The "WTF is wrong with my E46 now?" thread.

BarryPort

RMS Regular
BarryPort
Messages
4,108
Location
Portstewart/North Sea
Drives
Sierra Cosworth
They are terrible & even worse to work at.

Had an e46 M3 for 8 months & drove it less than 10 times the way work fell. The other thing fell was the value. Then the interior light surround fell off when I hit a road surfacing ramp. It dangling about in the dark in front of my face like a gay spider while I was travelling at speed. On the way back from getting it detailed by Jonathan McGall's too.

Then the first potential buyer pointed out a bubble on the passenger wing. Bit like finding a zit on your face before going on a first date.

It went to France thankfully, where I presume it shared the same attitude as the French.
 

Crimson

RMS Regular
Crimson
Messages
8,379
Location
Cambodia
Drives
Daytona Grey S3
giphy.gif
 

jessy

RMS Regular
jessy
Messages
765
Location
lisburn
I have had an E46 325ci & a 330ci which left me last week for London.
Apart frome usual ball joints bearings pads. Prrtty much faultless. Definitely about what your buying
 

Coog

Admin
Coog
Messages
47,685
Drives
GTI
Lol sure you replaced the entire suspension because it was knackered and the parking sensors werent working lol :p

I've spent a fortune on mine and its a FSH car with 55k miles. No amount of preventative maintenance can stop a DSC sensor failing or wheel speed sensor going. They're complicated and full of electronics and sensors and they take a bit of extra TLC to keep them sweet. The list of common faults is long.
 

Crimson

RMS Regular
Crimson
Messages
8,379
Location
Cambodia
Drives
Daytona Grey S3
Parking sensors are definitely soft as sh1te on the E46's, I had two faulty ones as soon I bought mine - replaced under warranty

To be fair the suspension does take quite a pounding on the E46's especially the 330's as they are a bloody heavy barge, I had to replace the rears and the amount of different OEM springs for the various E46 models is unreal!
 

brendy

RMS Regular
brendy
Messages
30,014
Location
bayyngorr in the S4 Avant
My expansion tank has a leak
seems to like more oil top ups compared to the wrx
central locking from remote has given up
central locking from key has given up: part due today
horn stopped working there
steering mounted cruise control, awol. new clock spring should sort this and horn
drivers door mechanism was replaced a year or two ago.. going again.
new 20" front rubber just ordered.
Both monster-sized wing mirrors have decided to come off their rails and need stripping and refitting.
tv screen has a few garbled pixels though that's child's play compared to the rest I have to sort.
Front Passenger indicator not working
Parking sensors over sensitive
 

ilovequo

RMS Regular
ilovequo
Messages
1,779
Location
Fermanagh
Deckz said:
Dash lite up like a xmas tree?
Most likely the speed sensor, drivers rear. Not overly expensive on eBay.
Just to be positive tho I'd get it plugged in and scanned.
Click to expand...

Turns out the MOT boys had just thrown off a steering sensor...
Reset did the trick!
 

Antoin

RMS Regular
OP
Antoin
Messages
7,321
Location
Portstewart
Drives
E60 535d
If you intend to keep the 330d a while then buy a 25litre drum rather than a 5litre & 2x1litre.
Try @Woodcutter for a price.

I bought some form of Comma 5w 30 fully synthetic for mine. I intend to change the oil every 8k miles instead of those longlife intervals.

So far the sicklist on mine is as follows;
Electric headlight adjuster on drivers side not working
Airbag light is on - I have the components to fix though
Dent in passenger rear quarter - hopefully dent day at PMG will sort that on Saturday
Rusty rear arches - hope to tackle that over Easter
Rear drivers speed sensor kaput - Just turned DSC off for now :p
Handbrake is fecked - Hopefully sort this at the weekend
Expansion tank is weeping a slight bit of water
Horns don't work
Parking sensors don't work
Fluctuating boost on heavy throttle - Think the it may be a pressure convertor
 

davey-dimples

RMS Regular
davey-dimples
Messages
12,071
Drives
E90 330D
Antoin said:
If you intend to keep the 330d a while then buy a 25litre drum rather than a 5litre & 2x1litre.
Try @Woodcutter for a price.

I bought some form of Comma 5w 30 fully synthetic for mine. I intend to change the oil every 8k miles instead of those longlife intervals.

So far the sicklist on mine is as follows;
Electric headlight adjuster on drivers side not working
Airbag light is on - I have the components to fix though
Dent in passenger rear quarter - hopefully dent day at PMG will sort that on Saturday
Rusty rear arches - hope to tackle that over Easter
Rear drivers speed sensor kaput - Just turned DSC off for now :p
Handbrake is fecked - Hopefully sort this at the weekend
Expansion tank is weeping a slight bit of water
Horns don't work
Parking sensors don't work
Fluctuating boost on heavy throttle - Think the it may be a pressure convertor
Click to expand...

For the hassle of storing it and having to get a pump then the dogs and cats would probably get near it and put fur in it.... I don't even know how long ill have the car.

106 to go on the road for summer and Im still in two minds what to do with the Sri
 

brendy

RMS Regular
brendy
Messages
30,014
Location
bayyngorr in the S4 Avant
Antoin said:
No idea brendy.
Havent had a chance to get looking at the horns to see if its them.
Cruise control works ok so does that rule out the clock spring?
Click to expand...
There are a few options on the clock spring, the horn pushes down beyond the clock spring but it also runs back up into the CS itself. Indicators, steering controls and backlit features also come from it. It is a work of art how it works but could possibly have been designed a little differently/smaller to stop snagging etc.
 

Crimson

RMS Regular
Crimson
Messages
8,379
Location
Cambodia
Drives
Daytona Grey S3
anyone notice the "design flaw" in the cold mornings when running the heater strips on the rear window interferring with their radio's reception....
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top