E46 Things

[HipMF]

KaiserRolls said:

Vinyl crunch wrap supreme looks better than silver 

B C said:

I have never had a crunch wrap but that sounds so good right now

$5 box is a great value, but you're gonna need a catch caddy.

[KaiserRolls]

Use heat and quality vinyl for the arm rests

we did the roof on the evo and it has some really weird/sharp bends by the drip moldings. Just takes some heat and patience

[KaiserRolls]

Also use knifless tape if you have some edges that are giving you issues. Makes wrapping even easier

[B C]

Upon further review I decided to apply a second layer of orange film to the lights since in some light settings they looked too yellow.

I like to experiment and feel like the cold shift quality could be improved so I am trying out some Redline D4 ATF. 

and after checking @gilber33 ‘s build thread I noticed some ramps that would be very helpful for using the jack points so I picked them up for $38 off Amazon.

I broke the cardinal rule of oil changes by not loosening the fill plug before the drain plug and then struggled for some hours to get the fill plug off. This happened because the E46 M3/E39 M5 fill and drain plugs (according to many internet posts sharing similar tragedies) require a hell of a lot of torque to remove. I had the wrench slip and get the ball rolling down the path of roundness.

I estimate about 120 ft-lb of torque to remove the bolt.

I tried many methods but the Sears Damaged Bolt extractor kit was the saving grace.

Buy a set while you still can. This tool has saved me on so many occasions.

http://www.searshometownstores.com/product/Craftsman-52166-10-pc-Damaged-BoltNut-Remover-Set?store=&preview=3894&isClearanceItem=F&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&adpos=1o1&utm_campaign-SC Shopping&scid=scplp39919909&sc_intid=39919909&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8MSGhIDZ4wIVyrzACh1sBwBoEAQYASABEgK_w_D_BwE

 It took many hours to get it to perform for me because there is barely any hammer space so a mini sledge driving it on at a 45 degree angle is as good as I could get.

The right combination of luck and cursing helped too. So glad to have that behind me now.

[gilber33]

I don’t remember how I found those ramps on Amazon, but I wish I knew they existed a long time ago.

[GunMetalGrey]

A friend of mine uses those little wedge ramps for his car, and they appear to be very convenient! 

I have had great success with the rounded head extractor set, though I should really update mine and get the set that goes up to the large sizes! 

How are the cold shifts now?

[HipMF]

I noticed that the Menards by me is selling Craftsman tool boxes. It would be nice if they started selling Craftsman instead of their masterforce junk.

The more likely scenario is that someone will buy the name and the quality will slide down until it's the same as everything else. Not that Craftsman is amazing. Husky is in the same leauge, but doesn't have a lot of the specialty/automotive stuff.

But I digress.

[Jdesign]

I have ramps that I never use. Mostly because my civic doesnt fit on any of them. 

Those extractors are awesome. I have a brand new set that I bought just in case, and I always forget I have them. Thanks for the reminder! 

The amber looks great on the black.  Let us know how the cold shifts feel!

[YoungCR]

HipMF said:

I noticed that the Menards by me is selling Craftsman tool boxes. It would be nice if they started selling Craftsman instead of their masterforce junk.

The more likely scenario is that someone will buy the name and the quality will slide down until it's the same as everything else. Not that Craftsman is amazing. Husky is in the same leauge, but doesn't have a lot of the specialty/automotive stuff.

But I digress. 

Craftsman has been owned by Stanley Black & Decker for a few years now. Sears sold off the brand long before the store closings. The Irwin extractor sockets are the same as what Snap-On sells, I know farm and fleet has those in stock.

[B C]

New fill plug came in the mail today so I was able to get it all buttoned back together. 

The shifting is improved MUCH more than I had ever hoped for!  The oil that was in it was clean and newer but maybe was on the thicker side. The Redline D4 ATF shifts cold like the other oil felt when it was hot. This is how it is supposed to be and I hope the shift quality doesnt degrade in 1000 miles. Im fine changing it every 10k though if I have to.

The clutch delay valve removal and changing the trans oil have made the biggest difference in driving enjoyment and getting the clutch and shifter feel where they should be

[B C]

This update feels like something you might read on priuschat.com or F30post.com:

I figured out how to connect my phone to the car’s bluetooth

ok, now we have  announced that exciting mod here is something slightly cooler:

///M-Track Mode! (The 3/4 arrow, to the left of the butterfly mode symbol)

I found some good instructions online for coding MTM, spent some random free time researching how to code and use the software and today I finally felt comfortable enough to risk bricking my modules and tried it out.

MTM was offered on the CSL and ZCP cars and is a more lenient stability control system that lets you slide but not spin. 

Pressing the DSC button enters MTM, holding it for 5 seconds turns DSC fully off. I will try it out at Blackhawk in September!

[straight6pwr]

once enjoyed, you will start pressing it everytime you get in the car.

then suddenly, youll find yourself reaching for it in the minivan. there will be great disappoint.

[B C]

After installing the front strut tower reinforcement plates and rotating the tires a few weeks ago I wasn’t certain I set the caster back to where it was before and I saw some slight cupping on the inner edge of the front tires. The car has driven and tracked just fine down the road but I figured i’d get the toe and caster checked.

This was my first experience at Big Bear and they were awesome! Jason showed me a few things that could be improved, checked and removed the preload from the front sway bar, and was just a great guy to tolerate all my questions and curiosity.  I had the toe set a little less aggressively and camber reduced just a smidgen. The stability and feel is even better than before and the less aggressive toe will help with tire wear since it is not a dedicated track car.

[B C]

Some updates are not very interesting but I have not been diligent about keeping my usual maintenance log so I plan to go back through the thread and check dates and details once I make the time to update my actual log.

I forgot to mention I had a second CEL for the cats, P0420, which again I think is a fluke.

When I checked the CarFax for this car it shows both a DME reprogram (to decrease the sensitivity of the rear o2 sensors to prevent the CEL from being triggered like mine has twice) and airbag recalls have already been performed. The dealer is saying neither have been performed.

I dropped the car off at International BMW Monday night for the airbag recall, both driver and passenger airbags were replaced including the steering wheel horn pad which doesn't fit as nice as the original for some reason.

They also reprogrammed the DME and they confirmed it was for the premature P0420 CEL.

I pick the car up Tuesday evening. The 19 or so year old valet pulls the car up and stalls it right in front of me. I am quite perturbed and open the driver door to expedite his exit and was kind of a dick to him in stereotypical bmw douchebag fashion.

Me: “First day driving manual???”

Valet: “ uh, well I drove my dads truck before”

Me: *daydreaming of ripping him out of the car GTA style*

Valet: “beautiful car man”

Me: * regretting not playing more GTA as a youth*

Valet:

Me:

Demonstrating manual shifting techniques  should be standard protocol as part of a BMW valet/lot boy job interview. He may have actually been the Mercedes valet, so manual transmissions dont really apply much there.

Fortunately the reflash did not disturb the M-Track mode coding. Its on a different module but I had read that if certain coding isnt done on 2 modules that it may be lost during a reflash since the other module acts as a backup/bootloader for a bricked/replaced module. 

Idfk

/update

[YoungCR]

I taught a few other new lot employees on cheaper used cars from the lot haha. Ideally you hire somebody who already knows but since access to manual transmissions are becoming less and less you run into your situation. Thats what independent mechanics/race shops are for 

[straight6pwr]

B C said:

Demonstrating manual shifting techniques  should be standard protocol as part of a BMW valet/lot boy job interview. He may have actually been the Mercedes valet, so manual transmissions dont really apply much there.

yeah, par for the course, really. i went to a dealership the other day to look at a car. it was advertised on their website as a manual transmission.

i arrived to find an automatic.

in classic fashion, the dense salesmen said: "So you only want a manual? " instead of "I'm sorry we are idiots"

[B C]

straight6pwr said:

yeah, par for the course, really. i went to a dealership the other day to look at a car. it was advertised on their website as a manual transmission.

i arrived to find an automatic.

in classic fashion, the dense salesmen said: "So you only want a manual? " instead of "I'm sorry we are idiots"

"But it has tiptronic so its the same thing"

[Boris3]

straight6pwr said:

yeah, par for the course, really. i went to a dealership the other day to look at a car. it was advertised on their website as a manual transmission.

i arrived to find an automatic.

in classic fashion, the dense salesmen said: "So you only want a manual? " instead of "I'm sorry we are idiots"

Given that SMGs are pretty much always listed as manual transmissions on dealer site until you dig deeper, I've just started asking how many pedals does the car have two or three. Same thing when looking at interior pictures in FS threads.

[B C]

I gave Big Bear a thumbs up despite a minor goof during Saturday’s alignment.

They tried torquing down the strut brace while the car was in the air and broke the cast strut brace plate on the drivers side. They acknowledged their mistake and made things right. I installed the new one tonight.

[Jdesign]

Easy fix