project SiC's consolidated moderns - 2004 BMW Z4 2.2, 2005 BMW 330i and (borrowed) 2007 Porsche Cayman

[SiC]

22 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I thought I'd spent too much time and money fettling my slightly knackered Z4, but you've blown my efforts out of the water!

At least yours is a 2.5 too! Mine is a mere 2.2. 

Tbh I think the spend is still only like £1600 in total or something like that. Including an MOT.

[SiC]

Roughly from the top of my head:

MOT £45 + brake check £35 (I paid for the garage to check the adjustment on the handbrake)

Rear caliper £50

Rear pads £20

Rear backplates £40

Airbag module £50

DCAN USB lead £30 (tbh that was a tool so probably doesn't count)

Air con control unit £20 (which I didn't end up needing)

Indicator bulb £5

Thermostat £40

Smoke machine £46 (again a tool)

CCV kit £75 (which tbh it probably didn't need)

Crank sensor £30 (which I haven't fitted after cleaning up the oil from the original and code hasn't come back)

Rear third LED brake light £16

Boot struts £11

Now:

Coolant tank £40

Cap £12

 

So excluding tools (but including bits I've bought I've not fitted like the crank sensor and air con panel), I'm at £439. £1200 purchase price makes me at £1639. 

So pretty much bang on the money in my estimation especially if you exclude the £50 in the bits I've not used (crank sensor & air con panel).

[wuvvum]

I'm probably about £1400 deep in mine now (including the cost of getting it home from Tavistock) but I haven't yet sorted the sticky steering - everything else seems to be behaving at the moment and apart from a spurious tyre pressure light there haven't been any warning lights on the dash for a while now.

I'm not sure whether or not mine is still making the full 192bhp - it feels slightly flatter at low revs than I'd expect for a big engine in a smallish car - but it's plenty quick enough for my needs, especially if I let it rev, so I'm not going to go looking for problems...

[SiC]

17 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

it feels slightly flatter at low revs than I'd expect for a big engine in a smallish car

Vanos seals 🙃

Mine feels the same. It should be 167bhp but feels less than that. I might do the Vanos seals on mine eventually as I'm intrigued to feel the difference.

While I'd like more power, the 2.2 is adequate. Basically slightly more power than a MX5 MK3 2.0 but more creature comforts and a powered roof. And half the price and rust.

Doesn't help that my 330i has nearly +90bhp on it and most of those ponies feels like it's still there too. 

17 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

so I'm not going to go looking for problems...

What are your long term fuel trims like? I'd be intrigued to know as I think I'm close to mine getting low enough to not triggering the light at all now. Currently it's infrequent but almost always on longer journeys.

Tbh that's the main thing I want to sort on mine as the light coming on is irritating (hence the thermostat and smoke test). 

My steering does stick but sounds like not anywhere near as bad as yours. Only really does it on a long journey and if I've had the heater on full heat for most of it. I have some E-Torx ring spanners in my Amazon basket that I've been pondering about buying so I can have a go turning that motor slightly.

[Matty]

I've done a header tank on her 3.0 si coup this week after it split. 35 quid for mahle (I get stuff at trade). Not a bad job to do. Finished and bled and happy days. Except the cooling fan is now noisy as the bearings are going. Le sigh. Next job then 🤪

[SiC]

Tank arrived 

This is how the bottom coupling thing sits on the bottom. Stupid design.

I couldn't get that on the car like that, so I had to clip in the bottom piece first and then push it together while supporting it with my hand (to not break it). Also used red rubber grease on the o-rings to allow them to slide into place.

Then hook the pipes up.

 

Also did a smoke test again. Still something leaking out around the throttle body/ICV but tiny amounts. Likewise the CCV rocket cover coupling I don't think was quite seated again but barely leaking and hard to tell. I have to wait till it gets fully up to the 0.5psi test pressure before it even remotely does it. 

Then went for a spin. Temperature seems to like to sit at 96c-98c now so presumably it's happy. That's with the thermostat heater disconnected but I don't think that makes any difference until it gets hotter and been driven harder. At that temperature the thermostat will be opening at 97c. I've also noticed it kicks the cooling fan on low and why it keeps to a tight temperature.

Fuel trims are still high. Irritatingly.

Not sure how much I can be bothered to fight that one now...

Pretty sure it might be the MAF. Could be those small air leak but they are so small that I'd be surprised if it is. However the MAF g/s reading fluctuates around  Sits at 3.1g/s for a bit (which apparently is a normal amount) and then goes for a wander. As high as 3.9 at times. I'd expect it to be solidly stable? 

[SiC]

11 hours ago, Matty said:

I've done a header tank on her 3.0 si coup this week after it split. 35 quid for mahle (I get stuff at trade). Not a bad job to do. Finished and bled and happy days. Except the cooling fan is now noisy as the bearings are going. Le sigh. Next job then 🤪

It wasn't a terribly difficult job but 

I do keep pondering about the E86 coupe. They are definitely falling in price and especially higher miler cars. Lowest I've seen for a usable one is £3k and even lower mileage 88k example only wanted £7k on C&C. 

However it's hard to justify when I have the 330i with an identical engine. Albeit about 15bhp down as mine is the older unit that is multi-port injected (no bad thing as simpler!). While no special feeling nor handle anywhere near as well, it's definitely easy to drive and easier to get in/out of 😅

Not sure I'd get bored having two identical engined vehicles. 

Maybe when/if the 330i kacks it in a bit way... (Or this Z4)

[SiC]

MOT day.

It's been a little shit recently but haven't had a chance to do a write up. Doing it's complete lack of acceleration thing again where the pedal goes unresponsive for a second or two. No codes. I've done a few things that I'll write up later. 

 

 

[IronStar]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

It's been a little shit recently but haven't had a chance to do a write up. Doing it's complete lack of acceleration thing again where the pedal goes unresponsive for a second or two. No codes. I've done a few things that I'll write up later. 

TPS?

[SiC]

19 minutes ago, IronStar said:

TPS?

It's a BMW, don't be silly it's not that simple!

There is a Throttle body but for the most part it's not used and only there as a backup. Main throttle control is done by a clever but complex (compared to a TB) system by varying valve lift - Valvetronic. This is where I've been looking into and cleaning sensor connectors to remove oil (only a tiny bit though). 

[SiC]

Passed. That was quick.

 

[SiC]

I don't fully trust the 330i at the moment. Pretty sure it needs coil packs and after driving an Astra H with a silly smooth transmission, it's made me realise the BMWs ZF box definitely isn't quite right. I still haven't received the paperwork from the last yet, so I really have no idea what has been done or not. There is a slight rumbly idle at times which makes me suspect coil packs aren't in the best of health. Also bad coil packs some mention a symptom of some of the weird behaviour when has a rough idle at startup.

I had the engine cover off the other week to have a look at what's what anyway. The scuttle cover bit needs to come off which is a pia that you have to do it. Reminds me of Renault with pointless extra steps to even access the engine.

 

Tempted to leave this beauty cover off permanently.

Coils are a mix of vintages and styles. The black ones I think are original. At least the date code says 2003 which seems very old to me on a 2005 build car.

The lighter coils were the front three. Reading around it seems there are two generations of coils. For the later build engine (mine is an early) they appear to be the lighter colour. There are reports from some that the later coils are a higher voltage and eat up plugs more, especially in an earlier engine. All Bosch coils at least though.

One had a bit of the rubber shield around it broken off. I don't know how essentially this bit is. Presumably the rubber is to make a snug fit in the hole and stop vibration transferred into it. I don't think it's to electrically isolate.

 

Because of all this, it's why I'm waiting for the next eBay discount code and replace the lot. Each coil is about £25 so not going to break the bank. I'll change the plugs with fresh coil packs too. 

The other reason I had the cover off was to check the eccentric shaft sensor connector. Now without going into masses of details, basically these engines don't usually use the throttle body for intake air flow management. Instead they have a system called Valvetronic that alters the intake valve stroke length. This is controlled by a shaft connected to a motor. That shaft position is detected by the eccentric shaft sensor. 

Now these sensors are known to leak oil into them and cause failure. One symptom is an oily connector as it migrates through.

This has a slightly oily connector but no where near as bad as I've seen mentioned elsewhere. I cleaned this up for now but I'll be in again to check when I do the coils. To replace it isn't a massively hard job but I need different BMW diagnostic tools to trigger the Valvetronic to recalibrate and reset itself. Sensor is a hundred quid or so and will need a new valve cover gasket.

The valve cover gasket is date coded 2017, so someone has been inside here at some point in its life. Maybe to change this sensor?

Again having the history would be incredibly useful right now to know what was done. 🫤

 

Yesterday I had a stag up in Manchester to go to. I was supposed to be going up on Saturday and coming back today. But didn't feel like getting pissed and loosing most of my weekend. Busy and tough few weeks so my mind wasn't in the right place.

Anyway I decided to do it in a day. I wanted to take the Z4 but the weather was crap. Mostly as it would be more enjoyable to drive top down back and forth. While the Z4 is more economical too. But in bad weather and unfamiliar roads, a automatic saloon is a more comfortable place to be. So decided to risk the 330i despite my misgivings on the coils.

Left home (Bristol) at 8am, arrived at 11am in Manchester. 

Then said my goodbyes at 9:10am, got back across the city to the car park at 9:40pm and walked in through the front door at 12:40am. Amazingly even at that time the roads were still reasonably busy. I passed through the M6/M5 interchange at 11am and it still wasn't completely clear.

In total I think it was about 380miles in a day. I'm still young enough that I can do that but I imagine another decade will make me too tired to do such long days! 

Managed a very respectable 34.4mpg. Not bad out of a multipoint injection 3 litre straight six auto! Some of that was due to 50/60mph limits but then I did some other sections faster than that. The later direct injection engines do even better fuel economy but then you have more injection complication expense (high pressure fuel pumps, expensive injectors, etc)

Car seemed usual self while getting me there and back. Again that gearbox has me wondering often and I think I'll need to do a fluid + bridge seals change soon. I believe the fluid was done around 12k miles or so ago.

No idea if the bridge seals have been done. They're basically a rubber seal between the valve body assembly and gearbox itself. It goes hard, leaks and looses some line pressure which affects shift quality. Basically when dropping the transmission pan, the valve body is in front of you and remove a few bolts to have access to the seals. Not a big job but just one rolling around on the floor under a car which isn't the most enjoyable position.

I've been putting it off on the thought that interfering with something still working is opening up to problems. However low line pressure to the clutch packs causes accelerated wear and knackers the box quicker... Swings and roundabouts.

[SiC]

There's a 2006 335i coupé near me for under £5k. Only 80k miles, auto and two previous owners. Completely stock too. 

The big thing that's attracting me to it (apart from the 300bhp/extra +50bhp) is that it also has radar cruise. Rare to have one completely stock as a remap brings them from 300bhp to 380bhp (to basically like M3 power levels/performance).

Cons are that it has wood interior (easily sorted) and £700+ per year tax. Also I think the rear quarter panel clear coat needs some work. The 335i is a lot more complicated engine too than the 330i as it gains direct injection and twin turbos. 

I don't need the extra power (my 330i is enough) but always nice. That radar cruise is the real clincher though. Presumably the 2drs have physically bigger doors than the 5drs and more of a pain in the arse.

Anyway I'm really tempted even though it makes no sense for me to change... 🤔

[camryv6]

Everything i have read about the 335i says stay away, even people that own them, say don't buy one, something to do with the valves gumming up constantly.

[SiC]

4 minutes ago, camryv6 said:

Everything i have read about the 335i says stay away, even people that own them, say don't buy one, something to do with the valves gumming up constantly.

Yeah a typical 00-era direct injection problem. Same thing on the VAG TFSI/FSI. Ime generally not a huge issue if monitored and cleaned. Like 100k is a reasonable time to expect a clean on many direct injection engines.

Liability wise certainly would be upping the stakes. Not least they're known to eat injectors and replacement genuine injectors (you don't want to go cheap to not blow it up) are £514 for ONE. (£100 for second hand genuine)

[SiC]

The advert in question 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1675243453310899/

 

[meshking]

Have you bought it yet? Sounds like a well cared for example being sold by someone who is tired of being messed about.

[SiC]

Had a play with manual gear mode driving back from the shops earlier. 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd both have a harsh shunt/flare on the changes. Ime on other boxes (AW55 amongst others) this is an indication of low line pressure (gearbox oil pressure).

Other changes are actually pretty smooth but that's because possibly they don't need as much pressure to engage the clutch packs?

Anyway I think as this is likely to be a keeper (for now at least!) I'm going to start investigating to see what it'll take to change those rubber seals between the valve body and gearbox. If too much on my back then I'll have to speak to a few professionals and see who would be prepared to take it on.

I believe it's had a fluid change in recent years from what the last owner said. However I'm still waiting for the service history from them, so I don't know if the filter or even the mileage it was on when it was done. 🫤

At least another fluid change should make it unlikely it'll nuke the box. If it does, then it'll likely be conversations with breakers about getting a replacement unit to drop in 🙃 (I think it'll be very unlikely to cause a bigger issue though given the fluid has been changed once without killing it)

 

In Z4 news, it's still going strong. I mean it's done 179k now so not in the freshest of youth but the engine is pulling stronger than ever after I put the second hand MAF in and it's being pretty solid. One startup gave a very impressive smoke cloud out the back the other day so not sure what that was about. I might have started it up and moved it onto the drive a few days before. So possibly the CCV had a bit too much oil in from that and I think it's something they can do? Anyway it's completely clear after that and certainly no smoke in normal use - hot or cold. Probably should keep an eye on the oil level a bit more closer. 

Went down to Sidmouth where my parents live in it. Trip computer indicated an impressive 40mpg. Now before I replaced the MAF (so maybe more accurate now potentially), I found it over read by a few mpg. So more likely 36mpg or so.  But that's still extremely good for an old generation 6 cylinder petrol.

 

No EML since replacing the MAF either. Usually that drive triggers it as plenty of long cruising. Long term trims are still not zero however then this is not only a second hand MAF of unknown vintage and also a nearly 180k car with probably original injectors, fuel pump, etc. I think it needs to be around 20% for the EML to trigger, so way under that. Also good to see both fronts and rear banks with similar figures (so equal amounts of wear on the injection/ignition parts). The new thermostat is holding good temperatures too.

Basically everything is tickety-boo with it right now and nothing really to do apart from drive+fill up. A VANOS rebuild wouldn't go amiss and maybe something I'll consider in the winter months when I use it less. Also after any driveway work I might do on the 330i gearbox.

[Split_Pin]

2 hours ago, SiC said:

The advert in question 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1675243453310899/

 

I like this guy. 

'Viewing is limited to 2 people, any more than that and the car will not be unlocked'. 

I think it sounds honest as a well and definitely worth a look. You're very patient and methodical and don't stress about the kind of issues this car might give (unlike me who's not slept since the oil light came on in the e46 😬)

[Split_Pin]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

replacement unit to drop in

This is why I will never buy another BMW with an automatic box. Not because it's a bad car but because nobody round my way will touch it. There's a few specialists but they're designed for people who spend all their money on cars rather than a bottom-of-the-food-chain shiter like me. The Rover specialist happily did that job on my 75 and there are Saab specialists who are also amicable folks (tbh I think that's the way I'm going) but not BMW.

[IronStar]

4 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

This is why I will never buy another BMW with an automatic box. Not because it's a bad car but because nobody round my way will touch it. There's a few specialists but they're designed for people who spend all their money on cars rather than a bottom-of-the-food-chain shiter like me. The Rover specialist happily did that job on my 75 and there are Saab specialists who are also amicable folks (tbh I think that's the way I'm going) but not BMW.

Could you not entice Rover specialist with Rover 75 has BMW diesel engines, so it’s similar, honest? 😄

[SiC]

9 minutes ago, meshking said:

Have you bought it yet? Sounds like a well cared for example being sold by someone who is tired of being messed about.

I'm taking @cort16 approach of procrastination before making any rash decisions. It's pretty cheap for a 335i but it's above the level of money I'd want to throw at a car that might blow up on the way home. Also £700pa tax is a bit painful - at least it has the performance to back it up.

There is also this

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1658193694744104/

Silver isn't my bag (I just say no usually) but Clubsport is kinda a cool spec and 330Ci that aren't barried to death are rare. I can see the E46 appreciating in value soon and finding a good one is hard. That one still has rust appearing too. But I'd like to give an E46 a go. A E36 too but they're getting out of my budget nowadays. At least what I'd want to spend on an old BMW!

 

1 minute ago, Split_Pin said:

I like this guy. 

'Viewing is limited to 2 people, any more than that and the car will not be unlocked'. 

I think it sounds honest as a well and definitely worth a look. 

 

Yeah I can't imagine selling a car like a 335i is a stress-free experience given the type of owners they attract. I know if I go look at it, I'll end up buying it. My bank account/savings is really enjoying the fact that I've owned the 330i for 3 ½ months and the Z4 for 4 ½ months without changing either! (I had to check that as it felt longer...)

11 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

You're very patient and methodical and don't stress about the kind of issues this car might give (unlike me who's not slept since the oil light came on in the e46 😬)

That's because my wife (happily) drives a Honda. 😅

Despite the weird things the 330i has done like the throttle going dead for a second on pulling off thing, she actually forgives it and doesn't let it bother her. This really surprises me as usually any brief blip in a car makes her loose faith. There is enough faith that she'll happily drives it herself. She says it's because it's not let us down and apart from the brief blips, is absolutely fine. It does knock her confidence a bit when she asks why I haven't driven it for a few days and I say stuff like "I think it needs coil packs so holding out till then". But she's then okay when I say stupid shit like that but then jump in and do a 7hr roundtrip drive to Manchester and back in a day without incident...

Basically I think she forgives it as she both likes driving it (easy to drive and pokey) and got enough zazz to not be an embarrassment to drive (e.g. the E320 was too big and old man).

Which reminds me, I need to order a set of coil packs today with the current 10% eBay code kicking about.

[Split_Pin]

5 minutes ago, SiC said:

Clubsport

'Undiagnosed rattle' and 198k miles.Mine rattled at idle but it was just the tensioner and was very easy to replace but this one rattles under load.

[SiC]

11 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

This is why I will never buy another BMW with an automatic box. Not because it's a bad car but because nobody round my way will touch it. There's a few specialists but they're designed for people who spend all their money on cars rather than a bottom-of-the-food-chain shiter like me.

It's a problem I find with all automatic gearboxes on any 10+ year old car. Most garages see them as black magic and won't get involved with them. Not even for a straight forward fluid change. About the main dealers are the only ones and I don't trust them/can't afford them! So they don't get maintained and then have issues by the time they get to our budget range. Then a lottery if a fluid change or minor maintenance (e.g. solenoid change) will fix it. Basically have to be prepared to scrap the car if it has major issues. At least with a manual box you don't have a computer stopping you driving it if certain gears stop being selectable.

VAG DSG we have a good specialist near me that works just on VAG autos, so they fear me less. But still a £2k+VAT job to have one replaced with their drop in refurb units.

There is a auto transmission specialist in Bristol and apparently they are decent. But unless the vehicle is pretty new, they mostly seem interested in just dropping in refurb boxes they have on the shelf. Rather than oil changes. Presumably because too often a worn box has a fluid change requested because of issues (and never been done) but doing that on a knackered box finishes many of them off.

Then some boxes even the specialists don't want to touch. I know someone with a Ford PowerShift gearbox who went to an automatic specialist for a fluid change and their only response was "we don't touch PowerShit boxes mate".

So yeah, this is why I'll probably DIY it. Or speak realllllllly nicely to Panhard65 and see if he'll do a fluid change (with the condition that I take responsibility if it shits itself after doing it).

[Split_Pin]

Thankfully my local garage are happy doing fluid changes but when you put it like that I'm actually surprised they even agreed to that.

[SiC]

3 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

'Undiagnosed rattle' and 198k miles.Mine rattled at idle but it was just the tensioner and was very easy to replace but this one rattles under load.

Yeah hard to know. I think his is only with it in idle so could simply be a heat shield or just a VANOS rattle (rebuild kits exist for it). It's too much money for the miles it's done and why I haven't done a silly. 

Funnily enough I just fired up Facebook and the E9x group had a post about 335i with someone posting this manual example even nearer to me:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1054755462964903/

Again nice to see one not modified. I personally think there is far more chance of less big bills like injectors if someone hasn't remapped it. While 380bhp is nice, that extra +80bhp will no doubt put a huge amount of extra stress on the twin turbos and those fragile injectors + HPFP.

But I'd miss the laziness from the auto box and the other one with Radar cruise is a massive enough extra that it'd make me prepared to jump to a 335i with all it's associated liabilities. Basically the only thing I really miss from driving older cars and a car with it is everything I absolutely need in a car.

They do seem expensive still for the huge potential bills they can throw (basically £2.5k in injectors easily) but then it's a cheap way into 300bhp.

There is also the 645i/650i with juicy amounts of power but those V8 with stem seals and such have their own issues... 

[Split_Pin]

I have to say after staring down the barrel of £2k plus for a turbo for the A8 (although the present owner seems to have some more cost effective ideas), I am done with big liability cars!

[Popsicle]

52 minutes ago, SiC said:

Which reminds me, I need to order a set of coil packs today with the current 10% eBay code kicking about.

Thanks for reminding me about the code, I completely forgot and think my baskets got a few bits and bobs in it.

[cort16]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

I'm taking @cort16 approach of procrastination before making any rash decisions. It's pretty cheap for a 335i but it's above the level of money I'd want to throw at a car that might blow up on the way home. Also £700pa tax is a bit painful - at least it has the performance to back it up.

There is also this

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1658193694744104/

Silver isn't my bag (I just say no usually) but Clubsport is kinda a cool spec and 330Ci that aren't barried to death are rare. I can see the E46 appreciating in value soon and finding a good one is hard. That one still has rust appearing too. But I'd like to give an E46 a go. A E36 too but they're getting out of my budget nowadays. At least what I'd want to spend on an old BMW!

 

 

Yeah I can't imagine selling a car like a 335i is a stress-free experience given the type of owners they attract. I know if I go look at it, I'll end up buying it. My bank account/savings is really enjoying the fact that I've owned the 330i for 3 ½ months and the Z4 for 4 ½ months without changing either! (I had to check that as it felt longer...)

That's because my wife (happily) drives a Honda. 😅

Despite the weird things the 330i has done like the throttle going dead for a second on pulling off thing, she actually forgives it and doesn't let it bother her. This really surprises me as usually any brief blip in a car makes her loose faith. There is enough faith that she'll happily drives it herself. She says it's because it's not let us down and apart from the brief blips, is absolutely fine. It does knock her confidence a bit when she asks why I haven't driven it for a few days and I say stuff like "I think it needs coil packs so holding out till then". But she's then okay when I say stupid shit like that but then jump in and do a 7hr roundtrip drive to Manchester and back in a day without incident...

Basically I think she forgives it as she both likes driving it (easy to drive and pokey) and got enough zazz to not be an embarrassment to drive (e.g. the E320 was too big and old man).

Which reminds me, I need to order a set of coil packs today with the current 10% eBay code kicking about.

The best way to deal with such things is to procrastinate so long the car sells and it’s not a problem anymore . That’s when you get the sweet , sweet feeling of relief you didn’t buy it .

The 335i is on a different liability index because of all those turbos and associated nonsense .  

[Supernaut]

15 minutes ago, cort16 said:

The best way to deal with such things is to procrastinate until the car sells, then cheer yourself up by going out and buying something even more idiotic.

Corrected to reflect the true cort16 methodology.