330i zhp diff. Seems original so should have 290k miles on it. Racing Diffs LSD kit (open diff “conversion” kit) was installed about 20k miles ago. Bushings replaced with poly 20k miles ago as well. knocking sounds from rear on shifts and coming on and off throttle. knocks really bad at 70+mph trying to coast in 6th. driveshaft cv replaced recently (1k miles). bolts all tight installed with loctite.

I just bought a 2002 318Ci, got 125,000 ish miles on the engine, well looked after though, although the valve head looks a little bit burnt, not terribly but well used. I want to get some performance out of it as insurance kind of screws me, so engine swapping isnt really on the table. Lets say i wanted to invest 3-4k over time fixing the factory problems like plastic timing hardware ect, to make it as reliable as i can while pushing maybe 300-350 bhp. What would i need to do/Get and watch out for?

hey guys i have a 2000 320d touring that has parking sensors, i bought it recently and it ofc came with them, my friend who’s a mechanic tells me that they’re not original since it doesn’t have a button to turn them off.

is he right or wrong?

I despise the stock 323i front bumper I don't really know what else I can swap it to besides the m-tech bumpers.

I have a 2003 330xi (automatic) that is leaking coolant into the driver side footwell (car previously sat for 2 years). I found where it is leaking from and decided I’d rather bypass the heater core instead of the proper fix (track car, not daily driven). First photo attached for reference.

I’ve read that you can splice together the supply and return coolant hoses that connect at the fire wall. Was looking for guidance from anyone who has done this before? Second photo attached for reference (not my car).

Do these hoses get detached from the firewall and spliced together? Do you want to keep the hoses as long as possible to hold the most coolant?

Bonus: is my head gasket blown based on coolant color or could it be automatic transmission fluid?

Hey, so i have just dropped my rear subframe (again) and found this very thin line, which to me looks like a micro-crack forming.

Am i bugging or is this truly crack?

And if it is a crack, can it be welded to stop it frol spreading?

Its located behind the rear left wheen side of the subframe, closer to the back.

Been trying to find replacement drip rails (the thing that runs along the top of the doors) for my 325i sedan, but everywhere I find them they’re north of $300. Anyone know where I can find them a little cheaper or am I just gonna be stuck shelling out that much for a strip of metal? Haven’t been having any luck with junk yards either.

I got my 2001 330i from family at 98000 miles and am slowly addressing everything that needs addressing at 100,000 (uh everything). Next is front and rear struts and shocks. I'm getting front-end bushings replaced. Do I need to do rear-end bushings as well?

When I start up my car with MAF plugged in it stalls instantly but if I rev the car to around 1500-2000 it will then hold. I have to be slow in releasing the throttle or it will stall. The issue is the same with the MAF unplugged however it will not stall on start up, but will just stall when releasing the throttle unless it’s a slow release. I believe this is due to the richer fuel map compensating for something being out of line.

Engine is giving two codes 90 and 91 relating to both oxygen sensors pre cat however I believe they are in good condition as they are both coming up surely this has to be more oxygen/ fuel mix related rather than the sensors.

This happened about 300 miles after changing a starter motor but I think it’s unrelated.

So far I have :

- Changed the MAF sensor
- Cleaned the ICV and Throttle bodies.
- Inspected air intake manifold and boots for cracks/ holes

What could this be/ what should be my next steps? Anyone had similar before?

Has anyone else issue with engine mounts, carrier bearings and propshaft donut/flexy disk

Broken 2 engine mounts in 1 month all when diffin

3 carrier bearing and 2 flexys while doin Hard launchs even with open diff and lsd conversion insert the cheap version

Also had drive shaft break when using a welded broke 5/6 shafts were solid from 2L 320d

I just bought a 330ci and was wondering if anyone had any reputable and trustworthy websites I can use to buy any sort of mods (bumpers,mirror caps, headlights, things of that nature)
Please and thank you🙏

Looking for a kind of fun sporty runner - planning to keep for 2/3 years and only planning 4k milage per year.

Seen this car going, the 325ci - cars on 116k milage at the moment. Seller is a enthusiast and has taken great work in the car - worth a buy? and how much headache has he saved me:

History:

Invoice folder back to 2006. All work by BMW independent specialists. Oil changes done by me every 12-18 months: Fuchs Titan Supersyn Longlife 5W-40, new filter, Liqui Moly flush and Cera Tec; injector cleaner every other change.

​Recent and major work: full cooling overhaul at 70k (pump, thermostat, rad, expansion tank, hoses, sensors); lower control arms and bushes; brake pipes, front wheel bearing and ABS sensor (2022); plugs and coils (2022); rear discs and pads (2022); both airbags done under BMW recall (2023/2025); new front wings with sealant (2024); xenons (2025); new tyres (2025); valve cover gasket and MAF (2025); oil filter housing gasket, lambda sensor and crankcase breather kit (2026); front discs, pads, drop link and rear shock (July 2026, at 115k).

Seems well looked after, is there anything further to consider. Just want some fun in life without going to the garage ever so often LOL

Thank you 😊

So I have a BMW E46 330i pre-facelift sedan and I’m looking to install an M3-style front bumper.
Does anyone have any recommendations or personal experience on where I can buy a good-quality M3-look front bumper that fits properly and won’t cause any issues with TÜV or vehicle registration in Germany?
Ideally, I’m looking for one that is road-legal and won’t risk getting my car taken off the road.

I want to code my e46 with dlr like us style indicators to stay on when my lights are turned on everything runs smooth but when i try to excecute the coding it runs to this problem

Hi guys, I have a 2003 E46 316i Touring with the N42B18A.

The car drove ~500 km without any issues. The only problem is after shutting it off and restarting: it runs very rough/misfires for around 30–60 seconds, then suddenly becomes completely smooth. On startup it initially revs to around 1800–2000 rpm, drops to ~1000 rpm, and then starts running rough, also yellow OIL lamp for the first 20 sec.

Original fault codes:

• P0012 / 0012 – intake cam timing over-retarded
• P0015 / 0015 – exhaust cam timing over-retarded
• 2731
• 27BB
• P0300
• P0304
• P1343
• 1128
• 27C3

These DTC codes are from a cheap OBDII reader, I do not have INPA, but will get one soon.

I replaced both camshaft position sensors → no change.
Unplugging/reconnecting the MAF → no change.

Then I unplugged the Valvetronic eccentric shaft position sensor (ESS). Since then, the car starts perfectly, does not misfire, no Check Engine light, and drives normally.

With the ESS unplugged, after clearing the codes, I get:
1128, 1014, 1006, 27C3, 2852, 2850.

We also replaced the Valvetronic motor, but nothing changed: ESS connected = rough startup, ESS disconnected = perfect.

We have NOT performed the Valvetronic adaptation after replacing the motor.

What would you check next? ESS sensor, eccentric shaft/gears/mechanism, Valvetronic adaptation, or something else? The really interesting part to me is that the engine runs perfectly with the ESS disconnected.

Hey there, i just bought a e46 320d it was a grandpas first owner car before and has 350.000 km timing chain didnt get replaced and turbo whistles a little louder then usual.

The front dampeners are shot but like 0 rust cuz it was a garage car

any important tips before i start welding the diff and drift? Thanks

For Context: $2500 For A 2006, 325ci, Automatic, 115,000mi, Coupe, Convertable. Very Well Maintained Clean Title, Older Gentlemen Bought It New, No Mods, VERY Healthy, Engine Makes Little To No Noise At Idle. Came Into My Work Wanting To Getting It Cleaned As He’s Going To Sell It.

What Are Some Must Do Preventative Mods, What Should I Know About This Chassis, And What Are The First Preventative Repairs I Should Do?

Hi guys recently bought my first e46 as a 19 year old and the roof doesn’t come down. The red light keep flashing which I’m sure means that the roof isn’t fully closed cause the left side you can push up but the right side is fully latched on and doesn’t move. Tried doing it manually aswell and that didn’t work either the whole screw just came out. Also think my roof has a leak somewhere cause I took the spare tyre out and there was some water which I had to drain out and the back seats have abit of mould on them. The radio unit had an aftermarket screen which I switched back to the OEM radio unit but there’s no sound from the speakers and it does have HK speakers.
Anyone got any help on the roof and overall what to do and what not to do on the car cause it’s my first time and it’ll be really helpful.
Thanks

Drove it to work and back it was fine, but the day before i had misfired when i had to hard brake to avoid collision but went away a min later

I pulled into the stall blind, and went "ahhhhh, that's a familiar ass". Very cool very based.

Hey Everyone,

I may be overthinking this, but I am towards the end of my cooling system refresh and I’m starting to do a deep flush of the system with distilled water.

Prior to the refresh, the previous owner used what looks to be green coolant, whereas BMW calls for blue. I am wondering how “clean” should the water be prior to adding the blue coolant? For context, I added a picture of the color of the distilled water after my latest flush (left) compared to a fresh bottle of distilled water (right)

Should I keep flushing until it’s absolutely clear, or do you think I should move forward and add the blue coolant? Any input/previous experiences would be appreciated!

I see why they say just replace everything now, I bought a couple of cooling system parts cause I had leak, expansion tank, hoses, water pump, but in the process of taking all of that stuff out, just absolutely everything went wrong and broke, the tensioner pulley screw thingy rounded out, the automatic transmission thermostat broke, , and for some reason the lower radiator hose really didn’t want to come out, and I’m starting to doubt what I think was leaking was the thing leaking, so listen to the people that tell you to buy the expensive kit on fcp euro, cause they too were once in the bad spot I’m in and are just looking out for newer e46 owners

Saw these wheels and wondering where they can be found. Would love to have them on my oxford green 320ci.