BouldTom Posted August 30, 2019 Report Share Posted August 30, 2019 Hello all New here so apologies if this is in wrong section. I’ve bought a 320 vert. Happy with the ride and want some tips and answers to some general questions. So first off. Things that need fixing. I’m not much of a mechanic but have common sense. Screenwash doesn’t spray. Checked lines, tank almost full but it doesn’t spray. Tips and suggestions please. Electric mirrors don’t change so I had to manually move them when I first bought it the other day. Again tips and suggestions please. I want a nice set of alloys. Suggestions please; I like the look of the CSLs but won’t spend that kind of money. Anyone selling some reps? Oh and some black gloss or mat grilles. It’s a black e46 vert btw and currently sits on mv2 alloys 19inch. Anyone local know of an upholstery company that will refurb the leather, give the bolster a repair (not terrible) and replace black leather on armrest etc. What’s the normal price for this kind of work too. It’s the tan leather. Lots there so I’ll see what responses I get if any 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momo Posted August 31, 2019 Report Share Posted August 31, 2019 Screenwash - empty the washer fluid tank, undo the 10mm bolt holding it in then remove it. In the bottom there's one or two filters (one for each pump, the 2nd being if you have headlight washers) - those filters block up easily and stop the spray from working. If you have a pressure washer with a 90degree attachment then wash it out inside with the filters out to get rid of the gunk then re-fit it all. Should work now. Does either mirror move? Could be broken switch. You need to test it all with a multimeter to be sure. Loads of places sell wheels. Decide if you want new or used then go from there. You asked for local suggestions for upholstery companies but haven't mentioned where you're from! ☺️ Personally though unless it's torn I wouldn't bother.. Maybe keep an eye out on eBay for good condition 2nd hand ones if you really want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BouldTom Posted August 31, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2019 6 hours ago, momo said: Screenwash - empty the washer fluid tank, undo the 10mm bolt holding it in then remove it. In the bottom there's one or two filters (one for each pump, the 2nd being if you have headlight washers) - those filters block up easily and stop the spray from working. If you have a pressure washer with a 90degree attachment then wash it out inside with the filters out to get rid of the gunk then re-fit it all. Should work now. Does either mirror move? Could be broken switch. You need to test it all with a multimeter to be sure. Loads of places sell wheels. Decide if you want new or used then go from there. You asked for local suggestions for upholstery companies but haven't mentioned where you're from! ☺️ Personally though unless it's torn I wouldn't bother.. Maybe keep an eye out on eBay for good condition 2nd hand ones if you really want. Thanks I’ll try the above out. Stoke on Trent area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim-Ci Posted September 2, 2019 Report Share Posted September 2, 2019 (edited) Congrats on your purchase. If yours is a facelift model then you might have the dreaded mirrors with ribbon cables. The facelift models came in from some time in 2003 onwards. Mine had mirror issues when I bought it, they didn't work and the passenger side mirror liked to dip itself to the floor and stay pointing down - the fuse had been pulled so they didn't do anything using the switch. If yours are playing up the fuse might have been remove to stop them going haywire. The mirror motor assemblies with the ribbon cables are about £180 each, well they were a couple of years ago for me (Cotswold or Hereford BMW are site sponsors I think and offer a discount to get to around this price), don't bother with second hand unless it's guaranteed to work, as the facelift mirrors are notoriously poor, and stripping them down to sell on could cause them to fail. To replace the mirror units you need to remove them from the mirror casing too, and usually the painted mirror cap clips break, but some good adhesive can bond them back on. If you remove the mirror glass (unclips) you might be able to see some corroded ribbon cables (green copper rust), or you might need to remove the doorcard and remove the mirror completely to strip down and inspect. If you're very lucky you might be able to repair the ribbon cable, sand some of the clear lacquer off the ribbon to expose the copper, and solder a small piece of wire across the break. If you do have the facelift model it's really important to know that the driver's side mirror electronics on those controls BOTH mirrors, in my case I even had an error code for the passenger side, but it was all caused by the dodgy cable in the driver's side mirror. So if in doubt it's best to replace the driver's side mirror motor unit and see what happens. Also, if/when you have working mirrors, NEVER fold them (with the manual fold type). Doing this caused my replacement unit ribbon cable to tear, even though I fitted it correctly. Luckily all genuine BMW parts have a two year warranty if fitted correctly, so BMW fitted another replacement. If you use BMW parts and fit yourself, and they fail, BMW will do the labour to replace the part again it it was installed correctly, pretty good I think (despite the crappy mirrors). Edited September 2, 2019 by Tim-Ci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim-Ci Posted September 2, 2019 Report Share Posted September 2, 2019 (edited) Just to add for your other points - what momo says on the screenwash sounds good. Also I guess yours has black leather you might be able to get away with some leather paint, the colour should match quite well. The leather paint is a colour matched flexible paint that bonds to leather, and is extremely durable. Basically you buy a kit with the specific colour to match your leather, clean and dry the leather, dab on the paint with a sponge and let it dry. If there's minor scuffing then this should tidy things up nicely. I even did this on my burgundy seats and it worked extremely well, although the colour was slightly off, should be much easier to get a good match in black though. I've seen the leather paint used on cars shows several times (Wheeler Dealers etc.) and it can really transform shabby leather seats. You can also buy cheap leather replacement armrest covers on EBay to replace yours, or if it's just showing white through the black colour you could try the leather paint which should sort it out. I had a tear in my bolster and used a leather repair kit with a patch, glue and coloured fller. It took me about a day but I managed to make the bolster holes look tidy, then painted them with the leather paint and you wouldn't notice it now unless looking for it. Edited September 2, 2019 by Tim-Ci Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim-Ci Posted September 2, 2019 Report Share Posted September 2, 2019 If I had to suggest one mod. which makes the car nicer to drive it would be to buy a Clubsport gearknob if yours had a manual gearbox. These are stubbier and heavier than the standard ones, and make the gearchange a lot more positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
