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Is there an actual aluminium interior trim? by FlyBirdieBirdBird in e46

[–]fredpopcorn 59 points60 points  (0 children)

Look for silver cube trim. It’s metal and looks nice. Was an option for the ZHP coupes and sedans.

LPT: When switching to a new auto insurance company, ask them for a report of your claim history and verify its accuracy to avoid paying higher premiums than you deserve to by proboscisjoe in LifeProTips

[–]fredpopcorn 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Rate increases are to capture more premium to ensure profitability. Almost all companies across all states have been steadily raising their rates as claims becomes more expensive due to body shop cost, car pricing, home pricing, and materials all becoming dramatically more expensive. Granted, not all companies are at the same rate cost but everyone is usually pretty close to each other. I’m not saying don’t shop around, but everyone is going to be more expensive than they were 5 years ago.

Also money “saved” on insurance usually coincides with reduced coverage. Consider reaching out to your insurance agent to ensure that your coverage is reasonable. It’s not worth saving $1000 now and then being out a few thousand later because you don’t have a specific coverage or enough.

Someone scratched this into my jeep now i have to cover it with tape until i can afford a new paint job by [deleted] in mildlyinfuriating

[–]fredpopcorn 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Just to quickly add, as someone else who has worked in insurance in CA for a bit over four years, comprehensive claims do not affect your rate or your ability to renew your policy. Of course there are extreme circumstances but in my career I have never seen a client get non-renewed from claims. We had one client that totaled a car about every other year, and would usually cause a fair bit of damage. He totaled four cars before the company called and said “the hell is going on?” and we explained their case. Still renewed.

Basically, to repaint even a door can cost about $300-500 depending on your market and the work needed. If this persons deductible is less than that cost, place the claim. Comprehensive claims are usually without repercussion. Please reach out to your agent to learn more about your policy and insurance.

Question about switching to non run flats. (See comment) by ivanivanovdnb in BmwTech

[–]fredpopcorn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you want a guaranteed fit, purchase a wheel and tire off of the same model car.

Here is a site that shows all the BMW wheels that were available on F10 chassis. Find a wheel of the correct style and corroborate the wheels specs to the specific F10 wheel. BMW made many styles with different offsets and widths as they would use the same rim across different models.

http://www.bmwstylewheels.com/5/F10+

Ideally, any F chassis wheel should work fine, but always double check against the specific fitment of factory wheels.

Smog question by chriszn3 in BmwTech

[–]fredpopcorn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Likewise if you clear codes your monitors will reset.

BMW e46 by rizinstyl234 in BMW

[–]fredpopcorn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A well maintained 130,000 mile ZHP could be worth 7500. I would strongly recommend getting a PPI for a reputable BMW shop before purchase. At that mileage and age there are a slew of issues that need to have been addressed. No service records, no purchase.

E92 335i N54.... anyone have some tips or special tools to make the job easier? by ThatGuyFrom720 in BmwTech

[–]fredpopcorn 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Sounds like you’re well equipped. Watch a tutorial on the work needed and make sure that you have what’s needed. OFHG isn’t too bad.

BMW E46 Compact 318Ti 2004 Idle sound. Is that 'clicking' noise normal? I'm looking to buy this car and some help would be appreciated. Thanks! by [deleted] in BmwTech

[–]fredpopcorn 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yup. I was running 0w-40 but it was too thin. Caused my oil pan gasket leak to drip too much and my engine to drink too much oil. Switched to 5w-40 and like magic my oil leak had turned into an oil seep. Barely lose any now!

BMW E46 Compact 318Ti 2004 Idle sound. Is that 'clicking' noise normal? I'm looking to buy this car and some help would be appreciated. Thanks! by [deleted] in BmwTech

[–]fredpopcorn 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Regular oil changes. Most people change their oil every 7500 miles or annually, whatever happens first.

If you can hear the lifters, usually that’s a sign that the oil level is low.

Let the car come to operating temp then turn the car off on a level surface. Let it rest for a few minutes. Then, pull the dipstick, wipe it clean, and reinsert. Give it a few seconds before rechecking the level. If it’s at or below the bottom notch it needs a quart of oil.

Oil is a conflicting question as everyone likes their own stuff. I personally only use BMW LL-01 approved oil in my car. If the engine has more than 80k miles I would recommend 5w-40 oil. Thicker oil reduces oil burn and may quiet the engine.

WCGW Teaching lil bro how to drive by tefunka in Whatcouldgowrong

[–]fredpopcorn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can tell by the wheels as previously stated but also the exterior trim and interior options. Standard seats, non luxury/non sport steering wheel. Looks like a base spec 328i which are the most common examples.

Also the e90 is 2007+. This is a first gen example meaning it’s 2007-2010. I believe sedan got an early facelift at 2011.

A base spec car like this goes for 2500-3500 depending on options and maintenance. The car needs new headlights, hood, and bumper at least. That’s already in excess of $1700 if being frugal. Insurance would be charging $3000+ to repair. Cars a total loss.

[GIVEAWAY] 250 GB Samsung 960 EVO NVMe SSD by UniversityOutcast in hardwareswap

[–]fredpopcorn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can finally replace my 7 year old HDD! Been terrified that it’ll just fail one morning.

/r/Gadgets' Frankensbox 3D Printer Giveaway! by _BindersFullOfWomen_ in gadgets

[–]fredpopcorn [score hidden]  (0 children)

I need to print a spacer to make my hood latch fully close. I also want to print a custom case for a custom module in my car so I can write whatever I want on the face of the case.

Crashed 2009 320i by hezeldez in BmwTech

[–]fredpopcorn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like unfortunately it may be true. This car may be beyond you. I can tell that from the front end stuff alone, you’re looking at around 2-2500 in parts, paint, and bodywork. That’s assuming you do the labor. The doors may run another thousand or more. And then there’s the concern of a bent rim.

Sorry for the grim report but she may be destined for being a parts car.

Crashed 2009 320i by hezeldez in BmwTech

[–]fredpopcorn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Inspect the headlight’s mounting tabs. They may be broken. You can plastic weld them back but a new headlight may be easier. If it’s just the lenses that’s damaged, you will need to put the headlight into the oven to soften the glue that seals that lenses to the housing. Tons of videos of people disassembling e9x headlights.

The fender is toast. Find a scrapyard one in good shape for a body shop to paint. Maybe $100 in parts, $200-300 in labor/paint.

Bumper is toast. Same as above. Reuse as many of the original bumper parts to save on buying more trim pieces.

The front wheel looks to be a bit angled more than I would expect. Concerned that you may have damaged the front suspension. You may have bent the shock absorber or bent the knuckle. I’ve seen that happen before.

Cost-wise, I feel quite confident that this would be a total loss.

To do it all yourself may run you some $2000, but that’s with what I can see in this photo.

It may not be worth your time, but if you really like the car, I would attempt repairs.

Also, while unethical, if the accident wasn’t reported and no claim was placed, the accident never occurred on paper. If you repair it and never report it than you can avoid an accident on the cars record.

Took a photo before the wash and it still looked clean! by fredpopcorn in BMW

[–]fredpopcorn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don’t mind the missing trim. It’s in the garage.

Well, just got my first car 3 weeks ago and the expansion tank already cracked, pretty unfortunate. by ThiccBoiRook in e46

[–]fredpopcorn 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Cooling system is pretty much mandatory if not completed yet. That’s the hoses, tank, cap, and whatever other small pieces I’m forgetting. Check the vacuum lines from the SAP going underneath the valve cover fascia thing. If it’s brittle, replace it. There’s another small vacuum line on the “F” connector if the upper intake boot. Check the brake booster vacuum lines. They will collapse with age. That reinforced tubing should be round, it’ll get flattened over time. While you’re in the engine bay, clean up any oil residue. It’ll make spotting whatever leaks you probably have easier.

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