E46 325ci M sport. Find a worse one!

[Cluffy]

On 7/29/2022 at 8:13 AM, grogee said:

@Cluffy you may want to add your experience here, I know you love* your passenger door lock

Door look will probably either be the actuator itself or the module under the glovebox. If it’s isolated to just that issue I’d suspect the lock in the door. Fella with a nice blue e46 coupe has done a YT video proving you don’t need to remove the door airbag to get it out. 

Mine is still borked after swapping both the module and actuator for second hand jobbies. Needs another look (with the expert eye of @grogee for second opinion) But for around a grand it’s still a great daily (given I don’t do huge mileage)

Yours looks like a few service items and a bit of elbow grease would make it a fantastic daily - £300 - great going !!

 

[Dobloseven]

Previous owner reckoned the door handle broke in the cold weather. Her "mechanic" apparently removed some parts inside the door. Certainly the "pip" is AWOL,and turning the key does nothing. Sons mate has accessed some BMW information and found the original spec and when it was last serviced etc. Also some instructions on various repairs including the door lock. We're all on holiday at the moment, so no progress yet. Think it's got the potential to be quite a decent car. Son is a bit OCD and likes things to be to original spec so no leather interior for the moment. Was surprised to find there's no charges for CAZs. Also being 20 years old, classic insurance is possible,so just possibly a sensible choice of car. Or not! 

[horriblemercedes]

4 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

Previous owner reckoned the door handle broke in the cold weather. Her "mechanic" apparently removed some parts inside the door. Certainly the "pip" is AWOL,and turning the key does nothing. Sons mate has accessed some BMW information and found the original spec and when it was last serviced etc. Also some instructions on various repairs including the door lock. We're all on holiday at the moment, so no progress yet. Think it's got the potential to be quite a decent car. Son is a bit OCD and likes things to be to original spec so no leather interior for the moment. Was surprised to find there's no charges for CAZs. Also being 20 years old, classic insurance is possible,so just possibly a sensible choice of car. Or not! 

Not many petrol cars on a 52 plate will attract CAZ charges under current rules. Some will, so it's worth checking

[Dobloseven]

Gone! Youngest son came down from Derby, did some temporary insurance and took it away. The 12 quid replacement hose sorted the cutting out and tickover. A light cover had fell off the boot lid, so I stuck that back on with silicon. Polished the cover a bit with T cut and did the headlights while I was at it. Noticed the front numberplate was about to drop off as well, so re did that with Gorilla tape. Lots more work needed, but does drive very nicely now. Sad to see it go, but hopefully he'll improve it at his leisure, and will involve me as well. Road tax is 365 quid and he's hoping to get insurance for around 650 . He's 23 and had a clean licence till he got stopped yesterday on the way back from Wales doing 61mph in what he didn't realise was  40 limit. 

[Dobloseven]

He's enjoying himself sorting the problems out. Currently working on the drivers door lock. Got insurance starting on Sunday for about 700 including add ons such as breakdown cover etc. Seems there's a lot of information on the Internet. Reckons he might be able to get the television working even though it's analogue. 

[Dobloseven]

As mentioned in another post, the lad has become an Autoshiter without knowing it. He's sold his 68 reg Honda Civic diesel and is using the BMW exclusively. Apart from getting the engine running properly, EML has gone out as well, he's sorted the door lock and locking, replaced the window switches and has got the passenger seat out to sort  the electric operation. He really likes it and it does sound good. At a family baptism today. Number three son let the side down by turning up in his Cactus instead of the Signum, which would have made a better picture. 

[stuboy]

8 minutes ago, Dobloseven said:

Number three son let the side down by turning up in his Cactus

utterlly disgracefull

[Dobloseven]

20 minutes ago, stuboy said:

utterlly disgracefull

I think he felt suitably left out. 

[Dobloseven]

Son's been home this weekend and asked me to help him with the rear brakes.Bit of a mixed result really. He'd bought new Bosch discs and pads from Autodoc ready to fit. Trouble getting the wheel bolts undone, also one wheel was well and truly stuck on the hub. Wasn't to sure when I suggested refitting the bolts finger tight and  driving round the block. Did the trick though. Caliper bracket bolts were rusted up, but my Dewalt impact wrench soon sorted them, once I'd undone the lower shock absorber bolt to give more clearance. The discs were very difficult to get over the handbrake shoes and the drums were thick with rust on the inside. Cleaned everything up, checked the handbrake mechanism was free, refitted the discs with the shoes just clear of the drums, fitted the new pads, result footbrake fine, handbrake very poor. Hmmm. In other news, he's done quite a lot at it, sorting oil leaks and replacing pipes and hoses under the bonnet. He's currently got the passenger seat out trying to sort the electric reclining mechanism and the infotainment screen out as well. It does go very well with a lovely engine and autobox. He says he's enjoying doing it and he's spent less than the payments on his Honda would have been. 

[Dobloseven]

Also it gave us a nice father /son bonding afternoon culminating in meeting Mrs Doblo for a meal in a local eaterie. He's nearly 24 and hasn't really done a lot with cars till now,but seems to have got quite into it. Lad he shares a house with is pretty knowledgeable though which helps. He's found out the car cost £40k in 2002,which sounds a lot. Think he still fancies a Saab though. 

[Matty]

9 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

Son's been home this weekend and asked me to help him with the rear brakes.Bit of a mixed result really. He'd bought new Bosch discs and pads from Autodoc ready to fit. Trouble getting the wheel bolts undone, also one wheel was well and truly stuck on the hub. Wasn't to sure when I suggested refitting the bolts finger tight and  driving round the block. Did the trick though. Caliper bracket bolts were rusted up, but my Dewalt impact wrench soon sorted them, once I'd undone the lower shock absorber bolt to give more clearance. The discs were very difficult to get over the handbrake shoes and the drums were thick with rust on the inside. Cleaned everything up, checked the handbrake mechanism was free, refitted the discs with the shoes just clear of the drums, fitted the new pads, result footbrake fine, handbrake very poor. Hmmm. In other news, he's done quite a lot at it, sorting oil leaks and replacing pipes and hoses under the bonnet. He's currently got the passenger seat out trying to sort the electric reclining mechanism and the infotainment screen out as well. It does go very well with a lovely engine and autobox. He says he's enjoying doing it and he's spent less than the payments on his Honda would have been. 

I did all the springs, shoes and adjusters brand new when I had my e46. Surprisingly affordable as a kit of bits from BMW main dealers. Bit fiddly but not hard. Only way really to get the handbrake up to scratch 

[Back_For_More]

20 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

Nice work.... I'll admit I'm not looking forward to doing the 330ci rear brakes etc..  when it lands on these shores in a couple of weeks. 

Have you checked the rear boot floor and chassis underneath  - prone to cracking if any previous owners drove like dicks...... FYI 

 

[Dobloseven]

12 hours ago, Back_For_More said:

Nice work.... I'll admit I'm not looking forward to doing the 330ci rear brakes etc..  when it lands on these shores in a couple of weeks. 

Have you checked the rear boot floor and chassis underneath  - prone to cracking if any previous owners drove like dicks...... FYI 

 

Yes, he's had a look and seems pretty good underneath . The rear brakes are pretty standard stuff really.Is yours an E46?? 

[Back_For_More]

Yes... 02 and in the same blue. Manual though and clutch is starting to slip 🙄

OH... and the gasket has gone from the downpipe to rest of the exhaust so that'll be a total joy to get the bastard loose and fixed 😭

Glad the lads enjoying it..... They've really grown on me and I think the coupe is a lovely shape. Still gets the glances everywhere it goes (but that may be the farting exhaust) 

[Dobloseven]

Think in a way the car has been good for him. For the past four years he's been working full time and studying for an engineering degree. Now he's graduated he's got some spare time on his hands.While he was doing the brakes, the lad over the road came out and gave him a screen thingy that he was going to put in an E46 he used to own. He's told me he's made up a harness to fit it and replace the existing wiring which had been badly botched. Unfortunately he also seems to have got addicted to sticking it in Sport mode and flooring the accelerator!

[Dobloseven]

He's now got the kit to programme keys for that age of BMW apparently. It only came with one, which didn't work remotely,so he's got another and sorted it. So he tells me, I don't really understand it. 

[Dobloseven]

Busy afternoon today. Had a drive in it and seems to go quite nicely. He's got the screen thing working, so infotainment wise, it's quite modern. Also, there's an issue with the electric passenger seat. He'd taken it out and been driving round without it for a while. He's bought a complete set of manual Alacantra M  Sport seats for £6.50.However,they're from a saloon and don't have the folding backrest.It's mostly used as a two seater so he's not too worried.Todays jobs were to change the spark plugs, fit a new cam cover gasket, the old one was dripping oil on the exhaust and to rebuild the VANOS unit with new seals etc. Taking a bit longer than we thought. Have got it all stripped down and the unit rebuilt. Will hopefully get it back together tomorrow. Cover gasket was harder that the cover itself. VANOS seals  ditto and broke on removal. Engine shows no signs of any previous dismantling which is good in a way. Old plugs are BMW branded. He's been getting advice from Fifties Kid videos. The washer is one I made to replace one that fell into the depths of the engine compartment. It fits over the top hat seals for the cam cover and has to be about right. Couldn't find anything so modified one on my lathe. 

[billy_bunter]

I might have a use for the manual seats if you do not end up using them. Where in the land are you?

 

[rainagain]

Re that poor hand brake, change the springs, it’ll make a massive difference. 

[Dobloseven]

8 hours ago, rainagain said:

Re that poor hand brake, change the springs, it’ll make a massive difference. 

I've told him that one can buy a kit with all the bits in, shoes etc, but he doesn't seem too bothered. 'Spose because it's auto, he just sticks it in park. Probably what POs have been doing and why it was rusted up. Think the Mot next year will force his hand. 

[riek]

Even a brand new freshly refurbed E46 handbrake is a bit shit and they rapidly decline from that.

The vanos fix is well worth it though, makes the midrange a good bit thicker.

[Dobloseven]

Well, it's all back together and running again. The VANOS rebuild was because he'd got the cover off the engine and fancied doing it. All went surprisingly well. Would think this sort of job is much easier on an in line engine. Really, the car is turning steadily into quite a nice thing. Stands him in at about £750 at the moment including initial purchase. Still needs boot lid sorting to make it decent outside but he's got one lined up, I believe. 

[leakingstrut]

I concur with leaving the handbrake alone till MOT time. If you sort it now he’ll probably have to redo it for the MOT, as @riek says they never stay working well for long. 

Unless it’s all about to collapse into a noisy mess inside the drum of course. Mine did that at the start of a start of a long work trip. By time time I got Uist the loose bits had mostly disintegrated so at least the screeching stopped. Got home, removed all the broken bits and just lived without a handbrake till the next MOT. 

Glad to hear it wasn’t just mine that had steering heavy enough to make you wonder if it was a bit broken.

Lovely cars though, really miss mine. Garage refused to MOT it because the boot required a little persuading to open due to a knackered hinge, and they couldn’t check the battery. Glumly drove it straight to WBAC where they gave me £50. Regret not keeping it, but almost every wear part was worn, had almost 200k (100k of my abuse) and with rust creeping in it was probably a good idea in the long run. But as they always do it drove really nicely on the way to bridge.

[Dobloseven]

Well, he's taken it for Mot today and passed with no advisories. Which is perhaps just as well, because there's only a couple of days left on the old one. And it's not the best time of year for driveway repairs! 

[Dobloseven]

Thought I'd put this picture up because it looks nice. He's up somewhere in that there Scotland. The old thing's been running quite well. He's done odd bits to it, but nothing too excessive and he's had well over a years use out of it. Along with his Spaceship Civic diesel, he seems to have got the AS ethos. 

[Dobloseven]

Apparently it's here.