The Blue Phoenix - E46 325i

[*insertusernamehere*]

OR just fix the necessaries and chill

[Senor_Taylor]

OR just fix the necessaries and chill

Oh, like I said a whole page ago? Okay :mrgreen:

[SlimKlim]

If that list of "to-do" and "should-do" a page ago was your version of "just fixing the necessities" then your priorities are all the fuck out of whack.

This is how I recommend handling it, taking into consideration an almost non-existent budget.

- CDV delete (Man, I hate that thing)
- Attempt an oil change (I've never seen a filter like this, and I spent way too much money on oil the other day)
- Take a look at the rear subframe (Or maybe just ignore it. Low chance of it being broken, but I feel a weird clunk sometimes when I clutch in to shift when driven hard. What could that be?)
- Use Sam's super hardcore cleaner to clean the leather some more
- Look into fixing the rattle in the rear speakers with high bass
- Re-glue ceiling fabric
- Look into this oil leak. I smell stuff burning very faintly after driving it hard, so I'm fairly positive there is a leak
- investigate rattle/vibe at 2100 RPM

Things I should do, but don't really care to:
- Rear bushings
- Replace pulleys and belts on the front (Have only made noise on one very very cold morning)
- Get it aligned (Pulls to the right)
- Investigate weird noise when AC is on
- Replace wood trim and shifter knob with ones that aren't cracked all to hell.
- Short throw shifter
- Cooling system maintenance (Just drive her till she 'splodes)

1.) Do your CDV delete and oil change, and go nuts with the glue to stick your headliner back up and your speaker cover back down.

2.) Roll under that bitch and look at the motor mounts/trans mounts/guibo/diff bushings, if possible recreate the clunk when the car is in the air (does it do it if you just rev the engine in neutral or does it only do it coming out of gear? Even if you don't have the cash to fix this immediately its smart to take the time to diagnose it now, because you can assess how important/expensive it is and plan for it.

3.) Find a cooling pressure tester to rent or borrow. This might be tricky because the ones the auto parts stores have don't always have the right adapter, but it's worth the legwork to get your hands on one. You can hook it up and pressurize the system and discover any weak points it has now, for free. Then if you just need a $10 hose or $40 expansion tank or even just a $5 cap or bleed screw you can take care of it and stretch out your total overhaul timeframe, just seriously keep an eye on the coolant level of this thing and don't let it get away from you. I used to think the whole bad cooling system problem was overblown until i actually blew my HG.

4.) The oil leak is likely a cheap fix, you just need to set aside the time to find it. Simple as getting it up to temp and then rolling under it with a flashlight while it idles. Also report back with what it is before ordering parts, some oil leaks can turn into major problems, like the weird little O-rings on the back of the E36 oil filter housing that'll turn from a trickle to a flood without warning. Others, like the oil pan gasket, won't suddenly start dumping oil, you just have to deal with occasionally topping it up and not parking it on top of wedding dresses.

5.) Get the alignment done as soon as you can afford it because its costing you money in tire wear the longer you put it off.

6.) Belts are probably fine if they still have a decent amount of tension and aren't badly cracked on the inside. You can also sort of let these go until they pop, you just need to cut the car off and coast to a stop IMMEDIATELY if/when they do because the water pump will stop turning. You can evaluate the condition of the pulleys by rolling them with the belt off, if they don't sound like they have sand in them they can probably be ignored.

7.) Fuck the shifter, trim, AC noise, and rear bushings (unless they are literally disintegrating).

You don't have to throw money at it hand over fist, but you do need to budget the time and effort to really understand what is going on with the car or you WILL be sorry. Trust me.

[Senor_Taylor]

Good suggestions, Joey. I'll definitely knock some of those out if I ever find some time.

[*insertusernamehere*]

If that list of "to-do" and "should-do" a page ago was your version of "just fixing the necessities" then your priorities are all the fuck out of whack.

This is how I recommend handling it, taking into consideration an almost non-existent budget.

- CDV delete (Man, I hate that thing)
- Attempt an oil change (I've never seen a filter like this, and I spent way too much money on oil the other day)
- Take a look at the rear subframe (Or maybe just ignore it. Low chance of it being broken, but I feel a weird clunk sometimes when I clutch in to shift when driven hard. What could that be?)
- Use Sam's super hardcore cleaner to clean the leather some more
- Look into fixing the rattle in the rear speakers with high bass
- Re-glue ceiling fabric
- Look into this oil leak. I smell stuff burning very faintly after driving it hard, so I'm fairly positive there is a leak
- investigate rattle/vibe at 2100 RPM

Things I should do, but don't really care to:
- Rear bushings
- Replace pulleys and belts on the front (Have only made noise on one very very cold morning)
- Get it aligned (Pulls to the right)
- Investigate weird noise when AC is on
- Replace wood trim and shifter knob with ones that aren't cracked all to hell.
- Short throw shifter
- Cooling system maintenance (Just drive her till she 'splodes)

1.) Do your CDV delete and oil change, and go nuts with the glue to stick your headliner back up and your speaker cover back down.

2.) Roll under that bitch and look at the motor mounts/trans mounts/guibo/diff bushings, if possible recreate the clunk when the car is in the air (does it do it if you just rev the engine in neutral or does it only do it coming out of gear? Even if you don't have the cash to fix this immediately its smart to take the time to diagnose it now, because you can assess how important/expensive it is and plan for it.

3.) Find a cooling pressure tester to rent or borrow. This might be tricky because the ones the auto parts stores have don't always have the right adapter, but it's worth the legwork to get your hands on one. You can hook it up and pressurize the system and discover any weak points it has now, for free. Then if you just need a $10 hose or $40 expansion tank or even just a $5 cap or bleed screw you can take care of it and stretch out your total overhaul timeframe, just seriously keep an eye on the coolant level of this thing and don't let it get away from you. I used to think the whole bad cooling system problem was overblown until i actually blew my HG.

4.) The oil leak is likely a cheap fix, you just need to set aside the time to find it. Simple as getting it up to temp and then rolling under it with a flashlight while it idles. Also report back with what it is before ordering parts, some oil leaks can turn into major problems, like the weird little O-rings on the back of the E36 oil filter housing that'll turn from a trickle to a flood without warning. Others, like the oil pan gasket, won't suddenly start dumping oil, you just have to deal with occasionally topping it up and not parking it on top of wedding dresses.

5.) Get the alignment done as soon as you can afford it because its costing you money in tire wear the longer you put it off.

6.) Belts are probably fine if they still have a decent amount of tension and aren't badly cracked on the inside. You can also sort of let these go until they pop, you just need to cut the car off and coast to a stop IMMEDIATELY if/when they do because the water pump will stop turning. You can evaluate the condition of the pulleys by rolling them with the belt off, if they don't sound like they have sand in them they can probably be ignored.

7.) Fuck the shifter, trim, AC noise, and rear bushings (unless they are literally disintegrating).

You don't have to throw money at it hand over fist, but you do need to budget the time and effort to really understand what is going on with the car or you WILL be sorry. Trust me.

THAT'S how ya deal with a bimmer right there, gah damn.

[Senor_Taylor]

So, I got the car up on Jackstands just now and looked for wet oil. I noticed wet oil on both sides of the anti-roll bar. The left is probably from filling oil and spilling it. The right seemed suspicious. I looked up and could see wet oil, but I'm not exactly sure from where. It's down below the oil filter housing, but not directly below. Someone has my ratchet set right now so I didn't feel like taking off the airbox to get a closer look. Any idea what it could be? Also, behind the roll bar, there's a plug on the steering rack. It definitely has a lot of built up grime on it. I wonder why.

[Jake]

Are you sure it's oil? Could also be power steering fluid. On the E36, the PS reservoir is right there and the hoses can leak.

[SlimKlim]

I second the PS hoses, these cars use ATF for PS fluid so it'll form a reddish grime that should be pretty easy to identify.

[Senor_Taylor]

I couldn't tell from smell or touch. That's what I thought at first, but there's quite a bit farther back from the reservoir. Maybe Chan will chime in on if he ever had to add fluid.

[*insertusernamehere*]

Definitely power steering fluid.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Seriously? Thats an oil leak? I wouldnt fix it unless you are literally losing a quart every 1000 miles or its creating a mess (which it doesnt at least from those photos).

[Senor_Taylor]

I am losing a quart every 1000 miles, which is why I'm looking for a leak.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

[RawrImAMonster]

CCV going bad would cause it to eat oil if you haven't looked into that.

[Senor_Taylor]

Also, I'm 50% certain that the front right's brakes are dragging. Explains the burning smell and the pull to the right. It some times gets worse under braking.

[BLINGMW]

I added PS maybe once in the 3 years I had it

[*insertusernamehere*]

Also, I'm 50% certain that the front right's brakes are dragging. Explains the burning smell and the pull to the right. It some times gets worse under braking.

That's cool, keep driving it.

[RawrImAMonster]

Also, I'm 50% certain that the front right's brakes are dragging. Explains the burning smell and the pull to the right. It some times gets worse under braking.

Might be able to fix that for under $10 bucks. You can get one of the dust boot repair kits and re-lube the sliding pins if they're stuck. If those dust boots come off they get shitty pretty quick.

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[SlimKlim]

My E46 seized one of the rear calipers one day. My dad and I took the caliper apart and buffed all the surface rust off of the sliding pins and re-lubed them and it was right as rain.

[ScottyB]

+3 buy some CRC Brake & Caliper grease, unbolt your caliper, take the pins and wipe off old rock-hard grease and regrease.

should have quite an effect, even if you find its not the root of the problem. that grease will go ineffective in only a few years or less. be careful putting the pins back in the way they came out, some have an orientation

[RawrImAMonster]

Also the easy way to tell if it is actually sticking is to drive around for a while and then feel that wheel to see if it's hotter than the others. One of them was so hot on my xterra it almost burned to touch it.