[BenFenner]

In profile | Album

It is exceedingly rare that the two of us are on the road together, so when it happens, I have to get a pic or two.
This should be the last boring update. Next up I think things get more interesting.

Pic:

[CTinline-six]

Wow! Awesome car and beautiful scenery!

[BenFenner]

Thanks CTinline-six. Not sure about the scenery, but I'll take it.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

Thanks CTinline-six. Not sure about the scenery, but I'll take it.

I drove down to the Carolinas last summer, beautiful area compared to the cold New England wasteland I live in.

[rothwem]

Gah, I remember when this car came up for sale, I was living in Raleigh at the time. Too rich for my blood though.

I didn't know that car had active steering though. I had it on my old E90, I hated it at first, I couldn't get it in a damn parking spot! I really grew to love it after a while though, that super quick ratio at lower speeds makes it a riot to toss into slower turns. I've actually thought about trying to retrofit it to my E91.

Tradesez on power steering pumps/racks?

[BenFenner]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

I drove down to the Carolinas last summer, beautiful area compared to the cold New England wasteland I live in.

Growing up in New England, I have the opposite feeling. Once I hit Massachusetts or so I just fall in love all over again.

There are some beautiful parts of the Carolinas, just have to get up into the mountains or by the coast (not where I am).

Originally Posted by rothwem

I didn't know that car had active steering though. I had it on my old E90, I hated it at first, I couldn't get it in a damn parking spot! I really grew to love it after a while though, that super quick ratio at lower speeds makes it a riot to toss into slower turns. I've actually thought about trying to retrofit it to my E91.

Tradesez on power steering pumps/racks?

The owner's manual mentions it, so I assumed it had it? Might be part of the sports package? Honestly I'm not sure I really actually notice it, so maybe it doesn't have it?

[BenFenner]

Hauling firewood | Album

We put the wagon right to work.
You may recall a similar situation with the Coupe where I filled it with firewood. Well, the wagon can hold SO MUCH MORE.
I've been on the hunt for some good fuel in the area, and people still just put this out for free, so we loaded up when we saw some. This should hold us for two seasons depending on how the winters go.

The tarp could have been spread out better, and I think next time I want to lay down some cardboard as well. I had to vacuum a bit after this, but there was no damage to the interior at all.


Pics:

[em5ive]

^Love it. Just hauled a car full of firewood myself. I opened up the tarp completely it reached the headliner all the way around; loaded the wood and wrapped it all up.

[BenFenner]

[MPOWER5266]

Nice. I used mine to haul most of the E9's interior yesterday. Forgot to snap a pic.

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

The owner's manual mentions it, so I assumed it had it? Might be part of the sports package? Honestly I'm not sure I really actually notice it, so maybe it doesn't have it?

Ah, just looked up the VIN. No active steering there. The regular RWD steering is really good too, the active steering is just nifty though.

[BenFenner]

Originally Posted by MPOWER5266

Nice. I used mine to haul most of the E9's interior yesterday. Forgot to snap a pic.

Snag one next time.

[BenFenner]

Replace ignition coils and related | Album

Finally we have here an update with meat on them bones.

Just 3 short months after picking up the car it has run into its first major issue. The engine was down on power and running a bit rough. The SES light came on.

We had the codes read at a buddy's shop and were clued into a misfire on cylinder #4. I believe it was also throwing a code related to the eccentric shaft sensor, but I don't remember 100%. If it wasn't then it must be a common failure point because we would not have spent the money to replace it if it weren't causing problems or known suspect.

Since I'm going to have to remove that obnoxious cowl to get at everything, I figured I would replace a bunch of other stuff while I was in there. And I'm not about to replace just one coil on a 85k-mile BMW, so they all got replaced. Along with the coils we did spark plugs obviously (my favorite set for daily drivers, NGK Iridium), a bunch of gaskets including the valve cover gasket, the cabin air filter, and the eccentric shaft sensor as mentioned earlier.

The work is straightforward, but just a total pain in the ass dealing with the cowl stuff and electric cabling in that area just always in the way. It's nice to see the color of the head showing the previous owners clearly took oil changes seriously.

If you know me, you know I lean heavily toward OEM parts for German and Japanese vehicles. I did that here too with the exception of the coils, and maybe one or two other bits? The OEM coils (Bosch?) were MUCH more expensive (3×?) than the Delphi units, and I trust Delphi enough for electronics, so I went with those. Katie wasn't super excited about spending this money so shortly after getting the car, so we budgeted on the repairs a bit where we could. The rest of the stuff I believe is OEM, just not branded as such. For example I believe Victor Reinz makes the OEM BMW valve cover gasket. Because the parts are coming from WorldPac, they aren't in BMW-branded packaging even though most of what I got is OEM stuff. I try to keep my records straight and send accurate information out into the world, so take the provenance of these particular parts with a grain of salt.

Parts:
$159.84 | Delphi ignition coil (×6) | GN10571 (equivalent to BMW 12138616153)
$35.64 | NGX Iridium spark plug at OEM heat range (×6) | LFR6AIX-11 6619

$17.41 | Victor Reinz valve cover gasket | 153715901 (equivalent to BMW 11127582245)
$7.01 | OEM oil filter cap gasket | 11127565165
$11.52 | Victor Reinz camshaft adjuster gasket | (equivalent to BMW 11127552280)
$3.09 | Elring eccentric shaft sensor seal | (equivalent to BMW 11127559699)

$250.09 | VDO eccentric shaft sensor | S119565001Z (equivalent to BMW 11377524879)

$19.68 | Mann cabin air filter | CUK8430 (equivalent to BMW 64319313519)


Sample pics from album linked above:

[BenFenner]

I'm being told elsewhere that the Delphi ignition coils are now OEM, superseding the Bosch units due to more-than-desired failure rate.
Color me surprised.

[BenFenner]

I'm being told there are crush sleeves that go in the coil wells that I should have replaced. I'm not sure my engine even had them... Regardless, it's something to know for next time.

Also apparently the plastic valve covers themselves can cause problems with sealing with age. No surprise there. BMW and their damn plastic engine parts...
I lucked out and mine has been great since replacing the gasket, but if you're interested, there is an aluminum valve cover option. Here's that link:
VTT Modular Cast Aluminum CNC Valve Cover Kit

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by BenFenner

I'm being told there are crush sleeves that go in the coil wells that I should have replaced. I'm not sure my engine even had them... Regardless, it's something to know for next time.

Also apparently the plastic valve covers themselves can cause problems with sealing with age. No surprise there. BMW and their damn plastic engine parts...
I lucked out and mine has been great since replacing the gasket, but if you're interested, there is an aluminum valve cover option. Here's that link:
VTT Modular Cast Aluminum CNC Valve Cover Kit

That's for an N54, are the N52 and N54 valve covers interchangeable? The plastic N52 one has the CCV integrated into it, which is one of the reasons why some places recommend changing the cover itself when you do the VCG. The CCV gets all gunked up supposedly and the new cover remedies that issue.

[BenFenner]

Yah, I'm not 100% sure on the compatibility between the valve covers. I did notice the integrated CCV and cleaned mine out when I had the chance. If someone is looking into that aluminum valve cover, they will want to do some more research for sure.

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by rothwem

That's for an N54, are the N52 and N54 valve covers interchangeable? The plastic N52 one has the CCV integrated into it, which is one of the reasons why some places recommend changing the cover itself when you do the VCG. The CCV gets all gunked up supposedly and the new cover remedies that issue.

No they are not, they are completely different - N54 does not have valvetronic so there's nowhere to mount the VVT motor.

2006 N52 has the magnesium cover and external PCV, 2007+ are all plastic. There's pluses and minuses to both, but personally I prefer the metal cover because the plastic ones have such a habit of cracking. I don't know if the metal cover and external PCV can be retrofitted, but I don't see why it couldn't.

[BenFenner]

Wash car before front brake job | Album

It's time to do the front brakes. Before that, we washed the car. The yellowing is not pad dust, it's due to the iron remover that's been dwelling for a bit on the iron deposits.

Pics:

[krhodes1]

Welcome to a rather exclusive club! I've had my '11 since I ordered it new and picked it up at BMW Welt. Also RWD, 6spd, but no sport package. Premium pkg, cold weather pkg, and H/K sound. I added the BMW Performance Intake and Exhaust when it got to the US, and added back most of the stuff they deleted in the LCO. Only 47K on mine. And I would not sell it for what you paid for yours.

Oddly enough, I originally ordered mine in white (because I am a cheapskate, and white was free) but I decided that I couldn't live without Tasman Green and changed it at the last second. Chestnut leather, it's a pretty striking combination.

My car has been an anvil. The ONLY thing I have had to replace aside from tires, fluids and filters is it got a new battery two weeks ago. A couple minor issues under warranty the first couple years and not a thing since.

I have to ask - why do you turn off the stability control every time you drive the car? Unless you are driving in a way you should not on a public road, it is completely unobtrusive... And it could save your butt some day.

[BenFenner]

Originally Posted by krhodes1

Welcome to a rather exclusive club!

Thanks. feelsgoodman.jpg

Originally Posted by krhodes1

I couldn't live without Tasman Green and changed it at the last second. Chestnut leather, it's a pretty striking combination.

That sounds like a great color combo. I do love BMW's greens, and it's the only thing that works with some of the lighter tan interiors IMO, but Chestnut is killer.

Originally Posted by krhodes1

I have to ask - why do you turn off the stability control every time you drive the car? Unless you are driving in a way you should not on a public road, it is completely unobtrusive...

I make demands of my tools, not requests.

Originally Posted by krhodes1

And it could save your butt some day.

I could say the same thing about having it active causing a collision some day.

[BenFenner]

I remembered few more things, so I added them to the "ugly" section.

- No coolant temp gauge
- No engine oil dip stick