E46 330i

[kilotango]

sweeeet! did you put LED's in those projectors , or did you go with HID?

how do they look at night compared to the originals?

 

[Ebo]

Lovely work there Mnr. keep it up, Car is an absolute beaut!

 

[michael.joseph]

Flippn excellent work bud.

I've always loved the E46 in Aegean Blueraise:

 

[Kyle]

Thanks guys! Still a loooong way to go.

The headlights are indeed LEDs, here's a pic in a well lit area, looks much brighter in reality though...

 

[danieltau]

Looks OEM raise:

 

[kilotango]

dude!! wow, that looks hectic.

i've done full HID+projector conversions before, and its a bit of pain because of the extra ballasts and wiring thats needed. was this just as straight plug and play thing for LED bulbs into the projector unit?

i know mounting the projectors is where most of the work happens...but just wondering how the bulb circuits go.

thanks for the pic btw, i'm extremely envious right now :chef:

 

[Zound]

Awesome write up. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Kyle]

dude!! wow, that looks hectic.

i've done full HID+projector conversions before, and its a bit of pain because of the extra ballasts and wiring thats needed. was this just as straight plug and play thing for LED bulbs into the projector unit?

i know mounting the projectors is where most of the work happens...but just wondering how the bulb circuits go.

thanks for the pic btw, i'm extremely envious right now :chef:

Thanks dude, the LED bulb fits directly into the projector... From there it's two wires into the original harness. No cutting or splicing.... Much neater than HID

 

[danieltau]

Thanks guys! Still a loooong way to go.

The headlights are indeed LEDs, here's a pic in a well lit area, looks much brighter in reality though...

Can You still adjust headlights from the headlight switch?

 

[Kyle]

Thanks guys! Still a loooong way to go.

The headlights are indeed LEDs, here's a pic in a well lit area, looks much brighter in reality though...

Can You still adjust headlights from the headlight switch?

Yes still works as normal...

 

[Wes]

I keep coming back to this pic, it really turned out awesome.

Are you getting any grief from oncoming traffic because of the brightness?

Thanks guys! Still a loooong way to go.

The headlights are indeed LEDs, here's a pic in a well lit area, looks much brighter in reality though...

 

[Thami4u]

nice write-up mate. i will say that my ADSL connection screamed like hell, and took like 30 mins to load up all the pics... :hammerhead:

i have a 330ci, and most of the things you have done, all look extreeeemely familiar. its a pity you've sealed the valve cover already.. that would've been the perfect time to get the vanos seals done. that for me improved the car ALOT for lower down torque.

just a heads up on the valve cover leak. often these things get warped a little, i tried to re-seal mine plenty times... but kept leaking after a few thousand KM's. also, the rubber seals where the bolts go will leak after a while.. along with the washers that seal the spark plug holes too.. so you might find oil covering the top or your plugs. your best bet is just to get a new one with all the new washers and seals.

make sure to change your coolant expansion tank. you wont see any slight cracks, or anything like that... they just crack. the same goes for the plastic bleed screw. these things are known to go, around your mileage, and you can risk an overheat.... so be warned. overheats can be deadly with these engines. this along with the hoses, waterpump, thermo, pulley's, belts and tensioner. so make this a high priority if you can. :thumbs:

Your last paragraph is so true...i experienced this with my e46 318 compact but fortunately I didn't result in any serious damage.

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Beautiful car, great work there and a great write-up to match!. :bravo:

 

[kilotango]

...

Your last paragraph is so true...i experienced this with my e46 318 compact but fortunately I didn't result in any serious damage.

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Beautiful car, great work there and a great write-up to match!. :bravo:

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its literally a matter of 'when' and not 'if' with these cars. i did read about these issues when i first bought my car, but i thought "nah, it cant be that bad, people are just being a bit dramatic on the net"... until it happened to me.

thank goodness i didnt overheat too, it becomes a total nightmare then

 

[Kyle]

I keep coming back to this pic, it really turned out awesome.

Are you getting any grief from oncoming traffic because of the brightness?

Thanks! Nah the reason I went with the projectors is that they focus the light properly... Unlike sticking HID bulbs in a halogen light :rage:

 

[Kyle]

Hi guys!

So, not much has happened since the last update.... Work has been hectic, busy with a few projects around SA so whatever time I get at home is reserved for family / catch up...

I haven't driven the car much, but it makes me smile whenever I leave the daily at home and take her for a drive :smilebounce:

One thing that I wanted to get done since I got her was a brake fluid flush, the pedal was REALLY spongy and I would have weird braking issues from time to time (random ABS kick in and just general lack of brake force). I searched for a while for someone who would do a proper job in Durban, eventually ended up sending the car to Supertech Durban.... Great service from the guys and a massive difference in braking... Cost : R1200

Next up, a friend of mine happened to be stripping an E46 M3, he sent me a picture of a tired looking steering wheel.. Price was right so I took the gamble.

Here are some pics of the initial condition:

It clearly belonged to a car that had seen a mechanics shop a few times in it's life... Judging from the dust, the donor had been parked off for a while :thumbdo: Sad to see E46s wasted like this, but at least I could save one piece...

The wheel was then taken apart to remove the SMG paddles and then everything got a good scrub!

Proess followed :

Initial clean with Turtle Wax Interior 1
Wipe down with hot water
Second clean with APC diluted and soft bristle brush
Stitching scrubbed with a toothbrush
Wipe down with hot water
Coated with Gtechniq L1, plastics were coated with C6

I thought about repainting the lower section, but I decided against it... I feel like the slight wear adds some character and matches the rest of the interior...

And finally :blowheart:

Fitted:

I was really blown away by the difference it makes in driving the car, the grip is SO much better, honestly feels like a different car now.

And finally, random pic for clicks

 

[AshG108]

Right it is settled, I am going to start saving now for when it is time for you to sell...

Awesome job with this car Kyle, always followed your threads and cars and you have always been so thorough...that steering wheel is unbelievable!

Top stuff bud!

 

[VinceM]

Sell you car, please...

Wow a beauty! Well done bud.
Looks awesome

 

[Kyle]

Right it is settled, I am going to start saving now for when it is time for you to sell...

Awesome job with this car Kyle, always followed your threads and cars and you have always been so thorough...that steering wheel is unbelievable!

Top stuff bud!

Thanks dude... Knowing me, who knows how long this one will stay with me :fencelook:

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Sell you car, please...

Wow a beauty! Well done bud.
Looks awesome

Thanks for the kind words man..

 

[bman]

Excellent results on that steering wheel. Looks fantastic! :bravo:

 

[Kyle]

Excellent results on that steering wheel. Looks fantastic! :bravo:

Thanks bud, enjoy the paddles :chef: