IMPORTANT UPDATE: Washed the car, unlatched the hood to clean the engine bay, and noticed that the hood latch was camming against an inner edge when lifted--flexing the right side of the affected grille out 1/8" or so. That, of course, is totally unacceptable, so I dremmeled said edge down and almost totally eliminated the issue. The fault for the interference may rest with my car, because the locking mechanism on my car looks pretty worn (perhaps requiring a larger range of motion than is standard). At any rate, I wanted to let people know... On an aside, I--of course--somehow knicked the surface finish of the grill during my labors. Then, I made it worse trying to use my Dremel tool polishing attachments to repair. I quit while I wasn't too far behind and dug out various grades of emery paper which fixed it up just dandy. The grille is solid, black plastic--no paint or other coatings--and is easy to repair. I like that.
Replaced the fuel pump 2 days ago. Yesterday did an oil change in the morning. Replaced radiator, expansion tank, tstat, water pump, upper/lower rad hoses and a few misc parts and a bunch of orings in the afternoon. Not exactly a piece of cake but it's done. Next job is new plugs and I'll be ready for my 900 mile trip to my new home.
Last edited by flyfishvt; 07-23-2017 at 06:42 AM.
Bleed your cooling system http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1709482The ULTIMATE OEM Alarm/Keyless thread http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1792200
Replaced belts on the M3. For those unaware you can do this without removing the fan. Still have to remove the airbox and side shroud but you can move the belt around the fan in about a minute which I find much easier than removing the fan and shroud. Also while I was in there I checked all of the pulleys and they also needed service. If you have the grease you can repack these fairly easy also. Since I have the time and like to tinker I decided to buy new pulleys and then repack the old ones. If you do not know, a pulley that spins freely needs maintenance, either replacing or repacking. When you try to spin a new sealed pulley the resistance is the grease.
ME:"I want to make my car faster and lighter"
THEM:" Get out and let someone else drive"
Replaced all three under-body covers and a bunch of rusty or missing fasteners on my 2005 330xi--totaling $500+ (OUCH!), courtesy of ECS Tuning. The front one was cracked, and the others were crudded up pretty bad with rusted fasteners, and I just couldn't bring myself to install one new cover in combination with the old ones (yup, I'm anal like that). I do, however, plan on refurbishing them as it wouldn't surprise me if they come in handy at some point.
Last edited by Reasoned1; 07-29-2017 at 06:47 AM.
Today, I received my 25% off Shark Injector from Turner Motorsports, and it installed without a problem. Oddly, I had ordered one from Bavarian Auto that failed to talk to my ECU. They gave up quick with an "Oh well..." but were kind enough to refund my money (more than I paid to Turner). I harbored hope it was a defective device or possibly the wrong one, which must've been the case, and was only waiting for them to go on sale (which they still are). I'm pretty damn happy about it--the car seems a little snappier, and I appreciate the new 7,000rpm redline.
Pulled the seats and detailed the interior. Then I washed the a engine bay. Next was an application of tire shine. Tomorrow should be perfect for claybar and a buff.
Bleed your cooling system http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1709482The ULTIMATE OEM Alarm/Keyless thread http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1792200
Recharged my A/C... guess what: didn't work. : (
Question to change, or not change, my steptronic automatic transmission fluid!..... BMW people generally say yes. No, it never trailered, didn't live in the Rockies, but junior did learn and drive on this car...his first car! 6 months later, car is on the market.....There is a BANG between shifts sometimes, and in the morning no drive for 5 seconds. I am told that there could be an issue with the C1-clutch, or a pressure-to-compensate defect.....anyone?
Last edited by Eaglesail; 08-01-2017 at 03:19 PM.
Change the fluid and filter, then get the EGS updated. If the bang is during the 1-2 shift, then chances are the 1-2 shift accumulator spring is broken.
The no forward drive when cold is caused by a manufacturer defect in the C1 clutch tolerances. Upping the line pressure via fluid change and EGS update usually resolves this.
Or continue to ignore maintenance and end up on the side of the road at the most inconvenient time. Your choice.
Used a heatgun to turn the bumper trim to JET BLACK - yes it works
After now 3 weeks driving this 3 with 116k...I've learned a bit more. Engine and transmission mounts (14 years old) ...Breaks-power steering- GM-BMW steptronic transmission..all need to be renewed with new filters and fluid changes. Until I see a spectrographic transmission oil analysis, I will not change the atf..if heavy metals..an abused transmission...I will plan on other means to address.
Nothing too exciting. Changed the oil and rotated the tires.
Removed my tint. Rear window was delaminated in the lower corners.
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Rear tires last week. New turn signal stalk will arrive later this week. Just ordered a new rear window regulator and motor yesterday that I will hopefully have by the weekend so I can get it replaced. New front tires are another week out. Slowly but surely I'm getting things done.
Simple but needed to be done, I cleaned and re oiled my K&N Panel air filter.. lol.
I'll definitely add to this post soon, doing a small cooling system overhaul including water pump, upper/lower hose, thermostat, and belts when I get my fan clutch tool from eBay .... btw anybody got one I can borrow or buy for <$10? (That's the eBay price lol) I'll pay for shipping to Fresno CA.
Last edited by Leothelion092; 08-08-2017 at 01:03 PM.
Replaced the left rear wheel bearing. Not a fun job.
How much did they charge you?
A rear wheel bearing is something I never want to do again.
It's a press on bearing, you've got to press the old one off first. If you're a carport mechanic like me with basic tools, it's a bitch to do if you haven't done it before.
I built front struts on my old e36 once... took me over a day doing it myself... yes, I'm not a mechanic, but I try.
Now I'm more selective on what I try to do myself.
Started having increasing front vibration with increasing speed which turned out to be a sticking caliper. $267 for parts and labor... my only complaint is I now have a single gold-colored caliper.
Last edited by Reasoned1; 08-15-2017 at 09:48 AM.
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