[x3sm]

Originally Posted by Buzz110

Installed an auto start. Great addition.

More info please. Did you install yourself?

[x3sm]

Originally Posted by Buzz110

Installed an auto start. Great addition.

Originally Posted by willywi

Redoing oil filter housing gasket and replace the entire housing with a 15K miles used one from F30. I had this gasket replaced by dealer 3 times and it recently leaked again!!!!! This time I will do the job my self, the mating surface between oil filter housing and cylinder head had residual gasket material on. I bet dealer probably never clean the surface and just slap on a new gasket which is causing it to leak 3 times in a year.

Here is the old housing

Have you seen all the threads on E90 N55/F30 Forums about engine locking up after OFHG replacement? I want to do this, but I'm afraid. Did you do the oil priming procedure?

[Wgosma]

Originally Posted by x3sm

Have you seen all the threads on E90 N55/F30 Forums about engine locking up after OFHG replacement? I want to do this, but I'm afraid. Did you do the oil priming procedure?

Very recently did OFHG on my N52 motor- no issues on startup, etc. I read some of those posts about N55's but think something else was amiss - I can't see priming necessary. Oil filter element can be changed without issue, don't see how housing removal is really any different- oil is in the sump.

[willywi]

Originally Posted by x3sm

Have you seen all the threads on E90 N55/F30 Forums about engine locking up after OFHG replacement? I want to do this, but I'm afraid. Did you do the oil priming procedure?

I have N20 engine, all I did was add oil back into oil filter housing when I'm done then start the engine.

[shashankufl]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qi7p6rxpd4...6_954.jpg?dl=0

[sacura605]

I am a newbie in DIY car maintenance. But I learned how to change my engine air filter yesterday. I will be changing my own oil again soon.

I just learned how to change my engine air filter yesterday with a WIX 4955 that I bought from O'rielys. (USA, CA, SD) for 20$ (used 10$ discount gift card from rebate for oil) I think my bf put in a Mann air filter some time ago around 48k if my records are correct. but as my car is now 62700miles I was informed by my bro I need to be doing some major upkeep and am trying to learn. The preventative maintenance list I am working my way through is:

1. Brake pads- rotors? Was changed once during the lease period due to I think a shaking in the steering wheel. ( - per free checkup at the dealer where i got weaseled out for a brake fluid flush - still pissed about that one but my ignorance was my loss.) my brakes in Aug 2019 were around 4mm and 5 mm front and back respect - so Deff due for a new set. not sure how to do it myself. looking for an impact driver.

2. Tires (looking for recommendations) and looking out for deals. pros cons run-flats/normals?

3. Spark plugs (from what i understand at around 60k or 70k they will need to be changed.) also i have also heard amazon prob has fake spark plugs. so i will be avoiding purchasing from there.

4. cabin air filter (on the way from amazon) - will change soon (dealer asking for 180$ to change it -___- absolutely not.)

5. oil change (i have been running 10k maybe a Lil more per oil change) I have conflicting opinions regarding freq of change. i primarily drive prob 50/50 city and freeway up to (85mph speeds)) My brother says I should be changing every 8k miles, my bf says I can go easy with 12k. Forums are conflicting as well. Manufacture is what I would like to be going by so I'll be changing it myself soon instead of my bf. can't deal with incomplete maintenance treating my baby like that.

6. looking for battery- been about 3-4 yrs since last change my dealer. my navi/radio.media center shut off a few times and completely lost my Bluetooth settings for my phone and based upon my research this may be indictive or a battery issue. looking for batteries too. i heard registering the new battery was optional and not needed to be done by the dealer but u need a special computer?

Are there any other considerations/recommendations/opinions I should be aware of that are not from what I saw on the driver's recommended maintenance manual?

I also need to figure out how to reset my oil change setting as my bf changed my oil 2019 July with a Mann oil filter and mobile 1 5w-30 synthetic. I cannot seem to find info on the forums regarding this but I may just not be searching the correct area.

Also, I am prob on the wrong forum but I was wondering if it was normal for run-flats to wear at the outer edge for the fronts and inner edge for the backs. I purchased out my brother's lease and got a new set of tires with it. but this same issue is occurring that happened with the original run-flat tires.

The dealer says we don't need to re-align the tires for the entire 30k (period I had them), as the tires are only supposed to last 20k. (which is bs) but we noticed the wear after a scheduled BMW lease period free maintenance service and ended up rotating and realigning the tires moving tires from the back to the front for 250$. <- still feel ripped off about that.

It is presently winter in SoCal and 3 years since I have purchased new tires. i am noticing the same pattern wear to the outer rim for the fronts and inner edge for the backs. I will probably rotate them again to get more life out of them and i am considering getting non-run-flats for my next set of tires.

There is a lot of conflicting info on the forums with different rationals and arguments. So I am having difficulty determining the best options for my car at this time. I just want my 6 cylinder baby to be purring strong and healthy for well over 100k.

Any wisdom and advice to impart upon this noob?

[Wgosma]

sacura605:
Here's some 'advice', I have owned Bimmers for 15+ years and do a fair amount of my own service/repair work:

#1: locate a reputable independent shop who works on BMW's or Euro luxury brands - this is typically best done via word of mouth from people you know. Having a shop work on these cars is never cheap, but a good Indy shop will be bit less costly than a BMW Dealer and often more trustworthy

#2: Buy parts from reputable sellers; I'd recommend FCP Euro (they warrant all parts for lifetime, even wear items like brake pads); Pelican Parts in L.A. is good.

#3: Make a note of these two websites:

Part number identification: https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select

Repair procedures: https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/
(this is the tech reference that BMW technicians use...so it assumes a certain level of knowledge for most repairs)

Brakes- Changing pads and rotors on these cars is simple; you don't need any special tools (i.e. impact wrench, etc.) - good set of metric tools; sockets, closed/open end wrenches, torque wrench and set of TORX bits will allow you to get many jobs done.

Tires: In general....

Runflats have the advantage of being able to be driven up to 50 miles if punctured

Regular tire: generally better ride quality than Runflats

Good site to read reviews: https://www.tirerack.com/content/tir.../homepage.html

If your car has excessive and/or uneven tire wear across the tread then the first thing to look at is the car's alignment - any reputable alignment shop can work on BMW's.

Spark plugs:
your motor is direct injected, those engines typically go thru plugs bit quicker than older 'port injected' engines - 50-70K interval sounds about right for a change.

Oil/filter change: you'll get as many opinions on this as people you ask; as a general rule I'd recommend you do changes at 7500 - 10,000 mile intervals. Always use the correct viscosity (e.g. 10W30, 10W40, etc.) as recommended in the car's owner manual. Full synthetic - stick with name brands like Castrol, Pennzoil, etc.

Good luck / enjoy you new car!
Bill

[Opie55]

My responses are in red.

Originally Posted by sacura605

I am a newbie in DIY car maintenance. But I learned how to change my engine air filter yesterday. I will be changing my own oil again soon.

I just learned how to change my engine air filter yesterday with a WIX 4955 that I bought from O'rielys. (USA, CA, SD) for 20$ (used 10$ discount gift card from rebate for oil) I think my bf put in a Mann air filter some time ago around 48k if my records are correct. but as my car is now 62700miles I was informed by my bro I need to be doing some major upkeep and am trying to learn. The preventative maintenance list I am working my way through is:

1. Brake pads- rotors? Was changed once during the lease period due to I think a shaking in the steering wheel. ( - per free checkup at the dealer where i got weaseled out for a brake fluid flush - still pissed about that one but my ignorance was my loss.) my brakes in Aug 2019 were around 4mm and 5 mm front and back respect - so Deff due for a new set. not sure how to do it myself. looking for an impact driver. 4 and 5 mm are still ok. Depends on how much you have driven since. New is 10mm. You don't need an impact driver.

2. Tires (looking for recommendations) and looking out for deals. pros cons run-flats/normals? Normal tires ride much better, but what will you do if you get a flat? I have kept run flats on my X3.

3. Spark plugs (from what i understand at around 60k or 70k they will need to be changed.) also i have also heard amazon prob has fake spark plugs. so i will be avoiding purchasing from there.

4. cabin air filter (on the way from amazon) - will change soon (dealer asking for 180$ to change it -___- absolutely not.) Know that there are 3 cabin air filters. There is the one under the hood which is a wrird double filter, then there are two inside under the glove box. You have to pull one out, then the other is slid in to the left next to it.

5. oil change (i have been running 10k maybe a Lil more per oil change) I have conflicting opinions regarding freq of change. i primarily drive prob 50/50 city and freeway up to (85mph speeds)) My brother says I should be changing every 8k miles, my bf says I can go easy with 12k. Forums are conflicting as well. Manufacture is what I would like to be going by so I'll be changing it myself soon instead of my bf. can't deal with incomplete maintenance treating my baby like that. I never go past about 8k for an oil change. Usually more like 7k. Manufacturers say up to even 15k, but I would never do that.

6. looking for battery- been about 3-4 yrs since last change my dealer. my navi/radio.media center shut off a few times and completely lost my Bluetooth settings for my phone and based upon my research this may be indictive or a battery issue. looking for batteries too. i heard registering the new battery was optional and not needed to be done by the dealer but u need a special computer? You should register the battery. It does not require a special computer, but you need an app or software program that can do it. But teh app will do so much more too, and it's not hard to do.

Are there any other considerations/recommendations/opinions I should be aware of that are not from what I saw on the driver's recommended maintenance manual?

I also need to figure out how to reset my oil change setting as my bf changed my oil 2019 July with a Mann oil filter and mobile 1 5w-30 synthetic. I cannot seem to find info on the forums regarding this but I may just not be searching the correct area. This is super easy. Turn on the ignition but don't star the car. Press and hold the odometer reset button in the lower left of the cluster. When a menu appears, press the button to get to the thing you want to reset. Press and hold again until it asks if you want to reset. Press again to reset.

Also, I am prob on the wrong forum but I was wondering if it was normal for run-flats to wear at the outer edge for the fronts and inner edge for the backs. I purchased out my brother's lease and got a new set of tires with it. but this same issue is occurring that happened with the original run-flat tires. Have the alignment checked.

The dealer says we don't need to re-align the tires for the entire 30k (period I had them), as the tires are only supposed to last 20k. (which is bs) but we noticed the wear after a scheduled BMW lease period free maintenance service and ended up rotating and realigning the tires moving tires from the back to the front for 250$. <- still feel ripped off about that.

It is presently winter in SoCal and 3 years since I have purchased new tires. i am noticing the same pattern wear to the outer rim for the fronts and inner edge for the backs. I will probably rotate them again to get more life out of them and i am considering getting non-run-flats for my next set of tires.

There is a lot of conflicting info on the forums with different rationals and arguments. So I am having difficulty determining the best options for my car at this time. I just want my 6 cylinder baby to be purring strong and healthy for well over 100k.

Any wisdom and advice to impart upon this noob?

[Vinboyblue]

I'm about to clean my engine bay, is there are way to remove our engine cover? is it bolted on?

[willywi]

Originally Posted by Vinboyblue

I'm about to clean my engine bay, is there are way to remove our engine cover? is it bolted on?

Are you planning to use a hose to clean it or just wipe it down? If you are using a water hose I don't suggest you to take engine cover off. For N20 engine the cover just pop up by lifiting the side.

[evilchargerfan]

I utilized the search threads feature, typed in "radiator" and oddly, this thread shows up on top. I'll just go with it / not question it


I am approaching 120k miles soon. Plan to replace the Coolant Expansion tank and the little recovery hose that goes to it. "while I'm in there" , can you guys recommend anything I replace? drain and fill coolant? replace upper and/or lower rad hoses? rad cap?

thx in adv x3 fam!

[Wgosma]

Serpentine belt, and check for play or gritty feel when spinning idler pulley by hand; neither last forever.

[E90705]

Serpentine belt and bolt , tensioner, pulley. Ended up having to remove the radiator fan to gain access for the T60 bolt on the tensioner.

[E90705]

Originally Posted by x3sm

Have you seen all the threads on E90 N55/F30 Forums about engine locking up after OFHG replacement? I want to do this, but I'm afraid. Did you do the oil priming procedure?

Did my ofhg a while ago. No problems

[E90705]

Originally Posted by evilchargerfan

let us know how the megs hybrid ceramic wax holds up?

how much was the valve cover?

did you use their youtube vid as a guide?

was it not possible to clean the old housing and re use?

Check fcp euro, no video on the guide but I did see it

[E90705]

MMmmMmmmm that new belt smell 😀

[pdubq]

Originally Posted by DRiveB

Changed rims and tires , Hamann 19' 8.5/9.5 with 255/50/19.

Hey DRiveB, your headlights look fantastic! Are they complete replacement, or some kind of overlay that hides the Amber?

Can you please share where you bought?

I’m gearing up to pull the trigger on a ‘14 35i MSport, can’t wait...

[Bowtiefanatc]

Over the past week, I sprayed wheels black, shaved side XDrive logos and replaced rear X3 with a black emblem. Last thing to do is spray the roof rails.

[hellokitty]

Flashed Bootmod3 Stage 1.

Very happy... so much faster with tons of low-end torque for getting off the line.

[pdubq]

Originally Posted by hellokitty

Flashed Bootmod3 Stage 1.

Very happy... so much faster with tons of low-end torque for getting off the line.

BM3 FTW!!! Will be one of the first things I do to her! Pro tuning freaks is such a fantastic, mature, knowledgeable organization, customer support is top notch, using automated Atlassian back end tool chain, using Remote Desktop solutions, responding to inquiries lightning quick... they rock.

Step one: swap to black kidney grills, aFe magnum force intake, +bm3 stage 1.

Step two: VRSF intercooler, VRSF catted down pipes, VRSF charge pipe, bm3 stage 2.

While I’m happy the Amber corner on the headlights is fairly subtle, I really want to figure out the easiest way to get rid of it, hoping one of you find people have advice there... I’ve seen one member with paint matched vinyl (looks like) covering them, but others where it’s just clear, (is that euro models? And anyone know where to buy euro headlights?)

[hellokitty]

Originally Posted by pdubq

BM3 FTW!!! Will be one of the first things I do to her! Pro tuning freaks is such a fantastic, mature, knowledgeable organization, customer support is top notch, using automated Atlassian back end tool chain, using Remote Desktop solutions, responding to inquiries lightning quick... they rock.

Step one: swap to black kidney grills, aFe magnum force intake, +bm3 stage 1.

Step two: VRSF intercooler, VRSF catted down pipes, VRSF charge pipe, bm3 stage 2.

While I’m happy the Amber corner on the headlights is fairly subtle, I really want to figure out the easiest way to get rid of it, hoping one of you find people have advice there... I’ve seen one member with paint matched vinyl (looks like) covering them, but others where it’s just clear, (is that euro models? And anyone know where to buy euro headlights?)

Does the intake make a difference for the N55?

I just have a BMC drop-in filter installed.

[pdubq]

Originally Posted by hellokitty

Does the intake make a difference for the N55?

I just have a BMC drop-in filter installed.

From what I read, people who have it love it, from aFe website, dyno showed +32 HP and +60 lbFt tq, around 2800-3000rpms, so I’m hoping so! Insulated box so shouldn’t be worse than heat soak,

I’ll report back after it’s done, and only that done, to subjectively report on the experience of that alone :-)