[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

And Ive had them for 19 now. Including an E30 going to 242k before I sold it to a friend (who is still running it) after club racing it for 4 years. As for the last part, go fuck yourself maybe? Id bet probably not, my door handles arent even sticky because I chose to resolve it properly.

You can have a rattly piece of shit if you want. I even conceded that youre not going to get every glove box, window or rear seat squeak over a bump. But a suspension/engine noise is something I look into.

Yeah, I sold my E30 I bought in 1989 in 2006 with 257,000 miles on it. The guy I sold it to ran it to 290,000 before he let it overheat and cracked the head.

On Sunday I just replaced my driver's cup holder... am I as cool as you?

[ryan stewart]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Yeah, I sold my E30 I bought in 1989 in 2006 with 257,000 miles on it. The guy I sold it to ran it to 290,000 before he let it overheat and cracked the head.

On Sunday I just replaced my driver's cup holder... am I as cool as you?

No because youre someone who started a dick-measuring contest on an internet forum, nothing is cool about that. So youre telling the OP to ignore a suspension noise and "let shit go" not be OCD but now you are saying your cars are PERFECT?

If youre going to be a douche about it at least be consistent. Or dont be a douche because you are now apparently agreeing with me...

Back on topic: Check the suspension squeak, suspension noises usually indicate an issue.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

No because youre someone who started a dick-measuring contest on an internet forum, nothing is cool about that. So youre telling the OP to ignore a suspension noise and "let shit go" not be OCD but now you are saying your cars are PERFECT?

If youre going to be a douche about it at least be consistent. Or dont be a douche because you are now apparently agreeing with me...

Back on topic: Check the suspension squeak, suspension noises usually indicate an issue.

I didn't start any sort of dick measuring contest, you did. You stated your dick was rattle free and assumed my car is a rattling POS, just because I recommend to the OP to not over maintain his car and not get concerned over minor things like a suspension noise. It's obvious his Indy couldn't isolate the problem and just threw parts at it.

As late as three years ago my 24-year old niece got in the rear seat of my then 340,000 mile E90 and asked me if it was a new car. Her mother, who was riding shotgun just started to laugh.

The service history of my car is well documented here on E90 Post. For Christ's sake, I've even rebuilt the driver's seat once already with new foam and upper seat cover (BMW factory parts). It's due for a second rebuild and I bought the foam a year ago to do it, I've just not had the time. So stop assuming shit that you know nothing about.

For instance, the newly acquired E46 Cabrio I just picked up, had the wrong screw holding the tool case in place in the trunk liner. The screws are Philips head sheet metal screws covered with the gray material that the surrounding liner is made from. The errant screw was just a black sheet metal screw and looked stupid, so I searched realeom long enough and found the correct screw. I even bought the tools missing from the tool case. So again, I'm pretty damned sure any my cars are as well maintained as yours, or better.

[Fredo]

Originally Posted by 09328i

I still have a very annoying suspension squeak that an indy misdiagnosed and we replaced the wrong parts. If we ever get to the root of that, I would be on cloud 9!

I wonder what your Indy said about replacing the wrong parts. Did they offer a credit or refund ?

[09328i]

Originally Posted by Fredo

I wonder what your Indy said about replacing the wrong parts. Did they offer a credit or refund ?

They wanted between $1,200 or $1,600, something crazy like that. I ordered the parts from FCP Euro for a fifth of that and did it myself in an hour. I must have had a subconscious feeling that it wasn't going to fix the problem and I didn't want to waste that much money chasing down the wrong path. I don't believe they would have not charged me and would have then told me to continue to replace more parts. I didn't get any refunds on the diagnostic fees that I paid. I did ask if they could help me track down the actual problem, and I never heard anything back.

I am going to have to try something else next spring in order to be able to drive with the windows down. I appreciate the responses that say "Don't just live with that".

Life is short, I don't think we should just deal with annoying things that make our cars feel, look, or sound cheap. I am embarrassed to have people hear me drive up to them. I don't know why there have been so many people telling me not to fix suspension noises.

There is passion on both sides of that debate. At least if giving advice you could just say, "It will be ok to ignore it, it might not hurt anything if you just let it continue to squeak." But to say outright don't fix it and don't try so hard to fix the car you drive when we are all here because we own them and talk about them, why is that a thing?

There are Youtube channels that buy $500 cars and spend crazy money sorting them out. I buy a low mile BMW from a Mercedes dealer and I try to sort it and got flamed in another thread for asking what the problem could be. I have owned hooptie cars when I was young that you just patched up to keep them on the road. I am well past that stage in life.

[09328i]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

For instance, the newly acquired E46 Cabrio I just picked up, had the wrong screw holding the tool case in place in the trunk liner. The screws are Philips head sheet metal screws covered with the gray material that the surrounding liner is made from. The errant screw was just a black sheet metal screw and looked stupid, so I searched realeom long enough and found the correct screw. I even bought the tools missing from the tool case. So again, I'm pretty damned sure any my cars are as well maintained as yours, or better.

Dude- I super appreciate the work you did on this. Those parts are so cheap to replace not have a hack job that a prior owner did. Do things right!

[Tambohamilton]

If it's a problem to you, definitely fix it. Others might be OK with it, but that's up to them and their car.

So you can hear the noise most with the windows down(?)... What further details? Only when you hit a bump? Any idea of side or location the noise is coming from?

[09328i]

Originally Posted by Tambohamilton

If it's a problem to you, definitely fix it. Others might be OK with it, but that's up to them and their car.

So you can hear the noise most with the windows down(?)... What further details? Only when you hit a bump? Any idea of side or location the noise is coming from?

I can't hear it with the windows up, but these cars have great sound insulation. It sounds like it is on the driver's front. It "sounds" like metal on metal screeching, but I don't even know how that could be.

It happens over bumps or when the suspension is flexing. It doesn't happen when you push up and down when the car is parked.

[Soden82]

Originally Posted by 09328i

That sounds like a great pickup. What have you had to replace due to age so far?

Plugs and coils, valve cover gasket, and carbon cleaning. Not too terrible

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 09328i

They wanted between $1,200 or $1,600, something crazy like that. I ordered the parts from FCP Euro for a fifth of that and did it myself in an hour. I must have had a subconscious feeling that it wasn't going to fix the problem and I didn't want to waste that much money chasing down the wrong path. I don't believe they would have not charged me and would have then told me to continue to replace more parts. I didn't get any refunds on the diagnostic fees that I paid. I did ask if they could help me track down the actual problem, and I never heard anything back.

I am going to have to try something else next spring in order to be able to drive with the windows down. I appreciate the responses that say "Don't just live with that".

Life is short, I don't think we should just deal with annoying things that make our cars feel, look, or sound cheap. I am embarrassed to have people hear me drive up to them. I don't know why there have been so many people telling me not to fix suspension noises.

There is passion on both sides of that debate. At least if giving advice you could just say, "It will be ok to ignore it, it might not hurt anything if you just let it continue to squeak." But to say outright don't fix it and don't try so hard to fix the car you drive when we are all here because we own them and talk about them, why is that a thing?

There are Youtube channels that buy $500 cars and spend crazy money sorting them out. I buy a low mile BMW from a Mercedes dealer and I try to sort it and got flamed in another thread for asking what the problem could be. I have owned hooptie cars when I was young that you just patched up to keep them on the road. I am well past that stage in life.

Listen, I'm trying to give you some sound advice from someone who has owned five BMWs spanning 30 years and dealt with BMWs since the early 1980's and who has wrenched on them since the early 1980's. Here are the facts. BMW models all tend to exhibit common problems that the model has and is learned over time as mileage grows on a fleet basis. This is good, especially now with the internet, because the common problems are well documented and the fix well known. A particular car will exhibit problems that may occur once or twice and never reappear. For example, on my 2006 E90, early problems with the steering wheel surfaced, one being the electronic lock would freeze the steering wheel allowing not to unlock. BMW first started replacing steering columns, then after about 8 months switched to a software update that increased the power sent to the lock mechanism and increased the dwell time the lock was energized.

My car exhibited the problem, I waited, I didn't panic; this was my 3rd BMW, I had learned to be patient with them. I finally took it in under warranty to address the problem and I did not want the steering column ripped out of the car. That was the same time, luckily, that BMW did the software change. Even after the software update, my car still exhibited the problem and locked the steering wheel a few times. But after about 2 years with the lock mechanism working in, it stopped over-locking the wheel. Now 12 years later and 300,000 some miles later the lock has functioned perfectly for years now.

A second issue was the steering wheel clock spring would squeak. I didn't lube the wheel, I didn't take the car in in a panic. I was patient. The clock spring annoyingly squeaked for about 6 months, periodically. Now for 12 years and 6 months later, the clock spring has been utterly silent. Think how many times the steering wheel has been turned in 383,000 miles. My experience with BMWs has me learn that it takes a long time for the car to fully break in (which is what I stated in my first post on this thread).

A third example. About a two years into ownership, I started getting a strange suspension noise. It was a swooshing sound when going over speed bumps at slow speeds. It took a while, but I finally figured it out. It was the accordion boots that cover the piston rods of the front struts. They eventually came loose from the strut body (the rubber shrinks over time). The suspension worked in and the noise finally went away.

The point I'm making is your car has not seen a lot of miles despite its age. It's not yet broken in. You threw parts at it that were not possibly worn out. The font control arms on my car lasted 330,000 miles before I replaced them, in in the end they didn't need it. I tested the old parts bushing compliance against the fresh parts (I clamped them in my bench vice). The resiliency of the 320,000-mile old bushing was virtually the same as the new parts. And my car sees a lot of high-speed back road driving. I'm just trying to keep you from throwing parts at problems that will probably resolve themselves. The E90 with an N52 just doesn't break that often.

If you want a good ownership experience, buy a BMW scan tool.

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by ryan stewart

No because youre someone who started a dick-measuring contest on an internet forum, nothing is cool about that. So youre telling the OP to ignore a suspension noise and "let shit go" not be OCD but now you are saying your cars are PERFECT?

If youre going to be a douche about it at least be consistent. Or dont be a douche because you are now apparently agreeing with me...

Back on topic: Check the suspension squeak, suspension noises usually indicate an issue.

I mean you're the one who started talking smack about what he said. You're also shit-talking probably the most experienced and knowledgeable E90 owner on the forums. He's not dick-measuring, you just initially said he didn't know what he was talking about and he is telling you why he does.

Petty shit regardless.

[Tambohamilton]

Originally Posted by 09328i

I can't hear it with the windows up, but these cars have great sound insulation. It sounds like it is on the driver's front. It "sounds" like metal on metal screeching, but I don't even know how that could be.

It happens over bumps or when the suspension is flexing. It doesn't happen when you push up and down when the car is parked.

I'd be tempted to look at the brakes; the noise you describe doesn't seem to me like one which the suspension would make. I'd jack up the DS front wheel, and check it spins freely and quietly. If it does, I'd take the wheel off and inspect the brake pads and caliper. Of course I wouldn't expect anything to be worn out, but something may be loose or binding. Also check the stone guard (thin sheet metal) for damage or deformation; make sure it can't be rubbing the wheel or disc.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by 09328i

Dude- I super appreciate the work you did on this. Those parts are so cheap to replace not have a hack job that a prior owner did. Do things right!

I'm buds with the prior owner, the discrepancies were prior to his ownership. He just likes to drive with the top down.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by Fritzer

I mean you're the one who started talking smack about what he said. You're also shit-talking probably the most experienced and knowledgeable E90 owner on the forums. He's not dick-measuring, you just initially said he didn't know what he was talking about and he is telling you why he does.

Petty shit regardless.

And the fact that I think everyone should own an E90

Just sayin'

Thanks for the support. IMO there is no point to have experiences if you don't share to help others.

[CTinline-six]

I guess mine is lower mileage for a 2009. Mine is a base model and I love it. No outdated nav but heated seats.

[MPOWER5266]

I thought my 77k mile wagon had low miles.

[Schmitz]

2011 328xi, just crossed 75,000 miles. I guess that's low for 10 years.

[ReForMatt]

The great thing about the BMW format and forum’s is that we are all passionate about the cars. It’s ok to be “OCD” and do preventive maintenance or as some would say if it’s not broke don’t fix it. It’s also ok if you choose to not let some rattles an what nots alone.

Me being the OCD type sometimes I wish I could overlook the random noises lol

[F30lolz]

OP, congrats on the purchase and having a low mileage example is great. Enjoy the car for what it is but I’d also recommend getting a scan tool as well. My 335 has 92k miles, purchased with 55k miles 3.5 years ago.

Maintenance to date:

VCG
OFHG
Walnut Blasting
Tune up (plugs, filters)
Drive belt/pulleys
Coolant flush

Need to change out trans/diff fluids soon.

Never left me stranded.....yet.

[roadkillrob]

Bought mine 335 new in November of 2007 and it has 23k miles on it now (it has had 3 HPFP's early on, coils, injectors and a water pump but has been pretty reliable after the first 3 or so years). Just bough my son a 2006 330i with 85k on it which I thought was pretty low of the age.