|
|
|
|
|
|
BMW Garage | BMW Meets | Register | Today's Posts | Search |
|
BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum
>
e91 Log: Midnight
|
|
01-08-2024, 10:17 PM | #1 |
New Member
17
Rep 8
Posts |
e91 Log: Midnight
Introducing Midnight
Hey folks! Excited new e91 owner here to contribute. I grew up crawling around back roads of Texas in my dad's station wagon affectionately dubbed "The Abuse-mobile," and after getting hooked on M539 Restorations, I knew I had to have a touring. Inspired by Project Cologne, I started my search over our family summer vacation thinking that we would end up with an E39 or E46 true project car with only one basic requirement -- no classic BMW beige interior! This E91 popped up on my Craigslist searches, and after a week or so I couldn't resist checking it out. After discussions with the family, my wife insisted that she'd rather I expand the budget than plan to spend 20 hours a week on the car. Enter Midnight 2008 BMW 328i Touring (E91) Options:
Acquisition date: November 5th, 2023 ~112,500 miles at purchase Naming: Arrived at after 4 rounds of ranked choice voting with the family. Our family minivan is Luna Twinklestar, so we wanted something loosely related. My personal favorite was the Harry Potter inspired Mad-eye Moony, but Midnight won out. 2023 was the year of Taylor Swift, and her influence is strong in a household with a 9 year old girl. It's grown on me. Initial Impressions: Midnight is a well-loved daily driver, not a collector's specimen. The exterior looks great from any distance and up close has the expected wear of a 15 year old car. There's one larger chip on the hood, the rear trim over the hatch has been wrapped, there's some clear coat fade on hood, and the door handles look tired. The interior is in overall good condition with a few trouble spots: driver's door armrest and center console are notably worn, there is a small tear in stitching for driver's seat, and the sunroof cover is showing some sag. Maintenance Records and History: It looks like Midnight moved from Georgia to Texas in 2018, where it was owned by an enthusiast that took great care of the car and serviced it at a couple of different reputable indie shops. It changed hands again locally sometime in late 2021 to early 2022, and the records get noticeably sparser. The Good (Items covered by reputable shops):
That's all for now! I'm a delighted owner driving it around town daily. I plan to do as much maintenance in my driveway shop as possible and (inspired by Project Sportification) give some regular updates here. Stay tuned! Last edited by midnight-wagon; 01-10-2024 at 02:31 PM.. |
Appreciate
9
GavinE9124.00 StradaRedlands5033.50 eljay1464.50 vxracer6.00 xlr88r290.50 dreamcheng96.00 Cal122206.50 Mike K332.00 johnnyorange58.50 |
01-08-2024, 10:41 PM | #2 |
New Member
24
Rep 8
Posts |
Your car looks great. Hope to tote along a family in mine one day in the future
First road trip I took my touring on (soon after purchase) left me with an exploded rear tire. Since then, it’s been a dream. I hope you enjoy yours the same I do mine. Every drive brings a little bit more ethusiasm and appreciation Cheers! |
Appreciate
1
midnight-wagon16.50 |
01-09-2024, 12:31 AM | #3 |
Brigadier General
5034
Rep 3,089
Posts
Drives: 2006 BMW 330i MT
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: SoCal
iTrader: (2)
Garage List 2006 BMW 330i [8.25]
2009 BMW 328i Touri ... [8.00] 2013 BMW X5 35i [7.80] 2011 BMW 528i [8.70] 2006 Mazda3 [5.50] |
Fantastic color, tint, and wheels... it all goes together!!!
|
Appreciate
1
midnight-wagon16.50 |
01-09-2024, 07:39 AM | #4 |
Colonel
1465
Rep 2,151
Posts |
Another E91 thread! Awesome!!! 👍
It looks great and you've made a good list and checked it twice. 😉 |
Appreciate
2
StradaRedlands5033.50 midnight-wagon16.50 |
01-09-2024, 08:00 PM | #5 |
BMW Enthusiast
91
Rep 133
Posts |
Great spec
|
Appreciate
1
midnight-wagon16.50 |
01-09-2024, 09:13 PM | #6 |
Lieutenant
332
Rep 401
Posts
Drives: 2011 e91 328i RWD
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Chicago Area
|
Nice on the RWD! It makes DIY stuff much easier.
Welcome! |
Appreciate
1
midnight-wagon16.50 |
01-09-2024, 09:18 PM | #7 |
First Lieutenant
128
Rep 300
Posts |
Another Texas e91!! Yes!
Welcome! I’ve got a pre-Lci RWD/Manual/ZSP car (and an e46 touring lol). |
Appreciate
1
midnight-wagon16.50 |
01-10-2024, 02:24 PM | #8 | |
New Member
17
Rep 8
Posts |
Quote:
|
|
Appreciate
1
GavinE9124.00 |
01-10-2024, 02:58 PM | #10 |
Lieutenant
332
Rep 401
Posts
Drives: 2011 e91 328i RWD
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Chicago Area
|
New tires eh? Maybe get the alignment sussed...
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-10-2024, 03:18 PM | #11 |
Enlisted Member
96
Rep 49
Posts |
nice wagon! love the color combo. the n52 will keep going as long as you take care of it. enjoy!
|
Appreciate
2
midnight-wagon16.50 johnnyorange58.50 |
01-10-2024, 10:58 PM | #12 |
Second Lieutenant
71
Rep 268
Posts |
Oh, I recognize that building! Hello neighbor and fellow E91 owner!
|
Appreciate
1
midnight-wagon16.50 |
01-11-2024, 04:15 AM | #13 |
Lieutenant Colonel
2136
Rep 1,508
Posts |
Good looking car, how does the ac do with the Texas heat?
|
Appreciate
1
midnight-wagon16.50 |
01-11-2024, 09:23 AM | #14 |
New Member
17
Rep 8
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-11-2024, 09:26 AM | #15 |
New Member
17
Rep 8
Posts |
Wow! PM me if you ever want to catch up, I'm not at the threshold yet. I have been on the lookout for months and only seen one E91 in the area (silver and poorly cared for). There's a nearby white E34 badged as a Dinan 5 that looks amazing.
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-11-2024, 09:31 AM | #16 |
New Member
17
Rep 8
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
01-11-2024, 09:37 AM | #17 |
New Member
17
Rep 8
Posts |
|
Appreciate
0
|
05-10-2024, 12:06 PM | #18 |
New Member
17
Rep 8
Posts |
First 4 Months (November 2023 - February 2024)
Here's a long overdue update on my first 4 months of ownership, November 2023 - February 2024.
Warm up and easy items Code:
| Date | Mileage | Description | Price | Parts | | ---------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 11/17/2023 | | Windshield Wipers, front + rear | $52.78 | FCP Euro - Valeo (front), BMW (rear) | | | | Rear tailgate window locking mechanism adjustment | $0 | Found directions in the E90 Bentley manual | | | | Replaced tailgate struts | $30.98 | FPCE Euro - Stabilus | | 11/19/2023 | 112955 | Oil change + filter | $45.62 | Amazon - Castrol Edge Euro LL-01 5w30, Mann oil filter | | 11/26/2023 | | Added felt strips to panoramic sunroof for noise | $8.90 | Amazon - 3M Hook and Loop tape | | 11/27/2023 | 113113 | New battery | $187.01 | Costco - Interstate H8(49) AGM | | 11/30/2023 | 113203 | Fuel system clean | $12.29 | Amazon - Techron fuel system cleaner | | 12/2/2023 | | Adjusted the parking brake set points on rear wheels, noticed significant tire wear on left rear | $0 | | | 12/10/2023 | 113375 | 4 new tires | $863.75 | Costco - Michelin Pilot Sport AS 4, Rear: 255/40ZR17 98Y, Front: 225/45ZR17 94Y | | | | | | | The fuel cleaner is the first attempt to a minorly rough idle and noise/vibration/harshness that I was experiencing at startup. When I say minorly rough, I recall experiencing surging RPMs at startup along with the vibrations. The fuel cleaner did help slightly with the surging, but the vibrations continued and I still can't say what the top culprit was, given that I've now replaced almost every pulley along the serpentine belt. First Wrench Code:
| Date | Mileage | Description | Price | Parts | | --------- | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1/6/2024 | 113850 | Front brake pads, rotors, wear sensor, and anti-squeak clips | $245.29 | FCP Euro - Zimmermann rotors and Pagid pads | | 1/8/2024 | 113875 | Idler Pulley - INA FP05121 | $23.64 | RockAuto - INA FP05121 | | 1/13/2024 | 113990 | Rear brake pads, rotors, and wear sensor | $206.35 | FCP Euro - Zimmermann rotors and Pagid pads | | 1/25/2024 | 114296 | Brake fluid flush | $91.61 | Amazon - Pentosin 1L 1204116, Motive European Power Bleeder, PESIKO 1L Brake Bleeder Bottle | | 2/19/24 | 114876 | Replace spark plugs 1-6 | $74.40 | FCP Euro - BMW PLZFR6A11S Spark Plug, NGK-5987 | | 2/19/24 | 114876 | Replace ignition coils 1-6 | $145.42 | FCP Euro - BMW Direct Ignition Coil - Delphi 12138616153 | | 2/19/24 | 114876 | Replace valvetronic shaft sensor gasket | $2.70 | FCP Euro - BMW Valvetronic Shaft Sensor Gasket - ELR-523000 | | 2/19/24 | 114876 | Replace cabin air filters | $25.43 | FCP Euro - CTO-80000064 | | 2/19/24 | 114876 | Replace engine air filter | $29.87 | FCP Euro - MAH-LX1478 | | 2/19/24 | 114876 | Replace missing engine trim cover bolt | $1.83 | FCP Euro - BMW-07119906086 | The brake rotors all had huge lips and were ready for a refresh. I recall the rotors and pads being pretty straightforward, with the exception of the Pagid pads including metal clips on both brake pad pieces, which meant I had to crank them off of the side that doesn't insert into piston. This struck me as odd and had me wondering if I'd made an error. Flushing the brakes was a nerve-wracking first but ultimately fine. It went so smoothly on Midnight with the power bleeder that I repeated on our minivan with a major screwup of running the reservoir dry. I had it noted in the history that only 2 coils had been replaced 20k miles ago, #1 and #6. Continuing the theme of running down vibrations at startup, I checked out the coils. The spark plugs probably would have been fine, but the coils replaced did not actually match the invoices for cylinder numbering, and I decided to do a full refresh with NGK platinum coils and the now-recommended Delphi coils. The idler pulley is my first go at a second theme of noticing what I can only describe as jet engine noises from the engine bay that follow RPMs. This noise has changed as I replaced bad pulleys (e.g. it doesn't seem to continue when I take foot off the pedal any more), but seems to be normal overall and hasn't gone away entirely. The pulley was definitely shot and spinning freely when I removed. The tensioner pulley was replaced ~35k miles ago so I left it in place. While checking things out I noticed the shaft sensor leaking, which was an easy fix but also the tabs on the sensor became the first of many snapped plastic pieces that I'm choosing to live with. |
Appreciate
0
|
Bookmarks |
|
|