/bmw/ - BMW General

Something akin to this all the way to the front speakers and tweeters. Rear speakers are original, i think. Nokia speakers in the rear, made in West Germany so I reckon they're quite original.

I'm thinking about dropping £18k on an E89 yellow Z4 s23i with 20k miles

But that's nearly all my savings so i dunno

>e36 m3
>Steering wheel squeaks like a mouse
Wat do?

HHS2000/CRC/whatever the fuck lube fucking everywhere

you can grese the joint in the engine bay
is yours lhd or rhd
i can post pics tomorrow for you
in the meantime gt some white lithium grease and straws

LHD
Sounds like it's coming from inside not the engine bay

I failed at focusing the camera while downshifting

can you post a video?

For what it's worth, I thought the same thing with my honda a few months ago. It turned out to be the ball joints, not the steering column itself even though it sure sounded like it was definitely coming from the column

should I buy a BMW?

what's your location
how far are you willing to drive or ship to get a good example
how much money do you have
can you do all your own maintenance
don't lie to me

Germany
120 kilometers
>lol 3400 Europes
can't do all maintenance
I would never lie on the Internet

So my dad gave me his 1984 e30 buar that's been sitting since 1999 I believe it's a 323i, where do I start, to have a chance to get this running again Veeky Forums

I'm considering a 4 series (coupe), probably won't settle for 4 cylinders because I'm used to having 5.

So 435i or 440i if I wait a little longer.

Can I get some word on the current 4 series overall? Does it have any major or minor problems that are common?

I heard the bi-turbo goes to shit a lot, true?

>inb4 hairdresser.

wanted a 2 seater hard top convertible auto-tragic GT car. only other car i could think of that fit the bill was the Merc SLK, preferred this instead.

did it run when it was parked? indoors or outdoors? I can't tell you anything accurate without having any idea what condition the engine is in or how it responds

drain the fuel and oil. inspect your spark plugs and test the cylinder compression while you have them out. make sure there's no moisture inside the cylinders. check to make sure your alternator belt hasn't dry-rotted to dust. get a new battery in there. see if rats have packed the intake full of shit. do a complete fluid flush

even with new plugs you might have to use a little bit of ether to catalyze, but be careful

if you turn the key and nothing happens at all, the starter might be fucked. if it turns but doesn't burn you have a decent start, revisit compression and spark. if you don't have a tester you can very, very carefully fire the plugs outside of the engine to see if they're actually sparking

when you get it running you should replace as much rubber and silicone as you can. tires, belts, valve cover gaskets, oil filter housing gasket, etc. etc.

its been outside for 16 years, it was running then but i mean its been so long, were in the dessert so its not rusted as i can see. when i have the chance to started getting at it ill probably post more.

I was driving through my city today in some random neighborhood and saw a mint 325i with late model bumpers, looked all original. stock ride height and still had the 14" bottle caps. just sitting in a car port with dust all over it and flat tires. obviously parked there and not in use. the paint and everything looked perfect though.

probably some old persons car they don't use anymore just waiting to be plucked.
>tfw no money

just bought this last week

bimmers are cool

Get an E46 330ci coupe

Recent trip to Road ATL.

as i said before it could also be a bad battery or ground. my alternator was fine but the battery was shot and the negative cable cracked in two. system was reaching 18V!

considering an e89 myself. yellow is pretty sweet

I replaced my battery last month, and thats where they told me my alternator was outputting less then 13v and it was dieing

My negative cable appears to be fine, the dim battery light doesnt go away even if i jiggle any of the cables.

>gt car
fuck. i want a sports car and i just dont know if the e89 will cut it

dream car, senpai

can't wait to get one.

yeah ur screwed then. hopefully your alternator isnt $600 like mine

Better hurry up, the prices have gone nuts in the last few years.

www.mcoupebuyersguide.com

i know anonnnnnn

I'm saving up, i currently drive a normal Z3 which is close enough until i can afford an s52 clownshoe

yeah, i know.

the 120amp alternators for my car are 300 $, so it's not that intense on my poor wallet.

no

750 reared its head again, this time a more serious problem arose.
It seems like it's leaking fuel somewhere as the thing outright stinks when I turn the engine over. Drove to the local supermarket, got out of the car and a huge fucking puddle of fuel had pooled under the car.

Later today I'll drive it to a lift and give the thing a more thorough look over on the underside, can barely fit under the thing on my driveway, let alone see worth shit.

>Black grilles
Why?

nice choice user

I'd let you dress my hair, that shit looks fantastic.

This is standard on M package nowadays

why would you not delete all your chrome on day 1

nothing tackier than chrome foiled plastic

Why not just buy shadowline trim pieces then?

Nice hardtop. =D

Mine is an S52 and I wouldn't have it any other way. I absolutely do not have S54 envy. Both are underpowered, and forced induction is the only way to make any real power gains which means you're better off with the S52 to begin with. Or engine swap (my plan) which again makes the S52 more appealing.

Plus I daily drive mine and didn't spend an arm and a leg.. Just a leg. I got to spend the arm on the wheels. ;D

What DIY jobs on an E34 (M50TU) require specialized tools?
I'm thinking of learning to do (much) more myself, so I thought I'd ask if I should look out for anything.

Oblivious bmw newbe ausfag here
I have a econobox worth 7k
E36 323s and 325s sell for like 4-5k
If i get one and put 2-3k aside for issues am I set?

Is there something I should know about?
Hidden costs or bullshit

I am babby this help.

Only need to keep an eye out for rust and the cooling system, the M50 engine itself is bulletproof and easily does half a million km without any major overhauls or repairs.

My old man is gonna give me such shit for buying euortrash, he did business with land rovers for 20 years and by the end vowed to never own a european car again.

I dont get how they are so cheap, its like the same outset cost as an old shitbox corolla or something

my eyes have been opend.

Fuck I got a mate who will probs buy one as well.

hype

>land rover
Never ever compare birtshit to Germans. Brits can make some nice looking cars, the XJ Jaguars for example beat the 7 series in the looks department hands down, but the 7 series has the upper hand in actually fucking working 7 days a week unlike the jaguars.

Look at a 1990 318i E30 and was wondering if the m40 was really THAT bad for daily driving. Yeah, you have to do a timing belt change every 3 years, and yeah there aren't that many performance options available for it but my license is restricted and if I go down that path I'll be doing an engine swap anyway. It's manual, it's $3.5k and it's seemingly been treated well so how do I lose?

Well, my mate owns an E36 318 with the M40 and that thing has been beat like an unruly wife, yet he's had the shitbox for about 4 years now with absolutely zero problems and absolutely zero maintenance done aside for oil changes.

>it's $3.5k

I say this in every thread but it's true, you can get an E46 with 5MT and a whole liter of extra displacement in good condition for that money in most of the US right now

even a well-treated E30 or E36 will require a lot of post-purchase care because time ravages the soft components (gaskets, seals, bushings, ball joints) even if the driver doesn't

>young n54 just turned over 40k

baby's growing up, guys :')

is the model name in the rev counter factory?

Good lookin car, good color. Shoulda got the LCI though

I've been wanting to get a fun car for awhile, and I've started looking at getting a Z4 M. Is there any major problems with them? What's the aftermarket like with them? Are they actually fun to drive?

You should tell that to my ABS, because it's not working.

>that much money on something with a 2.3L engine
>look again
>bongbucks
Do you guys get taxed based on displacement? That's E46 M3 with 60k miles kind of money.

Where was the leak coming from roundabouts?
Likely location is going to be the fuel filter, probably on the driver's side behind a piece of plastic undercarriage.

Because they look good.

I think anything bolted to the engine block or transmission is going to use inverse torx but that's not super specialized.
You'll want Allen sockets too.

i got one, car is fun as fuck to drive and so much better than the z3m. no major problems, just expensive s54 maintenance. but 4.6sec 0-60 is worth it. aftermarket is very good handling wise. engine wise you arnet going to get more power unless you are willing to dump 10k at it.

rod bearing being spun is a huge meme, dont let the autists on zpost scare you. that said be wary of coupes, most have had a very hard life, use due diligence.

when my car hits 100k im buying another lower mileage z4m so that should let you know how i feel about them. less their styling being a bit dated they are a 10/10 sports car.

those are the exact lights that also go off with an electical low/high voltage situation. if you have a radar detector is check you running volts to be sure you dont have two problems

>expensive s54 maintenance
Which would be...? I know you have to use exactly one type of motor oil in them, but that's all.

an oil change is like $70-110. in the USA you cant find 10w60 on the shelves. factory change out is 15k but i do 7500. the 15k change out i do at the stealership for maintenance record reasons.

vanos units (like most bmws) are noisy and tend to shit themselves around 100k+. mine makes a bunch of noise around 3200rpm which is annoying in city driving but normal.

the worst by far is every 30k you have to have the valves shimmed like a race bike. way expensive, and if you DIY you will hurt resale value. people really like to buy z4ms with good solid maintenance records and that have never been modded. the shimming is the worst part of the s54 but e46 m3 guys do it too. ill probably adjust the valves myself when the time comes as savings will outweigh resale loss.

oh, and you dont want to know how much a new engine costs lol

but as i said 10/10 car. will buy again until the m2 makes real power in its next update. z4m is best bmw ever made hands down

oh and corrective maintenance is expensive. an alternator is 600 (2x most bmw cost, thankfully was just a bad battery), brake rotors are like 160/ea. its a real sports car with sports car repair prices. still well worth it for what you get, a simply superb driving experience.

only on the 335is

>best bmw ever made
whoa slow down bud. everyone just calm the fuck down.

99.9 mpg?

she's a genius

The only non-stock thing I have in my car electrically is that I jammed two wires into the charging port for the flashlight in the glovebox for an extra cigarette lighter socket. Doubt that'd be causing this issue and the ABS module is definitely a common problem.

what the fuck

How you liking that engine? Considering trading in my S54 for one.

It objectively is the last of the pure BMWs.
>no servotronic
>no turbo bullshit
>no electronic hell
>most modern bmw with the S54 straight six as god intended
>faster, lighter, and better handling than the e46 M3
We all love our e46 M3s and e39 M5s but they are all really old. Hell, the e85/e86 is too but much less. Still considering trading for an e89 with DCT tho...

first off wtf dude that is some jury rigging for sure.
second, those are the exact same lights that illuminate when you have a voltage problem. now I'm not saying you have a bad alternator/battery/ground but they will illuminate the same lights. do you have the OBC option in the dash, it should tell you more. or just pull the OBDII codes.
Is that a 3.5?

The most comprehensive mite b manual valve adjustment, vanos and rod bearings if you do them.
Other recommended stuff is new gaskets & cooling.

Like says, change oil+filter twice as often as the service counters tells you.

I think much of m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=190111 fits the z4m too.

Okay, good. Got all that anyway. Thanks.

Don't forget the connecting rod bearings. (Community) Recommended change time is around 100k. km!
At least have them looked at at that stage.
Lots of horror pics of those out there.

I still stand by my saying rod bearings is a meme. Early e46 M3s were recalled, after that they are fine. You will not fine one single car on bimmerpost or bfc that has ever had a spun rod bearing. Even those replaced based on oil anylsis or autism are fine. And if they show any wear its cuz the car has thousands of track miles. Even then pulling most bearings on any car will show some scoring, period. Any reputable shop will laugh at you if you bring this up. As long as you don't abuse your car like that or buy one that has been horribly abused the bearings are a-okay imo and a total non-issue.
>m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=190111
Minus the chassis/suspension stuff that link is spot on if you are like a total OCD person. E46 M3s have a lot higher mileage than Z4Ms. A quick run down by your dealer will tell you what is fine. Otherwise the VANOS fixes are a real deal. Besides that, I wouldn't sweat it.

Either way great cars, love mine. Shit is cash. Just look at that sexy imola and carbon leather
Don't believe you. See above, also how many miles and how much time spent on a track? Also was your E46 M3 a recalled engine or not?

>Don't believe you. See above, also how many miles and how much time spent on a track? Also was your E46 M3 a recalled engine or not?

Not me, not mine. Just posted what I heard a lot of from E46 M3 owners. Far from just on the internets.

I also think your wear isn't that bad, I don't mean to sound like a dick but I would like more info about your experience.

DESU i have a two year powertrain warranty and car will be gone before then but I still find most the stories of wear hard to believe. Despite heavy wear on the lower runs, I don't see any spinning.

Meh i gotcha, see that is the problem. That car probably has 1000 track miles on it, and the bearings are worn and not spun. Rod bearings on S54s are a meme. Otherwise, like any race car, they are a wear item, regardless of the engine.

The whole bad rap comes from the early recalled E46 M3s.

I think its shit. My research says its shit. And most tuners laugh. But to each our own. I've still yet to hear of many spun bearings even at 140k on late model e46s tho

I wouldn't see the wear itself as THAT big of a problem either. But the corrosion through heat cycles and contact vibration should weaken that stuff badly enough.

I am no engineer, so it's an uninformed guess.

I am, mind you bearings are not my specialty, but they don't look too out of shape for mileage.

I think S54 owners are just fucking ridiculous about bearings. After the early recalls, I think they are fine, but that is just my educated opinion and would love to learn more.

I just lol at these fags and their oil analyses. I've seen some normie owners neglect their S54s, and they are quite fine.

A fellow owner here recently changed his rod bearings @ 164k kms after noticing noise from the bottom end, pic related.

>6
>dents

How?

...

Co drivers side, around where the transmission meets that behemoth of an engine. Will drive it to my old work today and raise it on a lift to see if it's, hopefully, just a punctured fuel line. I reckon it is because it leaks only when the engine is running and the fuel pump making pressure.

Also, some fucking numbnut has put ATF in the powersteering reservoir instead of pentosin. Isn't that fluid supposed to be green instead of red?

I doubt we will ever know for sure.

Here's the record he made btw youtube.com/watch?v=fP4nHu5-3EI

Mine's at 180k kms now, not showing any symptoms, so maybe he just fucked up.

i see

>99.9
lol reset trick
you can do it too on the obd, just hit reset when you are coasting

86 535i poly rear subframe bushings shifter bushing short shifter bolstering shocks. Recently repaired frame damage after a dumb mother fucker hit it while it was parked in the street

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i wanted to get a 2007 m5. but the only ones ive seen are fucked ruined by some turks, or some with over 200k km. im scared that a lot of shit will break and i wont have the money to tune it myself then

>guess ill never feel dat dere v10

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