BMW E36 318is Coupe Journal

[M3Power]

I thought I'd post up a journal of my car. The modifications up to date and what I have planned. Hope you enjoy it.

Car: 1992 BMW 318 IS Coupe (Bought in August 2006)
Owner: M3Power

The first pic is a few days after I bought the car of ebay. The price was about 700 pounds. At the time I had 2000 pounds to spend. I decided that it was a good idea to get the car at that price and slowly work on it. When buying I knew that I had to change the middle to rear section of the exhaust system and get a new driver's side door mirror. So I said to myself you have a 1000 pounds left.. Probably fit an m3 bumper, put some second hand leather and then work on the details.

Unfortunately there were lots of small things that I didnt know about the car and they had to be done before the mot. That is break pipes, lower arms and ball joints and a set of tyres(which I was going to do anyway). However that used up most of the 1000 pounds.

Then I take it for the mot expecting to pass and they find a crack in one of the alloys which a week before was not spotted when I paid 400 pounds for my tyres. So now I had to look for a new set of wheels. Always loved the look of the motorsport wheels so I bought a replica set of quarry motors. The second picture is from the day they arrived.

Later the same day I got my mot and tax done. All ready to go...

The car with the new wheels on can be seen on the third picture

Now that the car was legal to drive it was time for a new upgrade. Sound system (Fourth picture)

This is my new headunit installed and I have a pair of 4 way 6x9 speakers along with an amp to drive them waiting to be installed. Also I am after a good component set for the front. As soon as I find what I am looking for I will install everything together.

[M3Power]

Too lazy to study for my exams and excited that I got my new speakers.. so I started working on installing them in my car..

Now they are all working perfectly. I mounted the woofers of the components and got the trim back in place. The tweeters are working but I am trying to figure out the best way of mounting them onto the door card. But because I am getting a new interior on monday I'll wait until then for that..

Also the amp and rear speakers are installed as I posted before, but I have to get rid of that mess in the pics so you dont see any wires around..

[M3Power]

Alright.. Another update to my journal.. This looks like a good month for my car :)

From Pictures 1 & 2 (Before)
To Pictures 3 & 4 (After) :D

Now they just need a good cleaning.. :rolleyes:

Next new gear and handbreak gaitors as well as a gear lever.. Hopefully I will be getting these during the week :)

Edit: I also need to fit the door cards which are sitting in my garage. I will be doing that in a couple of weeks when I will be completing my sound system :)

[M3Power]

Just received this email from BMW about my cars factory specs.

"Thank you for your email to BMW Customer Information.

We can confirm the following information regarding the BMW 318IS Coupe you query.

BMW 318IS Coupe - Registration - K......

Colour - Diamond Black Metallic

Upholstery - Anthracite Cloth

Ordered Options-

Alloy Wheels-Cross Spoke

Electric Sliding Roof

Halogen Front Fog Lights

M Technics Steering Wheel

On-board Computer

M-technic Sports Suspension

If you would like more information on this model or to obtain older brochures An alternative course of action is to access the BMW Owners and Enthusiasts Website. This site is a source of much information and it may be that one of the members recognises this part and is able to offer you further guidance.
...
"

[M3Power]

Pictures of my new gaitors and gearknob

[M3Power]

Just a quick update to show you whats coming up..

Well today I fitted my new 4 inch speakers on the doorcards.

I did put them back in the car and they sound very good. I am very pleased. I will take more pictures in a few days. Also today I bought a new 4 channel DSL amplifier. The plan is that I will be getting a 4th pair of speakers to fit in the rear door cards. These will be mid/low range speakers which should enhance the low frequencies since I don't want a sub.

So my set up will be the following

Infinity 5.25 inch Components in the front
Pioneer 2 way 4 inch two way speakers on the door cards
Mid/low range 6.5 speakers on the rear panels
6x9 on the rear

The infinity and the rear panel speaker will run of the dsl amp. My current amp will run the 6x9s and the 4inch ones will be powered through the head unit.

[M3Power]

Well got up this morning and the plan was to clean the ICV (Idle Control Valve). But before I go on about that the good things started to come yesterday.

In the morning I got up and went to Dave.F so he could install a K&N filter on my car. Got there but remembered that I left the adaptor at home! So i had to go back get the adaptor and go back to Dave's house. Got there and Dave installed the filter(Big thanks!! :D). He tried to fit one of his famous heat shields however we found out that it wouldn't work on my 318IS. Then he spend about an hour trying to get the filter at the best position possible and added an extra cold air feed. The filter sound's amazing. There is no indication whatsoever of a filter when you are not pushing the car but as soon as you step on the accelerator it you can hear it and its great! I have been driving with my music since then just enjoying the sound.

However on the down side yesterday Dave spotted a cracked pipe. Today I while cleaning my ICV i found out that it is the pipe connecting the ICV to the air filter. Therefore that has to be the source of my idling problems. While on the ICV I decided that it was a good idea to clean my engine a bit because it was nasty.

And last but not least last night I bought an MK motorsport exhaust from Germany. Can wait to receive that and get it fitted!

Here are a couple of pics

A cleaner engine (1st Picture)

The new filter (2nd Picture)

[M3Power]

I ordered this on Thursday. Shipped on Monday and got here this morning. This is my new MK Motorsport Exhaust. As some of you may already know I bought it off the ebay motorsport sale that was posted in another topic in the forum. THe people at MK Motorsport were very helpful and replied to all my emails very fast and willing to help.

Hopefully this will be fitted sometime this week:)

sorry about the mess in the back of the pic. I just got up and I was too excited to do anything else first :rolleyes: :lol: :lol:

[M3Power]

well I couldn't wait so I fitted my exhaust today. Went down to the local ATM and asked them if they could do it for me..

and from Pictures 1 & 2 to Pictures 3 & 4

I don't have a picture of when it was finished as I had to leave. However it looks right in place. The diffuser was not cut now but was left like that from the previous owner. So I take no credit for the cut on the diffuser!

I didnt have time to get a good feel of the exhaust however I'll be doing that later on tonight. And just to add it had REMUS as well as MK Motorsport written on it so I am guessing that MK used remus exhausts.

[M3Power]

For a while now I had a problem with my car on idle. The revs sometimes went crazy and sometimes there wasnt enough power to run the car so the engine just went off. After meeting with DAVE.F when he fitted my new air filter he spotted a cracked hose. He put a jubilee clip on that hoping that it will keep it functioning as the crack was right at the end where it was connecting with the support. However that did not solve the problem. Then I tried cleaning the ICV but still no luck. So I looked a bit more into it and it was the hose number 12 in the real diagram. I went down to BMW and ordered both 11 and 12 hoses which connect to the ICV.

This morning I had sometime so I fitted both hoses. From the first runs it looks like the problem is solved. As soon as I ignite the car the revs quickly drop to about 700 revs and stay there. Hopefully it will keep on doing that. If it does it means my problem is solved!

Also after replacing the hoses my induction sound comes up with less effort. Before I had to step on it very hard to hear it. Its still quite when idling or not pushing hard but as soon as you touch the pedal a bit harder it comes up.

[M3Power]

alright two very short(and i apologize) sound clips. I just did this on my way home now thats why they are short. Didn't have time for better recordings. Will do that later on!

[M3Power]

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/th_Video002.jpg (http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/?action=view&current=Video002.flv)

This is a video i tried to record. Of course its not about the video as the quality is very bad and i apologize. I just wanted to get a better feel for the sound so I "mounted" my phone on my steering wheel for the way back home from down town. It only gets interesting after 3:20 so I would just forward to that point instead of watching the whole thing..

[M3Power]

Its been a while since my last update. First I have to say that I am gutted since the plan was to get an AC kit from another forum member (now its in the for sale section). However most of the money I saved was gone the first day I got back to the UK. All on unexpected bills, car trouble, and a speeding ticket etc. :cry:

I did manage to get a couple of parts for my car with the money left over so I will have a few updates during the week.

Today I received the following.. AC schnitzer carbon fiber door handles. I am not sure whether they are an original Schnitzer part as I have never seen them before and there is stamp or part number that I can see, but they do look like real carbon fiber. I have to admit I am not to sure about them even though I was excited when I purchased them.

[M3Power]

I skipped half of my lecture today to come home and find these sitting next to my door :)

These are genuine AC Schnitzer 17x8 inch wheels. Even though this is a very bad period money wise for me I managed to grab a bargain on German ebay and with my current wheels sold to another forum member I managed to afford new wheels.

A couple of hours later I gave them a good clean. At about 5 I am going down to the local ATM branch to get them fitted. Hopefully everything will work out!

Lowering and new brake discs/pads coming next when I have some more money. Along with a couple of sensors I think i need (ABS and Lambda)

[M3Power]

And a preview of the new wheels. Didnt have time to clean the car yet so I'll take more pictures when thats done. Probably over the weekend.

However this will give you a good taste.

Centre caps waiting to be delivered

[M3Power]

and a better picture


Also installed new hyperwhite bulbs. But too early for a picture. Have to admit though they make a huge difference

[M3Power]

Today i had a go at changing the head gasket profiles.

Just a picture of the engine. Nothing important just liked the picture

[M3Power]

Just another update. Replaced all the bushes up front with Powerflex from Ben@chromline as well as the RTAB with normal bushes. Did set me back 300 pounds but the bushes were shot and needed replacement as soon as possible. Now the car feels a lot better and tramlining has decreased a lot but not completely.

[M3Power]

Well another update. Last night I drove to Portsmouth to get the following

A sub in a box was really not in my initial plans as I like to have boot space. Therefore this is just a temporary solution to get some more bass until I have time and money to do it the way I want.

After a quick test this made quite a difference in the sound and I am happy for now.

So right now I have

Infinity 13cm Components in the front
Pioneer 10 cm speakers on the doors
Pioneer 6x9 in the rear
Infinity 12 inch sub (I think :lol:) in the back
Pioneer 3200T amp was on the 6x9 now powering the sub
DLS CA 40 amp (currently sitting in my room) which will power the 6x9s and the components

I know its not an award winning set up but I think its more than enough for what I need

Later on I will hopefully replace the sub with something that will take up less space. Was thinking of 2 8 inch subs on the parcel shelf or something similar.

[M3Power]

Well another quick update.

Received these today.


Also waiting for a new Lambda sensor and a Throttle Position Sensor i ordered earlier this week. Hopefully these will sort out a couple of idling problems I've had with the car. No major trouble, just annoying.

I really should take a few pictures however I will do that when I give the car a good clean. Been really busy with exams and assignments.

Also earlier this week I had a computer 4 wheel alignment to the car. Cost a bit more but was worth it.

[M3Power]

Another update. Sorry I dont have any pictures this time. But the pedals are installed. Also got a new front bumper that will hopefully go on tomorrow.

Finally I got those sensors on the car. Feels much better and the throttle response is definitely improved however I am still having a small idle problem. Nothing major just really annoying.. to me at least as I am a perfectionist when it comes to my car. :lol:

Just a picture of the front bumper. Just like the one already on the car. Stock non M-tech item. Only reason I am changing is because this is in much better condition and was a bargain. Will get a splitter on that soon. Looking to go away from the overused M theme.

http://upload8.postimage.org/845886_dea87d747f6c7f857e03a9c62e5b276d/Bumper.jpg

[M3Power]

Not much of an update as I have been working long hours lately. but here are a few pics

Now I dont know whats coming next. I have two options. One is to sell the car and add some of my savings to buy something else. Might be looking at another e36 but could be convertible. Definitely a bigger engine though.

The other option is to spend the money I have on this car. Getting a full respray, lowering, and a few other touches here and there. I guess we'll find out soon enough

[M3Power]

Well I had some free time today and I decided that it's a good time to have a look at my engine and try to solve the idling problem that was pissing me off..

As soon as I opened the bonnet I spotted the following

It wasnt in that position but it was unplugged somewhere in my engine bay. Very weird as I open the bonnet quite often and also had my mechanic do some work (while I was present) a couple times but we never spotted that.

It took me a while to find out where it had to go but

It was a perfect fit in there..

The car feels much better when idling now and the rpms stay constant unlike before.

Just hope this solved my problem but I have to wait a couple of days before confirming this.

[M3Power]

Alright. .another update. Today was a very good day for my car. Really pleased for a change.

Got up and went to my mechanic so we could fit new tie rod assemblies for both sides and a crankshaft sensor.

(btw last week I fitted a new cam sensor)

We spent a couple of hours doing that to start the car and have that idling problem again. This was actually my last hope to fix it and I was determined to advertise the car for sale if it didnt work!

Then we run a diagnostic and it comes up with the same fault I had last time even though I replaced all the parts.

My mechanic started playing around the engine and amazingly spotted a cut wire feeding the Throttle position sensor. This was incredibly hard to spot as not only it was covered but it was basically a wire with insulation around so it wasnt visible. He then soldered that into place run another diagnostic and erased all the faults. Rerun the diagnostic and guess what... The car idles like it should! Drops immediately to 750rpm and doesnt stall. Well pleased!

So a few hundreds of pounds spend on sensors and diagnostics to find out its a small wire that was cut off.. But at least I renewed everything!

Now to the handling and the tie rods. The old ones were completely gone and the steering feels solid now however I cant commend more until I get a 4 wheel alignment to make sure everything is running the way it should.

And last but not least I installed a pair of HID's. They look amazing however there is still day light outside so I didnt have a chance to test them. I will get back on this. But this was one of the easiest parts to install on the car and it will probably the most helpful as I do drive quite a lot at night especially on dark motorways.

No pictures I am afraid but I will get some as soon as I can.

In a previous post I said that I was thinking about selling the car. This is still on my head but I am thinking that I spend quite a lot on this already and I am not getting any back. So not sure whats going to happen. If not then eibach coilovers are next along with brembo or black diamond brake pads and discs.:cool:

[M3Power]

here is a video of my MK motorsport exhaust that I fitted quite a while ago :lol:

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/th_CIMG2212.jpg (http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/?action=view&current=CIMG2212.flv)

Note: it doesnt sound too exciting with your laptop speakers.. but if you have a sub turn it up and listen to that bass! heh..

and another picture of my car :)

[M3Power]

well it was about time for another update. Probably the one i've been waiting the most..

This arrived last week.. A Bilstein B12 sports suspension kit with a 35/25mm drop.

Had installed last Friday and what can i say.. Its just amazing. Handling and ride are much better now. A can say that it is a bit harder than the original BMW Mtech Suspension but in no way its uncomfortable.

Together with the kit I replaced the Top and Rear shock mounts as well as the drop links. It seriously feels like a new car.

When I have some time I'll take a few pics of the car to show the drop but it sits quite low. I wanted a bit more on the front but I am glad I didnt as I already have trouble going over road pumps.

[M3Power]

To be honest I have been so busy that I didnt even have time to wash the car the past few weeks, so there arent really any updates. But I did find a couple of pictures to show the suspension and the drop.

before and after

[M3Power]

It's been a while but here is a new 'unplanned' mod. I came across this second hand exhaust and I couldn't say no.

It's a full magnex stainless steel system with a powerflow de-cat.

I just hope it's not too loud for daily driving as removing the catalyst of the car might add some power and free flow but makes the exhaust louder.

Will include a sound clip when I install it.

[M3Power]

I fitted the cat-back system from magnex a few days ago and I also renewed the fluid in my cooling system. (it can now withstand temperatures down to -26 degrees C if i ever decide to go to one of the poles:lol:)

I didnt fit the de-cat as it required to cut part of the catalyst's pipe. As I will need the catalyst for MOT purposes, I'll have a custom pipe build later on so I can fit the de-cat.

It is a bit louder now but still sounds good and not 'excessively' loud. Stainless steel also looks much nicer especially at night and I think the shape of the magnex tail pipes fits the car a bit more.

I'll take a few pictures and a sound clip when I have a bit more time.

Next on the list will be an oil service probably in a couple of weeks time.

Then there is a few things that i'll be looking at depending on cash flow.

[M3Power]

Just a pic that I took very quickly today along with a sound clip.

I know that I have to clean it a bit.. dont mention it!:rolleyes:


http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/CIMG2674.jpg

Audio Clip:

http://homepages.pathfinder.gr/livetothe_limits/CIMG2676%2EWAV

Also here are a couple of bad vids (more like sound clips as its dark) if you have nothing better to do.

Basicaly just put the camera on inside the car while going back home last night.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/th_CIMG2671.jpg (http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/?action=view&current=CIMG2671.flv)

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/th_CIMG2672.jpg (http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/?action=view&current=CIMG2672.flv)

[M3Power]

I know it's been a while since I posted in the forum.. I've been traveling around for the past month and even though I visited a few times I didn't have the time to write.

As far as the car is concerned not many updates.. but today I did get a nice bill.. a lot more than I expected to pay this month!

First I had to recharge my battery after I got back.. That was free so I can't really complain.. Then I decide to have a look at my clutch because I had a feeling it was towards the end of its life. I bought a new clutch and took it in yesterday to be replaced only to find out that the rubber link between the driveshaft and the gearbox was destroyed and the lever pivot pin was also at the same state. So I had to replace those as well, and add six months tax to that.. Not a good day for my pocket! But I have to say.. the car now drives like new.. Gears change with ease and the clutch is smooth and light again! And the power delivery to the rear wheels feels much better now with the link replaced.

Now a good wash tomorrow if weather allows and hopefully thats it until June. Then over the summer hopefully the mods will continue:)

[M3Power]

Today I installed an ECU chip to my car. It is supposed to give some extra horse power as well as manage fuel and intakes for better performance. I can't really comment on how much extra power there is now as I don't think that I can judge that. However the car feels a lot more responsive throughout the rev range and I could feel some extra power somewhere in there (however it might just be a psychological effect :p)

This is probably one of my last updates in this journal. I feel that it's time to upgrade and I will do so if I have the funds towards the end of summer as right now I will be working and I need the car. When the job is over the car will be for sale or I will be breaking and i'll look for another BMW e36. The only reason for this is that I want more power and I know that I will probably regret selling as I have spent so much on this car! I will be looking for a 328 however I might consider another 6pot engine if it's a convertible with the right extras at the right price.

[M3Power]

Long time without any real updates in this topic. I do apologize but I haven't been in the forum much due to my work and other commitments.

About a month ago I sold this car to make way for something new. This is what I got to replace it. BMW e36 328.

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/new/03255035.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/new/8febcf11.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/new/9c168336.jpg

Then not long after it was time for a few mods.. These include coilover adjustable suspension, supersprint exhaust and an induction kit. There are many plans and lots of mods will follow but I am not sure that I will keep up with journal in this forum. I will do my best though..

Here is how it looks now after those mods

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/new/e4f96e46.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/new/58f643cb.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/new/5a3de17b.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/new/f34b82df.jpg
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o109/anastasios87/new/e751f854.jpg

Thanks everyone for following this so far and I hope that I haven't disappointed you

[EIR Loe.307]

Thanks everyone for following this so far and I hope that I haven't disappointed you

It's been fun to watch the progress on your cars. The new one looks great.:thumbsup: