Project 'Modern E36' - My 2009 BMW 128i

[HAULN-SS]

haha..i lol'd without even seeing the pic

[D_Eclipse9916]

hmmm, I wonder if the same stuff is used for the xdrive system. I need to change the manual trans/rear diff fluid in the X3 but I'm not sure if it requires something different since its got xdrive.

I'm not sure... the 75W-90 fluid has been a differential "staple" for years on BMWs from what I know.

FYI - TSB update to 75W140 has been posted for most BMWs differentials. I dont think it matters. :lol:

[Jake]

I saw that for the E36 and that's what I'm running in it. The E82 still spec's 75W-90. I don't think it matters all that much, new fluid >> old for now.

[Jake]

I hated the stock shift knob. The 135i M-Sport cars got a perforated black leather knob with some heft to it. The 128i M-Sport cars got a shiny silver plastic knob that weighs near-nothing.

So, $75 later and I have the good ol' standby ZHP shift knob on the car. Makes shifts slightly easier due to more weight, so some of the notchiness in 1st/2nd is gone. Hooray!

[WRXtranceformed]

:thumbup: Looks sharp!

[Jake]

Crossed the 50k mark a few weeks ago:



Nothing huge to report, really. I got a deal on an aftermarket (AFE) cold air intake from a guy on E90post so I picked that up and installed it for maximum vroom-woosh-drone noises:



There were some "flat spots" in the rev range after install where you'd feel the power drop off for a second. It finally threw a CEL on Saturday which I assumed was related. A quick disassembly and re-assembly of everything seems to have fixed it. I think I had something a bit loose and it was messing with the air:fuel ratio. The code was for running too rich.

Anyway, all is well. Needs a detail like whoa, the paint suuuucks up close. And I really ought to get the wheels refinished. But, in the meantime, it's good enough and really pretty from five feet away.

[Jake]

Mileage: 53,200

The service interval thingy has been counting down rapidly over the past week or so. It finally dropped from 3k miles to 800 (with intervals in between) and I decided I'd look up what is involved in "service required" according to BMW. I had done a lot of work to it at 50k so I figured I was covered. Turns out I was, they recommend fluids and filters, that's it.

So, I reset the service indicator, which is vaguely like doing the Macarena in the driver's seat.

1. Insert key into key slot (even if you have Comfort Access)
2. Close door
3. Press Engine Start button with foot off of the clutch to just turn on the electronics
4. Let the "Service" exclamation mark disappear in the dash display
5. Press and hold the trip odometer reset button for about 7 seconds. If you hold it too long, you'll get some strange diagnostic menus that are all in German.
6. Use the turn signal stalk's trip computer toggle to find "Reset"
7. Press and hold the "BC" button on the end of the stalk until a clock icon spins around, then notice the interval is reset.

So I did all that, and it worked. And then the car freaked out and told me I needed all four brake pads replaced.

I grabbed a flashlight and took a look between the wheel spokes - the car could be right, after all - and while the fronts look near new, the rears are getting pretty low. The good news is that this car came with an extended maintenance package (which I've been told does transfer ownership) and it covers oil and brakes until August 2015 or 100k miles.

I'm dropping the car off at BMW of Alexandria after work tonight, and they will give me a loaner overnight for $Free.

My friend Rodrigo is a tech there so he gave me some insight onto how the brake system works. The older BMWs had a wear sensor that would just get worn down at a certain point and open a circuit, tripping the "brake pads" light. It was either "on" or "off."

Apparently the newer BMWs use the same sort of sensor (one per axle) but it's thicker and is designed to wear down AS the pads wear down, so it changes resistance as the pads wear. The car knows that the resistance is changing and constantly monitors for the threshold to be hit. So, I guess in doing my reset of the whole service system, it checked everything and realized the rear pads were just out of spec enough to sound the alarms.

New cars are silly. Can't wait to give a review of a beige 320i or whatever they give me.

[RawrImAMonster]

Pretty annoying that you have to replace the sensor if it ever gets to the point of telling you that you need new brakes.

[Jake]

Pretty annoying that you have to replace the sensor if it ever gets to the point of telling you that you need new brakes.

Yeah, on the older cars (pre-E90 era) you could re-use the sensor if it hadn't broken the contacts yet. These must be replaced each time to read properly.

Good news is they are only $21 per axle, so it's not tremendously spendy given how infrequently brake pads need changing.

[Jake]

The great thing about having a friend who's a technician at the dealership is you can request that he work on your car. And he'll call you and explain everything, and text you photos of what's wrong. <3

Rodrigo calls me and goes "I don't know who did the brakes last, but they put the rear wear sensor in all wrong, and it was just kinda hanging there, and your rear wheel rubbed on it."

He wasn't working there at the time, but some other tech at his dealership last did the brakes. I have it in the records. Oops. So, he replaced both front and rear sensors. Said my rotors and pads are not yet at the minimum thickness to be covered by the maintenance plan, but they're all within 2mm of spec. So, he said to drive it another month or so and bring it back, and I'll get new pads & rotors all around for $Free. He was able to calibrate the new wear sensors so they'll tell me when the stuff is due - the fear is that new sensors on old pads won't read right, but they can change that. Hooray.

My oil filter housing gasket is leaking (which I knew about, it's a very very minor seep) and he said my alternator belt tensioner is leaking grease and the belt is beginning to hang off the pulley.

So, I need to get the belt tensioner taken care of sooner rather than later. Good news is the part is only $64 and he said it's very easy to swap out. I'll leave the OFHG for a while.

[RawrImAMonster]

I've heard the BMW performance suspension is a good mix between adding a little sportyness to the suspension while still being comfortable. It lowers the car about a half inch. I think its 1000 for the shocks and springs though. Maybe you could find it used.

[Jake]

That's about the level of drop I would want. Any more than that, and I suddenly can't drive the car anywhere near DC.

I don't really care to have it stiffened up much more than it is now, but slightly stiffer with roughly a 0.5" drop would be perfect.

[.RJ]

Shocks - if Koni FSD's are available, they're a great street shock, and all things Koni are 25% off through the end of the month...

[Jake]

Shocks - if Koni FSD's are available, they're a great street shock, and all things Koni are 25% off through the end of the month...

Oh, I'm not going to be doing anything suspension-wise on this car for many months. It rides fine for now on the slightly-tired shocks, so slightly-tired it shall stay (in true MM fashion).

As of this morning, I've had the car for 10,000 miles and covered that distance in ~8 months. Should put me right at 15k for the one year mark in December. Still happy with it and don't plan on shaking up the garage any time soon. Shocker, right?

[.RJ]

Still happy with it and don't plan on shaking up the garage any time soon. Shocker, right?

Revolve that door, dog.

[Jake]

Mileage: 54,something

Got some of the "new Sonax" wheel cleaner from Eric Wong last weekend at Summit Point. My plans last night got rained out, but naturally the rain stopped once I got home. So, I decided to see how well this Sonax stuff would work on Der 1er's wheels. They are BBS CH that I bought from Paul Newby, and had been used on his E46 racecar for a few years and thus never cleaned very well.

You can see all the brake pad deposits in the "corners" of each spoke if you look hard. These would not come off with just soap and water - although the brake dust would. Sorry for PotatoPhone quality:



I did two passes with the Sonax. The first was just a "spray and pray" - spray it on, let it sit for a few minutes, and hose it off. The wheels came remarkably clean doing just that. I sprayed another round on, grabbed a towel, and really got in the corners to agitate and break up the pad deposits. I thought they were embedded in the wheel's paint and would not come off, but I was (mostly) wrong.



I'll be rotating the tires in a week or so, and when I do, I'll give the wheels another pass with the goal of cleaning the barrels as well. However, for 20 minutes and minimal effort on my end, the wheels look near-new again. I'm hugely impressed.

[RawrImAMonster]

Now hit them with poorboys world wheel sealant. You can use some of mine if you end up coming to H-burg for the Klines meet.

I'll be off that day so we can meet up before the meet. I need to sonax mine and seal them too.

[davej]

man that looks so good. is this the same thing or did you have a different version?
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sonax-230200-755-Wheel-Cleaner-Full-Effect/dp/B003UT3S6Q">http://www.amazon.com/Sonax-230200-755- ... B003UT3S6Q</a><!-- m -->

I remember when Dan did the S4 with it once (same CH wheels), Lincoln thought I had bronze wheels before he cleaned them.

[Jake]

man that looks so good. is this the same thing or did you have a different version?
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sonax-230200-755-Wheel-Cleaner-Full-Effect/dp/B003UT3S6Q">http://www.amazon.com/Sonax-230200-755- ... B003UT3S6Q</a><!-- m -->

I remember when Dan did the S4 with it once (same CH wheels), Lincoln thought I had bronze wheels before he cleaned them.

Nope, there's a newer version of it... I'll see if I can find the link.

I'm going to do the M3 wheels here soon as well, those will be quite a transformation as well!

[.RJ]

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.autogeek.net/sonax-wheel-cleaner-plus.html">http://www.autogeek.net/sonax-wheel-cleaner-plus.html</a><!-- m -->