Gavsadler's 2011 E90 M3 Sedan M-DCT

[ando]

Great thread and solid review of your E90 M3. It's certainly a special car.

[Cyberdemon]

Originally Posted by gavsadler

Engine and Drivetrain:

Starting off with the gearbox, the 7-speed DCT has performed well over the past year, through a combination of mixed driving styles. Whether you are plodding along doing the school run, doing the weekly shopping, or just taking it for a hooning session, it has performed as expected. If I leave it in D2, I like to think of this mode as “American V8 mode”, responses are fairly lazy, and it stays in higher gears for what can sometimes be longer than desired.

Something else which I have also noted is that there is a jerk / wobble when changing 1-2 and 2-3, literally just before the gear change takes place. I’m not sure exactly what this is, but it can be annoying.

Have you checked the motor or transmission mounts? I had occasional clunkiness when the transmission is cold where disengaging on a hill or similar isn't terribly smooth, but since upgrading to the GTS tune I honestly have no complaints. I'm used to the ZF8 which is ultra-smooth in just about every condition and the DCT has been great both under pressure as well as just in casual around town mode.

I occasionally found leaving it in D2 might introduce some issues (pre-tune) but it was fine in D3 and above.

[gavsadler]

Engine mounts are brand new, done in January this year. Transmission mounts I haven't checked to be honest.

I think I am accepting that the DCT won't ever be as smooth as the ZF 8-speed (as found in my wife's X3 35i), but its something to do with the clutch action in the lower gears, almost like when you dip the clutch in a manual car, it has that sort of wobble just before changing gears.

[br2wdc]

Excellent review with a tremendous level of detail, and I want to comment and concur on your statement that "it's not as in your face as Civic Type R, and it’s not trying too hard to make its presence known".

One of the many reasons I came back to BMW and specifically wanted the E90 M3 was at initial glance to present to the world as a standard 3-series sedan, but also being an "M button" push away from having a race car.

My plan has worked flawlessly, with the only factor I didn't quite count on was the LMB paint which makes "stealth" or "under the radar" almost impossible, but as it turns out, I'm quite OK with

Finally, in my still relatively new ownership experience, the car has met every expectation and as you mentioned, over time the value and experience will only increase and get better as I tweak/modify/improve the car to my liking.

Originally Posted by gavsadler

2011 E90 M3 M-DCT: 1-year (or rather 1.33-year) review

Summary and Conclusion:

The M3 IMO is one of the last great performance cars of it’s time. It executes its design brief with aplomb, that being the pinnacle of the 3-series range. It has all the creature comforts you could need, and goes about the daily driving duties without much fuss. Some would argue that a base 320i or 320d would do things better day-to-day, and they are probably right, but it’s not like the M3 is skewed towards the other side of the spectrum. I love the subtleness of the car’s design elements, that it is not in your face as a Civic Type R for example. It’s not trying too hard to make its presence known. It’s an athlete in a business suit.

Where I believe it excels, is on those occasions where you want something more than what will suffice to do the daily grind. It will entertain you to no end, and if you’re pressing on, the speeds become ridiculous. Handling is top notch and you never feel out of your depth with the car. It’s a car for all seasons and for all occasions. In my experience, that’s where the car becomes special, and that is where I have warmed up to the car in more recent months. If you’ve followed my posts over the past year and chatted to me in person, you will know that I have been fairly objective and sceptical about my ownership experience, questioning how long it will remain in the household.

Has my opinion changed at all? Not just yet, but it sure is softening from being a pure sceptical and objective view of things. Some emotion is starting to creep in, and every now and then I have a bit of a wry smile thinking about the car.

So, based on this, I’m pleased to say that I look forward to growing the relationship with the car, that the bond will continue to develop. Forthcoming drives will continue to unlock the depth of capabilities of the car and I am sure the feelings will grow.

[gavsadler]

Update Nov-20:

So in recent weeks, this car has assumed the role of the mommy-mobile, completing short trips on a daily basis. This hasn't helped fuel consumption at all. I think the last tank was 15.8l per 100kms, and the current tank is somewhere the wrong side of 17l per 100kms. Thankfully this isn't too noticeable due to the fact that mileage is so little, so it's still just a monthly trip to the petrol station.

Also, a few weeks back I noticed some oil on the garage floor. Initially I thought this may have been my Ute, but after moving the M3 to a different parking spot, the oil spot moved with it.

One day I put it up on the ramps (also a bit of a story), and inspection underneath confirmed it - I have some horsepower sweat from the S65.

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=2808

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=2809

After some more inspection and chats with Peter, it seems like the leak is coming from the oil filter housing gasket. So this is something I'll have to attend to at the next oil change next month. Need to sort out the other cars first before I pull this one to pieces.

Oh, and there is another issue which seems to be creeping up: on some cold starts, about 30secs in, the car starts to idle roughly, almost like it has hot cams fitted. This does seem to go away after about 2mins, but will need to keep an eye on this. On one occasion, it did go into limp mode, and scans showed that it could be related to fueling. Further updates to follow.

Also due with the oil change next month is a brake fluid flush, and possibly chatting with Danny about the DCT flash. But let's see..

That's all for now.

[gavsadler]

I clean forgot about this update. I’m going to combine this update for across the 4 cars in the fleet.

In July, following a refund from SARS, I decided to treat myself to a device to satisfy my nerdy tendencies. So after some chats with Firi, a day later my Dragy arrived.

First impressions: it’s really small, maybe the size of 2 BIC lighters held together. I gave it a charge, and after downloading the app to my phone, I was ready to test it out. I decided to keep things simple and stick it on top of the dash with 2 blobs of Prestik. This worked just fine, and for the first couple of days, I experimented with the settings and how it all works. It is very simple to use.

Thereafter, I decided on a private test track to use for some runs. It’s straight and long enough to get a 1/4mile in and have sufficient stopping distance too. Unfortunately it’s not 100% flat, but over the 400m, the gradient changes cancel each other out, which the app then regards as a valid run.

For the runs that you see below, I also didn’t apply too much rocket science. The intention was to mash the throttle / do a brisk pull off, as you would in a normal, day-to-day scenario. No activating of launch control, no warming up tyres, traction control activated (where applicable) etc. So yes, there is probably room for improvement on some of the cars (or they could fare worse) – who knows. This is purely for comparison, same road, similar conditions, same driving style.

I’ve added an image below, of the runs from each car, and the data generated. 1st place goes to the M3, 2nd the X3, 3rd for the Ute and 4th the 130i. Some data which peaked my nerdy interest:

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=2964

Note the gear shift delays (orange line) on the 2 manual cars vs the 2 auto cars. Again I was shifting normally, no race-style shifting or flat shifting or looking for the elusive money shift. I have mechanical sympathy.

Looking at the acceleration curve (blue line), the M3 and Ute have quite steep gradients most of the run, whereas the X3 has a strong showing initially, but then a much lazier curve (don’t get me wrong, the car is still rapid). The 130i is also not as strong as the turbo cars up at the reef.

Interestingly, the 60ft time of the 130i is the best of the lot, I attribute this to less torque and less interference from the DSC. Next up is the X3 which also hopped off the line nicely – due to the x-drive. Thereafter is the M3, and lighting up the tyres at the back of the pack is the Ute.

The terminal speed of the Ute over 400m is higher than the X3 – probably due to aerodynamics and also being able to put down more power once the front wheels have grip in the higher gears. Lighter weight may also help matters somewhat.

I’ve embedded the videos of each of the car’s runs as well, but please excuse the shaky footage (I have yet to finalise a stable mount for the phone).

M3:
https://youtu.be/63YZmmw8bZU

X3:
https://youtu.be/Q5-grXWLml8

Corsa Ute:
https://youtu.be/hy2W2lAFsJU

130i:
https://youtu.be/4388loOAyWE

As mentioned earlier, there are probably more ideal conditions, a better private test track, and better driver skills to be realised, which will result in lower times, but that was not the point of this exercise. It was to do some real-world “one take” runs of each vehicle.

All-in-all, a great little product, accuracy seems good and like I’ve said, I geek out on analysing the numbers and the graphs. I look forward to using it more in future and maybe trying for quicker runs in better conditions and on a better private test track.

Thanks for reading.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by gavsadler

2011 E90 M3 M-DCT: 1-year (or rather 1.33-year) review

I’m a little bit overdue on this (well 4 months but who’s counting?), but rather late than never. I’ve had some opportunity to think back and reflect on the past year and a bit of ownership, and subsequent drives after this introspection have confirmed a few thoughts and findings, and highlighted some new ones. Anyways, on to the review…

Exterior and Design:

I still enjoy looking at this car. I find myself having an appreciation for the straight-forward design, not overly complicated with flicks and huge grills or intakes, massive wings or diffusers and so on. Every design element has a purpose. This is pure Q-car material. When comparing to a regular E90, it’s great to see how things are the same, yet subtly different. I’m a fan of the bonnet bulge, that’s a constant reminder of what lies beneath. Also, more recently, I much prefer the transition from the rear doors to rear fender of this car compared to the new G80 M3. On this car, the rear doors are actually flared out to blend in seamlessly with the swollen rear arches. On the G80, the doors are regular 3 series, followed by a huge jutting out of the fender, not a fan.

I’m glad I went ahead to fit the Style 359s, IMO they suit the car perfectly. Also, when the car is parked next to another vehicle, it’s great to see just how much tyre is squeezed under the arches, both front and rear. Even 17in or 18in rims in 205, 215 or 225 widths look remarkably small in comparison.
The only thing that I still have not warmed up to is the titanium tips of the Akrapovic exhaust. For me they are just too big, and look too aftermarket, too in your face. I’ll see with time, as I’m arranging for titanium tips, so will see if that changes the look for the better. That will only be in the new year though.

Interior:

A very nice place to be. I haven’t been left disappointed or missing out on anything in particular. The seats are great, plenty of adjustment, and even at 1.9m tall, I find that the seat does go low enough for gangsta driving if the need desires (this should also be suitable for occasions where a helmet needs to be worn). The Harmon Kardon sound system is good, with nice clear vocals and ok bass notes. Again, it’s not a pavement pounder, but suitably improved over the rubbish stock setups in these cars.

Being an older car, there is not a touch screen in sight. Can I get an Amen from those in agreement? Adjusting functions on the go is intuitive. If you want to adjust the sound, you reach for area X, if you want to adjust the climate control, you reach for area Y. Perhaps I’ve not been exposed enough to the newer cars with these systems, but I honestly don’t see myself warming up to these anytime soon. I’m proud to say I fail miserably at multi-tasking, so I don’t see me doing well driving and navigating various menus and sub-menus whilst on the go. Long live the humble button.

Also worth noting, is that the buttons are not showing any noticeable signs of wear / graphics rubbing off. I think from the F-series cars this became a hotly debated issue. The only thing which is bust is the Power button on the centre console, it seems as if the hinge piece has cracked off, so the button can lift up away from the centre console.

In terms of space, this is also adequate for our needs. The kids are able to comfortably get into the back, and there is enough legroom for them when using the car seats, and still enough for us up front to drive comfortably. That being said, the X3 is still king of convenience here. Reaching in to fasten seatbelts is a breeze. In the M3, it’s a bit more of a not-too-graceful exercise. You end up mooning fellow soccer moms and dads for a good period of time whilst strapping them in.

Ride and handling:

The ride is firm but comfortable, nothing out of the ordinary. I can’t complain in this area. Sure, the Competition model with the adjustable dampers, or even other manufacturers with there new electronic / magnetic dampers will cater for a broader spectrum of driving circumstances, but that also comes at a price. I’m happy that this car has a simple, straight-forward setup. In and around my area, the roads are also far from ideal, but the car remains settled and composed at all times. I haven’t noticed any tramlining either. I’ve also hit some fairly bad bumps and dips, and the car did very well in these instances, with no bottoming out or touching of wheels on the wheel arches etc.

The one area where I can commend this car is how stable and direct it is, particularly at speed. I’ve had to respond to a few medical emergencies during the lockdown period which required some rather spirited driving antics, and at no point in time did I ever feel unsafe, or out of my depth in being able to control the car. This car is properly planted. The steering is nicely weighted, and IMO does provide good feel. Whichever way you point the steering, that’s the way the car will go, no mess, no fuss. As a comparison, the M3 makes the 130i feel positively floaty by comparison, and I didn’t think I’d ever say that based on the hard setup in the 1-series. I haven’t really driven other E90s at speed (in recent years anyway), but I think this is where the benefits from the M Division are apparent. I’m really looking forward to taking this car onto the track at some point in the future.

Engine and Drivetrain:

Starting off with the gearbox, the 7-speed DCT has performed well over the past year, through a combination of mixed driving styles. Whether you are plodding along doing the school run, doing the weekly shopping, or just taking it for a hooning session, it has performed as expected. If I leave it in D2, I like to think of this mode as “American V8 mode”, responses are fairly lazy, and it stays in higher gears for what can sometimes be longer than desired.

Something else which I have also noted is that there is a jerk / wobble when changing 1-2 and 2-3, literally just before the gear change takes place. I’m not sure exactly what this is, but it can be annoying. I haven’t seen much information around this, but what has been well documented is the jerking motion when coming to a stop, almost like the gearbox doesn’t know exactly what is happening. Now and then it will also do a throttle blip when you least expect it to, or when trying to remain as incognito as possible. Nevertheless, these are quirks of the box, and not a deal breaker. It’s still on my to-do list to arrange the GTS flash with Danny from DSC Motorsport. Will see what changes that brings about….

At partial throttle, the gear changes take place around 1800-2400rpm give or take. Progress is relaxed. Unfortunately, though, right at 1800rpm, there is noticeable exhaust drone, which is more prevalent when all the windows are open. As much as I have tried to dismiss it in the past, it is still there, and confirmed as much by the Mrs.

However, this problem can be quickly eradicated. When circumstances allow, press the button on the centre console to speed up the gear shifts. D3 is a little better than D2, whilst retaining the same easy-going characteristics. If you select D4 or D5, rev matching on downshifts is also added, and the car instantly adds about 10points to your Racing Driver credentials. Shifts both up and down the cogs become razor sharp and super quick. Forward progress is relentless, and in the higher modes, each gear change is accompanied with a satisfying thud to the back. On the downshifts, the car makes you feel invincible, matching engine revs to wheel speed, and preparing you blast out of the next corner. The exhaust tone also seems to change, from when it’s warm, to piping hot after a few blasts. In either instance, that’s where the sound comes into its own, when you are pressing on. One thing to note though, when pressing on, the car lets you know that you are consuming dinosaur fuel at a rapid rate. The lack of primary cats mean that you are enveloped with the fumes of spent 95octane whenever you are slowing down or come to a stop. It can seem odd at first when you are used to other modern cars which clean and purify the exhaust gasses. Nevertheless, it’s one of those things that you learn to accept. It’s actually a good way to determine whether you (or someone else) has been driving the car nicely, or like a complete yobbo.

The engine is great. A cold start in the morning is supported with all sorts of mechanical clicks and clunks, some whirring and the lovely ping from the exhaust headers as the gasses pulse through from each cylinder. It is certainly very un-appliance-like. As it completes the warm-up cycle, it eventually settles into a smooth, steady idle. The engine is smooth and responsive, and goes about its daily duties without much fuss. As mentioned previously, I would say daily driving characteristics are mostly governed by what mode the gearbox is in.

From my experience, I’d like to think that the engine essentially has 3 power bands / operating windows. From idle up to about 3000rpm, it sounds fairly mellow, not making itself too obvious to those in the surrounding areas. Then from 3000-6000rpm, it has a healthy beat, very satisfying and never intrusive. This is also the typical V8 sound which many of us Petrolheads love. You’ll also get this sound from many other V8s in the market. But then what makes this motor special, and different, is it’s high-revving nature. From 6000-8000rpm, it becomes a lunatic. There is a distinct increase in urge in this rev range, and it sounds like its ripping apart a telephone directory. It’s definitely an occasion to get the motor into this rev range, but it must be said, you need a lot of road to enjoy it at these RPMs. As much as it really wakes up in the upper rev ranges, it must be said that it is not found wanting or lacking in the lower rev ranges, but I suspect this is also largely due to the full Akrapovic Evolution system fitted (with primary decats) which helps the motor to breathe better. It can probably also be argued that the Eventuri intake also helps with breathing matters, although this will be more noticeable in the upper rev range.

Let’s do a quick comparison to the N55 motor in the X3 35i. This is also a great engine, and delivers a great big wad of torque from low down in the rev range. The motor pulls cleanly, but then at around 5000rpm, the urge begins to ease off, and it doesn’t make much sense to rev it beyond 6000rpm, unless you want to hear the glorious 6-cylinder wail. Along with this comes some fairly rapid progress, it is actually deceptive how quickly the speed accumulates in that car.

Now the M3 on the other hand, it has a fairly flat torque curve throughout most of the rev range, and a linear power curve all the way to the top above 8000rpm. Accelerating from standstill gives a constant urge, as opposed to the surge you get in the turbo motors. But this constant urge stays there for as long as you care to rev it. 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 (hello!), 7000, 8000…. It just revs and revs and goes and goes. This, accompanied by the fantastic sounds coming from the induction and the exhaust make spirited drives an event. I initially thought the X3 would be faster than the M3, but driving them back to back, apart from the torque surge low down (which is deceptive), the S65 is much faster. The pace that the X3 exhibits say from 3000-5000rpm, the M3 continues on this trajectory all the way to 8000rpm. Immense fun. To end off though, they are both great cars and I am in no way putting either of them down, they are different driving experiences and I am blessed to be able to experience both of them.

Summary and Conclusion:

So then, what is my overall verdict? Well I’ve come to the realisation that I am probably getting old, lol. Those who are more senior than me will laugh and scoff at my thoughts. But the fact of the matter is that I am gravitating more towards the older model cars, than the newer ones. I’m also not dismissing the accomplishments of the modern cars. They are fast, safe, refined, comfortable, fuel efficient and full of tech and gadgets to make daily duties a breeze. But ticking all these boxes means that they have also become more clinical, more generic, more acceptable by the masses and satisfy the accountants by ticking more boxes in a single product.

The M3 IMO is one of the last great performance cars of it’s time. It executes its design brief with aplomb, that being the pinnacle of the 3-series range. It has all the creature comforts you could need, and goes about the daily driving duties without much fuss. Some would argue that a base 320i or 320d would do things better day-to-day, and they are probably right, but it’s not like the M3 is skewed towards the other side of the spectrum. I love the subtleness of the car’s design elements, that it is not in your face as a Civic Type R for example. It’s not trying too hard to make its presence known. It’s an athlete in a business suit.

Where I believe it excels, is on those occasions where you want something more than what will suffice to do the daily grind. It will entertain you to no end, and if you’re pressing on, the speeds become ridiculous. Handling is top notch and you never feel out of your depth with the car. It’s a car for all seasons and for all occasions. In my experience, that’s where the car becomes special, and that is where I have warmed up to the car in more recent months. If you’ve followed my posts over the past year and chatted to me in person, you will know that I have been fairly objective and sceptical about my ownership experience, questioning how long it will remain in the household.

Has my opinion changed at all? Not just yet, but it sure is softening from being a pure sceptical and objective view of things. Some emotion is starting to creep in, and every now and then I have a bit of a wry smile thinking about the car.

So, based on this, I’m pleased to say that I look forward to growing the relationship with the car, that the bond will continue to develop. Forthcoming drives will continue to unlock the depth of capabilities of the car and I am sure the feelings will grow.

<Can we have a slow clap for the M3>

My final thoughts: they are not about the M3, but rather my 130i. That car ticks all my boxes, makes me fizz and tingle, and gives me goosebumps every single time I drive it. (You may have also noticed I made no mention of getting goosebumps in the M3 – well it would be unfair to say they are absent, but it is more an occasional experience as opposed to a consistent experience). The M3 may reign supreme amongst the 3-series range, the 130i reigns supreme in my thoughts and in my heart as a Petrolhead. Having been in the family for 14 years means countless memories have been made with the car. This is not a relationship I would want to end anytime soon. My love and loyalties are not that easily swayed, but there is always room to grow and share the love.

Now please excuse me, it’s time to go and be weird and give the 1er a hug and a pat on the roof…

Yet another very nice write up!

[gavsadler]

Update: Jan-21:

In line with my other updates, with the X3 being out of action for the last few months of 2020, the M3 assumed the role of daily driver / mommy-mobile. It would prove to be an interesting time, to see how well it would fare, compared to the effortless nature of the X3 in this department.

In summary, on the positive side, my wife enjoyed that everything just works in the M3, as well as the additional creature comforts: the electric seats with the press of a button, the seating position adjusts from 1.9m Giraffe driver mode, to 1.67m wife mode, lol. The integrated bluetooth connects seamlessly each and every time, and also allows for music streaming from the phone, so no need for aux cables and so on (the Fiscon is still proving to be problematic in the X3, but that is work in progress). Overall, comfort was acceptable, as well as the solid feeling on the road. The lower ride height wasn't too much of a concern either.

The negatives as a daily driver: the mild drone from the exhaust at low speeds. My wife has some inner ear issues, and the Akra didn't help matters, if anything, it annoyed her and made her feel worse on occasion. For me, being a car as opposed to a SUV, it was a bit of a pain in the ass to bend down and reach in the back to check that the kids are buckled up properly (this is where a higher car is really awesome). And to end off - fuel consumption, especially on the short trips we do, was horrendous. I think the standard was around 18l per 100kms. So even though we do hardly any mileage, it still needs a fill up once a month.

With that being said, some kms were clocked up, and in December, it was time to service and address that niggly oil leak I discovered a few months before. With the X3 now operational again, the M could be parked in the garage and attended to.

So, up onto jack stands it went, I'm still impressed with the torsional rigidity of this car, jacking up one corner lifts the entire side of the car just about.

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=3349

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=3350

First job at hand was to remove the wheels so that I could bleed the brakes. I decided to fill with BMW Dot4 brake fluid, as I'm probably not going to be visiting race tracks anytime soon. The first pic shows what I sucked out the brake fluid reservoir, and compared to some of the new fluid going in. The second pic shows all the fluid that I bled out of the car:

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=3353

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=3354

I also removed the cabin air filters and dusted them out, and cleared dust out the filters. There was not much as they had only been in for about 6000kms:

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=3351

https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/attachment.php?aid=3352

Once all that was done, the wheels went back onto the car. Next up: addressing the oil leak. Diagnosis and consultation with others pointed to a leaking oil filter housing gasket. In my next post, I'll outline the process I followed, as well as some pics.

[wyatth]

Can't open the links. Perhaps copy/post the images/content here?

[gavsadler]

Damn, don't know why I struggle with this forum.

On our local forum, we attach images to the site, then embed them in our posts.

On here, I've tried to insert the links using the IMG function but then it doesn't display anything in the post once I submit.

Any tips from the local gurus?

Thanks

[derbo]

Originally Posted by gavsadler

Damn, don't know why I struggle with this forum.

On our local forum, we attach images to the site, then embed them in our posts.

On here, I've tried to insert the links using the IMG function but then it doesn't display anything in the post once I submit.

Any tips from the local gurus?

Thanks

Don't use your local forum as a hosting service. Try using something else like Flickr or something similar to host the images.

If you are using the mobile version of Bimmerpost, you can upload directly with attaching.

[gavsadler]

Update: Mar-21:

In line with my other threads, I've been using a couple of new and different Detailing and Auto Care products on the various cars. One of them which I was curious about is the Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax. I'm pretty happy with there usual Wax products, so was keen to see if the "Ceramic" content makes any difference. (Detailed reviews will be published in separate threads).

Here's the results after the initial main coat 2 weeks prior, and then the top up coat after a subsequent wash


Moving along, in one of my early reviews of the car, I likened it to J Lo, sexy with some hips going. I'd like to extend this analogy a little further, in that this car requires as much fuss to keep happy, as the fuss it creates when out and about, lol.

I previously reported about an intermittent miss on cold starts, which went away after about 2mins of idling. Scanning the car pointed to a possible faulty temperature sensor which sits on top of the water pump housing. One day some time was available, so I removed the airbox and intake plenum to get to the said sensor. To my surprise, I found that the harness clip was not securely attached to the sensor. I sprayed some electrical cleaner on both ends, and after securing the plug, started the car and it was sorted. The cold start sequence now is also completely different than before (previously it would start and rev up to 2000rpm, before settling into an idle around 800rpm). Now, the cold start briefly revs to 2000rpm on initial start, then idles at about 1200rpm for about a minute, before slowly decreasing the idle speed as the motor warms up.

While everything was off, I took a pic of the lovely throttle bodies, and took a quick vid of them in action (light load). The car really barks without the filter and intake parts to suppress the noise. (Excuse the cameraman - amateur who also got a bit of a fright at the end of the video, lol):

I'm glad to get this sorted and that it was a simple fix (although irritated as either myself or my brother-in-law didn't secure this properly the last time the plenum was off. Anyway, moving on....

Fast forward a few weeks, and I was making good use of the new microfiber products: the Chenille Wash Mitt and Gauntlet drying towel from The Rag Company. Both awesome products and will post separate, more detailed reviews soon:

So, with the car running well, and nice and clean, what could possibly happen next? Well, in keeping with the celeb maintenance requirements, the next error popped up.

I thought the same issue had re-occurred, in that on cold start, the car was idling all rough and would go into limp mode, this happened consistently for about 5 days in a row. Scanning the car, the issue was not an old problem, but rather a new fault: the O2 sensor on bank 1 was not happy.

So... car up on trestles again, and stripping off some of the underbody panels to get easy access. I struggled to remove the sensor, but once out, it was apparent why. The sensor basically has 1 complete thread remaining, and half the other threads are sheared off smooth. I can only think that this must have happened then the Akra exhaust was installed by the previous owner (at a BMW dealership somewhere in KZN I believe). I wish I had taken pics of this, but I didn't.

I decided to swap the sensors across, and then see if the fault moves from one bank to the other. Well that was 1 month ago, and since then, no faults. The car has started and driven without any issues on at least half a dozen occasions. So again, maybe just the wiring connections were a bit dry or needing some re-fitting / adjustment for proper contact.

For reference: the sensors are also made by Bosch, the front sensor (pre-cat) part number is 17039 and the rear sensor (post-cat) is 16793.

Also in the past couple of weeks, I also decided to give the car a pre-wash with my Karcher and foam cannon:


For this forum, I'll upload some pics directly from my phone...

[gavsadler]

Foam wash

[gavsadler]

The Gaubtlet Drying towel and chenille wash mitt from The Rag Company

[gavsadler]

Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Wax after a wash

[gavsadler]

Oh! Forgot to add another important update.

In January, Danny brought his car to me for a freshening up, and in exchange, he rendered some IT skills on my car. Something I was on the fence of doing ever since I got the car - the GTS flash for the gearbox.

After connecting to the car, and checking file versions, it turns out that while the DME software was the latest and greatest, the DCT software was one of the earlier versions. A few minutes later, and things were ready to rock and roll, and anxiety levels were a little bit elevated.

Overall, it took around 5-10mins to flash, and I'm pleased to report there were no issues. Oddly though, I didn't go for a test drive after the flash, but rather moved the car in and out the garage a couple of times. The forthcoming days would tell....

Feedback:

I've waited a while to provide feedback, as I wanted to clock a good few kms first to see how things go and whether the car needs to adapt at all. The fact that I do minimal mileage anyway means it takes longer still. Since the flash, I've only covered about 250kms in the car.

On startup, there is nothing different to note. Selecting D seems the same as before, and the car moves off without issue. Selecting Reverse does seem faster and less clunky, which is in line with overseas reviews.

When driving, the car is still in D2 by default, and the shifts are nice and smooth. Honestly, I can't really say that there is a significant decrease in shift time, but that may be also due to me pottering around the suburbs for the most part. There have been a few occasions to stretch the legs a bit in the lower gears, and the gearbox goes about it's business without fuss. It would have probably also helped if I drove the car back-to-back before and after the flash, but at the time that was not feasible. Anyway. All good so far.

One thing I can comment on is the weird jerk that the gearbox does just before changing up (noticeable from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd). I've commented on this previously and likened it to when you dip the clutch in a manual car. That is significantly improved now with the GTS flash. It is still there, but hardly noticeable, and less jerky in low speed driving. Overall this makes it much more pleasant to drive now. This is the single biggest stand out benefit for me at this point in time.

Others have also commented on the jerkiness when slowing down to a stop. I suspect this is improved too, as I haven't noticed that. Thinking back, I did experience some of this clunkiness, but not as frequently as others I believe.

Overall, it seems like this was a worthwhile update. The car is more pleasant at low speed driving (as long as the temp sensor and O2 sensor faults stay away!). Mildly spirited driving is still quite exciting. I have yet to drive the car in full attack mode, so will comment on that at a later stage.

That's all for now. Thanks again to Danny for the help and technical assistance on a regular basis.

[gavsadler]

Apologies all, I can't believe I haven't updated this thread since March this year.

Let's get cracking...

Update May-2021:

A couple of small updates over the past month or two:

One one of the wash weekends, I decided to whip out a new drying towel to try out, this is the "Dry Me A River" from The Rag Company. Feedback is that it works very well. It's a decent size without being obnoxiously big, so it dried off the car without much effort. It is also a bit easier to handle when it starts to get a bit wet, and after rinsing it with clean water, it is fairly easy to ring out, when compared to the heavier GSM drying towels available. Overall I am happy with this product, and I now have 2 proper drying towels in my personal collection.




At some point during April, I also had to prepare for some home repairs, which required the purchase of a few lengths of PVC gutter. So the M3 obliged to it's duties of contractor's workhorse. I fitted the roof racks, and went to collect my materials. This actually worked out great, and is more practical for long items than it would be using the Ute. There were some raised eyebrows in the parking lot during loading, lol.




Then, more recently, my kids have enjoyed going in the car lately as they take a keen interest to watch on the Nav screen where all we are going, what the different roads look like and so on. The only issue was, that the maps loaded on the car are 13 years old (2008 edition), so there are many areas around us, and throughout Gauteng where development has taken place, but on the maps it just shows that we're driving through a green field.

I spoke to Danny from DSC Motorsport, and a couple of days later, we were ready to flash the maps to the latest 2020 Premium Maps for Southern Africa.

The process is fairly straight forward (after a few practice attempts:

• Put car on charger to ensure enough constant voltage can be supplied
• Insert flash drive with maps and config file into the port just behind the glovebox.
• Ignition on
• Naviation function on iDrive
• Wait for the update to be detected, start update
• Enter FSC code (essentially a pin to allow the maps to be loaded)
• Wait a bit (I think it took about 10-15mins).
• Reboot and verify update completed successfully.

Some pics of the steps below:











Even with the charger connected, the car was complaining about low battery (I think I'll need to replace the battery at some stage in the next 12months).

After the update, the maps have a slightly different (refreshed?) look to them, and from some initial tests, it seems to show some of the newer areas. That being said, I haven't driven the car out of our suburb since the update, so will do a proper test on a longer trip again at some point.

That's all for now....

[gavsadler]

Update Sep-21 to Oct-21:

My eager eyes on overseas forums, together with some impulsive online shopping, led to 3 boxes arriving at my door the past few months. Some updates for now, and some for later on.

For this update, something I have been hunting for ever since I got the car 2.5 years ago. Some genuine Akrapovic Evolution Titanium Tips. These were actually part of a full slip-on system. The rest of the exhaust was sold to a forum member in California, so I ended up only shipping the tips to South Africa.



Overall they were in good condition, and my mate in the States did give them a wipe before shipping:



I wanted to make them look brand new again, so got busy with some degreaser and Cleen Green to remove any muck still left on the tips. Titanium is also sensitive to certain cleaning materials, so I wasn’t planning on anything too aggressive which could compromise the finish. I used Brasso, and after a couple of hours, they were looking great:





I couldn’t resist, so did a test fit on one side of the car in the evening. I am glad I got these, as IMO, the rear of the car always looked ‘dirty’ with the CF tips, it almost looked too aftermarket. The titanium tips are, dare I say it, closer in appearance to the stock stainless steel tips, same same, but different.



With half the tips test fitted, I decided to tackle the next thing which has also been an annoyance for me on the back of the car – that being the oversized black M3 badge. To the best of my knowledge, this badge comes from the F80, and is much bigger than the stock badge. Also, from what I could tell, it was installed with incorrect spacing and alignment. Anyways, it had to come off…

Bye bye….



The next morning, I finished installing the tips and cleaning up the bootlid after the badge removal. I’m much happier with the rear end of the car now. I’m still in 2 minds whether a badge will go back on, time will tell.






The last little update, was that with the onset of summer, the A/C was not working too effectively. I made contact with someone we've used before, who has the correct machine to vacuum the complete aircon system, and then replace with the correct amount of compressor oil and gas as per the spec of the car / system.

To regas this car proved a bit of a mission, as the one valve sits under the cowl of the windscreen wipers. This necessitated removing the airbox lid and disassembling half of the cowl, to get to the valve safely.

The regas was successful, it was low on gas overall, so glad that this is done, so that I don't slow roast in the summer heat.






More updates coming soon before the end of the year if all goes well

[reidetailing]

What a restoration on those exhaust tips!

Excited to see this build continue to progress.

[gavsadler]

Update Nov-21 to Feb-22:

Life has been happening, a lot. As such, I've not spent much time on the forum, or on the cars for that matter. Nevertheless, I'm going to bring all my threads up to date.

Following on from my last flurry of online shopping middle of last year, and to settle some small pet hates and my love of OEM(+) cars, I decided to tackle the next installment of bringing the car to my taste.

The vents in the front fenders, and more specifically, the OEM chrome indicator housings, were not really my cup of tea. In general, I'm not a fan of chrome on cars, so pretty much ever since I got this car, I was checking out options to change. Middle of last year, I bit the bullet and decided to rather keep my stock parts, but also replace with OEM parts, customised by one of the most prominent names in the business stateside: IND Distribution.

After spending a ridiculous amount of $$$ with IND, the first parts to be fitted are new gloss black side markers, as well as lightly tinted indicator lenses. These are all OEM parts which are then painted / tinted as required. I will say upfront that the service from IND has been outstanding, communication is good, and even when there was an error in my order (discussed later), they resolved it speedily. Everything was also packaged extremely well, and I'd be willing to bet that their shipment would survive a trip through our local post office and international mailing centre, haha.

Moving onto the job at hand, some before pics of the stock parts:









Removing these proved to be slightly tricky (it is much much easier on the E92), and it involved taping up of the work area (after a clean), and careful prying using my trim removal kit. I started off by first removing the indicator itself. Below are some pics of the stock chrome piece next to the new gloss black piece:







Next up was to remove the grills themselves. These came out fairly easily now, and I then cleaned up the rest of the area and hidden nooks and crannies (incl. polish and sealant). Top tip: tape the wiring for the indicator to the fender, because if it falls into the cave of darkness, you're going to have a real hard time finding it again.

I cleaned up the grilles, and reinstalled, followed by installing the new indicator housings and lenses:














Here's a quick video of the new indicators in action:

https://youtu.be/DKEDJYPOAms

[gavsadler]

Having installed the indicators, it was time to clean the whole car. I also decided to whip out my iK Foam Pro 12, and give it a pre-wash. Some pics and vids below:

https://youtu.be/iJLDgBaqwNc

https://youtu.be/4Rn8BRqHaFM











With the side markers sorted, it was time to turn attention to the back of the car again. Specifically the boot emblem. When I bought the car, it had a F80 M3 emblem installed, which was black, but obviously much bigger than the E90 emblem. Taking it a step further, my OCD was also not satisfied that it was installed in the incorrect place. So as you saw previously, it was removed around the time that I changed the exhaust tips.

Fast forward a little bit, and I purchased an OEM emblem from IND Distribution, but this time painted in gloss black. There was a slight hiccup on my initial order, as they shipped a G80 M3 badge. Again this is not quite correct, so after raising it with IND, they immediately shipped out the correct emblem to me. What service!

I spent some time measuring and checking everything before installing the new emblem. Interesting point to note is that the mounting location seems to differ slightly between pre-LCI and LCI E90s. Once all measuring and prep was done, the emblem was installed.

I've also included a pic of the previous F80 emblem lined up with the E90 emblem, massive size difference!

[gavsadler]

In Feb-22 it was time for a service, so after sourcing the relevant spares and parts, it was time to complete that.

I once again used Liqui Moly 10w60, an OEM oil filter, and cleaned the air filter. Everything else on the car checked out fine.







With the car serviced, a decision was made to go down to the KZN south coast for the last 2 weeks of March. I thought we would pack less luggage than a few years back (prams and what what), yet somehow we packed the same, or even more. Anyway, the car ran well and on the trip down we managed 10.3l per 100kms.

I didn't drive much the first week we were there, and then in the last week, I did a bit more mileage for all sorts of reasons. The car felt really fresh and awake thanks to the coastal air. Quiet roads were few and far between where we were based, so I couldn't stretch legs too much.

I did manage to get in a couple of impromptu runs on a test track. I wanted to try and replicate the same scenario as tested up here in JHB, so I left the car in full auto mode, D3, with Power button engaged. I managed a 5.55s 0-100km/h and 13.32s 1/4mile @176km/h. In JHB on a similar test track (and car setup), I managed 6.15s 0-100km/h and 13.95s 1/4 mile @166km/h. So yes, the car is much fresher down at the coast.

On the drive back up, we managed 10.6l per 100kms. Overall, it was a good car for the long distance drip, there were no major complaints of noise or drone, and comfort was great. That being said, the best holiday vehicle to date has been the F25 X3 35i, super comfortable and also effortless power.

I'm not sure what is next in line for this car, probably just some more small maintenance items, and I'll probably need a set of rear tyres within the next 12 months.