2004 BMW E46 M3 Estoril Individual

[TSPORT]

Been tinkering with this the last few weeks, cleaning, servicing, maintenance etc

Its a June 2004 Estoril Individual, Just clicked over 90k miles with great history.

I am the third owner and the last owner had it for 7 years. Paint is excellent with no corrosion.

Since purchasing last month I have carried out the following work.

New BMW thermostat .
New BMW aux and AC belts.
Coolant change with genuine BMW coolant.
BMW oil filter, air filter, Cabin filter and fuel filter, VANOS filter kit and oil change with BMW Castrol 10W60 Oil.
Brake fluid change.
CSL reps from CM wheels and 10mm rear spacers. The suspension is standard and it will stay that way....Maybe.

Here she is after a good wash and arch cleaning session today.

Normally I prefer black leather but the grey nappa leather in the M3 is in lovely condition, it also reminds me of my first E36 M3 as it was also estoril blue with grey leather interior.

I have also updated the SMG firmware to the CSL version and added rev matching, inertia update and a few throttle changes to the comfort and sport modes.

Comfort mode

Sport mode

Rev matching, Inertia update and remove 155mph limit (Why not?)

The normal start mode in a e46 M3 in comfort but what if you prefer sport?? So... enabled sport button memory this means the car remembers what mode you left it in.

Also preformed a VANOS test which passed with perfect results

I also carried out a full SMG Actuator and clutch bleed along with clutch bite point adjust via DIS, altogether these adjustments really transform the SMG system, nice smooth shifts and really is a pleasure to use.

Next up is a diff fluid change with FM booster.

 

[Carson]

Love that !

 

[redanni]

Superb

 

[chrisdromore]

Very nice

 

[Neil_M]

Love it!

What does the "Burble / Pop On Lift Off" sound like lol?

 

[TSPORT]

Love it!

What does the "Burble / Pop On Lift Off" sound like lol?

Thanks mate.

I dont know I havnt enabled it on any of the e46 M3s lol Its not good for the cats.

 

[Tommy_c]

Beautiful

 

[BarryPort]

You’re right the grey works very well with the car.

I enjoyed the techy update, not often you see fine tuning like that.

 

[euge07]

Seen of these this morning in Ardboe. Quite a rare sight on the road now. Estorial blue is so nice

 

[TSPORT]

You’re right the grey works very well with the car.

I enjoyed the techy update, not often you see fine tuning like that.

Thanks, I could have gone more on the tech side as the 255 firmware update is a separate process from the rev matching and inertia update from ecuworx but I though most wouldn't be interested in seeing me moving a load of files lol The updates make a massive difference though, its not just as sharp as a DCT box but its not that far away given the age gap its pretty impressive.

 

[AlpineF30]

That looks a fantastic example.

Id be up for seeing more techy updates lol.

How does it compare to the E92?

 

[warren]

Beautiful thing that, those M3s havent aged a day. Would be intererested in seeing more of the tech stuff too as above!

As for the suspension.... it looks epic as it is obviously but that side shot is calling for a slight drop I think

 

[WSK]

Beauty, Love Estoril in these.

Would love a run in an SMG to compare to my Manual

 

[TSPORT]

Beauty, Love Estoril in these.

Would love a run in an SMG to compare to my Manual

Any time fella, Will be taxed tomorrow

The rev matching and firmware make a massive difference to the smg,

 

[TSPORT]

Some work completed tonight...

The usual exhaust clamps where the rear box joins the system had seen better days. I ordered the kit from X8R as these are recommended by Redish Motorsport. Nice job they are too.

Original flanges all good with no cracks

X8R kit fitted

Rear drop links on the anti roll bar needed attention so 2 new drop links from lemforder with new bolts.

They actually have M3 stamped on them

Also replaced a broken exhaust mount with a new BMW item.

A good look around the subframe and no cracks to be seen thankfully. Will keep an eye on this as all E46 models are known to crack the subframe to varying degrees.

Cant wait for the weather to improve and the salt to go away and get this out for a good drive somewhere nice

 

[Brennan]

Lovely motor, wheels really suit it

 

[TSPORT]

Another job ticked off the list today.

Air bag recall courtesy of Bavarian BMW Belfast along with oil and filter change (10w60 Oil), Top job by the guys this morning and service manager John Davis was a pleasure to deal with.

Coffee was on point as always

Nice new airbag and a clean bill of health from the vehicle inspection

Gotta love a fat rear end

The M Badge was a tad faded on the boot lid and if anyone is familiar with Matt from Obsessed Garage on youtube he is a fan of the no M3 badge so i thought Id give it a go and remove it, Looks pretty clean I think.

 

[soupz]

Saw it sitting outside the showroom yesterday and had a quick look round it, very good condition! Definitely best colour for them.

 

[TSPORT]

No oil change is complete without the VANOS filter change.

This isnt part of the BMW service schedule but no harm changing it anyway as the metal partial filter does get dirty.

Upon removal of the of the VANOS pressure regulator where the filter lives.

Deffo worth changing

New filter and O rings

All cleaned up, fitted and ready to go back in

Much better

All fitted

 

[TSPORT]

All cleaned up for cars n coffee this morning, was a great turn out with some lovely machines

 

[Eager]

Had a look around it dude but didn’t realise it was yours. Nice car

 

[Boydie]

That looks great!

 

[TSPORT]

A minor update but an update none the less...

Some new black BMW floor mats and fastners. While the grey mats are in perfect condition I think the black add a nice contrast.

Also gave the passenger seat a clean with Pears soap, Really impressed with this stuff and for only 79p too. Now I have got to do the rest of the seats.

 

[Neil_M]

Super clean sir!

 

[TSPORT]

Aircon recharge with Autoradz in Lisburn now that the weather is finally getting a bit better. The aircon wasnt preforming very well and was due a bit of TLC.

I was very impressed with this machine the Ecotechnics ECK1800, It vacuums the air conditioning system and tests for leaks, replaces the oil and charges the system, Takes around 30 mins and the aircon is ice cold now