tonylauno1

I started with 15w40, then 10w40, and since changed to synthetic 4 years ago. 15w40 is way too thick, makes initial acceleration slow or need high rpm, like reversing out of my driveway or accelerating away from traffic light, when compared to 0w or 5w synthetic, it is quick off the line, I don't need high rpm to reverse out of my driveway.

have use Castrol Edge 5w30, Penrite HPR5 5w40, Mobil1 0w40, Valvoline SynPower 5w40, all these oil are BMW Longlife 98 or 01 approved

Just because you can use Castrol Edge 5w30, it does not mean you can use Mobil1 5w30. I think it's because the Castrol Edge 5w30 are on the thicker side of 30 or the Mobil1 5w30 is on the thinner side of 30, that is why they are not suitable in the case of Mobil1 5w30. Mobil1 5w30 is not even ACEA A3/B3 or B4 so BMW is definitely saying they are not suitable, probably doesn't provide enough protection.

A salesperson working at Mobil1 NZ went on a course about oil, he asked what is so special about Mobil1, why do they sell for so much more than competitors, the trainer ask him, have he noticed how every major supplier will claim their oil is best; and the reason is, it can't be proven either way, one manufacturer can't prove that another manufacturer's oil is not the best so everyone can make up their own test condition to prove their oil performs better.

So, I am using whatever is on special at the time, these day it seems like only Penrite and Valvoline are the ones on special which cost $11/L instead of Castrol edge which I used to pay $9/L when on special.

so recommendation is as long as it has BMW Longlife 98 or 01, it means it has been tested and approved by BMW, otherwise you can also use any ACEA A3/B3 or B4

So the only real issue is that steering does not self centre.

Are the wheels the correct type with the correct offset ?

So with your help in reviewing the setup from the info I have provided, it is most likely the strut mount which is the causing the issue with steering not self-centering.

Wheels are correct type and offset, they are e36 m3, so width and offset are slightly different from the standard 17x8 e46 mags.

Just a note to anyone with camber-adjustments that are not a bushing or eccentric-bolt, they do require LVV Cert. It may pass WOF, insurance claims assessors and their mechanic/inspectors might not see them, but when they do, it's your loss, for the sake of $500 for certification, you are risking a lot. http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/suplemen...t_Threshold.pdf

Just measured mine, ride height is 570mm

Caster is just the way the camber place is, can't change it, no offset bushes have been fitted.

So if my caster is higher than standard, that means it has greater force than standard to return wheel back to centre but it is still insufficient.

When the car is jacked up, I can turn the wheel, never tried it before the changed of top mount so I don't know if it is tighter than before. I will try it in on turntable on 2nd Sept when I get a wheel alignment report for LVV Cert. I think the wheel alignment hoist does have turntable.

Might need to remove and lube if all else fails before buying a set of new camber plates.

Tire wear is perfect, front is ever so slightly worn on inside.

Thanks for your advice.

By the way, checking the LVV Threshold Guide, any camber adjustment parts that is not a eccentric bolt or a bushing does required LVV Cert as confirmed by LVVTA themselves.

My coupe was just sports height (not mSport), little lower than standard sedan height, not sure if it is 50mm below standard sedan, certainly looks closer to mSport height after fitting H&R Touring Kit.

Had two alignment done because first guy can't even get car to steer straight, he said it looks all good on the alignment machine. Second guy (couldn't find report), he just changed camber on front so that left was a little more than right and this stopped the car pulling left. Below is report from first guy

Caster is Left=4.9 | Right=5.2

Camber is Left=0.4 | Right=0.6

(from memory I think the 2nd guy said he change camber to Left=1.0 and Right=0.5)

Toe is Left=0.7mm | Right=0.8mm

I do suspect perhaps the 1/3 price, unknown brand camber-adjustable front strut is stiff.

I am using 17x7.5 ET41 front wheels (actual e36 M3 wheels)

225/45/17 tyres

Is ride height measured from bottom of rim to fender or from centre of rim to fender?

The key questions are:

- how low is the car ,

- how much camber are you currently running and;

- what do you expect to achieve with the camber plates?

The mechanics comments are not correct nor is the wheel alignment comment, lowered cars do not need to exhibit these dubiously labelled "characteristics".

Both these characteristics can be attributed to suspension geometry / alignment shortcomings - provide the detail and real answers will be easy.

I had Kmacs in my E39 and I was not impressed apart from the fact that they needed modification to actually fit, the design and construction was mediocre.

The rear is same height as original, I read the table wrong I thought it would be much lower.

The front is 1inch lower than original, again I thought it would be much lower.

The reason I had the camber kit is to put it back to manufacturer specs so I can get even tyre wear.

Did you have the memory steer on your car?

Did you get LVV cert?

hi everyone,

I am looking for a replacement front strut mount to adjust the camber, the current one I had was purchased on ebay for usd100, instead of paying usd300 for something like k-mac or spc.

I found that the steering does not return to center, the mechanic told me this is normal for any lowered car, the wheel alignment guy said, my car has memory steer which is, when I turn left and bring steering back to center, it will still want to go a few degrees to the left and same thing for right as well. Once he explained that to me, I have noticed that as well, initially I thought wheel alignment was bad but I certainly have noticed this memory steer thing.

Now WOF failed because they say strut mount is moving just a tiny bit, when they put a long right-angle rod under wheel while it's a few inches above ground and wiggle it, got three mechanic to look at the strut mount when one person was wiggling it.

Even have to go to VTNZ because the WOF Inspector said I need LVV Cert for the adjustable front camber but that is another story yet to know the outcome.

so I am wanting to know what camber-adjustable strut mount people are using. Is k-mac or spc any good?

Thank you for your input

Tony

Hi Michael,

I go to Grey Lynn Tyreworx http://www.greylynntyreworx.co.nz/

I find that the owner David knows a lot about wheel alignment, other places I have been to, no matter what they do, they just can't seem to get the adjustment they want, one place ended up saying, oh well, it's still within manufacturer range, just leave it at that.

Cheers

Tony

Hi Luke,

I just got my whole car painted for $2k. A panelbeater is doing it after work and in weekends fit extra cash. Have done two other cars just parts of them and it great, he does a great job.

Have seen a e46 from silver to orange, and a Accord in candy-apple, under bonnet, behind lights, door jam etc all done. This cost more than a simple repaint in same color.

PM me if you want details.

Hope it helps

Tony

Hey,

What brands do you recommend at purchasing for my e46 touring. I thinking h and r. But what's the price on these? And where to get them here in nz?

Cheers

There is a thread in the top of Brakes, Suspension, Steering (under sticky) for H&R Springs.

This guy Keith has sold his business to George Stock, I called George Stock and they tell me they do not have H&R for e46 and will not import either.

I bought it from www.thmotorsports.com and had it shipped to www.bongous.com and then they shipped it to me.

I think it was about US$1000.

I bought the H&R Touring, it is very similar to stock Coupe sport suspension. front is an inch lower and rear is 0.25inch lower. (bmw has normal, sport (coupe) and mSport suspension)

330 with Bilstiens and Eibach spings

Thanks for the photo, any idea how much lower the car was after using the Eibach springs?

What was the camber like after using the Eibach springs.

I want to know if my tyres will wear out quickly after dropping 1.5inch at front and .75inch at rear

Hi there,

I'm a new member and have just bought an X5 2003 4.4i and the fault code was showing when I took it in for service to the BM Workshop in Grey Lynn. I was quoted around $5k for a replacement. Has anyone had one fitted recently and how much and where did you get it done? I also need new rotors but he was quoting silly money.

Did the workshop tell you why it needs a new transmission?

What are the problems you have encountered when driving?

Flush transmission oil. I did this on ours at 125,000km and the guys said the oil was still like new. Not sure I would bother, I called BMW and apparently they don't require servicing.

The 328i is not a fast car nor is is designed to be, they move well and the speed they do have is deceptive due to the smoothness and quietness of the straight 6, they are designed to be flexible and have "adequate" performance for 90% of drivers, due to its low down grunt and auto box the trump card and where it really excels is from a stand still to say 30kph, I'm sure they did this to give mums and dads a thrill off the line and this is where that said 90% of people want performance, ours would get off the line very fast but it would be a bit average say getting on the motorway or over taking.

Maybe go and drive another one to make sure, no point going on a witch hunt for power that was never there.

BMW says transmission oil are lifetime oil, their definition of lifetime is 10 years, just another marketing ploy to make their cars seem cheaper to service.

I have flush my transmission oil twice, first time it was black, second time was after 4 years and it was dark red.

I just can't accept the fact that oil is lifetime, no oil last forever, if transmission oil can last a lifetime why not engine oil. Therefore have always flushed it.

My father who has had three Honda, all have silky smooth transmission at 250,000km and Honda are notorious for transmission failure and clunk at 100,000 - 150,000 km. So i flush my religiously

I have seen the performance figures from a road test article, the performance for 323, 330, 530, 540 are almost the same from 0 to 40km/h then they really set themselves apart from 40km/h to 100km/h.

Hey Rowan, if you are around Greenlane, feel free to contact me for a test drive, i would be quite sad if my car performed the same as yours, then again i have numbers to prove my 328ci has improved in low rpm performance and improved fuel consumption.

Apex has another point, it's smooth and quiet, it doesn't throw you back in your seat like a 195hp Honda so it's performance is deceptive.

Hi Rowan,

I had the same problem on my e46, it takes 2000rpm before the car starts moving slowly, the car is very slow to respond until 3000rpm then by 3500rpm it's all go.....

I have owned the car for nearly 5 years now and have discovered several things that affect performance.

1) changing motor oil to 0w or 5w synthetic helps alot.

2) use at least 95 octane fuel, put in 91 octane and the car is slow

3) heavy alloy wheels does not help, I changed mine back to 17 lightweight BMW alloy

4) Flush transmission oil

5) Flush differential oil

6) change vanos seal (start the car and leave it idling for 5mins, see if your car will stutter, it's fins when it's cold, it fine when it warm, it's only a problem when changing from cold to warm, usually see the problem in 2mins if vanos seal is not doing it's job.)

I did not change all of this at the same time but when I did do these, I did notice an improvement in low speed pickup and accelerating from standstill.

These days I can get the car to accelerate as quick as before but only using 2500rpm or 3000rpm at the most if I want to go fast, where as in the past I need to go at least 3000rpm to get the car moving.

Doing all of these have saved me 2L per 100km. I use 12-13L per 100km.

Had problems with cam sensor and crank sensor, it just made the car run rough, so if yours is running smoothly, maybe it's not. I don't know all the symptoms for a cam/crank sensor.

I very much doubt the engine will limit power based on temp sensor

And please post some pics of your AC Schitner

Hey Ethrty-Andy,

The H&R shocks are made by Bilstein too, they say how important it is to have shocks that match the spring rate, is it that important or getting different shocks and springs and pairing them up would be just as good?

Thanks

Does anyone here has a e46 with Bilstein shocks with aftermarket springs?

Thanks for the reply Ethrty-Andy.

The H&R I was looking at was the Touring Cup kit instead of the Sports Cup kit. The Touring Cup kit is roughly the same height as the motorsport suspension.

The reason I am buying springs as well is the worn shocks have been compressing the springs and was told that the springs would not go back to their normal height anymore. Which is why my car is lower than when it was new.

What shocks and springs do you use in your e46?

It might be aftermarket wheels which are heavy...

I have found using 5w30 engine oil instead of 10w30 and new differential oil also helps. This saved me about 2l/100km

driving around Auckland in stop start traffic 90% of the time I do get 14-15L/100km in my 328ci but it does get down to 8l/100km on long trips. Probably quick traffic getaway doesn't help.

I have PS3 on my rear and wow, it's a different car, I can drive quickly in the wet.

Suppose to be much more comfortable and quieter and will find out soon when I get them for the front.

Saw many reviews, and all said it's a comfortable but still sporty. While Eagle F1 Asymmetric is better it's too harsh, too much vibration on rough surface. Bridgestone S001 are great progressive tyres, best feel but sacrifice comfort and noise. Continental CSC3 lacks feedback but very comfortable. I went with PS3 because they are $7 more expensive than RE002 and

Just wondering if anyone has got a H&R Touring Cup kit for their e46.

Factory shocks are worn and it's making the car lower, springs are compressed due to the worn shocks. Just want a replacement, not looking to lower the car much hence thinking of H&R Touring Cup kit.

Just looking for a e46 with these to get an idea of how low it is and how realiable it is.

Let me know if you have this kit for your e46.

Question for the tire whores.

I've currently got Bridgestone Sport touring tires on the front of the e39 540iM and they just have to go. Top priority is grip and turn in response and a close second is quietness on our course chip open roads.

Any thoughts.

Also can some one please explain the fundamentals of tire noise.

Is tread pattern the primary factor?

Are directional's always louder?

Do tires with energy absorbing material like the aramid in the Michelin PSS help to dampen sound?

Just looking for the 235/45/17 fronts at the moment. Unless someone can convince me to get M5 18s and go for a full set of Micky PSS's

Cheers

Jas

A friend has Have Goodyear Assymetrical on his BMW, I have Michelin PS3 and both are quiet... Have tried others like Direzza, RE002, S001, just normal when it come to noise. I went with PS3 because it was cheaper and great in the wet which is my priority. If dry grip is top priority then Bridgestone is #1

Got myself some Michelin PS3 for not much more money than these China made Goodyear F1. Comfortable, quiet, great in wet and still retains the sportiness and precision.

You do know that Evans European is there and they're one of the biggest Euro pannelbeaters in Auckland: http://www.evans.co.nz/

But generally lots of the smaller operations in Onehunga could up their game. This all sounds extremely frustrating to say the least.

Somehow I can only read one post at a time, didn't see that someone else had beaten to me about making the comment about Evans European. Sometimes I see one post at a time, sometimes it displays all the post on the same page. Not sure how to switch between the two. Anyone know what I'm talking about

Dude thats shithouse..

Id struggle not to hit someone in that situation.

Not rubbing salt in the wound but its onehunga..

In that area you shouldve driven 15 mins over to botany and gone to Glenn in the first place, then none of this wouldve happened.

There are a lot of great business like Evans Europeans in Onehunga. Although this part is much closer to Penrose, it's a huge industrial area with all sorts of business, warehouse, head office.

Glenn is 15mins away during non-peak hours, it will cost me a lot of time getting there and back when dropping off the car in the morning and pick it up in the late afternoon.

Have owned cars for 10 years and European cars for 6 years but never had any problems with anyone until this one week and all sorts of unlucky failures all happens at once. On top of that, insurance claim on BMW bushing, two amplifiers and meeting dentist again on work done... All in the space of two weeks.