e46 update!

"sefeing, actually bought an E46" (sefeing90) 09/13/2019 at 10:15 • Filed to: e46, BMW, 3series, driveway mechanic

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It’s been a little bit since I’ve posted, but I’ve been LOVING my e46, for the most part.

Since the last time, I’ve replaced the front wheel bearings / hubs, got new rubber on the car (the original was 8 years old, but ton of tread left) and replaced the infamous guibo / center support bearing (process pictured, with 2 friends), a window regulator that ate itself beyond repair. and the ENTIRE DAMN COOLING SYSTEM

The guibo / CSB, in theory should’ve been a relatively easy repair - but in practice, was an absolute struggle. This was due to the 16 years of rust and heat cycles that the bolts between the exhaust & manifold. We tried an impact, we tried heat, we tried leverage, but in the end the only thing that worked was shearing off the nuts, removing the exhaust and spending 5 hours (and around $40 in cobalt drill bits, which kept breaking and a carbide dremel bit) drilling the damn thing out.

The guibo had some minimal cracking, and the CSB showed some dry-rot, but nothing major, so I replaced them.

I’m partially worried about what seemed like a bit of play in the rear U-joint, which is welded & non-replacable, but I honestly couldn’t tell if it was play there, or a tiny tiny bit of play in the rear diff. I’m doing another 3 hour drive to PA this afternoon, so we’ll see.

All in all, I’m SUPER proud of myself for sticking to my promise of “this will be the car that gets me to wrench on anything i can feasibly fix in a driveway.” And the spreadsheet I have of the repairs thus far gives me confidence.

Other things to fix include figuring out why the brand new (remaned) caliper I put on the left front wheel drags a bit (slight veering to the left for a second when brakes are applied), and getting an alignment finally. It may not be off at all, but im not sure the last time it was done.

I bought a 16 year old E46 (auto) with (now) 85k miles, AMA.

Edit: BTW, that creeper that the exhaust is sitting on was welded from scrap by a friend, and then bought fake louis vitton fabric to wrap.

Party-vi > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 10:37

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“the ENTIRE DAMN COOLING SYSTEM”

Get used to this. Also, don’t ignore the transmission fluid changes. A dealer won’t touch it and I’m sure after I post this someone will tell you not to, but you should change the trans fluid on these every 60K miles or so. BMW put “lifetime” fluid in them, but ZF never said that shit was supposed to stay in there.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 10:43

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I’ve got the E46 tri fecta of bad window regulators, failed controller (up under the cowl where the electronics get nice and wet) plus a failed window switch in the console.

Somewhere in there, it’s a good car, but they made some very bargain-bin purchasing decisions when they built it.

ihm96 > Party-vi 09/13/2019 at 10:44

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Yeah I never thought that made any sense. Changed my trans oil around 150k ish, not sure if it had ever been done before but it definitely made a difference. I really wanna go through the shifter bushings though, I think mine are toast. Plus I have occasional fifth gear lean.  

functionoverfashion > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 10:46

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This is exactly how I got into my first E46 wagon back in 2009. I did many of the same repairs as you, and then some, despite never having attempted such things on any car before.

I also had the same experience with the exhaust, when I went to replace the guibo or whatever you want to call it. Much swearing. Many drill bits.

And... my car started at 120k with me, so some of the stuff was more beat up, PLUS, I drove it like a rally car, in some cases literally, on a closed course at Team O’Neil... so it went through a lot.

But you know what it didn’t do, in 5 years and ~80k miles? It never let me down, not once. The same is true of the next one I had, with a minor exception - a rear trailing arm broke 1/4 mile from a shop. It might have been a Sunday, but there were some guys hanging around who helped me replace it with one off a parts car in their yard. So... that was a gift. It was “driveable” but otherwise those guys bailed me out big time. 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > Party-vi 09/13/2019 at 10:46

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hah, yep! One of the first things I did was a tranny fluid / filter change, around 82k. Definitely noticed a positive difference in shifting too.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Party-vi 09/13/2019 at 10:46

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We go through this all the time on the Audi D2 and D3 boards.  Audi “claims” the ZF slushbox is a “lifetime” fill...  but woe be upon you if you don’t flush-and-fill by 100K miles.  Once you get some clutch slippage, it’s literally a quick downhill slide to a complete rebuild.

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 09/13/2019 at 10:51

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Jeeeez, you really got screwed!

In my case, the P/O had the rear right one replaced, which is great, except that the dealer (yes, BMW) ripped the vapor barrier, and instead of replacing it under warranty, apparently just applied some gaff tape. I couldn’t figure out why it was leaking until I took the door apart and found holes. Bought some butyl tape and went to town on it, but may replace it eventually.

The driver & passenger front door I’ve repaired w/ zip ties, so I’ll do that until they fail totally, and the driver’s rear snapped out of nowhere, unrepairable so I bought a dorman unit to replace it, since I don’t use that window a ton.

Every month or so, I lube up the tracks of the window w/ some silicone grease.

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > functionoverfashion 09/13/2019 at 10:52

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This is amazing to hear, and gives me a ton of confidence. :)

My engine doesn’t burn, or leak oil that I can tell at all (knock on wood), and the tranny seems nice and strong.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 10:52

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Congrats on the car, post more pictures!

I have a titanium silver E46 I bought last year as well and just yesterday bought all the parts on fcpeuro I need to refresh the entire cooling system too! Any tips or learnings form your experience doing that? My biggest worry is about getting everything loose in that cramped a space - was just looking at the bolts on the water pump pulley and they look pretty rusty (previously was an east coast car). H

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 10:58

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funny story—- the door was also dented a bit when I got the car (we did a motor swap on it), so I finally found a replacement complete door in SFV in LA, correct color— easy to swap— a no-brainer. I drive in to LA to pick it up.

As the guy at the salvage place is a little chatty I tee him up with “any chance the window regulator in this door is any good”. His reply: “Unlikely. We have never had a BMW E46 come in that didn’t have at least one failed regulator— usually more”.

Being a Land Cruiser guy— I had to ask the inevitable question “ever see a window regulator fail on a Land Cruiser?”. Quick answer: “Never”.

Something failed in the QA/procurement process at BMW on the E46...

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 09/13/2019 at 11:01

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I will!

The cooling system was actually MUCH easier than i expected. I didn’t do the water pump or thermostat - they had been replaced 10k before by BMW, so left that alone. My radiator had stared to leak, so that’s what prompted my replacement of everything.

As for tips? Get a damn big bucket. There’s a LOT of coolant in there... Some hoses are going to require some elbow grease, but for the most part, just make sure you bleed it well.

I had to top up the coolant a few times after, as it worked it’s way into the system, but now it’s holding no problem,

If you’ve got an auto, DEF expect the tranny thermostat to break, It did on mine, but was an easy replacement, and the fan nut is a bitch -  worth it to get the $20 tool off amazon.

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 09/13/2019 at 11:02

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Haha, same! I’d never heard of regulators going bad, mainly since my family’s owned almost exclusively toyotas (or a mazda, in my case). and they NEVER die. The motors get slow, but the mechanism is solid.

It’s like they over-engineered everything else BUT the window regs & the expansion tank on these E46's

$kaycog > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 11:11

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You need more help under there.

functionoverfashion > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 11:15

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I did have a shop to work in, even if it was a marina. The guys would get interested, and offer opinions or heckling, but at least they would lend a hand. Still, I learned that these cars are not bad to work on, if you can follow the logical steps for each repair. The forums are helpful too obviously, there’s a ton of knowledge out there and this was 10 years ago.

I did buy a Bentley service manual, and referenced it a lot. I’m not sure you need one anymore with what’s out there online, but it was helpful to me. 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > $kaycog 09/13/2019 at 11:15

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tiny hands would be more useful than my friend’s large shaky ones

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > functionoverfashion 09/13/2019 at 11:19

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That’s rad. A shop definitely helps. This driveway belongs to a buddy of mine in Queens, and we’ve been slowly adding on to his already large collection of tools (he’s a natural born builder / tinkerer) and constantly trying to figure out how to get the car up higher while still maintaining a high degree of safety. (blocked, but stacked wood & cinderblocks next to the rear jack stands. The front is on home made wood stacked ramps)

Yeah, i’ve been having great luck finding most of what I need on the forums / google searches, and I have what I think is a PDF copy of the bentley, but I think I may just say screw it and buy a copy.

I love the internet.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 11:26

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Ah yes - gotta remember the bucket and a long wide hose to direct coolant out of the block. Just watched a DIY video yesterday where the guy didn’t and so much coolant went splashing all over his garage floor, he really should’ve thought about that before recording/putting it up online! 

functionoverfashion > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 11:41

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Haha, sounds like you’re on the right track overall.

There is no way I would have been able to maintain the car(s) the way I did without the internet. 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 09/13/2019 at 11:45

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yep :)

I think i watched that same video. Make sure you’re wearing clothes you don’t care much about, you’re gonna get wet.

I had to hose down my buddy’s driveway real good

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 11:53

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Funny. Yeah, on the FJ80s there are whole volumes of threads over on IH8MUD about “how slow the windows can get on a Land Cruiser while still opening and closing.” They can get slow in cold weather.

I’d add general “plastics and seals” to the E46 gripe list. That lower cowl seal-cover thing must have been fabbed from paper mache and melted licorice candy.... of course when it falls to bits in rainy country the windshield runoff shoots right into that area behind the glovebox where the window controller electronics live. Don’t ask how I found that out...

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 12:15

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I’m not much of a wrencher, but doing this job myself doesn’t seem too tough and it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than having a shop do it. Usually I just get frustrated not having the right tools/not being able to get stuff loose - hopefully won’t be too much of an issue.

Any advice on sprays to use to loosen hoses that have been connected for 15 years, screws, etc? The ShoplifeTV guy recommended silicone spray - trying to figure out if that is safe for belts, pulleys, bolts etc as well (I’m replacing the drive belts anyway).

M.T. Blake > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 14:29

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That creeper is some HOT BOI STUFFFF YOOOOO!!!

I seriously might copy you! Lol. 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish 09/13/2019 at 15:06

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agreed there. that was one of my first replacements that I realllllly didn’t want to shell out the $80 for, but said screw it

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 15:08

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in fairness my experience is that the after-market replacements are MUCH higher quality than the junk used from the factory.

They sure handle nice though.  Mine’s a riot... when the windows are in the correct position.

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 09/13/2019 at 15:08

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silicone spray’s safe from what I understand for rubber, as is lithium grease. all of my hoses were relatively easy, with the exception of one, the lower rad hose.

It seems WAY more intimidating than it actually is, I was intimidated at first for sure, but yea, you save a ton of money. Having a friend there to help was a big help as well - granted, he was very confident in his wrenching ability, but even having someone there just to hold things while you position / plug them in would help too

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > M.T. Blake 09/13/2019 at 15:09

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:)

can’t say it was cheaper than just BUYING a creeper, but my friend used it as an opportunity to learn to weld

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 15:11

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Oh, one more tip that i’ve heard. It’s worth it to get OEM BMW coolant to mix. Apparently the random green stuff isn’t great, and the engine can be finicky  - a gallon of the OEM stuff was cheap, $20 and made 2 gallons w/ a gallon of distilled water

qbeezy > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 16:06

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Happy to see another e46! You went through about the same stuff as mine. It has forced me to wrench very often!

The cooling system was surprisingly easier than I thought. The real pain has been a vacuum leak, doing the oil pan gasket, and fixing the shift linkage.

What other plans do you have for it?

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > sefeing, actually bought an E46 09/13/2019 at 16:07

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Yeah, thanks. Actually just called fcp yesterday to add the BMW coolant to my order as I realized I had missed that. Have a friend who said he’ll swing by to help so hopefully won’t go too badly. 

sefeing, actually bought an E46 > qbeezy 09/14/2019 at 07:10

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Honestly, for now, getting it to a place where it can exist for a while, hah. I just did the CSB and flex disc, but I’m fairly sure my rear u joint is going (of course...) so looks like I’ll be purchasing a new drive shaft...

Erebus330 > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 09/14/2019 at 09:27

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Another t ip - only fill the system to the minimum, not max. This allows room for expansion when it gets hot. This helps by not putting as much pressure on the fragile plastic parts over time. (I’ve got two E46 ZHPs I wrench on myself and a good friend that’s a BMW master tech)

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Erebus330 09/16/2019 at 11:07

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Thank you, will certainly keep this in mind!

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Erebus330 09/16/2019 at 11:11

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p.s. any knowledge about these 1.2 bar coolant caps? The previous owner put one on the car (currently on it)...are they actually supposed to help (as the manufacturer claims in the link below), or are they just a gimmick/potentially bad?

https://www.germanautosolutions.com/bmw_solutions/cooling_system/12_bar_coolant_cap/product_bmw_12_bar_cap.php

Erebus330 > ZHP Sparky, the 5th 09/16/2019 at 13:12

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I don't have experience with those. Personally I just run the stock cap and have had zero problems. I’ve had my 330i on track a couple dozen times here in the Midwest region (Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin) so plenty of hot days to stress the system. If you keep your plastic parts in good shape, as you are doing since you’re replacing them, you shouldn’t need that cap. I like German Auto Solutions too, I’ve got their DISA valve solution on my car. Excellent quality, h ighly recommend it. But I don’t know that the coolant cap is necessary if you have good plastic parts and don’t fill the system to the max.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Erebus330 09/16/2019 at 13:35

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Yeah I have their DISA fix as well (previous owner did that and got the cap along with it) and have read good things about the company. Did a bit of reading on the topic and supposedly BMW dealers are now replacing 2.0 bar caps with 1.4 bar caps when doing cooling system overhauls. Lots of people also seem to run either this 1.2 bar cap or a 1.4 bar cap off an E30 on their cars without issue . Either way the consensus seems to be that it isn’t what’s going to make or break your system - it’s more important to stay on top of the actual system itself. Maaaybe if you do run in to an overheating situation the 1.2/4 bar cap MIGHT help release pressure earlier on and prevent immediate catastrophic failure, although you’re still overheating whether you have it or not  - no way to tell for sure though as there are so many variables.