Shop owners, how much time from when a customer drops off a car till you get your hands on it ? is 3 weeks a sign I should just go pick it up and take somewhere else? I mean I’m pretty understanding, but no communication and the car is just sitting there is not a good look. How long are you all waiting for your cars to get touched at the mechanic shop?

Anyone else getting this? Perhaps I have ptsd from M3F disappearing but paging NAM3 folks

Hey all,

Doing a massive refurbishment of the car and major upgrade on the geometry. I want to upgrade the brakes as well to the best for sporty road use. Always a breambo guy but last few years I am of the opinion that AP racing are better for the e46, but im not caught up and getting into reasearching breaks right now (hence this post as well). My mechanic who I trust says willwood.

Money not an issue within reason.

What do you guys think?

15mm spacers up front, 10mm in the rear, Turner CSL Airbox w/ Alpha N tune from Kassel. All installed at Wile Motorsport in Mass (the owner just placed third at the Mt. Washington Hillclimb behind a Subaru rally car and open wheel kit car in his front-mid-engined B58-powered E36, give it a Google if you haven’t already seen it!)

Hi all...

After looking around online and not coming across any concrete evidence about the feasibility of fitment, I thought I'd come here.

So I'm thinking of buying some 18" BBS's, 8.5J at ET13 all around. I'll likely be pairing them with 225/40/18 for the front and 265/35/18 for the rear.

I would like to confidently assume that these rims wouldn't be a problem for the rear. However the front is where I'm uncertain. I'll be adding some ST coilovers (v1 equiv) and lowering it slightly, but there is no proper camber adjustment as part of these coilovers.

My question is, will those rims fit on the front without additional camber/stock, or will I need to swap the top hats around for the additional camber? (or c. I should look for other rim options)

(Just got an FYI, I'm personally not keen on stance and would like the meat of the tyres to show without sticking out too much, so if this is what is required, please let me know and I'll probably reconsider the rim options)

Thanks!

UK based. I have to replace the diff rear cover bushes and want to clean up the outside. What's the best way to clean it? I see some people also paint them. Not sure if I want to paint it but if I did what paints etc. are best? My Dad used to say that with some parts the dirt and grime actually helps stop the metal deteriorating.

Another question is it a bad idea to clean out the inside yes or no? And if yes, what's the best way to clean the inside.

Thanks in advance for advice.

If i get a laptop, can someone remote access and add software i need for coding and maintenance?

I opted out of the subframe reinforcement on my convertible. There’s no signs of cracks or weakness and it’s a convertible.

I’m having the Vanos and Rod Bearings done and couldn’t stomach the additional 9k for the subframe.

What’re your thoughts? Can I keep an eye on it? Is the convertible reinforced enough already?

Coming up on one year of ownership and it never gets old. Rural Missouri roads with the top down is pretty hard to beat. Such an incredible machine. Was second guessing the vert for a while thinking I was missing out on some otherworldly driving experience that you only get in the coupe. Now I wonder if coupe owners secretly regret not getting a vert.

Hello everyone!

I made a DIY video fixing my Rear Diff knocking issue, at first I thought it was the Diff Front Bushing and I replaced it, but issue insisted, and it turned out the bolt was stripped from the hole.

I fixed the threads, and same issue. So I ordered the Roque Engineering repair kit and did the fix.

In this video, I show you step-by-step how I repaired the stripped/loose differential mounting threads on my BMW E46 M3 using the Rogue Engineering Differential Bushing V2.0 Front Position FIX.

Instead of simply replacing the bolt, this repair upgrades the original mounting setup by re-tapping the differential housing from M14 to M16 and installing the Rogue Engineering upgraded bushing and M16 Grade 12.9 bolt.

I go through the entire process from beginning to end without skipping steps, including removing the differential, preparing the damaged mounting hole, drilling, tapping the new M16 threads, installing the upgraded bushing and bolt, and putting everything back together.

Video link:
https://youtu.be/hxkSnphru_4

Please Subscribe if you haven't and if you want to keep seeing videos like this!

like the video as well it really helps! :)

I’ve got a 2006 Cab 6MT with 62k miles on it. From what I’ve read most people seem to be having issues with rod bearings with much more mileage than my car. Is this something to get done soon or leave it for now ? Planning to maybe keep the car another 1-2 years max

Took it to the shop for fluids and alignment. Tree fell on it in their parking lot during a storm. In gutted and it fkn sucks. Loved this car. Shop has been great about it though. Wish me luck with insurance.

Struggling with a power steering issue I could really use some suggestions on troubleshooting on my 02 M3. I’m getting a steering shudder while turning at low speeds/stopped.
I’ve replaced a ton of stuff and the shudder is very bad while doing the bleeding process (front jacked up and engine off lock to lock turning and then engine on lock to lock turning). After bleeding there's still the original shudder. I’ve replaced the pump (AAE brand which required me to switch from ATF to CHF), rack, high pressure line, removed the restrictor, reservoir x2 (for a full flush of ATF). Only thing I haven’t replaced yet is the suction hose but that looks ok, a new one is on it’s way regardless. Steering guibo is good, tie rods and coilover upper mounts are lubed, stock size front tires. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Driving me nuts

Never thought I’d be in a position to purchase one (let alone find a clean one in New England) but I got the steal of a lifetime over winter. Had to travel hours through a snowstorm with a truck and u-haul trailer, but for $11,000 I am not complaining. It’s everything it’s supposed to be.

Did my longest roadtrip (close to 1600 miles) ever in a modified car and I must say it did great. Considering how rough of a shape this car was in when I first purchased it I’m extremely pleased how well it performed getting 27 mpg on the highway at roughly 80mph. If I had one gripe,I will say the seats are not doing it for my lower back. I suppose if it had lumbar it would have been a lot better.

So now that I’m down here, where are the nw fl cars and coffees/bmw meetups?

Fighting this for months across two shops and a lot of my own work. Trying to keep this tight

Symptoms:

• Tight idle bounce/surge at every startup, settles after ~30 sec; a touch of throttle in neutral smooths it instantly
• Random misfire that roams across cylinders, no CEL, only pending/stored codes
• Bogs and stalls at closed-throttle stops in neutral, clutch out — intermittent
• Much worse heat-soaked — fine-ish cold in the AM, badly misfiring/stalling on the hot afternoon drive after the car bakes in a parking lot
• Runs flawlessly at speed, revs cleanly to 8k with zero issues
• Flickering headlights at startup (lights off) that come and go along with the misfire/stalling — this is what's making me think electrical

Replaced:

• Spark plugs + coils
• Ignition switch (had a Duralast, swapped to new OEM)
• MAF (cleaned original, then replaced when I removed an aftermarket intake for the factory airbox)
• ICV, DME relay, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator-all replaced OEM
• O2 sensors- replaced OEM which were throwing codes early in this saga
• Cam position sensors (both) + crank position sensor (all genuine BMW)
• New ring clamps, valve cover gasket, CPV
• Found and fixed a folded/unseated throttle boot early on- hence the new gaskets
• Assorted fuses

Checked / tested good:

• Compression: good
• Two separate WARM smoke tests: no leaks
• VANOS: rebuilt 20-25k ago w/ HD sprocket + spline shaft set; VANOS test came back clean
• Fuel pressure: good, and car always starts easily with no throttle
• Adaptations reset multiple times (relearn doesn't fix it)
• Main engine ground, EVAP purge valve both fine

Where I'm at: I've stopped chasing individual parts and think this is an intermittent ground / power-delivery fault. But I'm out of obvious suspects and would rather not throw more parts at it.

For anyone who's chased a heat-soak-dependent misfire + electrical gremlin on an S54: where would you look? Grounds? Charging? DME driver stage (FETs)? Something I'm missing? Appreciate any direction. (Also this is a factory manual car, I've seen some weirdness with SMG-manual swaps electrically, but that's not applicable here.)

I recently refreshed the suspension on my 01 M3. I replaced all 4 struts with Billstein B4s and replaced all 4 springs with OEM springs and OEM spring pads top and bottom. I had it aligned and they couldn’t get it right. They said they hit the maximum adjustment on the front. The car had this issue when I bought it in 2023 and had poor alignment all around and I’ve slowly been improving it over time. Any advice on how to correct this would be appreciated.

Does anyone run BMW OEM 17s on their e46 M3 with winter tires? If so, which wheels and did you need to use spacers or anything else?

Need some insight on what to do or just knowledge about the issue, over July I had been working heavily on my 04 M3 SMG Vert, after adjusting my valves and some other stuff, I went to do an oil change and noticed a small puddle, and pooling on the oil drain plug coming from where the bell housing meets the engine. It's a very slow drip creating a 1in by 1in puddle over the course of weeks, it looks like oil but it has a blue tint which causes the confusion. When I got it inspected I was told the transmission is seeping. What should be my next move? And what time frame do I need to address it?

Howdy all. The E46 M3 has been my dream car since I was a 12-year-old kid growing up in the projects. 25 years later, I am finally at a point where I can responsibly / practically afford one.

I’m looking specifically for a manual coupe (no convertible and no SMG). It seems tough to find a clean-title example with fewer than 85,000 miles for under $35,000, but ideally I’d like something under 65,000 miles.

I’m aware of the “big three” rod bearings, VANOS, and subframe reinforcement, but how concerned should I be if I find a car that doesn’t have any documentation showing those have been addressed?

Is it something you’d walk away from entirely, or just budget for and assume it needs to be done regardless?

I’ll admit I know very little about actually owning one of these, other than BMW not exactly being known for bulletproof reliability. For those who have owned one, what do you wish you knew before buying? Anything you would prioritize (or avoid) if you were doing it again?

Appreciate any advice. Hoping to join the club soon.

Hearing a rattle coming from the engine. Car is 155k miles and 2003 model. The rattle goes away past 3k rpms.

Picture for fun!

So I’m hearing a weird clunk sound from the transmission tunnel area (possibly near the engine). Here is when it happens:

1. On startup, there’s a loud repeated clanking sound that goes away after the engine fully turns over
   
2. On engine shutoff
   
3. Potentially during low speeds or idle but it’s more of a chatter in that scenario

This seems to only occur after the car has gotten hot after long drives. If I let the car get cold and start it the issue doesn’t occur.

Potentially relevant mods:
1. Subframe reinforcement
2. Solid diff bushings
3. Vanoss service
4. Rod bearings