2002 BMW E46 M3

[MT-Getto]

Nice work!! Wish there were mechanics like you and mikey.

I'm done letting ECS screw up my orders and timelines. I've spent thousands and thousands of dollars with them, and they are most apathetic, and disorganized when it comes to customer service. I also have had the wrong parts the right box from them.


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[kevin286]

Um mini post; mas soon.

I was driving up to Phoenix, totally doing the speed limit when unidentified flying object hit my windshield. Since I wasn't behind any cars and whatnot I was a little but okay whatever, not the first time I've been hit with a meteor. Park it at destination and walking back up to it I notice the front badge is partially missing.
Huh, first I thought some as... some aspiring thug swiped it, but then it dawned on me that was what flew and hit my windshield. Meh ok, not the end of the world. Ordered a new one and new grommets and yes, I splurged the 50 cents for the removal tool. Protip, it's just a short section of banding strap.


So okay, the damage


The removal tool actually works darn awesome


The factory grommets are above the base but below the clear for some reason. I cut around them with a xacto knife but that's probably overkill.


Of course I waxed underneath because Jesus knows


Installed it. Just press in firmly.


Then wash the car and take some poser shots.



I've got a shi... um lots more work to do but I got distracted.

[Mikewire]

Well that's slick. Jealous of the weather you have...it's fricking freezing here.

[kevin286]

A few weeks ago I installed new door seals. Why you ask? Well the design of the door seal is such that there should be a 'flap' thing that covers the gap between the door seal and the a/b pillars and headliner. A common issues is that this flap tears away from the door seal, so while the seal is just fine, you now have an ugly gap. Not the good kind of gap. The fix is easy, you just spend 700 dollars and replace the door seals, it's like a 30 minute job for both sides.

This is no good




There is something electrical in the door seal. I'm not sure what it is... maybe a pinch detector? Oh yeah, you have to remove the A pillar cover to get at this connector. No big deal.

You also have to remove the sill plate. Now the internet here on this was stupid. They are all like, pry carefully and not all of these will break, and once you get the plate off, then you can pry these out and some will break for sure. Um, actually, if you slide the sill plate forward it comes right off, do not pry up. And if you grab these and squeeze, they come out easy.

There was some old residue once I pulled the old seal off. Book doesnt call for glue so maybe it was added later? I removed it. Good ol eraser wheel.

And new seals in; bye bye ugly gap

[kevin286]

With the new door seals in the widows didn't seal quite right (they are frameless windows). So I adjusted and the passenger side sealed up nice but I couldn't get the driver side to seal great. I thought maybe the sliders that go in the track were worn enough that there was just too much play in there so I ordered replacement ones from the eBay.




Took the door apart

Ooo that fancy foam vapor barrier

Hmm. Pretty sure that latchy thing is supposed to be hooked on that hooky looking thing

It's kinda cool how the window adjustments are made. You remove the shopping cart bumper trim and roll the window till you can see the screws, then you loosen and do your thing. That way you don't have to pull any interior door panels off at all if all you need to do is adjust the window position.


Glass out, no drama

Regulator out and ...

Well poo. Found one pully broke and laying in the bottom of the door. I'm surprised the sucker still worked.

So a new OE regulator is like close to 200 dollars and I'm still broke from the dang door seals so I'm trying what appears to be a higher quality aftermarket jobber. If it works it'll save me a pile.

Now we wait.
Oh, and those replacement window slider things from eBay... Yeah those aren't even close to fitting. Totally wrong, so when part says it's for E46... it's not necessarily for all E46

[kevin286]

The rear windows had rubber that was no good; fix that biatch
WTF is this? What you're looking at is actually just cosmetic in that it's not the part that actually seals to the glass to keep out the water

Here's a close up of the corner area. This is a rubber bit that is parted together with a long metal "rain gutter" type thing that goes from the hood all the way to the trunk. Guess who want's to sell the whole thing as a one part? Yar, BMW. It's okay, I don't blame them. I decided to try the DIY method suggested on m3forum by using some generic weatherstripping

Here I'm pulling the rubber piece off the metal piece. It's held on with double side foam tape.

[imghttps://i.postimg.cc/RCdMqFmf/IMG_9873.jpg][/img]

Which means I get to use my favorite tool. Ha

Need to get that lower piece off to. It's also held on with double sticky tape. Pry it up slow and no problems. Put down the tape just to protect the paint that I was prying on.

Eww, all soft and goopy

Leaves a mess of tape residue

INTERNET MAGIC

Ready to put this new one on. Not rocket science but I'm glad I put the tape down so it was super easy to line up where it needed to be


All back together

New regulator came in. Looks pretty good; really compared it well against the old one.


Going back together. Got to make sure you clip the window regulator cables in, else they rattle

0 for 2 on eBay clips. Um nope, not even close boys

[kevin286]

Got around to replacing the passenger side mirror glass last night

rust or whatever

Adjust the mirror all the way up, then there's a little tab you push to the side and gently pry with your fingers. It's stuck on with double side tape so just maintain the force and it will tear itself away. Don't just force it to go right now, patience young padwan


Maybe better shot of the rust. This is super common on BMW... never heard of it on others. meh

New mirrors don't have the cam lock spin disc thing or the double side tape; just clip in place easy like

Sit back and smile at your work

[MT-Getto]

Proper


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[Mikewire]

Dude I love attention to detail, and damn that car is sharp as hell. I think now I need to keep my eye open for an M3

Super impressed with that eraser wheel...and I have a use for one, but I don't know anything about them. Assuming it could be used to remove old goo left over from those damn dealer stickers and de-badging. I've been using a heat gun (carefully) and some goo gone.

Is there a durometer or something that works best? What's yours and where'd you get it?

[kevin286]

welcome to work-on-your-sht weekend.
Um, so 2 owners before me had installed this custom dual 10" sub box in the trunk. Guy I bought the car from said it had never worked. Well as I'm pulling it out I'm like oh look both sub wires hooked to the + outputs on the amp. Let me just see here, oh yeah, totally works now. Whatever. Still yanked that sht. I love the custom ducky fleece as part of the fiberglass enclosure. Maybe that's a thing? I dunno.





Oh yeah, I forgot, I started on this because it got hot. Down here in Tucson it's opposite of Bozeman. When it gets hot for the first time in the year (100+) you find out if your battery is good or not. Yeah, so needed replacement.

Hello sexy beast. New on the left.

While I'm there I'll clean up the tray and throw some paint on it

Working on pieces to get it back to stock. PS. The E46 M3 never had a spare tire, just like a can of foam and a tire pump. LOL

More of the enclosure. Put that junk on craigslist


After a couple of trips to the junk yard, Love that alert me when new car shows up thing. I got all the right pieces.


Oh yeah, Needed new tires too. really just the rear. I have no idea why those wore out faster than the front.

But these Nitto INVO are seriously awesome. 3rd gear from primary to side streets with no effs given.

Takes us to today for work-on-it-weekend

Safety first. laugh if you must but stay tuned. Also grand dad's so legacy and all that.

Doing the transmission fluid (it's a 6spd manual) lifetime fluid my butt. Same basic drain hole and fill hole per normal stuff.

Holy cr*p that was far more splashy than I was expecting. See? safety glasses FTW.

Okay well it has to drain good right? Similar to the "my code is compiling... my fluid is draining" so

And you can't work without proper music right?

It's pricy but dang I have never had any complaints with Redline e-v-e-r so that's why my rigs get

Mark it so when either I'm an old fart and forget or if I sell it next person knows

Sorry bro, you served me well and I thank you for your service but once you get gear oil on it I'm going to have to bury you with the saints.

That is all my friends.