What did you do to/for your 1er today?

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by Afam28

Good day today…
I finally replaced an intercooler hose and cleaned up my engine bay…
3 hours well spent…
Really happy with the results…

Bad day today…
I hit a curb avoiding an suv not trying to avoid me!
I need an alignment…
A new tire…
And my wheel straightened…

Moral of the story…
I should have stayed home and finished the rest of the pizza!

Good excuse for M3 control arms....and a good inspection of the subframe....

[Afam28]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Good excuse for M3 control arms....and a good inspection of the subframe....

Noted!

Rear camber links and rear M3 bushings are the last things to be installed in regards to M3 parts…
Going to install those when I swap out my coilovers for a better set!

The shop is going to do a suspension check for me to confirm all is ok for an alignment!

[Kowalski2011]

[WrathOTM]

I've seen that video before. Love the Lightning in it. However what does that vid have to do with the thread, were you responding to someone?

[tracer bullet]

Parked the 135i after about a 5 minute drive. Nice metallic squealing sound. Went around the block a few times to be sure it wasn't the wheels or brakes, and that it was the belt and / or pulley. Yep, belt or pulley.

Been researching a bit, doesn't look bad. FCP Euro has a kit for a little over $150, looks like maybe an hour or two depending if I go slow or super slow. I've got all the Torx bits and other tools, torque wrench, etc.

If anyone's DIY'd it, about how long did it take, and did you pull the radiator fan or leave it in place? I've got a 6-speed if that matters.

[N55135i]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

...did you pull the radiator fan or leave it in place? I've got a 6-speed if that matters.

Definitely remove the radiator fan. I've shaved the edges down on mine with a dremel so it goes easier. Diagram your belt routing before you remove it. Screenshot of torque specs from a YT vid:

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by N55135i

Definitely remove the radiator fan, that's the easiest part. I've shaved the edges down on mine with a dremel so it goes easier.

I haven't really gotten a chance to look yet. Seems do-able just finicky and being careful to not break plastic, pulling too hard, wondering if something was clipped or just tight.

Thanks for the picture w/ torque specs. Now I'm curious as another site had them all at 50Nm, another all at 40Nm, and another talking something about less than that and then going 90 degrees. Sigh.

[WrathOTM]

FCP has a video on it actually, and in their video they remove the fan. Although in the comments some people say you don't need to remove the fan. IIRC in one video I watched on the belt replacement the shop rounds out the T60 socket while demonstrating how it worked.

[tracer bullet]

Yeah, the fan... seems like it's either easy or terrible, the torque specs are either Nm or some # plus an angle, and etc. There are different versions of the engine over time, and of course different engines in any particular platform, so it's not surprising things seem to conflict.

I think I'll try it with the fan in and if I just can't fit stuff in there I'll have to remove it. I feel like at my advancing age I've finally learned to take it easy and not break things (ie plastic tabs on fan housings). I'm sure that once you've seen it, it's easy forever after. It's that first time...

I'll keep researching on the torques. Funny thing is if I get lazy and take it to a shop, they might screw it up too. "Feels tight".

[Ric in RVA]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Parked the 135i after about a 5 minute drive. Nice metallic squealing sound. Went around the block a few times to be sure it wasn't the wheels or brakes, and that it was the belt and / or pulley. Yep, belt or pulley.

Been researching a bit, doesn't look bad. FCP Euro has a kit for a little over $150, looks like maybe an hour or two depending if I go slow or super slow. I've got all the Torx bits and other tools, torque wrench, etc.

If anyone's DIY'd it, about how long did it take, and did you pull the radiator fan or leave it in place? I've got a 6-speed if that matters.

Radiator fan comes out easy and give you just enough space. It's an easy job.

Squeal would have me checking every pulley and making sure nothing was frozen up.

But the implications of getting it wrong and jumping a belt is pretty bad so make sure you get it right....

[Ric in RVA]

Yesterday I sold my 3.73 on to a fellow board member. Decided not going to go that route. Basically drove around for a week never using 6th and it drove me nuts.

Found out he had an N54 manifold on his 128i and we chatted about his experience. That solidified my prior decision to stick with the installing the the 3SIM on mine.

So I have an N54 manifold and TB for sale now.

I had ordered new vanos, intake seals and a cable to tune it just last week.

So once this heat breaks it is manifold swap time!!

I also need to code in sport brakes and code out the stuff that cuts throttle if it thinks you are overheating the brakes.

This will be first time doing anything beyond CARLY for me so any advice is appreciated!

[iamroddy]

I can't speak for sure on the 135, but my 128 took less than an hour to change the belt and tensioner. I used the Continental kit. Make sure you get a new bolt for the tensioner...they're aluminum.

[tracer bullet]

Originally Posted by iamroddy

Make sure you get a new bolt for the tensioner...they're aluminum.

I was planning on the FCP Euro kit: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...kt#description

Fits my 2011 135i, comes with new bolts. That's what's making me pause a bit to be sure I've got the torque specs right, usually aluminum would imply TTY and need a low torque plus 90 degrees or something. Surprised to see 40 (38 actually) Nm for the tensioner and 60 for the pulleys as an outright spec.

Might pay for a day subscription to the TIS just to be sure. Will nab some info for other upcoming projects as well.

[Ric in RVA]

Cleaned! My son picked up a Harbor Freight Pressure Washer with a Foam Cannon attachment.

Really a great way to wash a car.

Between the foam cannon and some careful pressure washing my car is CLEAN!!!!

[bnace10]

Originally Posted by Ric in RVA

Cleaned! My son picked up a Harbor Freight Pressure Washer with a Foam Cannon attachment.

Really a great way to wash a car.

Between the foam cannon and some careful pressure washing my car is CLEAN!!!!

If you are less than impressed of the foam cannon not creating youtube level snow foam, pick up a 1.1mm nozzle. I had a cheap amazon foam cannon, and that little nozzle made it amazing.

[WrathOTM]

So...uh, what mileage have people been replacing their starters? I'm at 111860 mi and the past few start ups have gone poorly. Ran to get gas a few ago, and leaving the house and gas station the car reallllly struggled to get going. Cutting in and out lots of clicks but it did start. INPA says 00A0B4 (among others lol) so I'm gonna get a new starter. What is OEM brand for factory starters?

edit: ECS says Bosch
Double edit: Anyone have issues with a valeo unit?

[tracer bullet]

Whoever said removing the radiator fan housing was an "easy" job is a liar! Haha. That sucked. I got totally hung up on tha tlittle rubber thing that the lower IC pipe clipped to. Stalled me for at least an hour, maybe more, workign on that one without breaking anything.

I eventually decided to disconnect a fair portion of IC piping, which allowed me to finally get that lower pipe to move, and then I could "unclip" it from the rubber thing on the fan housing itself. Even then, it was still a job and a half to actually get the housing up and out of there afterwards. But it's done. The first thing I said when I set it down on the garage floor was "I don't want to ever do that again".

I'm done for the day, it's 100% apart and awaiting for the new stuff to arrive later this week (tensioner, belt, additional pulleys, etc.).

Oh, a question, what the heck is this rubber thing? It was sort of laying on top of the radiator itself. The part of it by my fingertips, facing the front of the car, has a groove in it with little backwards facing rubber bits, like it's supposed to grab hold of a thin piece of metal. Note that I could have this reversed or upside down in the picture.

[bnace10]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

Oh, a question, what the heck is this rubber thing? It was sort of laying on top of the radiator itself. The part of it by my fingertips, facing the front of the car, has a groove in it with little backwards facing rubber bits, like it's supposed to grab hold of a thin piece of metal. Note that I could have this reversed or upside down in the picture.

I would also love to know, as mine is also just laying there after the water pump etc. job I did.

I've tried to attach it to everyplace imaginable and can't find where it actually goes.

But as far as removing the fan, my experience has also been not great. No idea how people are getting them in and out so easily. It gets caught on everything. I swear it takes me 45 minutes every time.

[1and1]

I had a similar piece on my n54, went between the top of the stock intercooler and the bottom of the stock radiator. Don't have either any longer so no worries...

Not sure any of that applies to the n55 tho. I'd imagine some quality time on realoem might help...

[greezy_goblin]

Originally Posted by low135

Grabbed a couple more shots. Can't wait to get it behind a real camera

If I ever wrap my 1er it might just have to be this yellow, I’ve been thinking about it for a while and this is the first E88 I’ve seen like it, so thanks lol

[tracer bullet]

Re the rubber strip - I found an old thread about this. This post attached shows a real clear picture of it and also of where it goes.

https://www.1addicts.com/forums/show...25&postcount=5

I put it on mine and it does fit there and stay in place. It's pretty close to where I found it, so it makes sense. Seems like it helps prevent from flowing over the top of the radiator and make it instead go through the radiator.

[1and1]

Gotta love cars with history and a fan base that likes to share!