KwS

For The Win

And according to my owners manual, the M3 is one of them. Hope its only used for a bike rack!

A couple of better pics of the interior with arm rest.

good sh*t, love all these M3s coming into the Bimmersport family.

knew it

Am i correct in saying that the two button key is an infrared key used on jap imports, whilst the NZDM ones had the 3 button radio key? This has been the case on my previous BMWs. My old JDM E46 323i (pretty low spec) had a interior boot release button, as did my JDM E39 525i. Both had the two button key, with no remote boot release on key.

So you have said a dozen times. Your purchase wasnt a regular tardme sale (where prices on average would be higher than buying from friend/family), and your car has very high KM. A good buy, no doubt, but an exception, not the rule. In saying that, the username of the black M3 winner looks familiar. It isnt also a forum member, is it?

Interwebs say Style 107, from a Z4. Not the best looking wheel imo. Looks tidy, but for that money you better hope it has a full history, and all major work completed already.

Anyone know if you get deadlock an early E36 coupe from an aftermarket alarm (if it supports double pulse) or can the deadlocking only be done from the physical lock?

+1 Looking forward to decent pics of that colour, should look great!

HellBM

I personally think the E39 is still the best 5 series shape, and one of the best mid size sedans around. Certainly hasnt dated as much as almost everything elese from that time.

Yeah, im going to do a massive buy up from Pelican parts in the states, including a ZHP knob. Just got to work out the funds (something like $400USD in parts) first. I love arm rests as i usually drive with only the right hand on the wheel, so need somewhere to rest the other between shifts. Most of my previous cars have had them, so i guess im just used to it. Without one i find i tend to play with the hand brake lever.... :-/

Took the time this evening to chuck the arm rest in. Looks good, feels good, and im still sure its one of the best upgrades you can make to a road going E36. Not many photos, got dark too quickly and it took longer than expected thanks to having issues aligning the bolts. Console removed, Carpet cut, hand brake light switch moved, and frame installed. Not sure what the cables running down the LH side of the center console are. Need to trace them. Guessing itll be something to do with the stereo, but as i dont have a sub in the boot, and the cd changer is in the dash, pass on what itd be for. Super average photo of it completed. You can see the lump of carpet on the passenger seat. The carpet is perforated so its real easy to work out where to cut. Next up is fluids change. Hopefully itll fix some noises and performance issues (vanos noise as oil gets hotter, diff noise at low speed turning, and gearbox notchyness as the oil heats up). Also cant wait for my new gear and handbrake boots to arrive, the old ones are average as.

Well, project thread or whatever its called here. i see you have a thread the showroom, so all good. Just want pics pics pics!

Jebus, did the previous owner try to buff the car with steel wool or something?! Should like good after a decent paint restoration. Black always look amazing when clean.

Congrats on the buy! Time for a build thread too!

Too darn cold without the heater! Now i can cruise around, heater on, windows down, listening to that lovely exhaust note. Too much win.

Right, so the moment i got home today i decided to carry out some work on the M3. Since i got the car the heater hasnt worked (i knew this when purchased). Neither side changed temp at all, just stuck at cold. I knew this was the heater control valve (HCV), as they are a common failure point as they are easy to block and jam. I purchased some parts from Ray at HellBM, which included a replacement valve. Its not a hard part to get to on the M3, just a bit tight due to the header tank, and there isnt a lot of space to twist and pull the hoses. Its located here (photo taken after a disconnected and moved the loom plug from the side of the header tank, and disconnected the connector from HCV). It doesnt take a rocket surgeon to see something is wrong. I didnt take any photos of removal as its a bit messy, but basically you pull the HCV up and out of its rubber mount, and then remove the hoses. You can then proceed to remove the HCV. Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Here is the replacement in place. And the reason the heater didnt work? Its plugged solid. Yum. Anyway, the heater now works amazingly. Quick to heat up on both sides, and hotter than hell. Great Success. Next on the list is the arm rest center console. Thats my friday project.

Im aware of this, it was a generalization from my previous 40 cars.

Nothing definitive anywhere, there is recommendation from 0W* all the way up to 15W*. My vanos is silent when cold, but the higher the oil temp, the noisier it gets. Its not major, but it is noticeable. Probably needs some new seals after the 205,000km its done. Oil was changed 1000KM or so ago. Also, The chain tensioner is spring, not hydraulic, isnt it? Ive used Edge in previous cars, with no ill effects, but i noted an improvement in running/noise when changing all three of my M52 powered BMWs to the Synpower. Never had a proper ///M engine before though. As a general rule of thumb, with all my previous cars, the higher the performance the thinner the oil used. TOO MANY OPTIONS!

Hey, What viscosity is good for an E36 M3 3.0? Internet says everything, and the owners handbook is vague. Its running Motul 300V 15W50 which i think is FAR too thick (vanos rattles when warm). My old BMWs (all M52B25) LOVED Valvoline Synpower 5W40, would this be OK?

cant put jack stands on the pads if you have a jack under them. The pelicaparts jack pads are awesome, had one with my old E36 and will be getting another for my new one.

Cayman i think it was. Dont know my Beetles though, so unsure if thats a 911 or not. Must be a hell of car to make him sell the M3 though!