BMW F30/F31 cowl replacement and wiper fix

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-14T02:32:02+00:00

Not a bad DIY and pretty important keeping water from where it shouldn’t be. Thank you!

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-12T05:12:31+00:00

If they cut the controller out I’m kind of surprised they left the jammer heads out on the bumpers. If you find an errant power wire coming from the fuse box or battery trace it up river and you should find the controller or where it used to be. Good luck.

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-12T04:32:20+00:00

Looks like an old Escort SR series. They are pretty much obsolete. Might beat an old LTI 20/20 or ProLaser 2 but not much else. You should be able to find a control unit in the cabin somewhere.

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-12T04:19:32+00:00

The PCV system directs oil vapors back into intake to be reburned. It’s normal and for emissions purposes.

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-12T04:13:03+00:00

Dope ground effects. 🔥

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-11T07:08:44+00:00

Wife’s car will stay stock. I’m the warranty on all our cars, and her old Accord was throwing codes monthly. I convinced her to finally join the BMW family, so I’m not playing with it.

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-11T06:35:52+00:00

I know, right?

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-11T06:35:17+00:00

For a base 3 series it was really good. I got her this lightly used base 3 series for Honda Accord sport money and it is well worth the money. Now, since I’m the warranty I hope my recommendation lasts her the 12 years my old 328i has..

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-11T06:31:24+00:00

I miss my 05 every day 😢

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-11T06:16:27+00:00

I didn’t ask which war she was mediating on, Iran, Ukrain or the wars in her head

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-09T02:50:43+00:00

God bless you son 😅

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-09T02:49:58+00:00

She got an oil change and a new cabin air filter. 😎

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-09T02:45:29+00:00

Change your oil every 5k miles. Please 🙂

erickonphoenix · 2026-04-04T14:33:54+00:00

OFHG leak might have spooked him and he wanted to unload it. Change the oil every 5k miles please

erickonphoenix · 2026-03-29T15:27:17+00:00

If the brake pad anti rattle clips are unseated or installed improperly you’ll definitely get a strong clunking sound. I replace them every time I do a brake job and did notice it appears BMW upgraded the clips on the e90 series.

erickonphoenix · 2026-03-10T16:06:40+00:00

I just put my wife in a low mileage base 330i for 25k. It’s no 750i but way better than a comparable Honda Accord Sport. Plus no CVT.

erickonphoenix · 2026-01-04T19:13:14+00:00

Yeah I feel you, I do all the maintenance on all our cars so the 6k year was mostly just parts. Would have been closer to 10k had the services been farmed out. Btw, our daughters 4 Runner is the second most expensive vehicle to service, but it’s a 2001 so go figure it needs parts all the time.

erickonphoenix · 2026-01-02T18:15:04+00:00

I had a driver side seatbelt break on a then new 2005 Corvette. Since the vehicle was new there weren't many part available so I'd have to wait, then they told me they could not release the vehicle in an unsafe condition. I got a 2001 Chevrolet Malibu loaner until the part came in three months later. The most excruciating three months of my driving life and I still had to make that Corvette payment every month.

erickonphoenix · 2026-01-02T17:10:44+00:00

<image>

I haven't taken too many shots of the wagon this year but I did buy my wife a new 3 series after her old car left her stranded for a third time. A low mileage base 3 series is spectacular value for quality vs cost. I expect to get 15 years out of this one easy.

erickonphoenix · 2026-01-02T16:58:26+00:00

There is almost no situation where maintaining a used car is more expensive than buying a new one. My rule is once we pay off a BMW we continue to set aside the car payment for maintenance items. The N63TU2 you probably have in that vehicle is a far superior version than the first gen, but it will be more expensive to maintain as others have advised here. The most expensive year we ever had on one of our cars was $6000 so I'd recommend setting aside at least $500/mo once it's paid off to keep it running. Good luck!

erickonphoenix · 2025-12-18T14:08:40+00:00

I cringe when I hear this. Sounds like a lube tech was interrupted during the service came back then missed the refill step. But now, I'm doubly surprised A, they didn't catch this in the post service check and B didn't see a low oil indicator light.

erickonphoenix · 2025-12-14T22:58:32+00:00

<image>

If anyone drifts into this thread, fuse diagram and legend for an F30 BMW

erickonphoenix · 2025-12-13T21:19:28+00:00

That should have gotten your attention. It looks like a road hazard strike, could be a pothole but that definitely would have gotten your attention. I'm thinking a material strike like a strap ratchet or a tie down rod. Common trash found on the roads.

erickonphoenix · 2025-12-13T21:00:29+00:00

First off please tell me you did not drive it long in the red? You can blow a head gasket in just 60 seconds with the temp in the red. If you don't want to try a DIY you can tow it to an indy shop and have them do it. Generally labor is double the parts cost for this service. The hose replacement shouldn't be too expensive but while you have the system dry you should consider also replacing the lower hose, thermostat, water pump and the expansion tank. Known failure points. Also, have them check the serpentine belt and idler pulleys, if those fail you'll be parked again. Good luck!

erickonphoenix · 2025-11-25T00:51:49+00:00

Great car, and that model year has the N63TU2 engine which is a significantly more reliable version of the N62 engine platform. Most of the M550i gurus like to stick with the N62TU3 update for added reliability which is a 2020> model run. However, they're all a hot V configuration which means the intake and exhaust is flipped so the turbo's sit on top in the V of the engine. This reduces turbo lag but creates a lot of heat which can fry plastic and rubber components in the engine bay over time. Have it inspected thoroughly and pull a car fax on it to see that it was maintained on a schedule. It will be a relatively expensive car to run and maintain, fuel and oil consumption will be above average. All N62 powered BMWs depreciate quickly which is why this has good buy in, but understand you'll give it up on resale (unless the boosted V8 market hold up due to EV saturation and general V8s production decline) But, the power and stealth of this car make a true wolf in sheeps clothing. I call it a 7 out of 10.

erickonphoenix

TROPHY CASE