Dirtydeedsman
Active member
This looks soo good its fitting to be a brochure pic. Good work on the car looks absolutely stunning
:blowheart:
:blowheart:
-
Read the WELCOME ALL BMWFANATICS post.
Round 2: Adi's 2004 BMW 330i M-sport 6MT
- Thread starter AdiS
- Start date
raise:
Randy ///M
///Member
She's a Keeper
Well Done !!!
:tiptoe::tiptoe::tiptoe:
Well Done !!!
:tiptoe::tiptoe::tiptoe:
AdiS
Well-known member
A long overdue update. My last update was replacing the side-indicators, a simply yet impactful change to the car.
Since then, here is what has been done toward maintaining the car:
12 July 2017
135 300km
Replaced coil pack cylinder 5
After getting sick of replacing the coils one by one, I decided to replace the rest and be done with it.
17 July 2017
135 600km
Replaced Coils on cylinder 3,4,6
Installed Bosch AeroTwin Wipers
The E46 non-M have a huge buffer built into the Coolant Temp guage, so I reprogrammed mine to have the same calibration as the M3. This way, if ever something in the cooling system fails, I will have an earlier warning than the stock calibration (which usually only shows overheating way too late).
12 November 2017
139 964km
PA Soft
Recalibrated Coolant Temp Gauge to be more accurate
Only the best rubber.
8 December 2017
140 911km
TWT
4x Michelin Pilot Sport 4
24 April 2018
145 398km
Oil service DIY
LiquiMoly Molygen 5w-40
Mann Oil Filter
Time for new brakes. I chose EBC Redstuff pads for low dust, and I would say that achieve about 50% reduction in dust. Not amazing, but I'll take it.
10 August 2018
149224km
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
New Brake discs front and rear (Febi)
New Brake Pads front and rear (EBC Red Stuff)
Brake Fluid Flush (OEM)
14 December 2018
154000km
DIY
Replaced Driver’s Door Window Regulator (OEM)
11 February 2019
156072km
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
Inspection 1 Service (LM Molygen 5W-40)
Replace Gearbox Oil (BMW MTF-LT2)
Power Steering Fluid Flush
Clean Idle Control Valve
Inspect DISA (showing early signs of flap movement)
Replace Intake boots
Replace PCV + pipes
Re-Gas AirCon
Replaced DISA (OEM)
It seems that replacing the PCV system has reduced my oil consumption, but it's still too soon to make that as an outright declaration.
These next updates were my attempt to bring the car up to modern standards. I love this car so much, and feel that it drives and performs every bit as well as a modern car, and I felt the only areas that made it feel behind the times were the ICE and the headlight performance.
17 July 2019
161 500km
DIY
Installed Upgraded Headlight Projectors
Installed Dynavin N7 Pro
I've written in detail about the headlight projector upgrade here: https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=90921
Here are some quick pics:
Comparison:
Some more pics of the new light output:
The Dynavin has also been a great upgrade. I have been watching this product evolve over years, and finally with the advent of the N7 Pro which now has native integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I felt it was mature enough to buy.
I know that there are many other cheaper, android based options available. I do not like these options because:
- They always use an old, outdated Android version
- They use cheap hardware, which I expect to be unreliable past 2-3 years
- A good ICE Unit just needs to do the basics, and do them well. Yes, android gives you more flexibility, but does a worse job of the basics. I would rather have a smaller feature set that is more polished and reliable, than a larger scope of features with less polish/optimisation.
So for me, I feel that paying the price of the Dynavin gets me the most OEM-like experience in terms of polish, reliability, screen quality, etc.
Thus far, I really like the device. Bluetooth integration is excellent, CarPlay works pretty well and the unit has yielded a dramatic improvement in sound quality from my cars standard speakers. With the OEM headunit, there was literally zero bass. Now there is at least some bass, and the system can go a lot louder. Far from a 'good' sound system, but a welcomed improvement that has me delaying an actual sound upgrade. Highly recommend.
Since then, here is what has been done toward maintaining the car:
12 July 2017
135 300km
Replaced coil pack cylinder 5
After getting sick of replacing the coils one by one, I decided to replace the rest and be done with it.
17 July 2017
135 600km
Replaced Coils on cylinder 3,4,6
Installed Bosch AeroTwin Wipers
The E46 non-M have a huge buffer built into the Coolant Temp guage, so I reprogrammed mine to have the same calibration as the M3. This way, if ever something in the cooling system fails, I will have an earlier warning than the stock calibration (which usually only shows overheating way too late).
12 November 2017
139 964km
PA Soft
Recalibrated Coolant Temp Gauge to be more accurate
Only the best rubber.
8 December 2017
140 911km
TWT
4x Michelin Pilot Sport 4
24 April 2018
145 398km
Oil service DIY
LiquiMoly Molygen 5w-40
Mann Oil Filter
Time for new brakes. I chose EBC Redstuff pads for low dust, and I would say that achieve about 50% reduction in dust. Not amazing, but I'll take it.
10 August 2018
149224km
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
New Brake discs front and rear (Febi)
New Brake Pads front and rear (EBC Red Stuff)
Brake Fluid Flush (OEM)
14 December 2018
154000km
DIY
Replaced Driver’s Door Window Regulator (OEM)
11 February 2019
156072km
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
Inspection 1 Service (LM Molygen 5W-40)
Replace Gearbox Oil (BMW MTF-LT2)
Power Steering Fluid Flush
Clean Idle Control Valve
Inspect DISA (showing early signs of flap movement)
Replace Intake boots
Replace PCV + pipes
Re-Gas AirCon
Replaced DISA (OEM)
It seems that replacing the PCV system has reduced my oil consumption, but it's still too soon to make that as an outright declaration.
These next updates were my attempt to bring the car up to modern standards. I love this car so much, and feel that it drives and performs every bit as well as a modern car, and I felt the only areas that made it feel behind the times were the ICE and the headlight performance.
17 July 2019
161 500km
DIY
Installed Upgraded Headlight Projectors
Installed Dynavin N7 Pro
I've written in detail about the headlight projector upgrade here: https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=90921
Here are some quick pics:
Comparison:
Some more pics of the new light output:
The Dynavin has also been a great upgrade. I have been watching this product evolve over years, and finally with the advent of the N7 Pro which now has native integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, I felt it was mature enough to buy.
I know that there are many other cheaper, android based options available. I do not like these options because:
- They always use an old, outdated Android version
- They use cheap hardware, which I expect to be unreliable past 2-3 years
- A good ICE Unit just needs to do the basics, and do them well. Yes, android gives you more flexibility, but does a worse job of the basics. I would rather have a smaller feature set that is more polished and reliable, than a larger scope of features with less polish/optimisation.
So for me, I feel that paying the price of the Dynavin gets me the most OEM-like experience in terms of polish, reliability, screen quality, etc.
Thus far, I really like the device. Bluetooth integration is excellent, CarPlay works pretty well and the unit has yielded a dramatic improvement in sound quality from my cars standard speakers. With the OEM headunit, there was literally zero bass. Now there is at least some bass, and the system can go a lot louder. Far from a 'good' sound system, but a welcomed improvement that has me delaying an actual sound upgrade. Highly recommend.
michael.joseph
Active member
+1
:bravo:
:bravo:
AdiS
Well-known member
Once again, a very long over due update, and boy have I been busy!
Picking up where we left off:
6 August 2019
161 5xxkm
Carly
Coded Rain Sensor Back on
Coded Rear Windows one-touch up
Coded Electric windows to work with door open and ignition off
Coded Wipers to complete cycle after ignition is switched
I bought a Carly subscription to test it out and coded a few random things to make the car a bit more optimised.
Then the washer pump started leaking, so I replaced it.
10 November 2019
164 942km
DIY
New Windscreen washer pump (FEBI)
19 November 2019
165 294km
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
Oil Service (LM Molygen 5W-40)
Install new Front Shocks (Koni Special Active), Shock Mounts (OEM)
Install new Front Lower Control Arm Bushings (OEM)
Install new Rear Shocks (Koni Special Active), Rear Shock Mounts (Lemforder)
Install new Brake Pressure Sensor
Brake Fluid Flush
Install new Windscreen Cowl
Then came the next batch of work which was really excited for.
I was most looking forward to the installation of the Koni Special Active shocks that I bought. I am so impressed by these dampers, they offer improved ride comfort with very little trade-off in handling. For me, it is the ultimate setup for a daily driver that made the car more comfortable than before, but the car still performs exceedingly well on a mountain pass (it has no problem keeping up with my Z4 in the grip / handling department).
It was also time to replace the ageing windscreen cowl with a new one.
25 November 2019
166 xxx km
New Bonnet BMW Roundel (OEM)
Headlight Lens Restoration (Zeetech Customs)
Revitalise Detail (Mike Flynn)
Next up was some more cosmetics, including something I had wanted to do for ages - restore the headlight lenses. Finished off with a basic detail from a local detailer.
Old Roundell (note this was not an original BMW item which is why it is so badly degraded. Rest assured, the new one is OEM:
I also replaced the rubber trim around the headlights.
Old, dirty, nasty:
Cleaned and new rubber installed:
I also bought the new trim piece that goes above the headlight. And here you can get an idea of the refurbished lenses.
Front all put back together with new roundel, restored headlight lenses and new headlight trim:
5 Feb 2020
Express Auto Electrical Repairs
AirCon Regas
The AC started making a slight hissing sound every now and then through the vents, so I had it re-gassed and check for leaks but no leaks were found. After re-gass, the AC blows ice cold and hasn't given any issues since.
15 June 2020
Retrofitters
171000km
Rear Number Plate LEDs
I also fitted some white LED rear number plate lights, but I forgot to take a pic.
13 August 2020
Luigi's Dent Removal PDR
Next up, was PDR by Luigi who has done miracle work for me before. In this case, no miracle work was needed, just a few tiny door dings to take out and as usual he did a great job.
6 November 2020
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
175 015km
Oil Service (LM Molygen 5W-40)
Coolant Flush
New Fuel Pump (VDO OEM)
Oil Filter Housing Gasket
New Alternator Voltage Regulator (Bosch)
Sticking to my annual / 10 000km service schedule, it was time for another service. This time I chose to replace the Fuel Pump and Voltage regulator as a preventative measure, and the Oil Filter Housing Gasket had a slight leak so that was replaced too.
9 November 2020
L&Z Auto Centre
175 086km
2x Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (245/40/17)
The time came around for new rear tires, and only the best - Michelin Pilot Sport 4! I just love these tires so much.
14 Dec 2020
BMW
New Steering Wheel (OEM)
New ZHP Gearknob
New Leather Key Cover
So this is where things really start to go to the next level. I decided that I wanted to start getting the car to the point where I had always dreamed of - in other words - as close to like new as practical and possible given that its a daily driver and that I'm not a billionaire.
So, something that I have found extremely satisfying to do on my other vehicles is replace the steering wheel. I chose to buy a brand new one from BMW because I wanted the new plastic trim and buttons, as well as factory perfect quality. Ironically enough, the first wheel I got from BMW was not good enough - there was bunching on the leather in certain places that were not becoming of a factory part. So I sent it back and BMW replaced it with another one which was more in line with factory quality.
I have to say, it really makes a huge difference when you drive this car having a brand new steering wheel. It feels like a new E46. To complete the look, I replaced the Gearknob (again) with another new ZHP one just so that things would match.
Lastly, I replaced the leather key cover that I always have on my BMW keys as the old one was getting rather worn from living in my pockets.
Here's the first wheel I received, notice the wrinkling of the leather near the button cluster
Outgoing steering wheel (still in good condition for its age)
First new wheel installed, again you can see the wrinkling on the left side. Not satisfied given what I paid.
Second time around, the wheel is better and acceptable:
22 Jan 2021
TWT Bellville
176 634km
2x Michelin Pilot Sport 4 225/45/17
Time for new front tires.
Random Car wash photo
Picking up where we left off:
6 August 2019
161 5xxkm
Carly
Coded Rain Sensor Back on
Coded Rear Windows one-touch up
Coded Electric windows to work with door open and ignition off
Coded Wipers to complete cycle after ignition is switched
I bought a Carly subscription to test it out and coded a few random things to make the car a bit more optimised.
Then the washer pump started leaking, so I replaced it.
10 November 2019
164 942km
DIY
New Windscreen washer pump (FEBI)
19 November 2019
165 294km
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
Oil Service (LM Molygen 5W-40)
Install new Front Shocks (Koni Special Active), Shock Mounts (OEM)
Install new Front Lower Control Arm Bushings (OEM)
Install new Rear Shocks (Koni Special Active), Rear Shock Mounts (Lemforder)
Install new Brake Pressure Sensor
Brake Fluid Flush
Install new Windscreen Cowl
Then came the next batch of work which was really excited for.
I was most looking forward to the installation of the Koni Special Active shocks that I bought. I am so impressed by these dampers, they offer improved ride comfort with very little trade-off in handling. For me, it is the ultimate setup for a daily driver that made the car more comfortable than before, but the car still performs exceedingly well on a mountain pass (it has no problem keeping up with my Z4 in the grip / handling department).
It was also time to replace the ageing windscreen cowl with a new one.
25 November 2019
166 xxx km
New Bonnet BMW Roundel (OEM)
Headlight Lens Restoration (Zeetech Customs)
Revitalise Detail (Mike Flynn)
Next up was some more cosmetics, including something I had wanted to do for ages - restore the headlight lenses. Finished off with a basic detail from a local detailer.
Old Roundell (note this was not an original BMW item which is why it is so badly degraded. Rest assured, the new one is OEM:
I also replaced the rubber trim around the headlights.
Old, dirty, nasty:
Cleaned and new rubber installed:
I also bought the new trim piece that goes above the headlight. And here you can get an idea of the refurbished lenses.
Front all put back together with new roundel, restored headlight lenses and new headlight trim:
5 Feb 2020
Express Auto Electrical Repairs
AirCon Regas
The AC started making a slight hissing sound every now and then through the vents, so I had it re-gassed and check for leaks but no leaks were found. After re-gass, the AC blows ice cold and hasn't given any issues since.
15 June 2020
Retrofitters
171000km
Rear Number Plate LEDs
I also fitted some white LED rear number plate lights, but I forgot to take a pic.
13 August 2020
Luigi's Dent Removal PDR
Next up, was PDR by Luigi who has done miracle work for me before. In this case, no miracle work was needed, just a few tiny door dings to take out and as usual he did a great job.
6 November 2020
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
175 015km
Oil Service (LM Molygen 5W-40)
Coolant Flush
New Fuel Pump (VDO OEM)
Oil Filter Housing Gasket
New Alternator Voltage Regulator (Bosch)
Sticking to my annual / 10 000km service schedule, it was time for another service. This time I chose to replace the Fuel Pump and Voltage regulator as a preventative measure, and the Oil Filter Housing Gasket had a slight leak so that was replaced too.
9 November 2020
L&Z Auto Centre
175 086km
2x Michelin Pilot Sport 4 (245/40/17)
The time came around for new rear tires, and only the best - Michelin Pilot Sport 4! I just love these tires so much.
14 Dec 2020
BMW
New Steering Wheel (OEM)
New ZHP Gearknob
New Leather Key Cover
So this is where things really start to go to the next level. I decided that I wanted to start getting the car to the point where I had always dreamed of - in other words - as close to like new as practical and possible given that its a daily driver and that I'm not a billionaire.
So, something that I have found extremely satisfying to do on my other vehicles is replace the steering wheel. I chose to buy a brand new one from BMW because I wanted the new plastic trim and buttons, as well as factory perfect quality. Ironically enough, the first wheel I got from BMW was not good enough - there was bunching on the leather in certain places that were not becoming of a factory part. So I sent it back and BMW replaced it with another one which was more in line with factory quality.
I have to say, it really makes a huge difference when you drive this car having a brand new steering wheel. It feels like a new E46. To complete the look, I replaced the Gearknob (again) with another new ZHP one just so that things would match.
Lastly, I replaced the leather key cover that I always have on my BMW keys as the old one was getting rather worn from living in my pockets.
Here's the first wheel I received, notice the wrinkling of the leather near the button cluster
Outgoing steering wheel (still in good condition for its age)
First new wheel installed, again you can see the wrinkling on the left side. Not satisfied given what I paid.
Second time around, the wheel is better and acceptable:
22 Jan 2021
TWT Bellville
176 634km
2x Michelin Pilot Sport 4 225/45/17
Time for new front tires.
Random Car wash photo
AdiS
Well-known member
10 Feb 2021
The Mag Workshop
Wheel Refurb, new center caps, new M stickers
The next step in my ultimate cosmetics series: wheel refurb. The wheels were never in bad condition - no curb rash, only a few scratches and marks from the years. But I wanted them perfect, so a wheel refurb it was, and again to make sure all the details match, new centre caps and M stickers. They came out beautifully and what a satisfying outcome this was.
Center caps before:
New centre caps and M badges
Refinished wheel
Random sunset shots
The Mag Workshop
Wheel Refurb, new center caps, new M stickers
The next step in my ultimate cosmetics series: wheel refurb. The wheels were never in bad condition - no curb rash, only a few scratches and marks from the years. But I wanted them perfect, so a wheel refurb it was, and again to make sure all the details match, new centre caps and M stickers. They came out beautifully and what a satisfying outcome this was.
Center caps before:
New centre caps and M badges
Refinished wheel
Random sunset shots
AdiS
Well-known member
23 Apr 2021
178 880km
New foglights (OEM)
New front indicators (OEM)
New bumper trim (OEM)
Bumpers resprayed
New Interior A Pillars (OEM)
The final part of the cosmetic puzzle: Bumpers.
I thought deeply for ages about whether I wanted to do this or not. Being a daily driver, I'd always simply accepted the few flaws that the bumpers had but I realised that they were simply letting the car down and preventing it from being a truly remarkable example. So, I had them resprayed.
I hate getting paint work done because I have high standards and it's always just a pain in the ass. Anyway, I have a great relationship with a shop in CT and the owner understands the enthusiast mindset. Suffice to say that they did the bumpers 3 times before we were happy with the quality, paint match, etc. But it was worth it. The final outcome was to a very high standard and I'm super happy.
Again, wanting all the accompanying details to match, I went a bit crazy and replaced all the bumper trim, fog lights, and front indicators so the the front and rear ends were perfect and like factory new.
Man, it was worth it. This job really just took the car to that next level and it now never fails to impress even the most keen eyed enthusiasts. I would never claim that it is perfect, but it sure is damn close.
Here are some before (almost all of these issues were on the car prior to my ownership):
Scuff on the corner
Another mark on the rear
The front has been a mess since I got the car:
Cracked Indicator
Other one was pitted
Final Result after paint and new trim:
New trim looking great
Front after painted bumpers, new trim, new foglight and new corner indicators;
A pillar was start to bunch up:
Brand new OEM:
27 Jan 2022
184000km
New Hood Sensor
So rather embarrassingly, I had forgotten about this hood sensor. I woke up one morning at 4am with the damn alarm blaring and immediately new what the problem was. So in order to get some sleep, I unplugged the sensor and then went back to bed. That was maybe a year or two ago, and I simply forgot about it.
Anyway, I remembered eventually and have now corrected it with a new sensor.
2 Feb 2022
184,170km
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
Oil Service
Brake Fluid Flush
So the eagle-eyed among you will notice that this oil service is just slightly longer than 1 year since the last oil change, but I simply haven't been driving the car as much (because of work from home and the Z4) and it had only done 9000km. The service should have technically been in November 2021, but I basically daily drove the Z4 for a few weeks over December and just didn't feel like car admin over my holiday.
So, the story is not over yet. There is still more stuff in the works and I plan on doing a proper shoot of the car to show off its condition as soon as the following is done:
- Some Additional preventative maintenance
- Extensive Detail
Stay tuned!
178 880km
New foglights (OEM)
New front indicators (OEM)
New bumper trim (OEM)
Bumpers resprayed
New Interior A Pillars (OEM)
The final part of the cosmetic puzzle: Bumpers.
I thought deeply for ages about whether I wanted to do this or not. Being a daily driver, I'd always simply accepted the few flaws that the bumpers had but I realised that they were simply letting the car down and preventing it from being a truly remarkable example. So, I had them resprayed.
I hate getting paint work done because I have high standards and it's always just a pain in the ass. Anyway, I have a great relationship with a shop in CT and the owner understands the enthusiast mindset. Suffice to say that they did the bumpers 3 times before we were happy with the quality, paint match, etc. But it was worth it. The final outcome was to a very high standard and I'm super happy.
Again, wanting all the accompanying details to match, I went a bit crazy and replaced all the bumper trim, fog lights, and front indicators so the the front and rear ends were perfect and like factory new.
Man, it was worth it. This job really just took the car to that next level and it now never fails to impress even the most keen eyed enthusiasts. I would never claim that it is perfect, but it sure is damn close.
Here are some before (almost all of these issues were on the car prior to my ownership):
Scuff on the corner
Another mark on the rear
The front has been a mess since I got the car:
Cracked Indicator
Other one was pitted
Final Result after paint and new trim:
New trim looking great
Front after painted bumpers, new trim, new foglight and new corner indicators;
A pillar was start to bunch up:
Brand new OEM:
27 Jan 2022
184000km
New Hood Sensor
So rather embarrassingly, I had forgotten about this hood sensor. I woke up one morning at 4am with the damn alarm blaring and immediately new what the problem was. So in order to get some sleep, I unplugged the sensor and then went back to bed. That was maybe a year or two ago, and I simply forgot about it.
Anyway, I remembered eventually and have now corrected it with a new sensor.
2 Feb 2022
184,170km
Brilliant Mechanical Workshop
Oil Service
Brake Fluid Flush
So the eagle-eyed among you will notice that this oil service is just slightly longer than 1 year since the last oil change, but I simply haven't been driving the car as much (because of work from home and the Z4) and it had only done 9000km. The service should have technically been in November 2021, but I basically daily drove the Z4 for a few weeks over December and just didn't feel like car admin over my holiday.
So, the story is not over yet. There is still more stuff in the works and I plan on doing a proper shoot of the car to show off its condition as soon as the following is done:
- Some Additional preventative maintenance
- Extensive Detail
Stay tuned!
