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Post by Blarno on Jul 28, 2020 9:48:03 GMT
No issues to report, other than the disappointing fuel economy compared to the SAAB. It's quick, it's comfy, it's been endlessly reliable - even a shagged turbo didn't stop it for more than 2 days - and the parts are not expensive either (£120 for a brand new turbo with a 2 year warranty? Yes) Whether that has anything to do with my discounts, I'm not sure...
I still haven't found a second hand towbar for it yet, seems they're like rocking horse shit when you have the M Sport bumper, but I have regassed the aircon and treated the wheels to a refurb and repaint in Ford Polaris Grey (Think XR2/RS Turbo). As soon as a new tyre arrives, they're going back on.
Not had it sideways yet, but then again, I've never switched the DSC off. Wet weather has the light blinking like a strobe and the arse end twitching like a rabbit's nose and you can actually feel it cut the power and apply the brakes. One day, on a quiet damp morning I will have a play on my favourite greasy roundabout - I've had every car I've ever owned at varying angles on the roundabout, even Jo managed to spin the Primera there.
164k and going strong, here's to another couple of years and then maybe I'll get a 535d or an XF. Or a C class. I don't know.
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Post by Andy C on Jul 28, 2020 9:59:29 GMT
Love the E46. What are you getting mpg wise?
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Post by Tim on Jul 28, 2020 10:06:31 GMT
Both my E46 320d estates managed around 50mpg per the OBC.
Winter tyres knocked the average down to about 48 from memory.
The second one was a later 6 speed manual but it had 210k miles on the clock.
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Post by Blarno on Jul 28, 2020 10:12:00 GMT
The OBC claims 50, I'm actually getting 38. Not sure whether the slushbox has a big part in that, but it's not diabolical. It'll do more on motorway runs, but they don't happen that often.
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Post by johnc on Jul 28, 2020 10:45:29 GMT
I didn't think it was possible to get an aftermarket towbar for the E46 MSport touring. I think BMW did a factory fit towbar for the LCI cars.
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Post by Blarno on Jul 28, 2020 12:32:33 GMT
Hence why I'm looking at breakers for factory kits with wiring so it will plug straight in and work with my parking sensors.
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Post by Tim on Jul 28, 2020 12:54:31 GMT
I'm sure both mine had towbars but they were both SE models.
I checked the accuracy of the OBC and I think it was 2-3mpg out so my 50 was more like 47. Neither was auto.
For future ref where did you get your £120 new turbo?
I've just collected my B-i-L's 530d from its MOT and there was quite a lot of blue smoke for the dawdle out of town, although it cleared up. I'm putting it down to 190k miles and barely moving for 3 weeks but it's as well to be prepared......
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Post by Blarno on Jul 28, 2020 13:25:11 GMT
Ebay. I was convinced it was too good to be true, or that I had the wrong part number but after a lot of lying on my back and shining a light up from underneath, I confirmed the part number matched the item on ebay. It arrived within a day of me ordering it. My turbo failed suddenly. I pulled away from some lights and there was no power and an odd whining noise under load like a supercharger. No engine lights so I knew it wasn't an electrical issue. Plugged in my OBD reader and the live data confirmed the turbo was generating -1 PSI. I took the intake hose off and I could physically move the turbine side to side with my finger. Got the car home, found the part number off the turbo and ordered it before I'd even put the kettle on. It took longer for the rest of my service kit to arrive than it did the turbo.
Also, one thing I have noticed about the BMW is not only how well it is made, but also how well thought out it is in terms of packaging and access. I had the old turbo off within an hour thanks to easy access holes inside the airbox leading to the manifold.
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Post by Tim on Jul 28, 2020 14:19:09 GMT
Thanks.
The blue smoke went away after about a mile of 30mph and further down the road the performance didn't seem to be lacking when I booted it.
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Post by Blarno on Jul 28, 2020 15:08:49 GMT
Part of the low price was also due to my car having the mechanical vane actuator. Later models have an electronic unit that likes to fail (but it will flash up an EML to warn you something is wrong) and costs as much as my turbo just for the electronic actuator, or nearly 3 times as much for a complete turbo/actuator unit.
If the turbo had gone, you would notice it. The lack of power is disturbing, how we used to manage with NA diesels is beyond me.
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Post by Tim on Jul 28, 2020 15:36:35 GMT
The lack of power is disturbing, how we used to manage with NA diesels is beyond me. Pug 405 1.9D - 65BHP. Switch the aircon on and it acted like a brake!! |
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Post by Blarno on Jul 28, 2020 15:41:30 GMT
We used to have a Peugeot Boxer van with the nasp 1.9D in it, it was dangerously slow.
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Post by Tim on Jul 28, 2020 15:55:37 GMT
How is the 320 faring for rust?
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Post by Martin on Jul 28, 2020 15:58:42 GMT
The lack of power is disturbing, how we used to manage with NA diesels is beyond me. Pug 405 1.9D - 65BHP. Switch the aircon on and it acted like a brake!! My first company car was a 405 GLD with that engine, but it had an electric sunroof rather than aircon. What a great car for a 22 year old, a postman red diesel estate..... The 406 LX with the 90hp turbo engine that replaced it felt really quick, but the aircon button was my sport mode as you could notice the difference when you switched it off. When that went in for service, which was every 6-8 weeks thanks to 6,000 mile service intervals, they always gave me a 106 diesel, they were dire (50 something hp) |
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Post by Blarno on Jul 28, 2020 16:01:10 GMT
How is the 320 faring for rust? Standard E46. 
Although, the front wings have no rust on them.
Driver's side rear arch is rusty, as is the bottom of the front passenger door, otherwise it's all good. I mean, there are scrapes and scratches on every panel bar the roof, but hey, it's basically a van so I'm not fussed.
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Post by alf on Jul 28, 2020 16:01:24 GMT
Also, one thing I have noticed about the BMW is not only how well it is made, but also how well thought out it is in terms of packaging and access. I had the old turbo off within an hour thanks to easy access holes inside the airbox leading to the manifold.
Impressive - but sadly not a;ways the case, the E9X 335i with the earlier twin-turbo engines (not sure about the later ones) had to have the engine removed to change the turbo, according to press reports at the time. The Evo long term test car needed it done during the test!! |
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Post by Blarno on Jul 28, 2020 16:02:21 GMT
It's a tight old fit in there with one turbo, I can only imagine two would be a monumental ballache.
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Post by michael on Jul 28, 2020 16:03:10 GMT
My brother had a Mk4 Golf TDI diesel and I remember the turbo hose coming away on that and it turning into a tractor.
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Post by Tim on Jul 28, 2020 16:06:11 GMT
How is the 320 faring for rust? Standard E46.
Although, the front wings have no rust on them.
Driver's side rear arch is rusty, as is the bottom of the front passenger door, otherwise it's all good. I mean, there are scrapes and scratches on every panel bar the roof, but hey, it's basically a van so I'm not fussed.
Front wings will have been done at least once. My first one was rusting where the point of the rear bumper meets the arch and needed the front wings doing when I got rid of it, the 2nd one was rusting in more places despite it being 3 years newer. |
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Post by Martin on Jul 28, 2020 16:07:28 GMT
The Turbo went on my 520d and I drove it the last 10 miles home, that was a good test of being able to maintain momentum
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Post by racingteatray on Jul 28, 2020 19:26:30 GMT
My sister had an 05-plate 318i Touring as a snotter for a year when she was on maternity leave in the depths of Dorset and it had no rust anywhere.
I think the worst problem she had was the rear wiper packing up.
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Post by michael on Jul 28, 2020 20:24:45 GMT
My sister had an 05-plate 318i Touring as a snotter for a year when she was on maternity leave in the depths of Dorset and it had no rust anywhere. I think the worst problem she had was the rear wiper packing up. The rear wiper went on my Alpina. It’s the spindle that’s goes in the lifting glass section. I was told by an independent that my turbo had gone on that but I wasn’t convinced as it was intermittent. I self diagnosed it as the air filter which when changed appeared never have been touched before (full BMW service history) and was a nightmare to access. The other thing that went on that was the module that controlled the central locking and radio. It cost an absolute fortune to fix. |
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Post by Roadrunner on Jul 28, 2020 21:04:50 GMT
The Turbo went on my 520d and I drove it the last 10 miles home, that was a good test of being able to maintain momentum The turbo went ping on my old Mercedes. As well as losing the turbo it also goes into limp home mode, so I trundled along at about 25 MPH, with a smoke screen behind me. Fortunately I was about three miles from my mother's house, so I pulled up there and borrowed here almost identical E320 to complete my journey to Shropshire. Apparently bits of ceramic coating from the exhaust manifold can become detached and sucked into the turbo, causing it to fail. I assume this is what happened to mine. That was a £1,000 job at an independent specialist. |
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Post by Roadrunner on Jul 28, 2020 21:06:30 GMT
Ebay. I was convinced it was too good to be true, or that I had the wrong part number but after a lot of lying on my back and shining a light up from underneath, I confirmed the part number matched the item on ebay. It arrived within a day of me ordering it. My turbo failed suddenly. I pulled away from some lights and there was no power and an odd whining noise under load like a supercharger. No engine lights so I knew it wasn't an electrical issue. Plugged in my OBD reader and the live data confirmed the turbo was generating -1 PSI. I took the intake hose off and I could physically move the turbine side to side with my finger. Got the car home, found the part number off the turbo and ordered it before I'd even put the kettle on. It took longer for the rest of my service kit to arrive than it did the turbo.
Also, one thing I have noticed about the BMW is not only how well it is made, but also how well thought out it is in terms of packaging and access. I had the old turbo off within an hour thanks to easy access holes inside the airbox leading to the manifold.
Good work. I think most of us would lack the confidence to start removing big bits from our cars. I don't mind vintage / agricultural spannering, but tend to keep away from modern stuff. |
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Post by Martin on Jul 28, 2020 21:15:50 GMT
The Turbo went on my 520d and I drove it the last 10 miles home, that was a good test of being able to maintain momentum The turbo went ping on my old Mercedes. As well as losing the turbo it also goes into limp home mode, so I trundled along at about 25 MPH, with a smoke screen behind me. Fortunately I was about three miles from my mother's house, so I pulled up there and borrowed here almost identical E320 to complete my journey to Shropshire. Apparently bits of ceramic coating from the exhaust manifold can become detached and sucked into the turbo, causing it to fail. I assume this is what happened to mine. That was a £1,000 job at an independent specialist. I don’t know how much mine cost, the company we used to manage fleet maintenance sourced a reconditioned unit. It was supplied and fitted by Turbo Technics, I didn’t even know they still existed, but they’re only in Northampton. |
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Post by Blarno on Jul 30, 2020 8:30:31 GMT
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Post by ChrisM on Jul 30, 2020 8:39:24 GMT
^
I do like those wheels, but I'd be attending to some of the battle-scars if that were my car (or does it just need a good wash and polish??)
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Post by Martin on Jul 30, 2020 8:51:39 GMT
Why the wind deflectors? I've recently found out that my 17 year old nephew has put them on his Corsa and his 21 year old step brother has them on his Golf R....so must be a NW 'Yoof' thing?!
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Post by LandieMark on Jul 30, 2020 8:59:15 GMT
You can get fresh air ventilation without getting wet or having to have the AC running. I used to love AC, but it dries my throat and nose uncomfortably in the long term. I want a set for the Defender.
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Post by Blarno on Jul 30, 2020 9:00:56 GMT
Why the wind deflectors? I've recently found out that my 17 year old nephew has put them on his Corsa and his 21 year old step brother has them on his Golf R....so must be a NW 'Yoof' thing?! They came with the car and I've never removed them. They were very useful when the AC wasn't working but I rarely open the windows now so I might sell them. |
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