New Member/Owner Introduction + Some Questions

heyitsalex · 07-01-2016, 11:55 PM

Hello M3Post,

New very happy owner here! I've been wanting an M3 since it first came out in 2008 and a combination of my financial situation and the used market has allowed me to finally pull the trigger! I've spent that past 6 months seriously looking for the perfect car, and i found one that was a 95% match to what i was looking for. Just missing two doors =) Anyway:

Vehicle Specs:

Make/Model/Year: 2011 E92 M3 6MT
Mileage: 43,4XX when i bought her.
Color: Alpine White / Fox Red Interior
Options: No idea. Help appreciated here. It has nav, CF roof, no EDC, and 19" 220's. thats all I can think of
Price Paid: $37k (private party)
Location: SF Bay Area

Questions (please feel free to tell me to fuck off and learn to use the "search" button):

Previous owner installed HID angel eyes and they don't work/provide error message when the headlights turn on, otherwise works fine. Any idea as to what the issue may be? Considering swapping them out to LUX LEDs instead. Thoughts?
Previous owner also installed body colored reflectors but they're all kinds of janky. What are the thinnest/flush/best quality replacement reflectors you guys recommend? I did a search and seems that IND tends to be the most popular.

Future Mods & Questions:

KW Sleeve Kit: Seems like everyone is very happy about this. I like my cars pretty low so looking for some height recommendations. I know i want to go max low on the front (1.2") and prefer a bit of rake, does 0.9" in the rear sound about right?
I want to keep the OEM 19"s for now so looking to get 15mm spacers all around. I've seen 15mm F + 12mm R combo as well as 18mm F + 15mm R combo. Bad idea to go 15mm all around? Also, Macht Schnell (spelling?) seems to be the most popular brand but I can get a pretty killer deal on some H&R or Eibach spacers. Are spacers just spacers or is it worth the extra penny to go with the Macht Snells?
Exhaust: looking for a clean sounding Axle-back: narrowed it down to Megan Racing or CNT. Wanted to hear your thoughts on this. I just can't justify the $2k+ price point for the nicer systems. Thoughts on this definitely welcomed.
Front Lip: really digging the Vorsteiner VRS styling. Any negatives with buying the CF replicas? (seen here)

Photos:

Thanks and looking forward to being a part of the community!

e1000 · 07-02-2016, 12:46 AM

Congrats on the new car!

- The angel eyes work fine when the headlights aren't on? If so then everything is fine, the car has different brightness settings for daytime/night so when it dims it probably isn't enough current for the HID ballasts. LED's should work fine. You can also code your car to have full brighness on all the time.

- A lot of people just paint over the stock reflectors. You won't believe how jagged the stock holes naturally are. Not sure what the best options are here, a lot of people have a body shop fill and repaint the bumper. I don't have any direct experience with IND but their builds look amazing so I'd imagine their stuff is very good.

- If you don't have EDC it really simplifies things as far as lowering, you can pretty much do anything you want. Even just getting springs works quite well, a popular thing to do is to replace the factory bump stops with the ones from the E36 and trim down the strut guides to give back some suspension travel.

- 15/12 is typically what people use, there are tons of threads on this topic I'd just search around. Keep in mind if you drop the car it will affect things as well, and certain tires tend to have more rounded off sidewalls (michelin) vs squarer that can also affect if they'll rub. 15/12 is definitely safe with 220M's and 359M's. As for brand, I personally recommend TMS (Turner Motorsport) spacers, they are excellent. Any hubcentric spacer that includes a center hub lip should be fine however, H&R and Eibach are definitely big names and I wouldn't hesitate to put those on my car. Remember, you'll need longer wheel bolts or a stud conversion.

- Lots of exhausts. An alternative you can look into is doing the OEM exhaust mod.

- So my personal take on lips is that it's going to spend a lot of time 4" off the ground at over 50mph. I'm on my second one now and surprised I haven't cracked more of them. Buy what you like, it's the one item where I don't personally care if it's a rep, just because it's so prone to damage. Reps can sometimes have fitment issues or other quality issues but then again, it's a rep right. There are a ton of different styles for the E92, tons of posts on the forums with pictures. My personal favorites are the Arkym lip or the OEM splitters.

Rat3d ///M · 07-02-2016, 02:06 AM

e1000 pretty much covered it all. The only thing I will add is that I second the OEM exhaust mod option. If you don't want to spend a ton of money and all you care about is sound it is bar none the best option out there. Next up would be the Megan system.

heyitsalex · 07-02-2016, 04:07 AM

e1000 appreciate all the info!

the angel eyes are still a bit concerning. I've been doing some searches and seems like the problem i'm having has been experienced by several others. I may have to replace for LEDs

As soon as the headlights go on, either one side goes out or both go out and i get the error messages on my display.

e1000 · 07-02-2016, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heyitsalex

e1000 appreciate all the info!

the angel eyes are still a bit concerning. I've been doing some searches and seems like the problem i'm having has been experienced by several others. I may have to replace for LEDs

As soon as the headlights go on, either one side goes out or both go out and i get the error messages on my display.

Switching to LED's should solve your problem, LED's naturally draw less current and therefore will always stay at full brightness without coding. Overall they aren't nearly as bright however.

Edit: By the way, you have a 2011, which was probably one of the longest MY runs for any BMW in history. Honestly though 2011's were made for most of 2010 and through the normal 2011 model year. They had 3 slightly different NAV systems.

heyitsalex · 07-02-2016, 02:47 PM

thanks for the info. Looks like mine is the 2011.5.

Has start/stop (although cant figure out how to activate), bluetooth audio, etc. Carfax shows original car was purchased late october 2010.

hpapad01 · 07-02-2016, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heyitsalex

thanks for the info. Looks like mine is the 2011.5.

Has start/stop (although cant figure out how to activate), bluetooth audio, etc. Carfax shows original car was purchased late october 2010.

By default the Auto Start/Stop is turned OFF which means the light is ON.
To activate it simply depress the button to turn OFF the the light. then it is ON.

Below is a description I borrowed from the BMW manual for you and it is applied to all BMWs with very small variations.

The Auto Start Stop function turns off the engine whenever it is not needed. In a traffic jam or in stop-and-go traffic, simply putting your BMW into neutral and taking your foot from the clutch will activate the function. "Start Stop" on the Info Display signals that the engine has been turned off.

To set off again, just put your BMW back into gear: the moment you depress the clutch, the engine immediately springs back to life and you can drive on without a moment's delay.

Driving comfort and driving safety are not affected by the Auto Start Stop function. The function is not activated, for example, until the engine has reached the ideal running temperature. The same applies if the air conditioner has not yet brought the cabin to the desired temperature, if the battery is not adequately charged or if the driver moves the steering wheel.

The Auto Start Stop function is coordinated by a central control unit that monitors data from all relevant sensors, the starter motor and the alternator. If necessary for comfort or safety, the control unit will automatically restart the engine: for example, if the vehicle begins to roll, the battery charge falls too low or condensation forms on the windscreen.

Furthermore, the system also recognizes the difference between a temporary stop and the end of the trip. It will not restart the engine if driver's seatbelt is undone, or if the door or bonnet is open. If desired, the Auto Start Stop function can be completely deactivated with the press of a button.
When used consistently, the Auto Start Stop function delivers significant reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

jphughan · 07-03-2016, 09:48 PM

^ Exactly right. Also note that it's less likely to activate in the summer if you live in a hot area since the computer will probably decide to keep the engine running to keep the AC cold without killing the battery. I tried it a few times and decided that while it wasn't bothersome, it wasn't well suited to my driving. I was either on long back road drives that involved very few stops or on a very short trip in town where I didn't want all of those extra engine stops and starts for such a short distance being traveled. If I'd had a longer commute that involved frequent stops, I might have considered using it, maybe.

07-01-2016, 11:55 PM	#1
heyitsalex Private 103 Rep 92 Posts Drives: 2011 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0) Garage List 1993 Nissan Skyline ... [0.00] 2016 BMW 328i Wagon [9.50] 2011 BMW M3 [0.00]	New Member/Owner Introduction + Some Questions Hello M3Post, New very happy owner here! I've been wanting an M3 since it first came out in 2008 and a combination of my financial situation and the used market has allowed me to finally pull the trigger! I've spent that past 6 months seriously looking for the perfect car, and i found one that was a 95% match to what i was looking for. Just missing two doors =) Anyway: Vehicle Specs: Make/Model/Year: 2011 E92 M3 6MT Mileage: 43,4XX when i bought her. Color: Alpine White / Fox Red Interior Options: No idea. Help appreciated here. It has nav, CF roof, no EDC, and 19" 220's. thats all I can think of Price Paid: $37k (private party) Location: SF Bay Area Questions (please feel free to tell me to fuck off and learn to use the "search" button): Previous owner installed HID angel eyes and they don't work/provide error message when the headlights turn on, otherwise works fine. Any idea as to what the issue may be? Considering swapping them out to LUX LEDs instead. Thoughts? Previous owner also installed body colored reflectors but they're all kinds of janky. What are the thinnest/flush/best quality replacement reflectors you guys recommend? I did a search and seems that IND tends to be the most popular. Future Mods & Questions: KW Sleeve Kit: Seems like everyone is very happy about this. I like my cars pretty low so looking for some height recommendations. I know i want to go max low on the front (1.2") and prefer a bit of rake, does 0.9" in the rear sound about right? I want to keep the OEM 19"s for now so looking to get 15mm spacers all around. I've seen 15mm F + 12mm R combo as well as 18mm F + 15mm R combo. Bad idea to go 15mm all around? Also, Macht Schnell (spelling?) seems to be the most popular brand but I can get a pretty killer deal on some H&R or Eibach spacers. Are spacers just spacers or is it worth the extra penny to go with the Macht Snells? Exhaust: looking for a clean sounding Axle-back: narrowed it down to Megan Racing or CNT. Wanted to hear your thoughts on this. I just can't justify the $2k+ price point for the nicer systems. Thoughts on this definitely welcomed. Front Lip: really digging the Vorsteiner VRS styling. Any negatives with buying the CF replicas? (seen here) Photos: Thanks and looking forward to being a part of the community! Last edited by heyitsalex; 07-02-2016 at 12:02 AM..
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07-02-2016, 12:46 AM	#2
e1000 that's what SHE said! 75 Rep 1,163 Posts Drives: 2011 E92 M3 ZCP Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: OC iTrader: (1)	Congrats on the new car! - The angel eyes work fine when the headlights aren't on? If so then everything is fine, the car has different brightness settings for daytime/night so when it dims it probably isn't enough current for the HID ballasts. LED's should work fine. You can also code your car to have full brighness on all the time. - A lot of people just paint over the stock reflectors. You won't believe how jagged the stock holes naturally are. Not sure what the best options are here, a lot of people have a body shop fill and repaint the bumper. I don't have any direct experience with IND but their builds look amazing so I'd imagine their stuff is very good. - If you don't have EDC it really simplifies things as far as lowering, you can pretty much do anything you want. Even just getting springs works quite well, a popular thing to do is to replace the factory bump stops with the ones from the E36 and trim down the strut guides to give back some suspension travel. - 15/12 is typically what people use, there are tons of threads on this topic I'd just search around. Keep in mind if you drop the car it will affect things as well, and certain tires tend to have more rounded off sidewalls (michelin) vs squarer that can also affect if they'll rub. 15/12 is definitely safe with 220M's and 359M's. As for brand, I personally recommend TMS (Turner Motorsport) spacers, they are excellent. Any hubcentric spacer that includes a center hub lip should be fine however, H&R and Eibach are definitely big names and I wouldn't hesitate to put those on my car. Remember, you'll need longer wheel bolts or a stud conversion. - Lots of exhausts. An alternative you can look into is doing the OEM exhaust mod. - So my personal take on lips is that it's going to spend a lot of time 4" off the ground at over 50mph. I'm on my second one now and surprised I haven't cracked more of them. Buy what you like, it's the one item where I don't personally care if it's a rep, just because it's so prone to damage. Reps can sometimes have fitment issues or other quality issues but then again, it's a rep right. There are a ton of different styles for the E92, tons of posts on the forums with pictures. My personal favorites are the Arkym lip or the OEM splitters. __________________ Last edited by e1000; 07-02-2016 at 12:53 AM..
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07-02-2016, 02:06 AM	#3
Rat3d ///M 997.1TT 1010 Rep 1,672 Posts Drives: 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Germany iTrader: (1)	e1000 pretty much covered it all. The only thing I will add is that I second the OEM exhaust mod option. If you don't want to spend a ton of money and all you care about is sound it is bar none the best option out there. Next up would be the Megan system.
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07-02-2016, 04:07 AM	#4
heyitsalex Private 103 Rep 92 Posts Drives: 2011 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0) Garage List 1993 Nissan Skyline ... [0.00] 2016 BMW 328i Wagon [9.50] 2011 BMW M3 [0.00]	e1000 appreciate all the info! the angel eyes are still a bit concerning. I've been doing some searches and seems like the problem i'm having has been experienced by several others. I may have to replace for LEDs As soon as the headlights go on, either one side goes out or both go out and i get the error messages on my display. __________________ 2011 E92 M3 / Alpine White / Fox Red / 6MT / CNT Racing / Forgestar F14 19x10 +19 265/30R19 19x11 +25 295/30R19
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07-02-2016, 02:47 PM	#6
heyitsalex Private 103 Rep 92 Posts Drives: 2011 E92 M3 Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0) Garage List 1993 Nissan Skyline ... [0.00] 2016 BMW 328i Wagon [9.50] 2011 BMW M3 [0.00]	thanks for the info. Looks like mine is the 2011.5. Has start/stop (although cant figure out how to activate), bluetooth audio, etc. Carfax shows original car was purchased late october 2010. __________________ 2011 E92 M3 / Alpine White / Fox Red / 6MT / CNT Racing / Forgestar F14 19x10 +19 265/30R19 19x11 +25 295/30R19
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07-03-2016, 09:48 PM	#8
jphughan Brigadier General 594 Rep 4,488 Posts Drives: '16 Cayman GT4 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (0)	^ Exactly right. Also note that it's less likely to activate in the summer if you live in a hot area since the computer will probably decide to keep the engine running to keep the AC cold without killing the battery. I tried it a few times and decided that while it wasn't bothersome, it wasn't well suited to my driving. I was either on long back road drives that involved very few stops or on a very short trip in town where I didn't want all of those extra engine stops and starts for such a short distance being traveled. If I'd had a longer commute that involved frequent stops, I might have considered using it, maybe. __________________ '16 Cayman GT4 (delivery pics, comparison to E92 M3 write-up) Gone but not forgotten: '11.75 M3 E92 Le Mans \| Black Nov w/ Alum \| 6MT (owned 5/2011 - 11/2015)
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