped and blew a hole in the radiator. at least that's what the shop told me. so between a new radiator, a system flush, i also added a brake flush that was overdue and an AC recharge since we are entering summer...nice little $1500 bill. and i've had to replace the thermostat twice under warranty cause they kept getting stuck closed and the car was overheating. fortunately that was only $100 or so for the initial part.

then the car kept overheating! so i took it back to the shop, figuring it was thermostat related. they asked if my water pump was original, i said no it's an upgraded Stewart piece that should be a lifetime part. so they flushed the cooling system 5 times and let it run for a few hours, and miraculously the overheating just stopped, and hasn't been an issue since (fingers crossed).

next up, i started noticing significant oil loss and leakage. turns out the valve cover was pretty badly warped. so a new VC +VCG and associated labor was another $1k or so.

got the car back yesterday from the VC repairs, desperately hoping the car stays trouble free for the forseeable future. i'm also hoping the new valve cover and gasket will help with the standard common oil consumption i was having before all these other issues came up.

besides all that, not really any new fun/mod updates. oh i got all weather floormats lol. and i bought a new C pillar cause it is peeling, but haven't installed yet. and i finally sold my M3 side mirrors that i kept from my old coupe. i was gonna get them resprayed oxford and do the sedan baseplate mod, but priorities shifted. current mileage is approx 183,5xx.

[webster]

Here’s a recent pic

https://i.ibb.co/s6YGm3m/B8304-B94-DFC4-4-E26-91-DF-965-D4-CC50-BE6.jpg

[johnrando]

2 years, wow. Glad you got those issues fixed.

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[webster]

Realized I did not add the recent maintenance formally to my log:

4/20/20
Mileage: 183,152

- Replace Radiator
Radiator
Expansion Tank
Expansion Tank Hose
Cooling system Flush

- Replace Valve Cover
- Replace Valve Cover Gasket
- A/C Evacuate and Recharge
- Brake Flush
- Adjust Parking Brake

[johnrando]

:LIKE

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[webster]

current mileage: 184,500 or so.

latest update: been chasing a SES light based on a 2761 - secondary air system code. cleared it a few times and it keeps coming back. which is making it hard to pass TX inspection. but car is driving fine, good power delivery, good mileage, stable idle. so i'm not inclined to throw parts at it until something gives. anyone else have direct experience with this code and how to address? lots of googling shows this to be an extremely common code with a long list of possible fixes.

[holyc0w]

I don't really have much in the way of details. I had issues with a secondary air system code that manifested in the winter. I took it to the mechanic.

But I think you can test the pump, and the valve. Does the hose look okay?

[webster]

i will have to inspect. seems like SES light only comes on during a cold start, which makes replacing the valve and pump the easiest solution. looks like all the parts to replace the valve, hose and pump are about $400 on FCP but at least the DIY looks pretty easy. just wondering if others have direct experience with this code/DIY.