William's 330Ci ZHP Maintenance and Project Thread

[BMWCurves]

Thanks!

And yes, I heard the GruppeM in NoVAPhotog's ZHP earlier this year and I really liked the throatier growl it has over the BMW Performance intake, which doesn't have too much of a change in intake noise over the stock box.

[fredo]

Nice pics. Believe it or not, first time I see a car with chains.

[anandoc]

Same...never seen a car with chains...even here in Canada.

[BMWCurves]

Nice pics. Believe it or not, first time I see a car with chains.

Same...never seen a car with chains...even here in Canada.

I've used them a few times, but they can be useful. A bit of a chore to take on/off though. I would absolutely prefer to have snow tires.

[BMWCurves]

A few updates:

Airbag recall - 12/19/2016 (55,561 miles)
Had a bit of a run around by both BMW Kuni and BMW Portland but eventually got it done at BMW Portland. I dropped off my car and got an F25 X3 loaner, which I found surprisingly enjoyable for the 24 or so hours I had it. Very comfortable, decent visibility, but felt big, even for it being the midsize SAV. It wasn't a kitted out X3, but I definitely miss the Bluetooth connectivity and keyless access a bit. Oddly, I was never able to get the car up to operating temperature despite some longer drives.

As for the recall itself, it went fine. For whatever reason they held onto the car because they said they would wash and clean the car, but I don't think they did at all, or at least there are no signs they did. Their courtesy inspection discovered a small oil leak which they attributed to a valve cover gasket, along with my tires needing replacement which I already knew (they were the tires that came from the previous owner and are on the 135 wheels). I'm not worried about the VCG or the tires so I declined any further involvement. They didn't scratch the lower trim at all which is good. Only other disappointing thing is they took off the sticker on the BMW emblem on the new airbag, so I didn't get to enjoy its removal like Daniel did

Refreshed and installed GruppeM intake - 12/21/2016 (55,584 miles)
I purchased my GruppeM intake from illirep back in early October, so I didn't get to lay my eyes on it until December. When I finally did take a look at it, it was in very good shape including the filter which I was afraid would be deteriorating. The only disappointment was that it did not come with a mounting bracket, but it seems many other people with the GruppeM intake don't have that mounting bracket either.

The rubber gasket around the carbon fiber lip was pretty worn so I found some door trim at O'Reilly Auto Parts for $10 and cut it to length. The only place it wouldn't behave was on the bottom, so I had to do a bit of an ugly job cutting some of the trim out (see pics). It's hidden away from view so it's not a bit issue. Otherwise I am pleased with the trim repair. As for the filter, I cleaned and recharged it using K&N's filter kit (part no. 99-5000). Per the instructions I sprayed on the filter cleaner, let it sit, then rinsed it from the inside out using cool low pressure water. I repeated this process two more times until the water ran clear. I then let it dry for close to two days and then applied the red aerosol filter oil to the filter and let it seep in. Had to do about 2 coats to really get it in there.

Once that was all set I removed my BMW Performance intake and installed the GruppeM intake. I took the car for a quick spin but ran into traffic pretty quickly so I haven't had a lot of seat time with it. I'll report back with impressions soon, but so far I'm liking it.

EDIT: Having driven about a hundred miles on it I should say that up to ~3500 RPM, it sounds about the same as the BMW Performance intake. However, at WOT the GruppeM intake is definitely a bit louder and a little more aggressive above 3,500 RPM. I like it. It is still pretty understated. Ball park 10-15% increase in sound volume over the BMW Performance intake at the upper RPM range.

Pics
K&N recharge kit


Trim product used to refresh GruppeM rubber gasket


New rubber gasket/trim installed


Piss poor handiwork on bottom edge of the intake, but at least it's hidden away from view when it's installed



Installed

[johnrando]

Good info on the Gruppe M

[ZHPizza]

Have you noticed any difference in power delivery?

Do you like it enough to sell me your BMWP intake?

For free?

[BMWCurves]

Good info on the Gruppe M

Thanks!

Have you noticed any difference in power delivery?

Do you like it enough to sell me your BMWP intake?

For free?

Haha I don't know about that. One member called dibs if I do sell it (although I think he might have picked up a BMW Performance intake already so he might not be a factor anymore), but I won't make a decision one way or the other until I'm back home in June.

[holyc0w]

The new intake trim turned out pretty well.

[BMWCurves]

Date: 12/31/2016
Mileage: 55,8xx (I'll fix the correct mileage when I return)

Put the car away back in my friend's family barn until what will likely be June before I return. Was sad to put it away, but it gave me all the thrills I wanted and ran like a top while I was home.

The new intake trim turned out pretty well.

Thanks! It looks pretty good minus the mangled area I photographed, but that's hidden away anyways so it's not a big deal.