gjm

Sorry, Ray of HellBM, one of the forum sponsors.

FWIW, I'm not sure the effort and expense involved in modifying M3 items would justify the results on your wee touring. Or at least not without transplanting the full M3 rear subframe. And suspension. By the looks of that list, an early M-sport front bar matched to a rear bar from a 'vert seems to be the best option. Though I'd be wondering if the thicker rear bar would start altering the susp geometry? Brent will most likely shed light on that one better than I ever could

I have noticed a set of Bilstein shocks & springs on Tardme http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/bmw/suspension/auction-662035703.htm although the front struts & springs appear to be height adjustable, which will require certification ($700 IIRC), Could be worth investigating to see if the shocks can legally be locked in a non-adjustable fashion.

+1 on getting your trans sorted. The best suspension setup in the world is useless if the car can't be driven

You can tell I'm kinda new to BMWs in NZ, can't you?

No plans for any M3 mods. I'll see what is available, both in terms or 'bars and suspension when I have other, more important things sorted. Most of the time I'm cruising at 100km/h (honest, officer) on SH1, so there is little real need for any changes.

Need... Hmm. Sounds a lot like 'want', to me.

Given the wider track of the 5ers I'd say probably not.

A quick browse thru RealOEM tells me your front sway bar is currently 22.5mm, 330i M-sport has 24mm.320d rear bar 15mm, 330i M-sport rear bar 19mm.

Speak to Brent or Ray, I'm sure they'd have some rattling around in their cavernous parts stores

Thanks for the info.

I think I read somewhere that M3 'bars, or at least one of them, won't fit a non-M car. Not the same as M-Sport (as I'm learning! )

Edit: An M3 rear bar could fit... With a lot of work. Clearance to the spare wheel well and diff mount is slightly different. Fitting would need custom brackets to be made, extra bushes, and some 'modification' to the spare wheel well. I'm not that concerned, and there are other options, including the Sport kit.

1999/2000 Standard.....Frt 21.5mm....Rr 15mm

1999/2000 Sport...........Frt 24mm.......Rr 19mm

2001+ Sport..................Frt 23.5mm....Rr 18mm

2001+ Standard............Frt 23mm.......Rr 18mm

Convertible...................Frt 23.5mm....Rr 20mm

M3................................Frt 26mm.......Rr 21.5mm

M3 CSL .......................Frt 30.8mm....Rr 22.5mm

/edit

I plan to have a chat with Brent (in particular) as he's just down the road. Ray... Euroray on TradeMe?

Getting the ATF sorted is still the no. 1 priority.

Do a bit of research on swaybar sizes through the E46 range. You'll probably find there are thicker diameter items from higher specced models that you'll be able to pick up for far cheaper than aftermarket items

Yup - more than likely. Might a 5-series bar fit? My W201 Mercedes runs a W124 400E bar up front now - make a huge difference. I had to trim 2-3" from each end, and obviously use bigger bushes, but other than that it fits beautifully.

Go have a look. If you're not confident but are interested, it'd be worth having a word with a specialist and ask for a PPI - it'll cost a few bucks, but could save you a lot in the long run.

When I bought the 320d, I did as suggested above - included some immediate expenditure in my budget.

Regardless, at $3k it'd be cheap wheels. However, I'd expect to see the auction pulled if that is all it got to.

diesels clatter..mine seems to be a fairly quiet one but it is def more clatter when you get the turbo spooling!

They do... But this is an 'additional' noise. Not your normal clatter or even diesel knock. It is typically more prevalent when under load (high gear up hill) or when accelerating hard.

I'll get to the bottom of it.

In the meantime, driving out to Maraetai today gave me the chance to explore how the suspension is getting on. Too much roll for my liking (ARB/swaybar upgrade time) and I've no doubt a set of Koni shocks and Eibach springs would bring improvement.

Engine oil and diff oil changed, and a new fuel filter fitted just for good measure.

Engine oil was black. Well, it's a diesel. Judging by the reset of the OBC, it's been in there for about 4000 miles (6400km) which means it's getting toward needing doing, in my opinion - 5000 miles seems a reasonable interval. BMW's OBC reckoned it was good for another 9000 miles.

The diff oil. Sealed for life, huh? Can I sue BMW for publicly disseminating hopelessly misleading information which will lead to the failure of a major component? Well, hopefully failure won't be a problem any more, but what came out of the diff barely resembled anything I'd call oil. Certainly, lubricating qualities were pretty minimal. OK - I know that BMW's interpretation of 'life', and ours, probably differ considerably.

The fuel I changed because I had one, and because I don't know when it was last done.

Whatever... It felt like it was driving much better. There's still noises from the engine bay under acceleration that I don't like, but this could be due in part to the possibility that the swirl flaps may have been removed, but no blanks fitted and there's unlikely to have been a remap to compensate. So I have what sounds like diesel knocking - a similar thing to 'pinking' or pre-ignition in a petrol engine.

Any recommendations for someone who can do a remap?

And I must get the trans sorted. It's reaching the point where the engine revs rise, then I wait for the car to gain speed. A little like a slipping clutch - this ain't a good thing!

An E46 320d Touring in Matamata, earlier today.

OK... I'm drawing a bit of a blank on the trans flush front. Any Hamiltronians able to recommend a good, reputable and competent place to get it done, as opposed to a bozo in a dirty backstreet workshop with a secondhand flushing machine?

Found 3 potential operations...

Marshall Transmissions - 10 Grasslands Place

Mainstreet Transmissions - 13 Manchester Place

Hamilton Automotive Repairs - 82 Killarney Road

I have no knowledge of any of them. Does anyone? Perhaps by PM if it's not good news.

Yesterday I cleaned it. You know how older cars get - the interior in particular seems to get neglected, and there are marks on the carpets, the seats and pretty much everywhere that just don't go away with a quick wipe over. So it was a wet vac job - long-winded, but definitely worth it.

Paintwork was shiny when I finished, too. But now I have found a dent in the tailgate that I didn't know was there! Obviously hidden under a layer of dirt. The paint isn't broken so I'll get a paintless dent removal guy to have a look.

Today - engine oil change and diff oil change. Penrite Enviro+ 5W40 for the engine, Castrol Syntrax 75W90 for the diff. I'll get an engine "oil levelling sensor" sorted for later as I anticipate changing the engine oil again over Christmas, and I'll drop and clean the sump when I do it, and replace the sender at the same time.

Then I need to find someone who will do a good job of flushing the transmission - I'll have a filter and trans sump gasket later today. I've changed the fluids on Mercedes several times, but never on a BMW, and it looks to be a bit more involved not least because of the lack of gearbox dipstick. Sealed for life, y'see. I'm kinda dreading seeing what comes out of there...

If you want a good flush fitment go 20 or less. And 17s may look small on an e46. Just google images for them until you find something you like and fns out wht they're running

20? Really? Surely with an 8" rim that's going to cause some rubbing, if not poke out the side of the arch?

That said, I've not tried it. Or even put a straight edge across the arch and measured back to the rim edge to see what might be possible. I'll be doing that.

Most rims quoted for fitting to an E46 seem to be in the et40-47 range. E36 rims may be a little lower, but not so much as to discount them from fitting the E46. I think E90 rims would suit, as would X3 (although they may be heavier).

Found this while browsing the net, looking for some info and idea... (It's OK - nothing dodgy!) Made me laugh, though, while admiring one persons tenacity.

OK. Back to the topic.

Bearing in mind my car is a Touring and not a Coupe or an M3, which makes quite a difference to the amount of space available under the standard arches, how have others found comparisons between 17 and 18" rims on their cars generally, and E46s specifically? Does ride suffer, or do you experience tramlining, thumping or anything else? What is stability like, in the dry and in the wet?

I may go for 18s now if I find the 'right' set, but the car would probably look a little odd wearing 18s without a change of suspension. 17s may look a little small but this isn't just about looks - it is about practicality, suitability and comfort, too. Suspension change may come later but unless it fails a WoF or other problems become evident, it is wa-a-ay down the list of jobs to do.

Suitability? I'm talking about the effect a significant change of offset will have on the scrub radius. Given this is a daily driver, and for about 250km per day, I want to keep things comfortable. Kiwi roads aren't billiard-table smooth, and the rain we get here can cause all sorts of puddles (and small lakes) on SH1. Having raced a (European) Ford Capri Mk2, I know how it feels to come over some bumps, in the rain, while on the brakes and turning in, only to find the steering wheel is fighting to do it's own thing rather than what I want it to. OK - that's extreme (and we did have huge arches to cover huge rubber) but the principle doesn't change.

And my wife will be driving the car too. :-)

Of course, suspension changes affect the scrub radius, too.

I know there is a lot of suck it and see about rims and tyres, but other peoples experiences may help me to make a better decision, sooner.

7.5L/100km sounds pretty good to me! My '6' might get as far as 8L/100km if I drive incredibly carefully.

Sounds just like mine.

Yellow (I think) indicates the sensor is duff, or perhaps not working correctly. Of course, there is something in the engine bay called a dipstick which can be used.

Change it out when you next change the oil. If your car has a few miles on it, get a sump gasket too, and drop the oil, remove the sump, clean, replace sensor (with new O-ring; genuine BMW ones have an O-ring, as do Hella, but the Meyle ones might not) and refit. Carefully. Don't overtighten the sump bolts.

OK... Found this. http://www.sycamoreservice.co.uk/BMW-e46_wheels_tyres.html (There is an equivalent page for E39s.)

Sadly, and in light of missing the 68s on TradeMe, it looks from this as though they would have fitted without any problem.

They cite 'technically possible' wheel and tyre combinations but I think they are referring to BMW OEM size and offset rims, so it may not be a truly comprehensive resource, but it is a good start. All ETs listed (for alloy rims) are in the high 40s, suggesting much less than that will need further investigation and/or check fitting.

I was watching the staggered MM-Sport rims recently on TradeMe, and had asked if they were genuine. While doing my due diligence and checking that they'd fit the Touring (I was pretty sure they would, but wanted to be certain before coughing up $00s) someone else snuck in and bought them. How dare they? ;-)

In order to avoid something similar happening in the future, I'd like to get a grasp on what works on an E46 Touring, and what doesn't.

I've related elsewhere how my car 'fidgets' on the road, often needing very minor steering inputs. A little research suggests the E46 is particularly prone to this, and any number of factors can cause it to happen. Tyres (type, style, manufacturer, load rating, profile and size), rim offset, alignment (not just wheels but suspension too), front lower wishbone rear bushes, shock absorbers, and even im diameter seem to be a factor.

My car runs the 'standard' 16" rims with 205/55-16 tyres - I think the rims are Style 45 16x7 et47. I understand the differences offsets and a change in rim width can make, but not the limits of changes tat can be made. Presumably a 17x8 et15 with 225/45-17s isn't going to work as while it'll clear suspension and brake components, the outer edge will sit 42mm further 'out' from the car. Don't think there is quite room under there to accommodate that!

If I am going to increase the size of the rims, it'll probably only be to 17s. These seem to give the best compromise between ride, handling and comfort, and (hopefully) won't make my car, with standard non-sports suspension and no lowering, look like it's standing on tip-toes too much.

Suggestions and advice, pretty please!

what size tank do you know?

According to the owners handbook, "approx 63" litres.

fwiw my obc says 6.5 average and seems to match pretty well what i am actually getting

Is that for your 120d? If so, then my calculated figures (as opposed to the OBC figures) may be pretty accurate.

what size tank do you know?

I meant to have a look in the owners manual to see if it says.

(Yup - even got a full wallet of books with the car!)

Thanks for that! I'll be printing it out and spending time 'playing' in the car.

Hmm... 17s.

A little more research (it never ends) suggests that my car is a 'Business' version. You may be able to substitute 'economy' or 'base spec' for business - it didn't get much by way of options.

Cloth seats (not a problem - anyone sat on a very hot leather seat lately?), standard suspension (almost all 330ds, for example, seem to have sports suspension), and so on. Stock 16" rims... At least they aren't steel!

However, it does raise the question of whether a larger rim is going to look OK without suspension work. Julian's 65s are pictured on a lowered saloon, and the blue Touring I pictured earlier has sports kit.

That aside, I think that if a rim will fit a saloon without rubbing issues, it'll fit a Touring. Coupe rims may be a different matter - stock M3 rear rims won't (as far as I can tell) fit on the back of a Touring so I need to be careful with offsets and/or tyre width.

There you go..... Not BBS but will still look sharp.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=661473368

Hmm. Certainly got potential, although I suspect the car in this pic has been dropped a reasonable amount.

^ you'd have to pony up for a M-sport kit then, Graham. Just so the car suits the wheels.

Naah.... Maybe a set of Konis, but not a bodykit. Too much work!

Filled up with diesel this morning. $80, at $1.42.9 per litre, so 55.99 litres. Odometer says 542.6 miles, so that's 873km (near enough).

The computer told me I was getting 61.4mpg, or well over 20km per litre. Hmm... That doesn't match with what the fill up tells me - 15.6 km per litre (around 45mpg, which is exactly what a UK car guide says the car will do, as an average).

However, using a 10c per litre discount voucher, fill up cost was $74.40. Add $47 for RUC, and that's under $125 per week, as opposed to petrol at $110 twice a week that I was using.

(Computer says 4.6 litres per 100km; actual fill up says 6.4 litres per 100km. I think that covers all the economy bases. )

So, much more economical in all respects, but something, somewhere isn't quite adding up. Curious.

Little yellow oil light keeps appearing on the dash when I start up. Time for a new 'oil levelling sensor'; glad I've not changed the oil. I'll get a sump gasket, drop the oil, drop the sump, clean everything up and refit. And put some nice, clean, new oil in. I suspect it is way overdue - the service indicator says over 9000 miles to go, but I completely disagree with that.

Need two new tyres pretty quickly, if not immediately... Not my favourite style but would certainly work and in many people's opinion, suit the car well.

I've been look at a set of Alpinas (17x8 et46) but while they have four yres with lots tread, two of the tyres are of uncertain manufacturing quality, and the rims have had some significant kerbing.

And these ^ are a lot closer to home (for me).

LOL.

Aren't I brave when she's not around?

Sounds way too much like hard work! Rip the horrible bloody thing out & stick a proper gearbox back in there, one that needs three pedals

Fuel economy will improve too. That should be all the justification you need to convince wifey

It's a convincing argument... Except for one teensy thing. Mrs M can't drive stick. Well, she can, but a back injury means I'd have to lift her out of the car afterwards.

Then I might have a back injury, too.

Been doing some research into the 'sealed for life' (yeah, right... Short life, then?) automatic gearbox fitted to my car.

It is the BMW A5S390R, aka the GM 5L40E. It's used in the E46 328i, 328Ci, 330d and 330Cd (coupe, convertible, saloon and touring), E39 525d and 530d, E83 X3 3.0D with four wheel drive, and E53 X5 3.0D with four wheel drive. Maybe others, too.

BMW also built/supplied the A5S360R, but as far as I can tell the only significant difference is the torque handling capacity - A (automatic) 5 (five) S (speeds) XXX (maximum torque rating) R (Manufacturer: R=Hydramatic/GM Z=ZF). Curiously, the GM designation appears to remain unchanged regardless.

The attached doc is specifically for the E39, but contains a lot of useful information specific to the 360 & 390 series transmissions too. It shows the location of the plugs and gives some info regarding what is expected during the change procedure.

If you're looking for details of the change procedure itself, start here.

Fluids... Lots of misdirection around this. The current consensus seems to be to stick with Dexron VI, and you'll be fine. This has been used in several countries, and over tens of thousands of kms without any reported issues (that I have found). At least, no issues directly related to the choice of fluid. Lots of discussion around oil manufacturer, but that's another matter.

BMW did supply a fluid, which was superceded by a different BMW part number, and then (it seems) discontinued. Latest advice is to use Dexron VI, although some older Dexron specs including III would probably suit.

When changing the fluid, change the filter (and transmission sump gasket). Expensive from BMW, cheaper elsewhere (of course) but check carefully the part number as there are two or three different types. Again, these may correlate to the 360 or 390-series gearboxes, but I have no confirmation of this (yet).

Not sure on the procedure for draining all fluid from the transmission system; the gearbox itself holds about half of the fluid, witht he rest in the cooler, pipework and torque converter. Many torque converters also have a drain plug, so I'll see if this is true of the GM 'boxes.

BMW_E39_Transmission_Fluid_Information.pdf

I did look at an E39 540i a while back, before I bought the Merc - a white (allegedly) M-sport one. The seller was claiming all sorts of hostory for it and to be fair it really did look the part, and gave every impression of being pampered and looked after. However, when pressed for any sort fo evidence that various things had been done, he went very, very quiet, ending with 'it is what it is' and 'come on - it is over 10 years old' type comments. I may have missed out. Or I may have dodged a bullet. Dunno.

Regardless, it's good to know that a balance is being maintained. Driving economically and hearing how many kms per litre someone gets is hardly page-turning, edge-of-the-seat stuff, but for me (at the moment) it is a fact of life. With fuel prices going the way they are, I may not be in such a minority for long!