Bought an old BMW M3, filled with regret...

[mrk]

Hmm I guess you're right, at this age original plates do look a bit parched around the edges.

Urgh, headlight lenses are the one thing I wish I could change on my E92 M3. Clean lenses make the car look so much fresher - I did them on my E46 in about 45 minutes for about £50. On the E92 they properly seal them with glue/sealant though.

Amazing how cheap OEM headlamp lenses were on the E46 M3 just a couple of years ago. I got them for a similar price (both Bosch and Magneti Marelli as I had to buy a 2nd pair as I touched the inside of one by mistake and it marked them forever and the opposite lens got a stone chip!)

How are you getting on with the E92? I really would want one but the prospect of no aftermarket Android based infotainment is just off putting. I am going to upgrade my current Android one to the latest

probably next year as it's near 1:1 to OEM nav unit whilst supporting Android Auto, high end amp so no more need for Viper software EQ and having the visual radar for the PDC is nice as well and will make the most of the chance to also install the I-BUS module to get realtime power/engine stats too as well as coding directly from the stereo.

 

[DRZ]

AvinUSA (and others) make Android-based screen replacements for the E92.

Like most Android stuff they are terrible, but they do exist.

 

[mrk]

Doesn't seem like the E92 versions have the optional amp upgrades though? It's too late now to change cars as I'm settled into the E46 and makes no logical sense but had the option come up in years gone by then certainly would have been an option!

Even though the dash IMO is nicer styled and timeless on the E46...

 

[Gaygle]

Amazing how cheap OEM headlamp lenses were on the E46 M3 just a couple of years ago. I got them for a similar price (both Bosch and Magneti Marelli as I had to buy a 2nd pair as I touched the inside of one by mistake and it marked them forever and the opposite lens got a stone chip!)

Yeah they were great value for A) an OEM part and B) something which really freshened up the front end C) was so easy to do

How are you getting on with the E92? I really would want one but the prospect of no aftermarket Android based infotainment is just off putting.

I'll be honest - I still freaking love it.

It's been over two years now and I've put on about 25k miles in that time. Yes, the £600 VED gets wearing, the 24mpg isn't great (especially for longer trips), the £800 set of tyres is a bit unpleasant - but everything else is absolutely wonderful. The noise it makes is incredible, the steering feels lovely, the handling is spot on, the DCT is great (at over 10mph) - and mine has CIC+Combox which means I can stream my Spotify etc seamlessly. I normally start looking at new cars every 2.5 years or so, but there is honestly nothing that I can think would even come close to filling the void the E92 would leave at under £20k.

A colleague at work has just bought a very expensive E46 M3 Convertible (£12.5k!! ) and it's very nice, but when I looked inside, you can't help but notice the interior styling is showing it's age now after resisting for so long! And when he asked about the issues with the E46 M3 - I think I almost killed his enthusiasm for it as I could list so many without even trying... (RACP, worn suspension, rust on sills/arches, head gaskets, VANOS, rod bearings, SMG pumps etc)

I think the E46 M3 has to be run with a classic car mentality - it isn't the fastest anymore, it's got loads of inherent issues which will cost a fortune to put right but it is a truly wonderful car you just love owning. The E92 is much the same - it has bags of character, but it just has less underlying issues to worry about in the back of your head to spoil the fun, and has more modern tech inside to make the daily drive more comfortable and enjoyable.

 

[mrk]

I know what you mean about the character. For me the E46 interior styling is just that bit more timeless and the lines just fit so well with any timeframe. I always felt the E92 styling would fade over time and look more dated than the E46! Of course a tired cabin from either gen doesn't do either justice.

Mine is now mechanically in a good place and hopefully remains that way for some time yet. The only things I do expect to fail are stuff like alternator/ac pump... The usual stuff. VANOS etc still good but at some point I'll get that refreshed by Mr VANOS mid next year I guess just to tick it all off. Suspension is all 2 years or so old anyway and tyres still have a lot of miles left. Brakes? Also good. All in all I think other than cosmetic bits and bobs, there is nothing else I should really need to worry about!

Still looking clean, even if a little dirty

 

[Gibbo]

I know what you mean about the character. For me the E46 interior styling is just that bit more timeless and the lines just fit so well with any timeframe. I always felt the E92 styling would fade over time and look more dated than the E46! Of course a tired cabin from either gen doesn't do either justice.

Mine is now mechanically in a good place and hopefully remains that way for some time yet. The only things I do expect to fail are stuff like alternator/ac pump... The usual stuff. VANOS etc still good but at some point I'll get that refreshed by Mr VANOS mid next year I guess just to tick it all off. Suspension is all 2 years or so old anyway and tyres still have a lot of miles left. Brakes? Also good. All in all I think other than cosmetic bits and bobs, there is nothing else I should really need to worry about!

Still looking clean, even if a little dirty

Looking awesome!
To be honest my M3 only ever broke when I did not use it, they are really a car that wants use to remain reliable, they really hate standing it seems, my 911 was also very similar it also hated to be left, give it regular use and it should serve you well.

 

[Gaygle]

Still looking clean, even if a little dirty

I mean, that just looks glorious.

 

[naefeart]

It still turns my head when I see an E46 M3, which is almost never these days. I can only assume they have mostly been written off with the rest tucked up in storage.

I think they have aged well, I'd happily have one for weekend blasts, more so than the E92 which barely registers when I see one.

 

[Cleisthenes]

Shame that the only thing getting old is the bloke inside it


Car looks great and is a real credit to you

 

[mrk]

Looking awesome!
To be honest my M3 only ever broke when I did not use it, they are really a car that wants use to remain reliable, they really hate standing it seems, my 911 was also very similar it also hated to be left, give it regular use and it should serve you well.

Yeah I drive it more regularly nowadays even though not for commuting and find if it sits for a week then it grumbles. I attribute it all as part of its character lol. I believe my hedgehog might be on its way out. Can hear the vent internal mechanism moving around randomly sometimes and the fans blow at a higher speed than what I think is normal given I've done the hedgehog replacement on both previous E46s so the symptoms are telling. Done well to last so long on its original FSR though I guess.

I mean, that just looks glorious.

It's hard to tell in pictures but it really is quite dirty! That was taken yesterday and looking at it on the drive now I can see the tyres aren't as clean as I want them to be nor is the dust and water marks on the paint!

It still turns my head when I see an E46 M3, which is almost never these days. I can only assume they have mostly been written off with the rest tucked up in storage.

I think they have aged well, I'd happily have one for weekend blasts, more so than the E92 which barely registers when I see one.

Normally I hear an E92 before my eyes register them lol. It's only the BMW Individual colours I tend to notice from afar otherwise I can't decide if the E92 ahead is a 335i or an M3, it's only once closer do the bonnet bulge and arches give it away Great shape though, well proportioned for sure but like yourself, the E46 appears to get more heads turning even if just passing through towns quietly.

Shame that the only thing getting old is the bloke inside it

Car looks great and is a real credit to you

Hey apparently I look 26!

 

[Gaygle]

It's hard to tell in pictures but it really is quite dirty! That was taken yesterday and looking at it on the drive now I can see the tyres aren't as clean as I want them to be nor is the dust and water marks on the paint!

Well, it looked clean enough to make me feel sufficient bad to make me go out and wash mine! I also went out for a little drive to "dry it off". It's so slippery out there at the moment! When the DCT shifts at full throttle it gives a momentary heart stopping wiggle from the back - just another reason to love M cars.

Normally I hear an E92 before my eyes register them lol. It's only the BMW Individual colours I tend to notice from afar otherwise I can't decide if the E92 ahead is a 335i or an M3, it's only once closer do the bonnet bulge and arches give it away Great shape though, well proportioned for sure but like yourself, the E46 appears to get more heads turning even if just passing through towns quietly.

Seems like a lad in my village has just bought himself a Silver Grey 53 plate E46 M3. Seen it a couple of times and he went past as i was washing mine - lovely looking thing. He gave it the obligatory bit of gas as he went off. So much rasp - such a characterful sound.

 

[mrk]

Those wheels

In America the first thing many seem to do is replace the exhaust and "headers" as well as the centre exhaust section which attributes to a lot of the rasp. They end up with something quite muffled and a deeper note which reminds me a lot of a modified Jap car which is just wrong in my view

Exhaust setup should always remain standard on an M.

Edit*

Funnily enough Doug just uploaded an E92 video a few hours ago lol

Wanna know its quirks and features???

 

[Vita]

The tinny rasp of an e46 M3 always sounds better than after market modded exhausts unless it's an eisenmann system which makes the pitch higher.

Always been similar to the f355 in noise tbh. But maybe that's just me.

 

[mrk]

MOT passed this week, yay.
MOT tester annoyingly put an advisory on the rear pads saying they are getting low but stated they are about 50% which means they will last another 20k miles+ typically. Seems a bit harsh lol. The rest are tyre related which I know about anyway as I do need new tyres very soon along with a fuel filler cap seal which I didn't even know of until now. A fiver for a nitrile seal and job's jobbed.

Anyway on a non related note, problem... vibration during idle randomly, I first noticed it the other day but thought nothing of it at the time as was parking up at Tesco and as it didn't re-appear I forgot about it. Today the check engine light came on and I did a fault code read to see:



If I apply throttle whether static or moving then the vibration (when it does happen) goes away. This seems like to me the typical sign of failing coil pack )on cylinder 3 in my case). I recall having the exact same issue on my E46 318Ci back in the day.

Any of you guys agree with this diagnosis? The codes all relate to the same issue. 2A related to idle speed which is expected if cylinder 3 is misfiring due to a faulty coil.

Having shopped around, ECP sell OEM coil packs (Delphi) and spark plugs (NGK). Both are cheap items so changing all 6 pairs comes to £206.

Thoughts?

 

[wedrum]

swap the coil over to another cylinder see if the error code follows.

 

[mrk]

Ah that's a good point. I will need to get a coil removal pliers though as I don't have that, also a spark plug tool to get that out. Makes sense given the location of the coil on these engines, so much heat and vibration they have to endure...

Edit*

Seems easy peasy, just need the tools

 

[wedrum]

not sure on the e46 setup? but on the e39 the coil was just a bolt, also no need to swap a plug yet.
just change the coil over to the next bank first see if the code follows.

 

[Gibbo]

Ah that's a good point. I will need to get a coil removal pliers though as I don't have that, also a spark plug tool to get that out. Makes sense given the location of the coil on these engines, so much heat and vibration they have to endure...

Edit*

Seems easy peasy, just need the tools

Change air oil separator whilst your at it about £14 from BMW so worthwhile and if your consuming any oil it should put a stop to it.

Did plugs and coils on mine don’t recall needing special tools I just did it lol.

 

[Simon]

Yeh shouldn’t need much. My V8 was easy and prob a harder job.

Changing plug and coil doesn’t really help telling you where the issue is if it comes back. Just swap a coil and leave the plug

 

[mrk]

Hmm I thought normal tools couldn't get in the tight space enough to grab hold of the coil/plug (if needed)? I mean if it is a coil then I'll change all coils and since both coil and plug go hand in hand, makes sense to also change the plugs?

Or would you just replace what's faulty assuming it is the coil? I know coils and plugs are items that either work or they don't. If they're fit for purpose and healthy then they will do the same job so replacing otherwise working ones with new ones yield no benefit other than longer lifespan even if the older ones could have lasted another 3 years+ for example? Basically it doesn't sound like the same applies to these as say replacing suspension components in pairs/sets per axle!

Correct me if mistaken