E46 320d Touring - life with a high mileage car

[gjm 3258]

woah! nice work Graham. warp speed causing camera shake #8 )

I wasn't holding the phone to take the pic.

[gjm 3258]

I've said a little about attempts to fit a towbar to the 320d. Efforts yesterday evening were, I now know, doomed to failure. For reasons unknown, our car is a teensy bit different to some others.

All suggestions received were valid. And more than likely would work on some other Tourings. Not ours, sadly. The only way to remove the bumper on our car is to remove the entire frame and all. It's not possible to get to the bumper mount torx bolts to release them while the bumper is on the car - even if there were holes in the underside of the bumper, the plastic trim holding the reversing sensors obscures access to the bolt heads. And removing that is a no-no... 6 or more plastic push pins, and plastic locking tongues. Most of which you can't see. Just unclipping the four connectors is a bit of a mission.

So, I removed lots of in-boot trim. Then, using my 18mm spanners and sockets (everyone has 18mm, right? Check the sets available in Repco and SCA and you'll see why I say that) I loosened the 6 nuts on the back of the bolts securing the bumper mounts to the car. Hmm. actually, only 4 were doing anything... More on that in a bit. Have you tried being under the car holding a spanner on something you can't see while being in the boot holding another spanner or ratchet? Got there in the end.

Once the bumper is off the car, things don't look quite right.

When the previous towbar was fitted, the bumper mounts were cut, completely removing one of the mounting holes. (See what I mean about only 4 bolts doing anything? I didn't know this until it was off the car.)

Pics showing the location of the torx bolts:

It looks like you could get to them, but there's only about 40mm between the head and the plastic part of the bumper. Add in being under the car and trying to avoid everything else under there, with a very limited arc to swing a tool through, and it's just not worth the grief. Especially as the mounting bracket has to come off anyway.

The towbar itself, as collected from Nathan, complete with bolts, nuts and washers (thanks Nathan. ).

The bar bolts through the bumper mounts, and there are four bolts which bolt through the rear vertical wall of the spare wheel well, and two more bolts which bolt through the bottom of the spare wheel well. (Our car did once have a towbar and there are two holes in the bottom of the spare wheel well, but none in the rear vertical wall.)

It fits on the car. You can see three of the four mounting points against the rear wall of the spare wheel well. The bolts on the towbar are all a much more usual 19mm head.

Unfortunately the mounts to the bottom of the spare wheel well are not only in a different place, but also sit 0.25-0.5" below the well. Possibly the difference between a spare wheel well for a space-saver tyre and one designed to hold a 'proper' wheel? Regardless, that'll need sorting.

In the interests of checking things out, I have persuaded the towbar and rear bumper to mate.

This shows how the bumper mount sits against the towbar.

Now, I could grind back a little more bumper mount, space the towbar off the body, and fit it all up. Or, I could get another couple of bumper mounts and do the job properly.

I'm putting it all back together without the towbar. I'll get the bumper mounts. I'm going to need to grind the lip (circled in red) back on the new mounts anyway... When (finally) getting this sorted, I'll mount the towbar on to the mounts and then mount the bumper on to the towbar. Then mount the whole lot as a unit back on to the car.

... but at least I can be happy knowing everything is so much closer to how it really should be.

Looking at the bar when fitted on the car, the lateral bar that bolts under the spare wheel well looks as though if it were unpicked, turned over and re-welded, it should fit nicely. Bit of a faff, but again, it means it's done properly.

Right. Best get it all back together. Need to have it on the road so I can go to work in the morning! I've marked the holes in the vertical wall of the spare wheel well, so I'll drill (and plug) those now in prep for doing it all again another time.

And to think I could have been chatting at Kyu's and enjoying some sunshine and coffee!!

[gjm 3258]

For those who struggle with finding an 18mm spanner, a 3/8 BSW or 7/16 BSF works beautifully.

That's what I used.

[zero 1162]

Hey Graham, when I'm back up in Auckland you can come and see how it mounted to my parts car and grab the bumper mounts off it.

[gjm 3258]

Hey Graham, when I'm back up in Auckland you can come and see how it mounted to my parts car and grab the bumper mounts off it.

Ta ever so much.

[Olaf 3317]

great work! and patience.

18mm? Already there mate, after years of working on my Volvo, I make sure any spanner or socket set has 16 and 18mm, plugging the gaps between 15 & 17 & 19mm.

[allan 295]

So you had no rear bumper protection with those absorbers cut like that?.

[gjm 3258]

So you had no rear bumper protection with those absorbers cut like that?.

There's still protection, but the mount are held by two bolts each side instead of three.

Terrible way to force something to fit, imho, especially given the towbar that was fitted (and removed before we got the car!) was allegedly custom made.

[allan 295]

Those cut rear mounts are like shock absorbers they are rated to take out some of a rear end impact 4 to 8 k i believe http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1055583322 these are a pair I had for sale from a sedan.

Edited May 1, 2016 by tim 325

[gjm 3258]

The stock ones are said to protect against impact at up to 4km/h. parking knock-type stuff.

There's no doubt the ones on the car have been messed with. Pretty appalling, to be honest, and sadly not he sort of thing you ever know about unless (like me!) you pull things to pieces. Most people would only find out when they were rear-ended.

Edit:

The same part number appears common across many E46 models and bodystyles.

Edited May 1, 2016 by gjm

[gjm 3258]

Today is the first time the 320d has let us down.

Heading north on SH1, we were pulling into Mercer services to check tyre pressures when the engine cut out. Not stalled, just stopped. No warning lights, normal operating temperature, no funny noises, just stopped.

3/4 tank of fuel. I've checked all potentially relevant fuses - nothing. It sounds like the fuel pump is running. Turns over on the key without any issues, and is turning more than fast enough to start - new battery less than two weeks ago. Occasionally it gives the impression it is trying to start, but doesn't quite get there.

If I leave it for long enough to cool down, it will start and run briefly, before cutting out again. As such, there seems to be a heat-related issue.

A bit of research is entirely inconclusive, but does give some ideas as to where to look. The fuel pressure sensor is a potential issue, but so is a failed relay. Or the fuel pump, fuel sender... More annoyingly, there are some reports of similar issues which are simply not revealed under normal diagnostic enquiries - apparently the issue could only show under a directed non-engine-related enquiry, which requires 'proper' INPA or similar diagnostic kit.

Unfortunately, being away from home, at a roadside services, does not make for a good place to consider testing and trying things. I've had no choice but to leave the car at the services and get a lift home - I'm hoping to get it moved today without paying a fortune to a breakdown company.

[kiwi535 538]

Thats a ral hassle.Hope it all works out as painle$$ly as possible!

[m325i 709]

That sucks - what was the ODO at?

[gjm 3258]

Thats a ral hassle.Hope it all works out as painle$$ly as possible!

If it is the high pressure fuel pump, this is likely to be very painful indeed.

That sucks - what was the ODO at?

~305,000 miles.

Edited June 13, 2016 by gjm

[kiwi535 538]

i havent seen or noticed any updates?????

[gjm 3258]

I think I have diagnosed the issue.

It looks as though the heater matrix has leaked water across on to the relays behind the fuse board. This could have caused a failure in the circuit to one or other of the fuel pumps. When I pulled the relays, there was water on top of them.

I've just received a new heater matrix, but don't currently have anywhere under cover to work and with the weather being the way it is - rain for 30 minutes, sun for 30 minutes, repeat - it's not ideal for the entirely unenviable task of E46 heater core replacement. This requires removing the entirety of the interior at the front of the car - seats first, just to make enough space to do the rest.

I can't say I'm looking forward to it! But at least it is less expensive than a replacement high pressure pump.

in the meantime, I dried out the relays and the entire fuse/relays area generally, replaced everything, and had the car running for about 5 minutes before cutting out. Removing the relays again showed more water.

[kiwi535 538]

Dont really know how to answer that!.I spose thats still better than a new pump!Sincerely hope that is the issue.!

[gjm 3258]

Dont really know how to answer that!.I spose thats still better than a new pump!Sincerely hope that is the issue.!

But you liked my powers of diagnosis? I feel quite proud, even if it may have been obvious to those more experienced .

[kiwi535 538]

A "remote" effect would have me beaten i think .Well done.Perhaps a test somehow waterproofing the relays to see if it will run for a longer time?

[gjm 3258]

A "remote" effect would have me beaten i think .Well done.Perhaps a test somehow waterproofing the relays to see if it will run for a longer time?

I'm unsure of the route the water is taking, and I know the matrix needs to be replaced so I'll go down that route. I'll find where the water is, and where it's coming from more precisely once I start removing large pieces of dash.

[Young Thrash Driver 1020]

Could consider using an ultraviolet dye or some such?

[gjm 3258]

Could consider using an ultraviolet dye or some such?

Could do, but I know there's a problem. I can smell antifreeze...

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

Well well!

Thought it might be time to revive this thread, as I now own this car!

This thread went dead in 2016, the last few pages before this show some of the issues. 
There is another thread in about 2018 or so with some more issues this this vehicle. 

For a few reasons, Graham decided it was time to part ways with the car as a non-runner, and ever looking for a project, Elijah @eliongater picked it up from him.
Elijah fitted a new battery to the car, and also found some touring specific rear leather seats for it, but otherwise had a few other things come up in his life as well, and also decided to pass it on.

I picked up this car, some time in 2020.

I went through both this thread and also the help one linked above, and basically came to the same conclusion. For some reason the pressure sensor at the rail was showing 2.1 bar when cranking, which is basically nil.Somewhere in the links above there is a document which is the official BMW fault finding manual for the M47, which was very useful, and in the end diagnosed that the DME is the fault with the car.

So there it sat in my yard for another year or so, which dozens of cars came and went around it. the 320d being a fairly rare car in NZ is very hard to find a DME kit for, and havent had any luck over that time

Some of you that have been around this forum for a very long time will remember Greg Hook from Hawkes Bay, who at that time daily drove a yellow E36 M3. for the last 12 years or so he has worked at Hawkes Bay BMW, and is now what BMW call a Master Technician. He is also a close friend of mine.
4 months ago, he decided to take the step and move out into business for himself, and has set up GH Automotive https://www.facebook.com/GHAutomotiveLtd 
I love it when people decide to have the balls to leave the safety net of a regular salary and go out into the big wide world.

So I decided I would send the 320d to him for one last look over, and if he agrees its the DME, then ill get order one. But it cant hurt to have another look over it.

Dropped it off on Thursday (with a box of Heineken in the front seat, if you know you know!) and he pulled it around yesterday. I told him, ignore the work others have done, just go back to basics and see what you find.

He called me yesterday afternoon, and after 5 years, it is alive once more!

A very strange issue with the car, and one no wonder Graham, Elijah or myself didnt find it!

On the Touring model, there is a difference to the sedan with the relay wiring for the intermediate and fuel tank pumps, with the sedan having a 4 pin relay and the touring having a 5 pin one. Well for whatever reason, this car had a 4 pin relay installed, and so the intermediate pump was not triggering. When testing at the wiring, on the pump however, it would test out with 12V just fine.

So now with the correct relay in place, it starts up and chuggs away quite happily!

Unfortunately, that will not be the end of this saga I suspect. There has to be a reason why someone was in there playing around with those relays (and installed and incorrect one) and so it will remain to be seen what that is. But now that the car is running once more, I will get it back down here, and I can go from there!

Milage: 305,xxx miles, or 492,000km
So it will be getting a big birthday for 500,000km!

[Eagle 1662]

10 hours ago, _ethrty-Andy_ said:

Some of you that have been around this forum for a very long time will remember Greg Hook from Hawkes Bay, who at that time daily drove a yellow E36 M3. for the last 12 years or so he has worked at Hawkes Bay BMW, and is now what BMW call a Master Technician. He is also a close friend of mine.
4 months ago, he decided to take the step and move out into business for himself, and has set up GH Automotive https://www.facebook.com/GHAutomotiveLtd 
I love it when people decide to have the balls to leave the safety net of a regular salary and go out into the big wide world.

Yeah good on him. I believe i met him at the Taupo track day you organized back in the day.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2132]

47 minutes ago, Eagle said:

Yeah good on him. I believe i met him at the Taupo track day you organized back in the day.

Yup he was there at both of them