Beginner with an M3

[m3f_Geoby0]

Hey, Geoby here. New thread for my car, and for letting y’all know my situation and some questions I have.



Background:

For those who may not know me I’m 17 years old and have just recently purchased a 205,000 mile, e36 m3 sedan for 4500 dollars. Pulls strong and engine, trans and pretty much the whole car seems to be very strong and is holding up very well ATM. I’ll explain my situation. I won’t have any college expenses, and am a senior in high school as of now. I decided to buy the car I bought not solely because of the low purchase price but because of the relatively good maintenance records, good seller and the need for some work to be done to it. I’m going into mechanical engineering and am planning on taking videos of all the work that I do and posting it on YouTube, with the intention of maybe using the channel to offer another dimension to my application when I apply for internships. I have about 5 months to get the car to where I want it to be- if not close. I have about 4 thousand left over for parts, and a decently paying part time job. I also have a dead reliable spare Honda Odyssey at home if/ when my m3 is out of commission. By no means am I trying to dump all my money into the car, but I am trying to keep it in good shape, and am willing to spend money to do so.





Now my plans for the car:

I want to keep it for as long as I can as a street car. To do so, I want the car to last, and am ready to take the necessary steps to try and make that possible. I searched around a couple forums and found some information on which parts to replace for high mileage cars but not enough to my liking. If anyone knows of any other threads I should read, please link them below and I will gladly give them a read. I've read almost every e36 thread on here pertaining to my situation, and am now reading through member journals to try and get some more info- and because they are pretty entertaining.





A quick history on the car: owned by an enthusiast for the first 100k miles, who traded it in for an m5. Second owner owned it for the last 100k miles and did the following to it: (records attached below/came with a stack of reciepts)

He also included a trunk full of parts(pic below)





I had a PPI done on it and these were the issues and part #’s(In order from most urgent to least urgent)(Not all will be addressed immediately- some were just nitpicked and will probably be done a little later down the road)



Issue-Part Numbers- Part Name



Belts and Tensioners Cracked-11287841228(Idler Pulley);11281748131(Hydraulic Alternator Belt Tensioner Roller); 6PK1555(BMW Accessory Drive Belt)



Intake Camshaft Position Sensor Faulty- 12147830789-PO replaced a year ago due to a CEL light that came on/off periodically. He said it came on for him under 60 degrees but it comes on/ off for me randomly seemingly unrelated to the temperature. Advice needed!



Transmission Shift Shaft Seal/Output shaft seal leaking-23128677736(Selector Shaft Seal);23111224799(Output Shaft Seal);30504(Trans Fluid)



Power Steering Pump to Rack Line leaking-32411141953(Power Steering Pressure Hose);29934(Power Steering Fluid)



Power Steering Pressure Line leaking- 32412228284(Power Steering Return Hose);29934(Power Steering Fluid)



Power Steering Pump to Reservoir Line leaking-29934(More Power Steering Fluid)



Faulty Charcoal Canister-might order a used one but i've read it doesn't really affect the car if faulty- just emissions; advice?



Valve Cover Gasket Leaking- 11120034108(Valve Cover Gasket Set);11121437395(Valve Cover Seal Washer)



Oil Pan Gasket Leaking-11131437237(Oil Pan Gasket);11427833769(Oil Filter Kit);102784(Oil)



Engine Oil Vanos Line Leaking- 11361703464(VANOS Oil Line);RCS14X18(Copper Crush Washer- 14mm)



PCV System Failing and seeping oil-11151740393(Engine Oil Separator Hose);11151703775(Oil Separator Hose);11151703484(Crankcase Pressure Regulator Valve)



RTABS Worn- OEM RTABS with limiters



Resonator Rubber Clamps broken- 18301703634(Exhaust Hanger-included in trunk)



Engine Fan Clutch has slight play-11527505302(Radiator Fan Clutch)



Drivers Side Door Lock Actuator is finicky(sometimes works sometimes doesn’t)- seller included new actuator in trunk



Possible Rear Main Seal Leak- 11142249533(Rear Crankshaft Seal)



PPI.was done by Eurowise in Charlotte, NC.Not sure if sourcing a used camshaft sensor and charcoal canister are good ideas, but feedback would be great. Also I’ve been told to always use OEM parts but are there any other quality brands out there that’ll cost me less?





The owner said I should probably have these done in the next 6-12 months: Radiator, Water Pump, Expansion Tank, Front right koni yellow (PO said it's getting a little less stiff-front left replaced 30k mi ago and remaining 3 were repacked at 165k), and rebuilding the shifter linkage





Other than the ones listed above, I want to address the following: Oxygen Sensor, Replace all fluids, clean MAF, RSM’s, RSM Reinforcement Plates, And any other preventative maintenance items I can do





And not sure if I should do these yet but: Front and rear wheel bearings, Ball joints, Control Arms, rtab pocket reinforcements,front strut mount reinforcements, rear camber arm reinforcements, etc.





I got some simply green degreaser and will be putting the car up on some ramps or jacking it up and cleaning all the grime off the engine/hoses so I can get a baseline and see what is actually leaking and how much/is it even worth messing with- the PO sent me pictures of the leaks and i've checked most of them out and all of them are very minor/ close to nothing so I don't foresee too much money going into that.





So, with all these repairs, and keeping the car as long as possible in mind, are there any other "when we're in there" jobs I can do while doing the above? I wanted to get some feedback before i ordered the parts in case I could get a better deal on a kit or something- I want to use quality parts and do a quality job but I also want to do it cost effectively.





Overall, the car has a ton of chips and minor scratches but I’m not interested in the cosmetics, rather the mechanics. Only after I get it as close to mechanically perfect as possible do I plan on modding/ “beautifying” the car( as my dad puts it). Now, I want to do everything in my power to keep this going as long as I can, and while I know there are some inevitables I’m still ready to do as much as i can to keep it going, I realize situations change, but as of right now this is mine. Any and all feedback is appreciated and again if anyone has any information to high mileage m3s, or any advice at all it would be greatly appreciated and noted.





And also, tips on which tools to get would also be greatly appreciated as I’m just starting off with this wrenching stuff. I was recommended the following as a “starter pack”:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-227-...-Case/50200795 (frequently goes on-sale for $100 acc. PO)

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southwire-D...Meter/50081424

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-20-P...r-Set/50158893

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-5-Pi...l-Set/50029422



Amazon









 








Amazon







https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...BoCwkwQAvD_BwE



-but what would y’all recommend?



Thanks for the read!

[m3f_Hasan Shaikh]

Congratulations! Enjoy in good health.

[m3f_Richardsperry]

A 20 year old German sports sedan, and a kid going to college.. What could go wrong?


Good luck.


Buy a Bentley Repair Manual.

[Obioban]

This thread should have everything you need to get started:

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=300562


Tools:

If there's one thing I regret, it's buying SAE tool (or, really, sets with both). I'd focus on getting Metric only sets. You'll also want torx and inverse torx, working on BMWs.


Beyond that, order parts as you need them.

[Obioban]

A 20 year old German sports sedan, and a kid going to college.. What could go wrong?



Good luck.



Buy a Bentley Repair Manual.

I'd say it's a bad decision, but I'd make the same bad decision in a heartbeat if I were him!



Good call on the Bentley manual.

[m3f_Texaz3]

Congrats. Lots of work to be done, but if you wrench, then most of the stuff is really DIY. Research the jobs, buy right tools and parts, and dive in.


I would address engine/gearbox first, then cooling/belts, then suspension bits. Then everything else. A lot of the things you mentioned can be done in one go once the the car is up in the air and everything is dropped down. Essentially all the seals, gaskets, bushings, etc.

If you have ALL the parts, thats two solid weekends worth of work though.

[m3f_avusblu_e36]

Have fun man, I did the same thing at a few years older than you. Bought a 95M and had never worked on a car before and just dove right in.


By the second week of ownership I had the whole top of the engine disassembled, slapped on a new cyl head and head gasket, replaced everything in the cooling system, bunch of little things here and there. 10k miles and one year later and the car has never gone past middle heat, never died, never left me stranded. I drive it in New York rain snow and sun : )


Not sure if I missed this, is your car 5mt or auto?

[m3f_omairtheman1]

I was about the same age when I got into one. Now that I'm older, I still have one. Fantastic cars! Enjoy yours!

[m3f_Ajcanadian]

I'm as the same age as you so I can relate quite a bit. Just finished redoing the head on my 95.


As for parts, buy things on FCP Euro if the price is cheaper than Ecs tuning. One benefit about FCP Euro is they warranty everything. You just need to send the item back. For the sensor, just buy an OE supplier part. Don't buy used parts!


Seems like you are on a good start with maintanace. I'd say upgrade the water pump to a one with a metal one if it still has the plastic one. Don't forget spark plugs. Many say cleaning the MAF doesn't work. I wouldn't touch it unless it's not working like it's supposed to. Get PA BMW soft on your computer or a cheap scanner to pull codes.


I started off with a stanley 123 set tool kit. It paid itself off really quick. I bought a couple of extensions, swivels, torx bits. If you want cheap tools look at harbor freight. That's where I bought my torx bit set for 7.99$. If you end up doing suspension you'd need an impact. But otherwise it's pretty much your basic tools!


Nice ZKWS btw!

[m3f_EY84002]

Congrats on the purchase. Well written explanation and outlook. Good luck with it.

[m3f_Bimmerman325i]

I bought my 95 M3 in college as well....still have it although it's changed quite a bit.



OP-- these are excellent first cars to learn how to wrench on. These are horrid first cars to work on, financially speaking. That said, I did it too, and made a number of lifelong friends through my car....so I'd do it again in a heartbeat.



Here's what I wish someone had said to me: 1) resist the lure to modify the car. Enjoy it as is and, if the track/autox bug bites, develop as a driver with the car as-is. 2) resist the call of the while-you're-in-there to what actually is needed. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it's throwing away beer/rent money unnecessarily. 3) spend money on quality tools, tires, and brake pads. 4) yes the shifter gets warm and the glovebox sags.



Also, Forum OG wisdom from yesteryear:

Shit E36 Guys Say - YouTube

[m3f_Nate047]

Congrats on the purchase, enjoy the car and heed the advice in the post above mine. Drive the car stock for AT LEAST a year before "upgrading" anything. Not saying wait a year before fixing anything, but I think you get what I mean.

[m3f_propchef]

Cal lol

[m3f_Geoby0]

Congratulations! Enjoy in good health.

Thanks, and I'll try my best!

A 20 year old German sports sedan, and a kid going to college.. What could go wrong?



Good luck.



Buy a Bentley Repair Manual.

Thanks and will do.

This thread should have everything you need to get started:

http://www.m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=300562



Tools:

If there's one thing I regret, it's buying SAE tool (or, really, sets with both). I'd focus on getting Metric only sets. You'll also want torx and inverse torx, working on BMWs.



Beyond that, order parts as you need them.

Noted, thanks.

Congrats. Lots of work to be done, but if you wrench, then most of the stuff is really DIY. Research the jobs, buy right tools and parts, and dive in.



I would address engine/gearbox first, then cooling/belts, then suspension bits. Then everything else. A lot of the things you mentioned can be done in one go once the the car is up in the air and everything is dropped down. Essentially all the seals, gaskets, bushings, etc.

If you have ALL the parts, thats two solid weekends worth of work though.

Thanks and ok! Are there any other jobs you know of that would help keep an m3 running that I didn't mention in my list?

Have fun man, I did the same thing at a few years older than you. Bought a 95M and had never worked on a car before and just dove right in.



By the second week of ownership I had the whole top of the engine disassembled, slapped on a new cyl head and head gasket, replaced everything in the cooling system, bunch of little things here and there. 10k miles and one year later and the car has never gone past middle heat, never died, never left me stranded. I drive it in New York rain snow and sun : )



Not sure if I missed this, is your car 5mt or auto?

Impressive-that escalated quickly. Seriously though its respectable and thats what I'm tryna be doing soon.

I was about the same age when I got into one. Now that I'm older, I still have one. Fantastic cars! Enjoy yours!

Good to know that im far from alone in the "Stupid kid buying an m3" club! And i'll try my best!

I'm as the same age as you so I can relate quite a bit. Just finished redoing the head on my 95.



As for parts, buy things on FCP Euro if the price is cheaper than Ecs tuning. One benefit about FCP Euro is they warranty everything. You just need to send the item back. For the sensor, just buy an OE supplier part. Don't buy used parts!



Seems like you are on a good start with maintanace. I'd say upgrade the water pump to a one with a metal one if it still has the plastic one. Don't forget spark plugs. Many say cleaning the MAF doesn't work. I wouldn't touch it unless it's not working like it's supposed to. Get PA BMW soft on your computer or a cheap scanner to pull codes.



I started off with a stanley 123 set tool kit. It paid itself off really quick. I bought a couple of extensions, swivels, torx bits. If you want cheap tools look at harbor freight. That's where I bought my torx bit set for 7.99$. If you end up doing suspension you'd need an impact. But otherwise it's pretty much your basic tools!



Nice ZKWS btw!

Yeah- I read what happened to your car- you may think it sucks but there are many advantages to your situation! And it seems like you've worked it out well. Thanks for all the suggestions- ill look into if cleaning the maf works or not and yeah ill be putting a new radiator, water pump, and expansion tank in soon- and will likely be frequenting Harbor Freight for a while haha. And thanks, left lens is cracked but ill end up replacing that when I can

Congrats on the purchase. Well written explanation and outlook. Good luck with it.

Thanks and preciate it!

[m3f_Geoby0]

I bought my 95 M3 in college as well....still have it although it's changed quite a bit.



OP-- these are excellent first cars to learn how to wrench on. These are horrid first cars to work on, financially speaking. That said, I did it too, and made a number of lifelong friends through my car....so I'd do it again in a heartbeat.



Here's what I wish someone had said to me: 1) resist the lure to modify the car. Enjoy it as is and, if the track/autox bug bites, develop as a driver with the car as-is. 2) resist the call of the while-you're-in-there to what actually is needed. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it's throwing away beer/rent money unnecessarily. 3) spend money on quality tools, tires, and brake pads. 4) yes the shifter gets warm and the glovebox sags.



Also, Forum OG wisdom from yesteryear: Shit E36 Guys Say - YouTube

Yeah, Im anticipating that ill become more familiar to a car through my ownership of mine, which was one of the reasons I bought an M3. I'm also anticipating that my bank account will take a serious hit from all this!Thanks for the info- ill definitely regulate my purchases and try to buy good quality stuff!

Congrats on the purchase, enjoy the car and heed the advice in the post above mine. Drive the car stock for AT LEAST a year before "upgrading" anything. Not saying wait a year before fixing anything, but I think you get what I mean.

Thanks and will do, and yeah I got you haha

Cal lol

Not sure what this means lol