Trans swap question....

I have an 04 325ci with an automatic transmission.....I would liked to swap it to a manual transmission....5 or 6 speed....can someone verify which trans are interchangeable for my car? Unfortunately I have the m56 engine of that matters.

Thank you....
Chris

Trans swap question....

Expansion Tank Help!

Can someone tell me if this part, is part of the expansion tank or a connection that goes to the radiator? I noticed a small leak when the car was running and there was pressure in the system, water would come squirting out this tiny hole. Need to replace it somehow. I replaced my expansion tank about 5k ago.

Thanks

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Expansion Tank Help!

2000 323ci $1800

Location 48390 Michigan

Has 246k runs great, has M package sport package on it.

Black, coupe, stick shift, top end rebuilt and coolant system 3 years ago or 10k miles.

Everything works including sunroof, and A/C!

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2000 323ci $1800

318i Oil Consumption

Hi everyone,

Currently having a problem with my 2003 318i, which I've only had for about 2 months.

After driving about 1700kms, I generally get a yellow oil light warning and need to top it up by a litre. I am always using 5w-40 LL-01 spec oil for oil change and top ups.

To try and fix this, I've done the following so far:

• New CCV and hoses
• New inlet manifold gaskets (done with the CCV of course)
• New oil filter housing gasket
• New VANOS solenoid seals

I've also degreased the engine bay, top and bottom, and have found no leaks from the vacuum pump or rocker cover. The only evidence of a leak is around the sump gasket, but the leak seems fairly minor and isn't even leaving a drop of oil on my driveway ever, so I'm fairly convinced this isn't the course of such drastic oil loss.

So I've pretty much accepted that I'm largely leak free and that the missing oil has to be due to oil consumption. It's worth noting that there is no evidence of any smoke form my exhaust that I can see.

I have spoken to a number of mechanics as well as my local dealer and they are recommending I change oil grade. The dealer reckons they use 10w-30 or 10w-40 for e46's that consume oil, and an indy BMW specialist recommends 20w-50 (Liqui Moly). Another mechanic has recommended trying an additive for valve stem seals.

I realise that worn seals or rings are the most likely cause of the problem, but fixing that will be over double what I paid for the car so not really an option right now. Plenty of searching/reading on this and other e46 forums makes it seem like using thicker oil is not actually a good idea, so I'm kind of stuck with what I should be doing.

Other than this problem, the car runs like a dream - no noise, smooth acceleration and no error lights.

Any ideas to help fix or at least slow down the oil consumption. FWIW, I generally do oil change every 7000 to 10000 kilometres.

Cheers and thanks for any help!

318i Oil Consumption

Any BMW FS:Immaculate BMW E39 540i Sport 6 Speed

Up for sale is one of my all time favorite cars. This 1999 E39 540i Sport is one of the few imported to the US with a 6 speed manual and a black paint job. I had purchased this car form an older gentleman in May of 2015 who took very good care of this classic 5 series. It is 100% stock down to the radio. The exterior and the interior are practically new with little to no wear on the leather and paint. This is by far the cleanest and lowest mileage E39 540i Sport you can find. I even have the original window sticker. This car spent most of its life in a garage and it shows it.

This has the sport package and that makes this E39 absolutely incredible to drive. The ride is still supple but very connected and planted at speed. This car was designed to own the German Autobahn and it is the very definition of a sport sedan. Unlike most E39 Sports this has the 17" Style 32 wheels that have more sidewall for better ride comfort. Those wheels are wrapped in wide Bridgestone Pole Position S004 high performance summer tires that still have plenty of tread left on them. This car was not driven in winter and is 100% rust free.

I maintained this car myself to the highest degree and under my ownership I have replaced the following as preventative maintenance:
- Radiator
- Upper and lower Rad hoses
- Thermostat
- Coolant
- Power Steering reservoir and fluid
- Cabin Air filter
- Air filter
- Battery
- Annual Oil+Filter changes with Castrol Synthetic oil.
- Brake fluid.

The front brakes are brand new. I have also replaced the AC Compressor and the MAF Sensor under my ownership to make this car 100% with the receipts to prove it.

It currently has 68,310 miles on it and they're all highway. The previous owner and myself used this E39 exclusively as a long trip highway cruiser. Depending on how heavy your right foot is, you can expect to see 27-30 mpg highway. Lots of room in the trunk and very comfy for even the longest of trips. It's also silly fast, pulling like a fright train through all the gears with all the torque you could ever need.

BMW will never make another E39 again and clean cars are becoming harder and harder to find. If you're interested or have any questions feel free to send me an email/text or give me a call. I will entertain all reasonable offers, but lowballs will be ignored. Joyrides aren't happening and test drives are reserved for those with cash in hand. I'm in no rush to sell and would love for this to go to another BMW enthusiast who will give it the same level of care I have.

Mileage: 68,310
Title: Clean
VIN: WBADN5336XGC92194 (Carfax is available upon request. Everything is clean.)
Asking price: $15,000

Thanks for looking.

















More pics can be had upon request.

Any BMW FS:Immaculate BMW E39 540i Sport 6 Speed

E46 S54 SEDAN SWAP pt.4

https://youtu.be/QfQPNX475EE

E46 S54 SEDAN SWAP pt.4

E46 S54 SEDAN SWAP pt.4

https://youtu.be/QfQPNX475EE

E46 S54 SEDAN SWAP pt.4

Going from bushings to ball joints in the rear

Anyone with a touring done it? I've seen the how to's, just wondering what I should expect to gain...

Thx

Attachment 658562

Trailing arm bushing becomes ball joint.

Sent from my LG-H872 using E46Fanatics mobile app

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Going from bushings to ball joints in the rear

FS: 2002 BMW M3 6 Speed CB/Grey *Rebuilt*

Hi there, I am looking to sell my 2002 BMW M3. It has a rebuilt title due to a collision with the front drivers side in early 2005 involving a parked car. The airbag was deployed. This was from the previous owner and I have not had any issues related to it since owning the car (11 years!).

Since owning it I have had some mods (listed below) done to the car. I only used it from March to October during nice weather only. The other times it was left covered and started/moved a few feet during the winter months.

The car has non-heated powered seats.

The car is located in Cheshire, CT. Feel free to send me any questions or to set up a time to come and take a look at the car. I'll do my best to update as necessary if I missed anything, etc. so check back for updates.


Color: Carbon Black Metallic on Grey with Silver Trim
Transmission: 6 Speed
Style: Coupe
Miles: 95K
Title: Rebuilt
VIN: WBSBL93482JR12755

Mods:
aFe Stage I CAI
JVT Headers
Random Tech Cats (relocated to Section I)
Borla Exhaust
Autosolutions SSK with UUC Tranny mounts
UUC Lightweight Flywheel/M5 Clutch
Rogue Engineering RSMs
Powerflex RTABs
Ground Control FCABs
ZCP Wheels (some curb rash on two, passenger side), will also include 18inch OEM wheels if buyer is interested.
OEM LED Tail Lights
LED Angel Eyes

Problems:
I have not had any structurally related issues with the car from the accident or otherwise since owning the car (11 years!).
The horn is currently not working. It is very weak and since I never actually use it it has never bothered me.
Airbag light is on due a bad positive battery cable, this recently happened after a jump start at the end of winter.
Aux fan is always on, I have bought the temperature sensor switch but have not replaced it yet. Fuse has been removed to prevent burn out.
Hood shocks seem to have gone this past winter as the hood no longer stays open by itself.
Sun Roof slider inside car has come off of the clips. The sunroof itself works fine.


Asking price: $11,500 (Bitcoin accepted)

Please note: As stated I have not had any issues related to the title but because of the age/mileage and out of warranty status I am selling the car as is! Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you.

I have also listed the car on eBay if you'd like to check out their free auto check:

eBay Listing


Pics:

FS: 2002 BMW M3 6 Speed CB/Grey *Rebuilt*

Auto Transmission $90

GM 5L40-E from a 2000 328i. I bought the car with the sole intention of doing a swap so I haven't driven the car since it was delivered to me. Although it was delivered to me in driving condition, I unfortunately cannot say with any certainty the mileage or condition of the transmission itself which is why I am only asking for $90. I figure worst case scenario it wouldn't dent pockets too much and best case scenario, someone gets a working transmission for a steal. I am in NC so local pickup is priority however I am will to try and accommodate a buyer within reason.

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Auto Transmission $90

$10 PayPal to whoever can correctly identify this clanging noise under braking!

Recently changed my clutch, flywheel, transmission mounts, etc.

Upon test driving, I've noticed a few problems, this being the most concerning one. Under medium-hard braking, there is this horrible clanging noise that sounds like something is loose under the car and dragging on the ground. I've inspected underneath and found nothing dragging. As of now, I know that my driver side motor mount is shot (both sides being replaced tonight), and my driver side control arm bushing has starting coming out of its carrier (new replacement on the way from FCP).

Is it possible that one of these is causing the noise? It continues for a second or two after the car is fully stopped, but not every time. At first I thought it was the engine shifting under load and hitting the fan against the shroud, but I quickly remembered there is no physical connection between the engine and the fan on manuals, just electrical. Has anyone heard anything like this?

If you believe it is something else, you are correct, and you were the first person to post the answer, I will gladly paypal you $10 for taking the time to help me. (I will be checking out all suggestions starting next week when my new control arm comes in, unless the motor mount resolves the issue before then. This car has been nothing but headaches for the last few weeks, with one big problem after the other, and I simply do not have the luxury of spending extra time to figure it out (at least for the next several weeks).

Here is the noise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxUTJ30kIbw

$10 PayPal to whoever can correctly identify this clanging noise under braking!

A/C troubles

Hi everyone,

I'm having some difficulty getting cold air in a e53 2003 x5 with a 3.0 and I've have always gotten helpful and useful information from these forums and am hoping someone can point me in the right direction.
The compressor is engaging and a local mechanic said the pressures are ok and suggested the blend door might be closed but I checked and the hvac doors open and close. The blower works good at all speeds but recently I noticed the aux fan not turning on at all even after after couple of days driving but compressor still engages.
Was able to get aux fan to turn full blast on by unplugging a sensor on the ac line by passenger headlight I think the ac pressure switch? All fuses I checked were good and I'm stumped as to where to look next. No cold air from idle or highway speeds.

A/C troubles

Low oil level light came on and went off while driving

Hey everyone, new member here, please excuse the noobiness. I have been battling a yellow oil light issue with my E46 ever since I've owned the car for the past 6 months. My low oil light has been coming on after I shut off the engine. I figured this was caused by either an oil leak or a bad CCV. I have replaced my oil filter housing gasket and intake VANOS oil line. The valve cover gasket looks good (no oil leaks down the top front or exhaust side of the engine), the oil pan gasket does look it is leaking a bit (I'll get to it when I can), and the CCV does not exhibit any signs of failure (normally this would be lean codes and a honking/wheezing noise from what I've read).

After I did my first oil change on the car, 7 qt of Mobil-1 10W-40, the oil light stayed off for about 1500 miles. Then it started coming on after I shut off the engine for the next 500 miles, until finally it came on while driving at about 2000 miles. Ever since then, I have been topping off the oil when the light comes on while driving (I add 1 qt), which keeps the oil light off for about 500-1000 miles.

Today something unusual happened; the light came on while I was driving up a moderate incline at 50 MPH and went away about 2 miles later, while I was driving on level ground at around the same speed. I checked my oil level after letting the engine cool for 10 minutes, and it's at the midway point on the middle slab on the dipstick.

Is it possible that my sensor is soft failing or that I could be suffering from a combination of issues that are causing this light to be thrown like this? I've never heard any accounts of oil level sensors failing like that on these cars, even after copious amounts of Googling and forum sleuthing. I had a soft failing issue with my MAF earlier. The car threw a CEL with P0171 and P0174 (lean on both banks), but did not throw a code for the bad MAF. The CEL and lean codes went away after I replaced the MAF.

Low oil level light came on and went off while driving

troubles troubles troubles (help)

ok so i bouvht this car two weeks ago with a p0340 code car would randomly lose half its power. ran the car for a few days like that cause i needed it for work till it really died and car was popping out the intake and would hardly accelerate... changed the cam sensor (intake) and it runs better some times... when it idles for more then 20 seconds it starts to missfire and it looses power apon acceleration and pops from the intake then clears up and goes like normal... also when i start it up i have to rev it a few times or it does the same thing.. if i hold the gas at a steady rpm it revs up and down 5-6 times then holds its rpms and i can drive it till i have to turn it off or wait too long at a stop light. whats going on

tested batery 10v changed it. no change in symptoms. maf was missing a wire, changed it. symptoms remain.. checked for vacuume leaks woth tb cleaner none... cleaned throttle body nothing changed spark plugs nothing coils all measure at. 5 ohm on setting 200... new to multimeters so idk if that makes sense. every now and then i get an eml light when it starts bogging out.. i opened up the cluster and found tape over the check engine, light the brake fluid light, abs and pads light along with the airbag lights -_- id like to address the engine bogging problem before i jump into the brakes abs and traction control issues any help is appreciated. as far as i can tell the secondary air pump doesnt work because i cant hear it like my gfs 328 which whines for A minite or so. could that be playing a part?

troubles troubles troubles (help)

wire

Has anyone considered buying the correct wire (color, gauge, flexibility) for the harness over the driver's seat and selling it to us who will need it as a .5 meter set? It seems that most of us will splice in something that works but may not be exactly correct. I'd like to replace all the wire at the bend but I don't feel like buying 25' of each wire.

wire

Upgrading the Green one. 330i

I'll start with the most recent upgrade and go back through a few others and update as time goes on.

KONI FSD Shocks, Eibach Spring, Eibach Sway Bars,

Big day for the little green one.

New springs, shocks, mounts, links, sway bars, and rear brakes.



The rear spring have hardly any drop at all but they are definitely stiffer and slightly lower.



Fronts had a much more dramatic drop.


Everything bolted up nicely,


Biggest pain the ass was the rear sway bar. I watched tutorial on doing it beforehand by BAVAUTO and they had the car up in the air and were reaching over the control arm over there head to get this link off, they skipped ahead of course till it was done but cant imagine what a pain the ass it would have been to do it like that. So whatever a tutorial says, take them off like this, even if you are not changing the suspension it is easy enough to unbolt the shock and remove the rear spring for easy access.

Difficulty was not in the links but just getting it out with exhaust hindering the space, I recommend unbolting the rear of the exhaust immediately, I did this for install of the new one but not removing the old one, it only take a minute and would make removing it that much easier as well.


Sway bars did not look all the bigger but felt near twice as heavy when I picked them up. You can see the difference when side by side though.



New rear mounts by ECS seemed like much better quality than OE.


Driving it initially felt a bit funky, like it need to settle, it did. After driving 150 miles back home the drop was more apparent and everything felt nice and tight. Driving to work this morning on the route I take everyday really made the changes stand out.

While doing the swap I found the left rear shock was completely blown so its a little difficult to do a fair before and after comparison but it rides much smoother but more firm at the same time if you can get that? Body roll is drastically reduced and steering much more precise.

As I suspected after reading many many reviews and descriptions of what this setup would be I am glad to have gotten it for my daily. I'd say a perfect blend of comfort and sport for everyday driving that you'd have new qualms about taking through the hill for some "spirited driving".

The drop was not extreme at all which I am happy about, I don't want to be scraping on bumps or going into high angle driveways.

Before


After

Upgrading the Green one. 330i

Valvetronic fuse

I have a 318i, 2002 automatic, e46 model with a n46 engine (uk model right hand drive).. I am trying to find the fuse for the valvetronic system.. I believe it is 40 amp and yellow?.. Any help to locate it would be appreciated. Thanks!

Valvetronic fuse

What E46 parts have you bought, but never ended up using?

We've all bought parts at one point or another and never ended up using it. Got too busy, changed your mind. What did you buy, why didn't you use it, and where are the parts now? Old/replaced parts don't apply. Only parts you bought with the intent of using.

I bought professional high-spec German bearings for an alternator rebuild (as PM). Thought it would be a trivial task to run down to my local alternator shop and have them pressed in. I just put it off and didn't feel like dealing with it. We all just replace the voltage regulators but the bearings, rarely. And since reman units usually have cheaper chinese bearings, I figure I wanted top notch stuff. I never got around to it and the bearings rusted outside. :lmao:

I bought a tilt sensor and motion sensor, thinking my tilt sensor or motion sensor was bunk. But found out I had to have all three components for it to work. I'm not sure where they are now. I think in a landfill.

Mobil1 0W-40. I gave it to a friend for his Lexus.


I'm sure there's more...

What E46 parts have you bought, but never ended up using?

Violent Chassis Vibrations in First

About a month ago, I began to have this unusual problem with an unknown source. The entire car will begin to shake almost as if driving over rumble strips (seems to be originating from the rear). As the title says, it is most noticeable in first gear and above 5k rpm but ONLY if the car is accelerating at a considerable rate. The shaking doesn't occur when the engine speed is increasing gradually and/or held at the same rpm even above 5k.

This used to happen in second gear as well but hasn't been as bad recently and the vibrations weren't as severe as they were in first.

Whatever this is I am not too concerned; I am not one to take it all the way up to redline in between every light but for the 4 years I've owned this car I have never had a problem like this before.. That being said, I am sure this problem can only get worse until it starts to begin vibrating at lower engine speeds.

If any of you have heard of something like this before, please let me know and comment below! All I am trying to do is find a starting place for a diagnosis procedure and pinpoint exactly what is malfunctioning.

Thank you for your time.

JC

Violent Chassis Vibrations in First

Steering hard to turn

I replaced all belts and pulleys on my 325i - noticed the ps pulley had some play - and am getting a lot of "rattle" from the front of engine when idle.

Screw driver test on pump showed a lot of noise coming from that area - so I replaced the pump with a Napa remanufactured one.

That also has a similar play on the pulley (I pulled a pump from a '99 in the junk yard and it had no play - but does not fit my '03).

Anyway rattle is still there - I think vanos now - but after I refilled pump reservoir and bled (turned lock to lock a few times with cap off) - I get a slight hum from pump when turning the wheel at parking speeds and sometimes the steering is very heavy at park speeds.

Fluid level with BMW ATF is good. Old fluid came out red - and looked fine. Put in redline d4 atf to

Above 10 mph steering is fine (and feels tighter than the old pump - in a good way)

Do I have a bad pump or should I check something else ?

Steering hard to turn

Cooling System Saga

Hi All,

Long time lurker and infrequent poster. Thought I would share a bit of a story about my Cooling System nightmare. Maybe it will help someone along the way. And no, I have not overheated my car even though I've had so many problems with this stupid cooling system. :D

First off, thank you to ECS Tuning for having awesome kits and support. Also a big thanks to Mango for the guides. And... here's the story.

I've had this 2004 Facelift 330Ci for the past 11 years. Never really had any issues until I decided to do a cooling system refresh as many have done. Once I did, back in 2010 and 100k mi, I kept having a small amount of coolant coming from the expansion tank area and the thermostat housing. The original design on this is crap! The connector hole builds up coolant crust over time. I've had to replace this stupid thing 3 times already.
Attachment 658442

For the past 7 or so years, I have just been filling up once every 2 months or so never really figuring out where the problem was since such a small amount of fluid was coming out.

Fast forward to a few months ago, I found that my coolant was spewing out so fast that I couldn't drive more than a few hundred miles without having to refill. Time for another refresh. Updated part from ECS. Finally!!
Attachment 658450

After installing everything... I still had a major leak from the expansion tank cap. Ran it for about 100 mi with refills and I finally found it. There was a leak in the stupid plastic radiator end cap. If you can't pinpoint the problem quickly, consider the radiator. It's only like 200 bucks and a couple hours of your time.

Installed the new radiator... still a leak. Turns out the new Behr Meyle radiator connection is smaller than the old radiator and it stretched out the upper radiator hose rubber seal. Called ECS and they sent me a new upper radiator hose for free since I just spent a buncha money with them and one of their parts "failed." Awesome customer service and would definitely recommend dealing with them. :thumbsup:
Attachment 658458

Again, a big thanks to Mango for the guides and anyone else who contributes to this forum. It has been a huge help troubleshooting annoying things with this car over the years.

My car now has over 192k mi and running fairly strong. Probably have to do piston rings since it started to eat oil recently. :tsk::censor: I can easily see why these cars run past 300k mi on the same engine.

:eeps::eeps:
TL;DR Check the plastic radiator end caps for pinhole leaks if your car is spewing coolant.

Now, on to the next garage project...
Attachment 658466

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Cooling System Saga