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silestanix

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  1. silestanix

    The journey so far...

    By silestanix,

    This is a log of work that's been done since purchasing her...
    Thermostat (waterpump, tensioners and viscous coupling checked, all seem recent, no play and very little wear).
    Cleaned and gummi pfledge'd all door and window seals, as well as boot, and bonnet seals.

    Removed, cleaned and resealed rear light clusters. New gaskets fitted too.

    Retrofitted boot opening switch near bonnet release handle (not the first time thankfully, did this on my sister's previous e46 too).
    Repaired rusty battery tray due to leaking battery, no corrosion on the outside, just surface rust inside which smelt horrible lol (left the car for a day or few to allow things to cure).
    Removed and cleaned the windscreen washer tank as it had residue from years of use.
    Cleaned drain channels on both sides of the windscreen, near the bonnet hinges (resembled mini epping forest).
    Fixed drivers side kidney grill.
    Cleaned exhaust tips (chrome, thinking it's a 330Ci exhaust as I can see the familiar vacuum pipe going to a valve, it's 2 pipes from front to back of the car, and it sounds like a 330Ci, deep exhaust note when cruising around).
    I'm sure there's more but I'll add to it when I remember.
    Upcoming stuff :
    Fit Aux In via Business CD player from a 2004 e46 arriving today, and bmw aux in cable ordered from Germany directly arriving next week as there's none left in the UK at all.
    Interior sterilisation clean soon.
    On the lookout for a set of oem xenon headlight units.
    Fix passenger side door lock (won't open remotely, has to be done from the inside, suspect something worn inside the mechanism.
    Reseal boot lid rear light clusters (new gaskets already purchased)
    Detailed deep clean on the outside of the car.
    Possibly looking at BBS LM's staggered fitment but we'll see when funds allow lol.

  2. silestanix

    Title story...

    By silestanix,

    So the title of this blog has a story behind it. Since 2003 my mum has owned an E39 525i SE. In addition to only 2 garages trusted to working on it, I have also worked on it since I was young and hence my E46 is a familiar face due to having the same beautiful M54B25 engine, gearbox and many mechanicals.
    Her car has done many miles and with only common faults to repair for example ABS pump, cooling system refresh at around 100k, it has been a truly brilliant car to my mum.

    Pic of that motor after a detail and ceramic coat by HyperGloss Precision Detailing (or Darren as I know him lol, absolutely star bloke and reasonably priced).
     

  3. silestanix

    First 4 weeks...

    By silestanix,

    Where to begin lol. Had a Mercedes W202 C250TD for almost 5 years but had to sell her due to the sodding London ULEZ (f*ck you Sadick khan lol). Thus was sold to the owner of the Mercedes-Benz independent I used for all the work on it, so she'd still in good hands... And with the money and effort I put into her, thank god lol. 
     
    Then I had a heavily mapped Audi A3 which was reliable, deceptively fast,  but so boring to drive... Sold that in May this year. 
     
    Next was a Golf Mk5 TDi which I'll gloss over, in short it almost got me killed and the dealer wouldn't accept full responsibility for it although the fault was proven to be present when I bought the car...this car literally broke me and has left me with anxiety... An issue I'd Never ever had in my life until this motor. Court case pending. 
     
    Next was a manual E90 325i SE, N52B25... Which from the first time I drove it after the dealer dropped it off to me (I work shifts so I couldn't collect it that week), I knew something wasn't right, you know? I had a very brief test drive and concentrated on the mid to upper rev range. Seemed to drive ok... However when I took it for a spin the evening of the day he'd dropped it off, it hesitated badly at low revs. I'm talking almost conking out at 60mph in 6th gear when I applied a bit of throttle.
    After weeks of issues and me using my Honda Civic due to no longer driving or trusting the E90, I had the codes read by a reputable BMW independent local to me. The codes that the car displayed were all VANOS and timing related. The fact that they were all timing and VANOS codes and my knowledge of BMW engines meant I knew this problem would be expensive, and was present at the time of purchase hence the hesitation at low rpms when I drove it on the evening of the day it was delivered to me.
    This was the last straw. I called the dealer in despair and after a long conversation,  the dealer agreed to come and collect the car and repair it. He came and took it for a few days, had his garage place fit 2 new vanos things & inlet + exhaust cam position sensors. He returned it the following week, but I still wasn't happy with it though after driving it. I started it up as I wasn't home when he'd dropped it off to my home. I let it sit idling for a minute or so and took it for a mile long drive, I didn't take it out for any longer than that as I had food cooking in the kitchen so couldn't leave it unattended.
    When I came back and parked up it was clearly apparent that the idle was not stable at all. I took a video of the engine and the car inside. The revs on the rev counter seemed stable however the idle was not stable. It was anything but. I said out loud to myself, 'that's it, you're gone!'.
    I used the car that night after speaking to the dealer and agreeing to see him the next day day about this issue. I went to my friend's birthday that night in Clapham and we looked on Autotrader, and saw the dealer had an E46 coupe for sale. I text the dealer and and told him I'd be giving the E90 back that next day day and I wanted to purchase the E46 and pay the difference. He said he was happy with this and I saw him the next day.
    The next day I saw him and told him I still wasn't happy with the car and also the clutch was starting to hurt my knee again. I took the E46 for a drive and I had a look around it properly. I spotted issues with the car and this helped me bring the price down to £2,300. As I had put mileage on the E90 (3k, I commute far and work shifts) and he had spent money fixing the E90,  we agreed I would pay a small price difference. That very evening of 11th August,  I was the proud owner of an E46 325ci in Black.
    It wasn't until I posted up on the 5 Series forum that are frequent about me selling the E90 issues I had with it, that members told me about the very bad problems with the n52 engines. 
    Anyway, now the owner of the E46, that's where the work begins lol. 
  4. silestanix
    So, it's been back what, a week or so? Alarm problem was solved by unplugging the bonnet sensor, and removed as it was falling apart. Happy days... For a week!
    Rewind back to 11th June, my sis took the motor up to Newcastle, the ASC light made an appearance so I got a call, ok'd her to carry on driving there and back. When she got back I checked the tyres and there was 1x mismatch on the rear and also the tread depths were different. 
    I drove it around on the 15th before I took it in for tyres and the light had disappeared so I'm assuming at high speeds the tread differences and possibly inflation pressures made enough of a difference to trigger the ASC light. I had it on my e36 too. So, I thought I'd try that option first. 
    Got to my tyre garage and they swapped the right rear to the pass side front so the fronts had same tread depth and then put a new Bridgestone on the rear to match the other one. Then tyre pressures were corrected, 32psi front, 37psi rear. £25 later drove out and the car instantly felt miles better. 
    Got home and parked the car up, went inside and carried on with my day. 
    Yesterday (16th) my sister tried to start the car to go to work, and nothing. No clicks, no starter motor struggle, nothing. Not a sausage. I feel to wash my hands of this motor now, I have spent almost £1950 in the two months we've had it, and I feel I could have bought a much newer car for this much money. I just want to set the bastard on fire now. 
    Enough is enough, never ever going to buy a bmw diesel again. 
    EVER.
  5. silestanix
    ... was another big bill!
     
    So the motor went in to Motor Tech in Seven Kings. Hadn't used or heard of them before however the mechanic I usually use and my usual tyre shop recommended them. So the car was booked in for a crank pulley. 
    The day came to drop the car off, so I dropped it and asked the guys to give me a shout once work on the car was completed. Once I got home I got a call from the garage, stating the waterpump needed doing as well as the tensioner, as well as other things... So I ok'd everything. When I got a call a couple of days later the bill had sky rocketed up from £280 to £770... My eyes were literally watering! 
    The bill was paid and the car drives really well now, warms up properly and all that. 
     
    Only problem now is that the alarm keeps going off... Nuisance! 
  6. silestanix
    So further to this thread:
    ...I took the car to an old friends garage and this is what he found...




     
     
    ...So, pile on yet anther bill .
    £480 quote for Pulley renewal, thermostats and labour all in, not too bad...total spend almost £2k now though!!!
    So frustrated right now... :/ .
     
     
     
  7. silestanix
    28/04/16:
    Thursday the 28th the motor was booked in with my, who can only be described as perfectionist, car mechanic Mariusz at K1 Tyres in Ilford. I use him for all the work on my E39, some on my W202 (I use Wayne Gates for the w202) and for my sisters old car, the Pug 306. Also, for all my old bmws. He knows his stuff, and most importantly, if a job is going to be too big, he will tell me and not just crack on and bodge the job.
    I rang and went to Highams Park Motor Co the Tuesday before the 28th, as they had been recommended to me. I did say I needed the engine mounts done as I was positive they were the cause of the excess vibrations because the same happened on my W202 Mercedes when the Oil leaked out of the engine mount so the engine sat lower than it should. They first wanted me to book a diagnostic which I almost agreed to before their mechanic said I needed just a look instead of a diagnostic still insisted on booking it in and putting it on the ramp. I did book it in...and then on a hunch, rang K1 and booked it in for the Thursday because I knew it was the engine mounts. After so many Independents giving me sky high quotes and giving me different causes, I decided to follow my gut.
    Once the engine mounts had been replaced by Mariusz, the excess vibrations, just as I had predicted, were gone. Job done. He did however raise a minor concern saying the engine timing chain wasa bit noisy when revs came down, or it was noisy injectors and to use Millers Diesel Additive. Ive used it before and it was absolutely brilliant.
     
    I just have to call Highams Park now to cancel the booking. I'm sure their workmanship is of top class quality and that they are professionals however I did feel that they were taking me for a young naive beginner in the world of cars when I have in fact owned many many motors and a quarter of them BMWs. I still may use them again, however I'd rather use Pat & Co at Cooks Ferry. They have a more old school approach rather than a Dealership approach.
     
    Next up now, is thermostart and to get the timing chain checked as per Mariusz's concerns.
  8. silestanix
    On the 13/4/16 the motor was left with Cooks Ferry Engineering for the Oil Cooler and Breather System to be replaced:

     
    - Oil Cooler (Oil/Coolant exchanger)
    - Breather system all changed


    Had the above don by Cooks Ferry Engineering, Pat is very knowledgeable, and refreshingly honest! Total cost was £492, which I see and reasonable considering the labour involved. Parts were all genuine BMW. They put a chemical in the coolant to clean out the oil in the pipes, and the next day after the car had been used, I had my Oil Vacuum ready and upon opening the Coolant expansion tank, I sucked out the remainder of the Oil and there was about a litre mixed with coolant. Once that'd been sucked out the remainder of liquid in the expansion tank was clear blue Coolant. Result!
     
    15/04/16

    - Turbo replaced @ Best Turbos Oldbury

    Cue a wakeup at 4am, we left to get to Oldbury and left plenty of time as we wanted to keep speeds at Max 60mph in case the turbo threw a wobbly. Arrived at 7:30am...

     
    Left the car with them all day, Lukas and Martin were Very knowledgeable and also told me how to block off the EGR on my own vehicle, a C250TD. Upon going inside the premises it was like Turbo heaven, all different types and sizes on the shelf!
     

     
    The car felt much better and more responsive, and the turn of speed is now much more worthy of the BMW badge the car wears. All in, inc labour, £530

    Fuel economy is also improved, got this on the way back from Birmingham at a constant 60mph, with a f*cked thermostat too...

     
    Result!


    Next on the list as of 22/04/16 and last of the major jobs:

    - Engine mounts (Vibration inside the cabin shakes your fillings out)
    - Both EGR and Main thermostats
  9. silestanix
    31/03/2016

    S we started off a pretty clean car but I needed to wash it myself, better job and also better cleaning kit. Prepped with a 1/2cap of Autoglym shampoo in a cold bucket of water just poured over the car and rinsed off to get rid of loose dirt and I find dirt comes off faster doing this. Then washed with standard mixture of 2x caps full of AG Shampoo in a cold bucket of water, and washed via 2 bucket method. Car was then dried with an AG Terry towel, given several coats of AG Super Resin before being finished off with Meguiars Gold Class wax.

    Results below:

     

     

     
     
    31/03/16

    Yellowed worn clear indicators replaced with new items to freshen up the car:

    Before:

     
    After:

     

     
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
    05/04/2016

    Oil Service and filters

    So, bought the bits from ECP a few days before, Mobil 10W40 (was told by previous owner that this is what it was run on before he had it) and a litre of their own just for the additional 300-500ml, MANN Air and Oil filters.

    Now, I'd read that the air filter can be a right pig to do...YES. Yes it WAS lol!

    Anyway, I'll let the pics do the talking:


    Filters:

     
    Oil:

     
    Oil Pump (I love this thing, so simple haha):

     
    Car was then started and run for a few mins before a trip down to my local tesco and back just to warm up the oil, then back home, prep started, oil filter housing was loosened but NOT removed, so the oil filter can drain as I've found on both my MB and BMW E39 that the filter itself can cold almost 400-500ml, that's half a litre!...


    Oil cap removed and newspaper spread out, prepping for oil filer change and oil suction through dipstick:

     
    Oil filter...tucked away in this little space...really??

     
    My best friend when it comes to oil filter on 3 of our cars...36mm socket lol:

     
    Oil pump probe was inserted and thankfully went right to the bottom of the sump. I've found that on my MB and BMW that the difference n oil drained between sump plug and he pump is negligible. I've cleaned the sump on my MB, done an oil change, used the pump, and then dropped the sump again at the next service and there was no more sediment than usual, but then I change oi every 4-5k anyway so hopefully thats preventing sludge build up anyway!

    Sucking oil at a rate of knots... (left it for 30 mins, had a cuppa and read my morning newspaper)

     
    Oil filter replaced, and 250ml of oil poured in to prime the filter, then put back into its housing and screwed in:

     
    ...Now comes the b*steward bit...

     

     

     
    ...Air filter didn't look too bad except breather fouling...:


     
    ...Cracked on with filter change...

     
    The air filter positioning and the cover itself was a PITA, took me over an hour just to get the cover back on as the screws wouldn't line up...many swear words but no bashing as I know the MAF is in the vicinity!

    Covers all back on... and Oil ready to pour in:

     
    Service done.

    Then I went to check the coolant level...ad I was greeted with what can only be described as my worst nightmare, being a car enthusiast...
     

     

     
    Thick oil coming out from the coolant expansion tank!

    After online research assumed it was the oil cooler...What the F*ck were BMW thinking with such a bad choice of parts?! My Merc has over 194k on the clock and hasn't ever has a fault like this. I was truly gobsmacked. So after a long phone call to Cooks Ferry Engineering I was off to them the next day at 11am to have them have a look at it. The next day Pat confirmed it was the Oil Cooler and Breathers also needed ding as I suspected and Turbo was on its way out but not yet dead.
     
     
     
  10. silestanix
    Hey all, name is Harry and was originally a member of BF-UK however found it really quiet. A work colleague told me about E46 Zone, so i've joined!
    I've had a fair few BMWs myself, however have had my current steed, a trusty w202 C250TD Sport for over 2 years which is a miracle for me as I usually swap cars every 4-6 months!
    Anyway, we bought my sister a 320td as her Pug 306 was dying (and now isn't, long story). We did initially look for a 316ti/318ti but found them either riddled with chain problems, abused, and just generally underpowered. She does a lot of miles too so that in combination with the M47's good rep, a 320td was decided upon.
    We picked the car up on the 27th March after 4 weeks of searching. It's a 320td in Titanium Silver and in SE Spec. It's got a factory specified rear lip spoiler, Storage pack and is generally in good nick bodywork and interior wise.
    Work that needed doing as of purchase:

    - Oil Service + Air filter
    - Turbo
    - Breathers (Which i've read are a culprit of the turbo dying)
    - Oil cooler (story below...lol)
    - Angel Eyes(sister's preference, it's her motor)
    - Brighter bulbs (Think along the lines of Phillips X-treme/Osram Nightbreakers, no HID Dazzling nonsense)
    - Better speakers (More bass, so possibly a small sub or replacement speakers)
    - Set of MV1's or if possible BBS CH's

    That's from what I can remember, I'm very fussy when it comes to the running of the car, less so when it comes to bodywork but that's gotta be looked after too.
    Pics of the motor itself in next blog entry. 
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