N52 to N55 - Vermilion Red E92 335i
Discussion
I have run a 130i since August 2019 and love it as a project car that I have improved in every way. I have undertaken a lot of the popular upgrades and the car is best being driven hard on country roads. Of particular highlight was a week in north Devon between lockdowns when traffic was scant and a week in north Wales taking in a lot of Snowdonia. However, recently I changed to an E92 335i and am enjoying getting to know it. I’ve not had a huge number of cars, but here’s a brief rundown of how I got to this point.
2007 Honda Civic
My first car was an FK2 Honda Civic. I loved its design and it was incredibly practical and efficient. I cannot think of a better first car! I liked it, but it really needed better suspension and brakes and after a couple of years I started yearning for something faster.
2012 Renault Megane 265 Cup
After testing a few faster hatchbacks I fell for a low mileage Renault Megane 265 Cup in pearlescant white with the red pack. The car was fully loaded, had all the right specifications, including Recaros, and was backed up by decent history. It had been run by Renault for the first year before being sold. Following this the previous owner to me had it several years and had obviously loved it. I loved the way it looked and I loved the way it drove; my Megane is still the best handling car I have ever driven and it got better and better the faster I drove it. I’m still gutted I never took it around Thruxton, which is just down the road.
2008 BMW 130i
A change of job meant that instead of working locally and using the car once or twice a week when needed for site visits, I was needing to commute ~65 miles a day into Southampton and back. As the Megane was still low mileage the practical side of my head started to think about changing car to take the cash out of it so as not to suffer from depreciation through mileage. My father had a number of BMW 5 series when growing up and I started to look at NA 6 cylinder cars to experience these while I still could. The Z4 and 125i coupe were more than I wanted to spend, but the 130i were much cheaper. I picked up a higher mileage car with the right spec, history and a couple of desirable modifications. Although I had not modified a car before (the Megane was perfect and it would not have made sense to modify the Civic) it was something I was keen to do. Over the time I have owned it my 130i has had a complete suspension refresh based around the Bilstein B12 Pro Kit and E92 M3 suspension arms, front Brembo brakes from the F2x generation of 1 series, a set of new wheels and new contact points inside. Added to the modified 135i exhaust, which sounds incredible, it is great fun to rev out and drive hard. It is not as precise as the Megane, but has masses of character and the exhaust noise makes every journey an event. It is now for sale and I will miss it when it goes.
2010 BMW 335i
My usage is mainly commuting and I as I am now once again working more at my office in Southampton I started to think of cars that might be more refined on my journey there and back on A303, A34 and M3, but still interesting. I’m not going to lie, but how I ended up with my 335i is a direct effect of having seen Sam’s thread on his! From seeing his thread, I hit up Autotrader and there was a manual N55 car local to me. Out of curiosity I took a test drive and was impressed; it was a genuinely nice car with full BMW service history and a decent specification. Having considered the car for a week I returned to the dealer to make what I considered a reasonable offer, only for it to be declined…
Facing this I looked at cars further afield and starting considering cars with the DCT gearbox. A similar car with DCT was for sale in the north west and I booked a train ticket with the intention of purchasing it. However, upon driving that car it was clear that it did not drive as well as the local car, needed some suspension work and that I would miss using a manual. Kindly the owner dropped me back at the station and I suffered on a train that was significantly delayed into London. Good thing I booked a return ticket and at least I recouped some money!
After some further consideration I returned to the local car and was able to agree a price subject to some service requirements and a fresh MOT. I’ve now driven the car several hundred miles and am getting to know the things I like and dislike, the things that will need attention imminently and things to plan for in the future. It is a much better cruiser than my 130i and is returning similar, if perhaps a little better, fuel economy. It is also much more torquey, which is useful for quick overtakes on my commute. The suspension has more vertical movement than the Bilstein kit on my 130i and I may consider a change to this to tie it down a bit better. Nonetheless it at least goes around sweeping corners like slip roads well enough.
I love the colour, which changes in the light. It also has all the options I want bar an upgraded sound system. That being said I wasn’t blown away by the HK setup in the car in the north west. In any case I would like to add tweeters.
In terms of options those important to me were heated seats, rear sun protection, front and rear PDC and an attractive interior combination. On the latter the car has a grey roof lining and black interior trim that sparkles slightly in direct sun. One interesting option is “902 Special Check Press Vehicles”, which I have never seen before. I plan to replace the gearknob and steering wheel to replicate what I have in my 130i.
The 19” 313M wheels are one of my favourite BMW designs and I don’t see myself rushing out to make a change. I will at some point replace the existing Bridgestone runflat tyres that are currently on the car in 225/35/19 and 255/30/19 with some regular tyres with a taller sidewall. 225/40/19 and 255/35/199 look like they should do the trick.
The brakes are effective but the calipers are not the most attractive. I may refurb a set of calipers in black to address this or upgrade to full a Brembo based setup from the newer 3 series.
All in all I think it is a good car and I am hopeful that like with my 130i I can run it reliably. I’ll use this thread to keep track of the changes I do make and maintenance I undertake. I am sure I will have a bunch of questions that I hope the community can help with!
2007 Honda Civic
My first car was an FK2 Honda Civic. I loved its design and it was incredibly practical and efficient. I cannot think of a better first car! I liked it, but it really needed better suspension and brakes and after a couple of years I started yearning for something faster.
2012 Renault Megane 265 Cup
After testing a few faster hatchbacks I fell for a low mileage Renault Megane 265 Cup in pearlescant white with the red pack. The car was fully loaded, had all the right specifications, including Recaros, and was backed up by decent history. It had been run by Renault for the first year before being sold. Following this the previous owner to me had it several years and had obviously loved it. I loved the way it looked and I loved the way it drove; my Megane is still the best handling car I have ever driven and it got better and better the faster I drove it. I’m still gutted I never took it around Thruxton, which is just down the road.
2008 BMW 130i
A change of job meant that instead of working locally and using the car once or twice a week when needed for site visits, I was needing to commute ~65 miles a day into Southampton and back. As the Megane was still low mileage the practical side of my head started to think about changing car to take the cash out of it so as not to suffer from depreciation through mileage. My father had a number of BMW 5 series when growing up and I started to look at NA 6 cylinder cars to experience these while I still could. The Z4 and 125i coupe were more than I wanted to spend, but the 130i were much cheaper. I picked up a higher mileage car with the right spec, history and a couple of desirable modifications. Although I had not modified a car before (the Megane was perfect and it would not have made sense to modify the Civic) it was something I was keen to do. Over the time I have owned it my 130i has had a complete suspension refresh based around the Bilstein B12 Pro Kit and E92 M3 suspension arms, front Brembo brakes from the F2x generation of 1 series, a set of new wheels and new contact points inside. Added to the modified 135i exhaust, which sounds incredible, it is great fun to rev out and drive hard. It is not as precise as the Megane, but has masses of character and the exhaust noise makes every journey an event. It is now for sale and I will miss it when it goes.
2010 BMW 335i
My usage is mainly commuting and I as I am now once again working more at my office in Southampton I started to think of cars that might be more refined on my journey there and back on A303, A34 and M3, but still interesting. I’m not going to lie, but how I ended up with my 335i is a direct effect of having seen Sam’s thread on his! From seeing his thread, I hit up Autotrader and there was a manual N55 car local to me. Out of curiosity I took a test drive and was impressed; it was a genuinely nice car with full BMW service history and a decent specification. Having considered the car for a week I returned to the dealer to make what I considered a reasonable offer, only for it to be declined…
Facing this I looked at cars further afield and starting considering cars with the DCT gearbox. A similar car with DCT was for sale in the north west and I booked a train ticket with the intention of purchasing it. However, upon driving that car it was clear that it did not drive as well as the local car, needed some suspension work and that I would miss using a manual. Kindly the owner dropped me back at the station and I suffered on a train that was significantly delayed into London. Good thing I booked a return ticket and at least I recouped some money!
After some further consideration I returned to the local car and was able to agree a price subject to some service requirements and a fresh MOT. I’ve now driven the car several hundred miles and am getting to know the things I like and dislike, the things that will need attention imminently and things to plan for in the future. It is a much better cruiser than my 130i and is returning similar, if perhaps a little better, fuel economy. It is also much more torquey, which is useful for quick overtakes on my commute. The suspension has more vertical movement than the Bilstein kit on my 130i and I may consider a change to this to tie it down a bit better. Nonetheless it at least goes around sweeping corners like slip roads well enough.
I love the colour, which changes in the light. It also has all the options I want bar an upgraded sound system. That being said I wasn’t blown away by the HK setup in the car in the north west. In any case I would like to add tweeters.
In terms of options those important to me were heated seats, rear sun protection, front and rear PDC and an attractive interior combination. On the latter the car has a grey roof lining and black interior trim that sparkles slightly in direct sun. One interesting option is “902 Special Check Press Vehicles”, which I have never seen before. I plan to replace the gearknob and steering wheel to replicate what I have in my 130i.
The 19” 313M wheels are one of my favourite BMW designs and I don’t see myself rushing out to make a change. I will at some point replace the existing Bridgestone runflat tyres that are currently on the car in 225/35/19 and 255/30/19 with some regular tyres with a taller sidewall. 225/40/19 and 255/35/199 look like they should do the trick.
The brakes are effective but the calipers are not the most attractive. I may refurb a set of calipers in black to address this or upgrade to full a Brembo based setup from the newer 3 series.
All in all I think it is a good car and I am hopeful that like with my 130i I can run it reliably. I’ll use this thread to keep track of the changes I do make and maintenance I undertake. I am sure I will have a bunch of questions that I hope the community can help with!
Edited by roadie on Wednesday 29th June 15:59
roadie said:
I have run a 130i since August 2019 and love it as a project car that I have improved in every way. I have undertaken a lot of the popular upgrades and the car is best being driven hard on country roads. Of particular highlight was a week in north Devon between lockdowns when traffic was scant and a week in north Wales taking in a lot of Snowdonia. However, recently I changed to an E92 335i and am enjoying getting to know it. I’ve not had a huge number of cars, but here’s a brief rundown of how I got to this point.
2007 Honda Civic
My first car was an FK2 Honda Civic. I loved its design and it was incredibly practical and efficient. I cannot think of a better first car! I liked it, but it really needed better suspension and brakes and after a couple of years I started yearning for something faster.
2012 Renault Megane 265 Cup
After testing a few faster hatchbacks I fell for a low mileage Renault Megane 265 Cup in pearlescant white with the red pack. The car was fully loaded, had all the right specifications, including Recaros, and was backed up by decent history. It had been run by Renault for the first year before being sold. Following this the previous owner to me had it several years and had obviously loved it. I loved the way it looked and I loved the way it drove; my Megane is still the best handling car I have ever driven and it got better and better the faster I drove it. I’m still gutted I never took it around Thruxton, which is just down the road.
2008 BMW 130i
A change of job meant that instead of working locally and using the car once or twice a week when needed for site visits, I was needing to commute ~65 miles a day into Southampton and back. As the Megane was still low mileage the practical side of my head started to think about changing car to take the cash out of it so as not to suffer from depreciation through mileage. My father had a number of BMW 5 series when growing up and I started to look at NA 6 cylinder cars to experience these while I still could. The Z4 and 125i coupe were more than I wanted to spend, but the 130i were much cheaper. I picked up a higher mileage car with the right spec, history and a couple of desirable modifications. Although I had not modified a car before (the Megane was perfect and it would not have made sense to modify the Civic) it was something I was keen to do. Over the time I have owned it my 130i has had a complete suspension refresh based around the Bilstein B12 Pro Kit and E92 M3 suspension arms, front Brembo brakes from the F2x generation of 1 series, a set of new wheels and new contact points inside. Added to the modified 135i exhaust, which sounds incredible, it is great fun to rev out and drive hard. It is not as precise as the Megane, but has masses of character and the exhaust noise makes every journey an event. It is now for sale and I will miss it when it goes.
2010 BMW 335i
My usage is mainly commuting and I as I am now once again working more at my office in Southampton I started to think of cars that might be more refined on my journey there and back on A303, A34 and M3, but still interesting. I’m not going to lie, but how I ended up with my 335i is a direct effect of having seen Sam’s thread on his! From seeing his thread, I hit up Autotrader and there was a manual N55 car local to me. Out of curiosity I took a test drive and was impressed; it was a genuinely nice car with full BMW service history and a decent specification. Having considered the car for a week I returned to the dealer to make what I considered a reasonable offer, only for it to be declined…
Facing this I looked at cars further afield and starting considering cars with the DCT gearbox. A similar car with DCT was for sale in the north west and I booked a train ticket with the intention of purchasing it. However, upon driving that car it was clear that it did not drive as well as the local car, needed some suspension work and that I would miss using a manual. Kindly the owner dropped me back at the station and I suffered on a train that was significantly delayed into London. Good thing I booked a return ticket and at least I recouped some money!
After some further consideration I returned to the local car and was able to agree a price subject to some service requirements and a fresh MOT. I’ve now driven the car several hundred miles and am getting to know the things I like and dislike, the things that will need attention imminently and things to plan for in the future. It is a much better cruiser than my 130i and is returning similar, if perhaps a little better, fuel economy. It is also much more torquey, which is useful for quick overtakes on my commute. The suspension has more vertical movement than the Bilstein kit on my 130i and I may consider a change to this to tie it down a bit better. Nonetheless it at least goes around sweeping corners like slip roads well enough.
I love the colour, which changes in the light. It also has all the options I want bar an upgraded sound system. That being said I wasn’t blown away by the HK setup in the car in the north west. In any case I would like to add tweeters.
In terms of options those important to me were heated seats, rear sun protection, front and rear PDC and an attractive interior combination. On the latter the car has a grey roof lining and black interior trim that sparkles slightly in direct sun. One interesting option is “902 Special Check Press Vehicles”, which I have never seen before. I plan to replace the gearknob and steering wheel to replicate what I have in my 130i.
The 19” 313M wheels are one of my favourite BMW designs and I don’t see myself rushing out to make a change. I will at some point replace the existing Bridgestone runflat tyres that are currently on the car in 225/35/19 and 255/30/19 with some regular tyres with a taller sidewall. 225/40/19 and 255/35/199 look like they should do the trick.
The brakes are effective but the calipers are not the most attractive. I may refurb a set of calipers in black to address this or upgrade to full a Brembo based setup from the newer 3 series.
All in all I think it is a good car and I am hopeful that like with my 130i I can run it reliably. I’ll use this thread to keep track of the changes I do make and maintenance I undertake. I am sure I will have a bunch of questions that I hope the community can help with!
That is exactly what a bmw coupe is supposed to look like. Stunning. 2007 Honda Civic
My first car was an FK2 Honda Civic. I loved its design and it was incredibly practical and efficient. I cannot think of a better first car! I liked it, but it really needed better suspension and brakes and after a couple of years I started yearning for something faster.
2012 Renault Megane 265 Cup
After testing a few faster hatchbacks I fell for a low mileage Renault Megane 265 Cup in pearlescant white with the red pack. The car was fully loaded, had all the right specifications, including Recaros, and was backed up by decent history. It had been run by Renault for the first year before being sold. Following this the previous owner to me had it several years and had obviously loved it. I loved the way it looked and I loved the way it drove; my Megane is still the best handling car I have ever driven and it got better and better the faster I drove it. I’m still gutted I never took it around Thruxton, which is just down the road.
2008 BMW 130i
A change of job meant that instead of working locally and using the car once or twice a week when needed for site visits, I was needing to commute ~65 miles a day into Southampton and back. As the Megane was still low mileage the practical side of my head started to think about changing car to take the cash out of it so as not to suffer from depreciation through mileage. My father had a number of BMW 5 series when growing up and I started to look at NA 6 cylinder cars to experience these while I still could. The Z4 and 125i coupe were more than I wanted to spend, but the 130i were much cheaper. I picked up a higher mileage car with the right spec, history and a couple of desirable modifications. Although I had not modified a car before (the Megane was perfect and it would not have made sense to modify the Civic) it was something I was keen to do. Over the time I have owned it my 130i has had a complete suspension refresh based around the Bilstein B12 Pro Kit and E92 M3 suspension arms, front Brembo brakes from the F2x generation of 1 series, a set of new wheels and new contact points inside. Added to the modified 135i exhaust, which sounds incredible, it is great fun to rev out and drive hard. It is not as precise as the Megane, but has masses of character and the exhaust noise makes every journey an event. It is now for sale and I will miss it when it goes.
2010 BMW 335i
My usage is mainly commuting and I as I am now once again working more at my office in Southampton I started to think of cars that might be more refined on my journey there and back on A303, A34 and M3, but still interesting. I’m not going to lie, but how I ended up with my 335i is a direct effect of having seen Sam’s thread on his! From seeing his thread, I hit up Autotrader and there was a manual N55 car local to me. Out of curiosity I took a test drive and was impressed; it was a genuinely nice car with full BMW service history and a decent specification. Having considered the car for a week I returned to the dealer to make what I considered a reasonable offer, only for it to be declined…
Facing this I looked at cars further afield and starting considering cars with the DCT gearbox. A similar car with DCT was for sale in the north west and I booked a train ticket with the intention of purchasing it. However, upon driving that car it was clear that it did not drive as well as the local car, needed some suspension work and that I would miss using a manual. Kindly the owner dropped me back at the station and I suffered on a train that was significantly delayed into London. Good thing I booked a return ticket and at least I recouped some money!
After some further consideration I returned to the local car and was able to agree a price subject to some service requirements and a fresh MOT. I’ve now driven the car several hundred miles and am getting to know the things I like and dislike, the things that will need attention imminently and things to plan for in the future. It is a much better cruiser than my 130i and is returning similar, if perhaps a little better, fuel economy. It is also much more torquey, which is useful for quick overtakes on my commute. The suspension has more vertical movement than the Bilstein kit on my 130i and I may consider a change to this to tie it down a bit better. Nonetheless it at least goes around sweeping corners like slip roads well enough.
I love the colour, which changes in the light. It also has all the options I want bar an upgraded sound system. That being said I wasn’t blown away by the HK setup in the car in the north west. In any case I would like to add tweeters.
In terms of options those important to me were heated seats, rear sun protection, front and rear PDC and an attractive interior combination. On the latter the car has a grey roof lining and black interior trim that sparkles slightly in direct sun. One interesting option is “902 Special Check Press Vehicles”, which I have never seen before. I plan to replace the gearknob and steering wheel to replicate what I have in my 130i.
The 19” 313M wheels are one of my favourite BMW designs and I don’t see myself rushing out to make a change. I will at some point replace the existing Bridgestone runflat tyres that are currently on the car in 225/35/19 and 255/30/19 with some regular tyres with a taller sidewall. 225/40/19 and 255/35/199 look like they should do the trick.
The brakes are effective but the calipers are not the most attractive. I may refurb a set of calipers in black to address this or upgrade to full a Brembo based setup from the newer 3 series.
All in all I think it is a good car and I am hopeful that like with my 130i I can run it reliably. I’ll use this thread to keep track of the changes I do make and maintenance I undertake. I am sure I will have a bunch of questions that I hope the community can help with!
Edited by roadie on Wednesday 29th June 15:59
Looks good. Re 313s on non run flats I tried it on my 335d E91. I found they gave terrible body control and turn in. The ride quality improvement was very small. I sold my non run flats and went back to run flats.
The 313s look great but are prone to cracks and buckles. Rears are £600 each new. I find the the E9x drives best on 18s with run flats. I rotate between 17s with non run flat winters, 18s and keep the 19s for the summer show/meet season.
I know the run flat/non flat debate is controversial and hugely based on personal preference. An increase in tyre profile will put your speedo out and change the gearing.
The 313s look great but are prone to cracks and buckles. Rears are £600 each new. I find the the E9x drives best on 18s with run flats. I rotate between 17s with non run flat winters, 18s and keep the 19s for the summer show/meet season.
I know the run flat/non flat debate is controversial and hugely based on personal preference. An increase in tyre profile will put your speedo out and change the gearing.
roadie said:
I love the colour, which changes in the light. It also has all the options I want bar an upgraded sound system. That being said I wasn’t blown away by the HK setup in the car in the north west. In any case I would like to add tweeters.
In terms of options those important to me were heated seats, rear sun protection, front and rear PDC and an attractive interior combination. On the latter the car has a grey roof lining and black interior trim that sparkles slightly in direct sun. One interesting option is “902 Special Check Press Vehicles”, which I have never seen before. I plan to replace the gearknob and steering wheel to replicate what I have in my 130i.
The 19” 313M wheels are one of my favourite BMW designs and I don’t see myself rushing out to make a change. I will at some point replace the existing Bridgestone runflat tyres that are currently on the car in 225/35/19 and 255/30/19 with some regular tyres with a taller sidewall. 225/40/19 and 255/35/199 look like they should do the trick.
The brakes are effective but the calipers are not the most attractive. I may refurb a set of calipers in black to address this or upgrade to full a Brembo based setup from the newer 3 series.
All in all I think it is a good car and I am hopeful that like with my 130i I can run it reliably. I’ll use this thread to keep track of the changes I do make and maintenance I undertake. I am sure I will have a bunch of questions that I hope the community can help with!
Absolutely gorgeous car this, having just bought an N54 in auto with 313m's installed in Blue, I feel like yours is the more sensible younger brother to mine ! haha. Congratulations.In terms of options those important to me were heated seats, rear sun protection, front and rear PDC and an attractive interior combination. On the latter the car has a grey roof lining and black interior trim that sparkles slightly in direct sun. One interesting option is “902 Special Check Press Vehicles”, which I have never seen before. I plan to replace the gearknob and steering wheel to replicate what I have in my 130i.
The 19” 313M wheels are one of my favourite BMW designs and I don’t see myself rushing out to make a change. I will at some point replace the existing Bridgestone runflat tyres that are currently on the car in 225/35/19 and 255/30/19 with some regular tyres with a taller sidewall. 225/40/19 and 255/35/199 look like they should do the trick.
The brakes are effective but the calipers are not the most attractive. I may refurb a set of calipers in black to address this or upgrade to full a Brembo based setup from the newer 3 series.
All in all I think it is a good car and I am hopeful that like with my 130i I can run it reliably. I’ll use this thread to keep track of the changes I do make and maintenance I undertake. I am sure I will have a bunch of questions that I hope the community can help with!
Edited by roadie on Wednesday 29th June 15:59
Looks well that. It’s a great colour too.
I recognised your 130i from BabyBMW now. Looks well too.
A manual N55 must be a rare beast indeed. On fun roads I do miss the manual from my 130i, but equally I do t miss it when sat in traffic on the way to work!
Re the tyres, I think mine rides and drives well on normal tyres (Good Year Asymmetric 5’s). It’s a big improvement over the OE Bridgestones in my experience.
I like the 313’s - they’re nicer than the 225’s I had one on (one of which was cracked when I changed to CSL’s).
I recognised your 130i from BabyBMW now. Looks well too.
A manual N55 must be a rare beast indeed. On fun roads I do miss the manual from my 130i, but equally I do t miss it when sat in traffic on the way to work!
Re the tyres, I think mine rides and drives well on normal tyres (Good Year Asymmetric 5’s). It’s a big improvement over the OE Bridgestones in my experience.
I like the 313’s - they’re nicer than the 225’s I had one on (one of which was cracked when I changed to CSL’s).
Thanks for the messages. Lots to think about on tyres and wheels once I reach the point of needing to replace the runflat Bridgestones currently fitted!
I’ve done nearly 4k miles since buying the car in June and feel completely familiar with it. It has done commuting duties a few times every week and it has been down to Cornwall and up to Northumberland on summer holidays. Driving in Northumberland was immense! There are so many incredible roads and the scenery is amazing. I will definitely return.
I’ve encountered a couple of issues that have required spend to fix. Firstly, the engine light came on and the car went into limp mode when accelerating reasonably gently from low RPM in 6th. I had codes 2c56 & 2c58 and ordered a solid charge pipe in case this was the issue. The issue turned out to be a vacuum leak, which has been resolved. I only managed to fit the solid charge pipe about a week ago and think I have done so correctly and without causing further problems. What I expected to only take a couple of hours took a few more because it took me a while to figure out the correct sequence of fitting the charge pipe, flexible sleeve and clamps. Nevertheless it was an interesting learning experience and I am sure I could do the job in half the time now!
The other issue was related to windows and lights that I didn’t pick up when testing the car. The windows had never behaved as expected; they would not raise when part lowered, requiring the windows to be lowered completely to be raised. The front fog lights would also activate with the headlights, could not be turned on or off independently, and the DRLs wouldn’t work. I tried to reset the windows to no avail and ended up getting them stuck down. Fortunately, the local Kwik Fit, which was the only place open on a Sunday, was able to return them to their previous behaviour and did it for free! Further investigation revealed that the FRM was faulty. I bought a cheap replacement hoping that it could be coded to my car to fix all issues, but annoyingly it could not. When fitted, the reverse lights didn’t work and a number of features such as PDC and hill hold didn’t function. The theory was that the FRM was from a lower spec, automatic car. Nevertheless, I kept the replacement FRM fitted whilst the original from my car was sent off for repair. I am happy to report that the repaired FRM rectified all my issues and the car now behaves as expected.
However, there are a couple of other issues I still encounter. Occasionally the car won’t start from cold immediately and the engine turns over several times before catching. The car is free from codes so I am not sure what the cause of this is. Additionally, one of the keys supplied no longer reliably locks the car so I have given up on using it! I understand that there isn’t a cheap and simple fix for this - the cheap fix might not be simple!
In terms of other maintenance, I replaced the wiper blades with new Bosch blades and the boot struts with cheap struts from an eBay seller before driving up to Northumberland. The new blades helped massively in some of the rain we encountered and the new struts are free from rust and corrosion and generally look nicer and operate more quietly.
Driving the car reasonably hard in Northumberland really exposed the limitations of the car’s suspension that I touched on previously. It feels good on motorway cruise but feels massively underdamped on country roads where it bounces multiple times after hitting compressions and generally feels more disconnected at the rear than my well sorted 130i was. I think at least the rear dampers are shot. I hadn’t really accounted for suspension work in terms of spend this year, but will address. At the moment my thoughts are either a suspension kit or coilovers. I’d pair either with M3 front arms and rear subframe inserts.
The car is proving faster and more economical for my driving than my 130i, which I am happy to have sold for my asking price. So far, I am averaging 35MPG compared to 31.8MPG, both recorded via app. I was happy to see the computer showing 40.9MPG on the return journey from Northumberland. I really didn't expect this from a 3L turbo, but the car seems to hold its speed well with very little drag when off throttle.
Overall I am really liking the car and am certain I can improve it further.
I’ve done nearly 4k miles since buying the car in June and feel completely familiar with it. It has done commuting duties a few times every week and it has been down to Cornwall and up to Northumberland on summer holidays. Driving in Northumberland was immense! There are so many incredible roads and the scenery is amazing. I will definitely return.
I’ve encountered a couple of issues that have required spend to fix. Firstly, the engine light came on and the car went into limp mode when accelerating reasonably gently from low RPM in 6th. I had codes 2c56 & 2c58 and ordered a solid charge pipe in case this was the issue. The issue turned out to be a vacuum leak, which has been resolved. I only managed to fit the solid charge pipe about a week ago and think I have done so correctly and without causing further problems. What I expected to only take a couple of hours took a few more because it took me a while to figure out the correct sequence of fitting the charge pipe, flexible sleeve and clamps. Nevertheless it was an interesting learning experience and I am sure I could do the job in half the time now!
The other issue was related to windows and lights that I didn’t pick up when testing the car. The windows had never behaved as expected; they would not raise when part lowered, requiring the windows to be lowered completely to be raised. The front fog lights would also activate with the headlights, could not be turned on or off independently, and the DRLs wouldn’t work. I tried to reset the windows to no avail and ended up getting them stuck down. Fortunately, the local Kwik Fit, which was the only place open on a Sunday, was able to return them to their previous behaviour and did it for free! Further investigation revealed that the FRM was faulty. I bought a cheap replacement hoping that it could be coded to my car to fix all issues, but annoyingly it could not. When fitted, the reverse lights didn’t work and a number of features such as PDC and hill hold didn’t function. The theory was that the FRM was from a lower spec, automatic car. Nevertheless, I kept the replacement FRM fitted whilst the original from my car was sent off for repair. I am happy to report that the repaired FRM rectified all my issues and the car now behaves as expected.
However, there are a couple of other issues I still encounter. Occasionally the car won’t start from cold immediately and the engine turns over several times before catching. The car is free from codes so I am not sure what the cause of this is. Additionally, one of the keys supplied no longer reliably locks the car so I have given up on using it! I understand that there isn’t a cheap and simple fix for this - the cheap fix might not be simple!
In terms of other maintenance, I replaced the wiper blades with new Bosch blades and the boot struts with cheap struts from an eBay seller before driving up to Northumberland. The new blades helped massively in some of the rain we encountered and the new struts are free from rust and corrosion and generally look nicer and operate more quietly.
Driving the car reasonably hard in Northumberland really exposed the limitations of the car’s suspension that I touched on previously. It feels good on motorway cruise but feels massively underdamped on country roads where it bounces multiple times after hitting compressions and generally feels more disconnected at the rear than my well sorted 130i was. I think at least the rear dampers are shot. I hadn’t really accounted for suspension work in terms of spend this year, but will address. At the moment my thoughts are either a suspension kit or coilovers. I’d pair either with M3 front arms and rear subframe inserts.
The car is proving faster and more economical for my driving than my 130i, which I am happy to have sold for my asking price. So far, I am averaging 35MPG compared to 31.8MPG, both recorded via app. I was happy to see the computer showing 40.9MPG on the return journey from Northumberland. I really didn't expect this from a 3L turbo, but the car seems to hold its speed well with very little drag when off throttle.
Overall I am really liking the car and am certain I can improve it further.
I would go for a Birds B3 kit (springs and dampers). Having spent an awful lot of time trying to improve the ride and handing on my E91 335d-it is the answer. There are a few other tweaks that can help, all mentioned in my thread.
Original dampers will be dead by your mileage, even if they don’t leak. Mine were dead by 90k.
Original dampers will be dead by your mileage, even if they don’t leak. Mine were dead by 90k.
Car looks well, I really like that colour.
Mine is feeling much better since I’ve changed the dampers, springs, arms etc. My rear dampers were b
ksed despite looking ok; they were really easy to compress compared to the B4’s that I fitted. The Birds kit on my 130i was very very good but quite spendy.
Mine is feeling much better since I’ve changed the dampers, springs, arms etc. My rear dampers were b
ksed despite looking ok; they were really easy to compress compared to the B4’s that I fitted. The Birds kit on my 130i was very very good but quite spendy. Jakg said:
The colour is great!
It's such a shame that BMW's generally seem to have a pretty dull colour pallette (or at least the people that buy them new spec them that way).
I think that's true of most manufacturers now. Greys, whites, blacks and silvers seem to dominate. Looking out of my window now 6 of the 7 cars I can see from where I sit now are one of those colours. Ford, Vauxhall, Tesla, Audi and Skoda all represented.It's such a shame that BMW's generally seem to have a pretty dull colour pallette (or at least the people that buy them new spec them that way).
I've never understood why red wasn't a more popular choice on BMWs as they've done some cracking ones over the years. Zinnobar/Cinnabar, Vermilion and Melbourne are all great colours, yet they have always been a pretty rare sight.
Lovely car, OP.
Jakg said:
The colour is great!
It's such a shame that BMW's generally seem to have a pretty dull colour pallette (or at least the people that buy them new spec them that way).
I can’t really say too much about dull colours given that we have two grey BMW’s on the drive….although neither are colours that I’d have chosen is speccing new. Imola red was another great colour and I’d love an E92 M3 on Japan red.It's such a shame that BMW's generally seem to have a pretty dull colour pallette (or at least the people that buy them new spec them that way).
Court_S said:
Jakg said:
The colour is great!
It's such a shame that BMW's generally seem to have a pretty dull colour pallette (or at least the people that buy them new spec them that way).
I can’t really say too much about dull colours given that we have two grey BMW’s on the drive….although neither are colours that I’d have chosen is speccing new. Imola red was another great colour and I’d love an E92 M3 on Japan red.It's such a shame that BMW's generally seem to have a pretty dull colour pallette (or at least the people that buy them new spec them that way).
For a while I had an Imola Red E46 Compact and a Montego Blue Z4 Coupe, but now I've got a Sparkling Graphite 3 Series and a Silver Grey Z4MC - they aren't so easy to find in car parks.
Thanks for the further comments! I really enjoy the colour too and want to stay on top of keeping it clean. However, I am loathe to do so when it is so dry and all the chalk streams and lakes around Andover are drying or have dried up! I really need to spend a decent day on the car with a clay bar and polish etc to bring the colour out to its best. Maybe a job for later in the year.
One thing I really appreciate about my SE spec E92 is that, apart from the grey canard type features next to the fog lights, the design of the car is so well resolved that it is not reliant on fake vents or pieces of bodywork that have no function to give visual interest like later cars. I think it is a highpoint of BMW design, although it is a shame that the indicators on the wings weren’t integrated into the wing mirrors.
I've not done much to the car since the last update. I think the only thing I have done, outside of feeding it petrol, was spending a morning scrubbing all the interior leather using a nail brush, bar of Pears soap and a bowl of warm water. Of particular focus was the steering wheel, which was shiny and hard. The cleaning has at least resolved the former and all the leather has come up matt and smelling nicely. I think this shows how much of a rip-off car specific things can be.
Before:
After:
I'm missing the retrimmed M Sport steering wheel that I had in my 130i, which was thicker, more padded and grippier. I spotted that the company I ordered the replacement FRM from sell retrimmed steering wheels in the original leather pattern for cheap (£99 as a result of an eBay offer) so have taken a punt on one of those and will consider the quality of the leather and feel of the wheel. If it is satisfactory I will fit my airbag, which I think looks the same as on my 130i, and will try to find a nicer looking steering wheel trim than the textured plastic that is currently on my wheel.
I still need to sort suspension and have placed an order for a ST Suspensions Sport Kit of springs and dampers from Amazon, which were being listed as too cheap to pass on. However, these are 'temporarily out of stock’ and I am not sure whether they will ever be sent out for delivery. The remaining options I am considering is the same kit from a different store at a higher price, a set of GAZ coilovers or working up a Bilstein/Eibach kit myself.
One thing I really appreciate about my SE spec E92 is that, apart from the grey canard type features next to the fog lights, the design of the car is so well resolved that it is not reliant on fake vents or pieces of bodywork that have no function to give visual interest like later cars. I think it is a highpoint of BMW design, although it is a shame that the indicators on the wings weren’t integrated into the wing mirrors.
I've not done much to the car since the last update. I think the only thing I have done, outside of feeding it petrol, was spending a morning scrubbing all the interior leather using a nail brush, bar of Pears soap and a bowl of warm water. Of particular focus was the steering wheel, which was shiny and hard. The cleaning has at least resolved the former and all the leather has come up matt and smelling nicely. I think this shows how much of a rip-off car specific things can be.
Before:
After:
I'm missing the retrimmed M Sport steering wheel that I had in my 130i, which was thicker, more padded and grippier. I spotted that the company I ordered the replacement FRM from sell retrimmed steering wheels in the original leather pattern for cheap (£99 as a result of an eBay offer) so have taken a punt on one of those and will consider the quality of the leather and feel of the wheel. If it is satisfactory I will fit my airbag, which I think looks the same as on my 130i, and will try to find a nicer looking steering wheel trim than the textured plastic that is currently on my wheel.
I still need to sort suspension and have placed an order for a ST Suspensions Sport Kit of springs and dampers from Amazon, which were being listed as too cheap to pass on. However, these are 'temporarily out of stock’ and I am not sure whether they will ever be sent out for delivery. The remaining options I am considering is the same kit from a different store at a higher price, a set of GAZ coilovers or working up a Bilstein/Eibach kit myself.
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