Olaf

@fast&curious welcome! you'll certainly be much safer in the e82 if you insist on revisiting that tree-hugging past. I know what you mean; I hurled my MKII Golf GTi 16v (1800) around a bit in north america. Getting into my first bmw (e30 325i Touring) in London was a huge step up in engineering and manufacturing quality. I don't have much advice re the 135i. Other than research your mods carefully. Don't forget to replace all those vac pipes... boost leaks ruin the ownership experience. There'll be someone along soon to help you with your addiction. I'm sorry sir, this isn't rehab. We're all addicts here, none of us in recovery. You're amongst friends here. Welcome to Break My Wallet.

@Bmwfan87 welcome to the crazy zone. We're not all crazy in here, but it helps! You're amongst friends - we all dig the BMWs. 'Break My Wallet'. The asolute best thing you can do is google "so you bought an e60". It's a PDF you can download, it's updated from time to time, gives you an amazing amount of info, what pain points to look at, what you can expect to spend to run one. Produced by one of the US forums. The e60 was the best - class leading - mid-sized executive express for years. There's plenty that's great about them. Go into it with your eyes open; if you think you can buy it cheap and run it like a Camry, it has other things in mind, and you're going to be enjoying a wallet-ectomy, and it's sure to end in tears. They like maintenance, and they like parts. If you can't work on it yourself, find an excellent independent you can trust. These are not the domain of your local garage. They have excellent brakes and great handling. The suspension system is more sophisticated than 3ers or (say) Camry's, and so when it's time to replace, it's not just bushes - it's wishbones with many more parts than other cars of the same size. Brakes aren't so bad on the sixes - there are many OEM and Aftermarket options. The V8s run an aluminium hat that no OEM produces. Water leaks (ingress of rain water) will kill your e60 faster than anything; multiple computer modules all over the car get flooded if the drains get blocked. Strangely, they're strategically placed by clever German engineers in places that will with water in unfavourable conditions. The ZF 6speed trans is superb. At 125k kms it'll need a service. Fluid flush, new pan (integrated filter), bolts, mechatronic sleeve. The BMW lifetime fill is B.S. - ZF themselves recommend regular maintenance. If you luck out and find one with Dynamic Drive (active anti-roll) you're in for a treat. Mine gave zero trouble in seven years. Active Steering is fab, though the rack is a sh*t to change and expensive to replace in event of failure. BMW acheived better weight distribution and rigidity over the previous model with extensive use of aluminium... even the schocks and struts use aluminium housings. Everything forward of the windscreen is aluminium. The structure is bonded with adhesive and riveted; so repair costs are huge. These days they're usually written off after an accident as uneconomic to repair. You may find insurance is more expensive than comparable cars. Maybe it's dropping as more fall off the road. YMMV. The e60 is a really rewarding car to drive, still looks great twenty years later (they were polarising on release). Just go in with your eyes open. I loved every minute of mine (a 545i) for seven years. V8 features 50:50 weight distro in a comfy car with ~330-350 hp that goes stops and handles more like a sports car than a limousine. You know you want one.So You Just Bought an E60 (V3.9).pdf Did I mention it's not your grandma's Camry. Find that PDF. I've attached an old one in case your google foo ain't up to it.

I was wondering how to find out more about steering-wheel integration with the Kenwood KMM-BT308. ChatGPT had this to say: To integrate your Kenwood KMM-BT408 head unit with the steering wheel controls of your BMW E46, you'll need a compatible steering wheel control adapter. The BMW E46 utilizes data-based steering wheel controls, which require an adapter to translate the data signals into a format that the Kenwood unit can interpret. E46 Fanatics Recommended Adapter: The Enfig SRWH-BM1 is a plug-and-play adapter designed specifically for BMW vehicles, including the E46. This adapter connects directly to your vehicle's wiring harness and interfaces with the Kenwood head unit, allowing seamless control via the steering wheel buttons. E46 Fanatics Installation Steps: Purchase the Adapter: Obtain the Enfig SRWH-BM1 adapter from an authorized retailer. Connect to Vehicle Harness: Plug the adapter into your BMW E46's factory wiring harness. This connection is typically straightforward, as the adapter is designed to match the vehicle's connectors. Connect to Kenwood Head Unit: Attach the adapter's output to the steering wheel control input on the Kenwood KMM-BT408. Refer to the Kenwood manual for the exact location of this input. Programming (if necessary): Some adapters may require programming to map the steering wheel buttons to specific functions on the head unit. Follow the instructions provided with the adapter for this process. Additional Considerations: Compatibility: Ensure that the adapter is compatible with both your BMW E46 model year and the Kenwood KMM-BT408. Professional Installation: If you're not comfortable with car audio installations, consider seeking professional assistance to ensure proper integration. By using the appropriate adapter, you can retain the functionality of your BMW E46's steering wheel controls with your Kenwood KMM-BT408 head unit, enhancing both safety and convenience. Sources

welcome to the Tractor Gang! Jebus but they do like their codes. And tyres. And brakes. And transfer case and diff issues. #1 hint: ensure tyre sizes are in-spec. My brother had an e53 3.0 Sport diesel when new. Stunned me, made a real impression. Followed. Looking forward to learning of your exploits. Guidance for cars that your spouse carries your offspring around in: they shall always be over-maintained, and they shall never leave your spouse stranded with your offspring.

Date: 11 Nov 2024 Distance: N/A kms 1. Parts gathered.... Diff, and Front ARB Great news. The parts car produced a decent diff. Jon @ Begley Motor Worx has now degreased, prepped, painted the replacement 3.46, new seals all round incl BMW sealant on the cover. Ready to go with Penrite Synthetic. Fig. 1 what a diff'rence a day makes 24mm front ARB sourced from Hell BM (Thanks Ray!). I'll strip, prep, paint when it arrives. It's 5 years since we did the rocker cover gasket, so I've sourced a replacement (Elring) with bolt seals, and new BMW washers. Fifteen of the buggers! BMW part number 11127838077 (for ref). Nearly ready to sort it out. 2. Next items list: Replace right rear tyre (or both rears) - it's at 2.9mm Fit Replacement diff (e46 medium case) 3.46 (including the two small bushes, input and output seals, fill and drain bungs, oil, rear cover sealant) Replace the Power Steering fluid reservoir Top-end oil leak - replace valve cover gasket. Prep and install replacement 24mm front ARB New sunroof seal (Part ready to fit) Install that Msport steering wheel with the stereo integration, have sourced a post-Takata recall airbag from the parts wagon. Clean and rust paint the surface rust on rear subframe Then in near future I'll get into the stereo as per this thread... Next year: could be time for Lesjofors MSport springs, and either Sachs Msport shocks or Konis. Jeez, next April we'll have had this car 13 years. What would an Olaf update be without a musical reference? Let's take a trip back to 70's disco-pop with Esther Phillips 😄

very cool car. potentially deep pockets, though hey, a CSi! Manual. RHD!

bump

Date: 08 Nov 2024 Distance: 215,176 kms 1. WoF sailed through WoF this morning, with a few advisories relating to oil staining. It's a BMW, they're not known for keeping it on the inside!!

bump

thank you for posting that, I'd read it previously; struck me as very reasonable.

Dry humour on this forum; completely shredding on other channels. The rest of the world are "WTF? These Kiwis are positively stoneage rednecks, hey George have you seen this?" Irrespective of who's at the helm, the captain is responsible for the ship and crew. The helmsman, officer of the watch, etc would need to call the captain and apprise them of a 'situation'. The call to abandon would be made by the Captain. They may release some of the findings of the court of inquiry. Until then everything else is on the continuum of informed speculation (professional sea captains) to entirely spectulative (pretty much everyone else), with news media somewhere in the middle. Opinions.... like assholes everyone has them. The difference is, we don't run down the street giving a free shot to anyone who'll look 😉

And 24 hrs to clean that whole interior, clean prep, re-dye, nourish and protect the leather! It looked yecchhhy to me. 😎 Still, there are worse examples in NZ - like that one ex-Kapiti, more recently Christchurch that was turned over quickly...

I think it was NZ7011 from memory. So yes, one of the new C130-J.

Is that what he's clutching? I've never seen these things, genuine question...

Sadlly NZ forgets the world is watching on, bearing witness to the vocal - seeming majority - hanging sh*t off of the captain, whose only "crimes" are: Adopting our country - and the NZDF - as her own Bringing her family here Bringing her skills to our little island nation, and the NZDF. (Command of military vessels does not come in a lottery or a cereal box!) Being female and a captain. who cares if she prefers to dine at the Y. As if that's really a 'thing' in 202x?! We have laws that support same-sex marriage; we're supposed to be a broad-thinking and welcoming country. One can be pretty confident that if one of our few Captains has put their ship aground, it was most likely the safest option available. Whatever the circumstance, the captain made the decision to abandon ship. It's not something taken in haste, nor a gut feeling spur-of-the-moment thing - they run through many inputs, and arrive at a command decision based on all of the data available. All aboard were safely evacuated to shore, with minimal injury and no loss of life. Bravo. The NZ Navy Court of inquiry will bring out the detail, and we may be priveliged to learn some of it. Sadly that's no barrier to our keyboard warriors chiming in. What's noteworthy is that most of them have never been in command of anything more than a scooter or a car. They put on display the sexist and narrow world-view that's rarely far from the surface in good old godzone. To all our unthinking punters - thanks for the expert help in marketing our country to potential immigrants or tourists. "You bloody losers"**. Our Captain derserves nothing less than the respect, support, and confidence of her adopted countrymen, without prejudice - whatever the outcome of the inquiry. ** - note: that's not targetted at anyone on our forum, unless you happen to self-qualify into that group.

whereas I used it (not CM Inspections) in reverse - where scammers were saying they wanted to buy my car (TradeMe listing) and have it shipped abroad... (all an elaborate scam to get access to my bank accounts), I said the only way I'd agree to it - to minimise their risk and give them certainty about what they were buying - was for me to deliver the car to the vehicle inspection service of their choice, and they should pay for it so that it's independent... I had them on the hook for a couple more days. Caaaants.

HPR 5W40 excellent buying at $49 for a 5 litre pack. I thought I was doing alright with a 20 litre at $231!

this. is what you need.

good buying!

$5k and reliable for family service. Surely a Camry. Or a good well-maintained better-than-average e39 530i with bad paint.

Welcome @Antonio318i yes you've struck gold, the balance of the 4 cyl e46 is lovely, and the M43 is the one to have. Plenty of useful info on here, and plenty of love for the e46. You've got a bit of a unicorn with the manual!

After a scan - my first port of call would be battery. Modern BMW (like E60 onwards) very sensitive to voltage and bad batty the source of many gremlins. Be sure to code to the car if you change it out. You're into modern BMW ownership, you need a scan tool.

thanks mate will get amongst it

This - 100%

Sorry I missed this question all those years back. Fuchs oils/fluids were sold by BNT, I bought a 20l of DEXIII from them at a very reasonable price for my old Volvo 855-T5 years back. I'm fairly sure that's where Page were buying their fluid from. Here we are in 2024 and it looks like Penrite ATF BMW (Full Syn) is suitable for ZF6, ZF8, ZF9 (amongst others)... doing the research now. https://www.penrite.info/en/auto-transmission-fluids-atf/atf-bmv-full-syn