Running Thread of the Daily: 325XI

[Jdesign]

Nice ///M badge poser.  

[DrLeadFoot]

203,XXX miles

New Bilstein B6 struts/shocks and replaced the rear broken spring with these green ones my buddy had.  The original ones were thicker and had white markings.  Sitting a little lower in the rear but I'll get new 325xi rear springs later.  Totally different car with the new shocks. 

[DrLeadFoot]

Popped in some used OEM xenon headlights! I've been wanting these for awhile and picked them up for a good price. 

They plugged right it and fired up.  No coding needed as of yet!

[B C]

I love how most winter-driven E46 325 are neglected but you are maintaining and updating yours properly.

I’m going to be shopping bulbs for mine soon if you have any recommendations

[DrLeadFoot]

B C said:

I love how most winter-driven E46 325 are neglected but you are maintaining and updating yours properly.

I’m going to be shopping bulbs for mine soon if you have any recommendations

Thanks!  I like this car! This is the wife's car and she likes it a lot too. 

I'm at a crossroads with it to start doing body work or swap all this car's AWD & other goodness into a e46 wagon and rebuild a m54b30 to pop in. Then keep up with the bodywork on a wagon. 

I justed asked the guy to include the bulbs and he did.  Lol.

Let me know what you get!

[wasnt m3]

With my previous experience swapping the halogens for xenon is it will throw a code until you turn them on, then the headlight out warning will go away. PM'd you regarding a fantastic e46 xi touring I would love to find a nice home for.

[DrLeadFoot]

Wife got some warning lamps.  I just used PA Soft 1.4 to switch them to xenon.  Hopefully this works!

[DrLeadFoot]

205,XXX miles:

-New OEM BMW valve cover gasket.  The old one wasn't bad but seeping a little on the front by the vanos.

-Replaced the heater valve thingy to get the heat to work!  Yay winter!

-Installed a good used condition mirror that I painted and clear coated with the Napa paint matched rattle can.  Turned out okay! 

Need to get 2 new front CV boots as the ones I feel like I just replaced are leaking from the clamp cutting into the rubber. Also need to install braided brake lines and fix the airbag seatbelt tensioner to get the warning light off.  

[B C]

Does this car have a name?

[patsbimmer1]

nice work

[DrLeadFoot]

B C said:

Does this car have a name?

The Four Door.  Lol

[DrLeadFoot]

Took the "Four Door" back to Mike's to have him pop on some braided brake lines, fix the pass. side seat belt tensioner that is throwing an airbag light and install the ebrake hardware that I forgot to get.  Needed the 330i shoes. 

We both forgot that the hardliners for the brakes were pretty rusty.  Almost all hardlines replaced! He went around the fuel tank, with my blessing, to cut the labor time in half.  (The wagon will get the tank out line replacement soon!)

He also found the vacuum line on the fuel filter was rotted off.  Better MPGs here I come!

[jc43089]

Oh Wisconsin, I love just about everything about you except the salt on your roads...

[Jdesign]

Sheeesh thats some crusty lineage.

[DrLeadFoot]

205,XXX miles

-Airbag light fixed.

-New oem BMW 325xi rear springs installed. Monster truck status renewed!

-ebrake is back up and running. 

[DrLeadFoot]

206,XXX miles

Got the winters tires on.  Running the 5 series wheels that I ran on the wagon last year.

[straight6pwr]

245s, that must be some serious winter traction!

those wheels look great on an e46.

[DrLeadFoot]

straight6pwr said:

245s, that must be some serious winter traction!

those wheels look great on an e46.

A little wider than I'd prefer but I like those wheels too!  Thanks!

[DrLeadFoot]

New summer wheels to come!  Bought these from Kerry and he was nice enough to get them powder coated.  The 4-door is going to look like a 90s Pontiac with the color matched wheels.  

[DrLeadFoot]

New summer set up! Continental Extremecontact Sport XL tires.  18" 225/40 front, 255/35 rear.