IB E90 BB DCT Journal

[Msidhu1]

Wanted to introduce my new toy that I purchased in Nov 2020.

Current Mileage @ 44k (Nov 2021) miles.

I think I have finally accepted and made peace with myself that I have issues on how many cars I have changed in last 16 years. Been a BMW fan even since my first e46. Here is my list.. (Note: there are few cars that I skipped … not worth mentioning )
00 Civic SI – 6 M/T
03 e46 325i – Auto
07 chevy Silverado SS
06 e46 M3 – 6 M/T still have sellers’ remorse – traded for
09 e90 335i – Auto, single hump, Monaco Blue – full bolt ons and JB4
12 Golf Tdi – 6 speed
15 Golf Tdi - DSG - sold in 2021
11 E70 X5 – M sport sold in 2017.

My research started with looking for 2011 E90 ZCP 6MT no Nav speed cloth and open on slicktop or moon roof, (Color options were AW, Silverstone, space grey). Or I would get Interlagos e90 with Beige interior – open on all options. Personally, there is something about this combo.

Current: Picked up – 09 E90 M3 IB with Bamboo Beige / DCT and moonroof. Got it shipped from South Carolina to Central California.
Currently sitting at 40k miles and totally babied by previous owner for last 10 years (an understatement*). Got lucky with this find (6 months of search paid off). Car still has a new car smell and was a garage queen for the most part. I will be the 3rd owner. Here is the little history of the car.

Owner 1: Did a Euro Delivery and is the forum member. I hope I am not breaking any rules. Here is links to History thread.
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=268796
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=277170
https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279185
https://www.e46fanatics.com/threads/...e90-m3.705015/

Owner 2: Took Ownership in early 2011 and T/B this car. This was his 3rd car along with Ferrari F430 + his Daily. Only reason for sale is that he replaced it with M2C manual. He was having seller remorse already during our transaction.

Mods that car came with:
Engine/Power:
Turner TP with Corsa Exhaust (Black powder coated)
VF Tune
Turner Pulleys
VF Oil Cooler
AFE Intake
Sprint Booster

Exterior:
Performance Carbon fiber spoiler with Body colored pin stripe
Gloss Black painted front grilles
IND Painted IB reflectors
IND Painted IB side markers
Tinted LED side markers
40% tint

Interior:
Dinan Pedals
Mr 12Volt Apple Carplay/Backup Camera

Suspension:
Eibach springs with EDC Dampers
ECS trailing arms

Brakes:
StopTech 380/355 kit with air flow vents in under tray

Wheels:
O/E ZCP Comp Wheels
PS4S 255/275


Maintenance:
Oil changes every year and full maint upkeep
Previous Owner kept every single receipt for maintenance and modification since 2011 with Excel log for mileage. All the maint. was mostly completed by time than mileage as Car averaged 3k miles per year from last 10. Dealer maintained.
Rod Bearings replaced with MRF @ 42.5k miles.

Car came with all the stocks parts minus axle back.

Added Mods:
Spacers 12/10
Updated Taillights – Passenger LEDs were failing
Hood Emblem/Wheel Hubcaps refresh – just did it and not really needed it.
Lux Angel Eyes
JL Audio XD 600/6 with Technic Harness
Mr 12 Volt Apple Carplay/Backup Camera

Future plans:
M Performance Steering
+more but can’t think of them right now

[Cyberdemon]

Very nice, I stole that old posters pictures since my IG E90 had the Eisenmann exhaust too.

Do you mind mentioning what you paid? Would be interesting to keep in mind for the pricing trends thread.

[Patcho]

Beautiful! I'm also bias

[wyatth]

Nice combo! Is that the Eisenmann installed on the truck pic?

[Msidhu1]

Originally Posted by wyatth

Nice combo! Is that the Eisenmann installed on the truck pic?

Its Blacked out Corsa.

[Msidhu1]

Wanted to share the process I just went through getting my 2009 E90 M3 with Turner TP, VF Engineering tune, AFE Intake and Corsa exhaust. In Summary: No primary cats, stock x pipe with resonator, AFE Intake and corsa axle back. This is strictly my experience and decide to write it in case it'll help someone else. There is good amount of info available in other posts that helped me through this process. Ultimately, I had to install my OEM cats and install stock tune. Took me about a week to sort everything out before I was able to pass. I completed all the Steps (removing and re- installing) myself with no help. I would rate my self at 3 out of 10 on mechanical side.
Overall advice: if you fail smog with a setup like mine - get OEM cats installed, return to OEM tune, do a drive cycle and go to Autozone or o’reilly to borrow their scanner to check readiness.
Below are the drive cycle steps that I followed. I completed this cycle at 4 in the morning due to less traffic and cold start first step. Was able to complete it on first try.

• Cold Start the car and let it run for approx. 2 mins
• Drive the car with road speed between 20 to 30 mph for approximately 4 minutes (Constantly) – completed this on regular street and go lucky with one green light.
• Drive with road speed between 40 to 60 mph for approximately 15 minutes. (Constantly) – completed this on freeway in slow lane at speed of 55. May have pissed off couple big rigs.
• Pull over and let the car run idle for 5 mins and then turn off.

From what I gathered: The drive cycle sequence will be interrupted if one of the following conditions occurs:

• Engine speed exceeds 3000 RPM, or
• Driving speed exceeds 60 mph, or
• Large fluctuations in acceleration

Once you pass OBDII readiness you can stop doing drive cycles and go to the smog shop.
What could have helped: I wish I had a scanner with me so I can see the OBD readiness in real time.

Details:
Nov 2020:
- Car was purchased with Turner TP, corsa axle back, AFE Intake and VF tune.

December 20, 2020:
- Exhausted all options on finding out if I can pay someone to pass it before reverting to stock. I was naïve and didn’t have any recent experience on new OBDII smog test. Even the shadiest shop in Fresno, Ca was willing to pass even with $4 - $500 offer.

December 24, 2020:
- With Car on Rhino Ramps – Uninstalled and Reinstalled the stock cats while utilizing the clamps from Turner Tps. Took about 4 hours mostly due to working with tight space and learning process. Overall, I would give it 2 out of 5 on difficulty. But overall, straight forward process. Installed the stock tune and cleared the codes. Also impressed with VF software as it lets you read and clear the codes (Hence didn’t buy scanner).

December 25 and 26, 2020
-Decided to drive around the car and added about 70 miles in hope for OBD readiness.

December 27, 2020:
- Took to the smog shop. Passed all the visual inspection but failed due to OBDII readiness. Little frustrating but helped me understand that drive cycle is necessary.

December 28, 2020:
- Completed the drive cycle stated above in the morning. Decided to go borrow scanner from O’reilly store before taking back to smog shop. To my surprise, everything was ready on my first try. At this point took car to the smog shop and had it check through their scanner as well before the actual smog test. Finally, PASSED the Smog Test. Tech also stated that I had a leak in my exhaust where stock cats and X pipe are attached by clamps. It still passed.
Took the Test to DMV and completed the registration process. I knew that I didn’t wanted to waste any time (2 years to next smog test), decided to install all the aftermarket stuff back on same day. Took me only 2 hours this time. Maybe due to excitement…

Is it worth it? To me Yes, especially when I already tasted on how the car drove and sounded.

[br2wdc]

Congrats on joining the IB/LMB E90 Club! Fantastic find and very tough to find one with such low miles!

I'm curious how you found the car? And did you do everything remotely/virtually?

Years ago during a trip to CA to see my wife's Mom, I happened to do a local CL search in SF Bay area, and I stumbled across a perfect 2001 540i with 6MT up near the Sacramento area. It was owned by an executive for Intel that wanted to get something newer, so I bought it and had it shipped back to DC.

Originally Posted by Msidhu1

My research started with looking for 2011 E90 ZCP 6MT no Nav speed cloth and open on slicktop or moon roof, (Color options were AW, Silverstone, space grey). Or I would get Interlagos e90 with Beige interior – open on all options. Personally, there is something about this combo.

Current: Picked up – 09 E90 M3 IB with Bamboo Beige / DCT and moonroof. Got it shipped from South Carolina to Central California.
Currently sitting at 40k miles and totally babied by previous owner for last 10 years (an understatement*). Got lucky with this find (6 months of search paid off). Car still has a new car smell and was a garage queen for the most part. I will be the 3rd owner. Here is the little history of the car.



Owner 2: Took Ownership in early 2011 and T/B this car. This was his 3rd car along with Ferrari F430 + his Daily. Only reason for sale is that he replaced it with M2C manual. He was having seller remorse already during our transaction.


Future plans:
Rod Bearings with MRF
Lux Angel Eyes
M Performance Steering
Recaros
MAYBE – single hump conversion
+more but can’t think of them right now

[Msidhu1]

Originally Posted by br2wdc

Congrats on joining the IB/LMB E90 Club! Fantastic find and very tough to find one with such low miles!

I'm curious how you found the car? And did you do everything remotely/virtually?

Years ago during a trip to CA to see my wife's Mom, I happened to do a local CL search in SF Bay area, and I stumbled across a perfect 2001 540i with 6MT up near the Sacramento area. It was owned by an executive for Intel that wanted to get something newer, so I bought it and had it shipped back to DC.

Found it on Autotrader. I was first one to contact the seller and deposit was in with in less than 24 hours. Seller was an enthusiast and had all the answers and documentation scanned and ready to go. Flew to SC for a day for a transaction and wanted to see the car in person. Had a facetime call walk through and detailed photos already.

Landed on Wednesday night, saw the car first thing Thursday morning and completed the transaction, Transport company was scheduled for 1 pm. Flew back late Thursday night.

A lot of mods were not mentioned in the add and was pleasantly surprised when I noticed those items. Overall, was very smooth transaction and a good find.

[br2wdc]

I had a very similar story with the previous owner of my car. Found the car on CL, contacted the owner and after speaking on the phone, we hit it off immediately and later that same day made a deal.

He then agreed two days later to take the car to a BMW specialty place for a PPI, and it passed with flying colors. That Saturday, I then drove a one way rental to Ohio, met him at the airport to drop the car, and we drove "my" car to his house, loaded it up and I proceeded to drive "my" car back to DC, all in 1 day.

I was very fortunate to find such a good person/owner and have such a smooth transaction.

Originally Posted by Msidhu1

Found it on Autotrader. I was first one to contact the seller and deposit was in with in less than 24 hours. Seller was an enthusiast and had all the answers and documentation scanned and ready to go. Flew to SC for a day for a transaction and wanted to see the car personally. Had a facetime call walk through and detailed photos already.

Landed on Wednesday night, saw the car first thing Thursday morning and completed the transaction, Transport company was scheduled for 1 pm. Flew back late Thursday night.

A lot of mods were not mentioned in the add and was pleasantly surprised when I noticed those items. Overall, was very smooth transaction and a good find.

[Msidhu1]

Originally Posted by br2wdc

I had a very similar story with the previous owner of my car. Found the car on CL, contacted the owner and after speaking on the phone, we hit it off immediately and later that same day made a deal.

He then agreed two days later to take the car to a BMW specialty place for a PPI, and it passed with flying colors. That Saturday, I then drove a one way rental to Ohio, met him at the airport to drop the car, and we drove "my" car to his house, loaded it up and I proceeded to drive "my" car back to DC, all in 1 day.

I was very fortunate to find such a good person/owner and have such a smooth transaction.

Great Story! I believe in buying the owner over the car. I also always look at the tires. If Previous owner cheeped out on the tires... more than likely cheeped out or skipped on maintenance as well.

[AR_Motorwerkz]

Originally Posted by Msidhu1

Wanted to share the process I just went through getting my 2009 E90 M3 with Turner TP, VF Engineering tune, AFE Intake and Corsa exhaust. In Summary: No primary cats, stock x pipe with resonator, AFE Intake and corsa axle back. This is strictly my experience and decide to write it in case it'll help someone else. There is good amount of info available in other posts that helped me through this process. Ultimately, I had to install my OEM cats and install stock tune. Took me about a week to sort everything out before I was able to pass. I completed all the Steps (removing and re- installing) myself with no help. I would rate my self at 3 out of 10 on mechanical side.
Overall advice: if you fail smog with a setup like mine - get OEM cats installed, return to OEM tune, do a drive cycle and go to Autozone or o’reilly to borrow their scanner to check readiness.
Below are the drive cycle steps that I followed. I completed this cycle at 4 in the morning due to less traffic and cold start first step. Was able to complete it on first try.

• Cold Start the car and let it run for approx. 2 mins
• Drive the car with road speed between 20 to 30 mph for approximately 4 minutes (Constantly) – completed this on regular street and go lucky with one green light.
• Drive with road speed between 40 to 60 mph for approximately 15 minutes. (Constantly) – completed this on freeway in slow lane at speed of 55. May have pissed off couple big rigs.
• Pull over and let the car run idle for 5 mins and then turn off.

From what I gathered: The drive cycle sequence will be interrupted if one of the following conditions occurs:

• Engine speed exceeds 3000 RPM, or
• Driving speed exceeds 60 mph, or
• Large fluctuations in acceleration

Once you pass OBDII readiness you can stop doing drive cycles and go to the smog shop.
What could have helped: I wish I had a scanner with me so I can see the OBD readiness in real time.

Details:
Nov 2020:
- Car was purchased with Turner TP, corsa axle back, AFE Intake and VF tune.

December 20, 2020:
- Exhausted all options on finding out if I can pay someone to pass it before reverting to stock. I was naïve and didn’t have any recent experience on new OBDII smog test. Even the shadiest shop in Fresno, Ca was willing to pass even with $4 - $500 offer.

December 24, 2020:
- With Car on Rhino Ramps – Uninstalled and Reinstalled the stock cats while utilizing the clamps from Turner Tps. Took about 4 hours mostly due to working with tight space and learning process. Overall, I would give it 2 out of 5 on difficulty. But overall, straight forward process. Installed the stock tune and cleared the codes. Also impressed with VF software as it lets you read and clear the codes (Hence didn’t buy scanner).

December 25 and 26, 2020
-Decided to drive around the car and added about 70 miles in hope for OBD readiness.

December 27, 2020:
- Took to the smog shop. Passed all the visual inspection but failed due to OBDII readiness. Little frustrating but helped me understand that drive cycle is necessary.

December 28, 2020:
- Completed the drive cycle stated above in the morning. Decided to go borrow scanner from O’reilly store before taking back to smog shop. To my surprise, everything was ready on my first try. At this point took car to the smog shop and had it check through their scanner as well before the actual smog test. Finally, PASSED the Smog Test. Tech also stated that I had a leak in my exhaust where stock cats and X pipe are attached by clamps. It still passed.
Took the Test to DMV and completed the registration process. I knew that I didn’t wanted to waste any time (2 years to next smog test), decided to install all the aftermarket stuff back on same day. Took me only 2 hours this time. Maybe due to excitement…

Is it worth it? To me Yes, especially when I already tasted on how the car drove and sounded.

Welcome to the club! Good thing the smog test worked out.

[br2wdc]

So true on owner and tires ... I laugh now, but initially I had a "wish" list or "must" have items including DCT, certain exterior colors (no red) , certain interior colors (no tan), etc ... and of course because of how much I liked the owner and his maintenance on the car, I almost bought a E90 M3 Red/Beige 6MT

I "lost" that one, but after that I determined to jump the next time I found the right "owner" and fortunately for me I got lucky and was able to move quickly.

Originally Posted by Msidhu1

Great Story! I believe in buying the owner over the car. I also always look at the tires. If Previous owner cheeped out on the tires... more than likely cheeped out or skipped on maintenance as well.

[Msidhu1]

Small Effort to clean and reduce the shine from the leather . Used Ammo NYC products - Worked pretty well on Driver seat and Steering Wheel(Only area of Focus). Note: Not affiliated with the company. Tried this Product based on Akkando's Thread. Most of the shine in steering wheel and DS is gone.

Product:
AmmoNYC Interior Cleaner
AmmoNYC Conditioner
Interior Brush

[Msidhu1]

Updated Angel Eyes with Lux 189s this weekend. I like the modern look.

Also purchased Upower exhaust tips from Ebay. Tips were chrome and less than $100. 2.5 inlet and 3.5 outlet.

Decided to try the brushed look. Lttle bit of WD40 and scrub pad can do wonders. Overall all like how they turn out. Goal was to get more close to ZCP wheels shade than chrome and get rid of the Upower logo. Some Before and After Pics attached.

Here is a kicker- Mufler shop declined to work on my car after they looked under the car and noticed catless test pipes. "CA Smog Law". Now to decide on what my next step going to be.

[KanseiDorifto]

Originally Posted by Msidhu1

Overall advice: if you fail smog with a setup like mine - get OEM cats installed, return to OEM tune, do a drive cycle and go to Autozone or o’reilly to borrow their scanner to check readiness.

Thank you for this! I just put money down on an out-of-state E90 that's a similar case. The PPI came back clean but they noted the catalyst and oxygen sensors aren't ready. Another forum member pointed out from a picture that it likely has a ACM muffler mod that wasn't picked up by the PPI shop, but the shop at least confirmed the cats are still there. They assured me that a drive cycle or just even driving the car for a bit should get them working again since it's been sitting for a while.

I'm thinking of just trying the drive cycle route first when I take delivery, but a small part of me is wondering if there's already a tune on it where the sensors won't be ready no matter how much I drive it. I was prepared to just get a Carly to read it as I go, didn't know that you could just borrow one from Autozone/O'Reily's.

[Msidhu1]

Originally Posted by KanseiDorifto

Thank you for this! I just put money down on an out-of-state E90 that's a similar case. The PPI came back clean but they noted the catalyst and oxygen sensors aren't ready. Another forum member pointed out from a picture that it likely has a ACM muffler mod that wasn't picked up by the PPI shop, but the shop at least confirmed the cats are still there. They assured me that a drive cycle or just even driving the car for a bit should get them working again since it's been sitting for a while.

I'm thinking of just trying the drive cycle route first when I take delivery, but a small part of me is wondering if there's already a tune on it where the sensors won't be ready no matter how much I drive it. I was prepared to just get a Carly to read it as I go, didn't know that you could just borrow one from Autozone/O'Reily's.

Glad my post helped or provided some useful info. During my process: smog shop also had a scanner that they used when I went for recheck. You ask them to run the scan before they hook it to smog check. I also spoke to Malek at MRF down south in Orange County. He also offered to assist in borrowing stock cats from his shop(just in case if seller never kept them). Watch outs - I would get the name of the company if you think it has a tune and even better a stock tune file. Also, to find out why sensors are not ready - a new battery install or did they clear the codes?
I am in Fresno area and will happy to assist if you run into any issues. Feel free to DM. Overall process is PITA but not difficult. Good luck on your purchase.

[KanseiDorifto]

Originally Posted by Msidhu1

Watch outs - I would get the name of the company if you think it has a tune and even better a stock tune file. Also, to find out why sensors are not ready - a new battery install or did they clear the codes?

Good question that I probably won't find out until I actually take delivery. The CarFax suggests the car was probably last really driven in mid-2020 at the latest and it's been just sitting since the dealer took it back in October. That's why I find it reasonable to believe that a new battery could've likely been installed at some point and the assurances that just driving it will bring the sensors back to readiness.

Thank you again! I'll be sure to let you know. Subscribed to your thread to steal some good inspiration when time comes

[Msidhu1]

Some quick photos after a wash... Before it gets dirty again . Hard to get two days... Last few white cars have spoiled me...

[Msidhu1]

Finally got these welded on yesterday. I am not sure on how I feel about them... Opinions good or bad are welcomed.

Also, purchased a JL Audio XD600/6 from a forum member. Will work on installing that this coming weekend as well. Not a first rodeo- Had this set up in my previous E90 335 with updated speakers. Problem last time was that I started with the amp and ended up with the full system. . Hoping my age will influence different path this time.

[Johal E32]

Great spec on your M3, I love IB.

It looks like the license plate matches your last name, ha.

[Msidhu1]

Originally Posted by Johal E32

Great spec on your M3, I love IB.

It looks like the license plate matches your last name, ha.

Thanks. Pure coincidence on plate...

[reidetailing]

The tips look a bit big IMO; all that matters is whether you enjoy them or not.