JJ0063’s current steed - Life of an impulsive car owner [N47 CHAIN GANG]

[JJ0063]

Quick evening clean, still bloody love the red leather. Car cleans up so well for 175k.

[JJ0063]

Took the kayak out today. 
 

Currently having my annual want a campervan moment, coincidentally I’ve owned the BMW 8 months today!

[Dyslexic Viking]

3 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

want a campervan

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375562526005?itmmeta=01J4FERQZK89N9TSJJG8ZS0ENS&hash=item5771455d35:g:tMYAAOSwDm9mp6he

[EyesWeldedShut]

27 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

annual want a campervan  caravan moment

FTFY

[JJ0063]

So after the caravan idea falling on its arse, and us both deciding keeping the BMW is sensible for us as a family/with the dogs, it’s been agreed that we look at the campervan market now prices are coming back down to pre-covid levels again now. 
 

So, we’re on the lookout for something max of £5k, with working air con and high roof. 
 

Watch for a post in a couple of weeks where we buy a low roof with no air con.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, JJ0063 said:

So after the caravan idea falling on its arse, and us both deciding keeping the BMW is sensible for us as a family/with the dogs, it’s been agreed that we look at the campervan market now prices are coming back down to pre-covid levels again now. 
 

So, we’re on the lookout for something max of £5k, with working air con and high roof. 
 

Watch for a post in a couple of weeks where we buy a low roof with no air con.

Or many nights in hotels or self catering?

[JJ0063]

5 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Or many nights in hotels or self catering?

Not my bag, also if when the novelty wears off the camper again, you can usually get your money back again thankfully!

[JJ0063]

Updates: none. Just enjoying it. Changed the oil a while back, can’t remember if I put that on here, that’s it. Haven’t washed it for a good couple of months. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Good to hear. Out of interest, when you had the chain replaced, did they also replace the plastic valve cover? We had to have it replaced on the problem child F31 from a while back - it was an injector out job and my trusty mechanic reckoned 'they never sit right after they're removed' due to age and heat cycles.  

[JJ0063]

13 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Good to hear. Out of interest, when you had the chain replaced, did they also replace the plastic valve cover? We had to have it replaced on the problem child F31 from a while back - it was an injector out job and my trusty mechanic reckoned 'they never sit right after they're removed' due to age and heat cycles.  

Rocker cover do you mean? They often split. He said mine was fine though so I couldn’t tell you re the injectors I’m afraid 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 minute ago, JJ0063 said:

Rocker cover do you mean? They often split. He said mine was fine though so I couldn’t tell you re the injectors I’m afraid 

Yeah. Foolishly, I continue to keep an eye out for tidy F31s and have spotted one with chain/clutch and DMF replaced three years ago. However, the last two MOTs have mentioned an oil leak, so I'm guessing it's probably a load more agg to even consider it. 

[Imhotep]

These are great cars for the money. I find a lot of the N47 issues (I’ve had two) are for daft reasons. Usually the ones with snapped chains are well overdue a service or are genuinely just past the life of the chain, but because it’s a grand to do, they usually don’t get done. Appreciate this isn’t always the case but maintained = good on these. They need looking after.
 

Also wise choice on fitting the red interior. Not that I’m in any way biased at all, and my F30 does not share the same interior in any way. 
 

How are you finding the MMI box? I find they’re a bit hit and miss, mine was awful and sounded crap, sold it in the end and I coded in the BT audio streaming to the iDrive instead

[JJ0063]

15 minutes ago, Imhotep said:

These are great cars for the money. I find a lot of the N47 issues (I’ve had two) are for daft reasons. Usually the ones with snapped chains are well overdue a service or are genuinely just past the life of the chain, but because it’s a grand to do, they usually don’t get done. Appreciate this isn’t always the case but maintained = good on these. They need looking after.
 

Also wise choice on fitting the red interior. Not that I’m in any way biased at all, and my F30 does not share the same interior in any way. 
 

How are you finding the MMI box? I find they’re a bit hit and miss, mine was awful and sounded crap, sold it in the end and I coded in the BT audio streaming to the iDrive instead

Completely agree. I’ve had quite a few N47 engined cars now and touch wood haven’t had any issues but I’ve also done the relevant preventative maintenance.

I can’t imagine many people would do what I did in January and go and buy a N47 on 168k or whatever it was on, then put it straight in for £1400 odd worth of timing chain and gearbox servicing. I have however now got a car which is fully maintained, had all the scary bits, I regularly service and thus far has been faultless. 

It’ll hit 180k before the year is out, it owes me what £6500ish all in,  I’d never get that if I sold it now but at the same time I couldn’t go and buy like for like for that money, and I would expect to lose money on a car like this when it comes to selling anyway. 
 

MMI box - honestly I forget it’s there it works so well. Sound quality is the same as the factory stereo, it seems to work brilliantly, once in a blue moon it won’t connect the BT but if I delete it on my phone and pair again it works again, no idea if that’s my phone or the MMI box though. For what I paid for it second hand on eBay it’s a game changer though, I’d struggle without CarPlay these days tbh!

[Imhotep]

Part of the reason I paid more for mine was because mine has a piece in the history from BMW that says ‘Engine - Short Exchange Unit’ and that was done at about 70k so I know I’m not going to need to worry about the chain for a bit! But I agree, my old F20 116d had a noisy chain from not long after I bought it and I was on the fence with doing that for ages because I didn’t know if the car would be worth it or not and I decided to just do it eventually (I left it over a year!!)

Mind you I drove an automatic one of these not long ago and I regret not going for an automatic, what a bloody great gearbox. Only autos I’ve ever had have been either old 4 speed slush boxes or knackered GM autoboxes. 

[JJ0063]

Was booking Mrs JJ’s Fiesta in for its MOT at the weekend so thought I’d book this in whilst I was there, runs out 27th Dec so I’ve booked it in for 2nd. 
 

Had a quick look over it yesterday, NSF shock is leaking badly so I’ve just ordered a single one for now. I will do the other side but it can wait until after the MOT as it’s just the wrong time of year to be forking out without the absolute need to. 
 

Was on 167k at the last MOT (I bought it the week after it was MOT’d) and it’s now on 178k, so I fully expect to have to do a bit of maintenance!

[JJ0063]

Right I’ve just spent all afternoon doing the NSF shock and I’ve decided I’m no longer doing anything other than 30 minute easy jobs on cars from now on.

These are fucking tight to get the strut out from under the wing so you have to remove the track rod end and lower arm from the hub to give yourself enough movement, TRE came out fine, ball joint nut came off fine but would it fuck separate. Not the end of the world, enough weight on it and I managed to push it down enough whilst avoiding to scratch the wing with the top mount. 
 

Spring compressors on, buzzed the top mount off.. this is where the shit hit the fan, like fuck could I get the spring to compress enough to get the nut on after the top mount. 
 

I hate spring compressors with a passion, they’re lethal. I had 2 compressors and a ratchet strap for good luck, had to tighten each compressor a serious amount, then it fucking slipped and shot straight into my face, nose bleed, god knows how I didn’t take my front teeth out. 
 

Tried again and again, nothing. Just wouldn’t compress enough. 
 

Ended up texting my MOT guy who luckily is 2 mins from my house and he said to pop it up… 2 mins in a proper floor mount one and it was done. 
 

Didn’t take any pics as I was too pissed off but it’s now got one new shock at least so will go through it’s MOT. Il get the other one done eventually…

[Bren]

3 minutes ago, JJ0063 said:

Right I’ve just spent all afternoon doing the NSF shock and I’ve decided I’m no longer doing anything other than 30 minute easy jobs on cars from now on.

These are fucking tight to get the strut out from under the wing so you have to remove the track rod end and lower arm from the hub to give yourself enough movement, TRE came out fine, ball joint nut came off fine but would it fuck separate. Not the end of the world, enough weight on it and I managed to push it down enough whilst avoiding to scratch the wing with the top mount. 
 

Spring compressors on, buzzed the top mount off.. this is where the shit hit the fan, like fuck could I get the spring to compress enough to get the nut on after the top mount. 
 

I hate spring compressors with a passion, they’re lethal. I had 2 compressors and a ratchet strap for good luck, had to tighten each compressor a serious amount, then it fucking slipped and shot straight into my face, nose bleed, god knows how I didn’t take my front teeth out. 
 

Tried again and again, nothing. Just wouldn’t compress enough. 
 

Ended up texting my MOT guy who luckily is 2 mins from my house and he said to pop it up… 2 mins in a proper floor mount one and it was done. 
 

Didn’t take any pics as I was too pissed off but it’s now got one new shock at least so will go through it’s MOT. Il get the other one done eventually…

The main thing is you are ok. People have been killed by escaping springs...

[Matty]

In me younger days I had one set off in uncles unit when I hadn't fit the clamps properly and it slipped. I lay on the floor covering my head till it stopped 😁

[SiC]

Family friend on my wife's side had a spring fail and shot a piece into his face at the garage he worked at. Was off work for many weeks and needed a fair amount of surgery on his face.

I tend to avoid all spring jobs unless its an arm that can be detensioned with a floor jack. E.g. a lot of rear suspension setups and classic cars. Sod doing struts. 

[JJ0063]

It’s certainly made me think. I’ve done loads of them in the past and it’s never bothered me but that bloody hurt today and I think it’s only the fact I had the ratchet strap as well on it that slowed it down as it still hit me hard enough to push me over backwards (I was crouching down) but somehow bar a bloody nose and a bit of a sore face, I’m in one piece.

I don’t particularly enjoy doing anything other than minor jobs these days, I just wanted to save some dollar as I’m a bit skint at the moment. 

[Matty]

Ideal world is knowing someone in the trade who has things like a compressor and cage, hydraulic press etc who is willing to do bits of stuff like that for cash. Ie you take the leg/hub off and take it to them.

I've been on the tools since 16 and anything under massive tension or in the press still scares the shit out of me!

[JJ0063]

Had the offer to straight swap for a 2010 E91 335D touring today and it’s bloody tempting 😂 I think they still look fantastic, and that M57 power is something special… I just don’t know if I can be bothered anymore, the 320d is ‘fine’… but il always miss the 335D performance 

[Matty]

Depends dunnit. Yours is a sorted car now. Is the swapper as good a long term proposition?

[Dave_Q]

2 hours ago, Matty said:

Depends dunnit. Has it been more than 3 months since you swapped cars? If so you're probably gonna do it

 

[JJ0063]

4 hours ago, Matty said:

Depends dunnit. Yours is a sorted car now. Is the swapper as good a long term proposition?

You’re bang on, 335D sounds well looked after and has less things that need sorting out the box though. It’s unlikely il do it as I just don’t have the motivation!

1 hour ago, Dave_Q said:

 

Pipe down @Dave_Q this one will be a year come 3rd January! 😂

[Bren]

How many miles has the 335d done? Does it have issues? Usually thats why people want to swap.

[JJ0063]

Having thought about it I really can’t be arsed anyway so it’ll be a no go, I’m happy as I am for a change!

[Westbay]

If it ain't broke - don't fix it !

[JJ0063]

This was absolutely hanging so thought I’d give it a quick wash today, good job I did as noticed this lovely egg. 99.999% it wasn’t there when I did the shock the other week. Oh well. At least I have time to get another tyre before it’s MOT in 3 weeks time!

[JJ0063]