Finally up to date with posting. Group2 in magnolia did an alignment for around $150. I asked for as much camber as possible on the stock parts. Drove it home tonight and so far feels about the same as before. My motivation was related to track usage, maybe that will explain why I suck so hard. I'm hoping my time decreases by at least a second or two after the alignment. Here the alignment details.
Front left. Front right
-0.75deg........-0.99deg. Camber
6.57deg..........6.69deg. Caster
0.03in...........0.03in. Toe
Rear left. Rear right
-1.31deg.........-1.28deg. Camber
0.09in...........0.10in. Toe
Front total
0.24deg cross camber
-0.11deg cross caster
0.06in. Total toe
Rear total
-0.03deg cross camber
0.19in total toe
-0.02deg thrust angle
The alignment was ballast for 180 pound driver, which is why the left and right are not closer to the same... I think.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Brake fluid flush
Dealer did this around the same time I did the oil change, very reasonable price actually. Cost somewhere around $120, which was slightly more then independent shop.
Oil change
Posting this a little late but I did an oil change about a month ago. Oil and filter pack cost me about $80 total (dealer wanted like 180 w/labor). This took me a lot longer then I expected. The first attempt left the car dangerously suspended on the jack with no way to drop without crushing the jack and or engine. After avoiding a disaster I decided ramps were necesary, $30 I think. The ramps worked but I almost drove the car off the back side of the ramp. God damnit! After was all said and done it was about a 2 hour process of meticulously cleaning the filter camber and letting the oil drain and retracing the steps to make sure I didn't mess anything up. I wish I had photo'd the first attempt. Hilarious! 34,500 miles.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Aux input installed
It's taken a long time but I finally buckled down and dismantled the entire center console to install the aux-input. 
I ended up routing the line under the gear shift facade and under the padded arm rest. I haven't completely decided how I want the Jack terminated, right now it's loose under the arm rest. The project took me about 3 hours and cost was isolated to the adapter at $40.
I ended up routing the line under the gear shift facade and under the padded arm rest. I haven't completely decided how I want the Jack terminated, right now it's loose under the arm rest. The project took me about 3 hours and cost was isolated to the adapter at $40.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Maintenance time
This Thanksgiving I'll be doing some minor work on the m3. Fuel filter, cabin filter and intake filter. It's all OEM parts. I vacillated about getting the K&N stock replacement filter or the CAI kit. After much research I found that all the expensive options were either hype, not worth the money or potentially dangerous.
1. Really good write up on performance upgrades and which ones make sense. Apparently any cold air intake which leaves the filter visible is crap. And the only ones that will possibly give performance cost more then a grand.
http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6436
2. Apparently the oil used in the K&N stock airbox filter can cause the MassAirFlow meter to fail. So much for that.
Cost of parts was less then $80.
1. Really good write up on performance upgrades and which ones make sense. Apparently any cold air intake which leaves the filter visible is crap. And the only ones that will possibly give performance cost more then a grand.
http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6436
2. Apparently the oil used in the K&N stock airbox filter can cause the MassAirFlow meter to fail. So much for that.
Cost of parts was less then $80.
Shipped From NoCal Warehouse |  13-32-7-831-089-M67 | Fuel Filter, M3 (2001-06), Each | 1 | $29.25 | $29.25 |
Shipped From NoCal Warehouse |  13-72-1-730-946-M63 | Air Filter, E46 323i/Ci, 325i/Ci M56, 328i/Ci, M3, Each | 2 | $12.25 | $24.50 |
Shipped From NoCal Warehouse |  64-31-9-071-935-M87 | Activated Carbon Microfilter, BMW E46 3 Series, All (1999-04), Each | 1 | $22.25 | $22.25 |
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Door trim falling
Seafair weekend I parked my car in the sun. I came back several hours later to find the door trim falling down from the roof interior hanging by the driver window. I pulled it down so I could drive. Last weekend I bought epoxy/resin and spent 2-3 hours iterating through a painstaking process. Mixing the epoxy applying to a coupe inches of trim, clamping the section of trim and then waiting 10mins for it to attach. I looked at the passenger side of the car and noticed the trim was starting to give there too.
A little embarassing to be a BMW fan-boy while having to explain these kinds of durability issues. My opinion is that BMW isn't really as reliable as people think, and reliablility is not what BMW markets. It's not a Toyota or a Honda. But then again that's why I like it. It's the drive that makes it compelling not the durrability.
A little embarassing to be a BMW fan-boy while having to explain these kinds of durability issues. My opinion is that BMW isn't really as reliable as people think, and reliablility is not what BMW markets. It's not a Toyota or a Honda. But then again that's why I like it. It's the drive that makes it compelling not the durrability.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Scary
This last Friday I took the High Performance Driving School that I've been preparing for. Wow. It was pretty cool. Scary too.
The photo here is taken passing the last turn before the straight away in front of the grand stands. I get the feeling that nobody in the know is supposed be bragging about speed, especially after my instructor gave me the safety lecture after I asked how fast I could go. I'm going to brag anyway because it was cool to me. Over 120mph in that straight away. Looking back on the experience I can see why I was scolded about that question. While passing other cars, concrete barriers, cresting blind hills and balancing the car at high speed I noticed that one mistake would probably kill me, my instructor and probably any other car close enough.
I left happy. I won't be doing any competitive racing like this, but I'll do this class again from time to time.
The photo here is taken passing the last turn before the straight away in front of the grand stands. I get the feeling that nobody in the know is supposed be bragging about speed, especially after my instructor gave me the safety lecture after I asked how fast I could go. I'm going to brag anyway because it was cool to me. Over 120mph in that straight away. Looking back on the experience I can see why I was scolded about that question. While passing other cars, concrete barriers, cresting blind hills and balancing the car at high speed I noticed that one mistake would probably kill me, my instructor and probably any other car close enough.
I left happy. I won't be doing any competitive racing like this, but I'll do this class again from time to time.
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