Karter16

I almost exclusively use the Xtrons headunit for CarPlay, however on the occasions that I have a need to do something else I find the default Xtrons launcher to be a pretty jarring experience. I've been having a bit of a look around at options, and have had a play around with iDrive Launcher (https://idrive.ibus-app.de/index_en.html). I know that NBT iDrive didn't come on the E46, however it certainly feels a lot less flashy and feels like it fits much better in the E46 than the standard Xtrons launcher. I think it's an acceptable compromise, given I've already compromised by putting newer technology in the E46 anyway. I have to say I'm super-impressed with the software. It's very nicely built, fast, reliable, configurable. It's a pretty nice experience to get in the car, turn it on and see the BMW boot logo, then the iDrive launcher home menu, then have CarPlay auto-connect. I've got more work to do to sort out the menus (I don't need the Multimedia, Navigation or ConnectedDrive items for example) but will get that sorted once I've got everything figured out and optimised. I'm also working on mapping the second (right hand) control knob on the Xtrons unit to the navigation controls for the launcher, if I can get this figured out it means the interface can be controlled with the control knob/SWCs which would be a nice added touch. Here's a few average iPhone photos - doesn't really do justice to the super-smooth animations/transitions, but you get the idea. Interestingly these photos also show that I haven't quite got the RGB/luminosity of the head unit illuminated buttons right. I 100% can't tell in person, but the photos clearly show it up - will have a play to get it closer.

hope the new owner takes the M3 badges off the side skirts 🤦‍♂️

It's been a busy few months at work, but I've done a few tiny bits and pieces here and there - quick summary below: Replaced the broken clamp on the negative battery cable which broke - replacement thanks to @Vass I also noticed that when I'd installed the new gas struts on the boot, I'd installed them upside down 🤦‍♂️ so quickly sorted that: Also realised I didn't update on adjusting the xtrons headunit to fit the dash trim properly. It turned out it needed to be adjusted a lot - more than could be achieved with a file - photo shows how far out it is: Next up will be getting a chance to get some decent photos of the xtrons and then will write up my thoughts on it now that I've owned it for 6 months or so. Also waiting for the Yurkan 6 point brace to arrive, it's currently somewhere between Germany and here.

Awesome thank you! I’ve driven past a few times and seen their shop actually nice and close to me as well!

Their "M Certified Technicians" didn't know how to remove the camber adjustment pin in my brand new OE front shock mounts (literally a hex bit to unscrew the bolt) and rather than asking someone or bothering to look in TIS they took to my (also brand new) front shock with a hammer in an attempt to get it in alignment. Their service department manager was entirely squirrelly and disingenuous about my complaint (I had to escalate to BMW NZ before I got any meaningful engagement with him at all) so as a result Continental will never receive so much as a 10 cent piece from me.

Hey thanks for the suggestion, I appreciate it. Unfortunately due to past events Continental won’t ever be touching any car of mine again…

Hi all, Wondering if anyone has recommendations for the best place to get a wheel alignment in Auckland (ideally on the shore)? If all else fails I'll take the trip across to Auckland City BMW but given the entire rear end will be out I'd rather not have to drive too far on the approximate alignment I'll have done. Cheers

The clips that hold the bowden cable all in place and intact? The coupe arrangement is slightly different but for me it was the bowden cable having more lateral play than it should that was a big contributor to rattles.

Another little side project I've been working on is this: As time goes on my collection of spare/new parts continues to increase to the point that it's challenging to keep track in a spreadsheet of what I've purchased/fitted/quantities remaining, etc. I also want to be able to more easily plan out future projects and map that back to parts I have/need to get. To this end I've setup an inventree instance and loaded into it the complete list of part numbers for my specific VIN. Now that I've got this base setup I can go through my parts shelves, load in the quantities etc. and then I have an easy view of what I've got without having to dig through boxes. When I fit parts I can decrease the stock on hand, etc. I can also make use of some of inventree's other features to build BOMs for projects, track what parts I need to order, etc. Is this overkill? absolutely, 100%. But it will make things a bit easier for me, plus it's cool to have a complete list of part numbers for reference.

At last I got the final version of the top amp bracket sorted and Dad printed it and dropped it off yesterday. I fitted it today - all looking good! Next up is to clean up the bay properly and then bundle up the un-needed wiring on the loom and secure it. I also took the opportunity to re-familiarise myself with exactly how the structural foam has been done on the rear RACP mounts on my car as I start preparing for the installation of the 6 point brace when it arrives later in the year. I also checked the welds in the trunk to ensure that they're all still good - keep an eye on this just in case.

hahahaha I didn't see that 😆

Hahahaha yes let's blame the car, definitely not the drivers fault.

Hahaha i wrote it, and then was going to reword it, but thought - surely no one else will pick up on that 😂 Surprisingly cheaper than I was expecting. 590 Euro shipped to Auckland! That’s unpainted, painted is an option but requires bulkier shipping (to protect the paint) which is more expensive.

One of the things that's been on my list for quite some time now is sorting out the topside reinforcement of the RACP. My car had the rear mounts reinforced with the BMW epoxy foam process in 2011 before I owned it, and the underside reinforced with epoxied plates in 2017. Since then I've put very few km on the car but deciding on the right approach for topside reinforcement has been on my mind since then. Part of the reason it's taken me so long to sort is because of all my family/kids dramas, but the other reason is that I've really been struggling to decide on the best solution in my circumstances. I'll probably get some flak for this but I'm not really keen on weld-in solutions in general. In most welding situations I don't see how it's possible to control corrosion prevention well enough given the application, and then add in welding to thin sheet metal that has been through 20 years of stress cycles and it just doesn't appeal to me. Another reason is that welding around the rear mounts, in my case, is complicated by the presence of the foam epoxy reinforcement. Lastly is the permanence of the change - I've seen several comments from people who bought the early version of the CMP bar, etc. who say they wished that they could use the newer, less visible, option. Likewise there's no certainty there won't be better options available in another 5 years. In the work that I do on the car I want to keep it as close as possible to original, so that if I realise at some point in the future that I have bad taste in modifications I can restore to stock. That goes, as far as possible, for things like RACP reinforcement as well. To this end I've ordered a variant version of the Yurkan Cages YC46W6. This is a welded single piece brace that ties both the front and rear RACP mounts to the rear shock mounts. This design allows for the rear seats and fold-down functionality to be maintained without interference. I don't need the fold-down feature anyway, but I certainly want to keep the rear seat unaffected (although again it's only to look nice, I only ever have a single passenger in the car, so I essentially use it as a two seater anyway. The variant I've ordered includes an additional bar directly between the two rear shock mounts. Probably overkill, but for the small amount of extra weight I'd prefer to have a direct link between the two to help stiffen things up as much as possible. With this solution all I need to do is cut the top cosmetic layer of sheet metal above each of the 4 RACP mounts and bolt all the way through from the subframe to the brace. While this does require some cutting of the body, it is about as minimal as I'm going to be able to achieve while still providing for topside reinforcement. Yurkan do make a version of this brace with separate brackets for the rear shock mounts that the brace then bolts to, but given I need to cut the interior carpet, etc. either way, I decided to opt for the welded one piece option for additional stiffness. My plan with the carpets, etc. is to pick up a spare set from a wrecker to cut up and I'll put my current set unmolested on the shelf. Once this is installed I'll be able to finally stop thinking about the RACP, and should also have the added bonus of a bit of extra stiffness in the rear. I placed the order today and expected manufacturing time is about 20 days, so with shipping, getting lost at the East Tamaki depot, etc. I expect I'll receive this around the middle of the year. I also ordered a replacement steering giubo recently - looking forward to getting that installed and hopefully getting rid of the slight play in the steering.

thanks both for that 🙂

Have you had any WOF issues doing this? I need to replace my stock one and this would be a more cost-effective way of doing it.

Yeah let’s setup a chat to work through it - as you say no “secret society” or anything, but means we can chat in detail. I’ll PM you.

Mine were the same when I replaced the power steering hose. My theory is that because those hoses always leak that the power steering fluid makes the rubber degrade.

Great point - if something along those lines were possible it would bring a point of difference to the bimmersport community as well.

Sounds good - let me know how you get on

Yeah - that was my impression from a few years ago as well. I wonder, given the latest comment on this thread: https://bimmersport.co.nz/topic/66910-bimmersportconz-certificate-appears-to-be-expiredbad/ whether that equation has changed somewhat.

Given a couple of recent posts I've seen it's probably time to drag this up again. It would be really helpful to understand, as of 2024, exactly what the ask/offer is. Is it to "buy" bimmersport, is it to save it from being turned off and disappearing, is it to run it for the current owners? From an enthusiast community perspective I'm keen to see the forum stick around as it's a wealth of NZ-specific knowledge, but not really looking for an entire side-business, so would be good to understand how things currently lie. Cheers, Matt

yeah I knew it was going to happen at some point - I had to do my 318 back in the day and that was only about 8 years old when it went!

E46 M3 E30 M3 E39 M5 F87 M2CS The F87 M2CS (S55) is the only non-E chassis I'm prepared to put on this list. Not a fan of more modern BMWs and their latest lineup looks like each one was designed by a different AI. Also, I discovered last week that the headlining is going in my E46 and as a result all BMWs are the worst.

This nice Daytona Violet?? 323ci at Westfield Newmarket today