Olaf

09 Dec 2023. 187879kms I'd dusted off the e60 about a month ago, took it for a run to north wellington to give her a quick bath, and charge the battery. Certainly sparkled up, though wasn't so happy running (I am wondering if that was the fuel stabiliser it was taking exception to?). I knew we had a remaining code to address - for the variable intake manifold. The actuator is at the back of the manifold, and up against the firewall. New intake manifold gaskets, and a replacement Intake actuator were the order of the day. 1. Intake Manifold Actuator Replaced Begley Motor Works performed their magic, replacing the intake manifold actuator, 90km road test, it was running beautifully. I collected the car and had a very smooth trip back to Wellington. Man this car is good on the open road! I wondered what to do with it next? Didn't take long to figure that one out - I took it on a BMW Car Club run over to Cape Paliser and back. It ran beautifully there and back... after lunch it threw a CEL, and had some minor misfire. The CEL cleared itself next day, and car running brilliantly. I've checked the codes and cleared them (one thousand thank yous mate - you know who you are)... and the car is fabulous. A wash tomorrow and it's up for sale. Sad to see it go, though weighing up the cost of the garage I rent for it, and the use it gets, it'll be seeking a new loving home.

Date: 11-13 Dec 2023 Distance: 209359 kms 1. Headlamp Lens Replacement My lenses were looking pretty average. I scored some from @Autoglym ex pick-a-part (thanks man!) with very nice lenses. I cleaned them up and got new seals. Jon did the rest - made one great out of two, where wiring was aging or plastic fatigued from years in the sun. Fig 1: at 21.5 years old and a number of polishes/restoration wipes, better to replace. Surprisingly still passing VTNZ WoF. Impaired vision, IMHO. Fig 2: 21.5 year old Xenon choke wiring. Beware! Fig 3: After. Much better night vision. Oooh as I said vision, twice... how about a musical interlude? 2. Brakes New flexi-hoses front and rear. Front calipers sandblasted and painted, new pistons, seals, slider pins, boots. Full brake fluid flush. The old pistons were pitted. It's stopping much more nicely now, I think more of the stopping was acheived from the back! Fig 4: a dirty ol' front e46 325i caliper Fig 5: Sandblasted, painted, ready to re-kit with new pistons and seals. 3. Diff Diff service. Turns out the diff is a little tired (crownwheel and pinion) so looking for replacement 3.46 e46 medium case. Cleaned, replaced output seals (pinion seal okay), reassembled with new drain/fill plugs, BMW sealant, and Diff Oil. New main bush. Remember folks, you'll want front header-to-exhaust manifold gaskets (2), four exhaust bolts, and four exhaust nuts for this job, as you need to drop the exhaust. Fig 6: Genuine BMW rear cover sealant, Input and output seals, Diff Mount Bushing, Fill and Drain plugs, Exhaust Bolt, Nuts, Gaskets. Fig 7: Before Fig 8: "Good Bush" Fig 9: Ahh, on it's way back together. Jon also drilled out a broken bolt, helicoiled and found a replacement bolt for Diff Heatshield. 4. Transmission Oil Pan Bolt Replaced a quick fix bolt with a genuine ZF bolt, so now all ship-shape and Bristol fashion. During Trans service back in January, we’d spotted a couple of dodgy ones left behind by a previous Te Aro workshop that will not be named… Exceptional Service at Begley Motor Works, Marton. Service photo credits: Jon Begley (many thanks for the re-use mate). We've had this e46 11 years 9 months, and she's humming. I have a list of items for preventative maintenance that we'll tackle in the new year. Looking at the diff photos, it's time I spent a little time beneath it with PPE, wire brush, rust converter and epoxy rust-seal paint, before those scabs of surface rust around the subframe get out of hand.

Date: 30 Nov 2023 Distance: 208,yyy kms 1. Wheel Alignment Got in for a wheel alignment, bonus where times are getting busy as Xmas creeps up on us. A near zero-toe alignment (around -0.6 each wheel) front and rear, it’s a dream to drive. Flows beautifully through the curves, easy to bring off-centre… suits my driving style. Ahhhhh. 2. Photo in traffic cost $150 hmmmm. On my way home from the alignment, more traffic disruption in Welly. Stopped in the traffic buildup, I thought I’d document the scene, with our Police managing a difficult situation where what looked like a gang member had abandoned their car at a traffic light. Summoned to the side of the road by the officers, I was ticketed $150 for “using a phone”. To my mind I was using a camera - I put the car into park before using it. Oh well lesson learned, avoid contributing to the consolidated fund - and Police quotas - at all costs. Wearing my seatbelt, car warranted, registered, insured, well-maintained. A discussion and a warning would have been more appropriate; we had a most cordial exchange nonetheless.

Fuel Pump & DME relay. They're ~20 years old and who knows how many cycles. Don't bother with used - just send it.

no-crank: I know you've already replaced the fuel pump. Have you done the fuel pump relay? Also the DME relay.

Date: 22 Nov 2023 Distance: 208,921 kms 1. Rack boots & Oil Service Replaced both rack boots with Febi kits (32131096910). A shitty job made easier on a rack, somewhat easier when the Repco balljoint splitter is used. Oil service (because why not, and largely short running since January) with a Mann Oil Filter (11427512300) and Penrite HPR 5 (5W-40 Synthetic). My thanks to @Autoglym for working through the job with me. Thanks also to Jon for the "More(y) Orange than Donald Trump super-sticky grease recommendation. Brilliant stuff. Fig 1: A Nice Rack, yesterday 2. WoF re-check and WoF Secured WoF for the next 12 months. Now it needs a bloody good clean.

It has a purple tag rack. They're standard on all LCI e46.

Date: 20 Nov 2023 Distance: 208,853 kms 1. WoF She sailed through a WoF with one exception - a torn RH steering rack boot. Fortunately I have rack boots in my parts stash for the e30, ready for when it gets a purple-tag rack. I've picked up a 20 litre pack of Penrite HPR 5 5W40 synthetic, may as well do an oil change while it's in the air, and give it a wash afterwards.

Wow! I didn’t bother bidding I was sure it’d go for more. Good buying and not far from me.

Full rack of 1/4” six-point metric, built from sale table boxes at tool shops for spare change. I have another rack with Torx sockets, another with deep dish. The Craftsman ratchet I bought in North America in the 90’s, it’s a keeper.

Well-used assortment of quality 3/8” drive extensions filling a gap in my 3/8 set. 1970’s Stahlwille, Koken, Snap-On. Estate sale.

No, I’m saying keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground. If you move out to the suburbs you can get to know your neighbours. When we were gathered at my folks house after my Mum passed, one of the neighbours from down the street enquired, said he’d heard about my Mum, offered his condolences, and then asked what we were doing with the commodore. I was about to advertise it having discussed it with my fellow executors, it was on the very large list of things we had to attend to. His timing was perfect. Test drive, offer, accepted. Showed up that night with his 18 year old Son, freshly licensed, eyes shining, and a wedge he’d been working hard to save in his holiday jobs. The son had his eyes on the car since he was five years old, a family of Holden enthusiasts. Everyone happy, reasonable price and going to locals who knew the car and would cherish it. Something ticked off the list; we had a whole house to clear, probate to reach and an estate to settle. It’s a job, and if you think that sounds cold, I hope you don’t need to learn it too soon! 😳 If you see a forensic cleaning or house clearance van in the driveway, nothing wrong with a quiet word. It’s all part of the cycle of life.

quit whining, buy sheepskin seat covers, sorted.

I certainly haven't argued they drive like a car - and yes getting into my e60 V8 reaveals the unique compriomises of the X3. You've carefully not revealed the SUV you hate so much. Try a BMW SAV - I'd not be caught dead in a Hyundai SUV etc, would rather drive a Camry. FWIW we started family with a small 5dr hatch, first triip away the car was chock full with baby stuff - we look back and laugh at our inability to judge what was needed. We added a Maxima when kiddo #2 arrived 21 months later - did family trips away including side-by-side buggy in the boot. With the benefit of hindsight the key advantage of an X3 or X5 would be not having to bend down into a car when strapping in a capsule or car seat from another vehicle, or strapping the bundle of joy in (still happening when they're five years old), or loading a pram into the back. In summary, you're suffering from n00b parent syndrome, and unless you're starting a rugby team soon you don't need a 5er wagon - that's an over-reaction.

Don't feed the troll lads. Everyone knows N46 is good money after bad, best put out with the recycling.

H&R also do OE Sport - in the USA - providing that increased rate - progressive, at OE ride height. I'm running H&R Sport with KoniSport on my e30.It's firm but supple, the pairing works well. I'd have been happy with H&R OE Sport, 318iS height, but exch rate and freight favoured sourcing from Germany at the time, so not an option. The rate is excellent, the lower c of g helps, though I don't need the low.Handles well, is firm, though not jarring.

The USA site. It lists models separately though all lead to the same part number that I quoted above.

@cleanish_e46 you mean this one?

@aramoana long time between updates - how's it going? How's it looking? Are you keeping the 316i faith?

Re those Akebonos, @Vass settle in for the long run, I only ditched mine in Jan this year, such was their longevity 😂 They flat-out refused to yield! The Hawks are a *little* dustier, nowhere near OE/OEM pads. Enjoy 👍

Yes, was about to say the same as @Eagle- there are a multitude of rear springs for e46 - I think there's different springs for sunroof and slicktop! If those are orange stripes on yours I think they're the same as mine... can't find my photo from when I bought replacements. Re one-size-fits-all Eibachs, I think this is the real downside of their springs. As with BMW having distinctly different springs between options and body styles/drive trains, with H&R in most applications do springs specific to different versions. In e30 land you put Eibachs on a Vert, you get a rear end that's a bit low and a bit soft. You use H&R Sport part numver for e30 Vert, and you get the right rate, the right height/stance, and no rub. Springs for some people seem to be a religion Eibach/Bilstein Koni/H&R. I just checked the Eibach catalogue - 2067.140 is listed for e46 325i Sedan and Touring. And Coupe. And Vert. Oh well, they meet TUV, eh? A brief wander thru the USA H&R catalogue reveals H&R have a sport spring for e46 coupe & sedan with ///MSport (29484) without ///Msport (29485); Cabrio ///MSport (the 29484 again); for Sport Wagon (Touring) they list 29419 (323 and 325i), and there's another spring for 325Xi and 330Xi touring. Some H&R are US-specific, so looking around in the German site may yeild more info, and the magical match for your car - they may not have done e46 330i Touring in USA. When you take the difference in engineering between Eibach and H&R into account, why do folks love Eibach so much with their one-size approach? This isn't about "Red vs Blue" - and you're beyond that with the amount of engineering you've put into your Touring. Perhaps H&Rs - with appropriate catalogue number - may be your solution. On the wheels question, for my analysis some years back, I used willitfit.com I did things like standard 7J with 205/55/16 compared with Style 68 and 245/40R17 to baseline and contrast, won't bore you with that here. Here's the Style 68 vs Style 194 rear comparo.

More on the Old Tools thing. Deceased Estate house clearance... the auctions come through and decide what they want. The clearance agent might get the Salvo's through.... it's heart-breaking what goes in the bin, no time to sell, and it costs time/money to sell stuff that just doesn't pay back. It's not unusual to see a fellow-traveller car enthusiast or engineer's life collection of toolage disposed of - at least sometimes it's the MenzShed. Dunno how you crack on to this stuff without being ghoulish - gotta be simpatico.

X3 30D Msport - if there's just three of you, or if you add one and all of the baby/kid stuff, you've enough space, easy loading, easy driving. You need to get some long running in for the diesel... the powertrain is great, silky-smooth... easy to park, a great all-rounder. Comes with those SAV downsides of greater tyre wear and fuel consumption than a 5er equivalent, but also such a great all-rounder. Comfortable, quiet, grippy, peppy, frugal. If you want to pinch more pennies, get the 20D.

Hand tools. The Teng stuff can be had at reasonable prices. I'm not keen on their ratchets. Also consider Jonnesway from BNT, nicely finished, work well. 1/4" drive set, with a small comfortable ratchet, extensions and wobble-bars and unis is essential (IMHO) on BMW and Volvo. You'll need the torx sockets, and the deep sockets as well. I got by with 1/2" and 1/4" for a good while, though ultimately having 3/8" drive as well makes things more comfortable. 1/2" power bar. You want a strong one, as when you need one you've got to rely on it. You're going to STRESS it. You're going to put a 1.5 metre steam pipe - or anything you can find to add leverage - and you need to avoid breakage-inflicted injuries. Don't cheap-out on a breaker bar. Look for one with a big-diameter pin (the one that pivots the connector socket head). Quality Screwdrivers. Good quality screwdrivers fit the fasterner better, grip in your hand better (and thus transfer more power), and are more durable. Cheap screwdrivers are as much use as a chocolate teapot. While you're at it, you've no excuse to buy cheap screwdrivers to abuse, as you've just bought a set of Pry-Bars. Use the proper tool for the job - they're safer. And buy a set of drifts/pin-punches, they're the bomb. Circlip Pliers - internal and external. Nuff said. Right tool for job. A 12v test lamp!. When you just need to find power, or confirm power is present, the good old test-lamp with needle tip (or the modern equivalent - the power-probe) is the bomb, and faster than a meter. Old tools. If you can find a full set of old tools - like 1960's/70's/80's from the likes of Koken/Stahlwille/Britool/Sidchrome/Aigo/Facom, they're better than new stuff. Let's face it bargain Snap-On rarely happens. Older quality was better in the mid-range than most of the modern mid-range, and used top-end will cost you less than new mid-range. You can find these value-buys on TradeMe, at Garage Sales, deceased estate, second hand shops etc. Save big. You can build your own set from bits and pieces, put your sockets on a keeper bar. The modern stuff (eg new Craftsman, new Stanley etc are not like the old stuff. Example: Craftsman used to be made in USA and unconditionally gauranteed forever - now it's made in China by a company that's bought-up a lot of the old-school tool brands. I have a 17mm or 19mm 1/2" Craftsman socket that I've beaten-on for more than 25 years, it's lost some of the plating at the tips from (quite) a bit of abuse on a rattle-gun and it just keeps going - Deathproof! I've jinxed it now. Real Estate Signs. Excellent insulation for lying on or kneeling on beneath your car. Corflute rocks as an insulator, and you'll frequently find them blowing down the road when the winds are strong. Recycling! LED lighting. Portable LED lights are excellent for working beneath your car. Squinting sucks. Garage Stereo. Again, from trademe or a garage sale. Fill it up with 00's CDs from the tip shop. You want to have some tunes while you work. no need to faff around with a bluetooth speaker, get a hifi for under $100. MOST IMPORTANT: PPE. You need to take care of yourself. Eyes: Safety glasses, safety googles, face sheilds. So much cheaper than ACC and a glass eye. Ears: get some good ear defenders and use them compulsively. Your future, older self will thank you for it. Hard to chat up your future wife/husband/insert your preferred title here at a bar if you're deaf. Hands. Gloves - mechanics gloves for general use. It's easy to learn to handle the fine stuff with the thin neoprene gloves that absorb shock. For everything else, use latex or the blue/black/orange disposable gloves. Helps with quick cleanup of your hands when you've finished a job if you've not filled your nails and cuticles with stale grease. Also keeps all the fluids you handle out of your skin, a good thing. Lungs. Get a decent respirator. Use the appropriate filters for the job. Visitors: get a bucket of ear foam plugs, and extra pair or two of ear muffs, some extra safety glasses, disposable respirators - if you're lucky enough to have a mate lend a hand, help them stay safe. Fire Extinguisher. as someone mentioned earlier, fire extinguisher, and perhaps a fire blanket. Steel can with lid for discarded rags - they can combust. A steel cabinet to store your solvents/oils/paints in. Keep it closed!

@Vass I've been following your thread mostly via email updates. It's been a big journey! I see you're having clearance problems at rear, and trying multiple solutions. Forgive me if I've not been through the full detail of your thread - one thing occurred to me this morning. Tyre width and offset on e46 FWIW the Msport tyre package for e46 is F: 225/45R17, with R: 245/40R17 You probably already know this. This works fine with e46 Style68 7.5J17 ET:41, 8.5J17 ET:50, or the e90 Style 194 8J17 ET:34, 8.5J ET:37. I did a *heap* of research (a metric sh!t-ton) when figuring out how to get a bit more rubber to the road. General theme was 255's a bit tight on e46, approach with caution. I did all the math, using online calculators allowing me to compare offset, rim width and tyre size. I went 245/40R17 with confidence. At rear the style 194s produce 13mm additonal rim poke on the outer edge (and 13mm more clearance from the strut on the inner edge), before we add the 245 section tyre on the rear, Noting that your 255mm setup is same between R17 and R18 rims - most particularly with respect to rim width and offset - perhaps the additional 5mm of tread on the outside (assuming your 10mm wider tread section distributes to 5mm extra on each side) is enough to catch on the outer guards/liners? I can't talk to the Eibachs, as mine's on standard springs, with big (bigger than stock, at least) ARBs. I did learn that the touring is sensitive to rear springs after an Auckland wrecker sending me the wrong springs (green paint dabs (4 cyl coupe maybe?) instead of orange for 6 cyl touring) which produced a saggy low rear, sh*t ride, and general dissatisfaction. That was later resolved with a pair of the correct orange-dabbed springs from an e46 ninja on this site. Your thicker spring pads are a valid response to mitigate the low.... I digress. One question on springs: Are your Eibachs Touring-specific springs? Or are they Eibach one-rate-fits-coupe/sedan/tourings e46 springs? Back to tyres and a Summary - possible clearance issues with e46 touring by running e90 255 section tyres in place of e46 245 section tyres at rear on e90 offset. You've ruled-out offset differences between your Style 194 R17's and the R18 package. I suspect if you threw your 255R17s onto Style 68's, you might get just away with it (13mm less poke), though it might rub. I'd be fairly confident that 245/40R17 on your Style 194 would be a doddle - and prove that 245 on the 18inch package would work. The easy solution IMHO is to run e46 tyre section (245mm) with the e90 offset for greater track width. If you were here in Wellington I'd be happy pop my rears wheels onto your car for a quick test. This setup has been serving me very well on e46 Touring for years. HTH.